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

Chapter 440: What Ten Thousand Souls Banner? Clearly, it’s My Human Emperor Banner

After Purple Fate Ancestor left, Qi Yuan was once again alone in the cave.

He reactivated all the formations around him.

After all, he didn’t want some old fogey watching him all the time.

"So, I need to craft an attack-type creation treasure?"

"And also comprehend an Ultimate Truth?"

"Then I need to perfect the Ancestor Blood Art or at least reach the Grand Supreme Truth from my current Purple Palace cultivation if I want to compete with that guy from Taihuang Palace?"

Qi Yuan pondered over it, knowing that none of these tasks were easy.

"I’m still too weak. Without more Black Demon Ancestor Blood, it’ll take me at least seventy more years to perfect the Ancestor Blood Art."

Qi Yuan felt both self-critical and guilty.

Back on Earth, he’d be collecting his retirement check in seventy years.

"And what about an attack-type creation treasure?"

Qi Yuan mulled it over.

"The Ten Thousand Souls Banner from Ghost Dominion Heaven is too filled with murderous intent. It definitely needs to be purified—a little bit of socialist transformation!"

"If even Sadako can become the People’s Sadako, why can’t the Ten Thousand Souls Banner become my Human Emperor Banner?"

"If it were a person, I might be too lazy to reform it. I’d have to respect their free will. But since it’s a mindless creation treasure, there’s no such concern."

Qi Yuan’s mind began to spin with ideas.

"My poor Human Emperor Banner, you’ve suffered."

"It’s all my fault for being too weak, unable to rescue you from the flames sooner."

"Just wait, I’ll come save you!"

Now, Qi Yuan had another reason to grow stronger.

"As a man of high emotional intelligence, though, I should first get to know my Human Emperor Banner."

At his current level of strength, Qi Yuan knew he couldn’t just waltz into Ghost Dominion Heaven and snatch the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

But he did have Mo Na’s imitation Ten Thousand Souls Banner, which could give him some insights.

Taking out the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, Qi Yuan examined it carefully.

*[Ten Thousand Souls Banner: Devours the spirits of all living beings to create soul servitors. Several flaws present. If the soul servitors are replaced with divine spirits, its power can be increased over a hundredfold.

When killing living beings, stimulating their desires and emotions can also enhance its power.

Kill...]*

"Stop! I’m a good guy."

Qi Yuan immediately cast a cleansing spell, conjuring water to wash out his eyes.

He even considered brainwashing himself to forget what he had just seen.

But then he worried that if he got water in his brain, it might affect his brilliant mind.

Qi Yuan had always known he was just a simple, hardworking guy from Earth, carrying on the excellent five-thousand-year-old traditions of his people.

He knew he couldn’t resist temptation and feared he might stray from the path and end up crafting a supercharged version of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

So, it was better to just wash his eyes and forget all about it.

"Looks like from now on, I’ll need to take a glance at the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and the Demon Well every day, refreshing the information."

Each day, the hidden information his eyes could perceive would be different.

Of course, he could exploit a bug by going to a world where time flowed faster.

But for now, Qi Yuan didn’t think it was necessary.

A month passed quickly.

In this month, progress on the Black Demon Ancestor Blood was slow, and in the few places he investigated, the blood had vanished.

The Ancestor Blood Art also hit a standstill.

The only good news was that over this month, Qi Yuan had gained a deeper understanding of creation treasures.

He now had some ideas on how to modify the Ten Thousand Souls Banner into the Human Emperor Banner.

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner contained countless vengeful spirits. If he could use immense power to purify them, it might be possible to convert it into the Human Emperor Banner.

"So once I finish crafting the Human Emperor Banner, if I defeat an enemy, I’ll need to use the Great Forgetfulness Sutra to brainwash—no, to educate and reform their souls."

After reformation, they’d be sent to see a doctor, probably ending up drooling and mindless.

"The cultivators in this upper world... they’re just wonderful."

"Their shattered souls will serve my Human Emperor Banner."

"Their bodies will become fertilizer in the underworld."

"And their storage rings and immortal jades will be mine to spend!"

"Everyone’s so thrifty—just like me."

Qi Yuan contemplated this.

After some thought, he sent a message to Jin Li.

