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

Chapter 366: What? They Want Me to Be a Chief Examiner?

Qi Yuan’s face showed a thoughtful expression.

The Eastern Lord, this big boss—whether he was friend or foe wasn’t clear yet. In the mural, the Eastern Lord was portrayed as a lovesick fool, but that was only towards the female lead.

In romance dramas, the domineering CEO might be good to the female lead, but it’s a disaster for the maids and housekeepers around him. What? The female lead flipped over her food in a fit of anger? Aunt Wang, hurry and make ten identical dishes. What? The female lead passed out from sadness? Doctor Wang, if you can’t save her, your entire family will pay with their lives!

Sure, it’s enjoyable to put yourself in the shoes of the female lead, but it’s far less fun to imagine yourself as a side character. Most people are merely side characters in life.

Qi Yuan also considered himself quite ordinary—just a small Nascent Soul True Lord, merely a supporting role.

"It seems we still need to find the Eastern Lord. My fate is mine to control, not the heavens'. It’s time for us supporting characters to step into the spotlight!" Qi Yuan declared passionately.

The nearby followers exchanged confused glances. Just a moment ago, they were focused on finding the Eastern Lord. How did it turn into a declaration of defying fate?

But they were used to Qi Yuan by now. Their Lord was sometimes a bit random, with a unique way of thinking.

“Father, with our current strength, we wouldn’t be considered supporting characters in any world, right?” Qi Qi said softly.

The other followers also felt a strange sense of pride hearing this. Here, Yang Gods were as common as cabbages, but... in a world like the Innate World, had Qi Yuan not appeared, even with millions or tens of millions of years, it was unlikely that a single Yang God would emerge. Aside from the Holy Mother of the Foodless Sect, even other mythical beings rarely had the chance to reach the Yang God realm.

And these followers... Well, let’s just say most of them wouldn’t have even reached the Grand Sovereign stage, let alone the Yang God level, if not for Qi Yuan. Meeting him had been the greatest fortune of their lives. Without Qi Yuan holding them back, if they were released into the Upper Realms, they could cause a stir even in the Immortal Realms.

After all, even in the Upper Realms, a Yang God was the foundation of a sacred land. With a Yang God, a sacred land could last for countless generations.

"But Father has a point," Qi Qi said again. "We don’t know the Eastern Lord’s strength yet, so we should stay low-key."

Qi Yuan nodded. “Exactly, it’s always wise to be cautious. Even if his strength isn’t that great, what if there’s something like... the Supreme Dao Ancestor’s snot left behind in this Origin Land?”

“Uh... would the Dao Ancestor even pick his nose?” Old man Shenlei asked, unable to hold back.

“The emperor uses a golden hoe, so why wouldn’t the Dao Ancestor pick his nose?” Qi Yuan replied seriously. “According to Tang Niu’s Inequality Principle, just because the Dao Ancestor has a high cultivation level doesn’t mean he wouldn’t pick his nose.”

“...”

Everyone fell silent.

Qi Qi couldn’t help but whisper, “Father, I haven’t done that in a long time. Why would the Dao Ancestor?”

“Maybe we should stop this conversation,” Old man Shenlei suggested. “Saying bad things about the Dao Ancestor... might not be the best idea.”

When he was weaker, Shenlei wouldn’t have been afraid to curse the Dao Ancestor, but now it was different. He had reached the Yang God realm and worshipped high deities like the Nine Heavens Divine Thunderlord and the South Pole Longevity Emperor, one of the Six Celestial Emperors. Their stature was unimaginable.

So, when it came to an exalted figure like the Dao Ancestor, Shenlei was very cautious.

Qi Yuan nodded in agreement. “Let’s go. Take me to the birthplace of the Purple Qi. I want to see if I can learn anything—maybe even get some wholesale.”

...

The Origin Land.

In the ruins of a palace, Fat Egg Martial Lord suddenly opened his eyes.

“My father’s... aura?”

