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

Chapter 234: The Simple Terms of Negotiation

"Negotiate for peace?"

Qi Yuan was somewhat surprised.

The evil gods had actually sent a military commander to negotiate.

"Go on, tell me, how do you propose we make peace?"

At this moment, Qi Yuan's followers were still processing and refining their Visualization Techniques. There was no rush.

Military Commander Wu Kui quickly spoke, his demeanor very respectful.

"The Mortal Heart Realm is an innate world, and the Heavenly Sovereign should be aware of the extraordinary nature of such worlds!"

Wu Kui continued.

"Innate worlds are formed at the beginning of creation. The beings here may resemble humans, but they are, in truth, different. They are not truly human and harbor different hearts. Since the Heavenly Sovereign has awakened memories of past wisdom, you are not one of these innate beings. Why entangle yourself with them? Humans and innate beings are naturally opposite."

Qi Qi's eyes flashed with a hint of murderous intent. "You claim we're not human? And you are?"

Wu Kui felt a sudden, inexplicable shiver of fear. He had the distinct feeling that if this woman made a move, he would have no chance of survival. His heart was filled with shock—could she be another mythic being?

His mind raced with speculations about Qi Yuan's past life, convinced that it must have been incredibly powerful.

"Distinguishing between innate beings and humans or even demons is simple. Innate beings are born from chaos, carrying a trace of chaotic energy within them. This chaotic energy represents endless possibilities. Because of it, innate beings can transform into demons, devils, humans , or even evil beings. Such innate evil spirits are a scourge upon the world, deserving of eradication by all."

"In the upper realms, we and the innate evil spirits are sworn enemies! To determine whether a disguised cultivator is an innate being, one only needs to see if they can practice a Visualization Technique. Only those with a trace of chaotic energy can cultivate such techniques."

Wu Kui explained, and though his words were honest on the surface, they were laced with an attempt to deceive Qi Yuan.

Innate beings in innate worlds symbolize infinite possibilities. They may appear as humans, demons, or beasts, and might believe themselves to be human. But in reality, they are not.

Because they possess a trace of chaotic energy, innate beings can practice Visualization Techniques, rapidly increasing their strength, and are easily swayed by foreign evil gods.

To ordinary cultivators, innate beings are seen as heretical, and almost everyone despises them. After all, it might take an ordinary genius thousands of years to break through to the Yin God realm, while an innate being could achieve it overnight.

However, when it comes to innate worlds, the perspective of all cultivators is completely different—it's not fear, but greed.

This is because an innate world is incredibly special, capable of producing countless innate beings.

A Mythic-level cultivator who wishes to ascend to the Yang God level needs to cultivate their own domain of power. The more Yin Gods that serve them, and the greater their potential, the stronger they will be when they finally ascend to the Yang God level.

Thus, possessing an innate world can allow a Mythic-level being to rapidly accumulate power and ascend to the Yang God level. And not just any Yang God—a particularly powerful one.

For Mythic-level beings, an innate world is crucial; for Yang Gods, it's even more so.

While Wu Kui didn't know the full details, he knew that a complete innate world could help a Yang God advance to an even higher realm.

This was an incredibly tempting prospect!

After all, a Yang God can effortlessly annihilate entire worlds with a mere flick of their hand.

The fact that an innate world could aid a Yang God in advancing further was an unfathomable allure.

Since an innate world is isolated and has not been connected to the greater realms, innate beings cannot become Yang Gods. The most powerful in this realm are merely Mythic-level beings, making an innate world a coveted prize for Yang Gods.

However, any innate world that has been connected to the greater realms for a long time is met with great caution by every Yang God. Who knows what kind of monsters could be growing inside?

Qi Yuan listened to Wu Kui’s words, catching some of his inner thoughts, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

"How interesting."

If only innate beings could practice Visualization Techniques, then what did that make him?

After all, he could even visualize the Three Pure Ones!

"Heavenly Sovereign, your origins are mysterious, and now you're confined to the Mythic level due to the innate world. My master has said that he wishes to ally with you and share the innate world. All of your followers could enter your divine domain, and the innate beings would serve you. Once you leave the Mortal Heart Realm, you could ascend to the Yang God level, and not just any Yang God, but a truly exceptional one."

"So you're saying I could take my followers and leave the Mortal Heart Realm now?" Qi Yuan asked with a playful grin.

Wu Kui lowered his head and nervously replied, "If the Heavenly Sovereign agrees to the peace terms, your followers will belong to you, and the innate world will belong to my master. Once the princess has fully consumed the Heaven Pillar's Dao, you and your people will be free to leave the Mortal Heart Realm."

The negotiation terms were simple: the Blood Sun Great Sage wanted the innate world, and the innate beings could be given to Qi Yuan. However, they wouldn't let Qi Yuan leave yet because once he did, he would ascend to the Yang God level.

So, they needed to wait until the Blood Sun Great Sage had finished devouring the innate world before releasing him. Whether they would truly release him was still uncertain.

"Not enough sincerity," Qi Yuan shook his head. "I want both the people and the land."

Wu Kui trembled slightly. "Heavenly Sovereign, isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

After all, there were two Sun Gods stationed outside the Mortal Heart Realm. No matter how mysterious Qi Yuan’s past life was, he was currently stuck at the Seventh Step of Ascension, unable to reach the Yang God level.

