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

Chapter 295: Chaotic and Pure Bloodlines

"The power of this punch... it's not bad."

The power of the Exploding Bird Punch was sufficient; it could easily kill a bird with a single hit.

"If I don't use any other techniques, this punch alone... could almost kill a person of the same weight class."

Qi Yuan muttered to himself.

This kind of power was actually quite terrifying among martial artists. For instance, Wang Shiqiao's friend, Xing Yu, who also had a martial artist's certification, wouldn't be able to kill someone of the same level with a single punch, even using her innate martial technique.

To kill with a punch, and not even hitting a vital spot, was a rare ability.

"But relying on martial arts alone, there's still quite a gap compared to Yang Shan."

Qi Yuan analyzed his own strength internally.

In terms of technique, Qi Yuan was far superior to Yang Shan. However, in terms of strength, defense, and physical condition, Yang Shan surpassed Qi Yuan by a significant margin.

For example, even though Qi Yuan knew how to block certain moves, his body simply couldn't react in time.

Of course, this was referring to Qi Yuan's current physical condition. His body had been cursed, making it even weaker than the average person. Although he had started cultivating, his physique was still comparable to that of an ordinary person.

"Now that I've reached the seventh level, it's time to use the secret items."

The next day, sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting fragmented shadows on the floor.

Qi Yuan sat in the living room, eating a breakfast prepared by Zero-One.

As an intelligent robot, Zero-One could make simple breakfasts and pre-packaged meals.

At this moment, Qi Yuan was eating a light meal: a bowl of plain congee, a few radish buns, and a salted egg.

"Next time, add more meat; I'm still growing," Qi Yuan casually remarked.

Although the house was filled with various medicinal herbs and sea monster materials, those were cultivation resources, and eating too much of them could get boring. Qi Yuan burned a lot of energy every day practicing martial arts.

"Understood," the robot Zero-One received the new command and stored it.

About ten minutes later, the table was cleared by the robot.

Qi Yuan smiled, "Actually, this kind of robot is quite interesting. It's almost as good as a puppet."

In the Canglan Realm, there was a puppet technique used to craft puppets. The puppets made were much smarter than Zero-One. Some high-level spiritual artifacts could even awaken a spirit and develop consciousness.

For instance... Qi Yuan's daughter, Qi Jianjun, could be considered a magical artifact to some extent.

"Should I consider upgrading Zero-One? Right now, it's a bit clumsy, and its combat ability is almost zero."

Qi Yuan pondered.

"If I could make a thousand puppets and have them pretend to be human workers in an electronics factory, wouldn't that mean I'd be making tens of millions a month?"

Qi Yuan was tempted but then thought it was impractical.

To create a thousand puppets, he'd need a lot of materials, and he wasn't interested in becoming a puppet master.

"Just upgrading Zero-One could be worthwhile. Giving it some combat ability might be helpful for guarding the house when I'm not around."

The house, gifted by Kuang Huan, was full of useful plants and sea monsters. Qi Yuan, with his current low cultivation level, couldn't yet create a storage pouch.

As he was considering this, the doorbell rang.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Kuang Huan, wearing a black jacket, entered the room.

His face was full of respect, a stark contrast to his usual image as an intimidating arms dealer.

In his hand, he held a large box.

"Mr. Qi, I've brought the secret items you asked for. Do you think these will be enough?"

Facing Qi Yuan, Kuang Huan showed no arrogance.

First, the way Qi Yuan had taken down Zhao Renji was both eerie and powerful. After investigating, Kuang Huan realized no ordinary methods could have achieved that.

Second, with Qi Yuan's guidance, his own cultivation had finally shown progress recently. Last night, he was even able to create a tiny flame with his finger. Although the flame was smaller than that of a lighter and could be blown out with a single breath, it was still the first time he had conjured something on his own.

This joy had been hidden in his heart, and he hadn't dared share it with anyone. If anyone asked, he claimed he hadn't succeeded yet.

"Are these the secret items?"

Qi Yuan opened the box to find rows of glass containers filled with what looked like dried jerky.

"This is... sea monster meat?"

Qi Yuan immediately recognized the main ingredient in the secret items: sea monster meat.

No wonder practicing martial arts was so expensive. Xing Yu spent hundreds of thousands a month on secret items. If they were made from sea monster meat, the cost was indeed justified.

"Mr. Qi, you have a keen eye. I've been looking into secret items recently, and I found that their main ingredient is indeed sea monster meat."

Kuang Huan had known a bit about martial arts before, but not much. He only investigated secret items at Qi Yuan's behest. What he found was surprising. It turned out that the secret items used in the martial arts world were actually banned sea monsters. This discovery clarified many of Kuang Huan's doubts.