Just a moment ago, while resting, he sensed a familiar feeling, along with a surge of his bloodline. This feeling was clear—his “father” had emerged from seclusion.

For years, he had lived a very happy life. After all, his unknown “father” had grown stronger and stronger, which in turn caused his bloodline to evolve. His cultivation had now reached the Fourth Rank of the Martial Lord realm, becoming a Great Martial Lord. Such progress was astonishing.

Of course, this was also because of his solid foundation, which many other Martial Lords were aware of. Before the Great Calamity, he had already been a titled Martial Lord. Now, with his bloodline evolving, his strength had skyrocketed. As a result, his position within the Eastern Alliance had risen as well, and he had been promoted.

After all, with such a powerful hidden father, who might even be a titled Martial Lord, how could his status not rise?

“Fat Egg Martial Lord, your father has appeared?” A voice called from within the broken palace, belonging to a slim elder. This elder had also been a titled Martial Lord before the Great Calamity, and now he was a Sixth Rank Great Martial Lord, a high-ranking figure in the Eastern Alliance.

“Hmm, I sensed his aura. He should have emerged from seclusion,” Fat Egg Martial Lord pondered.

“Where? Take me to meet this elder. Our Eastern Alliance is in dire straits and needs fresh blood,” the slim elder said eagerly.

The tasks assigned by the Eastern Lord had gone smoothly for millennia. But recently, many missions had failed, and the task completion rate had dropped below sixty percent. If they didn’t reach that threshold before the Morning Song arrived, they would all die. The Origin Land, the End Land, and the Mountains and Seas would all perish.

Now, they needed all the help they could get.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to meet... my father!” Fat Egg Martial Lord said through gritted teeth.

“Good.” The slim elder nodded.

“But what if my father doesn’t acknowledge me?” Fat Egg Martial Lord hesitated.

“Don’t worry, your bloodline is strong. You must have inherited it perfectly. If you look alike, how could he not acknowledge you?” the slim elder reassured him.

Fat Egg looked down at his round belly and finally nodded slowly. “You’re right. Let’s go!”

...

The Origin Land, Soul Sea.

Here, at the meeting place of the world’s edges, life flourished with vitality.

Qi Yuan sat alone, his clothes rustling in the wind, his expression calm.

“All things in this world emerge from the Soul Sea. But where do they really come from? Is it all just coincidence, or is it the ‘one’ that escaped the Dao?”

He gazed at the Soul Sea, deep in thought.

“No, no more thinking, or I’ll start getting too smart for my own good.”

Qi Yuan’s divine domain was chaotic, full of bizarre things. Planets turned into soccer balls on a field, and dung beetles rolled giant spheres. His thoughts were scattered, and he feared that if he pondered too much, his true spirit wouldn’t be able to handle it.

For the first time, Qi Yuan felt that his body didn’t match up to his high and mighty brain.

“It’s a pity that even someone as clever as me can’t replicate the Purple Qi,” Qi Yuan muttered, watching as countless streams of information flowed in. But replicating the Purple Qi was impossible. Perhaps if he sat here for a million years, even ten million years, observing new information every day, he might be able to do it. But that would take far too long.

Just then, a ripple spread through the space behind him.

A fat and thin pair of creatures appeared.

Fat Egg Martial Lord stretched his neck, scanning the area, searching for something. When his gaze landed on Qi Yuan, he froze for a moment, overcome with shame. He wished he could tear his own flesh apart.

“Too... perfect.”

“Is this my father?” Fat Egg Martial Lord took a deep breath and sucked in his belly, trying to make himself look thinner.

The slim elder was also puzzled, looking at Qi Yuan, then at Fat Egg. “They don’t look alike.”

But they didn’t waste any more time and flew forward.

“Eastern Alliance Spirit Elder greets the senior!”

“Eastern Alliance Fat Egg greets the senior!”

The two greeted respectfully, standing aside. One fat, one thin—a striking sight. Even though Fat Egg was trying to suck in his gut, his body was still several times wider than Spirit Elder’s.

