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

Chapter 375: Heart Believes, But Nose Doesn’t

The information Qi Yuan received through his eyes was very simple.

That distant figure was indeed the projection of the Eastern Lord.

He was currently battling the Root Demons.

Qi Yuan’s eyes also informed him that if the Root Demons were to surpass the Eastern Lord, the Origin Land, the Mountain and Seas Scroll, and the Land of the End would all become playgrounds for the Root Demons in an instant.

This confirmed that the Eastern Lord was indeed fighting against the great calamity and saving the world.

The Martial Lords present looked at the Eastern Lord’s projection, sighing with emotion.

"In the Origin Land, perhaps only tens of thousands of years have passed, but in the Calamity Realm, the Eastern Lord has been battling the great calamity alone for a million years," Black Deer Martial Lord said despondently, his voice heavy with helplessness.

"The world has restarted countless times, but each time it failed. This is our last chance. We must revive the Eastern Lord’s consort to aid him!"

"The Eastern Lord has been isolated for a million years!"

The Martial Lords were moved, their eyes filled with various emotions.

Qi Yuan remained calm. "The Eastern Lord has been through a lot. He probably hasn’t bathed in millions of years. When I meet him, I’ll have to give him a bucket of bathwater."

"..."

The Martial Lords were speechless.

However, after spending time with Qi Yuan, they had begun to understand his personality and way of thinking.

A martial arts fanatic—this was normal.

Without that obsession, how could he become a Martial God?

"Heavenly Sovereign, the Eastern Lord’s Wall will soon close. If you have any questions, please ask quickly!" Black Deer Martial Lord reminded him.

"Alright." Qi Yuan nodded, turning to the Eastern Lord’s Wall and politely asking, "Do you know what a Spiritual Martial Lord is?"

The blood-red color spread across the Eastern Lord’s Wall.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on it.

A refined voice, like the sound of heaven, rang out.

"The Spiritual Martial Lord is the leader of all Martial Lords. To become one, you must challenge and defeat all Martial Lords. Only then can you become the Spiritual Martial Lord."

"That simple?" Qi Yuan was surprised.

He touched his nose, and it didn’t grow.

This meant the Eastern Lord was telling the truth.

Qi Yuan glanced at the Martial Lords present. Did that mean he just had to defeat them all to complete the task and become a Spiritual Martial Lord?

"How does one become a Martial God of Myriad Daos?" Qi Yuan asked again.

The realm of Martial God was above that of Martial Lord, and the Martial God of Myriad Daos was somewhat different from a regular Martial God.

"To become the Daos of the world, to embody the laws of heaven and earth, that is the path to becoming a Martial God of Myriad Daos. However, once you become the laws of heaven and earth, if the world is destroyed, the Martial God of Myriad Daos will fall from this realm as well. A world can only have one Martial God of Myriad Daos."

The Eastern Lord’s Wall responded once more.

Qi Yuan sensed that his nose hadn’t grown.

This also confirmed that the Eastern Lord’s Wall hadn’t lied.

"Is there already a Martial God of Myriad Daos in this world?" Qi Yuan asked.

If such a god already existed, wouldn’t that mean he had to fight them?

"No." The refined voice of the Eastern Lord replied from the wall.

This wasn’t the Eastern Lord himself speaking, nor even a projection, just a mechanical response, like asking an AI that instinctively provided answers.

Having received all the answers, Qi Yuan felt satisfied.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he spoke softly.

"What is the greatest obstacle to me becoming a Martial God of Myriad Daos?"

Since the Eastern Lord’s Wall was so powerful, he figured he should take advantage and ask a few more questions.

"Yourself. The most difficult aspect of becoming a Martial God of Myriad Daos is embodying the Daos. This requires a profound understanding of the myriad Daos of this world. Most Martial Lords, even after a lifetime, cannot achieve this."

The voice remained refined and elegant.

At this, Qi Yuan squinted his eyes, though his expression remained calm. "Really?"

He found this situation quite interesting.

The Eastern Lord’s words seemed entirely believable to him, and they made perfect sense.

But... his nose had grown.

This sensation was strange.

It was as if someone with a superpower that could perfectly solve simple addition and subtraction had been told that "1+1=2" was wrong by that very power.

That was how Qi Yuan felt now.

The Eastern Lord’s words had planted themselves firmly in his heart, but his nose was telling him they were lies.

"The Eastern Lord’s Wall cannot lie. It only provides the information it has," the refined voice of the Eastern Lord’s Wall insisted.

Qi Yuan smiled. "My brain tells me to believe you, but my nose is screaming that you’re lying."

At that moment, Black Deer Martial Lord spoke up. "The Eastern Lord would never lie. What he says must be true!"

"Yes, it must be true!" agreed a titled Martial Lord.

"It’s true!" echoed the other Martial Lords.

Clearly, nearly all of the Martial Lords present believed the Eastern Lord’s words without question.

