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

Chapter 382: Returning to Canglan, Shenguang Sect’s First Purple Mansion!

Countless images flashed through Qi Yuan's mind.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in Shenguang Sect, on Seven-Colored Peak.

"Am I… out of the game?"

The game had ended rather abruptly.

With the bird's departure, the Sea of Root Demons dissipated, and Qi Yuan hadn’t had the chance to reunite with Jinli, Ning Tao, or return home to give Zero-One a few instructions.

Just like that, the game was over, and he was back in Canglan.

"Hey, is this some kind of joke? You left, and you took one of my Nascent Souls with you!"

Qi Yuan felt a sudden urge to punch that woman right out of the sky!

Sure, it was his fault for letting Wu Shi’s soul inhabit her body in the first place.

But according to some people’s logic, didn’t leaving her body unattended make her at least a little responsible too?

But thinking of Wu Shi's uniqueness, Qi Yuan decided to let it go.

His nearly four thousand Nascent Souls scattered across Gongxing and the Primordial Land could all be found somewhere—like little “grandchildren” ready to dash forward as “grandpas” or “grandmas.”

Wu Shi, however, was unique.

She had chosen to reside in the body of that supremely powerful being from the ruins, the one beyond the Great Truth realm, slowly recovering.

Without that powerful being's body, it would have taken Wu Shi much longer to awaken—or worse, her recovery might have been extremely slow.

"Sigh, I played a game and lost a kidney. Where am I supposed to file a complaint?"

Qi Yuan was speechless.

Technically, it wasn’t a kidney, just a Nascent Soul that got taken.

Sure, he had a lot of them, but losing one still hurt.

"Now, not only do I have a mental illness that shocks people, but I probably qualify for a disability card. My buffs are stacking up."

Qi Yuan decided he should go get a disability certificate soon.

But just as he thought this, he examined himself and was startled.

"I’m… in the Purple Mansion stage now?"

After returning from the game, Qi Yuan had advanced to the Purple Mansion stage.

Yes, Shenguang Sect’s first-ever cultivator to reach the Purple Mansion!

"But… where’s my Purple Mansion?"

Qi Yuan was disappointed.

He had advanced to the Purple Mansion stage but hadn’t fully entered it.

Because… he didn’t have a Purple Mansion.

Where the mansion should be, it was completely empty.

"I’m really crippled!"

This time, playing the game had left him with some serious disabilities.

Not only had one of his Nascent Souls been kidnapped, but his Purple Mansion was empty too.

The only upside was how absurdly powerful the innate seed he carried was.

Almost all the cultivation he gained during the game—99 percent—had carried over.

His status as a Ten Thousand Paths Martial God remained intact.

His Yang God powers were still there.

In short, his progress had been immense, far exceeding his previous gains.

"My Purple Mansion isn’t complete, so I haven’t unlocked any new superpowers?"

Every time Qi Yuan advanced in cultivation, he unlocked a new ability.

Like his eyes that could see hidden information, his ears that could hear thoughts and strange whispers, and his nose that could grow larger and longer.

This time, there were no new changes.

That meant his Purple Mansion was still incomplete.

"Hmm… So, I’m just missing the ‘Underworld’?"

Qi Yuan thought.

He had the Purple Qi, but not the Underworld.

At that moment, his attention turned to his task rewards.

It was a straight, brush-like pen that resembled a calligraphy brush.

The handle was ink-black and seemed to bear the patterns of mountains and rivers.

"A proper pen."

Back in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Zone, he had encountered a less proper pen—a fox-tail-like Frenzied Brush, an extremely unruly tool.

"The Mountain and River Imperial Brush… I understand now.

I just need to find a painter to draw my Underworld.

Then my Purple Mansion… will be complete."

The Mountain and River Imperial Brush was a supreme treasure.

The Eastern Lord had used it to draw the Mountain and Sea Scrolls, creating countless worlds.

Now, the brush was in Qi Yuan’s hands.

"So, the problem is… I need land, blueprints, and a painter?"

Qi Yuan pondered.

With a wave of his hand, seven PPT slides appeared.

These were the Underworld designs he’d gotten from that person on Gongxing.

Qi Yuan skimmed through them: “Cultivating to the Purple Mansion stage is just too hard.

Why is it that other people just go into closed-door cultivation, explore some secret realms, gather enough resources, and bam—they’re at the Purple Mansion stage?

But I have to go through all this hassle: buying land, finding someone to design it, and then hiring someone to draw it!”

Qi Yuan was frustrated.

The world was unfair.

"Sigh, life is hard, like the rushing waters of a river, flowing endlessly."

Qi Yuan sighed.

Just then, a crisp voice interrupted the lofty, high-class atmosphere of his cement room.

"Senior Brother, are you out of seclusion?"

The voice's owner seemed to be speaking in hushed tones, as if not wanting to disturb someone in cultivation, yet it was tinged with worry.

Qi Yuan knew that voice all too well.

