My Golden Core is a Star, do you call this cultivating?

Chapter 315: The Demon Subjugation Division

As Huangmao shouted, the remaining four men around him started to surround Qi Yuan.

Their faces were filled with ferocity, their fists clenched, and a roguish sneer in their eyes.

At that moment, Qi Yuan swung his fist, his voice cold and sharp: "According to Tianxuan law, those who serve demons are to be executed without mercy!"

Huangmao laughed loudly, "What time do you think it is, still talking about Tianxuan law!"

However, his smile quickly froze on his face.

A pair of iron fists came crashing into his chest at a speed he couldn't react to.

His stomach churned with acid, stars danced in his eyes, and his bloodshot eyes bulged as he hunched over like a cooked lobster, his face turning red.

The burly men beside him paused, momentarily stunned and unsure of how to react.

In front of them, the young man, his fist covered with a red veil, looked on with disdain, "How long has it been since you last bathed? Luckily, I had the foresight to cover my hand with this veil; otherwise, your chest hair would have dirtied it."

Unfortunately, Huangmao was in no condition to respond to Qi Yuan’s words.

He couldn’t even breathe.

Not far away, Xiaomei’s eyes widened in shock, the scene unfolding before her far beyond her expectations.

But before she could fully process her shock, Qi Yuan casually reached over to the woodpile and pulled out a butcher's knife.

"No wonder the ancients used knives to kill, and modern people use guns—it's just to avoid getting their hands dirty."

Holding the butcher's knife, Qi Yuan seemed to realize a truth.

With a flash of cold light, Qi Yuan leaped into the air. Utilizing the force of his descending body, he swung the knife downwards.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

A head fell to the ground.

Blood splattered, adding another shade of red to this supposedly festive day.

Qi Yuan moved swiftly; in the brief moment before the head hit the ground, he swung the butcher's knife again.

Blood sprayed in a mist before the smell could spread.

The people around heard the dull thud of heads hitting the ground.

Qi Yuan, holding the knife, eyes filled with killing intent, stood like a god of death.

Huang Sijue’s half-closed eyes now widened in surprise. "A blood martial artist... you’re actually a blood martial artist!"

However, he was merely surprised.

"You hid well, secretly breaking through to become a blood martial artist and stepping onto the extraordinary path," Huang Sijue praised with a hint of admiration in his voice, "But don’t think that becoming a blood martial artist means you can act recklessly in Yunyin County. This place is not for you to run wild!"

Pride gleamed in Huang Sijue’s eyes as he pulled out a cane.

The cane was crystal clear and white as jade—obviously not a common item.

"This cane was made from the bones of a blood martial artist," Huang Sijue continued with a kindly tone, "Like you, he thought he could do as he pleased just because he had some skills. My elder brother’s grandson took a liking to his pregnant wife, which should have been an honor for her. But she, like him, didn’t know her place. She ended up dying in my grandnephew’s bed and even bit his lip, drawing blood."

He spoke slowly, as if telling a story.

“We didn’t even trouble him, but he thought he could storm into the Huang residence just because he had some skills. My elder brother, seeing how ignorant he was, killed him. I found his bones sturdy, so I asked for a few to make this cane. Oh, and the beads on it are polished from his wife’s skull.”

Xiaomei, standing nearby, broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that the demons in Yunyin County were genuinely man-eaters.

Qi Yuan remained calm. “You have the setting of a classic villain. I didn’t expect the villain boss from my game would show up in a game within the game.”

His expression didn’t change, surprising Huang Sijue slightly.

He had shared this story partly because it was natural to warn Qi Er and partly to provoke Qi Yuan.

Blood martial artists, with inherently incomplete bloodlines, were easily provoked, losing their rationality.
At such times, their strength might increase slightly, but their speed and agility would greatly decrease.

Speed was what Huang Sijue excelled at.

Yet his words had failed to enrage Qi Yuan.

“You’re smarter than the owner of these bones, but only slightly!”

With these words, Huang Sijue’s slender figure leaped nimbly into the air, like an agile monkey.

The cane in his hand suddenly attacked Qi Yuan’s back.

The Crane Dips into the Azure!

Huang Sijue executed a demon martial technique.

This martial technique was known for its speed. When fully mastered, it could strike a person thirteen times in an instant.

One strike could severely wound an ordinary blood martial artist, let alone thirteen.

Qi Yuan immediately felt the wind behind his back.

A smile appeared in his eyes. “Footwork!”

His figure flickered, dodging the Crane Dips into the Azure.

“This martial art in this game... is quite interesting. It gives you a significant boost.”

Martial arts and Daoist techniques were two different concepts.

