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

The blood-red monstrous beast, adorned with seven rings of light of various colors, devoured everything in its path.

Even powerful Yang Gods, upon touching this terrifying monster, were instantly reduced to dust.

Only Realm Masters could hold out for a while.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Devour! Devour! Devour!"

At this moment, Qi Yuan's consciousness had completely dissolved, leaving only a sliver of his true spirit.

Now, he no longer resembled a human but rather a blood-red gluttonous serpent, consuming everything in the world.

The three thrones sat high above, watching as Yang Gods were devoured one after another, unmoved.

Countless cosmic rules were devoured and refined. The number of first-grade rules Qi Yuan had mastered at this point was well over a hundred.

Even the time rule, which had been the most difficult for him to grasp, was now under his control.

Rules like fire, dark light, true words, and metal had all become part of the seven rings of light.

Now, the seven lights were in chaos.

Qi Yuan had become a terrifying monstrosity, devouring everything.

"Finally... has 'Do as You Please' also been comprehended in this game?"

Previously, Qi Yuan, though strong, had to avoid Realm Masters while rampaging through the Black Heaven, slaughtering Yang Gods.

Now, it seemed he truly could do as he pleased.

This supreme truth had just been comprehended.

However, it had not yet transformed into a cosmic rule.

It seemed that "Do as You Please" refused to be bound by cosmic rules.

Countless Black Earth beings, countless Yang Gods were devoured.

Qi Yuan continuously operated the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra, preserving the last sliver of his true spirit.

All the rules were also merging at this moment.

A sudden enlightenment struck him.

"Is this the Creation Realm?"

"My path as an Yin God?"

Looking at the hundreds of thousands of Yang Gods remaining in the Black Heaven.

Qi Yuan felt hungry.

To open the heavens, how could it be done without sufficient material?

Thus, Qi Yuan opened his bloodthirsty maw.

All the Yang Gods were instantly devoured, becoming Qi Yuan's experience.

Rules and matter turned into fragments, all swallowed into Qi Yuan's belly.

His consciousness grew even more muddled, chaotic.

Only a sliver of his true spirit struggled to remain.

At this moment, Qi Yuan also had a premonition.

If his true spirit could not hold on, he would likely become a terrifying, unique monster, driven only by the instinct to devour everything in the world.

He seemed to understand something.

All the Yang Gods and Realm Masters were devoured. He raised his monstrous head and looked at the three thrones.

"Now... can you tell me what the Black Heaven is?"

The three thrones were all at the Creation Realm, a realm beyond comprehension.

Even if the universe were destroyed, a Creation Realm expert could open a new world in the void, creating new life.

"You... already know, don't you?" one of the thrones spoke, its voice enigmatic.

Another throne wore a mechanical smile: "You could also become the Black Heaven."

"The Black Heaven's devouring is irreversible... do you wish to stop it?" the last throne questioned.

"Are you saying... I should let it devour my game?" Qi Yuan's eyes no longer held the clarity of a college student but were instead clouded.

"The Black Heaven devours all things in the world. This is an established fact, irreversible... how will you stop it?" the throne's voice was mechanical.

"Without trying... how would I know?" Qi Yuan's voice was calm.

Even though he now felt immensely powerful, as if he could open his mouth and swallow the Divine Wood Universe whole, when facing the massive black bubble of the Black Heaven, his right eyelid still twitched violently.

This meant there was no chance of victory.

The throne's eyes revealed a strange smile.

"The Black Heaven exists in the past, or perhaps the future, but never in the present."

"What you see before you is not the Black Heaven, but an illusion."

"This world was already devoured by the Black Heaven at some point in time."

Qi Yuan fell silent.

At this moment, he understood why his eyes saw no information when he looked at the Black Heaven.

Because he wasn't seeing the Black Heaven; he was seeing nothingness.

The Black Heaven devouring the Divine Wood Universe was not happening in the present but in the past.

This was profoundly mysterious.

And utterly absurd.

It was somewhat like an eighteen-year-old on Earth kissing the air, only for all men and women on the planet to become pregnant ten years later.

How could Qi Yuan, ten years later, stop it?

He looked at the black bubble, his expression eerily calm.

"In the past... or the future?"

"What if... I return to the past, or go to the future... could I stop it then?"

The throne's eyes revealed a strange smile: "Apart from the Black Heaven, no existence... can share the same timeline with it. Unless... you abandon your true spirit and become part of the Black Heaven."

If Qi Yuan were to lose his true spirit now, his state would be quite similar to the Black Heaven.

Not existing in the present, endlessly devouring everything.

What was now displayed before all living beings was an illusion, yet it was truly happening.

Unless one reached the same level as the Black Heaven.

But to reach the same level as the Black Heaven, Qi Yuan would become part of the Black Heaven, or rather, become the Black Heaven itself.

How could he stop it then?

"The so-called Black Heaven is the fourth layer of Yang Gods!

