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

Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods.

Tian Immortal's Grotto-Heaven.

This place was inhabited by the descendants of the Tian Immortal, one of the Twelve Pillars, as well as their subordinate gods.

An Nan's expression was cold as he looked at Qi Yuan. "If it weren't for the fact that Hei Tian once helped me when I was still a Void God, and I owe him a great debt, I would have avoided meeting you as well."

Among the Twelve Pillars, the Tian Immortal and Tian Kai were at odds, and their descendants rarely interacted with each other. Someone like Hei Tian, who dared to cross these boundaries, was indeed rare.

"I will remember Hei Tian's kindness," Qi Yuan said calmly, with a polite tone.

"I am very curious about the incident where An Ba Xian perished in the Abandoned Lands. I would like to see if there is any information left behind. If possible, I would like to pay my respects to An Ba Xian's remains."

An Nan frowned.

To be honest, Qi Yuan's request was a bit excessive. However, the debt he owed to Hei Tian... this could be a way to settle it. He didn't want to get too deeply involved with Hei Tian.

"These are some fragments of information left behind by my ancestor when he was in the Abandoned Lands," An Nan said, handing Qi Yuan a tattered book.

Qi Yuan took the book and began reading it carefully on the spot.

An Nan sat to the side, turning his head away and playing with fish that seemed to float in the air.

"In the Profound Zero Realm, strange things are happening. People are growing extra eyes... this is bizarre.

I erected a divine statue, absorbed faith, and devoured the World Spirit."

Generally, when the True Gods of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods descended into various worlds and planes, they would absorb faith and sometimes devour the World Spirit.

"However, after I devoured the World Spirit, the extra eyes on the inhabitants of the Profound Zero Realm disappeared... no, they didn't disappear. They transferred to me!!!"

The outcome was clear. The strange phenomenon had shifted to An Ba Xian.

He was a Divine Lord realm powerhouse, equivalent to a Realm Lord in other universes.

Yet, after devouring a mere World Spirit, his body became grotesque, and he suffered unbearable pain, nearing death.

Even a Dao God who examined him could only shake his head—there was no saving him.

"So, after he refined the World Spirit, the anomalies of the Profound Zero Realm were transferred to him.

When he could no longer endure and died, the anomalies would return to the Profound Zero Realm."

From the content above, Qi Yuan extracted these key points.

In the current Sky Federation, Wraiths were rampant. Even though Qi Yuan's divine decree specifically targeted Wraiths, there were always special circumstances that caused the number of deaths in the Sky Federation to increase daily.

If someone were to devour the World Spirit of the Sky Federation, would the accidental deaths in the Sky Federation decrease?

The problem was, the Sky Federation didn't have a World Spirit.

And... who would devour it?

Even a Divine Lord realm powerhouse could die from it. To devour it, one would need an indestructible attribute.

If anyone were to devour it, it would have to be Qi Yuan.

After all, the mission of this game was to protect the Abandoned Lands.

"I've finished reading. If you want to see that guy's corpse, follow me," An Nan said, showing no respect for An Ba Xian.

Qi Yuan nodded.

The two entered an underground leyline, where the temperature gradually rose, as if they were in the core of the sun.

Everywhere they looked, there were flames and explosions.

However, at the very center, there was an extreme cold.

A small iceberg stood there, surrounded by endless flames, yet it never melted.

On the iceberg lay a shattered divine body.

His expression was extremely twisted, filled with terror.

On his back were countless eyes, each exuding an indescribable aura, with blood seeping from them.

In addition, the hair inside his body was unusually thick.

Even the blood droplets contained strands of hair, making it all the more bizarre.

"This is An Ba Xian?"

He looked like he had died a gruesome death.

[Cursed Corpse: Burdened with misfortune, twisted to death.]

This was the hidden information Qi Yuan's eyes revealed.

"Can I take one of the eyes and a strand of hair?" Qi Yuan asked An Nan.

"Sure," An Nan replied, looking somewhat puzzled. He then warned, "These things are extremely strange. Try not to study them too much, and don't bring them into your divine realm. Be careful of contamination."

"Thanks for the reminder," Qi Yuan said with a smile, taking an eye and a strand of hair before leaving.

In the following days, Qi Yuan's daily routine involved examining the eye and the hair, as well as visiting the Sky Federation to see if he could protect more people.

After all, this was his mission.

As he observed the eye and the hair, Qi Yuan gained more useful information.

