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

As his hand caressed the words etched into the wooden plaque, Qi Yuan committed the eight disciplines of artifact refinement to memory.

“Difficult, very difficult, incredibly difficult.”

For Qi Yuan, mastering these eight artifact refinement techniques proved quite challenging.

Having lost the cheat-like ability to perceive hidden information through his eyes, he naturally couldn't directly modify these techniques.

Of course, even though he was now blind, his foundation as a powerful cultivator from the Purple Mansion realm remained intact, and creating new techniques from scratch was still within his abilities.

But the eight disciplines of artifact refinement were different. They embodied simplicity in their profound nature, making them almost impossible to improve upon—even for Qi Yuan.

“It seems this blind woman’s identity is quite extraordinary,” Qi Yuan speculated internally.

In the Sixth Heaven of the Immortal World, even divine techniques at the Yang God level could easily be modified by him.

“Looks like I can't take shortcuts this time—I’ll have to grind through it.”

“Basics of Gold Refinement…”

“Basics of Wood Refinement…”

...

“Basics of Thunder Refinement!”

After seven grueling hours, Qi Yuan finally mastered the basics of all eight disciplines of artifact refinement.

Once he reached the introductory level, he reflected on these techniques anew and gained further insights.

“These eight disciplines truly form a cohesive whole. To fully integrate them, just reaching the introductory level won't suffice.”

The mastery of these disciplines was categorized into four stages: Basic, Proficient, Mastery, and Grandmaster.

Qi Yuan estimated that only by reaching the Mastery stage in all eight techniques would he be able to successfully integrate them.

“The blind Artifact Master’s ultimate goal in life is to become a divine-level artifact master, perhaps even an ancestral god-level artifact master, ascending to greater heights, becoming someone like Zhao Gao—no, no!”

Being blind was already miserable enough; Qi Yuan had no intention of losing another organ.

“Advancing in artifact refinement will require practical experience. I’ll need to ask the blind woman for materials.”

While his storage artifact held many materials, divine-level resources were few and far between.

To refine artifacts, using high-quality materials naturally accelerated progress.

“The cave on the right… about 700 meters… is that where she lives?”

After contemplating for a moment, Qi Yuan began heading toward the blind woman’s dwelling.

The terrain here was complex. Qi Yuan was currently in a dark, sunless cave, though every hundred meters or so, light filtered in. The cave walls were adorned with what looked like tiny, twinkling fireflies, creating a beautiful, starry effect.

However, being blind, Qi Yuan couldn’t see any of this.

“This path doesn’t seem to be used often. Lots of moss,” he muttered.

Cautiously, Qi Yuan traversed the 700-meter stretch.

Finally, he stopped and softly called out, “Blind woman, are you there?”

After a few breaths, a lazy voice responded, “I’m here.”

Though Qi Yuan couldn’t see, he felt as if he could visualize a graceful woman reclining on a bed, her eyes half-open, looking as though she had just woken up.

Rustling sounds reached his ears, followed by the faint sound of water.

Qi Yuan also heard the sound of footsteps treading on grass.

“Have you chosen which discipline of artifact refinement to study?” the blind woman asked.

“I’ve chosen, and I’ve already reached the basic level,” Qi Yuan replied. “It’s incredibly difficult—I’ve never studied a technique this slowly before.”

Qi Yuan spoke the truth.

Before losing his sight, no matter how complex the technique, he could adapt and modify it for rapid learning and cultivation.

This time, he had no choice but to rely solely on his natural talent.

For Qi Yuan, it was arduous!

The blind woman’s cool expression momentarily revealed a sly, smug look. “You’re fast. Could you compete with Sheng Nu? Which discipline did you choose?”

“All eight. I worked hard and managed to grasp the basics of them all,” Qi Yuan said.

“All eight?”

“Yes,” Qi Yuan nodded.

The blind woman fell silent, only speaking after a few moments. “You must be very diligent.”

However, she added, “How long have I been asleep?”

In the depths of the Divine Wood Abyss, the blind woman lived a simple life that revolved around two places: her bedroom and the swing where she felt the cool breeze.

The Divine Wood Abyss was vast, yet she never wandered far.

Her poor memory often caused her to forget things.

Even if she became familiar with a path, she might one day forget it entirely.

Thus, she refrained from embracing new experiences altogether.

Now, hearing that Qi Yuan had mastered the basics of all eight disciplines, she assumed she had been in one of her long, muddled slumbers.

“One night,” Qi Yuan replied honestly.

“Oh… then it must be morning. Time for breakfast,” the blind woman remarked as she began walking back into her house.

A few dozen breaths later, she returned holding a wooden basket.

The basket contained some fruits and a wooden cup.

“Breakfast,” she said, handing it to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan bit into the fruit, finding it crisp and sweet.

It was his first time tasting such a fruit, and he found it delicious.

Too bad he was blind. Otherwise, he would have liked to see what it looked like and perhaps plant a tree of his own.

“Here are the materials. Take them and refine your artifacts,” the blind woman said, handing him another basket.

