If I Unleash My Stellar Golden Core, How Will You Respond?

The slaughter began in an instant. The Grand Palace Master stepped forward, his expression serene as he gave a low shout. "Huatian Ninefold Array of Radiance!" Light cascaded down from the highest heavens. Draped in radiance, the Grand Palace Master took on an incomparably sacred aura. The Second and Third Palace Masters flew into the firmament, deep reverence filling their profound eyes. "We summon our Resplendent Sword!" At their call, over fifty Purple Mansion cultivators below took on grave expressions and shouted in unison: "We summon our Resplendent Sword!" The figures of the fifty-plus Purple Mansion cultivators turned translucent. Boundless light diffused across their bodies. With every wave of their sleeves, white radiance surged forth, making each of them look like a saint. Over a thousand Divine Infant cultivators ascended into the sky like fireflies, radiating their own individual luster. "Resplendent Sword, guard our light!" "Unbroken Shield, dispel all demons!" As the thousand-odd cultivators cried out, thousands of light swords hovered above the Palace of Light, poised like ten thousand loosed arrows. Aura saturated with light, purity, devotion, and sacrifice swept across the expanse. Every cultivator wore a solemn, fearless expression, looking as though they were ready to die fighting for the light. When Qi Yuan saw this, the smile on his face froze. He looked at the sacred, pristine Palace of Light, then glanced down at himself, cloaked in towering, monstrous blood qi. Why did it feel like he was the real archvillain here? "I am the true embodiment of light! You shameless scoundrels have merely stolen it!" "I, the Blood-Robed Sword God, represent justice and radiance to eradicate the lot of you!" "The orthodox lineage of the Resplendent Sword belongs to me!" His blood-red robes snapped loudly in the wind as Qi Yuan roared. Across the firmament, endless crimson waves boiled and rolled. Monstrous killing intent surged forth, striking dread into the heart of anyone who cast even a single glance toward the heavens. The blood sword on his back unsheathed itself, its eerie scarlet brilliance resembling the dark allure of an evil god. Virtual Realm Sovereign's Inner Demon Summons! The blood-colored soul sword shot into the sky. As if answering its summons, thousands of scarlet swords rose from the boundless sea of blood. Pride, malice, greed, gluttony… Sinister winds howled, and ghastly demons bared their fangs. An inexhaustible, terrifying aura clung to the thousands of crimson blades. "Now this is what you call a Resplendent Sword!" Qi Yuan glanced back at his array of Resplendent Swords, feeling a twinge of guilt. If he had summoned only one, he could have disguised it in white, holy radiance. Disguising thousands of them was simply too difficult. So he gave up the pretense altogether. Who said a bad guy couldn't be on the side of good? "Justice will always triumph over evil!" Qi Yuan roared. The cultivators of the Palace of Light shouted back, "Resplendent Sword, slay all evil!" The crimson blood swords clashed against the pure swords of light! The entire sky split in two. One half surged with torrential blood, while the other rained down pure, holy light. Crimson collided with white. The sacred radiance—the purest thing in the world—was tainted by the sea of blood in an instant. The white light clinging to the Grand Palace Master wavered unsteadily, threatening to shatter. Over a thousand Divine Infant disciples and more than fifty Purple Mansion cultivators turned deathly pale. Several dozen Divine Infant cultivators saw their light swords turn entirely scarlet. Qi Yuan's face also paled slightly. He had taken several dozen origin divine abilities head-on. In that split second, he swiftly activated Dying Radiance, returning to full vitality as though nothing had touched him. "Not bad. You've got some skill, having your fake Resplendent Swords hold their ground against my authentic ones. "Looks like killing you all is going to take a whole day and night." Both sides had taken losses in the first clash. More than a dozen Divine Infant cultivators on the Palace of Light's side had fallen directly. Qi Yuan had exerted some energy, but Dying Radiance replenished it instantly, leaving him completely unharmed. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, every Purple Mansion cultivator of the Palace of Light was shaken. They had assumed that even if this strike failed to kill the Blood-Robed Sword God, it would at least leave him gravely wounded! Yet how did he look like someone who had taken damage? He didn't even have a scratch. "Again!" The battle only stoked Qi Yuan's ferocity. Back then, he had fought above his realm against two thousand seven hundred old men. Now, armed with his own origin divine abilities, what was wrong with killing a few Purple Mansion cultivators while at the Origin Core realm? This time, he summoned a full three thousand resplendent blood swords. Overwhelming them with numbers! "Defend the Palace of Light to the death!" the Divine Infant disciples and Purple Mansion elders bellowed, their bodies blazing with blinding light. *Boom!