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

A Heaven-tier Weapon Master, killing him with one punch?

The man blowing the suona was utterly shocked.

In this world, it was already impossible for an Earth-tier Weapon Master to defeat a Heaven-tier Weapon Master.

As for a Heaven-tier Weapon Master achieving the state of "Unity with the Heavens," there was only one recorded case—and even that was of someone whose excessive indulgence in lust affected his cultivation. When he attempted to enter "Unity with the Heavens," he failed to clench his control and died on the spot.

But now, right before their eyes, Mo Sankong had been utterly obliterated with just one punch from Qi Yuan!

The sheer weight of such an achievement was utterly terrifying.

Confusion, ecstasy, doubt, shock… All kinds of emotions flickered across the faces of the crowd.

At that moment, Chen Kangbao wore an exaggerated expression as he exclaimed, "This son-in-law is actually this powerful!"

Qi Yuan heard this and felt immensely pleased with himself.

The Confucian-robed scholar narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

Such a powerful and mysterious individual—he was just a son-in-law?

"Too strong!" Tu Sihai muttered, swallowing hard.

Now, he was utterly humbled by the arrogance he had displayed earlier.

As for the younger of the Blackshade Brothers, his heart was in his throat, terrified that Qi Yuan might harbor a grudge against him for his earlier dismissiveness.

"Sigh, I’d really like to see just how breathtaking this Miss Lingxuan must be, to make such an extraordinary man marry into her family," someone murmured wistfully.

Qi Yuan casually took Mo Sankong’s storage artifact, extracted the silver stored within, and then selected a few materials from it.

"The rest of these weapons are yours," he said indifferently and tossed them aside.

To him, even Heaven-tier weapons were less useful than Heaven-tier materials.

After all, he would need to reforge them anyway to extract the materials he required, which was a tedious process.

But for the Weapon Masters present, it was a different story. They weren’t Artifact Masters, and even those who were would prefer ready-made weapons to raw materials.

They took the discarded weapons, excitement glowing in their eyes.

Even Wang Dao, who had just entered the ranks of Earth-tier Weapon Masters, managed to get a peak Earth-tier weapon.

Qi Yuan turned his gaze to the Confucian-robed scholar, his expression calm. "Do you know Chen Kangbao?"

Chen Kangbao looked puzzled. "You know me?"

The Confucian-robed scholar’s face held a look of reminiscence. "Thirty years ago, when I was still young, I traveled the world and met Brother Chen. Brother Chen was a genius Artifact Master—talented, resourceful, and unparalleled in his craft."

Hearing this, Chen Kangbao’s face lit up with joy. "Young Master, did you hear that? I’m resourceful! I’m more than qualified to be your strategist!"

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at Chen Kangbao’s current demeanor, his thoughts conflicted. "Later, a group of mysterious individuals sought out Brother Chen… They wanted him to join them in accomplishing some great undertaking. As for the details… this old man does not know. All I know is that it involved forging an extraordinary artifact."

"The Radiance Society?" Qi Yuan asked casually.

He was reminded of how this body’s father had once tried to recruit a blind Artifact Master into an organization that was apparently also working to forge a powerful artifact.

Later, Fang Shisan from the Radiance Society had even attempted to assassinate him. If it weren’t for their fear of the Spirit Parasite Gu within him, they likely would have attacked him outright.

The Confucian-robed scholar’s face changed multiple times before he finally nodded. "It’s just as I suspected."

"That’s all?" Chen Kangbao wasn’t particularly interested in this. "Since you know me, can you describe any other strengths I have? Preferably using four-character idioms?"

Chen Kangbao looked at the scholar expectantly.

"Lofty and reclusive, as serene as jade…" After much thought, the Confucian-robed scholar managed to squeeze out these words.

The current Chen Kangbao—eccentric and half-crazed—was completely unrecognizable compared to the serene, altruistic, and ambitious genius Artifact Master he had once been.

