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

Chapter 308: The Fortune Teller

"Don’t underestimate the Martial Arts Tournament. Although the championship's prestige has been declining over the years, there are still about thirty or so martial artists who have reached the pinnacle of martial arts in the top one hundred," Yang Shan couldn't help but retort upon hearing Qi Yuan's comment.

"Thirty... Are any of them as strong as you?" Qi Yuan mused, "What about the last champion? Are they a match for you?"

Qi Yuan was caught in thought. What if the opponents in this Martial Arts Tournament were too strong? What if he couldn't win just by relying on martial arts? Should he... cheat a little?

After all, in this world, it's just a game. A little cheat wouldn't really count as cheating. Besides, no one would be able to tell he was cheating. So technically, Qi Yuan wouldn't have cheated at all—perfectly open and aboveboard.

"The last champion..." Yang Shan's eyes showed a hint of pride, "We were evenly matched, fifty-fifty."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't cheated, nor did he need to.

"If this year's tournament is as weak as that, winning the championship should be easy for me. Looks like I don't need to cheat after all!"

"You kid, you underestimate me too much! What do you mean by my level being weak?" Yang Shan couldn't help but say. This Qi Yuan had a mouth that just asked for a beating. What was he saying? Even if you were proud, you shouldn't be this bluntly arrogant.

"Sigh, I finally understand the loneliness of being invincible," Qi Yuan said with a voice full of emotion, exuding the aura of a noble young master, a lone swordsman. This natural charisma made Yang Shan pause for a moment, inexplicably finding himself believing Qi Yuan's words.

But he still insisted, "Lonely Brother, let's see if you'll feel lonely in this Martial Arts Tournament!"

...

Above the stars and below is Lantai.

Longtai City is one of the new first-tier cities in Qin Yuan Nation. This city is famous as a popular tourist destination, attracting numerous visitors every year. In reality, it is a strong industrial city.

This year's Martial Arts Tournament is being held in Longtai City.

Longtai City is located in the northern part of Qin Yuan Nation. During one of the dynasties that ruled above Qin Yuan Nation, Longtai was one of the two capitals. This capital was called Martial Capital, or Wujingcheng.

Legend has it that during the Tiankui Dynasty, three thousand martial artists gathered in Longtai to hold the Ascending Martial Conference, seeking methods to break through the limits of martial arts.

Three thousand martial artists sat and discussed martial arts, studying the essence of martial arts together. There are rumors that the martial arts prodigy Luo Bufan had an epiphany at the Ascending Martial Conference and broke through the limits of martial arts. Suddenly, a lotus flower appeared above his head, and he stepped into the void and left.

This is also the most recent documented instance of someone breaking through the limits of martial arts.

In Qin Yuan Nation, breaking through the limits of martial arts has become a challenge for millennia.

Walking down the streets of Longtai, Yang Shan's eyes showed a longing expression, "For martial artists, the most famous place is the Martial Cloud Pavilion.

On Martial Cloud Pavilion, there are marks left by over a thousand martial artists throughout history, imprinted with their own power.

If you are exceptionally talented, observing the marks on the Martial Cloud Pavilion might give you a glimpse into their true martial intentions.

Our old Qin people’s last martial ascender, Luo Bufan, also left marks on the Martial Cloud Pavilion.

When our test is over, would you like to go see it?"

This time, their destination was the branch of the Martial Alliance in Longtai City.

Longtai City is also the location of this year's Martial Arts Tournament.

So, for Qi Yuan to get a special entry into the national competition of the Martial Arts Tournament, he needs to take a special path.

"Hmm... No problem. I'm also curious to see the marks left by those ancient people. And that Luo Bufan sounds interesting," Qi Yuan replied.

"Okay, let's go. The building in front of us is the branch of the Martial Alliance. However, we need to wait in line for a bit. There are quite a few people here today. These people will be future elites in the martial arts world. If you want to develop in the martial arts community in the future, you should get to know them."

"It looks like they'll all be old rivals? I, Qi Invincible, am too lazy to get to know them," Qi Yuan said, proclaiming himself invincible.

He would need to participate in more than one Martial Arts Tournament. So, as long as the tournaments continued, those who hadn't won the championship would always be his opponents.

"This young brother is interesting. So young and already here. It seems we are both unique in this world!"

Following the voice, a young man dressed in flamboyant clothes with his hair styled into a rooster comb walked over. He looked about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and his aura revealed that he was also at the pinnacle of martial arts.

Seeing the newcomer, Yang Shan's eyes flashed with a hint of seriousness, "Northern Crane, Han Qianyun!"

"I didn't expect my name to be so well-known," the rooster-head man said with a smile.

Qi Yuan had heard of Northern Crane Han Qianyun.