* The clash erupted once more. This time, Qi Yuan channeled both Tyrannical Strength and Dying Radiance into his origin divine ability. Radiance and blood intertwined. Atop the pure white light, an eerie smear of crimson bloomed. Qi Yuan laughed heartily. "Haha, keep it coming! Your false light will eventually be devoured by me!" In the distance, the Purple Mansion spectators watching the battle were utterly shocked. "The Blood-Robed Sword God… is terrifying. Even Old Man Wutian might not be his match!" "Give him another ten thousand years, and he might truly become a Yin God!" "Where on earth did such a monstrous demon come from? His blood qi towers to the heavens! If he truly defeats the Palace of Light, what will become of our Cuiyun Continent?" An origin divine ability revealed the core temperament of a cultivator best. The Blood-Robed Sword God's origin divine ability was a roiling expanse of blood, spewing every kind of negative emotion. Anyone who caught a glimpse of him could immediately tell he was an archdemon of towering proportions. "Could he be a cultivator from outside this realm?" one Purple Mansion expert wondered aloud. Watching up close, they could sense that Qi Yuan's origin divine ability differed somewhat from their own. "An archdemon who crossed realms? How on earth did the Palace of Light provoke him?" "With blood qi this thick, he must have slaughtered at least millions of living beings!" Just then, the void rippled, and a man robed in gold murmured, "With blood qi so monstrous, he is unquestionably an archdemon. "Originally, I considered saving his life and recruiting him into our Dao Seeking Palace. It seems… forget it." Nearby Purple Mansion cultivators were shaken when they heard this. "The Dao Seeking Palace?" The Dao Seeking Palace was a mysterious organization in the Canglan Realm, founded by a Yin God. The bare minimum requirement for entry was the late Purple Mansion stage. These Purple Mansion experts gathered solely to seek the path to breaking through to the Yin God realm. Now, even someone from the Dao Seeking Palace was watching the Blood-Robed Sword God! How could they not be astonished? "Senior, who do you think will win this battle?" a Purple Mansion cultivator couldn't resist asking the gold-robed man. The gold-robed man looked toward the raging battle. "The Blood-Robed Sword God possesses peculiar origin divine abilities and cultivates secret techniques. His overall power is a cut above Old Man Wutian's. If the Palace of Light doesn't switch tactics, the Blood-Robed Sword God will inevitably prevail in the long run. "However…" The gold-robed man paused. "The Palace of Light will not sit idly by! "The moment… their Yin God Dharma treasure is brought forth, the sun and moon will lose their light, and the Blood-Robed Sword God will surely perish. "The outcome of this battle… is already decided." With that, the gold-robed man's figure vanished. By this point, the Palace of Light and Qi Yuan had clashed for over a dozen rounds. Every clash ended with Qi Yuan gaining the upper hand. After repeated impacts, over a hundred Divine Infant cultivators of the Palace of Light had been contaminated, inner demons running rampant within them. Their swords of light turned to swords of blood. Even several Purple Mansion cultivators suffered the same fate. "Keep going!" Qi Yuan's divine abilities seemed limitless. The origin divine ability engraved onto his soul sword had absorbed every inner demon from the entire Liufeng Realm. The one thing Qi Yuan never lacked was origin divine abilities. The Grand Palace Master's face was grim as he stared at Qi Yuan with deep wariness in his eyes. "You truly surpass my expectations. Even Old Man Wutian is likely no match for you." Qi Yuan stood in the void, his blood-red robes growing increasingly vivid. "Why waste words? Today, the Palace of Light falls!" Qi Yuan felt completely relaxed. To be honest, fighting the Palace of Light wasn't a difficult battle for him at all. It was just a bit tedious, requiring him to grind them down slowly. "Eldest Brother, why waste your breath on him? Unleash the Yin God Dharma treasure and slay this fiend in one stroke!" Third Palace Master Zi Ran roared. She could no longer bear this humiliating stalemate. If this dragged on for another incense stick's time, letting the Blood-Robed Sword God contaminate more deacons and elders, the Palace of Light would suffer devastating losses. The usually reticent Second Palace Master spoke up as well. "Eldest Brother, it is time to use the Yin God Dharma treasure." They knew the Yin God Dharma treasure was not to be used lightly; it was damaged to begin with, and using it would only lengthen the time required to repair it. With the great tribulation looming, they had very little preparation time left. Yet the Blood-Robed Sword God was far stronger than they had imagined. They had to deploy this trump card. The Grand Palace Master looked toward Qi Yuan and let out a long sigh. "Fellow Daoist, why press us so relentlessly? "The cultivation of our caliber does not come easily. "As for those mortals, what