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

Chapter 541: Awakening the Mind’s Eye, Feng Ti’s Arrival

The insect maiden, Cai Die, had a sudden thought and flew toward the hot spring, skimming the water’s surface like a dragonfly.

She had searched many areas of the Divine Wood Chasm, but she hadn’t yet examined this hot spring in detail.

Seeing this, Shen Lingxuan quickly wrapped herself in clothing and dove into the depths of the hot spring, listening intently.

“Sounds of wood chopping… and flames…”

Faint noises reached her ears as she tried to discern their source.

Perhaps because it was too far away, she couldn’t hear clearly.

“Break for me!”

Cai Die let out a soft cry, and a wave of special energy struck the weakest point of the hot spring. However, the bottom of the spring remained completely unaffected.

“It seems… we can’t open it,” Cai Die said, disappointment flickering in her eyes. “The rumors must be true. Without a special opportunity, even if you encounter the Divine Wood Abyss, you cannot enter it.”

“What’s inside the Divine Wood Abyss?” Shen Lingxuan asked curiously.

Cai Die’s gaze grew complicated. “I don’t know… I only know that it contains many opportunities and is considered the safest place in the Blue Mountain Realm.”

Currently, Cai Die and Shen Lingxuan were hiding in the Divine Wood Chasm, but they were far from at ease.

The chaotic Starfield was largely under the control of the Radiant Society.

The Radiant Society’s powerhouses frequently patrolled the realms, searching for chosen ones with unique destinies.

Previously, Cai Die and Shen Lingxuan could have remained safely hidden in the Divine Wood Chasm for a long time.

But now… with Divine Descent Qi Yuan having slain seven "gods" in the Rosha Kingdom, the news was bound to draw the Radiant Society’s attention.

If the society sent a powerful figure to the Blue Mountain Realm to search for Qi Yuan, there was a chance they’d find the two of them as well.

Given their current strength, resisting the Radiant Society would be as futile as an ant trying to topple a tree.

Thus, finding the Divine Wood Abyss was crucial.

…

Sunset Cliff.

Chen Kangbao munched on buns, his belly now round and full.

Ji Wuyun, clad in a flowing green dress, watched him with a helpless expression. “Aren’t you worried about your young master? What if… something happens to him?”

Back when they had agreed to meet in person through the Divine Wood Token, Ji Wuyun had ultimately chosen to come.

“Young Master is like a god descended to the mortal realm. You could choke him with buns, and he still wouldn’t die,” Chen Kangbao replied nonchalantly.

Suddenly, Ji Wuyun found her bun far less appetizing.

At that moment, footsteps approached, and a man dressed in black appeared.

On his forehead was an unusual pattern, seemingly inscribed with a character, giving him an eerie aura.

Though his face bore a perpetual smile, it exuded a dangerous air.

This man was a member of the Thorned Blood, an NPC, and a brilliant narrator—Xianling Yingjun.

However, his expression was unusually grave. “There’s trouble. Feng Ti, the Great Venerable of the Radiant Society, has descended to the Blue Mountain Realm. He’s likely here for a chosen one.”

“Feng Ti, the Great Venerable?” Ji Wuyun’s face immediately showed fear.

To her, neither the Thorned Blood nor the Radiant Society were good people.

“He’s no ordinary Great Venerable. His original form is the Phoenix Ape, ranked among the top three in combat strength among Yin Gods in this era of the Radiant Universe,” Xian Ling Yingjun said, his face filled with deep apprehension.

He himself had reached the Third Step, and even among third-step cultivators, he was considered a powerhouse.

But the Radiant Universe was vast beyond imagination. Among third-step cultivators in the Void Paradise alone, his combat strength ranked beyond the top 300.

The top three… What kind of existence would that be?
Even a single breath from such a being could annihilate him.

“Young Master is invincible. Feng Ti is nothing—one sword strike is all it’ll take to kill him!” Chen Kangbao said casually, still eating his bun. Perhaps realizing how exaggerated his claim sounded, he added, “If one sword isn’t enough, then two swords.”

Xianling Yingjun chuckled wryly. “Feng Ti isn’t like your past opponents.”

Divine Descent Qi Yuan was strong, unmatched in the Blue Mountain Realm.

He could be considered the strongest in the realm.

But Feng Ti operated on a cosmic scale.

Comparing Divine Descent to Feng Ti was like comparing a village school to a galactic university.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t come here… If Brother Qi Yuan really is in the Divine Wood Chasm, perhaps he can avoid Feng Ti,” Xianling Yingjun said.

…

“I’ve built a ladder. With it, I can see the exit more clearly and awaken my mind’s eye.

Once the ladder is complete, do you want to climb it and leave?” Qi Yuan asked as he continued refining the ladder.

By now, the ladder was more than halfway finished.