“Thank you. I’ll head back to refine artifacts,” Qi Yuan said.

Their interactions weren’t extensive.

Qi Yuan carried the materials back.

The blind woman listened to the sound of his footsteps as her serene expression turned as cold as moonlight.

She stood there for a long while before walking outside.

As usual, she followed her routine, heading to her swing.

The swing Qi Yuan had once stumbled upon was now restored, looking just as it had before.

The blind woman, accustomed to this sight, sat down on the swing.

The breeze swayed her dress, her bare feet cool against the ground.

A lonely expression surfaced on her beautiful, snow-white face.

She had lost count of how many times she had sat on this swing. Sometimes, she sat for hundreds of years at a time.

“Could I… ever have eyes?”

Suddenly, she covered her eyes with her hands, her face twisted in pain.

“I… don’t want his eyes!”

“Never!”

…

Boom!

A loud explosion echoed as Qi Yuan stood covered in soot.

“Another failure. Refining divine artifacts… is this difficult?”

During this time, he had focused entirely on artifact refinement.

The blind Artifact Master’s innate talent was extraordinary, and combined with Qi Yuan’s own, it seemed logical that advancing to the divine level wouldn’t be hard.

But he had underestimated the impact of blindness on artifact refinement.

Though his skill as a divine-tier Weapon Master meant his blindness didn’t hinder activities like walking or eating, refining artifacts was another matter.

For instance, a blind doctor might still perform loose surgeries with ease.

But artifact refinement, especially divine artifacts, was an even more intricate and complex task.

His current predicament was akin to a blind surgeon attempting an extremely delicate operation.

“Failed again?” a clear voice rang out as a graceful figure appeared not far away.

“Yes, I failed,” Qi Yuan shrugged. “Refining artifacts without eyes is incredibly difficult.”

This roleplay was proving extremely challenging.

Qi Yuan had no choice but to continue training hard.

In this game, his goal was to become a Yin God.

As a Yin God, he needed to master the laws, understand all things, and open up new realms.

Hmm… it sounded somewhat similar to the third layer of the Yang God realm.

But that was only because the third layer of the Yang God realm had copied Qi Yuan’s ideas!

After all, Qi Yuan had established his Yin God path long before he even heard of the Yang God realm’s third stage.

At the very least… he aimed to become a Creator God.

To create a world, one must understand all things.

The blind Artifact Master was but one piece of the puzzle.

“Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are the five senses of man. To lose one is to be incomplete; to lose all five is to lose everything,” the blind woman said coolly.

Her body carried a faint floral fragrance, gentle yet refreshing, soothing to the senses.

“If I lose all five, wouldn’t I become a rock?” Qi Yuan joked lightly.

“There is one thing you lack. Without it, even without eyes, you could still refine artifacts.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“What do I lack?”

“You lack insight.”

“Huh?” Qi Yuan was momentarily stunned.

Was this her way of insulting him?

Did she think he was a patient, law-abiding person who would take her jabs lying down?

If she kept this up, he might just blurt out, “Don’t turn around, madam—I’m actually your husband!”

After all, with two blind people involved, who would know what happened if they kept quiet?

Of course, Qi Yuan was merely thinking nonsensical thoughts. While her words about his “lack of insight” might have stung, he wasn’t petty enough to stoop to that level.

What she meant by “insight” likely referred to something akin to a third eye—a form of spiritual perception.

“Use your heart to see the world, to sense it. You’ll find that the world… may not be as your eyes perceive it.

Your eyes may deceive you, but your heart will not,” the blind woman explained.

“My eyes never deceive me,” Qi Yuan replied lazily.

As he spoke, he maintained a safe distance from her.

The scent emanating from her was too enticing, making him want to breathe it in deeply.

He needed to keep his distance. After all, she was a married woman.

A solitary man and a married woman in close quarters—if things got out of hand, it would be highly unethical.

“Do you wish to awaken your insight?” the blind woman asked.

“I have insight… but I suppose I could try awakening it further. How do I go about it?” Qi Yuan asked.

Since his artifact refinement had hit a bottleneck, he needed to explore alternative avenues.

“Follow me.”

The blind woman walked ahead quietly, leading the way.

This part of the cave, where Qi Yuan resided, was unfamiliar territory to her.

Even if she had been here before, her foggy memory often caused her to forget.

After about two quarters of an hour, the blind woman stopped.

“Look up at the sky.”

Qi Yuan tilted his head upward.

In the pitch-black void above, he saw a faint glimmer of light—a speck as small as a grain of rice.

“This is the exit of the Divine Wood Abyss. Through it, you can reach the Divine Wood Chasm.

If you observe this spot every day, you might, with luck, awaken your insight within a few hundred years.”

“Alright, I’ll work toward gaining some extra insight,” Qi Yuan replied.

“I’ll live here from now on,” he decided, resolving to stay in the area to refine artifacts.

Day and night, he would watch the faint exit above and await the awakening of his insight.

