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

In the underwater palace, Elder Water Serpent twisted his body, his face twisted with both ferocity and excitement as he looked at the endless stream of specter fish before him.

"Once this plan succeeds, with the merit I’ve earned here, I may be transferred to the core of the headquarters, and eventually... even ascend beyond this world to truly become one of them!"

As this thought crossed his mind, Elder Water Serpent's expression grew frenzied.

Behind Bloodthorn lies an ancient and incomprehensibly powerful organization.

It is said that joining them grants immortality, a state of eternal existence untouched by death or decay.

And this immortality is not like the mere prolonged existence of specter creatures.

In fact, it’s said that the emergence of specter creatures in the Blue Mountain Realm and across other realms is closely tied to this mysterious organization.

"Elder, the specter fish are multiplying rapidly. Over time, this entire region will become a haven for specter fish!"

The gray-robed elder spoke with reverence, his half-transformed body bearing an uncanny resemblance to a specter. The gills on his face flared open and closed as he spoke, lending him a terrifying visage.

"However... recently, it seems that many newly created specter fish have been killed. Some have even been discovered by the Heavenly Sect!" The gray-robed elder's voice carried a trace of unease.

"So what if they’re discovered? With this many specter fish, some deaths are inevitable. As long as we continue producing them, it doesn’t matter if some are killed. It’s like spilling a cup of water into the ocean," Elder Water Serpent said dismissively.

"You’re absolutely right, Elder," the gray-robed elder agreed.

"How many were killed—dozens? Hundreds?" Elder Water Serpent asked casually.

"Approximately... seventy thousand," the gray-robed elder answered.

"Seventy... wait, what? Seventy thousand?" Elder Water Serpent's expression twisted in shock. "Nearly all the ones we released are dead? How is that possible?"

These seventy thousand specter fish, perfectly suited for water, were incredibly agile. Even an Earth-tier Weapon Master would struggle to kill them all.

"Who did this?" Elder Water Serpent demanded, unease creeping into his heart.

"I don’t know," the gray-robed elder replied, shaking his head.

"Could there be an unexpected variable?" Elder Water Serpent’s body writhed in agitation. Then, after a moment, he shook his head. "The Weilong Xuanyuan is broken, and with the current strength of the Ning Kingdom, no one poses a threat to the Water Sovereign. Even if something unexpected has occurred, it’s of no concern."

Reassuring himself, Elder Water Serpent let out a breath of relief.

The Water Sovereign was his ultimate trump card.

In Yeshan Lake, the Water Sovereign was the unquestioned king.

Without the Weilong Xuanyuan repaired, even the Heavenly Sect’s Dao Leader would find no victory here.

"Keep monitoring the specter fish leaving this place. Inform me immediately if anything unusual happens," Elder Water Serpent ordered.

"Understood... Elder, bad news! The thirty thousand specter fish we just released... are gone!"

"What?"

"Just now, another twenty thousand were wiped out as well!" The gray-robed elder’s forehead was slick with cold sweat.

The specter fish created here were being funneled out into Yeshan Lake through a steady current. Their numbers reached the hundreds of thousands.

But now, those leaving were being slaughtered en masse.

The gray-robed elder trembled with fear, as if some unfathomable power had stationed itself at the exit, killing specter fish as they emerged.

"It seems... the moment they leave, they’re killed," the gray-robed elder said shakily, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Elder Water Serpent's expression darkened. "Someone is stationed at the exit? Or... is there some other factor at play?"

He couldn’t make sense of it.

"Let’s go and check it out!" Elder Water Serpent made his decision without hesitation, leading the gray-robed elder toward the fish outlet.

At the same time, at the very outlet, Jiang Yunxi stood with her knife in hand, her face glowing with joy.

"I didn’t expect specter creatures to be so easy to kill!"

Standing motionless, she had merely placed her knife into the pool at the exit. She just waited as the specter fish swam into the pool.

The knife was wreathed in lightning, buzzing and crackling constantly.

Every specter fish that swam into the pool was electrocuted to death, its lifeless body carried into Yeshan Lake.

"This is what being a true chef is all about. Knife in hand, turning Yeshan Lake into a giant pot and frying fish," Qi Yuan said with amusement.

