My Core is the Boss

Heavenly flames scorched the sky. The heavens collapsed, the grounds split apart, and the sun and moon lost their light. No words could possibly describe this battle.

Disregarding cultivation level and judging purely by combat strength, Qi Yuan had already reached the absolute limit of a Major Heavenly Position Yang Spirit. Back when he had seized the stars, he had united with four thousand Nascent Souls and slain Dong Jun, who was half a step into the Principle realm. Of course, that was also because Dong Jun's trump cards had been completely useless against him.

Speaking solely of divine power, just based on his Dharma Form, he was already stronger than even a Minor Principle Yang Spirit. Leading the gods and buddhas, he charged straight into the three thousand Great Calamities.

The slaughter continued! Blood flowed freely! Chaos was torn asunder! As far as the eye could see, there were nothing but enemies!

Ever since he stepped into the Core Formation realm, Qi Yuan had never experienced a battle of such intensity. Didn’t all the demons within the Mountain-Sea Scroll end with a single sword strike? Could any of the fiends outside City of No Return withstand even one slash?

Now, the battle raged until the end of time. There were neither instant kills nor a single sword strike that ended everything, only relentless collisions and contests of divine power!

Finally, after so long, Qi Yuan was injured for the first time in ages. Chaotic fragments of the Great Calamities rained down upon the Underworld, transforming into unique lands. Besieged, his Nascent Souls shed blood and fell into the Underworld.

Qi Yuan's eyes had long since been dyed crimson with blood. "Die!"

He slew gods and Buddhas that blocked him, charging straight into the enemies! [1]

Heaven-Cleaving Sword! Death Radiance! Tyrannical Might!

The three supreme techniques were unleashed one after another. He held nothing back! The battle was unimaginably brutal. Qi Yuan's side possessed overwhelming advantages, outnumbering and overpowering the enemy.

Perhaps because the Great Calamities were muddle-headed and incapable of fear, not a single one retreated. Like emotionless war machines, they fought with everything they had. Precisely because of that, the Great Calamities never collapsed. They kept confronting the Innate Souls of all heavens in their strongest possible state.

The battle lasted ten full days. Throughout those ten days, the battle never ceased. Neither cultivators nor mortals could catch even a glimpse of the battlefield. They could only judge its progress by the ever-intensifying crimson and the steadily diminishing chaos. When the crimson grew denser and chaos became scarcer, everyone sighed in relief. Mortals' hearts trembled as well, becoming numb through familiarity.

In the void, Qi Yuan’s armor had long since disappeared. Clad once more in his long robe, he was drenched in crimson blood—some of it his own, the rest belonging to his Nascent Soul. Ahead, only the strongest Great Calamities remained.

His killing intent surged. "Any last words?"

The battle had been so intense that even the suona band and the funeral mourning troupe had been forced to pick up weapons and join the fight. Qi Yuan's Nascent Souls had all burned themselves to the limit.

The Six Imperial Lords stood behind him, majestic and noble, manifesting their boundless forms.

The Great Calamities said in perfect unison, their voices carrying an eerie chill, "Power is calamity! The Nine Heavens have no true future! Can you truly eradicate us?!"

Qi Yuan rolled his eyes. "Damn it, shouldn't have let you speak. You're pretending to be cryptic riddlers now?"

The Great Calamities’ expression remained unchanged.

He grinned. "Heh. If it were someone else, maybe they'd be intimidated by your mysterious riddles and rack their brains over them. Unfortunately, I'm naturally allergic to thinking. My brain's been checked into storage long ago! Why think so much? As long as I'm strong enough, even the Great Calamity has to knead my feet! Die!"

Countless torrents of divine power erupted once more. The slaughter resumed and ended fifteen minutes later.

The entire firmament became an ocean of crimson, dyed by Qi Yuan’s robe and the blood of countless Nascent Souls. The sky was an endless expanse of red, and chaos had finally vanished without a trace.

Countless cultivators and commonfolks stared toward the heavens. All the sounds of slaughter and endless explosions ceased abruptly. As silence reigned, every trace of divine power disappeared. The heavens resembled an ancient battlefield. Even the previous carnage seemed nothing more than a projection of history, akin to a fleeting dream.