As days turned to months, Qi Yuan’s mastery over the eight disciplines of artifact refinement advanced to the proficient stage.

However, his progress toward awakening his insight remained slow.

“The distance is too far. I can barely make out that speck of light. Should I build a ladder and climb closer?”

Qi Yuan pondered.

He speculated that the distance was hampering his efforts to perceive his insight.

What if he built a ladder? Not only could it hasten his awakening, but it might also create a path out of the Divine Wood Abyss, leading to the Divine Wood Chasm.

After all, he couldn’t stay confined in the Divine Wood Abyss forever.

…

In a Palace of White Jade and Glazed Tiles Hidden Among the Clouds

“Feng Ti,” a faint, ethereal voice called out.

A man clad in phoenix-patterned robes appeared, his features striking and his expression cold, with a sword strapped to his back.

“I greet Myth Rouxi,” Feng Ti said with a bow, his demeanor still cold.

“The destiny of the Blue Mountain Realm has resurfaced. Go there and eliminate it swiftly,” Myth Ruoxi commanded.

“Understood.”

“Take Nine Lives with you,” Myth Rouxi instructed further.

A trace of pride flashed in Feng Ti’s eyes. “My original form is a Phoenix Ape, ranked among the top three in battle power among Yin Gods in this era. For a mere destiny, why bring Nine Lives? I alone am sufficient!”

As a living being derived from the original Phoenix Ape, one of the top-ranked Yin Gods in combat strength in the current epoch, Feng Ti carried his pride.

Even in the face of a Myth, he could hold his own and escape unscathed.

“The Human Enlightenment Association monitors the Blue Mountain Realm. There may be Ancestral Gods present. Take additional lives; this mission must succeed,” Myth Rouxi ordered firmly.

“Understood,” Feng Ti relented.

Ancestral Gods were equivalent to Yang Gods, and the gap between Yang Gods and Yin Gods was insurmountable.

Even with his original form’s top-tier combat ranking, Feng Ti had no illusions about challenging a Yang God.

“Oh, by the way, the Divine Descent created by Sheng Nu has reawakened. Its combat strength is impressive—it slew seven divine-tiers alone.

It now goes by the name Qi Yuan and should be in the Divine Wood Chasm. Eliminate him as well.”

“It’s still alive?” Feng Ti’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise. “Its luck must be extraordinary. But this time, with me personally handling it, its luck has surely run out.”

He had long known of this destined being known as the Divine Descent.

At the time, he had wanted to strike it down with a single sword.

However, during the “honeymoon” period between the Radiant Society and the Human Enlightenment Association, he couldn’t act directly, instead using Dark Radiance to set a trap.

Yet, the Divine Descent had survived.

“Go, complete the task quickly. Other destined beings in other worlds also require your attention,” Myth Ruoxi instructed.

In this nascent universe, while the Radiant Society held great power, the Human Enlightenment Association was not weak.

Furthermore, the higher universe backing the Radiant Society would not endlessly supply resources.

They had to economize.

“Understood.” Feng Ti vanished from the White Jade Palace.

The expansive palace fell silent, leaving only Myth Ruoxi.

“What a pity that the heavenly origin of this realm failed to attract divine attention and evolve into a fragment of a Divine Light Treasure.

Those 300,000 artifact masters died in vain.”

Myth Rouxi sighed softly.

Her father was a being from the Radiant Society Universe, while her mother hailed from this nascent universe.

Although the Radiant Society and the Human Enlightenment Association clashed ideologically, their ultimate goal was the same: to protect this universe and prevent its absorption by the Black Heavens.

Regarding the 300,000 artifact masters who perished tragically in the Blue Mountain Realm, failing to create a fragment of a Divine Light Treasure, she felt both disappointment and regret.

“Understandable. Fragments of Divine Light Treasures… are not so easily created,” she murmured.

Worlds like the Blue Mountain Realm were numerous. Many worlds under the Radiant Society’s control worked secretly to create fragments of Divine Light Treasures.

Unfortunately, the number of chosen bearers of Radiant Enlightenment was slim, with less than one in a hundred succeeding.

The probability of those enlightened by the Human Enlightenment Association was even lower.

Thus, the deaths of tens of thousands of weapon masters in obscurity was a common occurrence for Myth Ruoxi.

…

Divine Wood Chasm.

The insect maiden, Cai Die, flapped her wings as curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

“Did you hear that? It sounds like there’s noise below us.”

Shen Lingxuan reclined in a hot spring, her body wrapped in nothing but a simple chest wrap.

Though the insect maiden was also female, Shen Lingxuan still felt slightly self-conscious.

She closed her eyes and listened carefully. “Indeed… I hear it too.”

“That’s strange. Aside from the two of us, there shouldn’t be any other living beings in the Divine Wood Chasm. So why are there noises?” Cai Die wondered, frowning slightly.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Could it be coming from the Divine Wood Abyss?”

The entrance to the Divine Wood Abyss was shrouded in mystery, and she had searched for it in vain for a long time.

Could it be beneath this hot spring?