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

Chapter 235: The Past

Staring at the fish inside the storage bag, Qi Yuan fell silent for a moment. He picked up one of the fish, his gaze complex.

"After all these years, it shouldn't have gone bad, right?"

"This girl… she even saved some fish for me."

He picked up a piece of the fish with chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and slowly chewed and savored it.

At that moment, a young, innocent voice echoed in Qi Yuan's ear.

"Hehe, actually, my name isn't Wu Shi. I don't even have a name."

"When I first met you, I knew we would meet three times."

"Why? Because not only could I hear your voice, I could also hear your thoughts."

The girl's voice brought Qi Yuan back to the recent past, to the moment he saw the young Wu Shi, the last time he would see the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother.

Her voice was tender, as if she was saying something she had wanted to express when they first met.

Qi Yuan had a moment of realization.

No wonder… she had seemed so strange—because she could hear his thoughts.

This meant she must have known that they would meet again in the future and that she would eventually die at the hands of a Yang God.

As Qi Yuan ate the fish, the girl's incessant voice continued.

"When I first saw you, I was very cautious. I even thought you might eat me. I misjudged you."

"But hehe, I wanted to eat you, too, but I was too scared to do it."

The girl began to recount her past, as if she were writing in a diary, lamenting her lonely life.

Qi Yuan continued eating the fish, savoring each bite, as the voice in his ear gradually lost its childish tone and became more mature.

"The second time I saw you, I was a little happy because I finally got to eat some delicious fish."

"I was so, so hungry."

"Compared to eating fish, nothing else mattered."

"The scent on your body became even more enticing. I… really wanted to eat you back then."

Qi Yuan couldn't help but recalled the second time he met the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother. She had been curled up on the ground in a red dress, her face pale, and when she looked at him, there had been a hint of greed in her eyes.

But later, she had eaten the fish, her expression turning cold as she distanced herself from Qi Yuan.

"So, her attitude changed back then because she wanted to eat me?"

Qi Yuan's gaze remains calm.

From the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's words, he now understands that she possessed both the Innate Primordial Body and the Devouring Primordial Body.

These two terrifying constitutions were in constant conflict with each other.

No wonder, whenever he saw the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, she always seemed strange, as if she were suppressing something.

She was suppressing her desire to devour him.

"A chance encounter… you gave me fish to eat, so I helped you guard the Heaven Pillar. We're even. But you harbored ill intentions; if I devoured you… it wouldn’t be unfair, would it?"

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's tone was light-hearted.

But Qi Yuan knew the deep-seated struggle within her.

The Devouring Primordial Body’s desire to devour was immensely strong.

Back then, when the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, a being of mythic power, ate ordinary fish, the pain had been so unbearable that she had trembled all over, lying on the ground.

She was a mythic being, and even when her body was riddled with wounds while facing a Yang God, she had not cried out in pain.

Yet, merely eating a piece of fish had caused her such agony.

"Luckily, I later realized that what I had been eating all along was… your blood."

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's voice carried a hint of nonchalance.

It seemed she had convinced herself not to follow her instincts and devour Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan’s gaze grew more complicated. "So, she really could have eaten me back then?"

Even though they had been separated by time and space, there had been moments when Qi Yuan had felt a faint sense of danger around the Venerable Wushi Mother.

He recalled the first time he saw her, when she had quietly eaten the fish in front of him.

At that time, the fish had not been purified by his blood, yet the Venerable Holy Mother Mother had still eaten it with relish.

Previously, Qi Yuan had not understood why.

He had assumed that each time he met the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, it was a different person.

Now, he understood that she had eaten the unpurified fish, enduring the extreme pain to suppress her urge to devour him.

Qi Yuan’s emotions were conflicted.

He hadn’t imagined that their three simple meetings, where nothing earth-shattering had occurred—just eating, drinking, and chatting—had such profound implications behind them.

"I wandered the Mortal Heart Realm for tens of thousands of years. This world is much more interesting than my old home, and it smells much better…"

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's voice was filled with a certain cheerfulness.

Qi Yuan remained silent.

The Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's childhood had indeed been tragic. Like a caged canary—or perhaps more accurately, like a piece of merchandise—she had been kept at home.

When she arrived in the Mortal Heart Realm, the people there were like Qi Yuan, ignorant of her terrifying dual constitutions.

The way they looked at her was much more normal.

It was understandable that she had lived a happier life in the Mortal Heart Realm than in her old home.

Her time in the Mortal Heart Realm had been the happiest of her life.

As Qi Yuan finished the last piece of fish, a voice rang in his ear.

