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

Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism's muddled eyes briefly cleared, and his lips moved as he responded faintly: "Alright."

Qi Yuan's figure disappeared, and he murmured, "The path of cultivation is too difficult."

In the decaying cave dwelling, only a frail old man remained, his eyes dull and lifeless, like a lonely old man waiting for nothing but oblivion.

"If I build a mental hospital, not only will there be business opportunities to make money, but it will also provide humanitarian care. I might even win a 'Touching Blue Planet Award.' I'm truly a genius."

Qi Yuan muttered to himself.

...

Half a day passed.

In the Knowing Mountain Pavilion, Qi Yuan gazed at the towering mountain ahead, its jagged rocks and sparse bamboo.

"This place of opportunity is quite unique. It tempers one's true spirit through the appreciation of scenery."

Qi Yuan, dressed in a red robe, climbed the mountain like a hiker, with no trace of power flowing through him.

At the mountain's peak stood the Knowing Mountain Pavilion, where the most beautiful scenery could be enjoyed.

Along the way, Qi Yuan encountered many hikers.

In his eyes, these hikers included children, the elderly, and strong men.

Regardless of their form, the higher they climbed, the more aged they appeared, resembling old men, their true spirits increasingly withered.

Only Qi Yuan's true spirit remained pure and unchanging, like the blazing sun, radiant and illuminating.

"Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said that strength is a calamity."

"Perhaps that's only because he isn't strong enough."

"Strength... can also be a blessing."

"But... in this world, how rare are those like me, who work so hard and are blessed with such explosive opportunities?"

In just three hours of mortal time, the Knowing Mountain Pavilion had experienced the four seasons.

Qi Yuan, dressed in blood-red robes, reached the mountain's peak, as if surveying all the mountains below.

He looked into the Knowing Mountain Pavilion and saw an elderly woman sitting there.

Her eyes were half-closed as she leaned against the pavilion, seemingly basking in the sun.

"Someone's here?"

The old woman opened her eyes, her gaze characteristically cloudy, clearly unwell.

Perhaps due to her advanced age, her face carried a hint of kindness.

Seeing the old woman, Qi Yuan smiled: "Granny, would you like to move to the mental hospital I'm building?"

Men are called "old man," so women are naturally called "granny."

He couldn't miss this business opportunity.

Although the mental hospital hadn't been built yet, he could start building it in the underworld.

"I'm too old, my legs don't work well anymore. I won't go, young man," the old woman said kindly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the youthful Qi Yuan. "If I were a few decades younger, in the age of youthful infatuation, I would have snatched you up as my male concubine."

"That's illegal!" Qi Yuan quickly covered his chest with his hands.

Men really aren't safe outside.

The old woman chuckled: "Why don't you come sit for a while?"

She seemed so old that even speaking a sentence drained all her energy.

"Since I'm here, even if I encounter a creepy granny, I'll still enter the Knowing Mountain Pavilion. I'm a strong young man, after all."

Qi Yuan sat down in the Knowing Mountain Pavilion, not far from the old woman.

The old woman shook her head: "It seems you're not well either."

This shake of her head seemed like a final burst of energy.

"I'm not sick," Qi Yuan replied.

He could sense that the old woman was like a candle in the wind, about to flicker out.

The old woman struggled to lift her head, gazing at the scenery ahead.

"When I was young, I kept climbing mountains, always thinking that the scenery at the top would be beautiful. But I never expected that upon reaching the summit... I would feel so alone, the scenery so desolate."

"I wonder, countless epochs from now, will a future version of me climb this mountain again, and... will I sit here in the Knowing Mountain Pavilion once more?"

The old woman sighed.

In the Dao systems or universes where Dao Lords resided, time was cyclical.

She would grow old, climb the mountain, and sit in the Knowing Mountain Pavilion.

After an unknown amount of time, a new version of her might climb the mountain again and sit here.

"I wonder if I'll meet you again, to enjoy the mountain's scenery together," the old woman mused.

"Whether we'll meet again in the future, I don't know. But this is the first time. If we meet again, I'll let you know," Qi Yuan said.