"Don’t just stand here electrocuting fish. To be a qualified chef, you must also debone, descale, and remove the spines," Qi Yuan reminded her.

"Old Knife, you have a point, but who would dare eat this fish?" Jiang Yunxi asked. Sometimes, her head wasn’t completely empty.

After all, no one would dare to eat specter fish.

Still, she followed Qi Yuan’s advice, methodically deboning the electrocuted fish.

"The old man will eat them," Qi Yuan replied seriously.

Even the winged serpent elder had become a snack for Chen Kangbao, so these fried fish were hardly a problem.

"Old Knife, there are so many of them. Good thing you’re here—it’s so easy to kill them without any effort!" Jiang Yunxi said, delighted as she cheerfully swung the knife to slice the fish.

But suddenly, Jiang Yunxi’s pupils contracted, her body trembling with fear.

"Old Knife, have you ever seen an old man with a fish head?"

"A fish-headed man?" Qi Yuan seemed amused. "I’ve seen fish-headed women, shrimp-headed men, and shrimp-headed women, but a fish-headed man is a first."

In his time exploring the Mountains and Seas Scroll in Gongxing, Qi Yuan had encountered aquatic beings like Yuxiang Fish Maidens, some of whom boasted impressive physiques.

"And who are you?"

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The words came from Elder Water Serpent, his voice tinged with fury as he stared at Jiang Yunxi.

Her hand was holding a knife, and the lightning on the blade was frying any specter fish that got near.

"A talking snake?" Jiang Yunxi was shocked. Then, realizing something, she spoke, "You’re an elder of Bloodthorn?"

Her face turned pale with fright.

In the storybooks she’d read, Bloodthorn was always depicted as a terrifying villain—both evil and powerful.

Could this endless tide of specter fish be the work of a Bloodthorn elder?

"Knife Spirit, what do we do? This is a Bloodthorn elder, the kind of big villain that terrorizes the world!"

"Villain? Looks more like high-quality ingredients to me," Qi Yuan transmitted calmly. "You’re a chef, a chef destined to save the world. How can you hesitate when faced with fine ingredients?"

"Ingredients?" Jiang Yunxi hesitated.

Meanwhile, Elder Water Serpent’s eyes sparkled as they fixed on her knife. "What kind of weapon is that? Could it be a legendary Heaven-tier artifact?"

From a glance, Jiang Yunxi’s abilities were laughable—merely at the Xuan-tier level.

But the knife in her hand was extraordinary. Lightning crackled across it, and every specter fish that touched it died instantly.

This was not a power an Earth-tier weapon could possess. It had to be a Heaven-tier artifact!

Elder Water Serpent felt like he had struck gold. First, the Water Sovereign. Now, this artifact.

Could it be that destiny itself was favoring him?

Just then, the unexpected happened.

The knife... spoke.

"Soulless gods, thorn-covered blood. I am the Debt Collector Knife. Hand over your silver!"

"What...?" Elder Water Serpent froze in disbelief.

A while back, headquarters had instructed him that anyone who spoke this phrase should be remembered, and all silver handed over immediately.

But he hadn’t expected the speaker to be... a knife.

Elder Water Serpent’s greed only deepened.

"A weapon that can speak... This is no ordinary Heaven-tier artifact!"

Elder Water Serpent's thoughts raced. Rumors spoke of some rare weapons possessing intelligence akin to that of a child, capable of speaking and even acting independently. Such artifacts were considered treasures among treasures, rare to find in any realm.

And now, standing before him was such a weapon.

"Follow me, and all the silver I have is yours," Elder Water Serpent offered, his tone smooth and full of undisguised avarice as his gaze locked onto the knife.

"You want to keep me?" Qi Yuan, the knife, sounded incredulous. "Unfortunately, while you barely qualify for my moonlit standards—don’t bathe often, a bit too old—I don’t enjoy the idea of being someone’s kept possession."

Without waiting, Qi Yuan secretly activated a connection through the Divine Wood Token and reported back to Bloodthorn's internal channels.

"Your organization's standards have really fallen. I asked for silver after giving the secret phrase, and not only was I denied, but this old fool even tried to keep me as his personal weapon. Such corruption can't stand—clean up your ranks, for your own sake."