"Since we met by chance, how about a deal?"

"I helped you guard the Heaven Pillar, and you help me… protect the Mortal Heart Realm."

Qi Yuan ate the last piece of fish.

He recalled how he had exchanged one fish for the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother's help in guarding the Heaven Pillar.

Now, the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother had returned the fish to him.

After their second meeting, when she realized the fish contained Qi Yuan’s blood, she had stopped eating them and left them for him.

These fish contained the purest blood.

After finishing the fish, the blood Qi Yuan had lost was replenished, and his aura deepened.

"Venerable Foodless Holy Mother, you’ve been too generous," Qi Yuan sighed.

Because, without making any deal with her, he was already obligated by the game to protect the Mortal Heart Realm—or more specifically, to protect Qingshui Village.

This deal left the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother at a loss.

Qi Yuan felt at peace, lost in thought.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

For some reason, he felt the solar true fire within the golden core of the celestial star flare up intensely.

"What’s happening?"

He was surprised, examining himself.

The golden core of the celestial star, which had always been calm and steady, had been following Qi Yuan’s plan, slowly devouring other stars.

Ning Tao sat within, time seemingly frozen.

Due to the Great Forgetting Sutra, the divine seed that Ning Tao had awakened was connected to time.

Now, after eating the fish, a sudden change occurred in Qi Yuan’s celestial golden core, as if it had suddenly gained a devouring ability.

"Devouring Primordial Body!"

Qi Yuan was startled.

He glanced at the now empty storage bag, his mind racing with thoughts.

In the past, he had purified the fish with his flawless blood before giving them to the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother to eat.

Now… did the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother not want to owe him anything, and so she added her blood to the fish?

Now, his body had gained a trace of the devouring essence.

This devouring essence was neither a divine attribute nor a divine domain.

A wry smile appeared on Qi Yuan's face. "With such a great favor, are you asking me to protect this world… for a lifetime?"

...

"Zhu Zhuangshi, from now on, you’re not allowed to bully Dahei anymore!" Shi Chongshan glared at the burly Zhu Zhuangshi, a vertical eye seeming to appear on his forehead.

The big black dog sat at Shi Chongshan’s feet, as if it had found a protector, barking furiously at Zhu Zhuangshi.

"Damn it, even though it’s my dog, why did Erlang Shen choose you?" Zhu Zhuangshi was seething with jealousy.

Shi Chongshan’s second Visualization was of Erlang Shen, the Mighty and Illustrious True Lord!

This god’s power far surpassed that of Marshal Tianpeng.

You have to respect the owner when dealing with their dog.

He could no longer bully the big black dog like he used to.

"The Mighty Erlang Shen is too noble to let someone like you visualize him!" Shi Chongshan said smugly.

He had already visualized a powerful god before, and later visualized several more. Finally, he had visualized Erlang Shen, the Mighty and Illustrious True Lord, and now he had reached the level of a mythic being.

Zhu Zhuangshi had also improved significantly in strength, but he was still far behind Shi Chongshan.

"You wretched dog!" Zhu Zhuangshi cursed.

At that moment, two figures approached: Village Chief Yuli and the god official Shentu.

Village Chief Yuli was dressed in coarse cloth, with patches on his clothes. The priest Shentu, on the other hand, wore a brown robe and a hat, looking much more dignified.

When the two men arrived, Zhu Zhuangshi’s playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious demeanor.

"Come on, let’s go have a feast. Tomorrow… the great battle begins," Village Chief Yuli’s voice was hoarse, tinged with a deep sense of melancholy.

Shi Chongshan’s eyes flashed with excitement.

"Three months ago, who would have thought that in our two villages… everyone would become a god!"

Qingshui Village, Shijia Village, and Chenxi Village were the first villages Qi Yuan had taken under his rule.

"I still remember back then, we didn’t have enough to eat, and we were bullied by your Shijia Village to the brink of extinction. Who could have imagined this day would come!" The god official Shentu reminisced about the past, his voice full of emotion, as if he were in a dream.

At that time, Qingshui Village had been on the brink of collapse, and even Zhu Zhuangshi had been starving.

Shi Chongshan also wore a look of reminiscence. "The Heavenly God's grace is unforgettable, even unto death!"

Back then, his child had been selected to be sacrificed to the evil gods.

He had been pinned to the ground, unable to move.

It was the Heavenly God who had arrived, slaying the evil gods with a single sword, giving Shi Chongshan a new lease on life and bringing hope to Shijia Village.

Chenxi Village was no different.

These villagers all remembered the Heavenly God's kindness.