In Qin Yuan, most martial artists either became internet celebrities or joined the system. Within the system, the majority went to the navy. Given that sea monster meat, a banned substance, was used as a secret item, the authorities, even if they were aware, wouldn't say much.

Generally, those who chose to practice martial arts came from families with some wealth. Encouraging them to spend their money on martial arts training was seen as beneficial for the circulation of wealth. It was also possible that the biggest producer of secret items, a banned substance, was a high-ranking official. After all, how much money could be made from the secret item business in Qin Yuan? The numbers were astronomical.

"So, martial arts have a deep connection with sea monsters."

Qi Yuan picked up a piece of dried sea monster meat and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. It tasted somewhat like dried fruit, with a sweet and salty flavor. It was clear that the secret item wasn't just made from sea monster meat; many other ingredients had been added.

"Indeed... it's the blood."

After consuming the secret item, Qi Yuan felt the biggest change: his blood seemed to heat up slightly. Of course, the martial artists of this world wouldn't notice such a subtle increase in heat.

Qi Yuan had gained a deeper understanding of this world's martial arts.

"However... everyone's bloodline origin is different. Regular secret items supplement with a mix of various bloodlines... This can indeed improve martial arts cultivation but also clogs one's system."

Yang Shan had mentioned that in ancient times, strong martial artists had not only innate martial techniques but also innate killing moves. However, ordinary people, consuming all sorts of secret items, mixed their bodies with different bloodlines, leading to a chaotic, impure bloodline that prevented them from forming their own innate killing moves.

With a simple analysis, Qi Yuan had almost entirely deduced the path of martial arts below the level of innate killing moves in this world.

Kuang Huan listened carefully but didn't understand much.

"The taste isn't bad, quite nutritious."

Even though the bloodlines were mixed, Qi Yuan still consumed the secret items. The cultivation of martial arts was inseparable from secret items. Without strengthening the bloodline, it would be extremely difficult to make progress in cultivation, and advancing in martial arts techniques would be even harder.

If one wanted to keep their bloodline pure, the only option was to consume mutant sea monsters with a matching bloodline, like the one he consumed last time. Unfortunately, such sea monsters were rare and hard to find.

Thus, Qi Yuan decided he would only consider the purity of his bloodline when he reached the limits of his martial arts cultivation. Moreover, although consuming secret items would make one's bloodline "chaotic," Qi Yuan possessed the Devouring Constitution, so his blood wouldn't truly become "chaotic."

"How's your cultivation going?" After finishing the secret items, Qi Yuan looked at Kuang Huan and asked.

"I can now... produce a small flame!" Kuang Huan was very excited to finally have someone he could share his success with. As he spoke, a tiny, weak flame appeared in his hand. However, it was too small and weak to be of any use.

"Not bad, you've finally acquired a skill. If your family falls into ruin, you could become a magician and make quite a bit of money," Qi Yuan complimented sincerely.

Indeed, those who followed him always had a bright future. Even if Kuang Huan lost his job, he could still make a living as a magician.

"I've refined your technique a bit; you shouldn't have any problems reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. I'll need some materials soon, so I need you to gather them for me."

Qi Yuan handed Kuang Huan the refined version of the "Super Invincible Explosive Technique," listing out the materials he needed. The required materials included not only cultivation resources but also components for creating puppets and items for the Foundation Establishment.

This world didn't have the necessary items for Foundation Establishment, so Qi Yuan planned to create them himself. Judging by the time, he estimated he would start the Foundation Establishment process in about a month and reach the Golden Core stage within six months. At that point, he could bring Ning Tao over.

"Alright, I'll arrange for it immediately." Kuang Huan seemed to recall something and said seriously, "Mr. Qi, I may not be able to deliver the supplies myself for a while. Recently, Wugui and Yuelang have gone to war again, and I need to deliver some arms to support Yuelang."

Kuang Huan's business was arms dealing, and he was actually working with the military to offload some weapons. Currently, Yuelang was a state supported by Qin Yuan, and they were at war with Wugui. With this task coming from above, Kuang Huan might have to stay in Yuelang for a few months or even years.

"Alright, just make sure the supplies I need aren't lacking." Qi Yuan didn't care much about these matters.

The war between Yuelang and Wugui wasn't unexpected. Recently, the headlines had revealed many inhumane actions committed by Wugui. The tension between Wugui and Yuelang was on the verge of breaking out. Even if the two countries didn't want to fight, Qin Yuan and Gu Wu would not allow it.

"Don't worry, Mr. Qi. I'll make sure all the materials you need are arranged!" Kuang Huan responded earnestly.

"Too bad I'm not a demonic cultivator, nor do I have a Ten Thousand Soul Banner. Otherwise, wouldn't I be able to collect many leftover souls on the battlefield?" Qi Yuan thought to himself.

