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

"Greetings, Senior Brother Qi Yuan!" Dong Xian stepped forward, showing respect upon seeing Qi Yuan.

"Is it you?" Qi Yuan glanced at Dong Xian and couldn't help but take a half step back.

People like Dong Xian, who seem to have a protagonist's destiny, are better kept at a distance.

In the TV shows and anime Qi Yuan watched, whenever a supporting character suddenly had a good moment with the protagonist, it usually meant they were about to be killed, triggering the protagonist's power surge.

Many shows often had comments like, "Poor old guy."

Qi Yuan didn't want to be that old guy and didn't want to be killed.

"Senior Brother Qi Yuan, I have an impertinent request. I'm not sure if I should say it." Dong Xian said.

Qi Yuan quickly replied, "You shouldn't say it."

This immediately blocked what Dong Xian was about to say.

At this moment, Qi Yuan took a closer look at Dong Xian.

[He's just an ordinary young man, but his soul has awakened, and he's now an artifact refiner. This artifact refiner has taken a liking to your kitchen knife.]

Seeing that Dong Xian had no reaction, Qi Yuan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Young man, there's a strange fire in the back kitchen of the Divine Medicine Peak. I think it suits you well."

After saying that, Qi Yuan left directly. While walking away, he concealed the aura of his knife.

The awakened soul had taken a liking to his knife, which made Qi Yuan wary.

Meanwhile, Dong Xian stood there, puzzled.

"A strange fire? What's that?"

At this moment, the voice of the old artifact spirit, Qi Lao, came through.

"You should be cautious with Qi Yuan. He's not as simple as he seems."

"Huh?"

"When I got close to him just now, I detected that his knife had traces of blood on it."

"Blood? Isn't that normal?"

"Blood of a Core Formation cultivator," Qi Lao said.

Dong Xian was stunned.

A Core Formation cultivator?

That kitchen knife had killed a Core Formation cultivator?

One must know that Core Formation cultivators in the Great Shang Kingdom are akin to royal consecrates.

That seemingly ordinary kitchen knife had stained the blood of a Core Formation cultivator?

Did the peak master of the Seven-Colored Peak reward Qi Yuan with it?

No wonder Qi Lao said the knife was extraordinary.

Qi Lao continued, "You can only make friends with Qi Yuan, not enemies."

He left out one crucial detail: the blood was fresh.

Dong Xian couldn't help but smile, "Why would I have any reason to be enemies with the first disciple of a major peak?"

...

At the Seven-Colored Peak, Jiang Lingsu looked curious.

"Senior Brother, are you leaving the sect?"

Qi Yuan nodded, "I've already spoken to the sect master. He agreed to let me go out and establish my foundation."

"Establish your foundation? Why do you need to leave the sect for that?" Jiang Lingsu was puzzled.

"You can't just read a thousand books; you need to travel ten thousand miles."

Jiang Lingsu was stunned for a moment, "Senior Brother, sometimes you say things that make sense. But... I don't think you're just going out to establish your foundation."

"Sigh," Qi Yuan sighed, "Your senior brother here is escaping for his life, seeking a chance to survive."

Qi Yuan felt he was similar to the tragic figure Nangong Daxian, who dared to risk his life for immortality.

Jiang Lingsu was speechless, "Senior Brother, speak plainly."

Seeing her reaction, Qi Yuan said, "Aren't I afraid that the Black Mountain Sect will suspect I killed Chu Tianxiong and the others? What if the Black Chicken Old Demon comes with people to our peak, and I get blocked here? I'd be dead. It's safer to hide outside and come back when things have calmed down."

Jiang Lingsu was at a loss for words, "Senior Brother, you'd better leave quickly. I'm afraid I'll lose my mind if I stay with you too long."

Jiang Lingsu looked at him with disdain.

But then she remembered something and reminded him, "Senior Brother, be careful while you're out. The Black Mountain Sect might do something desperate and really come after you."

"Great minds think alike. I also feel that the Black Mountain Sect is ambitious and greedy!" Qi Yuan said with agreement.

Jiang Lingsu felt helpless, "Senior Brother, if only you were mute, you'd definitely be an exceptionally handsome man."

But once you open your mouth... it's over.

Of course, it wasn't Qi Yuan's voice that was unpleasant; it was the absurd content of his words.

...

"There are still two vacant spots in the top-tier section. If anyone wants to upgrade their seat, hurry up. It only costs one spirit stone!"

On the spirit boat, a female cultivator at the Qi Refinement stage reminded the passengers in the lower-tier section in a crisp voice.

This was a flying boat heading to Wuxue City.

Wuxue City, located in the far north of the Great Shang Kingdom, was a rather chaotic place.

After all, Wuxue City was near the Black Mountain Sect's territory.

Generally, not many righteous cultivators were willing to go there.

However, Wuxue City produced a type of blood crystal.

These blood crystals were valuable and could aid some cultivators in their cultivation.

So many rogue cultivators, and even disciples from major sects, would go to Wuxue City to collect blood crystals and improve their strength.