"Hehe, I didn’t know this old man had so many virtues," Chen Kangbao said with a pleased, slightly lewd grin.

"Why are you here?" Qi Yuan asked, looking at the Confucian-robed scholar.

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at Chen Kangbao with a complicated gaze. "Back then, it wasn’t just Brother Chen who was invited by the Radiance Society. Even my elder brother was invited. I wish… to bring back his remains so that he doesn’t have to lie buried in a foreign land."

At this, the scholar’s eyes dimmed with sorrow.

"So, they were invited to the Ten Thousand Mountain Abyss to forge an artifact for the Radiance Society?" Qi Yuan pondered aloud.

No wonder Chen Kangbao reacted strongly upon hearing the name "Ten Thousand Mountain Abyss." It seemed to have triggered his storyline.

"In that case, let’s head inside and take a look. We might also find Shen Lingxuan along the way," Qi Yuan said, striding forward.

The others quickly followed. The Confucian-robed scholar hesitated but ultimately pressed on despite his injuries.

The ruins were dimly lit, with an eerie atmosphere. The corners were damp, and the entire place felt uninviting.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, the group stopped before a massive stone slab.

The slab was enormous, at least a hundred meters in both length and width, and appeared to be a single piece.

It was covered in moss and stained with what appeared to be blood.

The sound of dripping water echoed through the space.

Suddenly, a piercing, shrill roar broke the silence.

The source of the sound was a specter resembling a moth, but with a human face. Its appearance was especially horrifying.

"Just a mere specter dares to act insolent? Watch as this son-in-law takes care of it!" Qi Yuan shouted boldly, stepping forward.

The Confucian-robed scholar froze for a moment, finding the situation rather strange.

At this moment, Tu Sihai said anxiously, "That’s a Xuan-tier Human-Faced Moth, and it’s at the peak of the Xuan tier. Its specialty is speed! You’re just a son-in-law—how dare you provoke it?"

The Confucian-robed scholar doubted his ears.

"Human-Faced Moths are especially unique among specters. They are the kings among specters. You’re merely a son-in-law—don’t throw your life away!"

The scholar’s mind went blank.

"Offending the great Human-Faced Moth means you’ll face the wrath of the Shen Clan!" someone else added.

"There will be no place for you in Ning Country!"

Other Earth-tier Weapon Masters joined in, mocking and ridiculing him. Their words seemed to emphasize how fearsome the Human-Faced Moth was, while also belittling Qi Yuan as nothing more than a son-in-law.

This baffled the Confucian-robed scholar.

He was a Heaven-tier Weapon Master and could see the Xuan-tier Human-Faced Moth’s true nature at a glance.

Could it be… he was mistaken?

For a moment, he doubted his own judgment.

"Hmph! Even if I’m a son-in-law, no one is allowed to insult me!"

With that, Qi Yuan transformed into a cannonball, launching himself at the Human-Faced Moth.

The mockery abruptly ceased, and the sound of the suona rose again.

"Son-in-laws are not to be humiliated!"

A powerful punch ripped through the air, producing a white burst of energy.

The once-ferocious Human-Faced Moth froze mid-flight.

It didn’t even have the chance to say, "Wait… you’re that strong?"

Boom!

With one punch, a hundred strikes followed!

The Human-Faced Moth’s body shattered completely, leaving nothing behind.

"You… a mere son-in-law, actually killed a Human-Faced Moth!"

"How is this possible? That was a Xuan-tier Human-Faced Moth!"

The surrounding Weapon Masters hastily set their suonas aside, indulging in their dramatic performances.

The Confucian-robed scholar was entirely at a loss. At this point, he dared not speak.

He could only feel that this entire group was utterly insane.

"What a pity," Qi Yuan remarked regretfully. "It didn’t work hard enough. If it had cultivated to the Heaven tier, that would’ve been truly satisfying."

Slaying the Human-Faced Moth only gave him a tiny bit of experience.

