My Golden Core is a Star, do you call this cultivating?

Chapter 369: What if They Retaliate Even More Brutally for Our Resistance?

In Qin Yuan Nation, countless eyes were raised skyward at this moment, filled with confusion.

Some young couples cheered, "Look! There are fireworks in the sky!"

Others seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation, and their expressions turned grave.

The lights in the sky symbolized something that might be terrifying.

Many people immediately went online, waiting for trending news, wanting to understand what had happened.

Some felt a creeping sense of unease.

However, instead of an explanation for the "fireworks," they were met with a blood-red declaration of war!

Canxing, in alliance with the Ancient Wu Nation, officially declared war on Qin Yuan Nation.

“War has been declared?”

“Canxing declared war? How is that possible!”

“We’re doomed! Canxing has finally made its move!”

The internet was in an uproar.

Although Canxing and Gongxing had always been at odds, and often clashed secretly, this was the first time full-scale war had been declared.

Even during the previous invasion, Canxing hadn’t declared full war.

“Hahaha! Canxing is the true beacon of civilization! I’ve been waiting for this day for so long. I’m thrilled!”

A small portion of people were celebrating online.

“Only under Canxing’s leadership can Qin Yuan truly experience freedom and democracy!”

Back when Canxing and Gongxing were at war, Gongxing had always been on the losing side. Many people in Gongxing admired and groveled before Canxing.

These remarks immediately sparked anger.

“War is always bloody and cruel!”

“If you like Canxing so much, go live there yourself!”

“Hmph, we defended our lands once before, and today we can do it again!”

“In the past, we relied on our perseverance, our indomitable spirit, and the Sky Eye we found in the desert to defeat Canxing. Today, we not only have the Sky Eye but also a growing number of cultivators. What do we have to fear?”

Qin Yuan Nation’s internet was abuzz with voices rising in defiance.

Meanwhile, supermarkets and shopping malls were filled with people panic-buying supplies.

At the same time, a video from the Ancient Wu Nation went viral in Qin Yuan Nation.

“Everyone, at precisely 6:00 p.m. on March 7th, Canxing’s fleet launched a surprise death strike on Qin Yuan Nation’s airspace. During this strike, all of Qin Yuan’s... Sky Eyes were destroyed.

“I’m sure you all saw the colorful display in the sky, reminiscent of fireworks. That was the sound of the Sky Eyes shattering. Now, Qin Yuan’s strongest defense has been obliterated, leaving the nation completely exposed to Canxing’s sky warships.

“Raise your hands, surrender, and welcome the Sky Army’s arrival!”

Everyone who watched this video was instantly horrified.

“The Sky Eyes are gone?”

“No way!”

“That’s impossible!”

Panic gripped the hearts of the people.

Even the cultivators felt a heavy cloud of dread. No one knew the power of the Sky Eyes better than these cultivators. It was a terrifying weapon capable of wiping out even Purple Palace cultivators.

Now, it was suddenly destroyed.

How could they not be shaken?

The fact that Canxing could eliminate Qin Yuan’s strongest weapon in a silent strike meant one thing—Canxing had become even stronger!

This also meant that once Canxing’s warships descended, Qin Yuan would have no way to defend itself.

War had erupted so abruptly.

Many people didn’t understand why it had happened so suddenly.

They didn’t realize that Canxing was now under the control of the demon clans from the Myriad Demon Realm.

The demon clans had no regard for Canxing’s survival, ordering a suicidal strike. Though they had managed to take out Qin Yuan’s Sky Eyes, Canxing had suffered heavy losses, losing 30% of its military capability.

Looting Qin Yuan wouldn’t even begin to make up for their losses.

Thus, many couldn’t believe that Canxing would launch a large-scale invasion of Qin Yuan, as it would be a lose-lose scenario.

But it had happened.

In the capital, chaos reigned.

The Seven Martial Star Families, 20 family heads, the king, and high-ranking military officials had gathered in an underground facility.

An elderly man with white hair, looking both furious and despondent, exclaimed, “How could Canxing do this? It’s a pyrrhic victory! What do they stand to gain?”

“Now isn’t the time to debate that! We need to focus on how to respond to Canxing’s attack! Their fleet is already mobilized. In ten days, they’ll be upon us, and we’ll be done for!”

“We’re truly finished. With the Sky Eyes gone, how can we fight their warships? Are we going to have our cultivators chop them down with swords?” A young family head was in despair.

The Sky Eyes had been their faith.

The strength of the Seven Martial Star Families was intricately tied to the Sky Eyes.

Relying on the Sky Eyes, the Seven Martial Star Families had stood unchallenged.

Even when facing mysterious and powerful cultivators, the Sky Eyes had shown their overwhelming dominance.

This family head had grown up hearing stories of the Sky Eyes. Now that the Sky Eyes had been shattered, his heart was filled with terror.