The blind woman shook her head. She looked up at the speck of light in the sky, only to perceive an endless void.

“This exit cannot accommodate me,” she said, shaking her head again.

“You’re that tall?” Qi Yuan glanced at her and thought about reaching out to measure her height.

However, judging by her breathing and heartbeat, Qi Yuan deduced that while the blind woman was tall and slender, she was nowhere near a giant.

The blind woman ignored him and instead asked, “Have you perfected your artifact refinement techniques? Have you awakened your mind’s eye? Have you crafted a divine-tier artifact?”

Three questions in a row.

Qi Yuan gave an awkward laugh. “No.”

He didn’t feel like talking to her anymore.

Why did she have to be so critical?

“Ugh, the eight disciplines of artifact refinement are too hard. I’ve only reached the proficient level,” he admitted.

“… That’s rather slow,” the blind woman said after a long pause, offering her evaluation.

She placed some fruit down and wandered off to her usual spot on the swing.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan erected the repaired ladder. It stood tall, stretching dozens of meters high.

Cautiously, he climbed up. Finally, panting for breath, he reached the top.

From this vantage point, the speck of light seemed much closer.

“Why do I hear the sound of water?”

“Could this exit lead to a river?”

“Ugh, awakening the mind’s eye is too hard.”

“If only I had a progress bar…”

“You look ahead—proficiency +1.”

Qi Yuan muttered nonsense to himself.

“The ladder does help, though. I feel like being closer improves my comprehension.”

A gentle breeze blew as Qi Yuan stood atop the ladder, blind eyes fixed on the speck of light.

Time flowed on, and nearly a year had passed since Qi Yuan arrived in the Divine Wood Abyss.

Finally, the ladder reached its full height.

Eagerly, Qi Yuan climbed to the very top.

“This exit is so big and round. How can I not comprehend anything?”

After spending so much time focusing on one thing, Qi Yuan felt that awakening his mind’s eye might happen in an instant.

Perhaps, once he touched that speck of light, his mind’s eye would awaken.

With the aid of the mind’s eye, his artifact refinement would likely improve drastically.

He could fulfill both his roles as Divine Descent and blind Artifact Master, achieving dual perfection.

With these thoughts, Qi Yuan reached the highest point of the ladder.

The wind was strong, and the ladder swayed.

Holding his breath, Qi Yuan focused intently on the speck of light.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The wind stilled, and his heart grew calm.

“To see with the mind’s eye is to observe the world from another perspective.

The eyes may deceive, but the heart does not.”

“No… my eyes don’t deceive me, and neither does my heart.”

In that moment, Qi Yuan experienced an epiphany.

“The heart is an extension of the eyes…”

An indescribable sensation filled him.

Suddenly, the world seemed clearer, no longer just black and red.

“I’m still blind… but my perception has grown much sharper.”

For Qi Yuan, this enhancement was akin to gaining a small cheat ability.

His perception had always been strong, but now it was even more so.

Focusing on the speck of light, Qi Yuan felt its contours.

“Who’s there?”

A woman’s sharp voice cut through the air. Shen Lingxuan, now clad in a flowing dress, looked around warily.

Cai Die fluttered over, her wings buzzing. She, too, appeared on edge as she scrutinized the hot spring.

“This voice sounds familiar…” Qi Yuan murmured.

Though muffled as if from another world, he immediately recognized it. “Shen Lingxuan… is that you?”

Shen Lingxuan froze, her expression filled with confusion.

Nearby, Cai Die looked puzzled. “What voice? I didn’t hear anything.”

Unbeknownst to her, Qi Yuan and Shen Lingxuan were communicating through a unique ability of his.

With his enhanced perception, Qi Yuan could pick up subtle sounds and respond in kind.

This was the same ability he had used to communicate with the silent voice before.

Cai Die, lacking this ability, was naturally oblivious.

Shen Lingxuan’s confusion deepened.

She hadn’t expected such a loud voice to be inaudible to Cai Die.

“You—are you speaking to me?” Shen Lingxuan asked hesitantly.

The voice was unmistakably familiar, reminding her of a young man she had encountered before.

Back then, that young man had slain a notorious criminal with a single sword strike, leaving a deep impression on her.

He… knew her?
And why was he in the depths of the Divine Wood Abyss?

“Do you recognize me?” Qi Yuan asked cheerfully. “Lingxuan, I’ve been looking for you everywhere and couldn’t find you. I never thought we’d meet here.”

Cai Die, watching Shen Lingxuan talk to thin air, was utterly baffled.

Was Shen Lingxuan hallucinating?

Shen Lingxuan’s expression grew wary. “You’ve been looking for me? Who are you?”

“I’m your husband… Qi Yuan.”

“What?” Shen Lingxuan’s body trembled, her icy expression giving way to shock and disbelief.

