[ Xichen sits back, hands in his lap. ]

I understand, your meridians are nearly gone so how could you cultivate a golden core? But you never lost one. Never had one to begin with. So, in theory, you have been pumping your qi around your body yourself without a proverbial golden heart to do it for you, straining yourself. I wonder if that is why your meridians broke so badly.

In any case, since you never lost a core it stands to reason it is still within you, waiting to be awakened ... meridians or not.