My Core is the Boss

Qi Yuan slowly raised one hand. As his voice echoed through the tavern, his lazy demeanor vanished completely, replaced by an incomparably sacred aura. Now, he seemed like a supreme deity seated high above the Nine Heavens. Even so, he never loosened his grip around Jiang Lingsu’s arm.

Jiang Ruhua felt an irresistible urge to prostrate himself in worship. The other Great Venerables felt the same. The normal Qi Yuan was far too approachable and gentle, almost dreamlike. Solemn bearing suited him the most! In the next moment, his sacred aura turned peerlessly dark. As though a gate to the underworld had opened, it released an endless tide of eerie, mysterious energy.

His voice was vast and profound, like the chanting of an ancient sacrificial rite. "Return, O’ souls, return! The four directions offer you no refuge! Rootless and overgrown, drifting like duckweed upon the waters. Forsaken and alone, scattered like catkins upon the wind. All who bear my mark, return!"

His sinister aura reached its absolute peak, shaking heaven and earth violently. It was as though the gates of the underworld had truly swung open.

"That's the Blood-Clothed Sword God's voice?"

"What is he doing?"

Countless living beings were filled with bewilderment. The Great Venerables instinctively extended their divine senses. As if summoned by an indescribable force, the fallen mountains and rivers nearby, along with the dead mortals and cultivators, emerged from the stillness of death.

"I'm alive?"

"No... what happened?"

"Father, you're still alive!"

Many cultivators were dumbstruck, some terrified. Every living being in Canglan who had perished during the great battle had risen once more. They transformed into wandering souls before reverting to flesh and blood, restored exactly as they had been before.

All who witnessed it regarded it as nothing less than a divine miracle. And besides Qi Yuan, who else could possibly perform such a miracle?

"Blood-Clothed Sword God!"

Many fell to their knees in worship, while some cultivators trembled uncontrollably. They had witnessed something far beyond anything they could have imagined! The Great Venerables, in particular, knew that even the ancient records contained no account of such a feat.

Qi Yuan contemplated, murmuring, "So the boundary between life and death is simply transformation. Haa... Another day of growing a brain."

While utilizing the Underworld’s powers, he had gained a new insight. In a sense, life and death were merely different forms of energy, transformations within all things. It resembled Ning Tao's epiphany upon advancing to the Yang Spirit realm. She realized that time itself did not truly exist, and that people merely perceived change as the passage of time.

Of course, what he had grasped was simply the tiniest fragment of that truth. His Underworld still seemed to conceal countless unknown mysteries.

Watching all of this unfold, Jiang Ruhua swallowed hard. As for smacking Qi Yuan across the face, he no longer dared entertain even the slightest thought of it. Qi Yuan’s power had completely surpassed his comprehension! The Great Venerables understood it even more deeply. The stronger one was, the more terrifying and inconceivable Qi Yuan’s miracle appeared.

"Well then, is there anything else?" Qi Yuan’s sacred aura vanished, and he reverted to the ordinary Violet Palace cultivator of the Divine Radiance Sect he had been moments before. "If not, I'm going back to catch up on some sleep."

He was still overwhelmingly drowsy. The previous battle had drained far too much of his mental strength.

Just then, Wang Lingtong and Wang Lingshan dropped to their knees. "Senior Blood-Clothed Sword God, please swallow our Xingli World!"

That was the very reason they had come. They wanted to seek his aid. Although the Great Calamity had been destroyed, the marks within them still remained. The Taihuang Palace Master could empty the Xingli World whenever he wanted.

Seeing that Qi Yuan remained silent, Wang Lingtong hurriedly added, "In exchange, every cultivation technique within our realm will be yours!"

His voice grew solemn, his attitude utterly sincere. "Senior, didn't you say you wished for a better cultivation world? Alas, most of our cultivators are problematic! Drunkards, foul-mouthed cultivators—you can find them everywhere! We need you to purify our moral climate, Senior!

"The same is true for the other worlds afflicted by the Great Calamity. Their cultivation worlds have long lived under oppression, and many cultivators suffer from severe psychological problems. They require your help to set things right! Every cultivation technique from all three thousand worlds will be yours! Please swallow the three thousand worlds, Senior!"

It was obvious that he had made careful preparations before coming and had learned about Qi Yuan’s personality. Naturally, he also understood that serving a powerful figure was like serving a tiger. Recklessly trying to guess or flatter such an existence's preferences could easily provoke displeasure. But now, caution was no longer an option. The three thousand worlds could be destroyed at any moment.

Qi Yuan pondered briefly before nodding. "You've got a point."

The cultivation techniques themselves were of secondary importance. In truth, the techniques of the three thousand worlds were inferior to those collected by the Land of Buddha. More importantly, if the Taihuang Palace Master learned that the Great Calamity had been destroyed, he’d probably harvest all three thousand worlds at once. Such a harvest would undoubtedly strengthen him.

Therefore, in order to prevent that villain from becoming even stronger, Qi Yuan had to swallow all three thousand worlds! After all, wasn’t he a lawful good person? He’d never kill innocents indiscriminately. In fact, he even blinked before killing someone!

Wang Lingtong said excitedly, finally letting out a sigh of relief, "Senior, here are the coordinates of the Xingli World. We'll gather the coordinates of the remaining worlds and deliver them to you as quickly as possible!"

As long as Qi Yuan was willing to swallow them, there was still hope! The black-robed man beside him appeared delighted, though even more so regretful and dejected. The Great Calamity had already swallowed his homeland, leaving not even a fragment behind.

Qi Yuan replied calmly, "There's no need. When I destroyed the Great Calamity, I obtained the coordinates of every world."

He then asked Wang Lingtong, "What if I get diarrhea from swallowing so many worlds at once?"

Wang Lingtong fell silent, completely at a loss for how to answer.

"Enough talking. I'm going to swallow the three thousand worlds now. When I am done eating, I'll sleep a bit more and digest."

Qi Yuan departed with Jiang Lingsu, leaving behind a hall full of dumbfounded Great Venerables.

Great Venerable Whitefish murmured, "The Blood-Clothed Sword God swallowing the Three Thousand Worlds... It's simply beyond imagination."

The other Great Venerables likewise found it impossible to picture such a scene.

A Great Venerable sighed. "For the Canglan World to produce someone like Senior Blood-Clothed Sword God... It’s truly a blessing accumulated by our realm through countless lifetimes."

Even now, they still felt as though they were dreaming. They knew better than anyone just how overwhelming the Great Calamity had been. Canglan once had no hope of ever overcoming it. Who could have imagined that the Great Calamity would prove even stronger than expected? The mere knowledge that there were three thousand of them would be enough to crush every cultivator’s will, yet Qi Yuan still prevailed.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Lingtong transmitted to Jiang Ruhua with a hint of ingratiating respect. "Senior, I never imagined that the young woman beside Senior Blood-Clothed Sword God was actually your daughter."

Jiang Ruhua was initially quite pleased, but then a thought struck him. Why are you transmitting your voice for something like this? You should be saying it out loud! Cultivators from the big regions really have no sense at all!

Seeing the Great Venerables discussing Qi Yuan, Jiang Ruhua let out a heartfelt sigh, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Haa... My son-in-law has quite an appetite. He swallows three thousand worlds in a single meal. If he ever came to visit my house, how could we possibly afford to feed him?"

Every Great Venerable simultaneously turned to look at Jiang Ruhua. Shock, disbelief, reverence—every conceivable emotion was reflected in their gazes.

Jiang Ruhua basked in all those looks, feeling immensely satisfied. He lamented once again, "The Jiang Clan is simply too poor. Whew."