Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?

Zhou Wu's gaze sharpened.

"It's actually the Ad Church!"

His voice trembled slightly.

If it were before, he might not have known about the Ad Church, and even if he had heard of its doctrines, he would have scoffed at them.

But recently, the events surrounding the True Creator's Church had revealed some secrets to him.

The awakening of the True Creator was closely related to the Ad Church.

The elders who had been punished by the True Creator had once taken action against the Ad Church.

The Ad Church was shrouded in a veil of mystery, making it difficult to understand.

Many major forces wanted to make contact with the Ad Church but had no way to do so.

Now, there was news about the Ad Church, and it was even a proactive collaboration. How could he not be shocked?

However, after carefully reading the details of the collaboration, Zhou Wu was left dumbfounded.

"Embedded ads? Reviving by watching ads?"

"How can dead people watch ads?"

He was completely baffled.

The content was too abstract and absurd.

The gist was that the Ad Church would collaborate with the Dawn Merchant Guild.

The Dawn Merchant Guild would produce an ad, and the Ad Church's members would watch it after death.

But how could dead people watch ads?

"Such a senior expert must have deep intentions behind his actions. Agreeing to this might not be a bad idea," Zhou Wu thought to himself.

This could be an opportunity for the Dawn Merchant Guild.

"Though this collaboration... is a bit strange."

"When I meet that senior from the Ad Church, perhaps we can discuss it in detail. Moreover..."

Zhou Wu's eyes gleamed with a flash of insight. "The Ad Church... might be even more terrifying than the True Creator's Church. This could be a great opportunity."

With this in mind, he quickly ordered, "Someone, bring some of the younger generation from the clan. Choose those with good talent and insight, who are clever in dealing with people, and... make sure they are good-looking."

...

Flying Bird Realm.

Fortress.

Zhou Wu stood with a young man and woman behind him, both descendants of the Zhou family.

The young man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful, dressed in long robes and skirts. They stood quietly behind Zhou Wu, not speaking, though their expressions showed a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

At that moment, a figure appeared, and Zhou Wu, along with the young man and woman, immediately turned to look.

When they saw Qi Yuan's face, the beautiful young woman's eyes flickered, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

Zhou Wu was also surprised, as Qi Yuan looked far too young, exuding a vibrant energy rather than the solemnity and authority of a powerful figure.

"I am Zhou Wu of the Dawn Merchant Guild. Greetings, Senior," Zhou Wu said respectfully, bowing deeply.

"I heard that Senior wishes to collaborate with the Dawn Merchant Guild. May I ask... what exactly does this collaboration entail?"

Zhou Wu got straight to the point.

"It's simple. I'll help you place ads, and you'll use one-tenth of your guild's manpower and resources to help me find someone," Qi Yuan said. "Don't worry, our ads have many clients, and they are mandatory to watch. You can't skip them, even if you buy a membership. You won't lose out."

Zhou Wu was momentarily confused by the latter part of Qi Yuan's words, but recalling the branch leader's description of Qi Yuan, he quickly accepted it as normal.

Zhou Wu focused on the first part and asked, "Who are we looking for?"

"Some people who have strayed far from home," Qi Yuan said with a smile.

What he wanted to find were the outsiders lured by the Dao Lord of Nanke.

The Dream Origin Body obtained by the Dao Lord of Nanke was incomplete.

Thus, he had modified the Heavy Origin Universe to "fish" for more outsiders, hoping to perfect the Dream Origin Body.

Unfortunately, before he could complete it, he perished.

The Dream Origin Body Qi Yuan had inherited was, at best, only 70% complete.

The Dao Lord of Nanke's ultimate failure might have been due to not obtaining the complete Dream Origin Body.

At this moment, Qi Yuan looked at Zhou Wu with a smile.

He hadn't expected that finding people would be so coincidental.

He had already detected a faint trace of the Dream Origin Body's aura on Zhou Wu and the young man and woman behind him.

Clearly, these three might be descendants of a Dream Origin Body bearer, carrying a trace of its bloodline.

Zhou Wu was momentarily stunned, as if realizing something.

His status in the Dawn Merchant Guild was high enough that he knew about outsiders who had drifted into this universe.

"Coincidentally, you three are also the people I'm looking for," Qi Yuan said casually, not hiding the truth.

After all, he was lawful good, and this was a collaboration, not a scavenger hunt.

When Zhou Wu heard this, his expression changed drastically, as if he had thought of something terrifying.

Qi Yuan continued, "I'm very curious about your physique. How about selling it to me? Don't worry, this physique is of no use to you, and taking it away won't affect you."

He was telling the truth.

The Dream Origin Body in their bloodline was too faint and weak, almost nonexistent.

It was of no use for cultivation or anything else.

Zhou Wu's face shifted through several expressions before he finally gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know what Senior is talking about."

"I'm talking about... the Dream Origin Body," Qi Yuan said calmly.