does it matter if they were slain? Give them a few centuries or a millennium, and they will swarm like locusts once more. "They are an inexhaustible, limitless resource. "Yet for one like us to emerge requires over a thousand years of time." He still hoped to spare the treasure's power if possible. Qi Yuan's expression remained tranquil upon hearing this. "So your life is precious, is that it? "No, you're right. My white moonlight is indeed superior to everyone else, with a life far more precious than anyone's!" There was not the slightest hint of compromise in his voice. Seeing this, the Grand Palace Master's expression turned frigid. He finally made up his mind. The Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown! The damaged Yin God Dharma treasure finally flew out from his sleeve and settled atop his head. The Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown was forged entirely of gold, stained with a single drop of blood—the blood of a Yin God. A single drop was heavy enough that even a late Purple Mansion cultivator could not withstand it. A terrifying, chilling, overbearing aura rolled out ceaselessly. A ferocious, agonized expression warped the Grand Palace Master's face. Dense patches of scales sprouted across his flesh. His eyes turned golden, and in that instant, his head transformed into that of a dragon. An ancient, mysterious, invincible aura washed over the area. Qi Yuan felt as though he was no longer facing a Purple Mansion cultivator, but a heavenly god. "Those who trespass upon my divine might shall die!" The voice was deep, thick, and laden with authority. The hearts of all the Purple Mansion cultivators thumped wildly. They felt as though, should that god desire it, their bodies would shatter uncontrollably. All spiritual energy within a radius of a thousand li fell into turmoil, forming a spiritual storm. "A Yin God!" "A Yin God has manifested!" "So this is the Yin God realm… A single glance, and my eyes!" A Divine Infant cultivator looked up, only for blood to stream from both his sockets. "The Blood-Robed Sword God… is finished." When a Yin God appeared, who could resist? All living beings were equal before it; Foundation Establishment, Origin Core, Divine Infant, or Purple Mansion—all were as fragile as mortals. "Is this the power of a god?" For the first time, Qi Yuan's gaze grew solemn. As the Grand Palace Master donned the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown, every Divine Infant and Purple Mansion cultivator of the Palace of Light, along with Qi Yuan, was dragged into the Void Realm. Qi Yuan saw that the Grand Palace Master, already imposing, now possessed a surging aura that concealed an ancient deity within. "Die!" The god thrust out a finger. This finger was tyrannical, entirely beyond reason. A single strike from this finger would be enough to wipe Great Shang's nearly one million square kilometers off the map. Such a finger was simply impossible for any mortal to withstand! Even dozens, hundreds, or thousands of late Purple Mansion grand cultivators facing such a finger would be utterly helpless. "To perish beneath our foundational trump card—Blood-Robed Sword God, your death is well-earned!" He scrutinized Qi Yuan, as if intending to etch him into memory. Just then, the Grand Palace Master's eyes suddenly twitched. "You are not Purple Mansion? You're not even Divine Infant!" His heart skipped a beat. The Purple Mansion cultivators present were bewildered, not understanding why the Grand Palace Master had said that. Qi Yuan smiled with carefree ease. "When did I ever say I was Purple Mansion? "I possess Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment and a Stellar Golden Core! "Is it so unreasonable for my Stellar Golden Core to slaughter an immortal or god?" At that moment, the blood robes on Qi Yuan began to melt away. A blazing, scorching brilliance diffused from his dantian. A terrifying presence was brewing within. A blazing sun, radiant with infinite light and heat. For the first time, a look of terror surfaced on the Grand Palace Master's face as an ominous premonition seized him. "Die!" He hesitated no longer. The divine finger descended from above, pressing straight down toward Qi Yuan. A finger capable of sinking a continent and wiping a nation from existence. The Grand Palace Master roared, "How can you block the finger of a god?!" Heaven and earth trembled. The unknown matter of the Void Realm churned violently, and all space seemed to be compressed by the finger before exploding. "If I unleash my Stellar Golden Core, how will you respond, sir?!" This time, Qi Yuan finally brought forth his Stellar Golden Core. Heaven descended and earth surged; fire met water, yin merged with yang. The intersecting energies reached their absolute zenith, condensing into an Origin Core—a blazing sun! "I am the Great Sun!" Time seemed to freeze in that instant. In Qi Yuan's vision, the divine finger fell at an unimaginably slow pace. Endless spiritual energy erupted as heat, sunlight, and pure destruction surged from Qi Yuan's dantian. In the Canglan Realm, the small sun high in the sky suddenly swelled. Every