My Core is the Boss-Chapter 155.2: Elder Ye Qiongs Scheme

When Qi Yuan returned to his cave, Kang Fulu had already left. Jiang Ya was still perched among the branches of the bodhi tree, immersed in the study of cultivation methods.

Qi Yuan glanced her way. "I went through the backdoor, so I'm skipping the Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle. I'll be in seclusion for seven days to figure out a new technique!"

Jiang Ya stared at him for a moment, looking baffled. "Alright."

Certainly, with his current level, participating in the battle would just be courting death. Skipping it was the only sane choice.

Outside the cave, Qi Yuan hung a brand-new sign: Do Not Disturb. Closed-Door Cultivation for Seven Days. Violators Will Die.

Since it was about his Golden Core Path, of course he took it seriously. He even stationed the vegetable knife and the Blood Soul Sword by the entrance akin to two irritable guards.

Two days later, Kang Fulu wandered by. He grimaced at the sign. "Junior Brother’s talent might even surpass me. What a shame. If the prodigy battle hadn't been pushed earlier, he could've broken into the top hundred and retrieved the clan treasure for the Sect Master."

As it was, Qi Yuan didn't even have a Golden Core. Competing would just be suicide.

Jiang Ya remained expressionless. "Let's go. The battle's starting."

Turning into streaks of light, the two headed for Cloud Court's inner grounds. The secret realm unfolded amid the mountains. Light blazed and spiritual energy churned in waves from every direction.

Jiang Ya's eyes sharpened as she took in the gathered prodigies.

Meanwhile, Kang Fulu's shoulders sagged. "My impressive titles are nothing but useless here."

He could tell at a glance that half the field could stomp him flat. Suddenly, his First-grade Golden Core suddenly felt painfully average.

Kang Dulu shrank into the crowd, barely noticeable at all. "Junior Brother was right. If only I had refined a bigger core, maybe I wouldn't feel so pathetic."

A moment later, an enormous voice boomed through the sky. "Attention. This year's Eastern Lands Prodigy Battle has a rule change. Only nineteen out of the top twenty slots are available. Do not misunderstand."

The crowd erupted.

"Only nineteen?! What do you mean only!?"

"Who the hell took the twentieth slot!?"

"Someone actually pulled strings in an event this important!?"

"Shameless!"

"... Honestly, I'm jealous."

The prodigies ranked in the top twenty wore extremely grim faces. After all, the competition had become much harder.

"Which Yin Spirit's brat was too scared to compete and used the backdoor instead!?"

Kang Fulu froze, slowly turning to Jiang Ya. "... Didn't Qi Yuan say he went through the backdoor?"

"Mhm." Jiang Ya nodded with a strangely complicated expression. "He also said he succeeded."

Kang Fulu stared into the distance, his soul leaving him. No way, right? It couldn't be him... 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"...There's no way my junior brother would do such a thing, right?" he muttered.

***

"I screwed up." Qi Yuan sat inside the cave, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Did I go down the wrong path?"

While refining the Qi Yuan Scripture, he realized a glaring issue: the techniques he’d gathered were nowhere near enough! They were akin to a droplet in an ocean!

Meanwhile, he had already decided he wanted both paths: Core Formation and Nascent Soul. With a literal sun for a core, his path was bound to be unconventional, and completing it would likely mean devouring the entire universe.

"Looks like I need two branches. A Star Golden Core chapter and a Nascent Soul advancement chapter."

Star Golden Core Chapter: Strengthen True Sun Fire, Devour Stars.

Nascent Soul Chapter: Regular Cultivation Up the Ladder to Eventually Become Nascent Soul.

"Wouldn't that make me both a Core Formation cultivator and a Nascent Soul cultivator?" Just thinking about it made his head ache. "I need so many new techniques, but I'm broke!"

As if gathering cultivation manuals weren’t difficult enough, the Core Formation path required two additional techniques. If he weren't such a law-abiding citizen, he would've seriously considered becoming a rogue cultivator.

With a long sigh, Qi Yuan stepped out of the cave. "My White Moonlight, where are you? Elder Ye Qiong, why can't you backstab me for once? At least I'd get something out of it..."

The inn was nearly empty because everyone went to the prodigy battle’s secret realm.

Just then, his transmission jade lit up. Qi Yuan blinked, not expecting a message mid-seclusion. "The Cloud Court Master?"

One flash of movement later, he appeared in Cloud Court. Clad in his blood-red robes, his infuriatingly handsome look drew countless stares.

"Cloud Court Master, why did you summon me?" he asked calmly.

He could sense them right away: a late-stage Violet Palace, seven mid-stage, and a small crowd of early-stage cultivators were gathered in the hall. Did a white moonlight finally set her sights on him? Was someone here to send him the cultivation manuals he desperately sought? After all, they were peak-quality elders.

More than thirty Violet Palace experts stepped forward and bowed in unison. Qi Yuan recognized Xu Yeli among them, though Xu Yeli pretended not to know him.

"Greetings, Blood-Clothed Sword God!"

"Greetings, Blood-Clothed Sword God!"

The assembled cultivators represented the peak of power in the Cuiyun Continent. Each of them was capable of ransacking a kingdom, yet before Qi Yuan, they showed nothing but fear and reverence.

Qi Yuan glanced at the Cloud Court Master, calm as ever. "So what do you want?"

Although he wasn’t the strongest, the Cloud Court Master stepped forward as their representative. He said solemnly, "Senior destroyed the Bright Palace and rid the Cuiyun Continent of a great menace. Now, our land is leaderless. We wish to nominate you as its new leader."

