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

The enormous figure of the Winged Serpent hovered in the sky, shrouded in clouds and mist.

Its foul-smelling, blood-red forked tongue flicked in and out, exuding a soul-chilling aura.

Zhan Lei and Fourth Uncle Tu were absolutely terrified.

“Damn it, am I really going to die here today?” Fourth Uncle Tu spat out a mouthful of old phlegm.

The strength of an Earth-grade peak weapon master was overwhelming. Even if he and Zhan Lei joined forces, they were no match.

Earlier, the way Zhan Lei and he had tormented Black Crow, the Winged Serpent would now torment the two of them in the same way.

“Winged Serpent! Before I die, I just want to know why you came here!” Fourth Uncle Tu shouted loudly.

He was very curious about the Winged Serpent's arrival.

A powerhouse of its level infiltrating the Ning Kingdom carried immense risk. There was even the possibility of being besieged by Earth-grade weapon masters.

What Black Crow had handed to the Winged Serpent also aroused Fourth Uncle Tu's curiosity. He felt there was a conspiracy involved, possibly targeting the Ning Kingdom.

He was deeply concerned.

“Are you trying to stall for time?” The Winged Serpent had no patience for nonsense. “In the Central Rakshasa Kingdom, there’s an old saying: villains die because they talk too much.”

The Winged Serpent Elder was fully aware that its actions would be labeled villainous by the self-righteous.

As its words fell, it dove sharply. The sound of wind breaking filled the air, and the fierce gale stung the eyes.

Zhan Lei swung her massive iron ball fiercely toward the sky.

Unfortunately, she was nearly two small realms below the Winged Serpent in strength.

Clang!

The iron ball rang out as it was violently repelled, almost dragging Zhan Lei backward along with it.

The outcome of the exchange was decided in an instant.

They were entirely on different levels!

The Winged Serpent Elder, in terms of the Ning Kingdom’s rankings, could easily be ranked among the top thirty in the Earth Rankings, deserving the title of Earth-rank Grandmaster.

Blood trickled from Zhan Lei’s mouth, her face pale.

Seeing this, Fourth Uncle Tu grew anxious, but he was utterly powerless.

“Tu brat! If you hadn’t schemed against me, only you would be dying today. But now… you’ve dragged two more down with you,” Black Crow said sinisterly.

Young Master Tu San was panicking, his heart filled with fear.

An Earth-grade peak weapon master was terrifying. His family had only one such expert, and that person had been in long-term seclusion, completely unaware of the current situation.

“I…” Tu San gritted his teeth, feeling as if the road ahead was shrouded in darkness.

At this moment, only the Shen Family's master could save him.

But just like their own ancestor, the Shen Family's master had also been in deep seclusion for years. How could they possibly appear now?

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

Desperate, he decided to go all in.

A light sword appeared in his hand.

Its radiance converged, crystal-clear and gleaming with a frosty glow.

“What an amusing little toy,” Black Crow remarked with a glance, his tone filled with disdain. “Who would have thought a mere Xuan-grade weapon master would dare to wield a sword in defiance?”

Young Master Tu San was in a panic, recalling Qi Yuan’s words.

“Senior, please, don’t let this be a lie!”

“I want to walk freely in the Ning Kingdom!”

“A thousand taels can’t go to waste!”

He muttered these phrases over and over.

But the truth was, a thousand taels couldn’t even hire an Earth-grade peak weapon master for a single strike.

Even so, gritting his teeth, he shouted:

“Summon! The Divine!”

The special ability, activated with a thousand taels, had to work!

This scene made the Winged Serpent glance over.

“An ant… using its trump card?” It mocked coldly.

Black Crow chuckled incessantly.

Only Fourth Uncle Tu looked on with admiration. “Not bad, kid! That’s the spirit of the Tu Family! Stand tall and fight! Show them that the men of the Tu Family have spines of steel!”

Fourth Uncle Tu’s words fired Tu San up so much that he nearly charged forward with his sword, only to be swatted aside and killed by a flick of the serpent’s tail.

Young Master Tu San stared at the light sword with trembling anticipation.

But alas, the sword remained silent, showing no signs of special phenomena.

Could it be that he had been deceived?

Still, the thought of spending a thousand taels to summon a divine incarnation three times—how could anyone be foolish enough to believe such a thing?

Despair overwhelmed him.

But then, suddenly, the skies parted, and a brilliant streak of light descended.

In front of Tu San, a radiant figure appeared, glowing brilliantly.

The light exuded an aura of majesty, divinity, and sanctity.

The figure wasn’t large—only human-sized—but its presence was extraordinary.

Its form, composed entirely of light, was indistinct, but the sacred aura it emitted was unmistakable.

The Winged Serpent Elder, Black Crow, and everyone present couldn’t help but focus their attention on the radiant figure.

“What… is this?” The Winged Serpent grew wary.

“This light… descended from the heavens…” Black Crow hesitated.