"These so-called misfortunes are curses of damnation. To avoid falling into the abyss, one must... forget."

After observing for so long, Qi Yuan finally found a way to deal with this kind of misfortune.

"Create a Sword of Forgetfulness to cut away the cursed flesh."

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.

He had found a method to protect the Abandoned Lands.

Of course, this method wasn't perfect.

In fact, it would be extremely painful and torturous.

"Gather all the curses of damnation and misfortunes of the Abandoned Lands onto myself... then use the Sword of Forgetfulness to cut away the fatal misfortunes."

Qi Yuan frowned.

"Only a saint could do something like this."

Qi Yuan sighed.

These so-called misfortunes and curses of damnation varied in severity.

Bearing such things would bring immense suffering, enduring what ordinary people could not.

In addition, when a part of the body was eroded by misfortune and curses to the point of death, the Sword of Forgetfulness would be used to cut away that part.

"But this is just a game. No matter how painful, it's all illusory."

"Could it be that I'm afraid of suffering even in a game?"

"Compared to those true saints, I'm still far behind."

Qi Yuan smiled faintly.

He had made his decision.

He would use this method to protect the Abandoned Lands.

Although there were risks, and it might be painful, it was just a game, wasn't it?

In the game of life, suffering is part of the experience.

"So, the top priority now... is to forge a Sword of Forgetfulness?"

Qi Yuan pondered deeply.

"Feng Ye, I'm going into seclusion for a while. Don't disturb me."

After giving his instructions, Qi Yuan began forging the Sword of Forgetfulness.

Although Qi Yuan wasn't particularly skilled in sword-making, at his current level of cultivation, and with the knowledge of artifact forging he had gained in the Divine Wood Universe, creating a sword was still a relatively simple task for him.

"Mother of All Metals, Yin-Yang Nine Truth Stone, Void Yin Malice..."

Various flames rose from Qi Yuan's hands.

Blazing heat, icy cold, extreme frost.

Different special effects filled the air as the materials in his hands melted into liquid.

"To forge the Sword of Forgetfulness, one must enter a state of self-forgetfulness.

The heart must be filled with nothing but the concept of forgetting!"

The most unique aspect of the Sword of Forgetfulness wasn't the materials, but the "forgetfulness" imbued into it.

At this moment, Qi Yuan's Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra activated.

He entered a state of self-forgetfulness.

"Forgetting is the beginning of everything."

"Forgetting is the end of time."

"The cycle is ultimately broken by forgetting."

A peculiar aura spread as Qi Yuan refined the materials, exuding a terrifying presence.

It was as if something horrifying was being born.

At the same time.

An Unknown Place.

Here, endless flames burned, covering an area perhaps one-third the size of a universe.

The flames consumed everything—space, time, cause and effect, and even fate seemed to be burned away.

Suddenly, a clanging sound echoed.

Clang!

The sound of chains rattling grew faster, louder, and more frequent.

At the edge of the world.

Several Divine Lords woke up, their eyes filled with confusion.

"What's going on?"

"Why is the Endless Sea of Flames acting up?"

"There's... a sword buried here!"

"Report this to the Dao Gods!"

Immediately, several Divine Lords vanished.

After all, there were many legends about the Endless Sea of Flames.

It was said that a peerless sword of great calamity was buried here.

No one knew the name of this sword.

Those who knew its name were all dead.

In the blink of an eye, three Dao Gods descended, their majestic figures towering over the flames.

They stretched out their hands, capable of enveloping the entire Endless Sea of Flames.

It was as if this space, one-third the size of a universe, was nothing more than a plaything in their palms.

"The sword... is gone," one Dao God murmured, his voice complex.

"Its essence has long been worn away, forgotten by all. What remains... is but a broken sword," another Dao God said.

"Even a broken sword... is enough to kill us," the third Dao God said, his face filled with worry. "This matter must be thoroughly investigated."

The other two nodded, their expressions grave.

This broken sword was stained with too much blood.

"Unfortunately, the broken sword doesn't carry any karma, and its fate cannot be divined. We cannot calculate its whereabouts."

"Regardless, we must find it and determine the reason for its disappearance."

"Order an increase in surveillance of the Abandoned Lands."

"Let us hope... the disasters of the past do not repeat."

"All we desire... is peace in the heavens and the eternal continuation of our Dao."

...

"Is this the sword I forged?"

Qi Yuan looked somewhat dazed.

To forge the Sword of Forgetfulness, the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra had to be activated, deceiving even himself.

