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

Chapter 314: Mythical Tianxuan?

The Liu siblings looked bewildered. Princess Huansha, on the other hand, was filled with curiosity.

Chen Fan's words left them confused.

Chen Fan's world—does one have to die to enter it?
What does that mean?
The underworld?

Qi Yuan, however, seemed thoughtful. “You can only enter after dying—is there any other way?”

Since he hadn’t finished his game yet, Qi Yuan wasn’t ready to die.

"Now it's my turn to ask... Is what you’re using to fish for sea creatures a strange crystal containing a sea creature inside?" Chen Fan asked seriously.

“Yes,” Qi Yuan nodded. “It’s your turn to tell me another way.”

Chen Fan continued, “Let me see it first, and then I will answer the rest of your questions.”

Seeing this, Qi Yuan didn’t hesitate. Who cares about scheming and trying to outsmart each other?
That wasn’t his style.
If the other party tried to deceive him, he could always kill him with a single strike.

With a flick of his wrist, the water splashed, and a cubic meter of transparent crystal flew out of the ocean.

Inside the transparent crystal, there was indeed a mutated sea creature.

Upon seeing this, the Liu siblings widened their eyes. “What immense strength! That must weigh hundreds of pounds, right?”

Lifting something that weighs over a hundred pounds with just a flick—he must have taken high-grade genetic agents.

Chen Fan, standing nearby, was also surprised.
He hadn’t expected to find a hidden dragon in the wilderness.

The transparent crystal, along with the mutated sea creature inside, weighed far more than a hundred pounds—more like a thousand, nearly ten thousand pounds.
An ordinary blood martial artist couldn’t possess such immense strength.

His gaze landed on the mutated sea creature, his expression becoming more complicated. After a few moments, he sighed in relief, “Its aura is gone…”

He had come here after detecting the presence of the Moli Shayu King.

When he saw the sea creatures swimming toward this direction, he feared the Moli Shayu King had broken free from its seal.

Although the powerful Sky Eye weapon existed now, if the Moli Shayu King ran rampant, it would still cause significant casualties.

So, if he had found the Moli Shayu King still alive, he would have persuaded the man before him to reseal it.

Now that the sea creature’s aura had dissipated, there was no need for concern.

"Alright, now answer my question. Besides dying, is there another way to enter your world?" Qi Yuan asked again.

This matter was crucial to him.

He even suspected that the path to becoming a Spirit Martial Master was in the place the man mentioned—where one could only go after death.

Chen Fan gave Qi Yuan a peculiar look. “With your strength, logically speaking… you should have been there already.

Once you break through the limits of martial arts and become a blood martial artist, you can… sense the Bloodscape Land, and roam the Yellow Springs in a mystical state.”

When he had broken through the limits of martial arts, he had glimpsed a corner of the Yellow Springs.

Any martial artist who broke through the limits could sense the Bloodscape Land and enter the Yellow Springs in a unique way.

“However, there’s only one chance to do that,” Chen Fan recalled. “The longer you stay there, the more benefits you gain, but… the greater the downsides. It can contaminate your bloodline, leading to a shortened lifespan.”

Chen Fan revealed much useful information.

Qi Yuan listened attentively, a curious expression in his eyes.

“Why?”

Chen Fan hesitated for a moment, then finally chose to explain, “The path of martial arts is about bloodline—the stronger the bloodline, the stronger the power.

And there… the Bloodscape Land has a vast number of compatible bloodlines that can quickly enhance martial arts cultivation.”

“But… because the bloodlines are different, devouring too much can cause conflict and madness?” Qi Yuan speculated.

“Yes.” Chen Fan nodded, his gaze on Qi Yuan carrying a hint of appreciation.

Clearly, Qi Yuan had never been there, yet he could deduce such things.

It showed his deep understanding of the martial arts path.

“So, if you want to go further on the martial arts path, you must enter that place.

But alas… that place is just a prison.
If you haven't been there, I advise you not to go.”