cultivator looked up at the firmament. The small sun was burning, radiating boundless light and heat as it descended. The stars across the heavens trembled. All starlight and celestial luster were eclipsed by that small sun in an instant. People looked up with shocked, horrified expressions. The sun grew larger and larger. The moon and stars vanished. Nothing remained in the heavens except that blazing sun. It seemed poised to crash directly into the Canglan Realm. Countless terrifying entities awakened, looking up in shock at the monstrous sun threatening to plunge into their realm. At this moment, the sun rose over Canglan, shaking the world and shocking the gods awake. Within the Void Realm, the phantom of a great sun rose slowly behind Qi Yuan. Endless brilliance and boundless flames danced across his body. At this moment, Qi Yuan looked as sacred as the sun itself. Every living creature that saw the projection of that sun felt dread rise in their eyes. Reflected in the Grand Palace Master's golden eyes was the silhouette of the sun, his face filled with sheer disbelief and shock. "What on earth… are you?" Qi Yuan offered no reply. Solar brilliance burned brightly in his eyes. He looked up at the nearly frozen divine finger. "The great sun blazes resplendent, shining in all directions; Clad in dark robes, I command the nine chapters of law!" The sun's phantom behind him continued to expand. The entire Void Realm seemed unable to contain it. "A mere immortal god? Behold my Stellar Golden Core!" In that instant, the sun's phantom detonated! Inexhaustible flames and endless light and heat swept across the entire Void Realm. The divine finger, powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth, looked laughable as melting wax beneath the great sun's light. It dissolved into nothingness. The entire Void Realm was engulfed in flames, upheaval, and collapse. Without so much as a crack, the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown atop the Grand Palace Master's head was submerged directly beneath the endless fire and heat. His expression froze, staring blankly at the sun as his body was consumed by it. "A sun… Golden Core…" He could not comprehend it. He could not imagine it. Even having touched the power of a Yin God, he could not fathom how a Stellar Golden Core could exist. Fortunately, he would never have to. The moment he saw the sun Golden Core, even with the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown on his head and the power of a Yin God coursing through him, he was reduced to ash beneath the sun without offering the slightest resistance. Every Purple Mansion and Divine Infant cultivator melted away without a struggle, vanishing into nothing. Against the might of the Great Sun, who could stand? No one! Over a thousand cultivators of the Palace of Light perished then and there. Qi Yuan stood in the Void Realm like the sun itself, endless True Solar Fire flickering in his eyes. His dantian was genuinely burning with passion this time. Once the Stellar Golden Core was summoned, the Palace of Light had seemed terrifyingly fragile to him. Just then, a delighted voice rang out: "Blood Pearl!" Qi Yuan felt a soft, delicate body press against him. "Canary?" Qi Yuan looked at Canary's phantom, a hint of pleasant surprise in his eyes. However, he could sense that Canary's silhouette was slowly fading and would soon disappear. "You've been gone for days." Canary was just as she had always been. Her long black dress accentuated her cool, fair skin, and her slender waist could be encircled by a single hand. Beneath the exquisitely embroidered hem were black silk stockings wrapping her fair thighs and delicate, lotus-root feet. "Days?" Qi Yuan looked at her and said, "One day on earth is a century in heaven. In truth… I have been gone for over a millennium. "It's just that I engraved my origin divine ability onto my Golden Core. You live atop it, existing each day in a state between forgetting and remembering. "So, for you, time is in a kind of suspended animation." Qi Yuan hadn't expected that summoning the projection of his Golden Core would also summon Ning Tao's projection. Ning Tao blinked, then broke into a sweet smile. "So across the long ages, my time was frozen for everything except you?" Her phantom grew fainter. Qi Yuan nodded. "If you want to change that, you can simply leave the Golden Core." "No, I like it this way." Ning Tao looked at him with longing affection. She knew she had to leave. "Blood Pearl, this young lady has gotten very strong!" She raised her pale fist and waved it before Qi Yuan. "Next time, you don't need to summon this giant Golden Core. Just call me, and I'll kill your enemies for you! That worm just now? I could take ten of them alone! "Summoning the big Golden Core is such a waste!" Atop the Stellar Golden Core, Ning Tao had received Qi Yuan's gifts. Her cultivation had advanced significantly. Hearing this, Qi Yuan stroked her dark hair. "Once my dantian is full of spiritual energy again, I'll definitely call you down to play." Summoning the Stellar Golden Core had drained his spiritual energy severely. He wouldn't