Chapter 137.1: Ordinary Golden Core

Through the Myriad Phenomena Gate, Qi Yuan had arrived at a desolate universe. The starry sky shone brilliantly, the Milky Way stretching across the heavens. The universe was vast and boundless, one could not see its limits at a glance.

A blazing star burned endlessly, radiating scorching heat. It was so close, it felt as if Qi Yuan only had to reach out to touch it.

The heat was scorching and blistering. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Ning Tao's fair little face. Her long black dress clung tightly to her petite figure, outlining her graceful curves. Even as a Great Supreme, she wasn't immune to the unbearable heat.

She gazed at the strange universe with a mixture of wonder and fear of the unknown. In legends, stars were always linked to the power of gods. Now, they were everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

Qi Yuan held Ning Tao, burning even hotter than her delicate form. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "This is a brand new universe."

Strictly speaking, Canglan World, Moonwatch Continent, and Flowing Wind World belonged to the same universe.

Above their skies lay the same divine projections cast down by gods. Of course, Flowing Wind World could have been a special case.

This universe was utterly silent. Qi Yuan sensed no living beings. In any case, the sun, moon, and stars here were real.

Drawing Ning Tao close, the Great Sun Golden Lotus within him burned everything away. His consciousness began to waver.

After leaving Flowing Wind World, it felt as though he had detached from the game world, and didn't have to immediately return to Canglan World. Still, his physical condition had to be resolved.

The lotus burned and burned.

He gazed at Ning Tao, emotion flickering across his face. "I have to go."

If he stayed, she'd be harmed. Ning Tao stood in the vast emptiness, gazing firmly at him. She clutched Qi Yuan's sleeve tightly, her long legs locked around his waist, as if terrified he'd vanish again.

Seeing the timid Ning Tao, Qi Yuan forced a faint smile. "Don’t worry. I’ll be fine."

Then, his gaze turned to the seemingly small star nearby. He uttered, "See that? That little sun is about to become my Golden Core."

Confusion flashed in Ning Tao’s eyes. She didn't understand, but she listened quietly.

With a firm and determined gaze, Qi Yuan explained, "I'm going over there to swallow it. You don’t have to worry about me. My foundation is built upon the Heavenly Dao. Swallowing a star is nothing! I once heard an expert who swallowed an entire universe in one go. Compared to that, this is no big deal."

Misty tears filled Ning Tao’s starry eyes. "Blood Drop, you aren't allowed to lie to me!"

She feared he actually intended to leave her behind and faced the all-consuming lotus by himself.

He gently held her soft hand, tenderly gazing at her. "When have I ever lied to you?"

Their bond ran deep, stronger than words could describe.

The burning of the lotus intensified, reducing Ning Tao’s clothes to ashes. Nevertheless, she made no attempt to resist it.

Qi Yuan placed his hand on Ning Tao’s smooth, flawless back. Her fair, jade-like body was fully bared before him. She twisted slightly, the soft curve of her back brushing against his arm. Qi Yuan forced down the desire in his heart.

Ning Tao leaned close to his ear, whispering sweetly yet fiercely, "Blood Drop, now that you’ve already seen my body, no matter how ugly I may be, you are not allowed to despise me! If you disappear without a word again, I will tie you to my side for all your lifetimes!"

Qi Yuan could no longer distinguish whether the enchanting girl in his arms was Canary or Ning Tao. All he knew was her beauty was utterly captivating.

Qi Yuan gazed at her and said with concern, "I won't leave. But after I refine that star into my core, I might disappear from here. Perhaps, only the core will remain. Don’t stare at it too much, you might start forgetting things."

Part of him would remain behind.

Ning Tao didn't fully understand. She tilted her head, her moist red lips brushing Qi Yuan's skin as her pearly teeth grazed him lightly. Then, she smiled proudly. "I have marked you! Husband, from now on, you belong to me."

Still, her smile quickly faded, replaced by bashfulness. "Blood Drop, mark me too. I want to be yours."

The bold, seductive one was Ning Tao. The shy, easily flustered one was the Canary.

Qi Yuan leaned toward her, inhaling her faint fragrance. "Our combined mental age isn’t even as big as someone’s shoe size. Ning Tao, I have to go."

Such naive, simple, pure affection dispelled the worry in Qi Yuan’s heart.

Ning Tao held his head gently. Her snowy face flushed red. She was wrapped in her original attire once more.

At their level, forming clothing from cosmic dust was the easiest thing in the world. Of course, it could also be done using mana.

She said in a slightly domineering tone, "You know." [1]

Qi Yuan nodded. He gazed deeply at her one last time, then turned to the endless stars of the vast universe. Finally, his eyes settled on the smallest, nearest star. He charged toward it without hesitation.

