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

Myriad Transformations Society.

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord returned, his aura deep and restrained, exuding a vibrant vitality that inspired awe.

This was in stark contrast to the aura of decay that surrounded the leader of the Myriad Transformations Society.

"Greetings, Deputy Leader."

Many Realm Lords bowed, their eyes filled with reverence.

Currently, the leader of the Myriad Transformations Society was erratic and rarely seen.

Power was concentrated in the hands of the three deputy leaders.

Among them, two of the deputy leaders, perhaps due to their extreme longevity, had become somewhat mentally unstable. More importantly, they exuded an aura of decay, lacking the dignity expected of Creation Realm powerhouses.

Thus, within the Myriad Transformations Society, the most popular figure was the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord, one of the deputy leaders.

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord's gaze fell on Realm Lord Chun Ran, and he said indifferently, "Your contributions during the raid on the White Profound Palace rank among the top three. From now on, you will work at Heavenly Tang Mountain."

During this operation, Realm Lord Chun Ran had provided crucial intelligence.

However, her actions had also exposed her identity as a double agent.

Staying in the "Spirit Summoning" research topic would cause dissatisfaction and complications, so it was better for her to work at Heavenly Tang Mountain.

"Thank you, Leader Heavenly Tang," Realm Lord Chun Ran said respectfully, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes.

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out: "Qi Yuan is still alive."

"Oh? He's quite lucky, with some fortune on his side," the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord said, unsurprised.

Hearing this, Realm Lord Chun Ran's expression changed slightly.

She felt guilty for betraying Qi Yuan and hoped he wouldn't return, wishing he would die in the Wind Spirit Cloud.

That way, she could continue to feel at ease with her guilt.

But Qi Yuan hadn't died.

"The palace master of the Black Profound Palace... is dead," the voice said, trembling slightly.

Hearing this, the Realm Lords present were all shocked.

The palace master of the Black Profound Palace was a Creation Realm powerhouse, no weaker than the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord.

After all, every Creation Realm Realm Lord, if left unchecked, could destroy a small universe given enough time.

The palace master of the Black Profound Palace, who had mastered dozens of Dao Lord scriptures, was no ordinary figure.

Yet, he had died in the Ten Thousand Saints Palace. How could they not be shocked?

"Oh? Did the Buddha corpse undergo a change and backlash, killing the palace master of the Black Profound Palace?

I didn't expect this operation to yield such a pleasant surprise. Excellent, excellent.

I will record this as a major merit."

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord smiled broadly, looking quite pleased with himself.

The other Realm Lords present all congratulated him.

The Black Profound Palace had long been an enemy of the Myriad Transformations Society.

Killing the palace master of the Black Profound Palace was a tremendous achievement, and it could even propel him to the position of leader of the Myriad Transformations Society.

Just then, a lazy voice suddenly rang in everyone's ears.

"I was assassinated by the Black Profound Palace. Shouldn't I be given an explanation?"

A figure in a blood-red robe appeared—it was Qi Yuan, his expression calm and indifferent.

Beside him stood Old Fatty, gritting his teeth and seething with anger.

Seeing this, Realm Lord Chun Ran's heart skipped a beat, and she subtly moved behind the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord.

"Using you as bait to set a trap for the Black and White Profound Palaces was my plan," the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord admitted directly, speaking magnanimously. "For this operation, I will credit you with thirty major merits, and you may also borrow these seven Dao Lord scriptures."

Hearing this, the Realm Lords present all showed envy.

With just a small risk, Qi Yuan had received such a generous reward.

"Why don't you thank the leader?" the female Realm Lord beside the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord said, her tone condescending.

"Is that all?" Qi Yuan's voice was calm.

Beside him, Old Fatty couldn't help but speak up: "Deputy Leader Heavenly Tang, when you formulated this plan to target the Black and White Profound Palaces, shouldn't you have informed Qi Yuan first and obtained his consent? Do you know what he represents within the Myriad Transformations Society?"

He was furious.

Furious that the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord had formulated such a plan without their consent, putting Qi Yuan in danger.

"If the leader had informed us in advance, the plan might have been leaked, and we wouldn't have achieved such results," a Realm Lord said.

"Didn't you already receive your reward?"

"Everything should be for the greater good. Don't argue over trivial matters."

The Realm Lords discussed among themselves, most siding with the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord.

Clearly, they were part of his faction.