Even dueling with martial arts and dueling with Daoist spells were different concepts.

The experience from the Canglan Realm couldn’t be entirely copied here.

However, Qi Yuan had no shortage of martial combat experience.

During his time on the Moon Watching Continent, he had torn through the Heavenly Absolute Sect, gaining plenty of martial combat experience.

Facing Huang Sijue, he had a complete advantage.

The only advantage Huang Sijue had over him was martial arts—specifically, martial skills.

These bloodline martial techniques could harness the hidden power within the blood, unleashing tremendous strength.

This was very similar to spells in the cultivation world.

Now, Qi Yuan, compared to a cultivator, had the realm but lacked spells.

“But… I have a skill!”

Heaven-Slashing Sword Draw Technique!
Since he had become stronger, Qi Yuan rarely used his skills anymore.

His skills were universally applicable.

This time, he used it directly!

A powerful gale swept through, and the butcher’s knife in Qi Yuan’s hand seemed to be coated in a layer of blood, descending from the sky.

Crack.

The cleaver landed on Huang Sijue’s head, and disbelief spread across his face.

He never expected that Qi Er, who had just entered the Blood Qi realm, could kill him with one strike.

And what was that technique just now?

Qi Yuan sheathed his knife, his eyes filled with a pleased smile. “Not bad, I’m finally getting back into the groove of gaming. I’ve acquired three drops of blood.”

From Huang Sijue’s body, Qi Yuan extracted three drops of blood.

These three drops of blood were the essence of the demon, the most valuable to Qi Yuan.

On the ground lay the body of a weasel, emitting a foul odor.

Xiaomei stood not far away, her body trembling, but she still gritted her teeth and said, “Brother Qi, you can’t drink this blood. Without the official Calm Blood Pill, drinking demon blood will drive you mad!”

Qi Yuan’s mind flashed with memories, but none related to a Calm Blood Pill.

“How do you know so much? Are you some sort of special NPC?” Qi Yuan looked at Xiaomei with a face full of anticipation.

Xiaomei’s body trembled, Qi Yuan's words left her confused. She finally gritted her teeth and said, "I won't hide it anymore. Actually... I’m from the Zhao family in Jiangcuo."

"Never heard of them," Qi Yuan shook his head.

“The Zhao family of Jiangcuo is a martial arts family that often escorts...”

"Get to the point."

“I’ve heard that the most valuable thing from a demon is its essence blood. Consuming their essence blood can enhance your strength. Also, consuming demon essence blood can significantly improve your mastery of martial techniques. But the essence blood of demons is poisonous. A regular blood martial artist consuming a single drop needs a year or two to fully digest it. Consuming too much will lead to madness and eventually becoming a demon, facing certain death. Only with the official Calm Blood Pill can one safely consume more demon essence blood. But even then, consuming too much will turn you mad!” Xiaomei explained nervously.

In simple terms, martial artists following the conventional path would progress step by step. Devouring demon blood was a shortcut.
However, shortcuts were prone to backlash, causing insanity, turning one into a demon, eventually leading to death.

The Calm Blood Pill could neutralize the toxicity in demon blood, allowing martial artists to consume more essence blood from demons.
But still, consuming too much would result in death.

“Oh, I see,” Qi Yuan shrugged.

As expected, players always had advantages.

Does he need a Calm Blood Pill?

No need.

Moreover, even if he took the Calm Blood Pill, there would still be limitations. He, however, had obtained the Devouring Origin Body from the Food Saint Mother.

The Devouring Origin Body was said to be able to devour everything, so devouring demon essence blood should be no problem.

“It’s fine. I’m a player, and I have proof. Even if I go crazy, I’m not afraid.” Qi Yuan stored the three drops of blood away for later, not consuming them immediately.

According to Xiaomei, essence blood could not only boost strength but also improve martial skills. This was something he wanted to save for later.

Earlier, Huang Sijue's martial techniques had caught his attention.

If he wanted to complete this game, he definitely needed to learn the martial techniques within the game.

Would it be foolish to practice martial arts through hard work? Absolutely!

Demon Essence Blood, Attribute Points! That's the way.

"Brother Qi, you've killed Huang Sijue, you should run! Huang Sijue's elder brother is a demon with mastery over blood martial arts!"

Xiaomei was filled with worry when she mentioned this.

Huang Sijue was a demon at the initial stage of blood martial arts, considered a prominent figure in Yunyin County.

But in Yunyin County, the reason Huang Sijue was addressed as "Master Huang" was solely due to his elder brother, a master of blood martial arts.

"Oh? A master in blood martial arts? That could be a bit tricky," Qi Yuan pondered.