At that moment, a majestic voice rang out.

“In a world without light, behold the descent of the divine!”

Boom!

The radiance shattered in an instant, revealing a tall, imposing figure bathed in divine light.

The figure strode forward with steady, confident steps.

Its body was made entirely of light, clad in resplendent armor that shimmered brilliantly.

The figure exuded the majesty of a celestial deity descending upon the mortal realm.

Dragon scales and phoenix feathers adorned the armor, interwoven with intricate totemic patterns.

Its light shifted—sometimes blazing fiercely, sometimes gentle and warm—encompassing both dominance and benevolence.

“It’s real! It’s real!” Tu San muttered to himself, his eyes filled with awe.

“What on earth is this?” Black Crow’s voice was trembling with dread.

“Enough with the theatrics!” The Winged Serpent snorted coldly, though a hint of unease flickered in its expression.

Fourth Uncle Tu and Zhan Lei turned to Tu San, their faces full of questions.

Tu San stood up and shouted at the glowing figure, “Descended deity, slay these two evildoers!”

As his voice fell, the glowing figure turned its gaze toward the Winged Serpent and Black Crow.

In its gaze, the Winged Serpent saw countless emotions: divine sanctity, absolute indifference, and unwavering justice.

“What… what are you?” The Winged Serpent’s voice quivered with unease.

For someone from the Mo Shan Kingdom, where Heavenly-grade weapon masters were extremely rare, this spectacle was beyond comprehension.

Combining Tu San’s words with the unfolding scene, a terrifying possibility struck the Winged Serpent.

“A divine descent… Are you the incarnation of a god?”

The thought sent chills down its spine.

Gods were only spoken of in myths.

It was said that in the Central Rakshasa Kingdom, above Heavenly-grade weapon masters, there existed beings known as gods.

But those were distant tales.

How could this be an incarnation of a god?

And yet, the possibility planted a seed of terror in the Winged Serpent’s heart.

It glanced at Black Crow, their gazes meeting in silent agreement.

“Escape!”

Both acted without hesitation, fleeing toward Kunling Crossing.

Kunling Crossing was notoriously difficult to traverse. Even Earth-grade peak weapon masters could not emerge unscathed.

But the members of Bloodthorn were exceptions.

Their plan was simple: hide within Kunling Crossing to mask their tracks, then make their escape.

The divine figure, still glowing brilliantly, stood silently.

It did not pursue, merely watching as they fled.

Witnessing this, Tu San grew suspicious.

“Could this be a counterfeit? Just a projection meant to scare people off?”

The thought crossed his mind, though he quickly dismissed it.

Even if it were fake, the result was impressive.

Scaring off Black Crow and the Winged Serpent Elder was already a great success.

But just then, the glowing figure spoke once more.

“As my divine descent!”

The luminous form began to grow taller.

Three meters.

Six meters.

Ten meters…

Finally, it reached a towering height of thirty meters!

It wielded a massive, holy light sword, emanating unmatched grandeur and purity.

The sword symbolized justice, order, and absolute law.

Its majestic voice resonated again.

“Holding the light, darkness shall retreat!”

“Should injustice arise, summon my divine descent!”

As its words fell, the towering figure moved, brandishing the light sword.

With a single, unadorned strike, it cleaved downward!

Boom!

Kunling Crossing erupted in a massive flash of light.

The ground quaked violently as the light surged forth, tearing through the crossing like a divine blade carving through chaos.

The Winged Serpent and Black Crow let out anguished cries as the radiant energy engulfed them.

In an instant, both Earth-grade weapon masters were obliterated.

Their legendary resilience was as fragile as paper before the overwhelming power of the light sword.

Kunling Crossing itself was left desolate, its toxic mists and poisonous gases entirely eradicated.

The divine figure, having completed its purpose, slowly dissipated.

“Was that… a god’s strike?” Tu San was left in awe.

“Could it be that even a legendary Heavenly-grade weapon master could do no better than this?” Zhan Lei murmured, her arms folded across her chest, emphasizing her imposing presence as she stared in awe at the scene.

“One strike to slay two Earth-grade weapon masters, along with hundreds of specters. It’s simply… too powerful!”

“What’s going on?” Fourth Uncle Tu turned to Tu San, bewildered.

“This… this weapon, I bought it at the Ghost Market for a thousand taels of silver,” Tu San said, swallowing nervously. He didn’t hide the truth. “The seller said that for ten thousand taels, it could activate a special ability called Divine Summoning, which could summon a divine incarnation. It can be used three times. This time… I decided to give it a try, and it actually worked!”

“Ten thousand taels?” Fourth Uncle Tu stared at Tu San in disbelief. “You’re the only fool who’d believe that! If it were me, I would’ve chopped that seller in half for trying to scam me!”

Despite his words, Fourth Uncle Tu’s eyes gleamed with wonder.