The old woman glanced at Qi Yuan, then at the mountains, murmuring: "People are more beautiful than scenery."

With these words, the old woman's white hair fell, as if she had fallen asleep.

In the silence, the old woman, an unknown Realm Lord, failed to break through to the fourth layer of Yang God and quietly faded away.

The wind blew, and the jagged cliffs, devoid of many trees, did not roar in response.

Qi Yuan looked at the deceased old woman, his expression calm.

"So, should I have a second child?"

"Or maybe, condense ten trillion golden cores."

In the following days, Qi Yuan continued to visit the remaining places of opportunity.

His strength grew rapidly.

His true spirit remained pure and powerful.

But he never encountered another being as powerful as the old woman.

After all, according to Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism, there were fewer than twenty such beings in the Primordial Council.

They weren't easy to come by.

Returning from Thunderfall Mountain, Qi Yuan arrived at his temporary residence in the Cloud Pavilion.

"Greetings, Lord Qi Yuan."

A young, beautiful woman bowed respectfully, not daring to look directly at Qi Yuan.

She was an external member of the Myriad Transformations Society, only at the second layer of Yang God.

This time, she was specifically assigned to take care of Qi Yuan's "daily needs" and communicate with the forces behind the various places of opportunity.

She understood the extraordinary status this man held within the Myriad Transformations Society.

Even Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism had intervened on his behalf during his conflict with Deputy Leader Heavenly Tang.

Unless something unexpected happened, this Realm Lord might soon hold a purple token and become a deputy leader, a figure of great importance.

"Has the Brocade Palace still not responded?" Qi Yuan asked.

The Brocade Palace was a major power similar to the Ten Thousand Saints Palace.

It possessed a place of opportunity called the Brocade Dream Space.

This time, with Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism's help, Qi Yuan had approached various major powers to borrow their places of opportunity.

The other major powers had agreed without hesitation to lend their places of opportunity.

Only the Brocade Palace had been delaying time.

Of course, since there were other places of opportunity to visit, Qi Yuan didn't mind waiting.

But now, with six places of opportunity visited, they couldn't keep delaying, could they?

"This..." The beautiful woman looked troubled. "The envoy from the Brocade Palace said that a mysterious elder is currently using the Brocade Dream Space. It seems... it won't be available this epoch."

"Is that so?" Qi Yuan's expression remained calm.

He recalled Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism's words.

Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism had intervened to save the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord last time out of respect for his ancestor's friendship.

But the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord seemed unable to see the bigger picture.

This time, he was still scheming behind the scenes.

The Brocade Palace had deep ties with the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord.

The Green Brocade Realm Lord, who had always followed the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord, had a sister, Red Brocade, who was the palace master of the Brocade Palace.

So it was natural that the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord was involved in this matter.

Qi Yuan instantly understood many things.

Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism's intervention to halt the previous confrontation might have been partly to give Qi Yuan a more justified reason to act.

"Have the envoy from the Brocade Palace come see me. I'll ask him myself," Qi Yuan said.

"Understood."

About twenty breaths later, a middle-aged man arrived. He looked at Qi Yuan, his face filled with difficulty, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Esteemed Envoy, this is what the elders said. The Brocade Dream Space... won't be available this epoch," the middle-aged man said, his tone extremely humble.

"Oh, even with the leader's token from the Myriad Transformations Society, I can't enter?" Qi Yuan asked.

The Brocade Palace was different from other major powers. It was somewhat subordinate to the Myriad Transformations Society.

"This... this..." The middle-aged man turned pale, terrified.

"Forget it. I won't hold it against a worker like you. I'll go talk to your boss," Qi Yuan said casually.

After all, such decisions weren't something a worker like this middle-aged man could make.

The weak vent their anger on the weaker, while the strong challenge the strong.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped death.

Meanwhile, in the Brocade Palace.

The Grand Elder looked worried: "Palace Master, if we treat Qi Yuan like this... what if he holds a grudge?"

"Hmph, in a few days, the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord will become the leader of the Myriad Transformations Society. Qi Yuan... a newcomer with some talent, what can he do?

