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

Chapter 227: The Youthful Heavenly Emperor

Venerable Shenlei, after hearing Qi Yuan's reprimand, lowered his head, wanting to retort but finding no words. The plan was indeed borrowed from the Origin Deity.

"Your plan is not thorough enough, we should go with mine," Qi Yuan said, his gaze fixed on the distant northern lands.

Beams of light shot straight into the sky, with countless new gods crammed into them, fleeing from the Mortal Heart Realm.

The sight left the ancient gods present deeply moved.

Venerable Lishan was equally astonished, never having imagined that one day he would witness such a scene.

Venerable Huanghun, with a complicated expression, said, "I never realized... that we had become this powerful."

Powerful enough that, before the battle was even over, the remaining enemies had already begun to flee.

"It's not that we're too strong, it's that the Heavenly Lord is too terrifying!" Ancient God Wangsong remarked appropriately, looking at Qi Yuan with great respect.

The other ancient gods turned their gaze towards Qi Yuan. Indeed, Wangsong was right.

Without the Origin Heavenly Lord, they would still be lost in confusion, worrying endlessly about the fate of the Mortal Heart Realm. They wouldn't have been able to scare away the evil gods, let alone launch a counterattack against them.

The changes Qi Yuan had brought to this world were monumental.

"Fortunately, I'm just a humble cultivator in the Golden Core realm. There's no need to praise me so much, it's quite embarrassing," Qi Yuan said, feeling a bit shy. He believed he was just a regular player in a game, not some mighty God—the real powerhouses were the Three Pure Ones.

The ancient gods were left speechless. Venerable Shenlei, in particular, wanted to tell Qi Yuan, "Stop being so modest—show the same pride you had when you boasted about your stellar elixir."

Back then, that incident had left Venerable Shenlei completely dumbfounded.

At this moment, Qi Yuan looked at the beams of light and felt a mix of emotions. "These evil gods fleeing have messed up my plan!"

Originally, his plan had included measures specifically targeting these evil gods. With them fleeing, that part of his plan was now incomplete.

"But fortunately, most of those who escaped were from the evil god stronghold and their military camps. There are still many evil gods stationed in the cities who haven't had time to flee," Qi Yuan said, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"We should immediately take action and sweep across the northern lands, eliminating the remaining gods!" Ancient God Wangsong suggested promptly.

Qi Yuan nodded, "It will be hard work for you all. No time for a banquet, just keep working. I never thought I’d end up like a capitalist."

The other ancient gods, filled with battle spirit, immediately took their leave to hunt down the evil gods still lurking in the Mortal Heart Realm.

...

In Huaye City, the atmosphere had been tense ever since the evil god camp was bombed several days ago, with many evil gods coming to investigate.

Huaye City, already chaotic, became even more fraught with tension.

Inside the Red Leaf Pavilion, Xiao Xing, dressed in a yellow long dress, gazed at the sky. The sky, with its strange mix of blue and faint red, had left her in a daze.

Aunt Liu, standing beside Xiao Xing, patted her on the shoulder and took a deep breath. "Was what we just saw... real?"

Xiao Xing snapped out of her daze, nodding vigorously, her expression a mix of hesitation and excitement. "It was real!"

Too much had happened in just one day. First, the sun fell from the sky, then came the ocean of lightning and the nine stars hanging in the sky. Such events were far beyond their understanding as mere cultivators in the Purple Mansion realm.

Finally, those terrifying beams of light shot into the sky, leaving them more bewildered than ever, unsure of what had just transpired. But they knew it had to be something earth-shattering, especially when the evil gods investigating Huaye City saw the beams and fled frantically, muttering, "Wait for me!"

The Red Leaf Pavilion, which had been collecting information on the evil gods for the ancient gods for centuries, had an inkling of what this might mean. The hearts of all the ancient gods were filled with a mix of emotions.

Just then, a clear voice echoed from outside the room.

"Last time, I left in a hurry and didn't pay. How about this: I'll treat you all to a banquet."

Outside the room, Qi Yuan stood with a bright smile, speaking softly.

The last time he and Zhu Zhuangshi had blown up the evil god camp, they had dined and dashed at the Red Leaf Pavilion, something that had weighed on Qi Yuan's conscience. Remembering his promise to treat everyone in Huaye City to a feast, he had decided to come back.

The Red Leaf Pavilion had once been the home of the No-Food Mother, and Qi Yuan thought it might be a good idea to turn it into a memorial.

Inside the room, Xiao Xing and Aunt Liu heard the familiar voice, and their eyes widened in surprise.