“Ten thousand taels, and you can summon such a terrifying being… That’s an absolute bargain.” Fourth Uncle Tu’s tone was filled with admiration. “That seller—are they still at the Ghost Market? Do they have more artifacts like this?”

“There were two more light swords, but at the time… I didn’t have the money to buy them…” Tu San said awkwardly.

“Idiot!” Fourth Uncle Tu cursed, though his eyes betrayed his excitement.

Such a powerful artifact was priceless. Forget ten thousand taels—even a hundred thousand or a million would be worth it.

“Ah… It seems like this light sword is damaged now… It’s unusable for the time being,” Tu San said, his voice trembling slightly with uncertainty.

“Summoning a being of such terrifying strength must require immense energy. The sword likely needs time to recharge before it can be used again,” Zhan Lei speculated.

Hearing this, Tu San heaved a sigh of relief. “I wonder how long it will need to recover.”

“Even if it takes a hundred years to recharge, it would still be worth it. You’ll be dead by then, but this can serve as your clan’s ultimate treasure,” Fourth Uncle Tu said thoughtfully. “That seller… just who could they be?”

He turned his gaze toward Kunling Crossing.

“It’s a shame. Even though this strike killed the Winged Serpent and Black Crow, we still can’t enter Kunling Crossing. Whatever Black Crow handed to the Winged Serpent remains a mystery.”

“We need to head back and report this incident immediately. And we must also… go to the Ghost Market!” Fourth Uncle Tu was growing impatient, eager to leave.

He wished he could rush to the Ghost Market right now and buy the remaining two light swords.

“Let’s go!”

Without hesitation, the three figures disappeared into the distance.

<hr>

Elsewhere, Qi Yuan looked pale as a sheet.

“I’ve grown stronger, but also weaker,” he murmured.

His face was ghastly pale, and his breath was shallow, as though a strong wind could knock him over.

Moments ago, Tu San had activated the Divine Summoning. Through it, Qi Yuan had unleashed the move known as As My Divine Descent.

The divine incarnation descended and executed an awe-inspiring strike.

However, that single attack had taken a tremendous toll on Qi Yuan. His energy was utterly drained, leaving him physically and spiritually exhausted.

The strike had not only slain two Earth-grade weapon masters but also obliterated hundreds of specters, rewarding Qi Yuan with a massive influx of experience points.

His level jumped a staggering forty levels in one go, bringing him to level 96.

In the realm of weapon mastery, this was equivalent to stepping into the Earth-grade beginner stage.

Remarkably, he had skipped the Xuan-grade entirely, advancing straight from the Huang-grade to Earth-grade—a shocking feat.

But the price was steep.

He had drained his vitality and energy reserves completely. For the foreseeable future, he wouldn’t be able to exhibit the full strength of an Earth-grade weapon master.

“It seems that hard work pales in comparison to talent,” Qi Yuan muttered.

He reflected on the countless efforts he had made to painstakingly climb to level 90. The dedication and sacrifices seemed almost laughable in the face of the divine incarnation’s power.

One move had eclipsed all his progress.

And the artifact Divine Descent, created by Shengnu, was indeed a divine weapon.

From the moment of its creation, it had been an unparalleled masterpiece.

“Holding the light, darkness shall retreat.

Should injustice arise, summon my divine descent.”

“Was this Shengnu’s intention when she created Divine Descent?” Qi Yuan pondered.

To fully utilize Divine Descent, one needed to understand its background and lore.

The words spoken during the divine incarnation’s summoning were not of Qi Yuan’s own making. They seemed to come from the weapon’s very essence.

To Qi Yuan, this declaration embodied Divine Descent’s purpose.

“Sigh. How does cultivation compare to role-playing? If I could push my Role Mastery higher, I could summon myself and slash a Heavenly-grade weapon master in one strike!”

“Role-playing only requires you to play the part, while cultivation is so much more tedious—hunting specters, battling constantly…”

“But I’m an adult. I want it all!”

“Old man, carry me to Kunling Crossing. I need to loot the corpses!”

Qi Yuan turned to the elderly Chen Kangbao beside him.

In his current state, even walking was a challenge.

“Young master… This old servant’s body…” Chen Kangbao hesitated, looking distressed.

“Don’t worry. I’ve blessed you!” Qi Yuan lied without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Chen Kangbao’s face lit up. “Young master, I feel a surge of strength!”

With renewed vigor, he hoisted Qi Yuan onto his back and charged toward Kunling Crossing with surprising speed.

His legs moved like the wind, making him look far from the frail man he appeared to be.

Qi Yuan couldn’t help but sigh. “I can’t believe my first mount in this game world is an old man like you. What a shame.”

He sounded disappointed.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the urge to ride that frosty woman from earlier.

The thought felt innate, almost instinctual.

“Could it be… that I’m a pervert?”

Qi Yuan reflected on this possibility.

He admitted he had a fondness for beauty, but calling himself a pervert? Never. He was still young, after all!

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