Now, he was in a state of confusion, his memory hazy.

But even with his memory impaired, he still had some common sense.

He had clearly been forging a new sword, yet what he ended up with was an old, broken sword.

The sword wasn't long, and it seemed to have rust on it, with many fine cracks running through it.

[Sword of Forgetfulness: A broken sword.]

"Perhaps, due to the nature of forgetfulness, this sword has forgotten the passage of time, which is why it has become so broken?"

Qi Yuan muttered to himself.

Under the influence of the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra, he was in a state of clarity and didn't dwell on it further.

"There's still so much material left. Let's add more and then imbue it with the essence of forgetfulness."

As Qi Yuan worked, new materials were integrated into the broken sword.

The essence of forgetfulness was being infused into it through the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra.

"Forgetfulness is the foundation, the essence, the root of the Dao!"

"Only through forgetfulness can one achieve eternity."

As Qi Yuan spoke, the essence of the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra continued to pour into the Sword of Forgetfulness.

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Yuan opened his eyes, his face pale.

"I'm exhausted. Did I finally succeed?"

He shook his head, dispelling the state induced by the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra.

However, his eyes still held the clarity and confusion of a college student.

"Strange, why do I feel like my Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra didn't fully imbue this sword?"

"This is one tricky sword."

Qi Yuan sighed.

Although it wasn't fully imbued, the power of this sword still exceeded Qi Yuan's expectations.

"I didn't expect my forging skills to have reached such a pinnacle."

Qi Yuan praised himself.

This sword was far more powerful than the light sword he had forged in the Divine Wood Universe.

"With this sword, killing a Divine Lord would be a piece of cake, right?"

Qi Yuan's thoughts wandered.

But suddenly, he froze.

"Something's not right. Did something happen while I was forging this sword?"

"Damn it, using the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra made me forget even the process of forging the sword."

"What... happened back then?"

For some reason, Qi Yuan felt like he had forgotten something important.

"Well, forget it. It's probably just some useless information, junk memory. Deleting it is no big deal."

Holding the newly forged Sword of Forgetfulness, Qi Yuan was in a good mood.

This sword gave him a feeling that it was no less powerful than the Hall of Eternity or the Gate of Myriad Principles.

Qi Yuan guessed that he had been able to forge it due to a stroke of luck.

If he tried to forge it again, he might be able to create another Sword of Forgetfulness, but... it definitely wouldn't be as powerful.

"So, my luck is still pretty good. Where's the bad luck?"

Qi Yuan thought smugly.

"Your Highness."

At this moment, Feng Ye approached, his expression grave.

"What is it? How long have I been in seclusion?"

"Forty-nine days," Feng Ye replied, his face still serious. "Thirty days ago, Pillar Tian Kai... went to the front lines."

"To fight the Soul-Severing Bridge?" Qi Yuan asked.

The Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods had always been at odds with the Soul-Severing Bridge, and the two factions had been in conflict for a long time.

However, previous battles had always been kept within a certain scope. Although Pillar-level powerhouses were stationed at the front lines, they were usually just figureheads.

Now, the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods had sent Pillar Tian Kai to the front lines, indicating that the situation there had changed.

This change could affect everyone in the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods.

For Feng Ye, the one most affected would be the god-child he served, Qi Yuan.

"Your Highness, please cultivate as quickly as possible and break through to the Divine Lord realm. Otherwise, if you are summoned to the front lines, there is a risk of death," Feng Ye urged.

Now that Tian Kai had rushed to the front lines, things were moving quickly.

Once the situation stabilized, it was possible that god-children like Qi Yuan would be summoned to the front lines.

As Qi Yuan's protector, Feng Ye would also have to go.

"Alright, I'm already working hard on my cultivation," Qi Yuan said.

Currently, he was still tempering his divine decree in the Abandoned Lands.

The Divine Lord realm wasn't far off.

This speed, if revealed, would be considered terrifying.

However, after reading through the books in the library, Qi Yuan had discovered many strange things.

For example, Hei Tian had reached the Divine Lord realm in just ten thousand years, and then... he had remained stuck at that level.

This speed... in other universes or the Six Heavens of the Immortal Realm, would be considered astonishing.

After all, reaching the third stage of the Yang God realm in ten thousand years was no small feat.

But in the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods, there were quite a few people like him.

What was more important was that most people needed millions of years to achieve this, which was already considered a prodigy. For others, it took tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of years.

So, this world was, overall, quite strange.