Qi Yuan didn’t respond, his eyes still fixed on the Soul Sea. “What do you want?”

Fat Egg Martial Lord’s mood sank. His bloodline told him this was indeed his “father.” But the cold attitude left him with an inexplicable sadness. The bloodline path was faster than the immortal path and even had benefits like bloodline evolution. However, there was one major flaw: those with weaker bloodlines would always feel a strange sense of attachment to the strongest bloodlines. They were easily influenced, something unimaginable for those on the immortal path.

“Morning Song is fast approaching, and the progress of the Mountain and Sea Scrolls has been slow. The Eastern Alliance formally invites the senior to join us in this great undertaking,” Spirit Elder said sincerely. He continued, shifting the topic, “Senior’s descendant, Fat Egg Martial Lord, has long served the Eastern Alliance.”

He played the emotional card. As for offering benefits? They had none. The Origin Land was far too poor to offer anything valuable. What mattered most here was survival. No Martial Lord could afford to sit this out. When the Morning Song arrived, the world would plunge into silence.

“Saving the world sounds interesting,” Qi Yuan mused, “but saving the world is the job of heroes and chosen ones. It takes too much time, and I’m busy. I don’t have the time.”

Spirit Elder was taken aback. He had expected a refusal, but not for the reason of “being too busy to save the world.”

“Senior, surely you can find the time if you try,” Spirit Elder said.

Fat Egg Martial Lord also chimed in, “Senior, if you’re too busy, the Eastern Alliance can help relieve you of your burdens!”

Qi Yuan glanced at Fat Egg, seemingly impressed. “I want to become a Spirit Realm Martial Lord. Any ideas?”

This was his mission, a higher priority than saving the world.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Fat Egg Martial Lord frowned.

There was no record of Spirit Realm Martial Lords in the Eastern Alliance.

Spirit Elder frowned too, but then he thought of something. “The Spirit Realm Martial Lord... We don’t know of such a thing, but the Wall of the Eastern Lord might.”

“The Wall of the Eastern Lord? What’s that?” Qi Yuan asked curiously.

“In the Eastern Alliance, there’s a mystical wall left behind by the Eastern Lord. This wall knows all things and can discern truth from falsehood. After the Blood of Ancestors Battle, the Wall of the Eastern Lord will appear. Senior can inquire about the Spirit Realm Martial Lord from the wall at that time,” Spirit Elder explained carefully. “If Senior is willing, I can nominate you as one of the three chief examiners for the Blood of Ancestors Battle! The chief examiners have the right to consult the Wall of the Eastern Lord.”

Qi Yuan thought about it. “That sounds... reasonable. Alright, I’ll reluctantly accept the role of chief examiner.”

He was quite interested in becoming a Spirit Realm Martial Lord. The Human Path Martial Lord task was nearly done. If he could complete the Spirit Realm Martial Lord task too, he could break through and become the Ten Thousand Paths Martial God. Then, this game would be over.

Spirit Elder’s face lit up with joy. “Congratulations, Senior, on joining the Eastern Alliance!”

“Oh, by the way, let me make one thing clear. Joining the Eastern Alliance doesn’t mean I’ll swear allegiance to the Eastern Lord,” Qi Yuan said. After all, he was here to play a game, not to pledge loyalty to anyone.

“No problem. Although the Eastern Alliance was founded by the Eastern Lord, our goal is to save the world, not to pledge loyalty to anyone. If the Eastern Lord ever sought to destroy the world, we would be the first to strike him down!” Spirit Elder quickly reassured him.

Qi Yuan nodded. “In that case, I’ll go take a look at your Eastern Alliance.”

“Please follow me, Senior,” Spirit Elder said as the three of them swiftly made their way toward the Eastern Alliance.

As they traveled, Fat Egg Martial Lord followed behind, looking conflicted. Finally, he mustered the courage and softly called out, “Senior, please wait!”

“Oh?” Qi Yuan stopped, a hint of wariness in his eyes. “What is it?”

