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

Yang Guang's expression changed multiple times.

"Brother Qi, the demon blood from two early-stage Jade Blood realm demons... should be enough, right?"

He had a bad feeling.

Could it be that appearances are deceiving?

Was Qi Yuan deliberately making things difficult for him because he didn't actually want to give him the entry token for the Genius Alliance?

"Not enough," Qi Yuan shook his head. He held 200 drops of demon blood and said softly, "The old ancestor of Taihuang Palace is too strong. I need to quickly increase my strength.

Hmm... let me show you now... how I absorb demon blood."

With Qi Yuan's words, 400 drops of demon blood floated into the air and were absorbed into his palms and pores.

An Qiao widened her eyes. Last time, she hadn’t paid close attention when Qi Yuan was cultivating.

This time... she had to take a good look to see if Qi Yuan was really using demon blood for cultivation.

She carefully watched Qi Yuan, not missing a single detail.

"He really did absorb it!" Upon seeing Qi Yuan's actions clearly, An Qiao's pupils constricted, and her eyes were filled with shock.

Yang Guang froze, his mind going blank.

"Brother Qi, if you do that... you will explode and die!"

He urgently reminded him.

Absorbing a large amount of demon blood in a short time, the human body would not withstand it and could explode.

He felt both anxious and guilty.

He thought Qi Yuan might have been provoked by his words and thus absorbed 400 drops of demon blood all at once.

But the next moment, an inexplicable voice sounded, and Yang Guang was stunned, staring blankly at Qi Yuan.

"You consumed 400 drops of demon blood and began cultivating.

100 drops of demon blood have been consumed. You gained a hundred days' worth of cultivation. Your qi and blood are abundant, reaching the peak of the early stage of the Jade Blood realm." ṞＡŊоВĘȿ

"After consuming 300 drops of demon blood, you tried to advance directly to the late stage of the Jade Blood realm in one go.

However, even though you are exceptionally talented and intelligent, the demon blood fell short, being somewhat nutritionally deficient. Your attempt failed, but you gained 300 days of cultivation."

After the voice finished, Qi Yuan opened his eyes, his expression filled with joy.

This time, pretending to be a system again brought new rewards. It seemed to know how to please its host better.

"See, I absorbed all 400 drops of demon blood, and I've already reached the mid-stage of the Jade Blood realm," Qi Yuan said, looking at Yang Guang, extending his hand. "So, I still need more demon blood. Bodyguard... you know what to do."

Yang Guang was at a loss, his mind in turmoil.

What he saw in front of him was beyond his comprehension.

Could it be... Qi Yuan had some special talent?

Could he eat a lot and absorb it quickly?

That was the only explanation.

Yang Guang convinced himself and then looked at Qi Yuan, asking with difficulty, "How much more demon blood do you need?"

"Not much more. As long as the demon blood allows me to improve enough to defeat my great enemy, I'll stop killing," Qi Yuan said seriously.

Due to the innate seed, the power-up in this world would almost completely reflect on his real body.

So improving here was equivalent to his strength in the Canglan Realm also getting stronger.

"Brother Yang, could it be you're not up to it anymore?" Seeing Yang Guang hesitating, Qi Yuan continued, "If you're struggling, this time, you don't have to face the demons alone. I can join you."

"No need, I'm fine!" Yang Guang replied loudly.

Even if Qi Yuan could absorb a lot, there had to be a limit.

Moreover, his enemy, the old ancestor of Taihuang Palace, was probably just at the mid-stage of the Jade Blood realm.

Killing one or two more mid-stage Jade Blood demons should be enough.

No worries, just hold on a little longer.

He was, after all, at the peak of the mid-stage Jade Blood realm and could even rival Zhou Yuan.

Seeing Yang Guang so brimming with confidence, Qi Yuan couldn't help but praise, "This bodyguard was worth every penny!"

"Hmph, I certainly won't let Brother Qi suffer a loss.

In this mission, whenever we encounter demons, I will slay them for Brother Qi and extract their demon blood. I will ensure Brother Qi returns fully rewarded!"

Yang Guang, insisting on saving face even at his own expense, figured he had started, so he might as well finish strong.

Hearing Yang Guang's words, Qi Yuan was very pleased.

Hou Mushi was also happy.

After all, the corpses of the demons could be used as food.

Next, the accompanying guards carried the demon corpses back to Zhenyang City.

Only Hou Mushi remained in the mountains, guiding Qi Yuan and the others.

In the next half-day, they visited three more rogue demon territories.

Yang Guang killed three late-stage Qi and Blood realm demons, two early-stage Jade Blood realm demons, and even one mid-stage Jade Blood realm demon.

At this point, he looked vastly different from the confident figure who first entered the mountains. He was now injured, his blood martial energy depleted, and appeared quite miserable.

Seeing Yang Guang carrying the demon corpses back, Qi Yuan couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "So strong, I can't even see your limits.

This time, when you staggered off to hunt the demons, I thought you would ask me to join you, but to my surprise... you came back.

I almost want to sing you 'Lonely Warrior,' but alas, I'm too old to remember the lyrics."