When Zhou Wu heard this, it was as if he had resigned himself to fate. "So Senior is with the Shadow Mountain Society."

When mentioning the Shadow Mountain Society, Zhou Wu clenched his teeth.

The young man and woman behind him grew visibly uneasy.

"Don't talk nonsense. I don't know any Shadow Mountain Society," Qi Yuan quickly clarified.

"Senior isn't with the Shadow Mountain Society?" Zhou Wu was surprised.

But then he thought, if this person were with the Shadow Mountain Society and had discovered him and his clan, they wouldn't be so polite. They would have already taken action.

With this person's strength, he would have no way to resist.

The Shadow Mountain Society was a terrifying cult.

This organization specialized in capturing members of Zhou Wu's clan.

His main clan had once had over a hundred thousand members captured by the Shadow Mountain Society, their bodies and souls refined.

Their branch had managed to escape and spread out, but now there were only a little over a thousand of them left.

The Zhou family had always avoided and feared the Shadow Mountain Society, terrified of being found by them.

Because being found meant certain death.

The Shadow Mountain Society showed no mercy to the Zhou family.

The Zhou family also knew that what the Shadow Mountain Society wanted was the Dream Origin Body.

As for this physique, the Zhou family was helpless.

This physique was almost useless to them, even a curse.

They had tried every method to remove this physique but had found no solution.

Now, hearing Qi Yuan say this, he had thought Qi Yuan was with the Shadow Mountain Society.

"The Shadow Mountain Society?" Qi Yuan was slightly surprised, his spiritual sense instantly capturing the information particles scattered throughout the universe.

He also extracted information about the Shadow Mountain Society from Zhou Wu's thoughts.

He quickly gained an understanding of the Shadow Mountain Society.

Although Qi Yuan couldn't achieve the near-omniscience of a Dao Lord within the universe, any information that wasn't hidden or forbidden and was scattered in the air was like an open book to him. He could capture it all.

For example, he learned that Zhou Wu had been raised on the milk of a hundred families when he was born.

"How about this? I'll help you destroy the Shadow Mountain Society, and you give me the Dream Origin Body. Of course, I'll also teach you a cultivation method," Qi Yuan said.

He knew that Zhou Wu hated the Shadow Mountain Society to the core.

This deal might be more acceptable to Zhou Wu.

Zhou Wu's face lit up with excitement, his breathing becoming rapid. "Senior... you'll destroy the Shadow Mountain Society?"

His shock was immense.

The Shadow Mountain Society was incredibly powerful.

Once, he had subtly probed the founders of the Dawn Merchant Guild about it.

The founders had spoken of the Shadow Mountain Society with great wariness.

Keep in mind, the founders of the Dawn Merchant Guild were god-like figures.

And the Dawn Merchant Guild was one of the top ten guilds in the Heavy Origin Universe. Even they feared the Shadow Mountain Society, showing just how mysterious and powerful it was.

Yet, this person before him spoke of destroying it so casually. How could he not be shocked?

Most importantly, this person seemed to be just a missionary of the Ad Church.

He wasn't even the leader, was he?

"If Senior can... destroy the Shadow Mountain Society, then giving you this physique is nothing!" Zhou Wu said, his heart pounding, not daring to argue.

Whether or not this person could destroy the Shadow Mountain Society, the fact that he could say such a thing showed he had the confidence to stand against it.

In any case, this was not someone Zhou Wu could afford to offend.

If this person wanted the Dream Origin Body, he wouldn't need to discuss it with them or make a deal. He could just kill and take it, like the Shadow Mountain Society.

So, hearing Qi Yuan's words, Zhou Wu felt grateful and relieved. This person was a good man.

"Alright, then... the deal is done," Qi Yuan said with a smile.

He was in a good mood.

At this moment, Zhou Wu glanced at the young man and woman behind him and said in a low voice, "I have two descendants who are clever and quick-witted. How about leaving them with Senior to serve as servants or maids?"

Originally, he had wanted his descendants to become Qi Yuan's disciples.

But now, knowing Qi Yuan's mysterious power, he thought it would be better to have them serve as servants to build a good relationship.

"As the saying goes, all men are created equal. I don't take servants," Qi Yuan firmly refused. "Besides, I'm not into that kind of thing. I don't take any kind of servant."

Hearing this, Zhou Wu felt a bit disappointed.

The young man and woman behind him also looked somewhat conflicted, unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

They were from a prominent family, and the idea of becoming servants and serving someone else was naturally unappealing.

But being rejected and missing out on an opportunity also left them feeling disappointed.

"Alright, go inform your clan. I'll extract the physique from your bodies soon," Qi Yuan said casually. "Also, hurry up and make the ad. The Flying Bird Realm is about to fall, and many clients are eager to watch the ads."

Qi Yuan was telling the truth.

In fact, it wasn't just the Flying Bird Realm. Many other realms were also on the verge of collapse.

According to Qi Yuan's calculations, over a billion people would die within a month.

