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

Chapter 409: The Abyss of Black Demons, Bloodline

The Molo Sacred Tower was akin to a bustling city compared to a countryside village, far superior to floating cities in terms of spiritual energy.

Mortals living in the Molo Sacred Tower could nearly double their lifespan.

During this time, Qi Yuan had been using celestial energy to purify his body, causing his skin to become increasingly white and translucent.

Of course, his kind of white was different from Ning Tao’s cold, pale skin—it was more like a pure, flawless cleanliness.

Jiang Lingsu, standing beside him, stared blankly in envy. "I want to become a Yin God too!"

Looking at Qi Yuan, she felt both admiration and a sense of inferiority.

After all, her skin now seemed less perfect compared to Qi Yuan’s.

"Now that you're here, focus on cultivating," Qi Yuan said, patting Jiang Lingsu’s hair.

The group of three arrived at one of the levels of the Molo Sacred Tower known as Jiyu Heaven.

This level was the most prosperous and had the highest number of visiting cultivators. Many of the Sacred Lands from other heavens, as well as those from the Fifth Heaven, had established outposts here.

The region where the Molo Clan resided was rich in Miluo Light, a valuable resource that could expand a divine domain and was also beneficial to Yang God Celestial Sovereigns, potentially connected to illuminating the myriad realms.

Thus, many powerful forces had outposts within the Molo Clan’s territory to assign people to collect Miluo Light.

As they wandered through Jiyu Heaven, powerful auras occasionally flashed by in streams of light.

In the midst of the grand city, the three of them navigated calmly through the crowd.

This massive city was the central hub of Jiyu Heaven, where all the Sacred Lands from different heavens had outposts.

“Futu Mountain is really out of its league, not even having an outpost here,” Qi Yuan sighed.

“Cough, Futu Mountain is merely a Second Heaven Sacred Land. Not having an outpost here… is normal,” Shen Wushen said awkwardly.

Futu Mountain only had one Yang God, and even that was at the Heavenly Realm. They could hardly extend their reach into the Molo Clan’s territory.

“Seems like I’ll need to join a stronger faction this time,” Qi Yuan pondered aloud.

Wandering aimlessly through the Molo Sacred Tower wasn’t wise—it could easily draw attention.

Especially since the major actions he was planning were sure to attract the attention of Yang Gods.

Casually joining a faction as a guest elder not only meant free lodging and meals, but his talent and efforts might also catch the eye of some wealthy Supreme Truth mistress—now that would be delightful.

Additionally, being part of a faction would make it easier to settle Jiang Lingsu and Shen Wushen.

At this moment, Qi Yuan stood atop a pavilion, gazing at a distant wall plastered with numerous “job postings,” with many cultivators gathered below to read them.

“Xuan Yun Mountain is recruiting three Yin God guest elders, Great Sovereigns are prioritized. Compensation negotiable. Also hiring several Purple Mansion cultivators, ten years' pay is one piece of celestial jade.”

“Yuxian Gate is recruiting Purple Mansion worshippers...”

“Taihuang Palace is recruiting worshippers, cultivation requirement: Mythic realm...”

“Black Demon Abyss…”

Qi Yuan’s eyes landed on the recruitment notice for Taihuang Palace, but he quickly dismissed the idea—it was better to stay far away from the one from Taihuang Palace for now.

“This Molo Sacred Tower has outposts from four Sacred Lands of the Sixth Heaven. The rest are mainly from the Fifth Heaven. As for the Fourth Heaven and below, they’re even rarer,” Shen Wushen said, trying to reassert his knowledge.

After being dismissed as not a true Immortal Realm native earlier, he now sought to prove his familiarity with the realms.

He was still knowledgeable about the famous major forces in the Sixth Heaven.

“What do you think of Black Demon Abyss?” Qi Yuan asked casually.

Shen Wushen’s expression became serious as he replied, “Every top Sacred Land in the Sixth Heaven has its own unique qualities.

“Black Demon Abyss is unique because they have many Yang God Celestial Sovereigns in the Supreme Truth realm.

“As for exactly how many, this junior does not know.

“But for this reason, the factions within Black Demon Abyss are extremely complicated, with many rival groups.

“Even so, Black Demon Abyss remains one of the top ten major forces in the Sixth Heaven.”

“So many white lotuses?” Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up, though he quickly calmed himself.

He hadn’t even met them yet—it was too early to start thinking of them as white lotuses, or else it would cheapen the value of his collection.

Just then, a well-dressed cultivator approached them, his eyes carrying a hint of arrogance. “You must be from the lower heavens. It’s not so simple to become a guest elder in Black Demon Abyss.”

The cultivator’s name was Ji Buping, from the Fifth Heaven. He had a sense of superiority over cultivators from the lower heavens.

Thus, when speaking to Qi Yuan, he emphasized the words “lower heavens.”