He wasn’t just some live-in husband, was he?

Hadn’t Zhi Shuang said he was a frail scholar, practically useless?

“I went to Ten Thousand Mountain Abyss recently to find you, but I couldn’t locate you.

Oh, and that Fifth Wei who wanted to abduct you as a maid? I killed him.”

Shen Lingxuan’s disbelief deepened.

Before she could fully process this, Qi Yuan added, “Don’t worry about the Rosha Kingdom seeking revenge. I recently visited and killed Fifth Bufan.”

“Wait… you’re Divine Descent Qi Yuan?” Even Shen Lingxuan, as composed as a jade statue, was shaken to her core.

The one who had slain seven "gods"—Divine Descent Qi Yuan—was her husband? Her live-in husband?

How could this be anything but shocking?

This was like a woman on modern Earth discovering her meek husband was secretly one of the most powerful men alive.

Next to her, Cai Die grew increasingly anxious, like a short person in a crowd jumping up and down to catch a glimpse of what was happening.

Shen Lingxuan turned to her, her voice as icy as ever, though it carried a faint tremor.

“The person speaking to me… is my husband. Divine Descent Qi Yuan.”

As she said the word “husband,” a blush crept across her snow-white face, making her look even more enchanting.

“Wait… your husband is him? Where is he?” Cai Die was equally shocked.

Could there really be such coincidences in the world?

“He’s below us,” Shen Lingxuan replied, her blush deepening as she looked at the hot spring.

She remembered the first time she met him, when he had claimed he wanted to "ride her."

At the time, she thought he was just spouting nonsense.

Now, recalling that moment, her heart fluttered.

The thought of being ridden resurfaced in her mind, and the usually icy Shen Lingxuan hurriedly banished the idea, feeling both annoyed and grateful.

Qi Yuan had ventured deep into the Ten Thousand Mountain Abyss and slain Fifth Bufan to save her.

“Fate truly works in mysterious ways. I’ll try climbing up to find you,” Qi Yuan said.

He pushed toward the speck of light.

A searing pain tore through him, as though knives were slicing his flesh.

“It hurts a bit,” Qi Yuan muttered.

The pain was excruciating, like being subjected to a thousand cuts—or worse.

Even an ordinary Yang God cultivator in mortal form might faint under such torment.

But Qi Yuan was long accustomed to pain. This was nothing to him.

Shen Lingxuan watched the hot spring, her gaze filled with a mix of curiosity, anticipation, and anxiety.

She had never seen her "husband" before. The thought of meeting Qi Yuan left her nervous, unsure of how to react.

And if Qi Yuan brought up wanting to ride her again… how would she respond?

Just then, her expression froze.

Cai Die, too, turned her gaze skyward, her eyes wide with horror.

Above the Divine Wood Chasm, a majestic figure descended.

Dressed in flowing white robes and carrying a sword, the figure stood in the void, several miles away.

Even from such a distance, Cai Die felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, as though this person could shatter the heavens with a single strike.

“Someone from the Radiant Society!” Cai Die’s face turned pale. “A Great Venerable!”

Shen Lingxuan, too, felt the oppressive sword aura.

She recognized this person.

In her previous life, this was the one who had killed her with a single sword strike—a being from beyond the heavens.

At the time, she thought he was merely a divine-tier cultivator.

Now, with greater strength and broader knowledge, she realized he wasn’t ordinary.

This was a Great Venerable.

And not just any Great Venerable.

Feng Ti stood in the void, his gaze piercing through the Divine Wood Chasm as brilliant light shone from his eyes.

“Did you think hiding in the Divine Wood Chasm would allow you to escape me?”

A mocking expression crossed Feng Ti’s face.

The sword on his back trembled, and the world shook with it.

Suddenly, the sword unsheathed, moving like a dragon.

Boom!
A devastating sword strike erupted, its sharp aura cutting through everything.

In an instant, the barrier above the Divine Wood Chasm shattered.

This barrier, capable of withstanding the attacks of divine-tier cultivators and even ordinary Great Venerables, crumbled in the face of Feng Ti’s sword.

His gaze fell upon Shen Lingxuan and Cai Die, filled with ridicule. “Little insects who only know how to hide—this time, let’s see if you can survive another lifetime.”

He had recognized Shen Lingxuan.

At this moment, Shen Lingxuan felt an infinite pressure weighing on her, her body trembling uncontrollably.

She looked toward the hot spring and couldn’t help but cry out, “Don’t come out! It’s dangerous outside!”

Staying in the Divine Wood Abyss was the only way to ensure true safety.

Her husband Qi Yuan was strong, but this opponent… this was a Great Venerable. And not just any Great Venerable.

If Qi Yuan came out, he would surely die.

For the first time, she felt genuine concern for Qi Yuan.

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