After sending the message, Qi Yuan addressed Jiang Yunxi. "Remember, cooking must be decisive. A true chef ensures ingredients meet their fate swiftly and cleanly. Otherwise, it’s not cooking—it’s torture."

Jiang Yunxi swallowed hard, her grip tightening on the knife. She was scared, but in the back of her mind, she recalled her dreams of being the heroine in stories. Her resolve strengthened.

"I’m not just a chef—I’m a savior of the world. How can I let mere ingredients stop me?"

She took a step forward, raising the knife high. Her voice trembled but carried determination. "Evil elder! You’re nothing more than a stepping stone to my hero's tale!"

"Hmph. A mere Xuan-tier Weapon Master dares to challenge me?" Elder Water Serpent’s tone was mocking, his serpentine body twisting as he prepared to strike.

Even if the weapon she carried was Heaven-tier, its wielder was utterly weak. He had no reason to fear her.

"You're not fit to stand before me!" he bellowed, lashing out with his tail.

However, in the next instant, his mocking expression froze.

The moment Jiang Yunxi swung the knife, a bolt of lightning surged out, slicing straight through his midsection. His body fell apart, cleanly severed into two writhing halves.

"That... can't be..." Elder Water Serpent’s eyes widened in disbelief as the light in them faded.

Behind him, Jiang Yunxi stood, breathing heavily. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared at the two halves of her opponent’s body.

"I... I actually did it?" she stammered in disbelief. Her face lit up with uncontainable joy. "I really am this amazing!"

Qi Yuan, ever unbothered, remarked, "Your cutting technique still needs work. Thin, consistent slices—like peeling potatoes—are a chef's standard. Work on it."

But for Jiang Yunxi, the elder’s death was a monumental victory. She felt her confidence soar.

"Another one remains. Don’t waste good ingredients," Qi Yuan reminded her.

"Right!" Fueled by her newfound self-assurance, Jiang Yunxi charged at the gray-robed elder, knife in hand. The poor man, already trembling with fear, stumbled back but was far too slow.

With a few wild swings, Jiang Yunxi cut him down. Her breathing was labored as she looked at the second corpse, but her eyes shone with pride.

"Hahaha! The elders of Bloodthorn are nothing but paper tigers!" Jiang Yunxi exclaimed, her knife held high in triumph. Her chest heaved with exertion, but her smile was radiant.

"Let’s keep going. There are plenty more specter fish to deal with in this place," Qi Yuan said flatly.

"Yes!" Jiang Yunxi nodded enthusiastically, her confidence brimming as she followed the knife’s instructions.

<hr>

Five days later, on a large ship above Yeshan Lake, Duke Zhenshan’s face was etched with worry.

"Still no sign of Yunxi?"

It had been three days since Jiang Yunxi disappeared.

Despite deploying every subordinate he had to search the vast Yeshan Lake, there was no trace of her.

He had even ordered the capture of Chen Kangbao, the mysterious man who had sold Jiang Yunxi the knife. However, all that had been found was a courtyard full of steamed buns. Chen Kangbao himself had vanished.

"None, my lord," Yun Li said, lowering his head in shame. His complexion was pale, his voice trembling. "This is my fault. I failed to protect the young mistress. I am willing to face death as punishment!"

"Spare me your theatrics. Find Yunxi first, then come back and die," the Duke snapped. His eyes were bloodshot, showing that he hadn’t slept in days. "The vast expanse of Yeshan Lake... where could she have gone?"

His anxiety only deepened as he thought back to his daughter’s peculiar behavior over the past weeks.

"That fraud kept filling her head with nonsense about being a savior!" one of the Earth-tier Weapon Masters beside him muttered angrily.

A few days ago, Yun Li and Yun Hu had reported Jiang Yunxi’s antics—using the knife to electrocute fish. The Duke had been incredulous, and the other Weapon Masters present had exchanged skeptical glances.

But when they followed up with news of losing her entirely, the Duke’s incredulity turned to dread.

"Even if that knife has special powers, even if it’s an Earth-tier weapon, how could Yunxi wield it properly at her level? What if she fell into the water or encountered the Water Sovereign..." The Duke’s voice faltered, his worry clear.

Over the past few days, events in Yeshan Lake had only grown more chaotic.

The Artifact Forging Conference had concluded, just as expected, with no one able to repair the Weilong Xuanyuan.