Having said his piece, Chen Fan didn’t waste any more time. He left with the Liu siblings.

Qi Yuan watched Chen Fan’s back, waving as he called out, “Thanks, NPC passerby, for all the explanations.

Although you don't have a name, if I ever make a movie and become a director, I’ll make you the protagonist.”

Chen Fan ignored Qi Yuan’s words.

In an instant, the only ones left on the yacht were Qi Yuan, Princess Huansha, and a pile of mutated sea creatures.

Qi Yuan looked at these sea creatures and whispered, “If you guys were content to lie flat and didn’t want to improve, honestly, it would be a bit harder for me to find you.”

As he spoke, he showed no mercy and waved his hand.

The hundreds of sea creatures turned into a slurry all at once.

This time, Qi Yuan didn’t promise to let them return to the sea.

Each sea creature produced a drop of blood.

The Moli Shayu King, however, produced three drops of bean-sized blood.

Qi Yuan collected each of these blood drops.

“Grasshopper Princess, let’s go back.”

Having gathered the blood, Qi Yuan didn’t want to consume it and break through to the limits of martial arts while still at sea.

According to Chen Fan, when breaking through the limits of martial arts, every martial artist would have a chance to sense the Bloodscape Land and roam into that realm in a special state.

If he broke through now and his soul traveled over, what would happen if the yacht flipped over?

Better to return to the hotel.

There, he could set up an array before making his breakthrough—it would be much safer that way.

Half a day later.

Inside the hotel.

Qi Yuan's surroundings were filled with formations.

These formations were enough to ensure his safety.

Even in the event of an earthquake or flood, they would not be able to dislodge him.

At this moment, he flicked his finger.

Immediately, hundreds of drops of blood floated around Qi Yuan.

A bright light flashed in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, and in an instant, these crystal-clear drops of blood all entered his abdomen.

Qi Yuan's eyes turned blood red.

His forehead became oily and shiny.

Qi Yuan closed his eyes, seemingly hearing the sounds of rolling waves, or perhaps the sounds of sandstorms.

The blood in his body boiled and surged until an incredibly crimson, bewitching drop of blood formed.

“Disperse.”

With a light whisper from Qi Yuan, the drop of blood suddenly scattered, spreading throughout his internal organs, meridians, and limbs.

His body suddenly became stronger at that moment.

“So, this is what it feels like to break through the limits of martial arts?

It’s a completely different feeling from just the peak of martial arts,” Qi Yuan mused.

He spoke nonsense.

Now, without using any magical techniques, his martial arts strength alone could rival someone at the fourth level of Qi Refinement.

"So, breaking through the limits of martial arts and becoming a blood martial artist is only the beginning of the extraordinary path of martial arts?"

Qi Yuan was filled with anticipation.

He closed his eyes.

Before him was a sea of blood, a silent sea without any sound—or rather, the sound had not yet reached him.

Qi Yuan tried to sense the Bloodscape Land, as Chen Fan had described.

“A place formed of blood?”

Looking at the Bloodscape Land ahead, Qi Yuan was lost in thought.

For an ordinary martial artist, even if they saw the Bloodscape Land and wanted to enter, they wouldn’t be able to do so without the right method.

But Qi Yuan’s strength allowed him to control his soul and spirit to the extreme.

To enter the Bloodscape Land, all he needed to do was plunge his soul into it.

His soul, like a fish, dived into the Bloodscape Land.

At that moment, an ethereal voice rang in Qi Yuan’s ear.

[In the thirteenth year of Tianqi, chaos reigned, disasters were rampant.
In Yunyin County, the talented martial artist Luo Bufan broke through the limits of martial arts, allegedly shattering the void and ascending.
The Chen family and Luo family were slaughtered by a monster.
Mission: Uncover the truth.
Reward: Body-Tempering Blood Pill.]

“?? Am I playing a game within a game?”

