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

Chapter 146: The Subtle Uses of Sunfire

"Why are they all Profound-level techniques, hmm..."

"Huh, there's actually a Heaven-level technique!"

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

This was the first time he'd ever seen a Heaven-level technique.

This Heaven-level technique had been obtained from Qian Yuan's storage bag.

Its name was Seven Dark God Technique.

Qi Yuan was very excited.

His Qi Yuan Sutra had been stagnant for some time, and obtaining a Heaven-level technique might just be the breakthrough he needed to push the progress of the Qi Yuan Sutra forward.

"I kind of want to go back and build a tomb for him... Forget it, when the people from the Bright Palace return, they’ll probably take care of it. I’ll just consider it as if I did it myself."

"What a windfall! It seems like the old ones really do drop more loot!"

"In the future, when I select my 'white moonlight,' I need to establish some strict criteria. Otherwise, any random stray cat or dog, like that worthless wolf, could become my 'white moonlight,' and that’s too low-class."

"First, they must be old—the older, the better."

"Second, they must have high cultivation—the higher, the better."

"Third, they must have little remaining lifespan—old men are easier to kill."

Qi Yuan quickly scanned through the technique and then flew towards Cloud City.

Night gradually fell, and Xu Tongchen quietly waited outside the cave dwelling.

"I wonder how strong the person that fellow cultivator wanted to kill is, and whether he needs my help."

"What if he dies out there?"

"The enemy shouldn't be too difficult to kill, right?"

Many thoughts flashed through Xu Tongchen's mind.

He couldn’t stay outside for too long; Huang Tu wouldn't allow it.

Moreover, Huang Tu had secretly planted spies to keep an eye on him.

Xu Tongchen loathed Huang Tu and the Bright Palace, but he was powerless to do anything about them.

"You're still here?" Just then, a crisp voice sounded.

Xu Tongchen quickly looked over and saw that familiar figure.

Inside him, the Sunfire began to burn hotter.

"Did you finish killing the person?" Xu Tongchen asked.

He glanced at Qi Yuan and saw that Qi Yuan’s clothes were neat and his aura stable.

He guessed that the enemy must have been weak.

"Yeah, finished. They were all old men, easy to kill," Qi Yuan said casually, looking at Xu Tongchen. "Come inside the cave with me for a chat."

Qi Yuan was quite interested in Sunfire.

Xu Tongchen hesitated but then followed Qi Yuan into the cave.

"My fellow cultivator, could you lend me your Sunfire to examine?" Qi Yuan went straight to the point.

This threw Xu Tongchen off.

Wasn’t he the one supposed to clarify things with this person?

But remembering that he needed something from this man, he decided not to conceal anything.

After all, summoning it wasn’t a big deal for him.

He paused briefly and said, "Be careful, don’t get burned by the Sunfire."

Xu Tongchen began to perform his Dao technique.

In the cave, a small, round golden core appeared.

The golden core emitted a powerful aura.

"Your golden core is a bit too small; it can't withstand much," Qi Yuan couldn’t help but remark.

Xu Tongchen was momentarily stunned.

His golden core was at least of high-grade Earth rank... In the entire Green Cloud Continent, there were hardly any cores of a higher grade than his.

And yet, it was being dismissed as too small.

Suppressing his thoughts, Xu Tongchen continued, and a wisp of flame jumped out from the golden core.

The flame was small, about the size of a candle flame, but its aura was terrifying.

Qi Yuan felt that even a Nascent Soul might not survive if touched by this fire.

The Sunfire was bright on the inside and dark on the outside, emitting a strong golden light. It danced continuously in front of Qi Yuan, seemingly eager to leap from Xu Tongchen's golden core onto Qi Yuan.

Xu Tongchen could sense the Sunfire's eagerness and its strange affinity for the person before him.

This made Xu Tongchen also feel a sense of warmth and admiration towards Qi Yuan.

Sunfire, the divine fire, can be comprehended by those with destiny.

This fire can devour all other flames in the world.