"Ugh..." Yang Guang panted heavily, looking at Qi Yuan with a resentful expression.

What Qi Yuan said was exactly what he wanted to say.

He wanted to ask Qi Yuan... what's your limit?

With so much demon blood, and yet... you still want more?

But, having committed to his words and trying to maintain his facade, he had to see it through with gritted teeth.

"Here, have some watermelon, take a break." Qi Yuan tossed a watermelon, and Yang Guang caught it.

He took the watermelon and ate it slowly.

The watermelon, which he had initially found tasteless, now seemed incredibly delicious.

The truth was... his blood martial energy was severely depleted.

If he encountered another Jade Blood realm demon now, he would have to flee quickly.

Otherwise, further depletion of his blood martial energy would leave him without the ability to defend himself and unable to leave Mount Shu Yao.

"Are you not okay? You seem pretty weak," Qi Yuan asked, looking at Yang Guang with concern.

"No, I'm fine. I'll protect you no matter what!" Yang Guang threw the watermelon rind to the ground forcefully.

"Good. From your expression, I thought you had kidney deficiency." Qi Yuan was not a doctor, but whenever he saw someone who seemed sick, he would say it was kidney deficiency—ten times out of ten, he'd be right.

"No, I’m incredibly strong now. If one demon comes, I'll kill one; if a group comes, I'll kill them all!" Yang Guang quickly retorted.

How could a man admit to being unfit?

Moreover... you can't let someone label you with kidney deficiency!

Not far away, An Qiao watched this and couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's good, then I'm relieved," Qi Yuan sighed in relief.

Noticing Qi Yuan's expression change, Yang Guang was a bit puzzled. He glanced at the gradually darkening sky and tentatively asked, "Tonight... are we still hunting demons? Isn't it a bit late?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a ruthless capitalist who makes you hunt demons in the middle of the night," Qi Yuan quickly explained.

He strictly adhered to an eight-hour workday.

Yang Guang let out a sigh of relief.

His life was spared.

"However..." Qi Yuan mused, "I don't hunt demons, but demons come to hunt me.

Today, we've been wreaking havoc in the outskirts of Mount Shu Yao, catching the attention of the demons.

To attract more demons and gather more demon blood, I deliberately... didn't conceal our aura.

So... not far from us, over a dozen demons are heading this way.

Hmm... their strength isn't too high, weaker than the ones you killed earlier.

Just three early-stage Jade Blood realm demons and a dozen Qi and Blood realm demons."

"???" Yang Guang's eyes widened.

He felt as if he heard a cracking sound, the sound of his heart breaking.

"What... demons are coming our way?"

He quickly extended his senses, and what he discovered shocked him.

He immediately locked eyes with more than a dozen pairs of demonic eyes.

His heart skipped a beat.

If he got tangled up with these dozen or so demons now, he might indeed be exhausted.

Before he could speak, he saw Qi Yuan's expectant gaze.

"Brother Yang, it's your turn. I want their demon blood."

Yang Guang felt like crying but had no tears, his legs trembling involuntarily.

He seemed to remember the look his wife gave him after they had been married for a few years when he wasn't yet a warrior.

"Brother Qi... how about we run?"

Life is more important than face. At this point, Yang Guang accepted reality and decided to flee.

If he lost his fighting strength and got entangled with these demons, drawing the attention of the main demon army, there would be no way to leave Mount Shu Yao alive.

Not to mention, they still had to go to the Fenghua Cave to meet the flower demon Man Luo and complete the mission.

"Run away?" Qi Yuan was momentarily stunned, looking at Yang Guang. "Why should we run away? Their strength isn't that great; they're not as strong as the ones you killed before."

Hearing this, Yang Guang stammered, "Well, as the saying goes, 'It's not the plow that wears out the ox, but the land.' There are just too many demons in Mount Shu Yao."

"The more, the better. This place is a treasure trove," Qi Yuan said, then looked at Yang Guang with a disappointed expression. "I see now, you're sick—kidney deficiency. Looks like this time, I'll have to rely on myself."

With that, Qi Yuan got up directly.

Yang Guang's face changed slightly. "You've just reached the mid-stage of the Jade Blood realm. Shouldn't we... retreat first? If we get surrounded and the demon army swarms in, we won't be able to escape."

An Qiao's face also showed a worried expression.

At this point, retreating was the best option.

"Why retreat?" Qi Yuan's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Today, when I picked up this stick on Mount Shu Yao, I realized... Mount Shu Yao is my blessed land."

In Qi Yuan's hand was a straight stick.

A stick this straight was quite rare.

When people were young and found such a stick, they would feel like they were the Monkey King.

Holding this stick, Qi Yuan also felt overwhelmingly powerful.

Holding the wooden stick, he walked forward with determination: "Women, children, and those with kidney deficiency... stay here. Tonight, let me protect you all!"

An Qiao and Hou Mushi were moved.

Yang Guang, on the other hand, wanted to argue that he wasn't suffering from kidney deficiency.

But at this moment, given the atmosphere, it wasn't appropriate to break the tension.

At this point, more than a dozen demons appeared.