At that moment, Qi Yuan thought of something and asked softly, "God Thunder Elder, what do you think? Is he telling the truth or not?"

As soon as he spoke, a figure appeared atop the tower: God Thunder Elder.

Dressed in a purple robe adorned with lightning, he radiated a deep, powerful energy.

When the Martial Lords saw God Thunder, they fell silent, feeling immense pressure.

Was this... another Heavenly Sovereign?

Their perceptions of Qi Yuan shifted once again.

Especially seeing how God Thunder looked at Qi Yuan with such respect, as if he were a subordinate.

"What he said... is true," God Thunder Elder confirmed, his voice booming like thunder.

Qi Yuan’s expression remained calm.

God Thunder Elder wasn’t like these Martial Lords, nor was he a fanatic follower of the Eastern Lord.

He wouldn’t blindly believe the Eastern Lord’s words.

Of course, Qi Yuan himself believed the words too, just not his nose.

"Eastern Lord, where do you come from, and what kind of race is the Holy Light Tribe?" Qi Yuan asked again.

But this time, the Eastern Lord’s Wall remained silent.

Black Deer Martial Lord quickly explained, "The energy is insufficient. The Eastern Lord’s Wall has fallen into slumber and can no longer answer questions."

Qi Yuan sighed in disappointment. "I was going to ask him if he’s a love-struck fool."

Black Deer Martial Lord then said, "Heavenly Sovereign, if you wish to become a Martial God of Myriad Daos, you must help the Eastern Lord. If the calamity destroys the world, you won’t be able to embody the Daos and become the Martial God of Myriad Daos!"

Black Deer Martial Lord understood that Qi Yuan wanted to become both a Spiritual Martial Lord and a Martial God of Myriad Daos.

Becoming a Spiritual Martial Lord was simple, but becoming a Martial God of Myriad Daos was incredibly difficult.

To achieve that, one must protect the world.

So, he brought up this point to pull Qi Yuan into their ranks.

After all, Qi Yuan was a Heavenly Sovereign, and he had other mysterious Heavenly Sovereigns under him.

"Don’t worry, I’m a good person. I’ll save the world!" Qi Yuan promised with full confidence.

Black Deer Martial Lord was relieved.

...

Bathed in Ancestral Blood, Mu Yan opened his eyes, revealing a sharp gleam.

"I’m finally a Martial Lord!"

At that moment, he was full of youthful spirit, his eyes seemingly capable of piercing through a mountain.

Having stepped into the Martial Lord realm, he realized how weak he had been as a Martial King.

"Mu Yan, you’ve finally become a Martial Lord. Hurry, you're the last one left!"

Mu Yan’s ancestor, a Great Martial Lord, entered with an appreciative look in his eyes.

"Greetings, Ancestor!" Now that Mu Yan had reached the Martial Lord realm, he understood how powerful he had become, but also how vast the gap between Martial Lords could be.

A single Martial Aperture could mean a difference of nearly double the power.

"What brings you here, Ancestor?" Mu Yan asked curiously.

"It’s like this: a Heavenly Sovereign wants to become a Spiritual Martial Lord, and he needs to challenge Martial Lords."

"Ah?" Mu Yan was confused.

What’s a Heavenly Sovereign?

But from his ancestor’s words, it sounded like he was being asked to duel another Martial Lord?

"I will do my best!" Mu Yan quickly agreed.

"Heh, no worries," the Great Martial Lord chuckled.

Following the Great Martial Lord, Mu Yan was filled with curiosity. "Ancestor, is my opponent strong? Should I... hold back?"

"Just do your best," the Great Martial Lord replied casually. "By the way, no provoking or name-calling."

"Understood." Though confused, Mu Yan obeyed.

As they exited the tower, Mu Yan kept his head down. Soon, he saw some familiar faces.

They were participants in the Contest for Ancestral Blood who had also become Martial Lords.

Those people looked at Mu Yan with envy in their eyes.

Mu Yan grew more confused, as the number of Martial Lords around him increased.

They were everywhere, in a dense mass, too many to count.

"Ancestor... why are there so many Martial Lords?" Mu Yan asked cautiously, though his excitement grew.

He could sense some particularly strong auras.

Could those be... titled Martial Lords?

The legendary titled Martial Lords, the peak of this world.

"They’ve all gathered for the challenge," the Great Martial Lord replied.

Mu Yan grew even more bewildered. Could it be...

This was like a martial arts tournament in the human world?

Where all the participants were Martial Lords?

At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed in Mu Yan’s ear. "Not bad. You’re the last to arrive, just as I expected."

A man in a blood-red robe appeared beside Mu Yan, his expression calm.

Seeing the man, Mu Yan was overjoyed. "Qi... Qi Yuan, what are you doing here?"

He was thrilled to see Qi Yuan here.

If Qi Yuan was here, it meant his ancestor had taken care of everything for him.

"I’m here to challenge... you, and..."

"Challenge me? Have you reached the Martial Lord realm?" Mu Yan was even happier for Qi Yuan.

