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

"Is there something you need?" Qi Yuan looked at Lishan Great Venerable.

With a wave of his hand, Lishan Great Venerable caused the burly man and the elder from the Ancestral Land to lose their five senses. He was about to do the same to the other ancient gods present when Qi Yuan spoke up, "They are all my followers now. You can speak freely."

After using the Lost Glowing Stick, Qi Yuan had returned from the past to the present, and only a little over two hours had passed. Upon his return, the ancient gods had all decided to permanently become Qi Yuan’s followers, like Wangsong Ancient God, instead of maintaining their previous temporary allegiance. The main reason was that Qi Yuan's eight mythic-level Divine Visualization Techniques were too shocking. After some discussion, they decided to follow him for good.

Lishan Great Venerable glanced at the ancient gods, his curiosity only lingering for a moment before he turned back to Qi Yuan. "Origin Heavenly Venerable, you have visualized eight mythic-level Divine Visualization Techniques. This matter is of great importance. You must not reveal your identity, or the evil gods will surely send strong beings to assassinate you!"

"Hmm," Qi Yuan responded calmly. He was well aware of such dangers and didn’t give them much thought. After all, in games, it’s common for the villains to come one after another, trying to kill the hero.

"The Qing Shui Village is located in the Fallen Zone. If you return now, you will face great danger. In the Fallen Zone, we ancient gods cannot help you. If the evil gods make a move against you, you will be fighting alone!" Lishan Great Venerable tried to explain the gravity of the situation to Qi Yuan.

"Fighting alone? I’m used to that. But now, I’m not exactly alone, am I? I have so many villagers supporting me. Each of them has a bright future," Qi Yuan replied lightly.

In the Moon Continent, Qi Yuan had fought alone from the start. However, he had always had Jinli to chat with, and later on, Xiao Jia joined him in battle. He had blocked the Abyss alone, which was true solitude. Playing a game where you have to face bosses solo is just part of the experience, after all.

Lishan Great Venerable was silent for a moment, then continued, "With your ability to visualize eight mythic-level Divine Visualization Techniques, your importance even surpasses that of the Chosen Ones. Have you heard of the Mythic Plan?"

"No."

"During the Hongtang War, the foundation of the Mortal Heart Realm was fully exposed. Two-thirds of the ancient gods perished, and all the mythic beings fell. However, even in their deaths, they left behind a sliver of hope—a seed of the world," Lishan Great Venerable said, his voice full of sorrow. He had participated in the Hongtang War, a battle so brutal that true gods fell daily. For mortals, it wasn’t even a fight; they were less than cannon fodder.

"Hmm," Qi Yuan nodded. He had witnessed the Hongtang War firsthand a few hours earlier, seen the collapse of the Celestial Pillar, and watched as Wu Shi Saint Mother single-handedly held off the projection of a Yang God, ultimately sacrificing herself.

"Even at its peak, the Mortal Heart Realm could not stop the evil gods, let alone now. Our only hope is the Mythic Plan, which aims to create several mythic beings. These mythic beings would then tear open a path at the Mortal Heart Realm’s boundary, allowing the seed of hope to escape! Originally, the success rate of the Mythic Plan was less than half a percent. But with your help, the success rate could jump to thirty percent! At that point, we old folks would sacrifice everything to ensure that you and some young people, along with the seed of hope, escape the Mortal Heart Realm!" Lishan Great Venerable didn’t hide anything from Qi Yuan.

The villagers and ancient gods behind Qi Yuan were deeply shaken and filled with sadness. The power of the Mortal Heart Realm was still too weak compared to the evil gods.

Qi Yuan listened calmly. "Oh, I see."

Lishan Great Venerable was surprised by Qi Yuan’s reaction. He had expected Qi Yuan to be more moved. "I humbly ask that you join our Mythic Plan to ensure the future of the Mortal Heart Realm! When the plan is enacted, you can leave the Mortal Heart Realm and enjoy great freedom!"

Lishan Great Venerable’s offer was sincere, considering Qi Yuan’s well-being at every turn. He even offered Qi Yuan a chance to leave the Mortal Heart Realm, something that would tempt any other prodigy. Most would agree to join the Mythic Plan and escape with the hope of the world. But Qi Yuan was different. He flatly refused.

"Running away isn’t my style. How am I supposed to level up if I don’t complete my mission?"

Qi Yuan had worked hard to get into this game. Leaving it wasn’t an option.

His words left Lishan Great Venerable speechless. The ancient gods behind Qi Yuan were also surprised and felt a deep respect. They realized that while Qi Yuan often seemed carefree and eccentric, he had great courage when it mattered most.

"I’m going to kill that Yang God above the Celestial Pillar!" Qi Yuan’s eyes burned with murderous intent. He had merely traveled back in time to watch a historical event, but that Yang God projection had insulted him, calling him a "little bug" and trying to attack him. That was unacceptable. Qi Yuan had to settle this score, not just for himself but for Wu Shi Saint Mother, who had treated him kindly and even acted as his guide.

He didn’t need to say it out loud, but he had made up his mind to kill the Blood Sun Great Sage.

