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

Chapter 387: My Senior Brother Is Super, Super Strong!

The Wine Immortal lay half-reclined on the ground, unkempt and nonchalant, his eyes reflecting the detachment of a cultivator beyond worldly concerns.

In the hall, all the cultivators held their breath, watching this scene unfold, their expressions full of shock.

That Wine Immortal—how bold he was!

Everyone knew that this was the Blood-Robed Sword God, a terrifying figure in legend... known for wiping out entire clans.

Could it be that the Wine Immortal truly had something to rely on?

Qi Yuan looked at the Wine Immortal, a puzzled expression on his face. "Could it be... that you also sing 'Courage'?"

As he spoke, Qi Yuan casually extended a finger toward the Wine Immortal.

The cultivators present tensed up. Were they about to start fighting? Was the Blood-Robed Sword God testing him?

Several cultivators quickly backed away, and some even fled in a hurry, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

Qi Yuan, still holding his junior sister Jiang Lingsu in one arm, calmly extended a finger toward the Wine Immortal.

The Wine Immortal, still half-reclined, glanced at Qi Yuan's finger, his expression casual. "Young people just can't break bad habits. The body, the soul, they’re mere externals. The true strength of a Yin God lies in their divine domain. Who even punches these days?"

The Wine Immortal smirked, and a powerful divine domain spread out.

He was ready to teach this reckless young man a lesson.

He had seen too many like him—those who, after a sudden breakthrough and rapid rise, believed themselves to be the protagonists of this world, unaware of the heavens beyond heavens and people beyond people.

The divine domain surged, and a wine gourd appeared out of thin air.

Surrounded by celestial energy, purple and green vapors boiled as a river of wine descended from the sky, merging with the dust.

It was like the song of the Dao itself, or perhaps an artifact from the realm of the gods.

"With this single gourd of wine, I could drown all of Helan Continent!" The Wine Immortal laughed. "Young man, let me give you your first lesson on entering the ranks of the strong!"

His divine domain expanded and spread rapidly.

Still half-reclined, his figure seemed to rise above all, majestic and awe-inspiring.

"The divine domain is the foundation of true power. That finger of yours, I’ll take it!"

The divine domain surged toward Qi Yuan, enveloping him completely.

Qi Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He glanced down at Jiang Lingsu beside him, his tone calm. "Junior sister, this is how you squash an ant."

He reached forward with his finger.

It pierced through the wine river.

The powerful divine domain seemed defenseless, allowing his finger to penetrate effortlessly.

The Wine Immortal was taken aback. He squinted his eyes. "There’s some skill here. Has he fused his divine domain into his body? But... that’s all there is to it!"

"Let me show you six-tenths of my divine domain!"

"Impressive, young man, you’ve got some skill. But I’m not even at full strength yet!"

"Let's go to seven-tenths... Ten-tenths!"

"Ah... something’s wrong. You’re wrong!"

The Wine Immortal’s voice changed as his previously arrogant expression shifted to one of terror.

That finger seemed untouched by any laws or forces.

His powerful divine domain, which could easily trap even a Great Elder, was completely ineffective against that finger.

That finger felt like it was the only thing in existence.

It was the finger of a god, erasing all beings!

At that moment, the Wine Immortal felt like an ant facing the descending finger of a human—completely helpless, with no power to resist.

He was truly panicking.

"Wait, this is a misunderstanding! You can’t kill me!"

"Without me, you won’t survive the next great calamity!"

At that moment, he dropped all pretense.

He laid all his cards on the table. He had leverage; he had confidence. The Blood-Robed Sword God wouldn’t dare kill him.

But unfortunately, Qi Yuan didn’t listen to a word.

The finger descended, like the only thing in the heavens and earth, the only thing in all realms.

The divine domain shattered, and the Wine Immortal’s body and soul were instantly obliterated.

A voice filled with contempt echoed in the Wine Immortal’s mind in his final moments.

"The biggest difference between you and an ant is that when I squash an ant, it doesn’t scream. But you do."

That was the last thing the Wine Immortal heard.

His body disintegrated, his soul vanished.

Even in death, he couldn’t understand why Qi Yuan was so strong, or why... he had been killed so decisively.

Shouldn’t Qi Yuan at least have asked him about his backers or what he relied on?

But alas, he died with nothing but regret.

The cultivators present gasped for breath, their eyes wide with shock.

They had just witnessed a battle between gods!

There was none of the grand destruction they expected. There wasn’t even the kind of street-level explosions you'd expect from a Golden Core cultivator or the collapse of buildings from a Foundation Establishment clash.

Just a single finger had wiped out a powerful enemy.

The cultivators trembled.

That finger had seemed so ordinary.