Qi Yuan was taken aback.

He had come here to play a game.

And now, the game’s content was about continuing to play another game.

Is this an inception of sorts?

"So, this hidden map is a kind of instance dungeon, like a main god space?"

Qi Yuan guessed.

He had read many comics and watched many anime with similar settings.

He could easily accept this concept.

Suddenly, a flood of information poured into Qi Yuan’s mind.

Just like with the innate seed before, a game character's memory and understanding of the world’s background were added to his mind.

After assimilating the information, Qi Yuan was a bit taken aback.

“This game… is a mythical version of Tianxuan?”

The previous dynasty before Qin Yuan was the Tianxuan Dynasty, the era Luo Bufan lived in.

Qi Yuan, having received a basic education, had some knowledge of ancient history.

In recorded history, the Tianxuan Dynasty was just an ordinary feudal dynasty without many cannons.

A typical feudal dynasty.

If there was anything unusual, it was the many legends about martial artists in it.

Of course, the martial artists recorded in historical books were somewhat mythologized.

However, in this game, the Tianxuan Dynasty was mythical.

Martial artists could overturn rivers and seas.

Moreover… in the Tianxuan Dynasty, all sorts of monsters existed.

These monsters fed on humans.

None of this was covered in his history books.

Either the historical records were lost and the history written by Qi Yuan was purely speculative, or this was a mythologized version of Tianxuan in the game.

Regardless, he might as well play the game first.

After all, Qi Yuan had grown accustomed to leisure in urban games.

At this moment, he looked up and saw the damp dirt walls, with red curtains draped over them, giving a festive appearance.

“Brother Qi… I don’t want to, I don’t want to… please don’t…”

Just then, a voice, filled with sobs, came through.

A dark-skinned, rather plain-looking girl held a kitchen knife in her hand, her eyes brimming with tears.

She was dressed in a wedding gown, which made her appear even darker in the dim light.

Upon hearing the girl’s words, more memories flooded in, leaving Qi Yuan somewhat speechless.

The girl in front of him had a very casual name—Xiaomei.

It seemed the game developers had given up and didn’t bother coming up with a good name.

Xiaomei wasn’t even slightly pretty; she was dark and quite ordinary.

This Xiaomei was the adopted child bride that the game character Qi Yuan had taken in.

Qi Yuan’s character in the game was a butcher, with some small savings, and a terrible gambling habit.

He always dreamed of marrying a beautiful wife, but since his child bride wasn’t good-looking, he had given her the name Xiaomei, meaning “Little Beauty.”

As the saying goes, “Nine out of ten gamblers lose,” and this character had amassed a considerable debt with the gambling den.

Little did anyone know that the gambling den in Yunyin County was owned by a pack of weasels.

Among them, Lord Huang Si came to collect Qi Yuan’s debt. Unable to repay it, he offered his child bride as payment.

As it turned out, Lord Huang Si fancied Xiaomei's type.

Now, Lord Huang Si had come to collect his bride, ready to take Xiaomei back.

At this moment, Xiaomei held the kitchen knife, tears streaming down her face like rain: “You saved my life, so I owe you my life. If I marry Lord Huang Si, we’re even!”

Xiaomei’s gaze at Qi Yuan was filled with anger, fear, and disappointment.

Qi Yuan shrugged. “We’re even now.”

After all, this was just a game setting.

If the game had assigned him a father, would he have to call him "Dad" if he met him?

Moreover, he had now descended in his true form.
His real body was not just the character's body in the game but had been adjusted in appearance and clothing.

Qi Yuan’s cold and heartless words made Xiaomei fall into utter despair.

She had hoped Qi Yuan would repent and take her away from Yunyin County.

But now…

At that moment, a knock on the door broke the silence of the night.

“Qi Er, open the door! Is the wedding dress ready? You coward, hurry up and bring out the bride! Don’t keep Lord Huang Si waiting!”