His declaration stunned everyone. If anyone else had said this, they would have thought it was a joke. But coming from the Origin Heavenly Venerable, a prodigy who had created countless miracles and visualized eight mythic-level Divine Visualization Techniques, it felt like a firm resolve, not just empty words.

The villagers behind Qi Yuan quickly echoed his sentiment, full of determination.

"I, Old Zhu, am willing to be the vanguard and clear the way for the Lord!"

"Old Yulian will serve with all my might!"

"I, Chen Xifan, am more than just a cook!"

"Stone Mountain’s life belongs to the Lord. Whatever he says, I’ll do it!"

Wangsong Ancient God also felt moved and full of fighting spirit.

"I am a god born of a pine tree, with the strongest of pride. What’s there to fear from a Yang God above?"

These followers spoke lightly, as if facing a true god was no big deal.

Lishan Great Venerable and the other two Great Venerables were astonished. They hadn’t expected this response from Qi Yuan. They had considered the possibility of him refusing but never thought he would refuse in this way.

"Are you sure you want to choose this path?" Lishan Great Venerable’s expression was deeply moved. There were ancient gods in the Mortal Heart Realm who supported the Mythic Plan, and others who didn’t. Some ancient gods, like Qi Yuan, chose to stay and fight to the end with the Mortal Heart Realm.

"I’m not choosing this path—they’re forcing me!" Qi Yuan said, suddenly feeling very much in character, as if the evil gods were truly pushing him to this point. He felt like a mistreated son-in-law forced to stand up against his oppressors.

Lishan Great Venerable sighed. He knew he couldn’t convince Qi Yuan.

"Please be careful when you return to Qing Shui Village. Stay low-key until these eight have fully matured. Only then should you reveal your strength," Lishan Great Venerable advised, remembering Thunderbolt Great Venerable’s words about Qi Yuan’s recklessness.

"Thank you for the advice, but don’t worry. I’m very careful. I never do anything without a plan. I always take calculated steps, never rash ones. Even in critical situations, I proceed cautiously, with a detailed plan," Qi Yuan assured him.

The villagers behind him wore strange expressions. Wangsong Ancient God also relaxed, feeling relieved. Following a careful and cautious guardian like this gave him hope for the future.

Lishan Great Venerable, however, was puzzled. Could Thunderbolt Great Venerable have been wrong about Qi Yuan? He certainly seemed prudent and cautious now.

"May you stay safe," Lishan Great Venerable said, resigned. But then he remembered something and spoke with a heavy tone, "Shenlei Great Venerable asked me to look after you."

"Look after me?" Qi Yuan was surprised. This wasn’t something to be said lightly.

"He’s the one who told me you were going to the Ancestral Land. He entrusted me to bring you into the Mythic Plan so you could have a chance at survival," Lishan Great Venerable explained.

"Where is that old man now?" Qi Yuan quickly asked.

"He… went after Zhang Feng," Lishan Great Venerable replied with a sigh. "He’s badly injured and doesn’t have much time left."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan immediately understood everything. He frowned, "Why are all the old fools in this world so stubborn?"

With a wave of his hand, all the villagers and ancient gods followed him. They all entered the teleportation array together.

Qi Yuan remained silent, his gaze calm. Zhu Zhuangshi, however, was anxious. "That old guy insulted me and then ran away, didn’t he?"

He vividly remembered how Shenlei Great Venerable had humiliated him in the past.

Time flew by quickly, and soon, Qi Yuan and his followers emerged from the teleportation array, landing in Qing Shui Village.

As soon as Qi Yuan's feet touched the ground, he lightly tapped it, and a small, short girl spun up from the earth. The girl was none other than the current Earth Goddess, Xue, the maidservant.

"Where is Shenlei Great Venerable?" Qi Yuan asked.

Maidservant Xue quickly replied, "Shenlei Great Venerable left last night."

She then relayed everything that had happened the previous day to Qi Yuan.

"Before leaving, Shenlei Great Venerable asked me to give you this." Maidservant Xue handed a storage pouch to Qi Yuan.

This storage pouch contained Shenlei Great Venerable's personal collection.

Qi Yuan casually glanced at the pouch and took it. "Zhang Feng... He's in Cai Country, right?"

Zhang Feng was an ancient god of Cai Country. When Qi Yuan had killed the true god in Feiwu City, Zhang Feng’s brother-in-law had been among those he slew. Zhang Feng had betrayed the ancient gods and joined the evil gods, becoming the son-in-law of a great evil god. The destruction of the Jiang Kingdom, where the Heavenly Treasure Venerable had lived, was partially Zhang Feng's doing.

"It seems my plan needs to be expedited," Qi Yuan said, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes.

The twin sisters nearby, especially the younger one, looked worried. "My lord, if you go after the evil gods in Cai Country now, it will certainly alert them."

The other ancient gods shared her concern. Qing Shui Village had just gained significant resources from the Ancestral Land, so now was the time to stay low and consolidate their strength. Going after Zhang Feng so openly would likely expose them to the evil gods, who would then seek to destroy them.