The Sun, which possesses Sunfire, can devour all the stars.

When he read the last sentence, Qi Yuan was momentarily stunned.

Then, he was overjoyed.

Is this the legendary flame of a certain Fire deity?

Has my big break finally arrived?

If I comprehend the Sunfire and fuse it with my Stellar Golden Core, doesn’t that mean my core could devour everything in that universe?

He looked at Xu Tongchen, eyes gleaming, "Why don't you just give me that fire?"

Xu Tongchen was taken aback.

Isn’t this a bit too blunt?

He grew wary, "This fire cannot be given away."

"Give it to me, and you can name your price. Do you have any enemies? I'll kill them for you. Do you have a 'white moonlight'? I'm the best at pursuing people." Qi Yuan quickly offered.

He considered himself a beacon of justice, refusing to seize by force or kill without cause to rob others of their treasures.

Xu Tongchen gave Qi Yuan a strange look, "This fire really cannot be given away."

The Sunfire was the foundation of his life, so naturally, he couldn’t give it away.

Moreover, it was something he had comprehended, akin to a divine power—how could it be given to someone else?

"Look at your Sunfire—it’s almost treating me like its father," Qi Yuan said, his eyes full of longing as he gazed at the Sunfire.

Xu Tongchen sighed and dropped the subject, "Fellow cultivator... Do you know why this is happening?"

He too was puzzled. He didn’t understand why, when near this person, he could feel the Sunfire burning more vigorously within him.

His Sunfire was continually growing stronger.

"Because... I am the Sun," Qi Yuan answered matter-of-factly.

"..."

"If I meditate on your Sunfire every day, do you think I could comprehend my own Sunfire?" Since he couldn't take it by force, Qi Yuan sought another way to possess Sunfire.

"In theory, yes. It took me twenty years to comprehend Sunfire. If I let you meditate on it for half an hour each day, and if your talent is high, you might be able to comprehend it in about twenty years," Xu Tongchen replied earnestly.

Qi Yuan’s suggestion was outrageous, but Xu Tongchen answered him with patience.

"Alright then, how about this: each day I’ll meditate on your Sunfire, and in return, I'll help you kill people. How does that sound? I’m really good at killing—if they deserve it, I won’t let any of them get away."

Hearing this, Xu Tongchen found the man before him... truly odd.

Killing people?

The ones he wanted dead but couldn't kill were probably beyond Qi Yuan’s reach.

The ones he could kill, Xu Tongchen had already taken care of.

"There's no need to be so formal, fellow cultivator. If my Sunfire strengthens in your presence, it benefits me as well. For the next while, I'll visit you daily," Xu Tongchen ultimately chose not to take advantage of Qi Yuan.

First, that was simply his nature.

Second, due to the Sunfire, he felt a strange sense of closeness to Qi Yuan.

"In that case, it's settled. You’ll visit me for half an hour each day. Until I comprehend Sunfire, I’ll watch over you," Qi Yuan said.

Xu Tongchen chuckled, "Then I hope it takes you a bit longer to comprehend it so you can watch over me for a longer time."

Of course, he was just joking.

When it came to facing the Bright Palace, even a Zifu Realm powerhouse couldn’t protect him.

Let alone this peculiar cultivator in front of him.

"Don’t worry, my talent is already on par with the top students of a prestigious high school. Comprehending a mere Sunfire should be no problem!"

His Stellar Core was still in the Golden Core stage; comprehending Sunfire should be a piece of cake, right?

"Let me see what this thing really is."

Qi Yuan stared at the Sunfire before him and studied it intently.

About half an hour later, Qi Yuan looked deflated, "This is too hard."

After meditating for half an hour, he hadn't comprehended anything.

Xu Tongchen smiled, "Fellow cultivator, this is normal."

His Sunfire had grown a bit stronger.

He felt a bit embarrassed.

"No worries, I'll try again tomorrow."

...

The next day.

Bright Palace Main Hall.

Over ten Zifu Realm experts were gathered, with the Third Palace Lord at the head.