Although they had not spent much time with the Heavenly God, they were ready to die for him.

"Let’s go, feast and kill the enemy!"

The four men and a dog were filled with fervor as they walked towards the banquet, talking as they went.

"Old Zhu, about the matter I mentioned before…"

"Don’t worry about my integrity, hehe, the results are in."

"Good…"

As night fell, all the ancient gods stopped their meditations and gathered in Feiwu City to feast.

Thousands of true gods gathered together, feasting.

The scene was incredibly awe-inspiring.

What other city could boast thousands of ancient gods feasting together?

Drinks were poured, and the atmosphere was lively.

Everyone’s spirits were high, with no fear of the future.

It was just death, after all!

For them, who was truly afraid of death?

...

Within the Heaven Pillar.

The sound of chewing echoed continuously.

The Devouring Incarnation of Blood Sun Great Saint continued to consume the Heavenly Dao.

Suddenly, Blood Sun the Great Saint’s movements halted.

"Devouring…"

Inside the Heaven Pillar, she looked towards the north.

Her chaotic eyes became clear in that moment.

Countless memories flooded back into her mind.

A crazed look flashed in Blood Sun the Great Saint’s eyes.

"The Innate World… the Devouring Primordial Body… Is this Heaven’s favor for me?"

If she obtained the Innate World and fully devoured it, her realm would rise to new heights.

Now, she had even caught the scent of the legendary Devouring Primordial Body.

Among all the Devouring Incarnations, the Devouring Primordial Body was the supreme form!

Her current body was a Devouring Incarnation.

Now, she had caught the scent of the Devouring Primordial Body?

How could she not be excited?

For her, the Devouring Primordial Body was even more precious than the Heavenly Dao of this world.

Because it was the most suitable constitution for her!

Without any hesitation, she awoke from her slumber, halting her devouring of the Heavenly Dao, and emerged from the Heaven Pillar.

Boom.

Suddenly, a loud, heart-pounding sound reverberated.

This sound was like a heavy drum, striking directly at everyone’s hearts.

All the ancient gods in the Mortal Heart Realm, as well as ordinary cultivators, were startled in that moment.

A strong sense of hunger gripped their bodies.

They clutched their stomachs, wracked by the conflicting sensations of pain and emptiness. It was as if a piece of their consciousness had been carved out, leaving them dazed.

All living beings in the Mortal Heart Realm couldn’t help but look up at the sky.

High above, beyond their sight, a towering and terrifying figure appeared in everyone’s vision.

No matter the angle or distance, that figure was clearly visible to all.

"A being… above the True Gods!"

"The Heavenly Dao… She’s devoured most of the Heavenly Dao!"

"She is the undisputed ruler of the Mortal Heart Realm!"

"Ahhh, how can such a being be defeated!"

Seeing that figure, everyone felt an overwhelming urge to worship.

It was as if they wanted to tear themselves apart and offer their pieces to her.

Just a single glance told them she was invincible!

The Mythic Plan seemed utterly ridiculous!

Some had blood-red eyes, tears of blood streaming down their faces.

Some knelt, driven mad, losing all reason.

Only those who had seen a Yang God could understand the immense power of a Yang God.

"Evil gods… go to hell, ahhh!"

"Ravaging our Mortal Heart Realm, the evil gods must be destroyed!"

At that moment, seven or eight figures shot up into the sky from the southern lands.

Each figure shone like the brightest stars!

Eight pillars of light, filled with the utmost courage, charged straight towards the figure in the sky.

For eight Grand Venerables to act simultaneously was an event of monumental proportions in the Mortal Heart Realm.

All the followers watched, filled with anticipation.

They hoped that these eight Grand Venerables could at least hurt—just hurt—that evil god in some way.

The evil god in the sky looked at the eight pillars of light, her expression unchanged.

She spoke, her voice cold and emotionless, like a deity issuing a decree from the Nine Heavens.

"How dare fireflies compete with the sun and moon for glory!"

Blood Sun Great Saint didn’t even lift a hand. With just a slight shout, her voice rang out.

It was as if a divine decree had been issued, or as if her words alone held the power of the law.

Boom!

What no one had expected was that with just Blood Sun Great Saint's voice, the eight pillars of light, like arrows that had exhausted their strength, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

In the next moment, the eight pillars of light exploded, and the brilliant light disappeared, turning into scattered starlight.

Eight Grand Venerables had attacked simultaneously, yet they hadn’t even forced the Yang God to act. With just a shout, all eight Grand Venerables were slain!

The Mortal Heart Realm was left in a state of shock.

Was this… the power of a being above the True Gods?