"Are you going to the Supreme Truth Debate Conference?"

The Supreme Truth Debate Conference was about to begin, and Qi Yuan was preparing to set off.

In recent days, he had gained access to communicate with Jin Li via a creation treasure, thanks to Purple Fate Ancestor.

"I’m stuck in the Abyss of Demons, so I can’t go," Jin Li’s tone held a hint of disappointment.

"Is that Moonlight Tianzun of yours going?" Qi Yuan asked.

Last time, Lord Lunar from Moon God Palace had told Qi Yuan that Moonlight Tianzun would be attending the Supreme Truth Debate Conference.

The lunar token left behind by Qi Yuan’s master, Ruan Yixi, was linked to the previous Moon God Primogenitor.

To learn about his master’s whereabouts, Qi Yuan would have to ask either Moonlight Tianzun or the Moon God Primogenitor.

"Yes, she’s already on her way," Jin Li replied, then added, "But you... don’t reveal your identity."

She was referring to his identity as the Ten Suns Tianzun.

"Don’t worry, I won’t."

After ending the conversation, Qi Yuan turned his attention to his game jade slip.

"As expected, the stronger I get, the longer it takes for a new game to load."

But fortunately, the game had already loaded more than halfway. It wouldn’t be long before he could dive in.

Qi Yuan was excited about the new game.

And also... that strange creature that could speak in silent voices.

Could it be... blind?

Why else would it act like a mute?

Speak of the devil, as Qi Yuan was thinking about it, he once again heard the silent voice.

Within it, he sensed a feeling of joy.

"Hey, I’ve got good news for you. In a little while, I’ll be joining your game. When I do, let’s see if we can get the Emperor Shuhuo to unlock some of your potential?"

As soon as he said it, Qi Yuan regretted it.

That sounded a bit ominous. After all, opening a mind often led to chaos.

"Never mind, forget I said that. Bye-bye."

It was time for him to pack up and head to Black Abyss for the Supreme Truth Debate Conference.

...

At Black Abyss, in the grand hall.

The outer and inner areas were sharply divided.

In the outer hall, only fifteen disciples were gathered. These fifteen were the most talented in Black Abyss.

Ice Sword, dressed in a blue robe, glanced toward the inner hall, his eyes brimming with battle intent. "Next time, I hope to be in the inner hall, not the outer hall."

In the inner hall sat all the Heaven Yang Gods, including the prodigy, Black Sword.

"If only the conference had been delayed a little longer, I might have been able to sit inside," said Purple Fate Daxue.

Among the fifteen disciples, only two were from Purple Fate Heaven: Qi Yuan and Purple Fate Daxue.

"Everyone’s equal, Bullhorn Sister. If you want to sit inside, just go in. Where you sit is your right," Qi Yuan couldn’t resist teasing.

"My big butt wants to sit on your head. Can I?" Purple Fate Daxue’s words, as always, were blunt and crass.

Qi Yuan glanced at her well-shaped rear and decided not to respond, mentally noting her remark for later.

"And stop calling me Bullhorn Sister!"

"Why?"

"I’ve changed my name. I’m thinking of calling myself Black Robe or Blood Sword. Which do you think sounds better?"

"Huh?" Qi Yuan was a bit dumbfounded, struggling to keep up with her strange logic.

"You see, in Black Abyss, we have two prodigies: Black Sword and Blood Robe, and then there’s that filler guy, Ice Sword. Do you notice a pattern?" Purple Fate Daxue asked.

Not far away, Ice Sword glanced at her but decided to stay quiet, pretending nothing had happened.

It wasn’t worth getting involved with Purple Fate Daxue or Blood Robe—they both had a reputation for making others lose face.

"A pattern?" Qi Yuan was still unaware of the connection between him and Black Sword.

"Black and red—they’re both colors. Sword and robe—they’re both objects. Maybe your talents are so high because your names fit so well?"

That was why Purple Fate Daxue was considering renaming herself to Black Robe or Blood Sword.

"..." Qi Yuan decided to ignore her. She was getting way too abstract.

But Purple Fate Daxue continued excitedly, "Blood Robe, how did you qualify for the Supreme Truth Debate Conference? Did you get in through a backdoor?"

