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

Zhao Jian's mind was in turmoil, unsure of what to do.

Should he run now?

If he ran, he would definitely attract the attention of this True God.

Wouldn't that just expose him?

The Heavenly King Mountain would easily become aware of his presence.

He felt like he had walked into a dead end.

The only chance of survival was to stay here and play dead?

But that would test his luck.

If the people from the Heavenly King Mountain discovered him, he would undoubtedly die.

"My luck is terrible. Such a low-probability event actually happened to me."

Zhao Jian thought to himself.

Even though a Dao Lord had divined for him and given him fate guidance, he still ended up in this situation.

"Perhaps, my sacrifice will pave the way for others."

He could only think this way.

Because, under the guidance of fate, he wasn't the only one who had entered the Abandoned Lands.

Sacrificing many to achieve success for one.

As long as that person truly found the Three Pure Methods, it would be considered a success.

After all, the current Cosmic Alliance was facing both internal and external threats.

Although the Dao Lords were incredibly powerful, they were no match for the sheer number of Dao Gods.

Not to mention, there were also those terrifying Dao Gods who had overcome the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations.

Even if the Dao Lords regained their peak strength, they would still avoid such beings.

After all, overcoming the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations was a completely different concept.

After some thought, Zhao Jian decided to continue hiding and lying low.

Meanwhile, in this world, as Qi Yuan's voice echoed across millions of miles, drastic changes began to occur.

More and more people chose to have faith in Qi Yuan.

At this moment, inside a shopping mall, Qi Yuan sat on a small train, his expression calm.

Looking around, the children in front of him looked bizarre.

Some had sharp, jagged teeth, densely packed like saw blades; others had tails.

"Many mutations... once the mutation is complete, they become... food."

This world was also cursed.

And the nature of the curse made Qi Yuan feel particularly uncomfortable.

So, since arriving in this world, he hadn't even touched pig trotter rice, duck leg rice, or his favorite soda.

This world was utterly insane.

The chicken wings sizzling on the grill, in Qi Yuan's eyes, were actually mutated human wings.

Although it was called grilled fish, it was actually deep-fried fish. If you cut open the belly, you could see charred fingers and greasy ears inside.

"The people of this world... are sick, but they don't realize it."

Qi Yuan sighed.

In the Sky Federation, at least people knew to fear the Wraiths and resisted them.

But in this world, humans were gradually transforming into "ingredients."

Once they became ingredients, they would be chopped up and turned into meals.

Wives would chop up their husbands and store them in the fridge; mothers would pickle their children.

These things were done as if they were completely normal, without any sense of abnormality.

The few humans who hadn't mutated were considered sick and locked up in their homes.

"I told you, the world is sick, but no one believes me!" Duke Nair, a young girl wearing a long dress with a lace outer layer, looked up with a determined expression.

"The world is indeed sick, very sick," Qi Yuan sighed.

After coming to the Abandoned Lands, he had truly witnessed the diversity of life, encountering all sorts of insane and chaotic things.

"At least you understand me, Vampire Emperor. They're all sick, only I'm not!" The girl pursed her lips, then continued, "Actually, all these years I've been trapped in the house, I haven't been idle. I've been researching the truth of the world, the essence of the world."

As she spoke, her face showed a mix of longing and fervor.

"Oh?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

Had he encountered another genius?

"Duke Nair, what are your insights?" Qi Yuan quickly asked.

"I've discovered... that the world is actually a cycle, a loop," Duke Nair said, shocking everyone.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan fell into thought.

Was Duke Nair a reincarnated Dao Lord?

Or was it that this great world was truly filled with prodigies?

Meeting a true genius at random?

"Are we even alive? In truth, we're on the path to death. From the moment we're born, we're walking toward death."

"Death is the starting point of rebirth."

"The world is the same. From its beginning, it slowly moves toward destruction."

"What we're experiencing today has happened before.

In the past, I've seen you before. Today's conversation has also happened before."

"Have you ever felt like, suddenly, something seems to have happened before?"

Duke Nair spoke, looking seriously at Qi Yuan, her fair hand resting on his shoulder.

"This morning, I tripped and fell, my hand landing in dog poop. I didn't get up immediately because I felt like... hadn't this happened before?"

Hearing this, Qi Yuan glanced at the girl's fair hand and secretly cast a cleansing spell on his shoulder.