Clad in his blood-red robes, he strode out of his high-end, albeit slightly unrefined, cement house.

"Junior Sister, how did you know I’d just come out of seclusion?

And how did you know I’ve somehow reached the Purple Mansion stage?”

Qi Yuan smiled, exuding the demeanor of someone who had just reached this impressive stage in cultivation.

Outside, a figure in a purple dress had her eyes widened in surprise, like a gentle breeze stirring lotus leaves, making water droplets scatter.

"Senior Brother, you’ve finally come out of seclusion! You've been in there for two and a half years!" Jiang Lingsu’s eyes were filled with joy and excitement.

In her mind, Qi Yuan’s seclusions were never long.

But this time had been different.

As his junior sister, wasn’t it natural for her to worry a little and show some concern?

Every day, she would come to Qi Yuan’s door, softly calling out to see if he had awoken.

And, of course, to make sure nothing had gone wrong.

Now that he was out, she was all smiles.

"Two and a half years, huh? That’s a long time—and a bit of an unlucky number," Qi Yuan said lightly.

His gaze fell upon Jiang Lingsu.

He was momentarily stunned.

The purple violet gown she wore revealed her delicate form. Pale, jade-like shoulders were adorned with purple ribbons tied into butterfly knots, emphasizing her smooth, porcelain skin.

Her outfit was different from before; this one had far more revealing cutouts. Her long hair barely covered her bare back, which had a visible, seductive line down the middle. The sides of her waist were similarly exposed, showing off her slender, well-defined figure. Her waistline was clear, and just a bit lower, the curve from her thighs to her upper body could be seen faintly.

Above, her chest was exaggerated, full and round, contrasting sharply with her slim waist—a striking example of slender branches bearing heavy fruit.

Unlike Jinli’s delicate elegance, this was on a whole different level.

And most notably, there were two features that couldn't be mentioned.

Someone once said that purple was a very seductive color.

"Indeed, Junior Sister, in these two and a half years, even your fashion sense has changed dramatically. You're quite bold now.

Just to clarify, I mean ‘bold’ in the best possible sense," Qi Yuan added, ever the thoughtful speaker, always stacking his buffs.

Jiang Lingsu's face flushed red as she placed her hands on her hips. "I’m the only one here on Seven-Colored Peak, so who cares? Besides, Senior Brother, you have no idea how many strange things have happened while you were in seclusion.

There are now a few extra suns in the sky—eleven in total!

It's so hot! Living here alone, with your formation around the peak preventing anyone from coming in without my permission, there's no one to see me anyway. What's wrong with dressing a little cooler?

Hmph, you've seen me wear even less before. Why so shy now?"

Qi Yuan looked up at the sky.

Sure enough, eleven suns.

He could feel the heat—it wasn’t unbearable, but mostly a psychological effect.

"Looks like we need a skilled archer to shoot one down!" Qi Yuan said, fixing his gaze on the first sun, deep in thought.

There were too many impolite beings in this world.

Didn’t they see that the suns were already crowding together, yet still felt the need to gather?

That fellow from the Taihuang Palace was too inconsiderate.

"Senior Brother, according to you, these suns are the reflections of Yang Gods across the heavens.

Where could we find such an archer in Canglan?

And besides, if anyone needs shooting, it should be the newer ones!" Jiang Lingsu teased, her full chest bouncing slightly with her laughter, which was quite mesmerizing.

Qi Yuan swallowed and said, "The later suns are fine. They’re kind and good-natured, so leave them alone. We just need to shoot the first one!"

After all, that first sun was his Golden Core. If it got shot down, that would be awkward.

Jiang Lingsu’s eyes sparkled with amusement. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t spoken with her Senior Brother in a long time, or maybe the distance had made her fonder. Now, listening to his nonsensical chatter, she found herself enjoying it immensely.

"Are there really bad suns?" Jiang Lingsu played along.

"Of course! Look at the other ten—so neat and tidy, unlike that one. Clearly, it’s the bad one, which is why it’s being excluded!" Qi Yuan said confidently.

"Senior Brother is always right." Jiang Lingsu moved closer, casually wrapping her arm around his. She tugged at him, saying, "You've been in seclusion for so long, you must be hungry. Luckily for you, I just finished making some food. I'll be kind enough to let you taste it!"

But then, Jiang Lingsu glanced at Qi Yuan's blood-red robe and asked with a puzzled look, "Senior Brother, I remember you wearing a green robe before seclusion. Why the sudden change to red? And this style—it’s different too. You didn’t secretly sneak out and go wild, did you?”

She said this with a bit of mock anger, her chest rising and falling.

"No, I just changed outfits in the game."

When Qi Yuan entered the game, it was with his true body, though there were some differences.

"Changed outfits?" Jiang Lingsu blinked. Hearing Qi Yuan’s explanation, she believed him.

Though her Senior Brother could be unreliable at times, he was often surprisingly dependable too.