One young genius proposed a repair method, but the process would take at least a hundred years. This left the Heavenly Sect in despair and threw the prominent families of Jining Prefecture into turmoil.

Meanwhile, rumors about Xie Danran’s controversial proposal had resurfaced.

Some factions even secretly supported offering Shen Lingxuan to the Heaven-tier Weapon Masters of the Rosha Kingdom to save Jining Prefecture.

Yet to everyone’s surprise, the Shen family, and even the Tu family—Jining Prefecture’s top clan—had fiercely opposed the suggestion.

Faced with the united front of these two powerful families, the proposal was ultimately abandoned.

"Today is Yunxi’s birthday..." The Duke's voice trembled with regret and self-blame. "And I… I..."

"Don’t worry too much, my lord. The young mistress has always been blessed with good fortune. Even if she was captured by the Water Sovereign, she’ll surely find a way to survive!"

The well-meaning but tone-deaf comment from a nearby Weapon Master earned a sharp glare from the Duke.

Can’t you phrase that better? he thought irritably. Why assume she was captured at all? Couldn’t she just have gotten lost exploring Yeshan Lake?

At that moment, a figure rushed in, his expression urgent.

"My lord! We’ve captured a member of Bloodthorn. He revealed that there’s a spirit-breeding site beneath Yeshan Lake, and Elder Water Serpent is stationed there!"

The announcement came from a Heavenly Sect elder.

"What? Bloodthorn has a spirit-breeding site? So the specter fish... it was all their doing!"

The Duke’s mind raced, the pieces falling into place.

His daughter’s knife, the electrocution of specter fish—could this have drawn Bloodthorn’s attention?

Could they have taken her?

"Where is this site? I will lead the expedition myself!"

Even if it was only a guess, the Duke couldn’t ignore the possibility.

Besides, Bloodthorn was a threat to the entire Blue Mountain Realm.

Already struggling with the Water Sovereign, the addition of Bloodthorn’s schemes spelled certain doom for Jining Prefecture.

<hr>

Half an hour later, a small boat floated on the lake, carrying ten formidable Earth-tier Weapon Masters.

These were some of the strongest figures in Yeshan Lake, their presence subdued but their power unmistakable.

"We cannot fail this time," Wei Kun said coldly. His killing intent was palpable.

The group pressed on, their mission clear: destroy the Bloodthorn base and, if possible, rescue Jiang Yunxi.

The group moved cautiously through the underwater palace, a colossal structure that had remained hidden beneath Yeshan Lake for decades.

The further they ventured, the more they noticed a strange atmosphere.

A pungent smell of blood filled the air, mingling with an odd, charred odor.

“What is that scent? It smells… burnt,” one of the Earth-tier Weapon Masters remarked, furrowing his brows.

“It’s blood. But there’s something strange about it,” another replied, his voice low and cautious.

“Stay vigilant,” Wei Kun warned.

As they pressed on, the enormity of the underwater palace came into full view. The intricate architecture hinted at its use as a significant base for Bloodthorn.

One of the elders touched the walls, examining the structure carefully. "This palace has existed for at least three decades," he muttered, astonished.

“What? Three decades?” Another elder’s eyes widened. “That means Bloodthorn has been planning this for thirty years! This wasn’t just opportunistic meddling!”

The group fell silent, the weight of this revelation sinking in.

If Bloodthorn’s schemes had been in motion for so long, then everything—the appearance of the specter fish, the rise of the Water Sovereign—might have been carefully orchestrated.

Wei Kun’s expression darkened as he gripped his weapon tighter. “Move quickly. We can’t let this continue any longer.”

They advanced deeper into the palace, but within moments, they froze.

A mountain of corpses blocked their path.

The pile was made up of countless specter fish, their lifeless bodies piled high in a grotesque heap.

“What... what happened here?” one of the Weapon Masters stammered.

“This must be the work of someone—or something,” Wei Kun said, his tone grim.

But as they moved closer, something else caught their attention. Lying amidst the specter fish corpses were several human bodies.

Wei Kun knelt to examine one of them. His face hardened.

“It’s Elder Water Serpent.”

“What?” The others crowded around.