“Good eyes, fellow Daoist. I accidentally entered a secret realm in the Second Heaven, and ended up here. I don’t even have enough celestial jade to get home, so I’m looking for a job to earn travel expenses. Could you tell me why joining Black Demon Abyss as a guest elder is so difficult?” Qi Yuan responded, crafting the persona of a Futu Mountain elder.

“Black Demon Abyss is an extremely insular Sacred Land, and they place great importance on bloodline,” Ji Buping explained, flicking his hair back to reveal a black mark near his ear. “See this? My bloodline is strong enough that in Black Demon Abyss, I could at least be a steward... Unfortunately, without a Sky-Passing Jade, I can’t reach the Sixth Heaven.”

Ji Buping longed to go to Black Demon Abyss, believing that with his bloodline, he would surely live a life of luxury there.

“I don’t have a Sky-Passing Jade either,” Qi Yuan sighed.

Ji Buping, still pleased with himself, continued, “The bloodline of Black Demon Abyss is one of the most precious in the Sixth Heaven.

“The bloodline is ranked from grade one to nine, with grade one being the highest and grade nine the lowest.

“I have a fourth-grade bloodline, just shy of being a high-grade bloodline, but unfortunately, my mother’s bloodline wasn’t as strong.”

Ji Buping sighed as he looked at Qi Yuan. “You, without the bloodline of Black Demon Abyss, cannot become a guest elder there.”

Though his words were sympathetic, there was a hint of superiority.

Just then, a playful voice rang out, “Who says he can’t join Black Demon Abyss?”

A woman wearing a long purple robe appeared. She had a graceful figure, but what stood out most were the two horns on her head, resembling those of the Bull Demon King, looking indestructible.

She stared at Qi Yuan, her eyes gleaming with interest.

Ji Buping was visibly shocked upon seeing her. Unable to gauge her identity or power, he was filled with trepidation.

“This handsome Daoist, may I have your contact details?” the purple-robed woman asked, her tone flirtatious.

Qi Yuan blinked in surprise.

Was he… being asked for his “WeChat”?

Sure enough, being good-looking comes with its problems.

“I don’t usually give out my contact information on a first meeting,” Qi Yuan said, maintaining a reserved and traditional stance.

“Give it to me, and I’ll help you become a guest elder of Black Demon Abyss!” The woman’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

Qi Yuan’s nose didn’t twitch, which meant the woman was telling the truth.

“Sister Bullhorn, here’s my contact. You can save my name as... Blood Robe,” Qi Yuan replied, changing his tune in an instant.

Next to him, Ji Buping’s face turned a myriad of colors, clearly not believing the purple-robed woman’s claim.

After all, Black Demon Abyss highly valued bloodlines. Even to recruit guest elders for collecting Miluo Light, they required those with a suitable bloodline.

The woman’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “I like that name—it’s got spirit.”

She was referring to being called Sister Bullhorn.

“Here’s my token. Take it to Black Demon Abyss, and you’ll be directly accepted as a guest elder,” the woman said, handing over a jade token.

Ji Buping’s face paled when he saw it, his body instinctively hunching in submission.

The token was black.

In Black Demon Abyss, black signified rarity and importance. Only core members possessed black jade tokens.

“Thank you, Sister Bullhorn,” Qi Yuan said happily.

No wonder people said beauty alone could be a disaster, but when paired with other qualities, it became a weapon.

The woman’s gaze shifted to Jiang Lingsu, sizing her up. “Is this your concubine?”

Her gaze resembled that of a villain from a TV show, disdainfully eyeing the female lead while looking down on the male lead.

Jiang Lingsu had been holding onto Qi Yuan’s arm but now felt uncomfortable under this woman’s scrutiny.

Especially after hearing the words concubine, she was both angry and a bit flustered.

Is this really what people think of me?

“Ahem… no, she’s not,” Qi Yuan quickly clarified.

“Good. Other than her big… assets, she’s got no real qualities,” the woman said bluntly.

Jiang Lingsu’s face immediately turned bright red.

But she knew this was the Upper Realm, so she couldn’t lash out and cause trouble for Qi Yuan.

I’ll bear it!

I’ll endure!

“Lingsu is a good person,” Qi Yuan said gently.

Hearing this, Jiang Lingsu’s anger dissipated by more than half.

“Would you be interested in becoming my little concubine?” the purple-robed woman asked Qi Yuan, her words shocking everyone.

“Ahem, sorry, not my type,” Qi Yuan promptly refused.

The woman smiled playfully at Qi Yuan. “Man, one day you’ll understand my power and charm!”

She spoke like a domineering CEO.

With a flirtatious wink, she turned into a streak of light and disappeared.

"Young Master, was there something special about that human male cultivator?" A voice transmitted into the woman’s ear, full of curiosity.

“He carries the Black Demon Abyss bloodline—and not a weak one at that,” the purple-robed woman responded, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. She raised her arm, revealing a mark. “The Demonic Heaven Seal is reacting. He’ll make a fine concubine!”