Had it been a Heaven-tier specter, the experience gained would’ve been far greater, and Qi Yuan could’ve absorbed enough "Unity with the Heavens" energy to make significant progress.

The energy he obtained from Mo Sankong and the Spirit Parasite Gu was far too meager to push him beyond level 120.

---

“Who would have thought… this place is actually a Specter-Restricted Zone!”

Fifth Wei, dressed in golden silk robes with a snake embroidered on his waist in jade thread, exuded an air of authority and menace.

“This place is not just a Specter-Restricted Zone; it’s… a Strange Domain!” an elderly man exclaimed with an ecstatic expression, his shoulders trembling with excitement.

“What? A Strange Domain?” Fifth Wei froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy.

“It is said that fifty years ago, the Radiance Society gathered the most talented Artifact Masters from all over the world to forge an artifact that would surpass the Divine-tier.

Over the course of decades, countless talented Artifact Masters were invited to enter this Strange Domain one after another.

No one knew where the Strange Domain was located. Fifteen years ago, the Radiance Society disappeared without a trace, ceasing its recruitment of Artifact Masters. His Majesty speculated that the forging must have failed within the Strange Domain.

But… even if it failed, the treasures within the Strange Domain must still be astonishing!

Many of those Artifact Masters were Heaven-tier, and it’s said there were even Divine-tier Artifact Masters among them. If we could obtain their legacies, this…” The old man’s eyes burned with greed.

The treasures here were worth more than the wealth of a kingdom!

The Heaven-tier Weapon Masters present began breathing heavily at the thought.

“Hahaha! First, the Pure Yin Physique, and now the Strange Domain! Heaven is truly favoring me!” Fifth Wei laughed heartily.

If he could obtain the treasures from this domain, how powerful would he become?

And once he took the Pure Yin Essence from the Pure Yin Physique, ascending to the Divine tier would no longer be a dream.

The Divine tier! Even in the Rosha Kingdom, there were only a handful of Divine-tier beings.

“Speaking of this, if I remember correctly, had it not been for the death of the Divine Descent, the Radiance Society would not have dared to openly recruit so many Artifact Masters to enter the Strange Domain,” a Heaven-tier Weapon Master remarked, revealing some hidden details.

“It seems to be true. The fall of Divine Descent was reportedly tied to some cosmic conflict, which may have been connected to the Strange Domain,” an elder recalled.

It was precisely the Radiance Society’s involvement that had forced Fifth Yuxian to ruthlessly strike at Divine Descent.

Suddenly, the elder’s eyes narrowed sharply. “Who’s there!”

In the distance, a butterfly-like creature darted through the air. Upon being discovered, it fled in panic.

“A specter? No… something else!” The elder was surprised and immediately gave chase.

With his strength, he could capture the butterfly creature with a little effort.

“Don’t bother, Elder Wang. A mere peculiar creature isn’t worth our attention. Our priority is to enter the Strange Domain,” Fifth Wei’s voice was calm and commanding.

The elder hesitated but eventually stopped chasing the butterfly.

“As you command, Your Highness.”

“Hmph, Mo Sankong is truly useless. Even now, he hasn’t managed to capture that wretch Shen Lingxuan. Once we secure the treasures within the Strange Domain… It seems we can’t wait for him. We must return to the kingdom immediately,” Fifth Wei muttered to himself.

If news of the Strange Domain spread, more powerful experts would arrive, and he wouldn’t be able to protect the treasures within.

Elsewhere, the insect-woman Cai Die fluttered her wings rapidly. After confirming no one was following her, she flew into a secret chamber.

“Bad news! The Heaven-tier Weapon Masters from the Rosha Kingdom have almost reached the entrance to the Strange Domain. They’ve already realized that the place ahead is the Strange Domain,” Cai Die said anxiously.

The Specter Source was also located within the Strange Domain.

The Radiance Society had used the power of the Specter Source to construct the Strange Domain.