"My demands aren’t unreasonable," Qi Yuan stated.

His mission was to protect Qingshui Village. How could he possibly give up the land?

More importantly, he had already engaged in battle with the evil gods.

He had killed so many of them—he couldn't believe they were genuinely willing to let him off.

Qi Yuan considered himself a gentleman, but even he couldn't forgive the Black Mountain Sect after they had conspired against him. Instead, he had bravely taken up his knife and wiped them out.

The evil gods were far from being gentlemen, so their intentions were undoubtedly nefarious. They were likely preparing to settle the score with him.

"Two armies at war do not kill envoys. Go back and tell your master that peace is simple to achieve. Giving them the land in the Mortal Heart Realm isn’t out of the question, but I have one condition," Qi Yuan said calmly.

Wu Kui heard this and assumed Qi Yuan was softening his stance. Perhaps his earlier demand for both the people and the land was just to scare him.

It was like demanding to tear down a roof when you really just wanted to open a window.

Qi Yuan was merely trying to negotiate for more favorable terms.

"Heavenly Sovereign, please state your condition, and I will convey it to my master truthfully!"

"Your master and all the other evil gods must apologize to me, soothe my wounded soul, and then commit suicide to atone for their sins. If all of you die, I will give you the Mortal Heart Realm as your burial ground. This way, the land will be yours, and the people will be mine. Isn’t that fair?"

Qi Yuan thought he was a genius.

He quickly came up with a solution that both sides could easily accept, and it also ensured he would have no future troubles.

Wu Kui began to sweat profusely.

Suicide as atonement?

This Qi Yuan…really dared to think big!

This wasn’t a negotiation; it was a provocation!

But despite his shock, Wu Kui didn’t dare to argue or curse. He could only reply with difficulty, "I will convey these words to my master as they were spoken."

Qi Yuan smiled warmly. "No wonder they say that the best solutions are found through discussion. This plan is practically flawless. Hurry back and relay my exact words to your master. I'm sure they'll be excited and will applaud this perfect plan."

Seeing this, Wu Kui didn’t dare to speak further. He forced a smile, bid his farewell, and quickly left.

He couldn't afford to stay any longer.

After Wu Kui left, Qi Qi stepped forward, her eyes filled with doubt. "Godfather, why didn’t you just pretend to agree to their terms to buy us more time?"

In Qi Qi’s eyes, the people of the Mortal Heart Realm desperately needed more time.

If they had enough time, the four thousand Yin Gods under Qi Yuan’s command could grow to terrifying levels. When they finally turned against the evil gods, they would be in a much stronger position.

"Why pretend to agree? I’ve already proposed my terms," Qi Yuan said seriously.

He had already laid out a new set of conditions for negotiation, and they were very well thought out.

Qi Qi was speechless.

These were terms?

What kind of negotiation was this?

"Godfather, there's no way they’ll agree to your conditions."

"The Dao gives birth to fifty, and the heavens lose one, leaving forty-nine. There are no absolutes in this world. What if their master, on a whim, decides to agree to my terms? As a wise person once said, ‘Do not neglect to do good because it is small; do not commit evil because it is small.’ So, even if the odds are slim, we should never give up. You never know," Qi Yuan said earnestly.

He felt that after visualizing the Three Pure Ones, his mind had become clearer, and his logic had sharpened.

Every word he spoke seemed to carry profound wisdom.

Qi Qi was silent, unable to argue.

The news of the evil gods sending an envoy to negotiate peace quickly spread throughout Feiwu City. The contents of Qi Yuan's conversation with the evil god’s military commander also circulated, reaching many of the followers and ordinary cultivators.

These followers and cultivators had mixed reactions.

"The Mythic Plan we've been clinging to isn’t as good as the slim chance of the evil gods' peace terms!"

"If the Heavenly Sovereign agrees, a million people in the Mortal Heart Realm could survive!"

"The Mythic Plan...how many will it save?"

Shi Chongshan, who had just visualized the second god, Erlang Shen, wasn’t surprised when he heard Qi Yuan’s response.

"A refusal from the Heavenly God is what I expected!"

At that moment, Ling Zhong, the headless grandmaster, stood with eyes wide open on his chest, looking particularly dignified.

In his eyes, there was a mix of complex emotions.

After a hundred breaths had passed, Ling Zhong stood before Qi Yuan.

He looked at the Heavenly God and slowly spoke, "Heavenly God… before the Heaven Pillar was broken, the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother once said that in the future, if anyone could save the Mortal Heart Realm, I should give them this."

Qi Yuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them, a hint of surprise in his gaze.

He recalled the sight of Wu Shi huddled by the pond, clutching a large fish as she slept, and the complex and peculiar expression on the Venerable Foodless Holy Mother’s face when he met her at the Heavenly Pillar.

A specially crafted storage bag appeared before Qi Yuan.

Ling Zhong’s figure disappeared, leaving Qi Yuan alone in the courtyard.

With a sense of nostalgia and curiosity, Qi Yuan opened the storage bag.

Immediately, a faint fragrance wafted out.

Inside the storage bag were various fish—spicy fish, grilled fish, sour fish.

The fish looked like the ones Wu Shi had made when Qi Yuan met her the second time.

She…didn’t eat them?

He recalled Wu Shi by the pond, clutching a half-eaten fish as she asked him:

"Do you… want to eat?"