Sure enough, the body belonged to Elder Water Serpent, one of Bloodthorn’s most notorious figures. His serpent-like body was severed cleanly in two, his expression frozen in disbelief.

“This is impossible. Elder Water Serpent was at the peak of the Earth tier,” an elder said, his voice trembling. “Who could have killed him so easily?”

The precision of the cut left no doubt. This wasn’t the result of a chaotic battle or even infighting.

“Keep moving,” Wei Kun ordered.

As the group advanced, the palace revealed even more horrors.

The floor was littered with the bodies of specter fish, specter shrimp, and other grotesque creatures bred by Bloodthorn.

Among them were dozens—no, hundreds—of Bloodthorn operatives, all slain. Each one bore the same clean, precise wounds.

“Someone massacred them,” one of the Weapon Masters muttered, his voice barely audible.

“And not just anyone,” Wei Kun added. “This kind of precision… This was the work of a master.”

The deeper they ventured, the more the tension grew. The sheer number of corpses was overwhelming, and the silence of the palace only made it worse.

Three hours passed as they navigated the labyrinthine corridors.

The dead seemed endless.

Suddenly, Wei Kun froze, his sharp eyes narrowing as he spotted something ahead.

“Wait…”

The group rushed forward and stopped dead in their tracks.

Lying before them was an enormous, grotesque creature, its size dwarfing everything around it.

“It’s the Water Sovereign,” Wei Kun whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.

The massive entity lay dead, its flesh mangled, its body torn apart. Its enormous eye—a grotesque, crystalline orb—was shattered, and a gaping wound ran along its neck.

“It’s… dead,” one of the elders said, his voice shaking.

“How? This thing was invincible in Yeshan Lake! Even a Heaven-tier Weapon Master couldn’t kill it here!”

The sheer presence of the Water Sovereign’s corpse left everyone stunned.

The monster that had terrorized Jining Prefecture for so long, the reason for their despair, was now nothing more than a lifeless heap of flesh.

“Who could have done this?”

Wei Kun examined the wound closely, his hands trembling. The cut was clean, precise, and filled with a residual energy unlike anything he’d seen before.

“This happened only a few hours ago,” Wei Kun murmured.

The realization sent shivers down their spines. Whoever had done this was still close.

“Look!” one of the Weapon Masters suddenly shouted, pointing at the back of the Water Sovereign’s corpse.

Everyone turned to see strange markings etched into the creature’s flesh.

As they moved closer, the markings became clear.

“‘The World’s Greatest Chef, Savior of Ning Kingdom… Jiang Yunxi. Slaying a major villain. Visiting the underwater palace!’”

The words were bold, playful, and entirely out of place.

Silence fell over the group as they stared at the inscription.

All eyes turned toward Duke Zhenshan.

“…That’s her handwriting,” the Duke finally said, his voice faint.

“Jiang Yunxi… killed the Water Sovereign?” one of the Heavenly Sect elders asked, his tone filled with disbelief.

The Duke’s mind was reeling.

He thought back to his daughter’s antics—the stories of her cooking lessons, her ridiculous declarations of saving the world, and her obsession with a talking knife.

He had always dismissed it as youthful foolishness.

But now…

Could it be true?

Had his daughter, Jiang Yunxi, truly achieved what an entire kingdom couldn’t?

The Heavenly Sect elders exchanged uneasy glances.

“This… This can’t be real, can it?”

The Duke said nothing. He was as stunned as they were.

<hr>

Meanwhile, on a small boat drifting across Yeshan Lake, Jiang Yunxi stood proudly, her green dress fluttering in the wind. In her hand, she held the now-iconic knife.

“How amazing am I, huh?” she asked, her voice brimming with excitement.

“Very amazing,” Qi Yuan replied dryly.

“Hehe, who would have thought that Jiang Yunxi could one day be the protagonist of her own epic tale?” She puffed out her chest with pride, grinning from ear to ear.

But then, as if remembering something, her expression turned a bit shy. She glanced down at the knife.

“Um… Knife Master… Today’s my birthday, you know.”

“You’re the knife master,” Qi Yuan retorted flatly.

“Are you mad at me? I mean… I guess I could have added your name to the inscription. Like, ‘Jiang Yunxi and Old Knife, visiting the underwater palace together.’” She peeked at the knife nervously, her confidence wavering.