"This isn't your imagination. It's a loophole and bug in the world," Duke Nair said seriously. "The universe is constantly restarting, in an endless cycle. Where is the past? Where is the future?

Tomorrow is the future of today, but on another scale, today is the distant future of tomorrow."

Duke Nair spoke with great philosophical depth.

"A true genius!" Qi Yuan couldn't help but praise her, then added, "Would you be willing to work with me?"

He had great plans for Duke Nair's brilliant mind.

"You're the Vampire Emperor, and I'm just a duke. It's only natural for a duke to serve an emperor," Duke Nair replied earnestly.

"Here's the thing. There's a problem that's been troubling me for a long time," Qi Yuan stated his request. "I appoint you as the Grand Steward of Intelligence. Help me figure out... what exactly is the Yang God!"

This Duke Nair, who wasn't even a cultivator, could see that many universes had entered a cycle.

She was a true genius. Helping him figure out what the Yang God was should be simple.

Duke Nair frowned, then finally spoke. "I will not fail your trust."

Meanwhile, Zhao Jian, who was driving the small train, listened to the conversation behind him, his heart trembling.

He began to suspect that this True God had discovered him.

Soon, he realized it wasn't just suspicion—it was fact.

"Hey, why don't you have faith in me?"

At some point, Qi Yuan had appeared in the front seat of the small train.

Zhao Jian's thoughts were complex.

It seemed trouble was brewing.

"Fellow Daoist, do you know this is the Abandoned Lands?" Zhao Jian asked.

At the same time, he honked the horn.

Ahead, a dog was being walked on a leash, while a person was tied up and lying on the ground, blocking the path.

"I know," Qi Yuan said indifferently.

Hearing this, Zhao Jian's heart grew even more panicked.

It seemed this True God before him had already been affected by the Abandoned Lands, his mind becoming chaotic.

He had been secretly observing Qi Yuan for a long time today.

Clearly, he was seriously ill.

"Fellow Daoist, staying here will attract the pursuit of True Gods," Zhao Jian reminded him politely.

"How dare they come to kill the Vampire Emperor! Don't they know that in this world, justice will always triumph over evil?

Anyone who dares to kill the Vampire Emperor will become the Emperor's accumulation and stepping stone!" Duke Nair couldn't help but interject.

Qi Yuan found Duke Nair increasingly agreeable.

He was lawful good.

No matter the story, he would always be the ultimate winner.

Of course, those evil NTR and doujins didn't count.

Those weren't stories or books!

Zhao Jian shrugged, not daring to respond, and instead said, "Fellow Daoist, if True Gods come to hunt you, could you please not expose my presence?"

He asked tentatively.

Since the other party's mind was compromised, perhaps they could still communicate.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but feel pity.

A True God, reduced to madness after entering the Abandoned Lands.

He could easily "scheme" and "manipulate" him.

"Sure, but you'll have to tell me why you're here," Qi Yuan said, looking at Zhao Jian.

"I came here... to escape my enemies," Zhao Jian said.

"Duke Nair, what kind of person usually lies?" Qi Yuan ignored Zhao Jian and asked the girl.

The girl quickly replied, "Generally, those who lie have ulterior motives, though there are a few who lie with good intentions."

"I didn't sense any good intentions," Qi Yuan said, looking at Zhao Jian with a calm expression.

For some reason, being stared at by those calm eyes, Zhao Jian felt a chill down his spine. He had the sense that if he made any move, he could die at any moment.

Realizing this, he understood there was no need to hide anymore.

Besides, searching for the Three Pure Methods wasn't a secret.

"I came here to find the Three Pure Methods."

"The Three Pure Methods?" Qi Yuan was surprised. "The Three Pure Methods are hidden in the Abandoned Lands?"

During this time, he had been working hard to improve his strength and foundation.

He had absorbed all sorts of messy physiques and bloodlines.

But there had been no trace of the Three Pure Methods.

"According to a senior, the Three Pure Methods might be hidden somewhere in the Abandoned Lands."

"The Abandoned Lands are so vast. How do you plan to find them?" Qi Yuan couldn't help but ask.

He felt that the senior Zhao Jian mentioned might as well have said nothing.

Qi Yuan could just as easily say the Three Pure Methods were in the great world.

The Abandoned Lands, in terms of scale, might not be smaller than the great world.

Zhao Jian hesitated, recalling the terrifying feeling from earlier, and finally said, "The senior gave me a special artifact called the Fate Compass. It will guide me to the Three Pure Methods."