The party from the Rosha Kingdom was incredibly strong. If they entered the Strange Domain, it would become nearly impossible for Cai Die and her group to seize the Specter Source.

Shen Lingxuan frowned, troubled by the situation.

At this moment, Cai Die suddenly asked, “Do you have a husband?”

“Oh?” Shen Lingxuan was surprised by the question but nodded.

“Just now, outside, I overheard an old man telling another man, ‘Shen Lingxuan, your husband is here looking for you. Don’t worry.’”

Cai Die’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Your husband… is he… incapable of doing it? After all, your Pure Yin Essence is still intact.

I know of a certain specter within this Specter-Restricted Zone whose eyeballs can help with… virility issues. Should we collect some for him?” Cai Die offered sincerely, her insect-human features almost endearing in their oddness.

Shen Lingxuan froze momentarily. “My husband… Qi Yuan?”

Her icy, stunningly beautiful face showed a trace of confusion.

She had never met Qi Yuan, only knowing that he was the son of Master Qi.

According to Zhi Shuang’s assessment, he was timid and powerless.

After returning to his hometown, he seemed to have gone mad, behaving strangely.

Could he really be here?

Shen Lingxuan found it unlikely.

He wasn’t even a Weapon Master. How could he possibly dare to come to a place like this?

Perhaps it was some old monster coveting her Pure Yin Physique.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What is his strength like? Does he have Heaven-tier abilities? If he does, finding him would greatly improve our chances of obtaining the Specter Source,” Cai Die suggested.

“This person is likely not my husband,” Shen Lingxuan replied calmly.

“Not your husband?”

“He’s an ordinary person.”

“An ordinary person? And you married him?”

“To be precise, he’s a son-in-law.”

“A son-in-law?”

A group of nine stood before a massive gate.

The sight before them left everyone stunned.

What they saw wasn’t just an underground palace—it was a fortress.

The entire underground palace was constructed entirely of metal, without a single visible gap, seamless and impenetrable.

“This is the Strange Domain,” the Confucian-robed scholar said, his expression forlorn. “Within this Strange Domain are approximately 300,000… Artifact Masters from all over the Blue Mountain Realm. They entered this domain anonymously to forge a mysterious artifact.”

The Confucian-robed scholar didn’t know much more about it.

Before his elder brother left, he had only mentioned that this artifact was tied to the survival of the Blue Mountain Realm.

Without it, the Blue Mountain Realm would face catastrophe in the near future.

“They’re all inside?” Qi Yuan’s voice was calm.

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at Chen Kangbao. “Yes. Only a handful of people ever made it out alive. Other than Brother Chen, the rest were tortured to death.”

Hearing this, the scholar sighed deeply.

Back then, a major incident occurred within the Strange Domain. It was rumored that something went wrong during the artifact’s forging.

Only a few people managed to escape.

Afterward, powerful figures hunted down those who had fled the Strange Domain, subjecting them to brutal torture in an attempt to extract the location of the Strange Domain.

Yet, despite the most excruciating punishments, even threats to their families and loved ones, none of them revealed its location.

The punishments were excruciating, not only physically but also spiritually.

Eventually, all those who had escaped perished.

That’s why, when the Confucian-robed scholar later discovered Chen Kangbao living in obscurity in Ning County, he chose not to disturb him.

“What secrets does the Strange Domain hold? Why were they so determined to die rather than reveal it?” the younger Blackshade Brother asked.

“According to you, they failed. If they failed, why were they afraid of being discovered?” Tu Sihai asked, puzzled.

“Perhaps… even though they failed, they didn’t entirely fail. They feared that someone entering the domain would cause their efforts to fail completely,” Qi Yuan speculated.

“There should be a special teleportation array within the Strange Domain. Those who escaped likely used it to leave,” the Confucian-robed scholar added.

He lowered his head, his gaze despondent.

“This entire Strange Domain is seamless. I wonder if we can find a way inside.”

“There’s no need for an entrance. This area is relatively weak,” Qi Yuan said, his gaze fixed on a particular section of the gate.