“His bloodline is that noble?” The woman’s protector was shocked. “How could such a pure bloodline have escaped from Black Demon Abyss? Which branch does he belong to?”

The protector was in awe.

In the Upper Realm, Black Demon Abyss was fanatical about bloodlines, to the point of obsession.

When babies were born with extremely rare bloodlines, their families’ status would rise immediately.

In some cases, even ordinary Nascent Souls would be treated like myths in Black Demon Abyss. Once they ascended to Yin God, they were given Yang God Celestial Sovereign level treatment.

It was terrifying.

For this reason, the core bloodlines of Black Demon Abyss rarely ever leaked out.

The purple-robed woman’s eyes flashed with curiosity.

The Demonic Heaven Seal had not identified the source of the handsome male cultivator’s bloodline.

“Which branch he belongs to doesn’t matter. What matters is that I discovered him, so… he’s mine.

“What do you think, how can I win him over as my concubine?”

“Well… with Young Mistress’ charm and power, it won’t be difficult.

“However, should I investigate his background?”

“No need,” the purple-robed woman replied, shaking her head. “Pity, though. I need to find the Morning Star Greenblood Beast, or I’d take him back to the Sixth Heaven right now.”

The woman had come from the Sixth Heaven to the Molo Clan in pursuit of the Morning Star Greenblood Beast.

This special beast could greatly enhance her bloodline.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan held the pitch-black jade token, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Black Demon Abyss really is easy to get into.”

Ji Buping, not far away, was filled with envy, though he didn’t dare show it. He didn’t want to offend someone from the Black Demon Abyss.

He had always admired and revered Black Demon Abyss. Even the lowest members were superior to him.

“Congratulations, fellow Daoist!” Ji Buping said sourly before disappearing from sight.

Jiang Lingsu clenched her fists in frustration and sighed. “Senior Brother, you were right—I was being narcissistic.

“It’s not that some pampered rich second-generation kid from the Immortal Realm would fall for me and cause you trouble.

“But now it’s you being pursued by a rich second-gen, bringing trouble to me.

“Is this what it feels like to be looked down on?”

This was Jiang Lingsu’s first experience with such treatment, and she was left questioning herself.

“What’s there to be afraid of? You’re not the main character in a TV drama. This kind of thing is a rare occurrence,” Qi Yuan shrugged. “Let’s go. Time to freeload off Black Demon Abyss.”

“No way. This time, I’m going to focus on cultivating and strive to become a Yin God!” Jiang Lingsu said with determination, though her face quickly turned dejected. “Ugh, but my talent is so bad. Becoming a Yin God is so hard.”

…

With the purple-robed woman’s jade token, Qi Yuan’s entry into the Black Demon Abyss outpost as a guest elder was smooth and effortless.

Even his background check was glossed over, saving him from having to use his Great Forgetfulness Mantra to bluff his way through.

While at the outpost, Qi Yuan ran into Ji Buping again.

Ji Buping seemed awkward, with a touch of jealousy.

Because of his fourth-grade bloodline, Ji Buping had become a Profound-Level Guest Elder.

However, because of the jade token, Qi Yuan was now an Earth-Level Guest Elder, one rank higher than Ji Buping.

This made Ji Buping quite uncomfortable.

Qi Yuan, however, paid no attention to this.

At the time, he looked at Jiang Lingsu and had a sudden idea. “What do you think—should I get a fake tattoo and pretend I have a high-grade bloodline?”

Qi Yuan had noticed that all the cultivators of Black Demon Abyss bore some sort of mark, symbolizing their bloodline.

Whenever Black Demon Abyss cultivators showed themselves, the Molo Clan treated them with the utmost reverence, almost as if they were worshipping a foreign lord.

In the Molo Clan, the cultivators of Black Demon Abyss enjoyed special privileges, as if they were a superior race.

Now that Qi Yuan was considered “half a foreign lord,” if he got a fake tattoo, he could really start acting high and mighty.

Because of the Taihuang Palace mark on her, Jiang Lingsu couldn’t stray far from Qi Yuan. As a result, they shared the same cave dwelling but slept in separate rooms.

“What kind of mark? Where would you put it?” Jiang Lingsu asked eagerly.

“How about a crescent moon? Right on my forehead,” Qi Yuan said seriously.

“I think that would work.”

“No, it won’t. My face is too white—I wouldn’t look like Bao Zheng.” Qi Yuan shook his head, but then something occurred to him, and his face lit up with curiosity. “Actually, maybe I don’t need to fake it. It seems like I have a bloodline similar to Black Demon Abyss within me. Where did that come from?”

Qi Yuan was puzzled.

When the purple-robed woman had approached him, Qi Yuan had realized she wasn’t simply shallow, only interested in his looks.

After all, people from the Upper Realm couldn’t be that foolish, right?

So, he had openly eavesdropped on their conversation.