"Great one!" They hurried to open the door, looking at Qi Yuan with a mix of emotions.

"Great one, you saved Huaye City from the evil gods—how could we possibly ask you for tea money?" Aunt Liu quickly said, her voice trembling slightly.

She looked at Qi Yuan with a heart full of gratitude and awe. In her understanding, Qi Yuan had to be at least a venerable one or higher. The thunderous event at the evil god camp might have been connected to the recent lightning ocean.

How could she not be amazed?

"I have another reason for coming here. Would you consider selling the Red Leaf Pavilion to me?" Qi Yuan asked gently.

He was considering turning the place into a memorial for the No-Food Mother, who had once been the top figure in the Mortal Heart Realm.

Aunt Liu was taken aback, then looked at Qi Yuan with a bit of hesitation. "We are followers of the Foodless Holy Mother. We gather information on the evil gods for the ancient gods… If we sell the Red Leaf Pavilion to you, we wouldn't be able to continue our work."

Aunt Liu and Xiao Xing both hesitated. They were dedicated to the cause of the Mortal Heart Realm, to gathering information for the ancient gods. Even if the information they gathered had only a small impact, they still felt it was worth doing.

"You don't need to worry about that anymore. You can now live the life you want," Qi Yuan said softly, his voice gentle. "Did you see those beams of light just now? That was the evil gods scrambling to flee the Mortal Heart Realm."

Xiao Xing's eyes widened, and Aunt Liu's body tensed at his words.

"Is this true?" Xiao Xing's eyes filled with tears.

"Of course," Qi Yuan replied with a smile. Then, he flew into the sky and announced, "The Origin Heavenly God has arrived! The people of Huaye City… it's time to feast! Tonight… we feast!"

...

Meanwhile, in the southern lands.

In the Contemplation Mountain, Dongjiang He stood with an expression of reverence and awe.

"A mythic-level contemplation method… I’ve finally done it!"

"Hahaha, I can finally stop hiding my identity as the Heaven's Chosen!"

"Who said I, Dongjiang He, wasn't the youthful Heavenly Emperor? I’ve just manifested a mythic-level contemplation method, just like that!"

Dongjiang He was overjoyed. He felt that he could finally vindicate himself.

Though the Origin Heavenly God had been suppressing him, with everyone in the group proclaiming the Origin Heavenly God as the true youthful Heavenly Emperor, Dongjiang He had never accepted it.

Now that he had manifested a mythic-level contemplation method, he could finally clear his name and figuratively shove it in the face of the Origin Heavenly God.

After all, his future was limitless, while the Origin Heavenly God was already on his last legs.

Leaving the Contemplation Mountain, Dongjiang He entered the chat group, brimming with pride.

"Eh? Where is everyone?"

"Hey, where did you all go?"

"Aren't you going to welcome your Dong Heavenly Emperor?"

"I’ve finally done it, everyone—I’ve manifested a mythic-level contemplation method!"

He sent the messages, but no one responded.

The group was eerily quiet, with no activity at all.

Dongjiang He was puzzled. "What’s going on? Where is everyone? Did they all go to the bathroom?"

Feeling confused and disappointed, he had expected the group to go wild, showering him with praise, acknowledging him as the true Heaven’s Chosen!

Even the gods who had once looked down on him, like Shen Miao Venerable and Black Dragon Venerable, would have to be reckoned with.

But now… no one was in the group, making his achievement of manifesting a mythic-level contemplation method feel a bit hollow.

"If they're not here, so be it. Once the old guy finds out I’ve manifested a mythic-level contemplation method, he’ll probably cry tears of joy and cling to my leg, calling me 'father'!"

Thinking of his master, Dongjiang He felt even more excited.

That old guy had always supported the mythic plan. Although he hadn’t pressured Dongjiang He to manifest a mythic-level contemplation method, Dongjiang He knew his master's true desires. The old guy had always wanted Dongjiang He to hurry up and manifest a mythic-level method, but he was too concerned about pressuring him, so he never said anything.

"Since no one’s here, I’ll head out and flash my mythic-level contemplation method. It’ll blind that old guy’s eyes!"

But before leaving, he left another message in the group:

"Mythic-level contemplation method, really super easy."

With that, he left to find his master.

"Master!"

In the grand hall, Dongjiang He, dressed in white, cut a striking figure, his youthful features exuding an extraordinary aura. But this time, when he called out for his master, there was no response.

This was unusual.

Every time he finished a contemplation session, his master would be waiting, full of anticipation.

The eager look in his master’s eyes always made Dongjiang He feel a bit guilty. But this time, he wasn’t feeling guilty—he was full of pride.