Whenever someone said, “Fellow Daoist, please wait,” it rarely led to anything good.

“May I ask... are you my long-lost... father?” Fat Egg Martial Lord stammered, finally voicing the question that had plagued him for years.

Despite his enormous size, his eyes held a certain innocence and purity, a testament to the power of bloodlines. Even a Great Martial Lord, when faced with a stronger and more perfect bloodline, would unconsciously display the emotions of a younger generation.

Qi Yuan looked at him and struggled to keep a straight face. “Don’t spread rumors. I just got married recently. There’s no way I’d have a child as big as you!”

Currently, there were only three people on his family register: himself, Xiao Jia, and the Canary. Fat Egg wasn’t one of them.

Hearing this, Fat Egg’s face fell, and his heart filled with disappointment.

“I see.”

He fell silent, nursing his sorrow. He figured it must be because his mother was too ugly, causing his father to disown him. It was unfortunate—why did he inherit his mother’s looks instead of his father’s?

...

“Greetings, Ancestor!”

“Greetings, Senior!”

On a derelict ship, Mu Yan looked up at his ancestor with deep reverence in his eyes. Behind him stood several peak Martial Lords who had left the base with him. Some of these peak Martial Lords bore the Martial Lord mark, while others had pledged their allegiance to Mu Yan, assisting him in the Blood of Ancestors Battle.

At that moment, Mu Yan gazed at a projection of his ancestor, filled with awe.

It was just a projection, but Mu Yan could feel that if his ancestor willed it, he could annihilate everyone present with a single glance. Such was the power of a Martial Lord, the goal of every martial artist.

“Well done, you’re still young, but already accomplished. In this Blood of Ancestors Battle, strive for a spot in the top thirty. As long as you enter the top thirty and receive the Ancestor’s Blood Baptism, you’ll step into the Martial Lord realm within ten years!” the projection praised him.

Any peak Martial Lord with the Martial Lord mark could receive the Ancestor’s Blood Baptism. However, the extent of the baptism depended on their ranking in the battle. Those ranked lower might take many years to become Martial Lords, and even then, they would likely be stuck at the first rank for the rest of their lives.

“I will give my all to secure a place in the top thirty!” Mu Yan declared earnestly.

“If you make it into the top thirty, I will grant you one small request,” the Martial Lord projection said, clearly favoring his descendant. “Now, tell me, is there anything you need?”

Mu Yan’s heart swelled with excitement, and he quickly replied, “During our journey through the Black Sea, I was saved by a peak Martial Lord named Qi Yuan. However, he had a conflict with Zhi Xian and ended up killing him. Zhi Xian was backed by Martial Lord Die Mao. I hope Ancestor can mediate and resolve this conflict.”

Mu Yan gritted his teeth as he spoke. Along the way, Qi Yuan had helped him on many occasions, alleviating numerous difficulties. In a sense, Qi Yuan had saved his life.

“Not bad, loyal and righteous—a true descendant of mine,” the Martial Lord said approvingly. “I’ll handle it. Have him apologize to Martial Lord Die Mao, and we’ll consider the matter settled.”

“Thank you, Ancestor!” Mu Yan was overjoyed. Qi Yuan’s life was saved.

However, he then remembered something and added, “The Eastern Alliance is currently short on talent. This Brother Qi is the most talented and powerful Martial Lord I’ve ever seen. Could he be allowed to participate in the Blood of Ancestors Battle?”

Mu Yan still hoped to help Qi Yuan participate in the battle.

Several peak Martial Lords behind Mu Yan heard this, and jealousy flashed in their eyes. Clearly, they didn’t want Qi Yuan to join the Blood of Ancestors Battle.

The Martial Lord pondered for a moment. “Without a Martial Lord mark, he is not qualified to participate. This is something only a chief examiner can approve. Every chief examiner must have the strength of a titled Martial Lord, a rank I don’t hold.”

Mu Yan felt a little disappointed but still expressed his gratitude. “Forgive me for being presumptuous.”