"Right," Qi Yuan nodded. "Let’s go try that food of yours, and while we’re at it, I’ll ask you about something."

"What is it?" Jiang Lingsu’s curiosity was piqued.

As a beautiful and wealthy Junior Sister, Jiang Lingsu was always warm and generous toward Qi Yuan.

Not only did she "drop gold coins," she also "dropped cultivation techniques."

There’s an old saying: Behind every successful man is a woman who supports him.

In Qi Yuan’s case, his Junior Sister was the one dropping gold coins for him.

"I’ll tell you over the meal." Qi Yuan glanced down and caught sight of something he shouldn’t have. "Junior Sister, maybe you should cover up a bit more?"

Jiang Lingsu’s face flushed with embarrassment, the redness creeping up her ears and hidden under her long hair. Yet, emboldened, she replied, "You’ve seen me like this before. Why so scared?"

Once you’ve done something once, it’s easier to do it again.

"But…" Qi Yuan whispered into her ear.

Jiang Lingsu's face instantly turned bright red. She quickly covered herself with her arms, creating a rather exaggerated curve as she trembled slightly.

"You… saw nothing!"

"Nope, I’ve already forgotten," Qi Yuan said warmly.

Seeing this, Jiang Lingsu clenched her teeth in frustration, stomping her foot in anger, but she couldn’t find a good reason to argue back.

She turned around and transformed into a beam of light, disappearing from sight.

Qi Yuan watched her leave and was reminded of a promise he had once made to her, back when she gave him a cultivation technique.

He said he would "cover" her in the future!

But his Junior Sister had said she didn’t need to be covered.

"Indeed, my Junior Sister doesn’t need any covering."

Words that really shouldn’t have been said slipped out of Qi Yuan’s mouth.

---

"A painter?"

Jiang Lingsu was seated in a bamboo chair. This time, she wasn’t dressed lightly—her outfit was quite conservative. If not for using her cultivation arts, she’d likely have started sweating already.

"Yes, I need a painter to draw my Underworld," Qi Yuan said calmly.

Sure, Qi Yuan could probably draw it himself, but his artistic skills were rather average.

It would be better to leave this to a professional.

The PPT presentation had been made by someone else, so why should he have to draw as well?

He just needed to explain his concept, combine it with someone else’s designs, and have the Underworld drawn up.

Getting a good artist for the job was enough.

Right now, the more pressing concern was the great catastrophe.

Dealing with that while simultaneously finding a painter to sketch the Underworld—it could be done on two tracks at once.

"If you’re looking for a painter, I do know of one. She might not be the most famous, but she’s definitely the strangest.

She lives in the Bamboo Sea of Helan Continent in the Eastern Lands. My Jiang clan has some business dealings in Helan, and I met this painter once when I was young," Jiang Lingsu recalled.

She was trying to remember what made this painter so odd.

Normally, people would ask, "What’s strange about them?"

"Oh, how are her skills? Better than mine?"

As he spoke, Qi Yuan quickly sketched a picture of a phoenix pecking at rice.

"Look at this—how does it compare to mine?"

Jiang Lingsu couldn’t help but laugh as she covered her mouth. "Senior Brother, your little chick pecking at rice is hilarious."

"Chick? That’s a phoenix! And it’s eating your rice!" Qi Yuan pointed at the rice in the drawing. "See? Looks exactly like your family’s rice."

"It doesn’t look anything like it!" Jiang Lingsu insisted that the rice didn’t resemble her family’s spiritual rice in the slightest.

"It’s not just similar—it is the same!" Qi Yuan said. Suddenly, a large mother hen burst out of the drawing, flapping its stubby wings as it ran into Jiang Lingsu’s kitchen, grabbing her rice and furiously pecking away.

The hen was crudely drawn, looking bizarre and misshapen.

Seeing this, Jiang Lingsu’s eyes widened in surprise. "Senior Brother, you’re so childish!"

She ignored the rice-pecking hen and said softly, "Her artistic skills are about eighty percent better than yours. I’m sure her work will be detailed and lifelike, no problem at all."

Senior Brother’s skills weren’t just at an amateur level; they were abstract. His phoenix looked more like a chicken.

"In that case, we’ll set a time to visit her.

But along the way, I need to formulate a detailed, comprehensive, and unprecedentedly great plan.

If anything trivial comes up, you can handle it!"

Qi Yuan’s gaze grew serious, his eyes filled with determination.

After so many years, he was finally ready to craft a flawless plan to deal with the catastrophe.

As long as he could eliminate the catastrophe, the climate in Canglan would change, and he would no longer have to live in constant fear, plagued by nightmares of becoming someone’s meal.

Moreover, he could break through the world’s limitations, ascend to the higher realm, reunite with Jinli, and find his master!

Such a grand plan had to be meticulously detailed and flawless.

"What great plan?" Jiang Lingsu looked at Qi Yuan, her eyes filled with admiration.

After all, a man who is serious and focused is the most attractive.

Senior Brother was even more charming when he was deep in thought.