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

Chapter 92: The Battle Between North and South

"How about it? Is he worth nurturing?" asked True Lord Kumu.

Elder Xuanchong's eyes flashed with complexity. "I can't see through him."

True Lord Kumu's eyes flickered with emotion upon hearing this.

When Elder Xuanchong first arrived at the Divine Light Sect, there was only one person he couldn't see through, and that was the Seven-Colored Peak master, Ruan Yixi.

Now, there was another—Qi Yuan?

"So, Breaking Wolf was most likely killed by Qi Yuan?" True Lord Kumu stroked his beard. "His talent seems to have just barely touched the threshold of a top-tier prodigy. He is worthy of our focused cultivation!"

Elder Xuanchong chuckled. "What if he doesn't care for your nurturing?"

True Lord Kumu was momentarily speechless but then said, "I'll provide him with the resources he needs for cultivation, helping him to smoothly advance to the Nascent Soul stage!"

"That kid keeps saying he's a Heaven-Path Foundation Establishment. What if he wants to form a Celestial Golden Core? Can you provide the resources for that too?" Elder Xuanchong's words left True Lord Kumu at a loss for words.

"If you want to win him over, you have to give him something he needs. For instance, he seems to be constantly seeking to strengthen his soul. You have a stash of items that could help with that. You won't reach the Purple Mansion stage in this lifetime anyway, so you might as well give those things to him. Then explain everything clearly, and everything will be fine."

True Lord Kumu fell silent. Those items were his foundation. If he lost them, his chances of reaching the Purple Mansion stage would be virtually nil.

He was contemplating, hesitating.

...

"Husband, are you afraid of me? Afraid to meet your little wife?"

After consuming the Soul-Splitting Pills given by Elder Xuanchong, Qi Yuan soon heard the voice from the game.

This time, the voice was even clearer, as if someone were speaking right next to him.

Hearing Ning Tao's voice made Qi Yuan angry.

It felt like two people arguing online.

"Just wait! If I see you, I'll definitely hang you up and beat you!"

Ning Tao had seemed quite cute at first, always calling him 'Uncle'. But lately, she had become particularly arrogant, constantly provoking Qi Yuan.

Flowing Wind Realm.

Ning Tao's jade body lay horizontally, her snow-white face hidden under a black veil, her black dress revealing glimpses of her white, jade-like figure.

Hearing Qi Yuan's words, her every expression was seductive. "Husband, I'll be waiting for your arrival."

After a while, when she received no response, she put on an outer robe and walked out of the palace.

Several women in matching uniforms approached, their eyes filled with respect.

Among them, two women exuding the aura of supremes stepped forward. "Palace Master, we have spent a hundred years finally bringing you the Soul Lock Jade."

They spoke as they presented a piece of jade to Ning Tao.

Taking the Soul Lock Jade, Ning Tao's smile grew even wider.

"Husband... Let's see where you can run this time."

The Soul Lock Jade was a treasure of the Flowing Wind Realm.

Its sole function was to forcibly lock the soul of a powerful being through remnants of their presence.

Ning Tao had always wanted to find the owner of that voice.

Over a thousand years, her feelings towards that voice had evolved from fear and gratitude to a complex mix of emotions.

She believed that the owner of the voice was likely a supreme as well.

And she, Ning Tao, was among the best of the supremes.

She feared no supreme!

"Husband, this time, I'll lock you in the demon egg. I'll temporarily seal your memories. When the shell breaks, I'll walk up to you and tell you... I'm your mother."

That voice had initially evoked fatherly feelings in the young Ning Tao.

Now, she wanted to reverse roles.

She would imprison him by her side, nagging him every day.

How dare he speak to her and then ignore her?

After obtaining the Soul Lock Jade, Ning Tao began her plan.

It wasn't easy to lock a supreme's soul.

After an unknown amount of time, the Flowing Wind Realm, with its pitch-black peaks like swords piercing the sky, seemed even more ominous.

Atop the peaks, there were palaces and silhouettes moving about.

The world was shrouded in darkness.

Suddenly, two lights pierced the darkness.

Above the peaks, two lantern-like eyes appeared in the sky.

Through these lantern-like eyes, one could vaguely see the menacing face of a massive creature.

Hidden in the darkness, its full form was unknown.

The massive eyes scanned the world.

A vast voice echoed from the sky.

"Where is the Palace Master of Tianxin Palace?"

In Tianxin Palace, Ning Tao, still in her black dress, unchanged as always, appeared in the void.

"Greetings, Demon Crocodile."

Ning Tao stood in the void, her dress fluttering in the wind, making her appear even more slender in the empty space.

"The Northern and Southern Pact is officially signed. Leave your name."

Ning Tao's eyes flickered with emotion upon hearing this.

She hadn't expected that the Northern and Southern Pact would finally be signed.

Since her birth, she had heard about the Northern and Southern Pact.

Now, it was finally being signed.

This world would see a decisive victory.

The victor would become the ruler of the world.