Yet… his master wasn’t there.

He was puzzled.

"Master!"

He pushed open the door and walked out of the cave, only to find the outside eerily quiet as well.

This was strange.

"Looks like I need to use my trump card!"

He looked up at the sky.

"Master, something terrible has happened—it's an emergency!"

He called out urgently.

Finally, a concerned voice echoed from the sky.

"What’s wrong, Jiang He?"

Hearing this, Dongjiang He's mood soared. "Master, I have good news for you."

"Hurry up, I have urgent matters to attend to!" his master’s voice was rushed.

Dongjiang He’s smile deepened. Once he revealed his achievement, his master wouldn’t be in such a hurry anymore.

"Today, while in the Contemplation Mountain, I accidentally manifested a… mythic-level contemplation method!"

Dongjiang He declared proudly, full of anticipation.

A mythic-level contemplation method was a crucial part of the mythic plan. Manifesting such a method would greatly enhance the power of the Mortal Heart Realm, aiding in the implementation of the plan.

"Oh? A mythic-level contemplation method? Not bad, that’s impressive. There are a few bottles of pills in my cave—take them as a reward. I have to go out now, I’m in a hurry," his master’s voice was calm and composed, without any great excitement.

This reaction left Dongjiang He stunned.

He didn’t understand. He had just manifested a mythic-level contemplation method, shouldn’t his master be overjoyed… shouldn’t he be moved to tears?

How could he still be thinking about going out, and what could be more urgent than this?

"Master, what’s the emergency?" Dongjiang He couldn’t help but ask.

"Just now, a great battle occurred in the northern lands, and it seems that three evil god generals were killed. The entire army of the evil god stronghold has fled the Mortal Heart Realm!" his master said, his figure turning into a stream of light, with a final message echoing in Dongjiang He's mind, "I have to go and confer with the other ancient gods, we’ll talk later!"

The vast mountains were left empty, with only Dongjiang He standing there.

He was utterly bewildered, his mind unable to process what had just happened.

"I was just contemplating… and the world changed?"

Dongjiang He was in complete shock.

How could this be happening?

And what his master had just said… was too terrifying.

The evil god army was routed?

It was inconceivable. Even in his wildest dreams, Dongjiang He wouldn't dare to imagine something so incredible.

It was as if someone was playing a game.

Maybe they should let him play next?

He stood there for an indeterminate amount of time before re-entering the chat group.

This time, many members were online.

Dongjiang He immediately saw a message from the Origin Deity.

"Jiang He is right, manifesting mythic contemplation methods is indeed easy."

The message had come from none other than the Origin Heavenly God.

Below, many familiar faces were replying.

"Origin Heavenly God, the northern evil gods fleeing… was that your doing?"

"The thunderous ocean, the nine stars in the sky—were those all manifestations of mythic-level contemplation methods?"

"Origin Heavenly God, was that all your work…?"

The group was buzzing with excitement.

Dongjiang He’s earlier message about his own mythic-level contemplation method had been completely overshadowed.

No one even cared about it.

Dongjiang He felt like coughing up blood.

But now, he was also extremely curious.

"What on earth happened?!"

Without having seen it for himself, everything felt too unreal, like a dream.

At this moment, Qi Yuan looked at the messages in the group and responded.

"I always thought the evil gods were powerful, but it turns out they’re not that tough."

"The one who unleashed the thunderous ocean was the old man Shenlei. I gave him a slightly powerful contemplation method, and he jumped from the fourth step to the seventh step, taking down two evil god generals on his own."

"As for the nine stars, those nine received nine mythic-level contemplation methods, but they’re a bit weaker, so the power was just average."

"The evil god generals aren’t that formidable, really. I killed two of them with a single sword stroke. I suspect the evil gods are all paper tigers, especially the generals. Maybe any one of you could take them down with a well-timed attack."

Qi Yuan's words were calm, but the ancient gods were stunned.

Wasn’t there supposed to be only eight mythic-level contemplation methods?

Dongjiang He had thought that those eight had all been given to ordinary people.

But now, Shenlei Venerable had one too?

And the Origin Heavenly God killed two evil god generals with a single sword stroke… Wasn’t that a bit exaggerated?

This couldn’t be real—it had to be a lie!

Dongjiang He refused to accept this reality.

"Origin Heavenly God, didn’t you only manifest eight mythic-level contemplation methods?" Shen Miao Venerable asked, trembling slightly.

"I… manifested them before," Qi Yuan, sitting in the Red Leaf Pavilion, replied simply.

It was true—he had manifested them in the past.