Third Palace Lord Zi Lan's phoenix-like eyes were calm, revealing nothing of her thoughts.

"Qian Yuan died in Bright Palace. What do you all think?"

The Zifu experts present showed varied expressions at her words.

Qian Yuan's strength ranked among the top ten in the Bright Palace.

He was also one of the most likely to reach the later stage of the Zifu Realm.

Yet he had died in the Ming King Palace, killed by the Blood-clad Sword God.

"A total of five Zifu Realm experts... This Blood-clad Sword God's strength... He must have stepped into the later stage of the Zifu Realm," a Zifu Elder mentioned, his eyes full of concern.

In the entire Bright Palace, only the three Palace Lords had reached the later stage of the Zifu Realm.

"Elder Qian Yuan had immense potential, and to think he was killed just like that—this Blood-clad Sword God truly doesn't respect our Bright Palace! If he dares to come here, we should unite against him. With the three Palace Lords leading us, we will ensure he doesn't leave alive!" One of the elders said angrily.

The Bright Palace had always been revered, and this was the first time its members had felt such a direct threat to their lives. The Zifu elders present were seething with anger.

"To kill Elder Qian Yuan and leave no survivors—this Blood-clad Sword God has clearly torn all ties with us. It’s either his death or our annihilation."

The over ten Zifu experts in the room had reached a consensus.

Bright Palace was the dominant power in the Green Cloud Continent.

The upcoming East Earth Genius Battle was about to take place in the Green Cloud Continent.

If the Bright Palace’s reputation were to be tarnished by a single late-stage Zifu expert, how could it maintain its standing in the Eastern Lands?

The Third Palace Lord, Zi Lan, finally spoke, "All Zifu experts, be cautious during this time. Do not venture out alone. If you find any trace of the Blood-clad Sword God, report back to the palace immediately. I will personally deal with him."

"Understood!" the Zifu experts responded in unison.

The Bright Palace had over sixty Zifu experts in total.

How could one late-stage Zifu expert, the Blood-clad Sword God, stand against sixty?

It had been a difficult battle for him to kill Elder Qian Yuan and the other four Zifu experts. The Blood-clad Sword God was surely not in a good condition now.

Of course, they were thinking in conventional terms, which wasn’t entirely wrong.

The only mistake they made was that Qi Yuan was no ordinary person.

As if recalling something, the Third Palace Lord, Zi Lan, added, "Send a message to Huang Tu—he must prioritize the East Earth Genius Battle. There’s no need for him to return for his master’s funeral."

The East Earth Genius Battle was crucial, with the top twenty positions being of utmost importance.

It was second only to the Hundred Nations Blood War.

In fact, it was even more important than slaying the Blood-clad Sword God.

...

The next day, Xu Tongchen arrived outside Qi Yuan's cave dwelling, feeling deeply uneasy.

Huang Tu’s master had fallen, and today, Huang Tu was furious.

Because of this, Xu Tongchen had been extra cautious when he left, trying to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

The Blood-clad Sword God's massacre of the five Zifu experts from the Ming King Palace had filled Xu Tongchen with admiration.

He was curious to know what kind of powerful cultivator would dare challenge such a formidable force as the Bright Palace.

However, he did not hold much hope for the Blood-clad Sword God's future.

After all, the Bright Palace was simply too strong.

A single late-stage Zifu expert couldn’t shake the foundation of the Bright Palace.

If the Blood-clad Sword God insisted on confronting them, the Bright Palace might suffer some losses, but the Blood-clad Sword God would undoubtedly perish.

"Fellow cultivator, I’m here," Xu Tongchen called out as he stood outside the cave dwelling.

"Oh, you’re here. Come in."

The cave dwelling opened, and Xu Tongchen entered, seeing a fatigued Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan put down the jade slip containing his cultivation technique, looked at Xu Tongchen, and said slowly, "Fellow Tongchen, I may need you to wait here for a bit. I need to go out and kill someone... Oh no, I mean, meet my 'white moonlight.'"

Xu Tongchen was taken aback.