The defeated would be exterminated!

She extended her delicate hand and left her name on the Northern and Southern Pact.

The massive demon crocodile's eyes closed at this moment.

The world plunged into darkness once again.

Ning Tao stood in the void, suddenly recalling that voice.

She sighed, "Husband, which faction do you belong to?"

In the Flowing Wind Realm, all forces were roughly divided into two factions.

The first faction, known as the Demon Controllers, were called Demons.

The second faction, known as the Demon Exterminators, were called Demon Slayers.

The two factions were like water and fire, irreconcilable.

Whenever they met, it was a life-and-death struggle.

"The Northern and Southern Pact, 108,000 cities, I wonder how long they can hold out."

Ning Tao, dressed in her black dress, hailed from the Demon faction's territory, representing the North in the Northern and Southern Pact.

"Husband, if you are a Demon Slayer, I will have to tie you up properly. Otherwise, if you start exorcising demons and enforcing justice, how could I bear the pain?"

The world's trend was that the Demons were stronger.

The Demon Slayers were likely to vanish entirely from the annals of history.

This world would become one where Demons and demon spawn coexisted.

It would be a world of madness.

...

Seven days later.

Qi Yuan was lounging in the yard with Little Bride, basking in the sun.

Since Little Bride liked lying flat, Qi Yuan thoughtfully transformed the lounge chair into a flat board.

They lay under the sun, feeling incredibly comfortable.

Little Bride was still as clumsy and naive as when Qi Yuan had seen her in the game, stumbling as she walked.

They didn't know how long they had been separated, yet it felt as if they had never parted.

Outside the wooden house, Jiang Lingsu was bewildered.

Yesterday, she had seen the special being Qi Yuan brought back awakening.

It seemed to be of a different race.

Different races were common in the Canglan Realm, so it wasn't surprising.

What surprised Jiang Lingsu was that different races were usually proud and rarely interacted with humans.

But the being Qi Yuan brought back, named Xiao Jia, really did look like a little wife he had tricked into following him.

Wherever Qi Yuan went, the being named Xiao Jia followed him like a little tag-along.

"Senior Brother, tell me, how did you manage to trick Little Bride into being with you?" Jiang Lingsu couldn't help but ask.

"Don't you think... I'm very handsome?" Qi Yuan said.

He had conquered Little Bride with his looks.

Jiang Lingsu was speechless.

Senior Brother was indeed handsome, but when he opened his mouth... it left people speechless.

"Senior Brother, what's her background?" Jiang Lingsu was curious.

Her Kun-Qian Mirror couldn't discern Little Bride's strength.

That was very strange.

"She's the wife I married with an eight-palanquin sedan chair," Qi Yuan replied.

"If you don't want to say, then don't." Jiang Lingsu said sourly, glared at Qi Yuan, and returned to her straw hut.

At this moment, a white crane flew over, landing in Qi Yuan's wooden house.

Seeing the large white crane, Little Bride seemed very happy and got up to take a look.

"Elder Xuanchong's efficiency is impressive. The Soul-Splitting Pills are ready so soon."

He took the gourd from the white crane.

The gourd was filled with Soul-Splitting Pills, a hundred in total.

And the quality of these hundred Soul-Splitting Pills was much better than the ones Elder Xuanchong had given him before.

"With so many Soul-Splitting Pills, my soul strength should reach the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, right?"

This mid-Foundation Establishment stage was, of course, compared to himself, not to ordinary cultivators.

He took out a Soul-Splitting Pill, the fragrance wafting in the air.

Little Bride took a deep breath.

"Want some candy?" Qi Yuan generously offered the Soul-Splitting Pills.

Little Bride turned her head away, not looking at Qi Yuan.

"Oh, I forgot you don't have a mouth and can't eat."

Qi Yuan thought, then began pouring the Soul-Splitting Pills into his own mouth.

...

...

"Qi Yuan..."

In the Divine Light Sect's market, a middle-aged man with a blank expression sipped tea quietly.

Thoughts flickered in his eyes.

The man's name was Luo Jing, a Core Formation cultivator from the Bright Palace.

He had secretly come to the Divine Light Sect with Breaking Wolf to plan.

Initially, he had been quite successful.

The beautiful consort of the Eighteenth Prince had become his plaything.

But when Breaking Wolf entered the Celestial Dragon Secret Realm, he disappeared, likely already dead.

He now dared not return to the Bright Palace or flee.

Otherwise, the mark Breaking Wolf's master had left on him would teach him a lesson.

"This time, among those who entered the Celestial Dragon Secret Realm, Qi Yuan is the weakest.

I must capture him and find out what happened inside, or I won't be able to explain!"

These days, Luo Jing had been hiding in the Divine Light Sect's market, quietly waiting for the right moment.

Finally, when he saw that figure appear, Luo Jing's eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Blame yourself for being the weakest!"

If it were Kang Fulou, it would take some effort. But Qi Yuan? He wouldn't!