be able to summon it again anytime soon. After all, this wasn't just crossing between worlds—it was crossing an entire universe. "You don't need to call me all the time, just when you're in danger!" Canary said sensibly. She looked at his face, stars seemingly glittering in her eyes. "This time, this lady appeared out of nowhere and had to leave just as suddenly." Her figure was fading away. Qi Yuan held her hand, watching her slowly disappear. At the end, he placed a wisp of flame into her palm. "This is True Solar Fire that I recently acquired. Ignite it atop the star." If True Solar Fire burned atop the star, his Golden Core might be able to devour other planets and stars. His Golden Core would continue to grow stronger. "Okay." Ning Tao nodded firmly, and her figure vanished entirely. Qi Yuan's dark robes turned back to blood-red, and his form grew ethereal. He was preparing to leave the Void Realm and return to the mortal world. Outside, the spectating Purple Mansion cultivators were completely stunned. Just moments ago, the Grand Palace Master had dragged the Blood-Robed Sword God into the Void Realm. Then, an anomaly had erupted in the sky. A great sun had suddenly descended. Countless terrifyingly powerful entities across the Canglan Realm had intervened simultaneously. Pillars of light had soared into the sky to halt the sun, attempting to push it away. The entire Canglan Realm had nearly been shattered by the collision. All the Purple Mansion experts felt as though they had narrowly escaped disaster. They had no idea what had actually transpired. They only knew that something horrifying had occurred. Just then, one Purple Mansion cultivator remarked, "The battle between the Blood-Robed Sword God and the Palace of Light… should be decided by now, right?" "Wearing the Sovereign Shocking Dragon Crown gives the Grand Palace Master power comparable to a Yin God. The Blood-Robed Sword God is dead for certain. "Judging by the time, the people from the Palace of Light should be coming out soon." "A pity for the Blood-Robed Sword God. A peerless expert of his generation, fallen here." Outside the headquarters of the Palace of Light, the mournful notes of the suona continued to wail. Xu Yeli blew into the instrument, a whirlwind of emotions in his chest. "Blood-Robed Sword God, this old man cannot leave, so allow me to send you on your final journey." The suona's tune grew even more sorrowful. Right then, a ripple spread before the entrance to the Palace of Light's headquarters. Everyone turned to look. A blood-red figure stepped out from the Void Realm. His eyes were deep, as though he had lived through endless ages. Seeing that figure, every watching Purple Mansion cultivator froze in shock. "The Blood-Robed Sword God?!" "How is it him coming out?!" "How is that possible?!" The Purple Mansion experts were baffled, bewildered, lost. Facing a Yin God, how could the Blood-Robed Sword God be the one to emerge? How could a mere Purple Mansion cultivator possibly match a Yin God? The mournful dirge of the suona continued to play. Looking at the empty Palace of Light, grief suddenly welled up from the depths of Qi Yuan's heart. "Waaah… You all died such a tragic death!" "Why didn't you leave behind so much as a single leg hair?!" "You didn't leave a single thing for me!" "Waaah… My white moonlights, how could you abandon me and leave like this?!" "Yanzi!" Every Purple Mansion cultivator watching this scene was dumbfounded. They stared at Qi Yuan in utter silence. Finally unable to bear it, one Purple Mansion cultivator glanced at a Divine Infant disciple. The trembling Divine Infant cultivator flew toward Qi Yuan, asking nervously, "Senior Blood-Robed Sword God… were the people of the Palace of Light… slain by you?" Qi Yuan genuinely couldn't squeeze out a single pearl of a tear, but his heart was overflowing with unbearable sorrow. "Justice will always triumph over evil." The Divine Infant cultivator didn't dare say a word, his gaze drifting to the eerie scarlet sword in Qi Yuan's sword case. *You're the one who looks like evil here, aren't you?* Qi Yuan stood up, looked around in all directions, and delivered his post-battle speech: "I did not fight alone! Standing behind me are the Immortal Core Golden Core of the Divine Flower Society, Stellar Golden Core, Little Li of Fox Cave, the Four Emperors of Divine Flower, and Lord Feng! Behind me stand all the cultivators and ordinary mortals across the world who have been oppressed by the Palace of Light!" Qi Yuan spoke with stirring passion, summarizing the battle and elevating its core themes. Yet he was simply too heartbroken, his voice hoarse as he turned back to look at the empty Palace of Light once more. "Waaah… How cruel of you all, leaving nothing behind for me…" Everyone stood in stunned silence, their faces practically spelling out the word *What*. On that day, the Blood-Robed Sword God wiped out the Palace of Light single-handedly, gave an impassioned speech, wept at the grave for six hours, and drifted away into the distance. No one knew what had truly happened in the Void Realm. All attention had been drawn to that falling sun.