“The Sky Eyes were epoch-defining weapons. Without them, how can we resist? We might as well surrender. Resistance is pointless,” one family head said in despair.

Indeed, if the Sky Eyes were a Tier 0 weapon, Qin Yuan Nation had nothing at Tier 1 or Tier 2, only a few Tier 3 defenses. That was how powerful the Sky Eyes were.

But now, the Sky Eyes had been destroyed in a sneak attack, blown to pieces.

Qin Yuan Nation was completely defenseless.

“Surrender?” The king’s voice was filled with anger and frustration. “Do you want our people to become food? Haven’t the reports from Canxing made things clear enough? Canxing’s ordinary citizens have all become food for the Myriad Demon Realm.

“If the Myriad Demon Realm takes us, we’ll be next in line to become food!”

The former seventh prince, now the king, had matured through years of experience.

His voice was cold and full of dissatisfaction.

Information from Canxing had been continuously flowing to Gongxing. They knew that Canxing’s current situation was dire, beyond miserable.

Nearly all of Canxing’s high-ranking officials had been infiltrated and controlled by the Myriad Demon Realm’s demons. The common people were treated as food and sent to the demon realm.

The newly established "Starry Sky Shipping Company" in Canxing was facilitating this vile trade.

To the demons of the Myriad Demon Realm, humans were nothing more than food.

If Canxing took over Qin Yuan, what fate would the people face?

As for the upper echelons, they might be able to survive, continuing to enjoy their wealth and power, though at the cost of complete subservience.

But what about the common people?

The former seventh prince had never been destined to become king. Yet here he was, having ascended to the throne and gained power. He had always been cautious but also ambitious.

He didn’t want to be remembered as an incompetent ruler.

Gongyi Qing, another influential figure, nodded and said, “Indeed, surrender is not an option. Even if we die, we must make sure the invaders pay a heavy price!”

Gongyi Qing wasn’t part of the direct Gongyi family line but had risen to prominence due to his cautious nature and dedication. Before the world’s reset, he had faithfully recited the secret agreements and vows before Qi Yuan’s tombstone, which earned him Qi Yuan’s favor.

Because of this, he had been promoted and became the head of the Gongyi family. Despite his rise to power, he remained humble and true to his original aspirations.

At his level, he had experienced all the material comforts one could imagine. His current goal was to leave a legacy.

“But the fiercer we resist, the more enraged Canxing will become, and they’ll retaliate even more brutally!” someone hesitantly said.

“So, we just let them butcher us?”

“If we don’t resist, we’ll die. But if we do resist, we might die even more horribly...”

“Without the Sky Eyes, what can we use to defend ourselves?”

The Seven Martial Star family heads argued and bickered, passing blame and responsibility.

The king watched this scene unfold with deep disappointment in his eyes.

He knew that many of the 20 family heads were paralyzed by fear.

They feared that by resisting Canxing, they would be marked for revenge.

He recalled the words Qi Yuan had once said to him—indeed, the Seven Martial Stars had no reason to exist.

Even without them, Qin Yuan Nation could still thrive.

When he had asked Qi Yuan if it was time to knock the Seven Martial Stars off their pedestal, Qi Yuan had simply replied, “I’m just here to play a game. What does that have to do with me?”

The arguing continued for half a day, filling the hall with tension, but nothing was resolved.

When the others had finally left, the king looked at the now elderly Gongyi Qing, his face filled with despondency. He asked, “Have you contacted Mr. Qi?”

His eyes held a glimmer of hope.

At this point, all hope rested on Qi Yuan.

Though he hadn’t dared contact Qi Yuan in decades, as Qi Yuan had asked not to be disturbed.

Gongyi Qing’s eyes filled with disappointment. “I couldn’t reach him. Mr. Qi is like a dragon—he appears when he wants and vanishes just as easily. We might only see him when the Martial Arts Tournament begins. Other than that, it seems he doesn’t care much about Qin Yuan Nation.”

“Sigh, this time… it’s too difficult.

“Even if Mr. Qi intervenes, it may not be enough to resolve the situation. The Myriad Demon Realm is too powerful. Canxing couldn’t resist them either.

“Even if Mr. Qi agrees to help, it would be like one man fighting against a sea of enemies.”

The king’s voice was filled with despair.

“This time, we can only rely on ourselves.

“We can’t always pin our hopes on someone else.

“Mr. Qi doesn’t owe us anything. He’s not our babysitter.”

Qin Yuan Nation was in chaos, with incidents breaking out everywhere.

Meanwhile, on a small island, more than 20 young men and women had gathered.

Most of these individuals looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it was clear they carried themselves with a certain extraordinary aura.

One of them, a young woman in tight-fitting clothes, had a look of worry and apprehension on her face.

If Qi Yuan were here, he would recognize this woman as Xiao Mei, his blind date from when he had first started playing the game, the one who had borrowed a lot of money from him.