"The greater good?" Qi Yuan stretched lazily. "It's been a while since I've heard that term. But your 'greater good' means nothing to me. My 'greater good'... is the true greater good."

"This matter must be resolved to my satisfaction.

Although I am lawful and good, even a clay Buddha has a temper."

Although being betrayed and ambushed had ultimately benefited Qi Yuan, he didn't like being schemed against.

"You're right," the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord said at this moment. "At our level, concepts like morality and the greater good are nothing but illusions and excuses.

I was able to formulate this plan without informing you.

Because... I am stronger than you. That's all.

I am stronger than you, and my authority is greater, so I can bully you.

You have some strength, so I won't completely bully you. Your reward still stands.

It's as simple as that.

As for an explanation? The reward I gave you is my explanation."

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord spoke with a condescending tone, not taking Qi Yuan seriously at all.

In the Primordial Council, there was no one truly worthy of his attention.

Even the leader of the Myriad Transformations Society, though stronger than him, was still beneath his notice.

After all, someone so powerful yet so mentally fragile, erratic and insane, was not worth considering.

"What if I were stronger than you?" Qi Yuan asked.

"Then you could scheme against me," the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord replied directly.

The conversation between the two was filled with tension.

The other Realm Lords present remained silent.

"How about we settle this with a fight?" Qi Yuan suggested.

He was being polite.

If the Myriad Transformations Society were a company, then the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord was his boss.

Before killing his boss, he needed to ask for his boss's opinion.

"Why not?" the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord said, exuding confidence.

The others all looked at Qi Yuan with pity.

After all, the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord held a purple jade token and was among the strongest even among purple token holders. He was not someone a newcomer like Qi Yuan could challenge.

"Now?" Qi Yuan asked.

Since his boss had agreed to fight him, it should be fine to kill him now, right?

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord's gaze shifted, as if hesitating.

Just then, an old voice rang out.

"The Myriad Transformations Dao Assembly is approaching, and the Dao Lord may descend at any moment.

At such a time, internal conflict within the Myriad Transformations Society would be disrespectful to the Dao Lord.

Wait until after the assembly, and then you may settle your dispute."

A small old man appeared, hunched over and less than five feet tall.

Yet, within this small frame lay terrifying power.

He spoke to halt the conflict.

In the Myriad Transformations Society, every epoch, a Dao Lord would descend to give a lecture, known as the Myriad Transformations Dao Assembly.

This epoch's assembly could begin at any moment, meaning the Dao Lord's "avatar" could descend at any time.

And battles between Realm Lords could last tens of thousands of years before a victor emerged.

Thus, the old man intervened to prevent Qi Yuan and the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord from missing the Dao Lord's descent.

Moreover, the Myriad Transformations Society had been founded to discuss the Dao and seek change.

Starting a conflict before the Dao Lord's arrival was unwise.

Seeing this old man, Old Fatty's eyes showed reverence.

"Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism, you're awake."

"Greetings, Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism."

The other Realm Lords also bowed.

Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism was one of the three deputy leaders.

He had lived for an extremely long time, and no one knew exactly how many Dao Lord scriptures he had mastered.

Usually, he was in a dazed state, only occasionally lucid.

To the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord, this was a sign of Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism's unstable Dao heart.

"Since Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism has spoken, this battle... will be postponed," the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord said.

Qi Yuan was about to say something.

But then, Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism spoke: "Didn't you want to visit the other places of opportunity? How about you give me some face and agree to my suggestion? I'll help you enter the remaining seven places of opportunity."

There were a total of 36 places of opportunity in the Primordial Council.

Qi Yuan had already visited 22 of them.

Seven were controlled by the Black and White Profound Palaces, and the remaining seven Qi Yuan had yet to enter.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan looked at Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism: "Old man, I'll give you this face."

Originally, entering those seven places of opportunity would have required completing many tasks for the Myriad Transformations Society.

Now, by simply delaying the fight with the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord, he could visit seven places of opportunity.

Why not?

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord looked at Qi Yuan, his expression confident: "Good. You can use those seven places of opportunity to improve your strength. Otherwise... I'm afraid you'll lose too quickly, and this battle won't be interesting."

"You have a sharp tongue," Qi Yuan said, stretching lazily again.

If he hadn't agreed to Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism's request, he might have lost his temper and attacked.

"Qi Yuan, come with me," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said.

"Alright."

Qi Yuan's figure disappeared.

The Heavenly Tang Realm Lord's gaze shifted, lost in thought.