The elder twin sister spoke up, her voice firm. "My lord, there's no need for you to go personally. I will go to Cai Country and bring Shenlei Great Venerable back."

"Sister!" The younger sister cried out, anxious. She understood her sister's intentions: she was willing to risk her life to prevent Qi Yuan from exposing himself to danger.

The elder sister’s plan was essentially a self-sacrifice to keep Qi Yuan safe.

"My lord, let me go instead!" the younger sister pleaded.

Qi Yuan looked at the twin sisters and smiled. "Do you really think I'm a reckless fool who acts without thinking? The strongest enemy in this area is Zhang Feng, right? His divine power is valuable. It would be a waste if Shenlei Great Venerable took the kill. Today, I’m just adding an unforeseen task to my existing plan."

The exchange of thoughts between the ancient gods and villagers took only an instant, but it was clear Qi Yuan hadn’t convinced them. The looks on their faces screamed their concern, but they remained silent, respecting his authority.

"Enough with the talk. I don’t like long discussions."

"I’m the leader, and you will follow my orders!"

"We’re heading to Cai Country to slay Zhang Feng!"

Qi Yuan issued his command, leaving no room for further argument.

Seeing his determination, the ancient gods didn’t protest any longer.

"Let’s go!"

A group of over twenty people turned into a stream of light, heading straight for Cai Country.

On the way, Wang Wenqi joined them, adding to the ranks. Her great-grandfather, Tianbao Venerable, had once been close friends with Zhang Feng, but Zhang Feng had betrayed him, leading to his death. Wang Wenqi couldn’t forget this grudge. The devastation of Jiang Kingdom was also tied to Zhang Feng’s betrayal. She had to be part of this.

This time, Qi Yuan and his group made no effort to conceal their approach. They flew directly toward Cai Country, not fearing the alert of the evil gods.

Along the way, numerous voices of alarm echoed.

"Who dares to come to our—"

The evil gods stationed in the cities sensed the ancient gods approaching and immediately unleashed powerful auras, trying to intercept them.

However, Qi Yuan and his group continued their direct flight, disregarding any obstacles. In the past, they would have taken a more cautious approach, but now, they pressed forward without hesitation.

As they charged ahead, three small evil gods had already been killed by the twin sisters. The evil gods were stationed in fortified cities, but they were no match for Qi Yuan's group. Each time an evil god appeared to block their path, the twin sisters quickly dispatched them with their divine powers.

Qi Yuan frowned as they encountered yet another small-time obstacle. "These little pests are really getting annoying."

Indeed, this was the fourth such small fry they had to deal with.

The twin sister’s divine domain enveloped the latest evil god, leaving him with no chance to fight back. He was quickly slain, his divine essence absorbed.

The evil god's death was quick, but it slowed their progress somewhat.

"Lord, we must strike quickly and then retreat. If we are surrounded by the evil god’s army, we won't be able to escape!" The elder sister warned, her expression grave.

The others shared her concern. Every evil god’s army had at least one great venerable, along with hundreds of other evil gods. If they were caught, escape would be nearly impossible.

"I understand. It's just that every time we get close to a city, some evil god blocks our way. It's really irritating."

Qi Yuan felt the urge to shout aloud.

The younger twin sister couldn’t help but worry, and so did the other gods.

Finally, Qi Yuan had an idea. He activated his divine power, sending out a transmission that echoed through the heavens.

"We're here to slay the traitor Zhang Feng. Any who stand in our way will be killed without mercy!"

Qi Yuan's voice reverberated across the land as they continued their charge toward Cai Country.

Perhaps his message had struck fear into the lesser evil gods because no more of them dared to block their path.

The message continued to spread from Lin Country to Jiang Country and then to Cai Country. Many new gods were shocked and looked up at the stream of light in the sky. Hidden ancient gods were equally astonished.

"Has a righteous god finally come to slay the traitor Zhang Feng?"

"Hahaha, may the righteous god go in peace!"

Most of these hidden ancient gods assumed Qi Yuan was a powerful but desperate ancient god making a final stand.

Zhang Feng's betrayal had led to Cai and Jiang countries falling under the rule of the evil gods, causing massive changes in the surrounding five nations. The hidden ancient gods loathed Zhang Feng, and all of them longed to see him dead.

Suddenly, a message entered Qi Yuan's mind.

"Senior, be careful. The capital of Cai Country is occupied by an evil god's army."

The voice came and went quickly, clearly from an ancient god risking much to warn Qi Yuan before disappearing to avoid detection by the new gods.

Qi Yuan’s heart tightened. "An evil god’s army is stationed in Cai Country?"

Could it be that Shenlei Great Venerable had already stormed Cai Country, prompting the evil gods to reinforce it?

The ancient gods following Qi Yuan also grew tense.

The elder twin sister quickly suggested, "My lord, perhaps we should split up. My sister and I can go to Cai Country, while you retreat."

"No need," Qi Yuan replied calmly. "Zhang Feng... alive or dead, I must see him!"

"Let’s go!"

He was determined to confront Zhang Feng in Cai Country.