To stop the Black Heaven, you must break through to the fourth layer of Yang Gods!

But... are you willing?" one throne asked with a strange smile.

"The third layer of Yang Gods has only two paths above it. If you break through to the fourth layer, you cannot reach the fifth.

If you skip the fourth and break through to the fifth, becoming a Dao Lord... sorry, but you still cannot stop the Black Heaven," another throne spoke in a mechanical voice, seemingly tinged with bitterness.

Qi Yuan fell silent.

The fourth layer of Yang Gods.

Indeed.

The Black Heaven is the fourth layer of Yang Gods.

A terrifying existence that does not exist in the present, only in the past or future.

Like the Root Demon, becoming the Root Demon Tribulation in the hearts of countless Yang Gods.

But the Black Heaven is different. The Black Heaven is chaotic, disordered, and devouring is its everything, its ultimate goal.

For the first time, Qi Yuan felt immense pressure and a sense of invincibility.

Without reaching the fourth layer of Yang Gods, he could not see the Black Heaven, nor could he stop it.

But if he stepped into the fourth layer of Yang Gods, he would become the disordered Black Heaven.

His consciousness would dissolve, his true spirit would vanish...

"So... go back. With your strength, you might be able to protect the beings of sixteen worlds," one throne said calmly.

They had no wisdom, no consciousness, merely programs, projections.

Yet, even these programs and projections possessed the power of Creation.

This was especially terrifying. The gap between each layer of Yang Gods was like an insurmountable chasm.

The third layer of Yang Gods would never see the fourth layer in their lifetime.

But the third layer would be unconsciously devoured by the fourth.

This game was too perilous.

Return?

Impossible!

Not only was this his game, but if he returned, the Black Heaven would spread to the Immortal Realm.

The next to be devoured would be the Immortal Realm.

So, unlike other games, this time Qi Yuan had no way out. He couldn't even return to reality and end the game.

"I insist on seeing... if I can stop it!"

At this moment, a deep glint flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes.

Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra!

This time, he once again activated the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra, but this time he aimed to forget his true self.

"I am not Qi Yuan."

"I am not at the Creation Realm!"

"I am not at the fifth layer of Yang Gods!"

"I am at the fourth layer of Yang Gods!"

The Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra continued to operate.

Qi Yuan seemed to have forgotten himself.

The blood-red monstrous beast's true spirit dimmed to the extreme, as if it could vanish at any moment.

At this moment, he forgot he was a cultivator, remembering only that he was at the fourth layer of Yang Gods.

"Can this... stop the Black Heaven?"

The final whisper faded, and Qi Yuan's figure vanished at this moment.

...

In the Divine Wood Universe, the Void Realm Master looked at the Black Heaven in the Void Sea, his expression enigmatic: "Qi Yuan's true spirit... has vanished."

The irritable bearded man's expression froze: "Gone?"

"Lord Qi Yuan... is gone," Sheng Nu said with grief.

It was unclear whether she was mourning Qi Yuan's death or the impending fate of the Divine Wood Universe.

"It's over, it's all over!"

"I'm useless, why can't the eighth Human Enlightenment Divine Light... be forged!" The usually refined Qi Yu Ancestral God roared in anger.

Everyone was in despair.

Qi Yuan had fallen in battle, the seven Human Enlightenment Divine Lights were shattered. Even if they could forge the eighth, what use would it be?

With Qi Yuan's fall, the Divine Wood Universe was doomed.

At this moment, the Void Realm Master's eyes flashed with a strange light: "The Black Heaven's devouring... has slowed."

"What?" Some Ancestral Gods were stunned.

With Qi Yuan fallen and no one left to stop the Black Heaven, how could its devouring have slowed?

"It must be Lord Qi Yuan, using his own fall to delay the Black Heaven!"

"Lord Qi Yuan..." All the Ancestral Gods were moved, some filled with excitement, others with deep sorrow.

At this moment, Yuan asked: "May I ask, Realm Master, with the Black Heaven's devouring slowed, how much time does the Divine Wood Universe have left?"

The others also looked at the Void Realm Master, their eyes filled with hope.

The Void Realm Master shook his head: "I do not know."

Everyone fell silent, not expecting such an answer, some were stunned.

This meant that the Black Heaven could devour at any moment.

This "any moment" could be the next second, or it could be a hundred years later.

Yuan took a deep breath: "Please, Void Realm Master, take away the beings of three worlds."

"Agreed."

...

Spring passed, autumn came.

Ten thousand years drifted by in the mortal world.

The sound of steam engines roared incessantly as Wang Ku hugged a book, reading with great interest.

"This old man really knows how to spin a tale. The text is in simplified characters, the cover is brand new, yet he claims it was dug up from an ancient tomb. What a load of nonsense!"

"But... the content of this book... it's so mysterious, yet quite intriguing."

Wang Ku read the book with great focus.