In the martial arts world, there were two prodigies, known as the ones most likely to break the limits of martial arts. They were known as the Southern Lion and the Northern Crane.

Both were in their twenties and had already reached the pinnacle of martial arts.

Among them, the Southern Lion not only had a deep understanding of martial arts but also possessed formidable combat strength. Last year, he challenged the reigning champion of the Martial Arts Tournament and lost by only one move.

This time, the Southern Lion was the top contender for the championship, with the Northern Crane being the second.

Looking at Northern Crane Han Qianyun, Qi Yuan showed a curious expression, "You should change your hairstyle."

Han Qianyun was taken aback for a moment, then a glint of interest appeared in his eyes, "Are you saying my hairstyle isn't cool enough?

Young brother, if we meet in the Martial Arts Tournament, you can kick me in the nuts, but don't mess up my hair."

Han Qianyun was quite flamboyant, making shocking statements right from the start.

"Your hairstyle is stylish, but it doesn't suit you," Qi Yuan said flatly.

"Oh, has this young brother studied hairstyling too? Are we kindred spirits?" Han Qianyun widened his eyes, "I designed my hairstyle myself. How is it, cool or what? Do you want me to design a hairstyle for you, free of charge!"

"No, thanks," Qi Yuan shook his head. "There's no rooster or crane in your bloodline, but rather... a rat.

So, neither your title nor your hairstyle suits you. You should change it."

"Bloodline?" Han Qianyun was puzzled. He had never heard such a theory before. He looked at Qi Yuan, perplexed, "Are you serious, or are you just messing with me?"

"Of course, I'm serious. If I were to mess with someone, it wouldn't be you. Wouldn't the fortune teller in front of the building be more fun?" Qi Yuan didn't delve further into the topic.

Indeed, Han Qianyun's martial bloodline, based on Qi Yuan's research, aligned with a "rat-like" lineage.

As for Qi Yuan himself, his lineage resembled a "sea fish."

"A fortune teller, and you believe that?" Han Qianyun looked towards the stall in front of the building.

At the stall sat a young man with a frail complexion. His sign read "Iron Mouth Heaven Calculation" in bold characters. Beside him were a bunch of odd and peculiar items, making him look like a typical scam artist.

"Even if you're pretending, you should do a better job. This guy looks too young to be a divine calculator... I don't believe it," Han Qianyun was the first to express disbelief.

Qi Yuan, however, smiled, "Why don't we ask him to predict who will win the Martial Arts Tournament?"

Han Qianyun nodded, "Might as well, we're idle anyway. Let's see."

"You guys are late. Southern Lion Zhang Yang is already there!"

Han Qianyun quickly looked over, a trace of surprise and some dissatisfaction in his eyes. "Zhang Yang is here to cause trouble," Han Qianyun's tone hinted at his displeasure with Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang was a martial arts prodigy, but he was... very arrogant. Not just the usual arrogance; he looked down on everyone.

It was one thing for a martial artist to be proud, but Zhang Yang not only exuded arrogance, he also looked down on martial arts, giving off a vibe like, "It's your honor for me to grace your martial arts circle."

At this moment, as Zhang Yang moved forward, many young talents from the Martial Alliance also went to watch the fortune-telling young man.

Qi Yuan and Han Qianyun walked over as well. Qi Yuan stroked his chin, considering, "I haven't bought Ning Tao her wedding gifts yet. Maybe I should set up a fortune-telling stall to earn some extra money?"

At this point, among the crowd, Zhang Yang's expression was filled with disdain, "A charlatan, talking about fate? How mysterious! Even the immortal path cannot claim to understand fate. Who are you to call yourself a divine calculator?"

"Being unable to see fate is merely because one isn't powerful enough," the young man, despite looking frail, had eyes full of confidence.

If Zhang Yang's gaze was one of haughty arrogance, looking down on everything, then the young man's eyes held a true and serene sense of pride, as if he was at odds with the world.

Hearing this, Zhang Yang's mockery grew even stronger.

Just a few days ago, he had learned an earth-shattering piece of news that left him feeling quite upset.

He felt that wasting so many years in the martial arts circle was a complete waste.

He had never really regarded the martial arts community highly, and now... with the resurgence of spiritual energy and the emergence of the immortal path, he had even less regard for it.

If it weren't to satisfy his desire to win the championship and put a finishing touch on his past life, he wouldn't have come here.

Over the past few days, he had gained some knowledge about the immortal path and had developed a yearning for it.

For him, achieving mastery in martial arts naturally meant the immortal path would be within reach.

Now, seeing a scammer pretending to be a fortune teller, he couldn't help but step forward.

"Then why don't you tell me, what will my future hold?" Southern Lion Zhang Yang challenged the young fortune teller.