Yet the Wine Immortal’s divine domain, which had felt capable of drowning all of Helan Continent, was effortlessly destroyed.

It was clear now: the Blood-Robed Sword God was the true master of the world!

Jiang Lingsu blinked, feeling a bit smug.

She had long suspected her senior brother’s true identity.

But she had never pushed him to confirm it.

If her senior brother didn’t say anything, she would pretend not to know.

After all, she was a little afraid.

If her senior brother was truly the almighty Blood-Robed Sword God, would he still acknowledge her as his junior sister?

But now, with her senior brother openly revealing himself and holding her close while vanquishing a powerful enemy, it showed that he trusted her.

Her heart raced so fast that, despite her... uh, ample chest, she could still clearly hear it pounding.

Still, she quietly asked, "Senior brother, why didn’t you let him finish speaking? What if he really had some powerful backing?"

She had heard the Wine Immortal’s final desperate cries and couldn’t help but worry for Qi Yuan.

The Wine Immortal clearly seemed like someone with a background.

Qi Yuan smiled. "If an ant says others will come to avenge it after it’s squashed, do you think I’d care?"

To Qi Yuan, the Wine Immortal wasn’t worth considering.

Just a minor figure. Killing him was of little consequence.

Jiang Lingsu smiled brightly. "Senior brother... you’re so strong!"

"I am pretty strong, but... sigh, I’m also really poor." Qi Yuan turned his gaze to the pale-faced Wang Yunteng. "Now, hand over the 10.5 billion spirit stones."

Qiong Yunting trembled, too scared to move.

She couldn’t believe that the man she had looked down upon was, in fact, the legendary Blood-Robed Sword God.

The same Blood-Robed Sword God who had easily destroyed the Bright Palace, slaughtering Yin Gods like they were nothing.

And now, even Yuntian City’s most powerful family, the Feng family, had been wiped out by him.

"Senior, I was deceived by that scoundrel. I truly believed he was a friend of yours, which is why..." The once-arrogant Nascent Soul cultivator knelt before Qi Yuan.

Qiong Yunting also knelt, seemingly pleading for mercy.

She was truly terrified.

"Whether you knew him or were deceived is irrelevant to me. I came here today to borrow money!" Qi Yuan said softly.

His words sent shockwaves through the hall.

Wang Yunteng hurriedly responded, "Please give me some time, Senior! I will surely gather the 10.5 billion spirit stones!"

At this point, giving up their family fortune was the only way to survive.

Considering the Blood-Robed Sword God's reputation for wiping out entire clans, they felt lucky he was willing to take payment instead of slaughtering them.

Qi Yuan nodded. Looking at the two of them, his expression was calm. "You two are a perfect match. Make sure you stay together forever—don’t even think about breaking up."

Everyone present was confused, feeling like Qi Yuan's words had a strange undertone.

Wang Yunteng hesitated for a moment before taking out a magical artifact from his storage pouch—a lock.

He immediately used the lock to bind himself and Qiong Yunting together.

"Rest assured, Senior. The key is lost. We’re locked together forever."

Qi Yuan was momentarily stunned.

The people of the cultivation world certainly knew how to put on a show.

They really locked themselves together.

"And remember to clean your ears, or your hearing will suffer!" Qi Yuan kindly reminded them again.

This time, Qiong Yunting didn’t show any embarrassment, instead expressing relief. "I’ll clean them right away! Immediately!"

The Blood-Robed Sword God’s words clearly implied he wasn’t going to kill her.

Just then, a regretful voice echoed through the hall.

"You shouldn’t have killed the Wine Immortal."

Everyone turned to see a woman in yellow robes walking gracefully through the doorway.

Her figure was elegant, with alluring curves.

But what caught everyone’s attention was her face.

Or rather, the fact that it wasn’t a face at all—it was more like a blank canvas, a face drawn onto a sheet of paper, with no features.

Seeing this woman, the cultivators in the hall felt a shiver of fear and dread.

"The Painter… It’s you!" Jiang Lingsu exclaimed in surprise.

The woman before her was the same "Strange Painter" she had recommended to her senior brother.

But now it seemed the Painter and the Wine Immortal were connected.

Could they be enemies?

Jiang Lingsu immediately became wary of the Painter.

Even though she knew the Painter, it was clear she had to side with her senior brother. In a situation like this, she had to be on the same team.

Unlike some people, she knew where her loyalties lay.

The Painter glanced at Jiang Lingsu. "It’s been many years since we last met. You’ve had quite the fortuitous encounters. As expected of…"

She didn’t finish the sentence.

Qi Yuan looked at the Painter, his expression calm. "Are you the Painter my junior sister recommended? Do you have time to paint a picture for me?"

Qi Yuan went straight to the point.

He was here to have the Painter create a painting.