He found Qi Yuan to be truly strange.

The first time they met, he had killed someone.

And now he was going out to kill someone again.

"This time, the target isn’t far away; I’ll be back quickly. Feel free to make yourself at home in the cave dwelling."

With that, Qi Yuan left the cave.

Leaving Xu Tongchen behind, looking rather helpless.

He found Qi Yuan to be even more mysterious.

He couldn't figure out how many enemies this Qi Yuan had—every time they met, he was off to kill someone.

...

In the forest, Qi Yuan, dressed in a blood-red robe with flowing hair, looked both handsome and demonic.

He stood beneath a massive tree, and no one would have guessed that he was a Zifu Realm powerhouse.

"Did you bring the suona?" Qi Yuan asked the person behind him, Xu Ye Li, calmly.

"I brought it," Xu Ye Li replied nervously, looking at Qi Yuan's overly youthful face.

He hadn’t expected that yesterday... the Blood-clad Sword God had indeed killed all five Zifu experts from the Ming King Palace.

Such terrifying strength ranked among the top five in the Green Cloud Continent.

In the Eastern Lands, he would probably be in the top one hundred—a truly famous figure.

However, the Blood-clad Sword God had appeared suddenly out of the Hundred Nations, with no traceable information about him.

All that was known was that he was born from the Divine Flower Society and had a grudge against the Bright Palace.

"You learned to play it, right?" Qi Yuan asked, looking at Xu Ye Li.

"Yes, senior, I practiced all night. I can play it now," Xu Ye Li answered seriously.

"In that case, when I go to slay the Bright Palace's Zifu expert later, you can play music for me," Qi Yuan said casually.

After all, as a Daoist Foundation established under the Heavenly Way, with a Stellar Golden Core, it was only fitting that there be music played by a Zifu expert during battle to match his status and rank.

"Senior... shouldn't we think this through?" Xu Ye Li couldn’t help but suggest, "Senior, you just killed five Zifu experts yesterday—why not take some time to rest before making another move? If you act now, you might expose your whereabouts. If the Bright Palace surrounds you, it’ll be hard to escape."

"What, are you going back on your word?" Qi Yuan glanced at Xu Ye Li, a light smile playing in his eyes.

Xu Ye Li's heart skipped a beat, sensing that he was facing a terrifying demon.

"No... Everything will be done according to your orders, senior," Xu Ye Li replied quickly, not daring to say anything more.

In truth, he was also very curious about how this senior had managed to kill the Zifu experts.

After all, Zifu cultivators were notoriously hard to kill.

Unless the difference in the quality of their original divine powers was too great, or unless their abilities happened to counter each other, most battles would devolve into a prolonged struggle to deplete the Zifu cultivator’s original divine power.

"Let's go. This time, my 'white moonlight' is Mei Yang, who’s alone," Qi Yuan said, transforming into a streak of rainbow light.

Xu Ye Li followed closely behind.

At this point, he had already resigned himself to his fate.

After all, the Bright Palace was planning to betray him.

He might as well follow the Blood-clad Sword God and do something significant.

A quarter of an hour later.

Fenglin City.

Mei Yang of the Bright Palace read the message from the palace and a cold expression appeared on his face, "So it's a late-stage Zifu expert... This Blood-clad Sword God is quite troublesome."

However, when he thought of the three Palace Lords and the Bright Palace’s protective treasures, his worries completely disappeared, "It’s just the last stand of a cornered beast."

"Elder, should we return to the palace now?" A cautious Nascent Soul officer asked.

"We haven't collected all three hundred Yin-born virgin boys' hearts yet, so there's no need to rush back to the palace. Are you worried about the Blood-clad Sword God? He just destroyed the Ming King Palace. He’s probably still recovering somewhere, healing his wounds. He won't show up, and even if he does, it’ll only expose his hidden location," Mei Yang analyzed logically.

Hearing this, the Nascent Soul officer didn’t press the matter further.

But at that moment, a mournful and heroic suona sound suddenly echoed throughout Fenglin City.