Ning Tao watched him across the vast universe. Time seemed to freeze. No one knew how long had passed. Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light erupted from the surface of that star. The light blazed, then vanished again.

At the same time, countless thoughts flickered through Qi Yuan’s mind. He had already entered the star’s interior. Endless pressure and scorching heat ravaged him. The Great Sun Golden Lotus also burned everything to ash.

The two fires burned against each other, forming a delicate balance. Qi Yuan suffered pain beyond anything he had ever endured.

The lotus was especially menacing. Its power to disintegrate all things was so terrifying, even his flesh could barely withstand it.

Death Radiance!

Qi Yuan fought against the lotus, unleashing one technique after another. His power surged relentlessly.

When the Great Sun Bright Buddha entered nirvana[2], the relic he left behind eventually became the terrifying lotus. Now that it had been tainted by dust, it sought to burn all things in existence.

Qi Yuan activated his Origin Divine Technique, the Great Forgetfulness Sutra. "Forget!”

This was the only way to revert the situation now. He pushed it to its utmost limit. Strong enough to carve its mark upon the Myriad Phenomena Gate, its true strength finally erupted.

Back in the Flowing Wind World, Qi Yuan had rarely used the Great Forgetfulness Sutra. Overuse risked affecting himself, so he had always exercised great restraint. Still, at the end of the day, the divine technique was his own Dao.

As a player, how could he allow his own Dao to harm him? If he forgot, it would be because he chose to forget, and not because the ability forced it on him.

Back when he used the sutra to break the Myriad Evil Gate and his transformation into the Great Demon, he had already made preparations.

Just as he had engraved Inner Demon Lure onto the soul artifact, he now intended to engrave the Great Forgetfulness Sutra onto his core.

Hence why he used it without restraint. "Forgetfulness is the ultimate truth. Forgetfulness is the Dao. You are the Great Sun Golden Lotus, you have never been tainted. I am the Great Sun Bright Buddha and you are a part of me!"

The Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra spread through everything.

Qi Yuan turned red-hot as flames surged around him. Yet, he radiated a boundless Buddhist aura.

The Great Sun Golden Lotus seemed almost sentient, its burning slowing down. However, the moment it sensed the negative emotions lingering in the blood-red longsword, its flame rose again, hotter than before.

Qi Yuan flung the long sword away.

"That is my Three Corpses, already severed! [3]I am the Great Sun Bright Buddha! You are the relic within my belly! You are not tainted!"

He continued to channel his Origin Divine Technique, soothing the Great Sun Golden Lotus. Lotus blossoms spat from his mouth as he spoke, his voice carrying a mesmerizing power.

Inside the star, the lotus' burning finally calmed down.

Qi Yuan exhaled slowly. "One treasure coaxed into obedience. Just one more to deal with."

The star itself had yet to submit.

Qi Yuan sighed. "If not for Bai Ze, it wouldn’t have gone this smoothly."

Besides helping him seal all the inner demons, Bai Ze had also taught him countless Buddhist doctrines, as well as giving him some gifts from the Great Sun Bright Buddha.

Thanks to all of this, Qi Yuan could better use the Great Forgetfulness Sutra to subdue the lotus.

Qi Yuan shouted loudly, "Great Sun Golden Lotus, forge for me a Supreme Glazed Immaculate Golden Physique!"

Only with the strongest stomach in the world could he swallow the Golden Core.

The Great Sun Golden Lotus ignited once more. Except this time, its flames didn't burn everything indiscriminately, and instead seared Qi Yuan's soul, flesh, and body. His flesh was being scorched inch by inch, bit by bit.

The pain was unbearable but Qi Yuan’s eyes blazed with ambition. "Only by enduring the hardest of hardships can one rise above others! One day, I will dominate the entire high-school cultivation world!"

1. "You know.” is a tacit understanding line, not something literal.

Ning Tao is acknowledging everything that has just passed between them—the unspoken promise, the emotional bond, and her consent and resolve—without needing to spell it out. It means

“You understand what I mean,”

or

“You know what this signifies,”

trusting that Qi Yuan already grasps her feelings and determination. ☜

2. In Buddhism, nirvana is the highest spiritual goal. It refers to the cessation of suffering and the end of the rebirth cycle. It is not viewed as a place or a state of existence but rather as a state of being free from the condition that leads to suffering. ☜

3. In Daoist beliefs, the three corpses refer to inner demons that can live inside a human body's head, chest, abdomen. In this case, when Qi Yuan says it is severed, he is telling the Great Sun Golden Lotus that he has gotten rid of his demons and is now 'pure' ☜