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

Chapter 362: The Backstory of Gongxing, a Romance Drama?

The dozen or so cultivators present all had different thoughts, but their attention was collectively drawn to what lay beyond the door.

As for the Nascent Souls involved in the "Heaven-Shaking Plan," they were utterly shocked. After all, so many of them had tried to open the door, yet it had actually been broken through.

"Why are we all just standing here? Let’s go in together!" one of the Nascent Soul cultivators suggested.

The others were cautious, wary of potential dangers within the relic. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator might perish here, so they dared not act rashly.

"Let’s go in and take a look," Qi Yuan said without any such concerns. His left eyebrow had been twitching wildly, a sure sign that there was a great fortune awaiting him inside. He wondered if the benefits and wealth within could be enough to buy the whole planet.

The plump cultivator glanced around and then followed Qi Yuan without hesitation.

Xie Tang gritted her teeth and quickly followed suit.

Seeing this, the remaining cultivators also moved forward.

As they passed through the door, the entire world seemed to change in an instant.

Where once there was a cramped cave, the view suddenly expanded into a vast horizon.

Starlight flooded over them.

"The starry sky?"

"This place… it’s an entire starry sky!"

The cultivators all looked up, astonished by what they saw. Above them stretched an endless sky filled with stars. The expanse seemed boundless, and no single glance could capture all the stars at once. The sky was brilliant, sparkling with countless stars.

Everyone's eyes were filled with awe, as if they had stepped into a new world.

"There are so many stars… it’s making me hungry just looking at them," Qi Yuan muttered, as his mouth began to water, as if he were "savoring plums to quench thirst."

"Is this another world?"

"Why do these stars feel so strange?"

The cultivators, born of the cultivation world, knew that the stars above were typically the celestial bodies that gods used to reflect their power. Each star represented a deity.

When they had first arrived on Gongxing, they had noticed something different about the sky, but because the stars were few, they hadn’t paid much attention.

Now, the sky was filled with countless stars.

"This is probably just a map of the spaceship," Qi Yuan said softly, "but it’s pretty realistic."

"A map?" one of the Nascent Souls asked in surprise. Their divine sense spread out, and they became even more alarmed. "This map is capable of deceiving our senses!"

A mere map could fool their senses into thinking they were in a real starry sky. If there were traps or mechanisms in this place, they might never see them coming.

"Well, since we’re here, let’s go our separate ways," said a lone Nascent Soul cultivator.

Without another word, he flew deeper into the relic.

The other cultivators didn’t say much either and quickly dispersed. Each one was hoping to find treasures hidden within the relic.

If they came across something like the Sky Eye, they would strike it rich.

"Where do you want to go?" the plump cultivator asked Qi Yuan.

Xie Tang also looked to him, seeking his opinion.

"This relic isn’t that big, so there’s no rush. Let’s take our time and enjoy the view," Qi Yuan said. With his Yang God-level power, he had already surveyed the entire spaceship as soon as they entered. Despite its advanced design, the ship was in terrible shape—damaged and without power. Most of the valuable items had long been used up.

All that remained were bits of scrap metal and some Sky Eyes.

As for other powerful weapons, such as the planet-destroying cannons Qi Yuan had imagined, there were none.

"This relic may have a big reputation, but inside, it’s just a pile of scrap metal," Qi Yuan said nonchalantly.

Xie Tang was taken aback. "Daoist friend, have you been here before?"

"I’ve never been here, but I can tell at a glance that aside from some junk, there’s nothing valuable here. If there’s anything of value, it’s probably the ship itself."

"A door that hard to open, and all it contains is junk?" the plump cultivator was puzzled.

"Well, there are just a few thousand Sky Eyes. Is that considered junk?" Qi Yuan said casually.

For the inhabitants of this spaceship, the Sky Eyes were probably just standard-issue weapons—equivalent to modern rifles in an army.

As for more advanced weapons… there were none.

"A few thousand Sky Eyes?" The plump cultivator gulped.

Xie Tang’s breath quickened, though she was still skeptical about Qi Yuan’s claim.

However, she did not leave. When the door had opened earlier, she had sensed an ominous feeling as if there had been some hidden threat targeting her.

"The most valuable thing here is probably this wall," Qi Yuan said as he walked over to a corner.

In the corner was a wall made of an unknown material, somewhat like marble but incredibly smooth.

On the stone wall, numerous murals were etched.

Curious, the other cultivators turned their attention to the murals.

The first mural was simple. It depicted a young man dressed in flowing white robes, standing in a futuristic villa, gazing up at the starry sky. His eyes were filled with longing and love.