Purple Fate Daxue was loud and carefree, and her question caught the attention of many other prodigies present.

Blood Robe had only joined Black Abyss recently, and logically, he should have missed out on the opportunity to attend this conference.

When they learned Blood Robe had been given a spot, even An Xunlu had lost sleep over it.

"Even though you’ve been diligently taking missions, I don’t think that would be enough, right?" Purple Fate Daxue asked curiously.

Her question was genuine.

If it had been anyone else asking, Qi Yuan might have assumed they were trying to make things difficult for him.

But this was Purple Fate Daxue, so it made perfect sense.

After spending so much time in Purple Fate Heaven, Qi Yuan had come to realize that he could rightfully claim the title of highest emotional intelligence in the realm.

"It’s because my Ancestor Blood Art is highly cultivated," Qi Yuan replied honestly.

"With just the Ancestor Blood Art? That would get you to the sixth or seventh level. Blood Robe Senior just arrived at Purple Fate Heaven—are you saying he’s already at the sixth or seventh level?" another male cultivator couldn’t help but ask.

After all, Blood Robe had only been at Purple Fate Heaven for about a year.

Even for someone like Black Sword, it had taken four years to reach the fourth level.

There was no way it could add up.

"Six or seven levels? You’re underestimating me. I’m already at the eleventh level," Qi Yuan replied sincerely.

The whole crowd fell silent, all of them staring at Qi Yuan in disbelief.

Eleventh level?

...

Was he serious?

Might as well claim he was at the Supreme Truth level!

In all of Black Abyss, there were probably fewer than twenty people who had reached the eleventh level of the Ancestor Blood Art.

And every one of those twenty people was at least a Supreme Truth realm expert.

No one believed him. They took it as a joke.

"You..." Purple Fate Daxue smiled. "Hurry up and reach the fifteenth level. Once you do, you can take care of that guy, and I’ll wash my butt every day, waiting to become your concubine."

"You vulgar woman, stop calling yourself Blood Sword—you’re tarnishing my surname!" Qi Yuan was exasperated.

With people like Purple Fate Daxue, he really didn’t know what to do.

Just then, a voice rang out, cold and grave.

"For this Supreme Truth Debate Conference, I, Ku Rong, will be the main overseer, and Black Sword will assist me."

"Since everyone is here, let’s get going."

An old, hunchbacked man with a dark aura approached, his presence as vast as the sea.

"That old guy loves to show off. He’s clearly a Tianzun, but he’s still hunching his back," Purple Fate Daxue transmitted to Qi Yuan.

"I think his back’s pretty sturdy. Didn’t you say your big butt needed a place to sit? Why not sit on his back?" Qi Yuan responded seriously.

Ku Rong Tianzun was from Soul Heaven, a faction that didn’t have great relations with Purple Fate Heaven.

Soul Heaven was also allied with Taihuang Palace, often in conflict with Moon God Palace.

"Screw you, why don’t you sit on it?" Purple Fate Daxue rolled her eyes at Qi Yuan.

"I respect my elders," Qi Yuan transmitted back.

"That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard today," Purple Fate Daxue replied.

As they exchanged banter, over ten Heaven Yang Gods and a dozen prodigies entered a protective formation.

The formation combined defense, movement, and attack, and it could even enter a teleportation array.

Black Abyss always used such formations for travel.

At this moment, the Heaven Yang Gods all sat silently with their eyes closed, separated from the younger prodigies.

After all, back in their day, who among them hadn’t been a prodigy?

Only Black Sword, dressed in a white robe and exuding a scholarly elegance, engaged with the young prodigies, answering their questions.

"The Supreme Truth Debate Conference includes not only debates on the Supreme Truth but also debates at the Heavenly Position, Yang God, and Yin God levels. These debates will occur before the Supreme Truth discussions."

"If you’re interested, you can go and exchange ideas at the mythic level or the Heavenly Position level first."

Black Sword’s calm voice made those around him feel as if they were basking in the warmth of a spring breeze.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up.

He was currently at the Purple Palace level and hadn’t yet decided on his path toward becoming a Yin God.

This was the perfect opportunity to attend the Yin God Debate Conference, where he might encounter some brilliant minds.