"It's over?"

"We[2] won?"

Many wept tears of overwhelming joy. When they had witnessed the Great Calamity devouring other worlds, fear had already taken root in their hearts. Simply because there were many people did not mean disaster would spare the individual.

Mountains had shattered. Cities had crumbled. The illusion of safety had been torn apart in a bloody instant. Now, that blood-clad figure had become the pillar holding everything together.

Countless cultivators erupted into celebration and cheers.

"The Blood-Clothed Sword God!"

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Qi Yuan! Destroyer of the Great Calamity!"

Yet many Great Venerables and Yin Spirits wore expressions of shock mixed with concern. From now on, would the Canglan World bear the surname Qi?

Lord Great Wisdom’s gaze gleamed with insight. "Fools are always worrying that the sky will fall, never realizing that worldly worries are endless. If you've already embarked on the path of immortality, worrying is worse than not worrying at all."

Qi Yuan grew weary. Three hundred and twenty-seven Nascent Souls had shattered, while more than three thousand seven hundred had been injured. Now, every Nascent Soul had returned to him. As for the Canglan World, the collateral damage had claimed the lives of hundreds of millions.

Gazing toward the Underworld, he sighed softly. "Fortunately, I'd already marked everyone. Given enough time, the Nascent Souls and the dead can revive."

Before battling the Great Calamity, Qi Yuan had slowly toured the entire Canglan World, staining its skies crimson. He had seen mountains, rivers, insects and left his imprint upon all living beings.

Thus, even if the inhabitants of the Canglan World were killed by the aftermath of the battle, they could still be revived. Of course, the Taihuang Palace’s marks remained. Furthermore, if someone died because of those marks, even the Underworld could not revive them. Now, Canglan could only reside within his Violet Palace, isolated from the outside world.

Boundless exhaustion washed over Qi Yuan. "I am so tired."

Four thousand Nascent Souls had fought with all their strength, and every ounce of their mental exhaustion had converged upon him. Since they were all him, all their exhaustion and injuries became his own. Never before had he been so weary. Even slaying those elders in Earth's End had not exhausted him this much.

He glanced around. "I should go back and take a nap."

The shattered remains of the Great Calamities had transformed into a strange new region. The old him would definitely rush over to investigate what secrets lay inside. Yet now, he was simply too exhausted, he could barely keep his eyes open.

As the crimson radiance faded, the skies of Canglan lost their crimson hue as well. The sun and moon that had illuminated the heavens, along with the countless stars that had shimmered across his armor like fireflies, all disappeared. Now, only ten suns remained visible in the skies.

Inside the pavilion, Jiang Lingsu seemed to sense something. Lifting the hem of her skirt, she rushed toward Qi Yuan. Thick, acrid scent of blood permeated the space. Within Qi Yuan’s eyes were traces of exhaustion and muddled weariness.

Seeing him covered head to toe in blood, delight and heartache filled her eyes. "Senior Brother!"

He murmured, "I'm so sleepy... I'll rest for a while."

Even his voice was faint, as if he would fall asleep at any moment. He had reached the limits of exhaustion. The taut strings holding his mind together finally loosened slightly.

Jiang Lingsu instinctively grasped his hand. "Sleep."

She adjusted her position and sat upon the doorstep, leaning against the doorframe. Qi Yuan closed his eyes and lay down, resting his head on her lap. He fell asleep soon after.

Holding Qi Yuan gently, Jiang Lingsu shifted slightly, letting him rest against something softer so he’d be more comfortable. Lowering her head, she silently gazed at his bloodstained face. Only the faint rhythm of his breathing could be heard. Sunlight slanted beneath the eaves, painting beautiful patterns of light and shadow across them.

The world itself became peaceful and silent.

1. Translator thoughts: WHAT THE?! WHY HE KILL HIS OWN PPL ***E/N: Probably because he’s already gone battle-crazy. Plus he can always revive them again. ☜

2. Who’s we? ☜