Chapter 49: 4 Great Golden Cores

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: 4 Great Golden Cores

The number of Cultivators in all of Huaxia was nearing ten million. This was a massive baseline.

Although the vast majority of them were still only first-stage Cultivators, and only one in ten thousand could cultivate Divine Thought, as long as this foundation existed, there would be more and more experts reaching the Divine Thought Stage—and even the Golden Core Stage—in the future.

It was no wonder other countries were feeling fearful.

Shen Yun slowly descended from the sky. His appearance instantly attracted everyone’s attention, even triggering waves of commotion.

"Perfected Lord Thunder is here!"

"Perfected Lord Thunder!"

"He really is so handsome!"

"If only Perfected Lord Thunder would take a disciple! Even the kind who only warms his bed would do!"

Shen Yun no longer wore a cold expression. Instead, a faint smile graced his lips. He now knew that keeping Little Nine by his side made it much harder for others to see through his true strength.

He thought, "Do I actually have this much popularity?"

Looking at the excited crowd, Shen Yun felt slightly surprised. Thus, he didn’t land completely, maintaining an altitude of two to three meters.

At this moment, another wave of excited clamor rippled through the crowd. This time, there were noticeably more male voices. Shen Yun looked up and saw Miao Yun flying over.

He thought, "Wait, if she’s wearing a skirt at that altitude..."

"Master, Miao Yun’s safety shorts are the thickened and lengthened version," Little Nine’s giggling voice echoed directly in his mind, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I see," Shen Yun sighed in relief. He had been worried that the girl was too naive, but it seemed that although Miao Yun lacked a bit of common sense, she wasn’t stupid.

"Perfected Lord Shen, everyone is waiting for you," Miao Yun’s voice was as soft and delicate as always.

"Everyone... Are the others here?" Shen Yun quickly caught on. The so-called "everyone" naturally referred to the other Golden Cores.

Following behind Miao Yun, he flew toward the central area. Upon getting closer, he frequently spotted Cultivators wearing unified uniforms and identity badges maintaining order. These were all disciples of the current six great sects of Huaxia, and they could also be considered the staff members of this event.

Miao Yun led Shen Yun all the way to the door of a conference room. When she opened the door, there were three other people inside. A scrawny elderly monk, a rugged burly man with a thick beard, and... an adorable little girl dressed in a princess outfit.

"Brother Thunder?" Upon seeing Shen Yun, the adorable little girl’s face immediately lit up with an incredibly pleasant surprise.

She trotted straight over. Just by looking at the burly man’s expression—as if he wanted to cry but lacked the tears—Shen Yun could guess the little girl’s identity.

"Little Yu’er?" Shen Yun squatted down, smiling as he gently patted the girl’s hair. He extended his hand, and a fiery red fruit appeared in his palm. "Try this. It’s really delicious."

"This is..." To the side, Celestial Master Zhong Han’s expression changed slightly. His Divine Thought could naturally sense the gentle Spiritual Power contained within the fruit.

This Vermilion Fruit was chosen by Shen Yun from the gifts given by the Sword Emperor that day. It possessed abundant and gentle Spiritual Power, and eating it could cleanse and temper the body.

"It’s so sweet, and my tummy feels all warm," Little Yu’er didn’t decline and swallowed it in one bite.

"...Thank you," Celestial Master Zhong Han walked over and stared at Shen Yun for a long while before suddenly squeezing out a sentence. "But don’t even think about being my daughter’s godfather!"

"Is that so?" Shen Yun chuckled dumbfoundedly. "But you can’t beat me."

"Hmph, we won’t know until we fight." Celestial Master Zhong Han coldly snorted, but his impression of Shen Yun had indeed improved significantly. It would be even better if he gave up on becoming his daughter’s godfather.

Miao Yun covered her mouth and giggled from the side, then introduced the old monk to Shen He, "This is Master Yu Yifan of Shaolin."

"Amitabha." Yu Yifan pressed his hands together, a smile on his face. "In front of Perfected Lord Thunder, this poor monk would not dare accept the title of Master."

"Not at all. I had heard of the Master’s name long before the Spiritual Qi revival," Shen Yun also pressed his hands together.

In the world before, this Master Yu Yifan was already somewhat famous. He frequently used humorous language on internet platforms to tell Zen stories and share life philosophies. He never urged people to convert to Buddhism; instead, he encouraged them to cherish the mortal world. Because of this, he was loved by many netizens.

Of the other five Golden Cores in Huaxia, Shen Yun had already met four. They all seemed to be decent people. But it made sense when he thought about it. Without a certain level of steadfast conviction and insight into life, even with an inheritance and the opportunity of the Heavenly Dao’s reconstruction, it would be highly unlikely to reach this step in such a short period of time.

Today, the four great independent Golden Cores of Huaxia were gathered under one roof. After familiarizing themselves with each other, the topic naturally shifted to the upcoming Cultivator Arena Tournament.

"We’ve been troubled over this tournament for a long time," Master Yu Yifan said, his facial wrinkles deepening as he put on a bitter expression. "It’s called a tournament, but it’s nothing more than a martial arts competition, an exhibition of inheritances, and an exchange of insights. It’s just that the rules and regulations are completely blank. The southern fists and northern kicks each have their own characteristics; there is simply no way to enforce fair restrictions. Even the prizes..."

Listening to the explanation, Shen Yun finally understood. Although there were many people outside, most of them were basically here to watch the spectacle or see if there was any cheap advantage they could pick up. Very few were actually participating in the competition.

There were even fewer foreign competitors, though there were many foreign spectators. And that John was still on his way. After all, who in the world didn’t know that Huaxia was the center of inheritances, teeming with experts like clouds? Who would willingly come here just to ask for a beating?

If they couldn’t find a solution, this tournament would likely turn into nothing more than an exhibition match for the six great sects, and its subsequent influence would decline year by year.

"On my end, I actually have quite a few prizes I can bring out," Shen Yun’s eyes flickered slightly.

"Perfected Lord Shen..." Zhong Han looked at Shen Yun. "If we really needed to offer some inheritances or magical treasures as prizes, how could we not be able to produce them? It’s just that if we take some out this year, and take more out next time... the disciples will have complaints."

None of them were Independent Cultivators flying solo like Shen Yun. They still carried the weight of a lineage on their shoulders. Originally, hosting this kind of event right now felt a bit like a thankless task. They claimed it was to showcase their cultivation foundation to the world and promote mutual exchange and assistance, but no matter how they looked at it, these great sects were the only ones doing the assisting.

"In other words, you all still don’t know about that matter?" Shen Yun smiled, glancing at Miao Yun.

"I was just about to explain it to you two today," Miao Yun spoke softly. With a wave of her hand, she set up an Array Barrier around them. Her Divine Thought swept through the entire room to inspect it once more. After confirming there were no issues, she brought out a tablet and glanced at Little Yu’er.

The little girl had just eaten the Vermilion Fruit and was right in the middle of feeling drowsy. Celestial Master Zhong Han understood Miao Yun’s intention. He reached out and gently brushed his hand over her, and soon, Little Yu’er was letting out even, rhythmic breaths. Then, the tablet began to play a video—it was precisely the records and introductions concerning the Otherworld!

Shen Yun sat upright to the side, watching their expressions with great interest. They went from surprise, to disbelief, to sheer shock. When they finally saw the shot of Shen Yun’s Super Electromagnetic Cannon, Celestial Master Zhong Han abruptly stood up. There was actually a light sheen of cold sweat on his forehead.

"I told you, you can’t beat me, right?" Shen Yun spread his hands.