Others may fear his background and potential, but I don't care," the Red Brocade Realm Lord said with pride.

Her strength surpassed even that of the Ten Thousand Saints Palace's palace master.

While the Ten Thousand Saints Palace's palace master treated Qi Yuan with respect, she would not.

"He's weaker than me. How could he possibly harm me?

To harm me, he'd have to reach the fourth layer of Yang God, or... become a Dao Lord?

Do you think he has a chance to become a Dao Lord?" Red Brocade said dismissively.

At their level, the differences in strength were minimal.

Red Brocade believed that even if the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord attacked her while she was in the Brocade Palace, it would be difficult for him to seriously injure her.

Let alone a mere Qi Yuan.

"What if he comes to demand an explanation?" the Grand Elder muttered.

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud voice echoed through the Brocade Palace.

"Palace Master of the Brocade Palace, come see me at once."

Hearing this, Red Brocade's eyes filled with disdain. In half a breath, her figure appeared above the Brocade Palace.

Using the palace's formations and Realm Lord treasures, Red Brocade bowed slightly: "Esteemed Envoy, what brings you here? Has one of our disciples offended you?"

Her tone sounded quite amiable.

"You know why I'm here. I want to enter the Brocade Dream Space," Qi Yuan replied.

"Oh dear, Esteemed Envoy, your timing is unfortunate. The Brocade Dream Space is currently in use. It seems you won't be able to enter this epoch. Why don't you wait until the next epoch?" Red Brocade said with a smile, her tone gentle.

"Hey, you're not a customer service representative. Why are you talking like this? You're the boss, aren't you?" Qi Yuan was somewhat speechless.

Customer service representatives talk nicely but don't get things done, which is normal.

But Red Brocade was the boss, the palace master.

"I'm saying, you should learn from the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord and stop beating around the bush. Do you not want me to enter?" Qi Yuan questioned.

Although Qi Yuan couldn't stand being wronged, he never acted impulsively or indiscriminately wiped out entire families.

He needed evidence. What if he accidentally killed the wrong person?

Seeing Qi Yuan's direct question, Red Brocade's gentle smile turned into a cold sneer: "Since Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan understands, why ask the obvious? Why not return early? If I'm in a good mood next epoch, I might let you enter the Brocade Dream Space."

"Oh, I see," Qi Yuan said calmly.

The evidence was clear. This wasn't a misunderstanding.

Next, it was time to kill.

"Criminal Red Brocade, for obstructing my entry into the Brocade Dream Space, your crime is punishable by death. On behalf of the Myriad Transformations Society, I sentence you to death."

Qi Yuan's voice was cold, filled with boundless sanctity, as he passed judgment on Red Brocade.

Red Brocade smiled, covering her chest as she laughed: "I called you 'Esteemed Envoy,' but do you really think you're something?"

"Sis, you're a Realm Lord. Why are you talking like a petty thug?" Qi Yuan said casually.

But this was normal.

At their level, one's nature and temperament were laid bare, acting on instinct.

There was no need to hide anything.

Strength determined everything. Things like temperament and social skills sometimes didn't matter.

"You're asking for death!" Red Brocade stood in the Brocade Palace. Although she shouted angrily, she didn't take a single step outside.

Even though she believed Qi Yuan was no match for her, she remained cautious, staying within the Brocade Palace.

"After judging you, I'll go kill the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord.

Hmph, he's been causing trouble for me repeatedly. Once I kill him, I'll clean up the Myriad Transformations Society's atmosphere. The Dao Lord of Witchcraft will probably give me a thumbs up!"

Qi Yuan said.

"You have quite the audacity. I wonder if your strength matches your boldness!" Red Brocade said dismissively.

While stationed in the Brocade Palace, even if the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord or the leader of the Myriad Transformations Society attacked, they wouldn't be able to seriously injure her.

Unless it was an existence like the Buddha corpse, but such beings wouldn't leave their designated areas.

Thus, here, she was virtually invincible and naturally unafraid of Qi Yuan.

"Sigh."

Qi Yuan sighed.

"I'm a good person. I don't want to kill."

"Why are you forcing me?"

At this moment, Qi Yuan made his move.