Mei Yang frowned.

A Zifu expert?

"Which fellow Daoist has come to Fenglin City? I am Mei Yang of the Bright Palace!" Mei Yang ascended into the sky, heading toward the source of the sound.

His pupils shrank.

He saw a Zifu expert dressed in black playing the suona, and he also saw a man in a blood-red robe.

"The Blood... the Blood-clad Sword God..."

Upon seeing the man, a powerful sense of danger overwhelmed him.

Without hesitation, he turned to flee.

Even though he had just reasoned that the Blood-clad Sword God wouldn’t strike again so soon, that he must still be recuperating, the sight of him made Mei Yang realize that the only option was to run.

Qi Yuan frowned as he watched, "Why does it feel like this is more like a police siren, scaring people off?"

Without any further hesitation, Qi Yuan drew the sword from his back.

"The Bright Palace has committed countless atrocities, and they must be punished!"

"I, the Blood-clad Sword God, shall act on behalf of Heaven!"

He unleashed his original divine power, the Heart Demon Guidance of the Void Realm Dominator.

The fleeing Mei Yang suddenly froze.

It was as if he had fallen into a demonic realm.

All sorts of negative emotions flooded his spirit.

"No... The Bright Palace is the true leader of the righteous path!"

"They all deserve to die, deserve to die!"

"Don’t come for me!"

Mei Yang lost his mind, going mad in an instant.

The suona’s sound suddenly grew more intense.

Xu Ye Li watched Mei Yang, his eyes filled with fear.

This Blood-clad Sword God’s original divine power... was terrifying.

It was the most horrifying divine power he had ever seen.

This wasn’t a divine power—it was clearly a demon’s temptation!

"Sigh, I still have to finish him off with a sword—how dull," Qi Yuan remarked as he observed the dazed Mei Yang.

His original divine power could only cause Mei Yang to suffer from inner demons for a while; it couldn’t actually kill him.

He still needed to deliver the final blow.

With a light push of his sword, Mei Yang, a Zifu expert, met a tragic end.

The whole affair happened incredibly fast—within just three breaths.

Xu Ye Li's legs trembled uncontrollably beneath his black robe as he witnessed the scene.

Is there really such a way to kill a Zifu expert? Isn’t it supposed to be... a slow struggle, gradually depleting the Zifu expert’s original divine power? He looked at the Blood-clad Sword God, his fear deepening.

"Alright, the person is dead, and I’ve taken his storage bag. We’ll meet again next time," Qi Yuan glanced at Xu Ye Li and then disappeared without a trace.

Xu Ye Li hurriedly fled as well; there was no way he would dare stay here any longer.

...

Night had deepened, and after seeing Xu Tongchen off from the cave dwelling, Qi Yuan sighed.

"Sunfire is really hard to comprehend; I still don’t have any clues."

But Qi Yuan wasn’t discouraged.

Good things take time.

As long as he came up with a thorough plan, he could eventually comprehend Sunfire.

He stopped thinking about Sunfire for the moment and instead opened the jade slip from the Divine Flower Society.

He had received many friend requests, but he didn’t accept any of them. Instead, he posted another message on the forum.

Just for fun, I killed a Zifu expert. Let’s all have some fun.

After posting, he switched to his main account.

"Rogue Immortal, how much longer until you arrive?"

"I'm still on the way, ran into some trouble. Should be there in less than ten days."

"Hurry up. I'm waiting for you to introduce me to some geniuses so I can gain some knowledge. Do you think anyone at the Genius Banquet will look down on me because I come from a poor place and humiliate me?"

"Origin Heavenly Lord, just don’t reveal your identity," Rogue Immortal replied, clearly afraid that Qi Yuan might expose himself.

If that happened, Huang Tu would definitely capture Qi Yuan.

"You make a good point," Qi Yuan thought for a moment and agreed with Rogue Immortal’s suggestion.

He couldn’t help but sigh.

"If I, a poor guy, pretend to be rich and meet some female geniuses at the banquet, what if they find out I’m actually from a poor background?"