According to the hidden aura he could see, that spot had suffered severe damage in the past. It seemed as if a Divine-tier Weapon Master had tried to break through but ultimately failed.

This demonstrated how sturdy the underground palace was.

But to Qi Yuan, it wasn’t indestructible.

Its original state must’ve been vastly stronger.

Now, however, it seemed its energy had been exhausted over the years.

Otherwise, even with his abilities, Qi Yuan doubted he could break through without entering a divine state.

“Break!”

Qi Yuan’s gaze burned like fire.

Behind him, mocking voices rose in unison, as if rehearsed.

Qi Yuan’s arm transformed into a giant blade.

Unyielding strength and unparalleled sharpness exploded forth as he struck the weakened section of the underground palace.

Boom!

With a powerful strike, a two-meter-wide breach appeared.

The Confucian-robed scholar’s eyes filled with astonishment, quickly followed by a sense of loss and confusion.

“Let’s… go inside and take a look.”

Although the scholar had received information that the Artifact Masters in the Strange Domain had failed…

What if they hadn’t?

He still harbored a shred of hope.

The group stepped into the opening immediately.

An overwhelming stench of decay and rot assaulted their senses—a nauseating blend of death and ancient mildew.

It was as if they had entered a tomb sealed for thousands of years.

Tu Sihai wrinkled his nose in disgust, his complexion pale.

The others instinctively covered their noses, their expressions similarly grim.

Chen Kangbao, however, seemed unfazed. With a peculiar expression on his face, he muttered, “I… feel hungry.”

As he spoke, he took out a steamed bun and began devouring it. His stomach, already round and bloated, showed no signs of slowing him down as he ate ravenously.

Qi Yuan’s sharp eyes scanned the interior.

What stretched out before him was a desolate sea of white—endless skeletons.

The remains of countless individuals were scattered across the ground, their postures twisted in agony, as if they had endured unbearable suffering before death.

Some skeletons, however, were seated upright, their bones arranged neatly and solemnly, as though they had faced death with calm resolve.

Qi Yuan’s gaze eventually settled on one particular skeleton.

This one was draped in a tattered black cloak and held a broken sword in its bony hand.

The broken sword exuded a faint yet ominous aura, though its spiritual essence had long since faded.

“Is this… a divine artifact?” Qi Yuan asked, his voice calm but steady.

Ten years ago, this black-robed individual must have wielded that broken sword, slashing repeatedly at the underground palace in a desperate attempt to carve an escape route.

Now, however, the sword had lost all its spiritual essence, leaving it even weaker than a Heaven-tier artifact.

“This is the corpse of a Divine-tier master,” Qi Yuan remarked, his tone devoid of emotion.

The breathing of those around him grew heavy as their gazes unconsciously fell on the storage artifact clasped within the bony hand of the skeleton.

Yet, seeing that Qi Yuan made no move, none of them dared act rashly.

The Confucian-robed scholar looked at the endless field of skeletons before them, and his entire being seemed to collapse. His vitality, his strength, all seemed to drain from him.

“They’re dead… all of them… dead…” he murmured in despair, slumping onto the ground with lifeless eyes.

Qi Yuan’s attention turned to the massive stone slab nearby.

“There’s writing here,” he noted.

The others hurried over, crowding around to look.

On the stone slab was a dense inscription, written in ancient script:

"My name is Qian Muzhi, the Grandmaster of Sang Country…"

“What?! Qian Muzhi! One of the top three Divine-tier masters in the world? He vanished fifty years ago—he’s here!” Tu Sihai exclaimed, his breathing quickening.

"Night has fallen. The specters run rampant. The frontlines are collapsing. Realms are falling one by one. The Blue Mountain Realm… may be the next to fall."

Those present turned pale as they read this, their expressions shifting to one of abject horror.

“Weren’t the Specter-Restricted Zones cleared long ago? How is this possible…” They felt as though they had stumbled upon a horrifying secret, one that sent a chill down their spines.