Mortals didn't possess a true primordial spirit; when they died, they simply died. However, cultivators could extract and refine residual souls from the deceased, placing them into a Ten Thousand Soul Banner to use as a magical artifact.

"The Ten Thousand Soul Banner... what's that?" Kuang Huan asked in confusion.

"Well... anyone using a Ten Thousand Soul Banner is usually a demonic cultivator. If you see one, run as far away as you can."

Qi Yuan, who considered himself lawful and good-hearted—always respecting the law and even giving up his seat to the elderly on public transport—despised demonic cultivators.

"I've noted that down." How could Kuang Huan not remember Qi Yuan's advice? After all, Qi Yuan was rumored to be a legendary cultivator.

One month later.

At the Mingwu Martial Arts School, Qi Yuan was practicing. By now, he had reached the ninth level of the "Mingwu Resonance Fist." Compared to when he first joined the school, he was now in much better physical and mental condition. When he punched, his moves were fierce and full of vigor.

Nearby, the students of the Mingwu Martial Arts School were chatting casually. Wang Shiqiao, in particular, had her legs crossed and was smoking a lady's cigarette, completely disregarding her image.

"Rich girl Xing, lend me some money, will you? I heard you got 170 million this time!" Wang Shiqiao looked at Xing Yu with eyes full of envy.

Half a month ago, Xing Yu's seventy-year-old husband had finally passed away. The inheritance was divided, and Xing Yu got 170 million.

For the students present, 170 million wasn't a small amount. Aside from Xu Tihua, no one could come up with 170 million in cash. Among the students, Xing Yu was now considered quite wealthy.

"Don't think about my money. I've already planned to donate a school to my hometown," Xing Yu said, her eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.

She was from a small town with a relatively poor family background. When she mentioned her "small town," it actually had a smaller population than a village on Blue Star. The school facilities there were quite shabby.

When Xing Yu got into a prestigious university, people from all over the town sent her gifts. In fact, most of the money for her college tuition came from the townspeople.

Tuition fees for universities in Qin Yuan, especially prestigious ones, were high, often costing hundreds of thousands a year. Many poor kids who managed to get into top universities had no money to attend and had to take out high-interest student loans.

The people in Xing Yu's town were very kind and helped her collect the tuition, which allowed her to attend university. She was very grateful to them. Now that she was doing well, she didn't forget to support her hometown.

With the inheritance she received, she planned to build a school in her hometown and also set up a company to utilize resources from Tianyue to help her hometown people.

"You only got 170 million, and you're already wasting it? Be careful, or you'll blow it all in a few years," Wang Shiqiao couldn't help but comment.

"Don't worry, I'm keeping 20 million untouched. Even if I fail, at worst, I'll just live as an ordinary person," Xing Yu laughed.

To her late husband's sons, she might have seemed like a gold digger with no shame, but to the people in her hometown, she was undoubtedly successful and grateful.

"Twenty million won't be enough with today's international situation. Yuelang and Wugui are at war again, and those damned Guiran people, they're always causing trouble!"

"Especially Wugui's leader. Just yesterday, he threatened to retaliate against Qin Yuan. Just a dog of Gu Wu, and he's this bold!" Wang Shiqiao stubbed out her cigarette, getting irritated at the mention of the Guiran people. Her anger seemed to cause her breast pain.

Last night, she had engaged in an online argument with a Guiran person for dozens of comments. It made her so angry that she wanted to enlist and support Yuelang directly.

Of course, that was just a thought; enlisting wasn't really an option for her.

"You should stop arguing with people online. You never win anyway," Xing Yu laughed.

She was Wang Shiqiao's roommate and knew her personality well. It was obvious she'd been arguing online last night.

"I just wanted to get back at him. That guy was so disgusting—he's a soldier and he brags about slaughtering civilians! Not only does he feel no shame, but he thinks it's glorious and even shares videos to show off!

They're human too; how can they be so disgusting?"

"They aren't ordinary humans. Didn't their leader claim that the Guiran people are the descendants of an ancient bloodline left on Gongxing by Canxing? They think their blood is noble and don't consider us as their own."

Within the martial arts school, everyone was discussing the conflict between Yuelang and Wugui.

At this moment, Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow and paused his movements: "Wang Shiqiao, seems like you're not up to it. If anyone cursed me online, I'd trace the line back and beat them to death!"

He'd done similar things many times before.

"Haha, you're so tough. Why don't you help me beat up the guy who cursed at me last night?" Wang Shiqiao laughed upon hearing Qi Yuan speak.

"Why should I? He wasn't cursing me," Qi Yuan shrugged.

"If you bring me his head, I'll give you a million!" Wang Shiqiao joked.

It was all in jest, so anything went.