Xiaomei held the kitchen knife, her face covered in tears, but instead of appearing pitiful like a weeping beauty, her upper lip was smeared with snot.

There was a hint of interest in Qi Yuan’s eyes.

“Monsters, huh?”

Honestly, he found the monsters in this world quite intriguing.

This world’s bloodline martial arts were rather fascinating.

However, as Qi Yuan moved toward the door, he hesitated for a moment.

Because… his cultivation level… had decreased.

In the real world, he was close to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, just a step away from the Golden Core stage.

But now, his cultivation had dropped to the peak of the Qi Refinement stage.

“What is this…”

Qi Yuan was momentarily stunned.

It was his first time encountering such a situation.

It was different from any other game he had played before.

It was as if his cultivation level had forcibly dropped by an entire level.

At this point, Qi Yuan remembered the Great Wisdom True Lord’s lessons.

In the Yang God realm, there is a stage called the "Ultimate Truth."

Yang Gods below the Ultimate Truth realm who enter a world with completely different rules will have their cultivation level forcibly reduced by one major stage.

Upon reaching the minor Ultimate Truth stage, it would only drop by a minor stage.

Now, Qi Yuan found himself in this situation.

His magical cultivation had decreased by one major stage, but his martial arts cultivation remained.

This made Qi Yuan cautiously alert but not overly concerned.

After all, it was just a game—fun was the priority.

He opened the door and walked into the courtyard, swinging the door wide open.

Outside stood several burly men, broad-shouldered and ferocious-looking.

Beside them was a sedan chair, and next to it stood an elderly man in silk robes. The old man had a gentle and kindly appearance, the kind that would look like a good person on TV.

The old man seemed to be coated in a thick layer of perfume, and from afar, Qi Yuan could smell the strange scent.

It was like a stinky man wearing cheap, overpowering cologne standing next to you in a broken-down elevator that hadn’t been cleaned for years—the smell was pungent.

This old man was Lord Huang Si. At first glance, he still looked human, but upon closer inspection, he had a pair of mouse ears.

Before the impolite visitors could speak, Qi Yuan spoke first: “Are you a mouse-eared man?”

He had seen cat-eared girls before, but now he was seeing a mouse-eared man.

This shattered all his fantasies about these… creatures.

However, in this vast world, there is always something surprising.
Maybe some guys aren’t into cat girls but prefer the style of a mouse-eared man.

“How dare you speak to Lord Huang Si like that? Where’s the bride? Hurry up!” A burly man in a short linen shirt with his chest exposed, revealing yellow chest hair, shouted.

“Hey, yellow-haired guy, you’re just an NPC. How dare you talk to me like that?
Don’t you know that according to Tianxuan law, trespassing is illegal?” Qi Yuan was good at using legal weapons.

Though the law is a tool of the ruling class, Qi Yuan, as their successor, found it useful too.

Moreover, as the father of two daughters, he despised yellow hair throughout his life.

Though this yellow hair wasn’t on their head, who said yellow chest hair didn’t count?

The yellow-haired man was furious and was about to attack Qi Yuan.

He had done this countless times before.

But then Lord Huang Si gently said, “Today is a joyous day; let’s not shed any blood.

I know you’re upset about me marrying your child bride, Qi Er.
But you signed the contract to sell yourself.”

Lord Huang Si wasn’t human, but he loved pretending to be one and acting in a human way.

“Qi Er signed it, but what does that have to do with me, Qi Yuan?”

Qi Yuan cursed and threw a punch.

This time, he didn’t use any magical spells but relied on martial arts.

He had just broken through in martial arts and needed some practice.

Faced with these minor bosses, Qi Yuan felt the thrill of gaming again.

“Kid, are you looking for trouble? Think you can mess with Lord Huang Si after learning some fake moves? You're looking for death!”

The yellow-haired man was furious and charged at Qi Yuan, clearly a trained fighter.
He had beaten Qi Er yesterday and did not take Qi Yuan seriously.