"In the short span of a thousand years, seventeen realms have already fallen, becoming paradises for specters.

In another thousand years, the next to fall… will be the Blue Mountain Realm."

"To protect the Blue Mountain Realm, the Radiance Society told me that we must gather all the world’s Artifact Masters and forge the Divine Light Treasure.

The Light of Divinity… will be our only chance of survival.

For thirty years, even as more and more genius Artifact Masters abandoned their names and joined us, we still failed."

The words carved onto the stone slab were plain and unadorned, but a deep sense of despair seeped into the hearts of those who read them.

"Within the Strange Domain were 300,000 anonymous geniuses. Each of them was a true prodigy.

Had they lived and grown, they would have become the pride of their realms. Some might even have been remembered throughout history."

The Confucian-robed scholar muttered, “Three hundred thousand Artifact Masters… they hid themselves in these mountains, giving up their identities and ambitions, all to forge fragments of the Divine Light Treasure in the hope of giving the Blue Mountain Realm the power to resist the specters.”

"But human will cannot defy the heavens. The gods ultimately did not bestow us their mercy.

I was unwilling to give up… We were only one step away from success. How could we abandon our efforts?

Success meant death, failure also meant death… Why would we fear death?"

"So we forged ourselves into artifacts!

And with our artifacts, we forged even greater artifacts!

Our blood and flesh, our very lives… all were cast into the Divine Furnace, hoping to awaken that mighty god, to have its gaze fall upon the Heavenly Source!"

The people of the Strange Domain had sacrificed everything to forge the Heavenly Source, a fragment of the Divine Light Treasure.

Their hope was to awaken a mighty god who would transform the Heavenly Source into the Divine Light Treasure, granting their realm salvation.

But they had failed.

Even after all their efforts, they had failed.

The Heavenly Source was imperfect, unable to attract the attention of the gods. Without divine favor, how could light ever descend upon them?

In the end, they sacrificed the spiritual essence of every artifact they had. They sacrificed their own blood and flesh to feed the Heavenly Source, making it more complete.

But even then, the gods did not cast their gaze upon them.

"So hungry…" Chen Kangbao, who had been reading silently, sat down on the ground, still nibbling on his steamed bun.

Every resource within the underground palace, from food to artifacts, had been sacrificed to the Heavenly Source.

The Heavenly Source had consumed everything.

Even the Artifact Masters themselves had cast their own flesh and blood into the Heavenly Source.

"Every day, someone would die. So many were starving… so, so hungry. But no one dared eat anything. Everything was fed to the Heavenly Source, even our own flesh and blood."

"I even thought about hacking apart the underground palace to feed the Heavenly Source. But I failed."

"I do not know how much more the Heavenly Source must consume, nor how long it will take for the gods to open their eyes and glance this way."

The writing etched into the stone radiated a bleak despair.

"We sat here waiting for death. Those who could no longer bear the hunger… I ended their suffering and fed them to the Heavenly Source."

Once someone entered the Strange Domain, there was no escape.

The power of the Heavenly Source had transformed the entire domain into a land of death.

The underground palace had once been home to 300,000 anonymous geniuses, toiling day and night to perfect the Heavenly Source. They poured their very lives into it.

But even after all this, they failed.

"In the end, I used the Radiance Society’s teleportation array to send five people out.

I hoped they could return in five years, bringing the Radiance Society back to the Strange Domain.

Five years should be enough for the Heavenly Source to consume everything here.

Whether or not the gods opened their eyes… I will never know."

The inscription ended abruptly.

Qian Muzhi sat upon the cold stone slab, his skeletal hand still clutching the broken sword. His flesh had long since been devoured. Whether his final moments were filled with hope or despair was a mystery lost to time.

Chen Kangbao stuffed the last of his steamed bun into his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he suddenly had a thought.

“Young Master, so many people have died here. Should we… host a feast for them? Let them eat something too.”