They were colorful and oddly shaped.

At the front was a dog demon.

"Are you the ones from the Demon Suppression Division rampaging in our mountain, killing demons at will?"

The dog demon spoke cautiously, sizing up the four people before it.

The other two early-stage Jade Blood realm demons also looked serious.

Originally, they heard that two late-stage Qi and Blood realm demons had been killed, so they were dispatched to investigate.

However... it seemed the enemies were stronger than expected.

"If you want to live, leave the demon blood behind!" The dog demon demanded, clearly not wanting to fight Qi Yuan and the others.

After all, with two enemies at the Jade Blood realm, fighting them could result in significant casualties—not worth it.

They intended to pretend to let them go, then call for more demon soldiers to encircle and annihilate them.

Yang Guang heard this and was secretly thrilled, almost ready to help Qi Yuan agree to their terms.

However, a cold, stern voice sounded.

"The moment I picked up this stick, it was destined that tonight... would be anything but peaceful."

Kill!

In that instant, Qi Yuan's blood martial energy boiled, and he leapt forward like a giant bird, rushing toward the dozen demons.

Although his cultivation was downgraded by one level in this world, similar to how a pre-True Meaning realm Sun God would be affected when entering other worlds, he was now in the Golden Core stage.

However... in Qin Yuan Country, with the assistance of the Canary, Qi Yuan's cultivation had soared.

After all, if the spiritual energy wasn't enough, what would he do?

He would ask the Canary for a kiss, transfer some spiritual energy, and maybe engage in dual cultivation.

His cultivation level rose quickly.

In the current world, he was already at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

He was just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage.

In the game, his strength was also at the late Jade Blood realm level.

Even without using his martial prowess, relying solely on his cultivation strength, he could easily slaughter these demons.

A ray of light flashed from the wooden stick.

"Enlarge!"

With Qi Yuan's command, the wooden stick in his hand shone as if coated with golden light, transforming into something akin to the Golden Cudgel.

"Die!"

Qi Yuan wielded the wooden stick, looking majestic as he swept it through the air.

The enormous stick seemed to weigh a hundred thousand pounds.

The gust it generated uprooted nearby trees and sent them flying.

The mighty wind roared like a whispering god.

A powerful wind barrier formed, trapping the dozen demons inside, rendering them immobile.

"What is this?"

The leading dog demon's face was filled with shock and fear.

The other demons felt the same; the sight before them had completely stunned them.

Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to be surprised.

The enormous stick directly slammed into their bodies.

Even when they revealed their true forms, they stood no chance against this attack.

Like the Golden Cudgel, the stick smashed down, instantly turning them into a bloody pulp.

Instant kill!

Annihilation in a single strike!

Not far away, Hou Mushi's eyes widened, filled with admiration.

An Qiao's eyes were wide with amazement.

Last time... Qi Yuan wasn't this strong, was he?

Yang Guang, however, was filled with shock and suspicion.

No way, brother. You're this powerful—you can easily kill me—yet you asked me to be your bodyguard?

What kind of trick is this?

And... is this even martial arts?

What Qi Yuan used didn't seem to be martial arts.

Instead, it looked like... the legendary immortal arts.

But... wasn't it said that using immortal arts in this world would lower one's level by a tier?

Then just how strong was Qi Yuan's real body?

His mind was shaken, and he didn't dare think further.

Meanwhile, several hundred drops of demon blood arrived, and Qi Yuan's expression remained calm.

As if he had just squashed a few ants.

"It's still better to crush them to a pulp—no need to bury them, and they can even fertilize the soil."

The wooden stick in his hand returned to its original state, and Qi Yuan spoke lightly.

Yang Guang's smile was awkward.

He felt like he had been a bit of a fool earlier.

With Qi Yuan's strength, does he even need protection?

Zhou Yuan probably couldn't even withstand a single blow from him.

"Brother Qi, you've been hiding the truth from me. Your strength... surpasses mine.

Me protecting you... is simply a joke," Yang Guang sighed.

He felt that he could forget about the Genius Alliance token.

"Indeed, I have lowered my guard and shown part of my strength to you. Shouldn't you also drop your facade with me?" Qi Yuan asked.

"Huh?" Yang Guang blinked, not understanding Qi Yuan's meaning. "What have I been hiding?"

"Didn't you claim you could challenge my great enemy, the old ancestor of Taihuang Palace?" Qi Yuan asked seriously.

"..." Yang Guang put on a pitiful look, "I thought... he was weak. Since he can be your opponent, there's no way I'm his match!"

"Is that so?" Qi Yuan looked at Yang Guang, his expression calm. After a few moments, he said, "You weren't lying; your bloodline origin indeed pales in comparison to his."

Yang Guang looked puzzled, not quite understanding what Qi Yuan meant.

What did this have to do with his bloodline origin?

However, saying his bloodline origin was weak was something he couldn't agree with.

Although Qi Yuan practiced immortal arts and his real-world cultivation was high, making him a big shot, Yang Guang's bloodline origin was a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, he didn't dare say this out loud.

After all, Qi Yuan's actions were quite unpredictable.

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