"Based on my experience of acing reading comprehension tests, the first mural depicts the protagonist’s longing for a woman across the stars. His clenched fist represents his determination. Clearly, he’s about to tell his mother that he’s setting sail tonight to find his beloved," Qi Yuan analyzed confidently.

Back on Blue Star, Qi Yuan had always excelled in reading comprehension, and to him, this mural was easy to understand.

He moved on to the second mural.

In this one, a man and a woman stood in space, staring deeply into each other’s eyes, with a vast starry sky as their backdrop.

"Hmm, they’ve met. The lovers have been reunited."

The third mural showed a woman standing under a beautiful night sky, her back turned toward the viewer, bathed in moonlight.

"The heroine has been misunderstood. She’s hurt and suffering in silence, so she’s going home," Qi Yuan continued his analysis. "Based on the earlier murals, it looks like the guy’s parents met with the girl in secret and handed her a bank card, telling her to leave. I’d bet that guy’s mother is still quite attractive."

Hearing this, Ningtao laughed softly. "This plot feels so familiar. Does it involve a car accident? Cancer, maybe?"

"It’s definitely headed that way. Wait for the VCR!" Qi Yuan said as he turned to the fourth mural.

"Carrying her pain, the woman returns to her home planet. Oh, it looks like this planet is Gongxing. One day, a great enemy arrives, and to protect her homeland, she fights to the death in space, dying heroically on the battlefield."

Ningtao’s expression softened. "Though your commentary is funny, the story itself is quite moving."

Despite Qi Yuan’s humorous narration, the essence of the story was indeed touching. A woman who died defending her world was a tale worthy of song and sorrow.

The group moved on to the fifth mural.

"This mural’s theme is ‘the search.’ The man, upon learning of his lover’s disappearance, takes his spaceship and begins a journey across the stars. For thousands of years, he searches tirelessly, wandering the endless reaches of the universe. But the stars are vast, and finding his beloved is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"However, as everyone knows, they’re bound to have a few near-misses—close encounters where they don’t realize they’re right next to each other. In the end, love moves the heavens and the earth, and the man finally finds the woman."

Ningtao, hearing this, smiled wryly. "It was supposed to be a romance drama, but it’s turned into a comedy."

She looked at the sixth mural.

In this one, the man finally finds the woman, only to discover she is on the verge of death.

"The heroine is surrounded by an army, teetering on the edge of death. At the last moment, the hero rushes in and finally cradles her in his arms. But the woman has lost all signs of life. She looks at him one last time, sheds a tear, and dies completely. The joy of reunion turns to sorrow, and in his grief, the hero unleashes his full power, driving back the enemy."

Xie Tang looked at the scene with a somber expression. "Such a tragic end for this pair."

The plump cultivator sighed as well. "There are always regrets in life that can’t be erased. I remember before I started cultivating, I confessed to my childhood sweetheart next door. She told me I was too fat. She said if I could lose 30 pounds in a month, she’d be with me. But after a month, I was only able to lose 29 pounds, so we never got together. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life."

Qi Yuan nodded. "That example is quite fitting. It’s the same core idea—regret. These near misses tug at the hearts of the audience."

There’s a saying that the most heartbreaking failure is the one where success is just within reach.

Everyone’s attention turned to the final mural.

"The last mural’s theme is ‘The Watcher.’ The man stays behind in this world, witnessing the gradual decay and destruction of the world his lover once called home. Unable to bear it, he remains in this world alone, like a sentinel. He follows in her footsteps, touching every trace she left behind. He vows to save her world from destruction and bring her back to life. He will reboot this world!"

As Qi Yuan spoke, his voice grew impassioned, almost as if he were delivering a speech. Normally shy in real life, Qi Yuan had only ever posted such speeches on forums like Shenhua. He had never made a speech in real life. But with so few people here, he thought, why not give it a try?

Qi Yuan felt good about his delivery—so good, in fact, that he was moved by his own words.

If he were a bit more sentimental, he might have even shed a tear.

But instead, he decided that for dinner tonight, he wouldn’t add any chili flakes to his braised pork.

"A truly tragic and moving… story," Xie Tang said, casting an odd glance at Qi Yuan.

If Qi Yuan hadn’t been narrating, they might have found the murals more moving.

But with him around, everything felt off.

Ningtao rolled her eyes at Qi Yuan. "Husband, this heart-wrenching romance turned into a comedy thanks to you."

"Who says it’s a romance? Maybe it’s a power struggle or a crime drama," Qi Yuan shot back, unwilling to let the story be defined so easily.

"I understand. Husband, you have an artistic flair, like those short videos where they use humor to explain horror films," Ningtao said.