A master in blood martial arts, according to his comparison, was likely equivalent to the peak of the Qi Refining stage.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan's martial arts cultivation was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, so there was quite a gap.

In a match purely relying on martial arts, Qi Yuan was likely to be defeated by Elder Huang.

However, if Qi Yuan employed his Daoist techniques, the outcome...

“Seems like I should keep a low profile,” Qi Yuan said, ever prudent and cautious.

Yunyin County had someone equivalent to the peak of Qi Refining. Who’s to say there weren't others comparable to a Yang God?

He needed to be discreet.

"Huang Sijue's elder brother might seek revenge, and I don't have the time to protect you. You should make a run for it."

Qi Yuan, being kind-hearted, still considered the NPC's well-being.

Hearing this, Xiaomei's face lit up with joy. "Brother Qi, I'll leave immediately!"

Clearly, she had been eager to escape for a while.

She had no strong feelings for Qi Yuan.

After all, her life was at stake.

“Alright, go now,” Qi Yuan said, already feeling tired.

After fighting, he felt quite exhausted.

He guessed it was due to the massive consumption of blood and energy in martial combat.

As he watched Xiaomei pack her things and leave, Qi Yuan lay down on his bed and quickly fell asleep.

---

Inside the Yunyin County yamen, the county magistrate looked nervous as he faced four men and women dressed in black combat attire, speaking in a flattering tone, "Sirs, all the records related to the Luo and Chen families are here. This incident is rather peculiar. Some say it was caused by demons, while others claim that Luo Bufan went mad after consuming too much demon essence blood and slaughtered both the Luo and Chen families."

The county magistrate bowed humbly to the four people in front of him, as if addressing his superiors.

The four people were demon subjugators from the Demon Subjugation Division.

In these chaotic times, demons ran rampant, and the only reason the Tianxuan Empire could stand was because of the Demon Subjugation Division.

The establishment date of the Demon Subjugation Division is unknown, and there are no detailed records in historical documents.

The Demon Subjugation Division gathered a group of unique martial artists from across the land, dedicated to the eradication of demons.

“Hmm, you may leave,” said a hoarse voice.

The county magistrate, having received permission, breathed a sigh of relief and left the room.

Inside the room were the four demon subjugators.

If Qi Yuan were here, he would recognize one of them as Chen Fan, the man he had met on the yacht.

At this moment, Chen Fan, dressed in black combat attire, had a contemplative expression.

The other three were flipping through the files, until the only female demon subjugator spoke up, "Captain, what do you make of this mission?"

Chen Fan, the strongest among them, was chosen as the team leader.

They were on a mission to Yunyin County.

On the surface, it appeared impressive, but in reality, it was fraught with danger. Who knew if the county magistrate had any hidden intentions?

Moreover, the number of demons in Yunyin County was somewhat high.

They didn't dare to make a scene, fearing they might provoke the demons.

Eliminate demons?

Forget it, their priority was to complete the mission and ensure their survival.

If it weren’t related to their mission, they wouldn't actively provoke the demons.

Chen Fan put down the files, his gaze deep. "We need to find this key figure, Luo Bufan."

"But... didn't Luo Bufan ascend?"

"His ascension is definitely fake. How could an ordinary martial artist ascend?" the round-faced woman said, her tone certain.

"The mission mentions this person, which means he's not simple."

“Oddly enough, if I remember correctly, there was also a Luo Bufan in the real world who broke through the martial arts limit and ascended. Could it be the same person?” Yang Xuewen asked.

"This is your first mission, so you might not know. This sort of thing is quite common. Most of our missions are modified versions of real events. Some say it could be parallel worlds. I’m not really sure," the round-faced woman explained.

Hearing this, Chen Fan’s face showed more nostalgia, and he reminded them, “In Yunyin County, there are three factions we should avoid provoking: the fish by the seaside, the yellow weasels in the gambling dens, and the snakes in the Yihua Courtyard.”

“Rest assured, as long as we haven’t made progress on the mission, I don’t plan to provoke the local forces. Even if they’re disrespectful, I’ll endure it,” the round-faced woman was pragmatic.

“Indeed, our primary task is to find Luo Bufan,” Chen Fan said.

---

“Sigh, if I form my Golden Core here, where will my Stellar Golden Core appear? Is this place... still the real world?”

The next morning, Qi Yuan munched on a steamed bun and gazed at the sun in the sky, deep in thought.

He was already on the verge of forming his Golden Core.

"Forget it, better to form it outside. Otherwise, forming a Golden Core within a game’s game, what kind of nonsense is that?"

Qi Yuan grumbled to himself, stuffing the rest of the bun into his mouth as he headed towards the Luo residence.