Xiao Mei was also a disciple of the parents of Qi Yuan’s current body.

At this moment, “Xiao Mei” stood behind a female Daoist, clearly troubled, as if worried about Gongxing.

The female Daoist stood up, gazing at the young men and women present. Her voice was ethereal as she said, “Everyone, disaster is approaching. If you continue to stay in this world, a terrible catastrophe may befall you.”

This female Daoist was the sect master of Tianyuan Sect, Daoist Tianqian.

“If we don’t stay here, where do we go?” a young man asked.

These individuals were all restart players.

Most of them had joined the immortal sects over the years and become cultivators.

However, constant conflict among the restart players had left only about 20 to 30 survivors.

Upon hearing the man’s question, Daoist Tianqian couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. She replied, “We’ll discuss that later. For now, you must stop the fighting and killing amongst yourselves.

“According to Tianyuan’s prophetic stone, if all the restart players die, or if only a few are left, something terrifying will happen.”

“Heh, the Sky Eyes have fallen, Canxing is invading, what could be more terrifying than that?” a woman retorted mockingly.

The others didn’t take the female Daoist’s words seriously.

If she weren’t the sect master of Tianyuan Sect, a powerful elder, they wouldn’t have even given her the time of day.

“Forget about any looming catastrophe. We should be focusing on how to repel Canxing’s invasion. Otherwise, if the demons descend, we’re all dead.”

“Right. Our bloodlines are the demons’ favorite. The Myriad Demon Realm demons won’t spare us!”

“Even the Three Realms can’t fend off Canxing or the Myriad Demon Realm!”

These restart players were filled with anxiety.

Daoist Tianqian sighed and murmured, “Tianyuan’s prophetic stone suggests that the crisis facing the Three Realms and Gongxing is even more serious than Canxing’s invasion. What could it be?”

The invasion of Canxing, with the demons from the Myriad Demon Realm descending, would turn this world into a playground for monsters.

All humans would likely become food for the demons.

That was already a terrifying and tragic outcome.

Yet the prophetic stone had foretold that their fate—Gongxing’s fate—would be even worse than that.

“It seems we must wait for our patriarch to descend. Only then will we have a glimmer of hope,” Daoist Tianqian thought.

The patriarch was a Yin God, possessing the power to suppress all enemies in the world. If he descended, all monsters, devils, and evil spirits would be wiped out.

Even Canxing’s invasion would become a joke.

That was the power of a Yin God!

However, it would still take some time before the patriarch descended.

The question was, could Gongxing survive the crisis until then?

...

On the high tower, the atmosphere was both silent and mysterious.

Most of the martial masters had their eyes closed, meditating, while only a few watched the martial kings challenge the trials.

Qi Yuan, browsing the forums, had gathered many useful suggestions.

“This person’s wisdom is no less than that of the Great Sage True Lord.

“It’s true. To create an Underworld, I need to first have a piece of land.

“That was my oversight.

“Unfortunately, with everyone speculating in real estate these days, land prices are too high. I can’t afford it.”

Qi Yuan looked worried.

Moreover, ordinary land wouldn’t do. It needed to be a place filled with heavy Yin energy to suit the Underworld’s aesthetic.

“Hey, Black Deer, do you know of any places where... the Yin energy is particularly strong?” Qi Yuan couldn’t help but ask.

“Yin energy?” Black Deer Martial Master was surprised, then replied, “The Origin Land is filled with heavy Yin energy. This place... is full of the dead.”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan wasn’t surprised.

The Origin Land, despite being the birthplace of life, was now filled with Yin energy due to the great war that had taken place there. It was more full of Yin energy than even the End Land.

He knew it had heavy Yin energy, but he hadn’t expected it to be this dense.

“What do you think, if I were to buy the entire Origin Land, how much should I pay? By the way, what currency do you accept? Would underworld coins work?” Qi Yuan asked.

He didn’t want to spend his own money; he figured he could offer a bit from the Heaven and Earth Bank instead.

“Cough, cough...” Black Deer Martial Master choked, as if swallowing water the wrong way. “Is... is this a joke, sir?”

Who would sell the Origin Land?

“Hahaha, if you’re strong enough, you could directly take over the Origin Land and make it your private domain.

“But that would be difficult. Not to mention the Eastern Alliance, there’s another powerful and mysterious force in the Origin Land. You mustn’t offend them, or...”

As he mentioned this force, Black Deer’s expression became complicated, and he seemed deeply apprehensive.

“Directly taking it over wouldn’t be right; it wouldn’t be ethical. I have to pay for it.

“Sigh, sometimes I really wish I could strike it rich, win the lottery, wake up with a jackpot prize.”

Qi Yuan daydreamed, fantasizing.

But then, realizing that even winning the lottery every day wouldn’t be enough to buy the land, he felt even more disappointed.