"Remember, the one who kills you is Qi Yuan!"

As his words fell, Qi Yuan casually struck out, sending an ordinary attack toward Red Brocade.

In the Brocade Palace, many Realm Lords watched calmly.

Red Brocade's expression was also calm as she smiled: "An attack like this couldn't even pluck a hair from my head. How do you expect to kill me?"

But in the next breath, an intense sense of danger suddenly arose.

Red Brocade's body stiffened, and she felt a moment of confusion.

Why did such a simple attack make her feel such overwhelming danger?

At this moment, she was like a little girl on the road, watching a goose feather fall from the sky. She had a thought: if she caught it, she would be crushed to death.

Many people with itchy hands would probably catch it.

Red Brocade was in such a state now.

"Impossible. How could he possibly threaten me?"

Though she thought this, Red Brocade quickly transformed into a beam of light, trying to escape into the void and avoid the attack.

Unfortunately, Qi Yuan's attacks weren't something one could simply choose to avoid.

"You have no idea of the gap between you and me!"

"You don't understand. I am a true Yin God!"

"A mere Realm Lord dares to provoke an Yin God? You're seeking death!"

Escape was futile.

As Qi Yuan's words fell, all the Realm Lords witnessed an unforgettable scene.

The ordinary, unremarkable attack landed on Red Brocade's body.

Red Brocade's sturdy and majestic body burst like a balloon.

Her true spirit... faded.

The Red Brocade Realm Lord, who had been taunting just moments ago... was dead.

Just like that... dead!

"How is this possible!"

All the Realm Lords were shocked.

If the old woman from the Knowing Mountain Pavilion knew what had happened here, she might have risen from the dead to gasp in shock.

"I'm not hiding it anymore. In the Yin God realm, I am invincible."

At this moment, a cold voice echoed across the sky.

Meanwhile, in the Myriad Transformations Society.

Realm Lord Chun Ran and Realm Lord Green Brocade, who had been playing chess, suddenly widened their eyes, their faces filled with horror.

"Red Brocade is dead?"

"Killed by Qi Yuan?"

"How is this possible!"

The two of them were stunned, unable to comprehend.

Not only were they shocked, but everyone who heard the news was equally stunned and baffled.

After all, Red Brocade had almost reached the pinnacle of the Realm Lord stage.

While stationed in the Brocade Palace, even the leader of the Myriad Transformations Society would find it difficult to harm her.

And yet, she had died just like that?

However, before they could ponder further.

A lazy voice rang out.

"Heavenly Tang has repeatedly schemed against me. I will kill him. Who dares to stop me?"

This voice, of course, came from Qi Yuan.

He didn't dare to say "who dares to kill me," so he said "who dares to stop me."

After all, what if a Ma Dai suddenly appeared? That would be interesting.

At the same time, within the Myriad Transformations Society, hundreds of Realm Lords were in an uproar.

No one had expected Qi Yuan to kill the Red Brocade Realm Lord.

Even Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism, who had been erratic, seemed to regain some clarity.

"This... how is this possible?" He couldn't understand, nor could he comprehend.

The other Realm Lords were equally shocked.

Especially the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord, whose expression was one of utter disbelief.

Without hesitation, he immediately fled.

Now, only by escaping to the main universe and seeking the protection of a Dao Lord could he have a chance of survival.

He didn't dare to confront Qi Yuan head-on.

Returning to the main universe, he would investigate the truth.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to flee, a giant hand descended, blocking his path.

"Those I wish to kill cannot escape!"

"Die!"

The hand clenched.

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord's face was filled with disbelief.

Against such power, he had no way to resist.

It was as if he had encountered a Dao Lord.

"Impossible!"

He snarled, panicked, and finally, his body shattered.

Facing Qi Yuan's terrifying attack, he couldn't even last a single breath.

Countless Realm Lords were shocked.

Some Realm Lords took a deep breath, doubting their own eyes.

At this moment, Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism emerged from the depths of the Myriad Transformations Society, his face filled with astonishment. Finally, his aged voice rang out: "Hey, is your mental hospital open yet? Any vacancies?"