It seemed Qi Yuan had encountered some sort of fortunate event.

"Heh, don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you. I won’t let you lose too badly," Mu Yan said joyfully.

Qi Yuan smiled. "Lose? I won’t lose!"

"Hmph, you may have beaten me over the Black Sea, but that was then. I’m not the same person I was before!" Mu Yan said happily.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. I need to complete my task and become the Spiritual Martial Lord!" Qi Yuan said calmly.

"Where’s the arena?" Mu Yan was eager.

"What need is there for an arena?" Qi Yuan raised his voice, and in the next instant, he flew out of the tower.

Seeing this, Mu Yan’s heart skipped a beat. It felt like it had jumped into his throat.

All the Martial Lords had gathered atop the tower.

None of them were flying, not even the titled Martial Lords. Though Mu Yan didn’t understand why, no other Martial Lords dared to fly.

And yet, Qi Yuan was flying. Wasn’t this an act of disrespect to the other Martial Lords?

Qi Yuan floated into the sky, his blood-red robe fluttering in the wind, standing in the air like an immortal.

"Are all the Martial Lords of the Origin Land here?" Qi Yuan called out, his voice loud and clear, reaching the entire tower.

On the tower, the new Martial Lords who had crossed paths with Qi Yuan in the Contest for Ancestral Blood were all shocked, their faces full of surprise as they looked at him.

At that moment, several dozen titled Martial Lords stepped forward, their faces showing respect. "Reporting to the Heavenly Sovereign, all the Martial Lords are present!"

The remaining tens of thousands of Martial Lords bowed in unison, as if mortals bowing to their king.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Sovereign, we are all here!"

Seeing this, Mu Yan was utterly dumbfounded.

Even his ancestor was bowing to Qi Yuan, like a eunuch before an emperor.

"What... what’s going on?" Mu Yan was completely baffled.

"To become a Spiritual Martial Lord is simple. You just need to defeat all the Martial Lords of the world.

"So, all of you, come at me together. Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle and won’t hurt you."

Qi Yuan was always courteous and well-mannered.

He wasn’t like those old fogeys from the Upper Realm, who were reckless and heavy-handed.

When they descended to the lower realm, they would often kill their own underlings carelessly.

If they treated their own kind like that, there was no telling how many innocents they’d kill.

"Heavenly Sovereign, forgive us!"

"Forgive us!"

All the Martial Lords roared in unison, their voices like crashing waves.

Mu Yan was utterly confused, his heart filled with doubt and worry.

Was everyone about to fight Qi Yuan?

"Ancestor, are we all fighting Qi Yuan?"

"Address him as Heavenly Sovereign!" The Great Martial Lord quickly corrected him.

"What if he... dies?"

Though Mu Yan understood that Qi Yuan was likely more than what he appeared, probably quite powerful...

But no matter how powerful, could he really face tens of thousands of Martial Lords?

Wouldn’t that be suicide?

"Hmph, you think you can dream of killing the Heavenly Sovereign?

"Not long ago, the Heavenly Sovereign swallowed a sun."

"What? Swallowed a sun?" Mu Yan’s eyes widened.

"Fight!" At that moment, Qi Yuan’s voice echoed once more.

An overwhelming wave of attacks surged toward the sky.

However, these attacks felt like nothing more than a drizzle.

Qi Yuan closed his eyes, making no move to resist, allowing the attacks to land on his body.

After all, this was an opportunity to comprehend the myriad Daos.

...

Seasons passed.

The Shuhuo Emperors frequently appeared, bridging the Black Sea.

The Martial Lords of the Eastern Alliance had grown accustomed to seeing them.

At this time, on the martial arena of the Arc Star, Qi Yuan stood facing an old man, his expression calm. "Old man, this will be my last time participating in the Martial Arts Tournament. Next time, you’ll finally fulfill your dream and become the champion."

The Martial Arts Tournament was still ongoing.

Though everyone on the Arc Star knew that the one who swallowed a star was the true champion.

They all wanted to participate in the tournament, to meet Qi Yuan.

But none dared.

No one dared to disrupt Qi Yuan’s routine.

After all, what if Qi Yuan’s hobby was thrashing old men in the tournament?

So the Martial Arts Tournament continued as usual, with no audience present.

Even the audience was only in the livestream.

And the viewers of this livestream were of the highest caliber.

This particular livestream had unique features—no one could type inappropriate words, only positive comments could appear.

The old man, white-haired and frail, looked dazed when he heard Qi Yuan’s words. "Immortal, are you really not going to participate anymore?"

For so many years, he had always lost to Qi Yuan.

At first, he had been resentful.

But later... after witnessing Qi Yuan swallow a star...

Yeah, he came to terms with it.

He was nearing a hundred years old; losing to someone who could devour stars was only natural, right?

"Yes, it’s over." Qi Yuan gazed at the empty audience seats, feeling a twinge of emptiness in his heart.

The game... was almost over.