Qi Yuan nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Xie Tang seemed to realize something. Her expression grew complex, filled with deep concern. "If these murals are telling the truth, doesn’t that mean… this world is doomed?"

Even though the murals lacked text or detailed descriptions, it was clear that the man and woman depicted were at least at the level of Yin Gods, or perhaps even higher.

After all, traveling through space for thousands of years wasn’t something even a Purple Mansion cultivator could do.

And if the story involved rebooting a world or resurrecting someone, that was beyond even a Yin God’s capabilities—only a Yang God could manage such feats.

"The male protagonist is probably somewhere out there right now, fighting some great enemy while preparing to reboot the world and resurrect his lover. If that happens, won’t we, as non-Gongxing natives, get reset back into… embryos?" the plump cultivator asked nervously, using a term from Gongxing’s modern vocabulary.

"This world has already been rebooted once… wait…" Xie Tang paused, her mind racing.

Could it be that before her disappearance, her senior sister had visited this world and ended up getting reset into… an embryo?

If that were the case, it would be a tough pill to swallow.

"Sure, their love story is touching and all, but it hasn’t moved me, so I think we should hurry up and leave this world. For us Nascent Soul cultivators, this place is way too dangerous," the plump cultivator said, filled with anxiety.

Forget the enemies the couple faced—even the male protagonist alone seemed like a dangerous madman.

"I’d destroy three realms for you"—a sentiment that seemed quite fitting for him.

There was a reason people said that when gods fell in love, the whole universe trembled.

But Qi Yuan remained calm. "What’s there to worry about? It’s just the backstory of a game. Besides, didn’t I tell you, even if you die, I’ll remember you and bring you back to life in my Purple Mansion."

The plump cultivator was stunned for a moment. "You… have a point."

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan stared at the final mural with a strange expression. "Based on this plotline, hasn’t this world already been rebooted many times?"

The male protagonist rebooting the world to save his lover—it reminded Qi Yuan of Dongjun.

It seemed that Dongjun had tried to reboot his world many times, but he had always failed, unable to revive his partner.

Ningtao narrowed her eyes. "It’s possible."

"So, does that mean this world has a lot of purple energy?" Qi Yuan asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Purple energy, born from the beginning of the universe, was the foundation of all things. If this world had been rebooted over and over, following the same cycle, wouldn’t that mean there was an abundance of purple energy here?

But then, just as quickly, he shook his head.

If it were that easy to exploit the reboot mechanic to gather purple energy, powerful Yang Gods wouldn’t lack for it. Purple energy wouldn’t be called the first essence of the immortal path.

Still, Qi Yuan was sure that this world contained purple energy.

"Alright, the TV show’s over. Time to start looting," Qi Yuan said, his divine sense sweeping through the relic.

In an instant, a flood of information poured into his mind.

"Come on, let’s head to the control room."

Qi Yuan had already found the control room.

Hearing this, Xie Tang hurried after him.

In truth, she was feeling quite anxious. After all, this place might actually contain a Sky Eye.

If other Nascent Soul cultivators managed to get their hands on a Sky Eye and they didn’t, the Heavenly Profound Sect’s position would be severely weakened.

What’s more, the sect was currently in a precarious situation, with a shortage of resources. She needed to gather some wealth.

Soon, the four of them arrived outside the relic’s control room.

The remaining eight cultivators were already there.

Their faces were filled with undisguised excitement and greed.

Clearly, they had all gained a lot from scavenging the relic.

Even though the spaceship wasn’t large, it was easy to move around in, and they had all managed to grab some Sky Eyes.

Now, they had gathered outside the control room, their eyes gleaming with desire, mixed with a hint of frustration.

The eight cultivators had all worked together to try and open the control room’s door but had failed.

"Strange. This door is just like the one at the entrance to the relic. Why can’t we open it?" the old man in the crimson mask muttered, puzzled.

Though they were missing four people, the key to opening the door was the Purple Mansion cultivator, and he was still here.

The others were just as confused.

The members of the "Heaven-Shaking Plan" had yet to make their move, but they were planning to. After all, if the outer parts of the relic contained so many treasures, the control room surely held even greater ones.

"How can you not understand such a simple reason?" Qi Yuan said softly, holding Ningtao in his arms as he arrived. His eyes glimmered with amusement. "The big boss hasn’t made his entrance yet."

"I told you before—when the last door opened, the credit was mine, but you didn’t believe me."

Hearing Qi Yuan’s words, the old man in the crimson mask frowned in doubt.

Could it really have been him?

He studied Qi Yuan, trying to discern what power he was hiding. But he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Could it be some sort of special encounter or ability that had allowed him to open the door?