The book was titled Chun Yu.

In it, many short stories were told.

"The male lead is such a simp. He gave his eyes to the female lead, yet still couldn't defeat the big villain?"

"Hmm, the male lead is so tragic. How many times has he died now?"

"This time, he lost his ears, his hearing gone."

"See, I'm a prophet. This time, the male lead lost his mouth!"

"Next time, it'll probably be his ears, right?"

"Ugh, is the author of this book insane? Why can't the male lead and female lead ever meet? Is this on purpose?"

"It must be on purpose. The male lead just had to wait there for a year, and he would have met the female lead."

"Sigh... the big villain doesn't seem that strong. I wonder if I could run him over with a train."

Wang Ku thought to himself.

As night fell, Wang Ku held the book and slowly drifted into sleep.

Perhaps he had been too engrossed in the book, for he even dreamed of its contents.

"The male lead... is much handsomer than I imagined."

In his dream, Wang Ku saw a tall figure clad in a blood-red robe.

The figure held a long sword, standing atop a black vortex.

At this moment, he was covered in wounds, his body battered and bruised, one eye missing, blood flowing from the socket.

The blood-robed figure held his sword, seemingly confronting the expanding black bubble in the dark void.

When Wang Ku saw the expanding bubble, his young heart trembled, as if he had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.

"No way a train could kill that!" Wang Ku thought to himself, then muttered, "According to the book, they've been confronting each other for a billion years. What a load of nonsense! How long have humans even existed?"

Wang Ku looked at the blood-robed figure and couldn't help but shout: "Hey, go find the female lead! You can't defeat the big villain alone!"

At the same time, the tall figure confronting the black bubble stiffened slightly, his eerie gaze falling on Wang Ku.

Wang Ku felt as if he had been stared down by a terrifying beast, as if he could die at any moment.

"Dammit, why am I so scared in my own dream?"

"Aren't I supposed to be the master of my dreams?"

Wang Ku woke up, drenched in cold sweat.

He looked at the ancient book on his bedside and began to read it again.

"Alright, the male lead is dead again. This time... his grave doesn't even have a name, buried in the Divine Wood Abyss.

What's the Divine Wood Abyss? It sounds familiar."

"I'm so hungry, I need to eat a bun." Wang Ku muttered.

He opened his leather bag, took out two buns, and despite their coldness, stuffed them into his mouth, chewing hastily.

In the room, the radio played various news reports.

"Breaking news: Our country has discovered extraterrestrial beings!"

"The Divine Luo Society claims that the world will end in three days."

"The Black Heaven Cult declares: The Black Heaven approaches, all things will wither."

"Why is everyone so superstitious? Isn't there any useful news? This book is way better."

Wang Ku turned off the radio.

He didn't believe in doomsday prophecies or the end of the world.

And believing or not wouldn't change reality.

Rather than worrying about whether the world would end, he was more concerned about whether the villain in the book had died.

"Dammit, can this author even write? The villain's still alive?"

Wang Ku had been reading Chun Yu obsessively, forgetting to eat or sleep.

"Clichés, all clichés!"

"How many times has the male lead died now?"

"At least a hundred thousand times!"

"And he still hasn't killed the villain!"

"He hasn't even met the female lead!"

"Can't he just meet the female lead and team up to fight the villain?"

"Trash book, I'm done with it!"

In the middle of the night, Wang Ku dreamed of the book again.

He didn't know how many times he had dreamed of it.

This time, as usual, he couldn't help but shout: "Hey, go meet the female lead!"

The next morning, seeing the dark circles under his eyes in the mirror, Wang Ku felt like crying.

"I can't keep reading this book, it's driving me insane."

He opened the door and took a deep breath of the fresh air outside.

"Ah, reality is so much better."

At that moment, his neighbor opened her door, revealing a delicate face and slender, youthful legs.

Wang Ku's neighbor was a college student. When she saw Wang Ku, her eyes showed a hint of shyness, but then she blinked and asked: "Brother Wang Ku, I heard they dug up an ancient tomb in the southern district recently. There are a lot of cultivation manuals inside, and many people are going to see them. Do you want to check it out?"

"Hey, you're a college student, how can you still be so superstitious? There's no such thing as cultivation manuals," Wang Ku said dismissively.

The college student looked disappointed.

This neighbor was so clueless.

"Brother Wang Ku, you haven't eaten breakfast, have you? I made some porridge..."

"Porridge isn't as good as buns."

After rejecting her, Wang Ku slammed the door shut.

"Books are way better. People outside are so annoying, always blabbering on."

Wang Ku opened the book again and began to read.

But when he saw the words on the page, he froze.

"While confronting the Black Heaven, Qi Yuan faintly heard a hurried voice in his ear, saying, 'Go meet the female lead.'

He didn't know that the voice came from the young Wang Ku."

"Who the hell is playing a joke on me?" Wang Ku was dumbfounded.