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

Chapter 51: Qi Yuan, the Weakened

Watching as Lord Yu and Minister Kong left, Jin Li felt exhausted. She realized she wasn’t suited to be an empress. If… if the situation in Nan Qian were resolved, she wished to leave this place, go to the ancient Ji Tree, and… see Qi Yuan.

If only it were possible…

"Your Majesty," Aunt Qin whispered in Jin Li’s ear, "Is building the sacrificial altar the will of that person?"

Jin Li hesitated upon hearing this. "Aunt Qin, you just need to follow my instructions."

Aunt Qin stopped speaking but a trace of worry flashed in her eyes. She had recognized the altar design on the blueprint, and so had Lord Yu.

Aunt Qin withdrew and left the palace, spotting Lord Yu standing alone not far away, leaning against the gray-white railing. Seeing Aunt Qin, Lord Yu said aloud, "Old Madam Qin, you must have recognized the content on that blueprint."

"Yes," Aunt Qin nodded, "It’s a sacrificial altar. It’s said that in ancient times, the Yue continent was unified under a divine court that shook the world. Building a sacrificial altar could summon the divine army. But now, those are just legends. The divine court has long fallen; where would a divine army come from? Twenty years ago, when the city of Jingzhou in the Qing Kingdom was besieged by monsters, the governor built a sacrificial altar from an ancient design… and what was the result?"

Lord Yu could only sigh at this. "I wonder where Her Majesty got this blueprint. But… isn’t relying on the sacrificial altar just as hopeless as hoping Her Majesty can leave the imperial city safely?"

Clearly, Lord Yu also didn’t believe that the sacrificial altar could actually summon a divine army.

Aunt Qin’s face turned gloomy. "We do our best and leave the rest to fate."

…

"A sacrificial altar? Ridiculous!" When Sima Ting heard this news, his eyes filled with mockery.

The beast king of the Yao clan held a blueprint in his hands, smiling. "Using the sword of the ancient divine court to cut modern demons. This Empress Jin Li is quite adorable."

As a member of the Yao clan, he knew the divine court very well. In ancient times, when humans and the Yao clan competed, a top human expert, revered as a god, established the divine court and led four divisions. Building a sacrificial altar could summon the divine army. The divine court once drove their Yao clan to the icy wilderness. These events were well recorded in the ancestral grounds of the Yao clan.

"Let her build it. It’s just a dying struggle," said the skinny emperor of the Heavenly Luck Sacred Sect, indifferent.

The beast king of the Yao clan squinted his eyes. "What matters now is forging the supreme royal staff. Everything else can wait."

"Right. Don’t forget to help Ding Tian keep an eye on Empress Jin Li. Don’t let her escape!" the skinny emperor reminded.

Sima Ting quickly assured, "Rest assured, the palace is surrounded. Empress Jin Li cannot escape!"

"Indeed, outside the city are seven of our Yao clan’s emperors. She cannot escape," the Yao beast king said confidently. This time, the Yao clan had deployed considerable forces to forge the supreme royal artifact. With seven emperors and some kings, they could refine the entire imperial city. Unfortunately, the officials who followed Sima Ting, thinking they could rightfully seize the throne, did not realize they and the city's civilians were just fish on the chopping board for the Yao clan.

…

"So tired." Qi Yuan woke up feeling utterly exhausted. Although he had suppressed the Ugly Clothes Monster Emperor in battle without injury, the toll on his spirit was immense.

With a wave of his hand, a water mirror appeared before him. Qi Yuan saw his pale face in the mirror, indicating significant depletion.

"It feels like my body is drained."

"I really want a Shenbao (Kidney Treasure) drink!"

"If nothing else, maybe some Six-Flavor Rehmannia pills?"

Despite the massive in-game expenditure, Qi Yuan's gains were substantial, especially after reaching level ninety. This growth also reflected in reality; his cultivation had improved noticeably. Previously, without using his knife, his battle-honed skills and abilities from the game could already match the Foundation Establishment level. Now, with his cultivation increased, Qi Yuan could suppress ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators using only his own power, without relying on skills or techniques. This was a tremendous improvement.

"Unfortunately, my spirit is still too weak. Is it because my soul is too frail?" Qi Yuan pondered. However, Qi Refining cultivators couldn't sense their souls; this ability came at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"When I achieve Foundation Establishment, I must learn some techniques to strengthen my soul. That way, I can stay in the game longer."

With this thought, Qi Yuan took out books from his storage bag. Despite his fatigue, he remained diligent. But as soon as he started reading, his head throbbed, a consequence of his all-night gaming.

"Reading isn’t an option. I need to rest and get a massage," Qi Yuan decided, knowing he needed a proper break to avoid burnout.

Qi Yuan slowly left the thatched hut, spotting Jiang Lingsu flipping through some materials. She wore an ice-blue dress, her presence calming yet distant. Seeing Qi Yuan, she frowned. "Senior Brother, did something go wrong with your cultivation?"

"No, just tired from staying up late gaming. I need a massage to recover. Junior Sister, would you like to give me a massage? I'll pay you… three spirit stones."

"…Go away!" Jiang Lingsu's budding concern was immediately squashed by Qi Yuan’s flippant remark.

Qi Yuan chuckled, leisurely descending the mountain. Fortunately, she didn’t agree; otherwise, he’d waste three spirit stones. Proper massages in town didn’t even cost spirit stones. If it weren't for her being wealthy, he wouldn’t have offered so many.

As he walked away, Jiang Lingsu felt a twinge of guilt. Was she too harsh earlier?

After a genuine massage in town, Qi Yuan felt slightly better. He also bought a delicious spirit stew for one spirit stone. A day of relaxation later, Qi Yuan felt somewhat restored.

"My soul is still too weak. Unfortunately, soul-related techniques and herbs are extremely rare."

In the vast library of the Black Mountain Sect, Qi Yuan had found no soul-related techniques. Such herbs were even scarcer. Anything related to the soul was highly valuable, often monopolized by Nascent Soul stage cultivators who needed them to advance to the Zifu stage. Even as a Qi Refining cultivator, or even at Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stages, obtaining such resources was nearly impossible.

"But it’s not a big deal. Once I achieve Foundation Establishment, I’ll consider soul-enhancing methods."

Qi Yuan had gained the ability to see hidden information after entering the game and reaching Qi Refining. Who knew what new abilities might come with Foundation Establishment? He wasn’t worried.

Returning to Qise Peak, Qi Yuan prepared to rest and recover before diving back into the game. As he passed the large tree on the mountainside, he paused again, looking down.

"This is an unusual little grass. It smells the scent of the moon."

Qi Yuan looked up at the sky. "The scent of the moon? What is that?"

Gazing back at the grass, he mused, "Will you recognize the scent of Qi Yuan if I see you tomorrow?"

He wanted to find someone healthy to wake this unusual little grass and ask how it turned extraordinary. He also wanted to be extraordinary.