He already had a plan: attend the Yin God Debate Conference, comprehend the path of the Yin God, and then head to the Wall of Supreme Truth to meditate on the Grand Supreme Truth.

His schedule was packed.

"Black Sword Senior, we of the Black Abyss possess strong bloodlines, but our comprehension is average. What if one day, we make it to the Wall of Supreme Truth and only manage to grasp the lowest tier of the Supreme Truth?"

A burly prodigy, whose intellect was clearly lacking, asked this question.

"If that happens, you should strive to reach the Grand Supreme Truth level. Once you do, aside from the Ultimate Truth, the rank of your Supreme Truth will have little effect on your combat power," Black Sword replied calmly. "At the Grand Supreme Truth level, the difference between a heavenly-grade Supreme Truth and a yellow-grade one is negligible."

Below the Ultimate Truth, all were equal.

In the Supreme Truth realm, the grades of Supreme Truth—yellow, black, earth, or heaven—still impacted one’s combat power.

But once one reached the Grand Supreme Truth realm, the difference became almost negligible. No one could kill the other, and without an attack-type creation treasure, they couldn’t even injure one another.

"Black Sword Senior, with your incredible talent, you must be aiming to comprehend the Ultimate Truth. Which one do you intend to pursue?"

A young cultivator asked, his curiosity piqued.

The other prodigies looked on with envy.

Even Ice Sword glanced at Black Sword with admiration.

After all, Black Sword was the only one in Black Abyss who had a shot at comprehending the Ultimate Truth.

In their eyes, even Blood Robe’s potential was capped at the Grand Supreme Truth—he wouldn’t be able to grasp the Ultimate Truth.

"Absolute: an unchanging, eternal law;

Singularity: the unification of all things, supreme and unmatched;

Cycle: endless rotation, the eternal cycle of creation and destruction;

Innate: the origin of all things, the primal essence."

"The Innate path is too focused on bloodlines. Since my bloodline is unrelated to the Innate, I’m likely not fated for that path.

The Cycle is mysterious and dangerous—if I fail in constructing it, I’ll die and be wiped from existence. So far, no one in the Six Heavens has taken the path of the Cycle, so there’s no example to follow.

That leaves Singularity and Absolute, both of which represent the true path. I will choose one of these."

Black Sword’s response was candid, without any concealment.

Most of the Six Heavens’ experts who had comprehended the Ultimate Truth had taken either the path of Absolute or Singularity.

The Grand Supreme Truth expert from Taihuang Palace had chosen the Singular Sun.

The Moon God Primogenitor had chosen the rare Innate Moon.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan suddenly had a wild thought: "Has anyone ever comprehended all four?"

At this, the group fell silent, staring at Qi Yuan as if he were a fool.

What kind of question was that?

Out of the trillions of beings in the Six Heavens, fewer than a handful had ever comprehended the Ultimate Truth.

Asking that was like a high schooler asking if they could win an NBA championship, an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics, a Nobel Prize in chemistry, and the world championship in Go all at the same time.

Black Sword glanced at Qi Yuan, thought for a moment, and answered seriously, "Theoretically... it’s possible."

Indeed, in theory, anything was possible.

While there had never been such a case, that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen in the future.

"Huh? Since it’s theoretically possible, that means it’s achievable.

Oh man, this is tough. How many Ultimate Truths should I comprehend this time? It’s so hard to decide. My brilliant brain is going to suffer again!"

Qi Yuan sighed. "I’d better have an extra meal tonight. Maybe eat another egg to boost my nutrition."

"..."

The crowd fell into a speechless silence, their faces filled with exasperation.

"Why don’t you ask Ice Sword to lay you an egg? He’s got the Ice Phoenix bloodline, so his eggs must be extra nutritious," Purple Fate Daxue finally broke the silence.

"Have you no education? You just called him Ice Sword Brother. How could a brother lay an egg?"

Qi Yuan thought he’d won that round.

Purple Fate Daxue had no education. Males couldn’t lay eggs. It had to be females.

"That’s easy. I know a spell that can make men lay eggs!" Purple Fate Daxue replied.

Ice Sword: "..."

He had already tried his best to stay far away from these two.

But now...

Everyone else looked at Ice Sword with a mixture of pity and amusement.