The Fate Compass was also known as the guidance of fate.

Fate was something mysterious and profound.

At the Yang God stage, almost all Yang Gods believed that fate was a terrifying and dreadful Great Dao.

But once one reached the Dao Lord realm, fate seemed to become a joke.

The world entered a cycle, everything was predetermined, everything was a replay.

Who could play with fate?

They were merely being played by fate.

"How about this... I'll help you find the Three Pure Methods, and when we find them, we'll share them?" Qi Yuan proposed.

He was also very curious about the Three Pure Methods.

First, they might actually be useful.

Second, he wondered if these so-called Three Pure Methods were related to the "One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones."

Zhao Jian hesitated.

He definitely didn't want to team up with Qi Yuan.

After all, Qi Yuan was so high-profile. The Heavenly King Mountain was probably already keeping an eye on him, waiting for the right moment to strike.

But now, he was at Qi Yuan's mercy, his life in Qi Yuan's hands.

"This..." Zhao Jian looked troubled, but in the end, he decided to be honest. "Fellow Daoist, you're probably already being watched by some True Gods. They could strike at any moment. If I join you in the search, I might die before we even find anything."

"You're too timid. I've been in the Abandoned Lands for over a hundred years, and I'm still fine," Qi Yuan said lazily.

He didn't seem concerned.

Over the past hundred years, True Gods had indeed come to cause him trouble.

After defeating the small fry, bigger ones would come; after defeating the bigger ones, even stronger ones would appear.

After killing so many, no one came anymore.

He had been at peace for over sixty years.

Hearing this, Zhao Jian was stunned.

A hundred years?

And still alive?

A terrifying thought crossed his mind.

Could it be that Qi Yuan... was a notorious figure on the list?

In that mysterious organization, missions were issued daily to hunt down or expel True Gods who mistakenly entered the Abandoned Lands.

But there were some troublesome figures who consistently evaded capture or expulsion, earning a place on the list.

Some of them could no longer be called True Gods, their bodies riddled with terrifying curses, making them untouchable.

Thinking this, Zhao Jian's heart raced, and he wanted to stay as far away from Qi Yuan as possible.

Even though he wore special armor, he feared it might not fully protect him from the misfortunes and curses.

If he got infected, he would be as good as dead.

No wonder no True Gods had come to hunt the Origin Heavenly God all this time.

He was a notorious monster on the list.

This was both good and bad.

"Fellow Daoist, you should be careful. Every ten thousand years, a Dao God descends to the Abandoned Lands to eliminate those notorious True Gods on the list.

The next purge is less than a thousand years away," Zhao Jian warned.

Notorious monsters like Qi Yuan wouldn't be targeted by ordinary True Gods.

Instead, a Dao God would personally intervene.

With the might and power of a Dao God, Qi Yuan would stand no chance.

"It's fine. There's still time. Maybe by then, I'll have already overcome the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations."

Qi Yuan didn't seem concerned.

Although he wasn't a match for a Dao God now, there was still plenty of time for him to improve.

Hearing this, Zhao Jian realized the Origin Heavenly God was beyond reasoning with.

"In that case, I'll take out the Fate Compass and see... if there's any guidance from fate," Zhao Jian resigned himself to his fate.

There were some benefits to following a notorious monster.

At least, the True Gods from the Heavenly King Mountain wouldn't come after him.

Thinking this, Zhao Jian took out a compass.

The compass was made of special materials like Sunstone, Frostfire, and Mangqi.

It radiated the power of fate.

"Fate is with me, guide me to the Three Pure Methods!"

Zhao Jian immediately activated his Dao techniques, using the Fate Compass to seek guidance.

Normally, such guidance would be faint, at most giving a vague direction, making it extremely difficult to find anything.

It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

The Fate Compass suddenly burst into intense light.

It spun rapidly, faster than the speed of light.

"Why is the reaction so strong!" Zhao Jian's eyes widened in shock and confusion.

Could it be... was the Three Pure Methods nearby?

After about forty-nine breaths, the Fate Compass began to slow down.

Finally, it came to a complete stop.

The direction it pointed to was none other than Qi Yuan.

"The Three Pure Methods... are on you?" Zhao Jian's eyes widened in disbelief, a mix of joy and confusion flooding his mind.

Had he really found the location of the Three Pure Methods so easily?

Did the Three Pure Methods truly exist in this world?