The Painter regarded Qi Yuan with a strange expression. "Did you not hear what I said? I was acquainted with the Wine Immortal."

"Oh..." Qi Yuan's expression shifted slightly. "So, are you here to avenge him?"

The Painter shook her head. "I cut ties with them a long time ago.

I’m just saying that instead of asking me to paint for you, you should be worried about running away because you’ve killed the Wine Immortal. You’ve brought trouble upon yourself."

"Is that so?" Qi Yuan's interest was piqued. "What kind of trouble?"

The Painter waved her hand, drawing a door in the air.

"It involves heavenly secrets that cannot be disclosed here. Why don’t you come to my place, and I’ll explain everything?"

After saying that, the Painter stepped into the door she had drawn and disappeared.

Jiang Lingsu looked at Qi Yuan, her expression filled with concern.

She regretted bringing her senior brother to meet this Painter.

Something about the Painter didn’t seem right.

"Come, junior sister, let’s go see what she has to say."

Qi Yuan’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he wrapped his arm around Jiang Lingsu’s slender waist, pulling her close.

Her heart raced, but she didn’t resist, feeling a sense of happiness.

Her senior brother had included her in this matter.

Qi Yuan held Jiang Lingsu close as they stepped through the door.

As they entered, the door vanished, leaving behind a hall full of stunned and shaken guests.

The events of today had been too shocking.

In fact, it felt like more had happened today than in their entire lives combined.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan, still holding Jiang Lingsu, descended from the sky.

Jiang Lingsu quickly stepped out of his embrace, her face flushed and her heart pounding.

She looked around curiously.

The surroundings were a vast expanse of white.

Everywhere she looked, there were sheets of paper.

Some were hanging on drying racks, while others floated in the air.

In the center was a drying area, while all around flowed rivers of various colors: black, red, green, and even some colors invisible to the human eye. The rivers looked like streams of paint.

At that moment, the Painter was seated on a small stool by a white river, seemingly working on a painting.

"You’ve arrived?"

Her voice was calm.

Qi Yuan, with Jiang Lingsu by his side, walked over. "So, are you going to tell me how many ants I’m dealing with?"

The "ants" naturally referred to the Wine Immortal and those connected to him.

In response to Qi Yuan’s description, the Painter furrowed her brow and drew the expression onto her featureless face.

"You have always dedicated yourself to resisting the Great Calamity, so you should know that anyone whose name is inscribed on the Monument of Myths becomes nourishment."

Qi Yuan nodded. "Indeed."

Once someone reached the level of a myth, their name would be inscribed on the Monument of Myths, and they would become food for the Great Calamity.

"The Great Calamity only harvests those who achieve the mythical realm. For the rest of us, as long as we don’t break through to the mythical realm, we won’t be harvested.

But the Calamity isn’t so rigid. In fact, it often focuses on particularly talented 'pigs.'

These 'pigs' will experience fortuitous encounters after reaching the Yin God realm, rapidly increasing in power. Even if they want to suppress their own cultivation, they’ll find it impossible. Eventually, they’ll accidentally step into the mythical realm and become nourishment."

As the Painter spoke, she glanced at Qi Yuan.

In her eyes, the Blood-Robed Sword God was one of these "pigs" being fattened for the slaughter by the Calamity.

"There have been many such pigs throughout history.

They all believed they were the chosen ones, blessed by heaven, destined to defy the Great Calamity.

But in reality, they were simply the 'king of pigs,' fattened up by the Great Calamity to be slaughtered."

The Painter’s voice was cold.

Jiang Lingsu seemed to understand what the Painter was getting at.

She felt a growing sense of worry for Qi Yuan.

However, knowing her own limited strength and knowledge, she wisely chose to remain silent, not wanting to speak out of turn and cause unnecessary trouble for her senior brother.

"Interesting. So, those who resist are 'pigs.' What about you?" Qi Yuan chuckled.

He had long noticed that the Wine Immortal and this Painter were different from ordinary great elders.

"We… are the pigs who ran away."

The Painter's eyes reflected a sense of loss.

"Once, we were just like you—spirited, believing we were the protagonists of this world.

But over time, we came to realize the terrifying nature of the Great Calamity and just how deep the water runs. We felt despair.

Because we found we couldn’t even suppress our own cultivation. Our realms kept rising uncontrollably toward the mythical realm!"

As she spoke, the Painter drew a mocking expression on her featureless face.

"If you can’t even control your own cultivation, how can you talk about resisting the Calamity?

Fortunately, we encountered a benefactor. Her name was Jade Maiden, and she passed down a technique that allowed us to become a different kind of myth."

The Painter's voice was tinged with sorrow.

A different kind of myth wouldn’t leave their name on the Monument of Myths, nor would they be harvested by the Calamity.

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