The female Realm Lord beside him showed a strange expression: "Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism is too old. He's gone senile."

The other Realm Lords echoed similar sentiments.

The current Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism was old and frail, his Dao heart weak, like a Rule Realm or All Things Realm Lord on the verge of mental collapse.

...

In a decaying cave dwelling.

Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism propped up his cheek with a hand that looked like tree bark, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

"Old Pants told me he saw you in the Cosmic Spirit Sea," he said, opening his eyes, which were filled with an aura of decay.

"Old Pants?" Qi Yuan found the nickname amusing.

"The leader, the old guy who keeps asking where his underwear is," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said, a rare smile appearing on his face.

"Oh, him," Qi Yuan replied casually.

"Sigh... he and I don't have much time left before we lose our lucidity. We don't know when... we'll step into the fourth layer of Yang God," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said, his tone filled with melancholy.

He had lived for an extremely long time.

Even some Dao Lords might not have lived as long as he had.

"You're interesting. Although you're as erratic as us, your true spirit remains clear and pure. That's rare... It seems you have a chance to surpass the fourth layer of Yang God and reach the fifth layer," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said, his eyes showing envy.

If one could surpass the fourth layer of Yang God and reach the fifth, who would willingly let their true spirit fade into oblivion and enter the fourth layer?

"Heavenly Tang is a talented kid, but not exceptionally so. He'll probably just muddle through like this for the rest of his life.

Sigh, if he were in our position, why would he waste time on petty power struggles?

However, one of his ancestors was once close to me, so today, I spoke a few words on his behalf.

Whether he understands or what he chooses to do is up to him," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism sighed. "The world is full of fools. I see him as naive, while he sees me as decrepit."

Although many in the Myriad Transformations Society believed that the Heavenly Tang Realm Lord was stronger than the other two deputy leaders and might even surpass the leader soon, in reality, compared to him and the leader, Heavenly Tang was as naive as a cabbage.

Creation Realm Realm Lords could indeed improve their strength by mastering Dao Lord scriptures.

But Dao Lord scriptures weren't everything.

"I feel he's already on the path to death," Qi Yuan commented casually.

"I've already repaid the debt to his ancestor. His life and death are no longer my concern," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said.

"Old man, how many people like you are there in the Primordial Council?" Qi Yuan asked.

The Primordial Council was vast and boundless, with many unknown places.

"Not many, probably fewer than twenty. Who knows how many of them will awaken from their madness and step into the fourth layer of Yang God?" Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism sighed.

This sigh was filled with helplessness and despair.

Everyone who had reached their level was a true prodigy, having experienced grand myths and legends.

But at the end of the cultivation path, they had to step into the fourth layer of Yang God, where their true spirits would fade.

Perhaps it was the despair of seeing the end of the cultivation path, or perhaps they were still searching for a way forward, that made them erratic, only occasionally lucid.

One day, when they could no longer remain lucid, it would mean either stepping into the fourth layer of Yang God, their true spirits fading, or truly perishing.

The outcome... was the annihilation of their true spirits, death.

Only by stepping into the fifth layer of Yang God was there a sliver of hope, a chance to survive.

But this chance was only for themselves.

For the beings within their Dao systems and universes, the future was already set, already a cycle.

"Strength is a calamity," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism sighed.

"That's interesting. I once heard the Great Calamity say the same thing," Qi Yuan said.

When he had destroyed the Great Calamity in the Canglan Realm, he had heard it say, "Strength is a calamity."

"The fourth layer of Yang God is a dead end. Don't enter it. The fifth layer offers a sliver of hope.

In less than a hundred years, the Dao Lord of Witchcraft may descend. You can discuss the Dao with Him and seek a path to the fifth layer of Yang God," Deputy Leader Divine Mechanism said, his aged eyes filled with envy.

He could not enter the fifth layer of Yang God.

If a junior could achieve it, he would be overjoyed.

As he spoke, his once-clear eyes grew cloudy, and he seemed to descend into madness.

"Who are you?"

"Old dog, kneel!"

In his madness, he was infinitely close to the fourth layer of Yang God.

"Old man, I'm leaving," Qi Yuan said, quickly making his exit.

After all, when encountering a lunatic, it's best to keep your distance.

Although he had a certificate, he didn't want to be around a real lunatic.

This kind of magical confrontation was too costly.

Before leaving, he called out.

"Old man, if I ever open a mental hospital, remember to come and support me!"