A late-stage Violet Palace cultivator bowed as well. "We are willing to follow Senior."

Qi Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. So they want me to become a martial alliance leader?

"I like straightforwardness," Qi Yuan said. "Save me the twists and turns."

The Violet Palace experts’ nomination was really just them seeking a powerful backer to tell them what to do. It was a choice no one would make unless driven into a corner.

Then, another late-stage Violet Palace expert stepped forward. "Senior, are you aware the great calamity is approaching?"

Qi Yuan shook his head. Bullshit calamity.

He had no idea what it was, having only heard the Cloud Court Master mumble about it. Judging by their faces, these old fellows were just as clueless. Only a Yin Spirit level existence would know.

"In a few hundred years, the great calamity will befall, plunging the world into chaos. Even Violet Palace cultivators like us will struggle to survive. That was why the Bright Palace started the Hundred Nations Blood War. They wanted to restore the Emperor Dragon Shock Crown and reduce the calamity's force. Only those at the Yin Spirit realm have the faintest hope of resisting it."

Qi Yuan caught on. "So basically, you want me to shelter all of you?"

Both the Bright Palace and the Emperor Dragon Shock Crown were no more. The Cuiyun Continent’s Yin Spirit level was garbage. Helpless against an unseen, unimaginable calamity, they could only throw themselves at Qi Yuan’s feet. They had likely concluded that he had a Yin Spirit backing, given his ability to destroy the Bright Palace.

Every gaze turned to Qi Yuan, nervous, reverent and expectant.

"Exactly," the late-stage elder said. "We are willing to form the Blood-Clothed Alliance. Senior will be our alliance leader. We will obey your commands. If you need artifacts, techniques, treasures, anything, we will find them for you."

Qi Yuan fell silent, contemplating. Admittedly, it was a tempting offer. He desperately required cultivation manuals, and a group of Violet Palace old monsters combing the continent was far more efficient than searching on his own. If he became the righteous leader of the Cuiyun Continent, wouldn't all its techniques effectively belong to him?

Just then, the Cloud Court Master asked, "Senior, please look, do you know this person?"

A frail old man was dragged forward. His aura was weak, but he was unmistakably at the Violet Palace realm. Terror flickered in his eyes, mixed with a trace of resentment.

Qi Yuan shook his head. "Never seen him."

The Cloud Court Master explained, "Some time ago, Senior helped retrieve the Violet-Gold Gourd for your elder. That gourd originally came from Hong Lian's clan. Two thousand years ago, that old beast set his eyes on the Wood Clan's holy empress, intending to take her as a concubine. However, she chose death over dishonor and took her own life. Enraged, Hong Lian exterminated her entire clan, and only a handful escaped. The Violet-Gold Gourd was stolen from them. Senior's elder should be one of the Wood Clan survivors. We have already captured Hong Lian. Senior, you may deal with him however you please."

Hong Lian glared at the Cloud Court Master. "I've pledged allegiance to the Shuixian Continent! Capturing me is akin to declaring war!"

Shuixian lay next to Cuiyun. It was slightly stronger, but not by much.

Qi Yuan studied Hong Lian and understood. So he’s the clan-destroying enemy of my sect master and Elder Xuanchong.

Elder Xuanchong, hot-tempered as he was, had always treated Qi Yuan decently.

Qi Yuan smiled at Hong Lian. "If everyone in the Shuixian Continent is like you, why shouldn't we go to war?"

He actually wouldn't mind collecting a few more white moonlights.

The late-stage elder gave a stiff, embarrassed smile, not daring to comment.

Qi Yuan nodded. "In that case, I'll take the position of allegiance leader. All of you, bring me every cultivation manual you can find. The more the better."

Relief washed over the group. Their Blood-Clothed Sword God had agreed. The looming terror of the coming calamity no longer felt quite as suffocating.

"Xu Yeli," Qi Yuan called, then turned to another late-stage elder. "And you too. I have a task for you."

The late-stage elder straightened nervously. "Yes, Senior. You may call me Meishan."

Before proceeding, Qi Yuan swept his gaze over the remaining cultivators. They understood the hint and withdrew at once.

Only then did Qi Yuan go on. "Go to the Divine Radiance Sect in Great Shang, and hand him over to Lord Withered Tree."

Meishan and Xu Yeli tensed up. "Understood, Senior!"

Such sensitive orders meant one thing: from now on, their fates were irrevocably tied to the Blood-Clothed Sword God.

"And give him the Violet-Gold Gourd as well," Qi Yuan said lightly.

He had left wisps of his Origin Divine Technique and True Sun Fire inside the artifact. Betrayal from these two was never a concern. After saying all he needed to say, Qi Yuan vanished, leaving behind Meishan, Xu Yeli, and the trembling Hong Lian.

Xu Yeli asked Meishan, baffled. "Senior, I've always wondered why you chose the Blood-Clothed Sword God?"

Xu Yeli had only learned of the impending great calamity recently. Only then did he realize how close the Violet Palace cultivators had been to death all along.

"You mean to say the Blood-Clothed Sword God offended Lord Ye Qiong and won't live long?" Meishan replied softly.

"N-no, that's not what I meant..."

"What other choice do we have?" Meishan said bitterly. "All we can hope for is that Lord Ye Qiong fears the calamity enough to leave our alliance leader alone. Only under his protection do we stand even a sliver of chance of surviving."