The young man heard this and smiled, "Please place your hand on the copper plate, sir."

The fortune-telling young man sat behind a copper plate inscribed with strange symbols.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yang placed his hand on it.

About ten breaths later, the fortune teller's eyes revealed a hint of pity, "You were born into great wealth and nobility, but alas... your luck has run its course.

For the rest of your life... you are unlikely to achieve much."

The fortune teller's words immediately stirred up a commotion.

"You really are a fraud. This is Southern Lion Zhang Yang, the top contender for this year's Martial Arts Tournament!"

"If this counts as 'unlikely to achieve much,' then who could achieve anything?"

"Are you saying that sitting here telling fortunes is a worthy endeavor?"

The onlookers were full of ridicule.

Seeing this scene, Qi Yuan quietly abandoned the idea of setting up a fortune-telling stall for extra money.

After all, if he heard this kind of mockery, he definitely wouldn't be able to resist reasoning with these NPCs.

But Qi Yuan wasn't good with words. He hadn't learned many insults. If he got into an argument, he would surely lose.

What happens if he loses? He'd have to resort to fighting.

"This fortune teller isn't very good; he doesn't even know how to say nice things," Han Qianyun couldn't help but comment.

Qi Yuan watched the fortune teller, his eyes full of curiosity, "I might not be skilled in fate-telling, but I think he's quite accurate.

Do you want him to tell you about your ancestral bloodline and see if it's 'Rat'?"

"Hmm?" Han Qianyun was puzzled.

He didn't quite understand what Qi Yuan was talking about.

Weren't all humans descendants of humans?

However, since Qi Yuan said so, Han Qianyun, who was naturally carefree, went over and said, "Why don't you tell me about my ancestral bloodline?"

Han Qianyun's words left many people present bewildered.

Only the young fortune teller, upon hearing this, had his shoulders twitch slightly.

However, he concealed it well; only Qi Yuan noticed.

He looked at Han Qianyun and repeated what he said to Southern Lion Zhang Yang, "Please place your hand on the copper plate."

Han Qianyun complied, looking expectantly at the fortune teller.

About ten breaths later, the fortune teller spoke.

"Your ancestors once produced a Grand General who protected the nation, and going further back, you are a descendant of the last lord of the Later Tang Dynasty."

Hearing this, Han Qianyun's eyes widened.

If one had investigated the Han family, they would know that their ancestors had produced a highly esteemed Grand General who protected the nation.

But... being a descendant of the last lord of the Later Tang Dynasty was extremely secretive; even within the Li family, very few knew about it.

Han Qianyun had only learned about it six months ago.

How did this person know? For some reason, he felt a sense of absurdity.

However, he concealed his expression and continued, "The gentleman indeed knows how to talk."

At this moment, the fortune teller continued, "I have already figured out your ancestral bloodline. It belongs to the colony rat among the three hundred and ninety-nine beasts."

This statement left Han Qianyun at a loss.

Because earlier, Qi Yuan had said his bloodline was derived from a rat.

And now, this fortune teller was saying the same thing.

Was it a coincidence or a scheme?

"Do you two know each other?" Han Qianyun couldn't help but look at Qi Yuan.

He suspected that Qi Yuan and this fortune teller were in cahoots, setting him up.

Otherwise, how would they know such secrets about his family?

Qi Yuan shook his head, "I don't know this NPC."

Yang Shan quickly added, "I can vouch; Qi Yuan doesn't know this person."

Today's events were purely coincidental.

Han Qianyun had a hundred thousand questions in his mind, feeling that today's events were rather peculiar.

The fortune teller said, "I do not know this gentleman... This is the first time we've met."

As he spoke, he looked at Han Qianyun, "What I have said is the truth.

If you don't believe me, think back to three months ago. Did you perhaps have a dream in which you were chased by a giant rat?"

Hearing this, Han Qianyun's eyes widened.

He was truly shocked.

Three months ago, he did indeed have such a dream.

At the time, he hadn't paid much attention to it and never mentioned it to anyone.

How did this fortune teller know?

"How do you know that?" Han Qianyun's heart was filled with tumultuous waves.

At this moment, Qi Yuan leaned in, "I told you he's pretty accurate, didn't I? And you still didn't believe me?"

Qi Yuan didn't know about Han Qianyun's dream, but he could infer a bit.

When he was a congenital seed, Qi Yuan had accidentally seen the dream image of a female doctor, which led to him being cursed and on the brink of death.

Three months ago, those who could dream were people whose bloodline concentration had reached a certain limit.

This was Qi Yuan's speculation.

"Here, why don't you give me a fortune? See when I'll be able to beat this game?"

Qi Yuan looked at the fortune teller, his face full of curiosity.