With so many people watching ads, what kind of traffic would that be?

Forget watching ads. If this were on Blue Star and they were watching a Pinduoduo ad, wouldn't they at least get a discount?

"Understood," Zhou Wu nodded, feeling that everything today was surreal.

Today's events felt like a dream.

...

"Seventy-five percent complete?"

After obtaining Zhou Wu and his clan's consent, Qi Yuan extracted the Dream Origin Body particles from their bodies.

With the new Dream Origin Body, Qi Yuan felt that his own Dream Origin Body had advanced further than the Dao Lord of Nanke's.

"The improvement isn't huge. Perhaps... only when it's complete will the true state of the Dream Origin Body be revealed."

Qi Yuan was full of anticipation.

The Dao Lord of Nanke had obtained 70% of the Dream Origin Body and had become a Dao Lord in multiple paths, even reaching the fourth layer of Yang God in over thirty paths. This was incredibly terrifying.

If he obtained the complete Dream Origin Body, what would that be like?

He wondered if the Shadow Mountain Society could help him complete the Dream Origin Body.

"If it's complete, wouldn't that mean I'd have both the Dream Origin Body and the Devouring Origin Body?"

"I'd have as many origin bodies as the Foodless Holy Mother."

The Foodless Holy Mother also had two origin bodies.

However, those two origin bodies were inherently conflicting.

Qi Yuan was quite curious about the universe the Foodless Holy Mother came from.

That universe also had no future.

Could it be like the Immortal Realm and the Nanke Universe, where the future had been severed?

"Alright, it's time to go to the Shadow Mountain Society."

Qi Yuan's eyes flashed, and his figure disappeared once again.

At the same time, within the Zhou family.

Zhou Wu watched Qi Yuan's disappearing figure, a complex expression in his eyes.

"Senior Qi Yuan... can he really destroy the Shadow Mountain Society?"

Beside him, the young man muttered, "He didn't just take what he wanted and leave, did he?"

Zhou Wu's face changed, and he immediately glared at his descendant. "Watch your words! Go to the Niluo Pagoda and stay silent for ten years!"

The young man's face twisted in distress, his expression fearful. "Uncle, I..."

He realized he had said the wrong thing.

After all, such a being could destroy their family with a single thought. They could not afford to offend him.

Even though Qi Yuan had been amiable, high-level cultivators were not to be insulted or provoked.

...

Shadow Mountain Society.

As a mysterious organization, the Shadow Mountain Society was not well-known in the Heavy Origin Universe, but it was undoubtedly a colossal force.

"Have you still not found the remaining people?"

An aged voice rang out, carrying a hint of anger.

All the deacons and elders who heard this voice trembled in fear.

"Master, please calm your anger. The world is vast, and finding them is too difficult."

A deacon replied.

He was telling the truth.

The universe was incredibly vast. Even a Realm Lord might not be able to explore every corner or uncover every secret in their lifetime.

Of course, Dao Lords were an exception.

A few hundred people hiding away was like finding a needle in a haystack.

"With the dream beast disaster spreading, perhaps... those people have already perished in the mouths of the dream beasts," an elder said worriedly.

If that were the case, they might never be found.

"Find them!"

The aged voice rang out again, filled with anger.

Hearing this, the elders and deacons on duty felt extremely uneasy.

The leader of the Shadow Mountain Society, the Shadow Mountain Elder, had been in a daze lately, and every day—yes, every day—he would question the elders and deacons on duty.

These elders and deacons were miserable but dared not neglect their duties.

After all, the Shadow Mountain Elder's strength was too terrifying.

Once the questioning was over, the deacons and elders dispersed in small groups.

"Sigh, when will this end? We've already become true gods, yet we have to endure daily questioning and scolding like mortal officials. It's truly frustrating," one elder couldn't help but complain.

"Unless we find the remaining people."

"Hmph, even if we find them, it's useless. The leader is in a daze, and questioning has become a habit. Even if we find everyone... we'll probably have to report every day for the rest of our lives."

Although the questioning sessions were short, the frequency was unbearable.

These true gods were growing restless.

"I hope this ends soon," another elder muttered.

At that moment, a calm voice rang out.

"You all should go work in an electronics factory or sort packages at JD.com," a handsome figure appeared, looking at the group of elders and deacons.

All the elders and deacons were shocked.

"Who are you?"

"What do you want?"

"To fulfill your wish, so you never have to clock in and slack off at work again."

As soon as the words fell, the elders and deacons witnessed the most terrifying scene of their lives.

A majestic sun descended from the sky.

The aura emanating from this sun was enough to make even a third-layer Yang God tremble in fear.

The power of the sun was unstoppable.

In an instant.

A scream rang out.

"Who!"

But the scream lasted less than half a breath before it was abruptly cut off.

The elders and deacons before him were instantly reduced to ashes.

Qi Yuan clapped his hands. "Another day of doing good deeds. If I were to become a god, I'd definitely be a very considerate one."