Now, Qi Yuan was sitting on the spirit boat.

This spirit boat was a Foundation Establishment artifact.

But unlike typical Foundation Establishment artifacts, it was built entirely for speed.

Hearing the attendant's reminder, Qi Yuan was tempted.

After his recent spoils, he was no longer poor and wanted to try the top-tier "first-class" section.

But then he thought, he had important business to do and needed to stay low-key, so he dismissed the idea.

"Fellow Daoist, are you also going to Wuxue City to dig for blood crystals? You seem to have an extraordinary bearing. You must be a disciple of a major sect, right?" At this moment, a beautiful woman nearby struck up a conversation with Qi Yuan.

The beautiful woman was dressed elegantly, with her hair styled in a cascading bun, adorned with a peachwood hairpin.

She wore a simple yet elegant long robe in a pale blue color, exuding a gentle and dignified aura.

Her attire was simple, but it was clear that she was well-off, a wealthy lady.

Qi Yuan couldn't help but feel flattered. Even after using disguising techniques to lower his attractiveness by ninety percent, people could still see his inherent "handsomeness."

"I'm just a humble rogue cultivator," Qi Yuan said, now playing the role of a rogue cultivator.

"Being a rogue cultivator is quite admirable, too. It takes a lot of determination to get things done. When I was younger, I was also a rogue cultivator. Now that I'm older, I've joined a sect because I prefer a more stable life," the beautiful woman said, reminiscing.

"Sister, you look like you're in the prime of your life," Qi Yuan said.

After all, when he was young, he didn't know the value of older women and mistakenly cherished young girls.

Many scoundrels would undoubtedly prefer a beautiful and wealthy woman like the one in front of him.

Qi Yuan's great skill was "dominant strength," but he hadn't awakened his inner scoundrel attributes.

"You really know how to talk," the beautiful woman laughed, her voice like tinkling bells. "Young people like you are full of energy."

She looked at Qi Yuan's tall and sturdy figure, as if recalling her past.

"Fellow Daoist, be careful of the Black Mountain Sect when you go to Wuxue City to dig for blood crystals. In Wuxue City, offending the city lord is better than offending the Black Mountain Sect. Offending the city lord might only get you killed, but offending the Black Mountain Sect could get your entire family killed." The beautiful woman's eyes showed a trace of fear and disgust when mentioning the Black Mountain Sect.

"The Black Mountain Sect is so vicious? Killing entire families?" Qi Yuan lowered his voice, seemingly agitated.

If the Black Mountain Sect knew he killed Chu Tianxiong, would they go to Blue Star and kill his whole family?

That would be horrible!

But then Qi Yuan thought, what family does he have?

He's all alone on the household registry.

So pitiful!

When people curse him online, he doesn't even have a family to retort with.

"The Black Mountain Sect is powerful and domineering. We have to give one-tenth of the blood crystals we dig to the city lord and another two-tenths to the Black Mountain Sect. Sometimes... even more than two-tenths!" The beautiful woman gritted her teeth, clearly angry.

Qi Yuan was furious, "Wuxue City isn't under the Black Mountain Sect's jurisdiction. How can they be so arrogant? They're worse than capitalists! They should be hanged on the streetlights!"

The beautiful woman quickly lowered her voice, "Fellow Daoist, keep your voice down. If the Black Mountain Sect hears you, it could spell trouble."

Qi Yuan thought to himself, I'm not being selfish!

I'm not just avenging myself!

I'm carrying out justice!

He brainwashed himself, believing he stood on the moral high ground, looking down on the Black Mountain Sect.

He and the beautiful woman enjoyed a pleasant conversation during their journey on the spirit boat.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Qi Yuan's emotional intelligence and everything to do with his looks and youth.

After about five hours, the spirit boat landed.

Many cultivators disembarked.

The beautiful woman extended an invitation, "If you have no place to stay, you can spend the night at my place."

Qi Yuan looked at the sky and said, "No thanks."

He needed to act quickly to catch the last spirit boat back.

He wouldn't stay here for the night.

After killing, he needed to flee immediately!

Returning to the crime scene often leads to getting caught, as seasoned killers know.

At this moment, a somewhat displeased voice called out.

"Mother, I'm here."

A young woman in a fine palace dress approached, accompanied by a Foundation Establishment female cultivator. The palace-dressed young woman looked at Qi Yuan with a hint of hostility.

Qi Yuan was baffled.

"Farewell, Liu Piao," Qi Yuan said to the beautiful woman before turning to leave.

The palace-dressed young woman walked up and took the beautiful woman's arm, "Mother, who was that?"

The beautiful woman smiled, "Xiaorou, you are too wary of everyone. That was just a rogue cultivator I met by chance, coming to Wuxue City to dig for blood crystals. I thought he had a good demeanor, so I chatted with him. You're getting older, you should find a Daoist companion."

The palace-dressed young woman's vigilance faded, and she sighed, "With such a large blood crystal mine to manage, where do I find the time? Besides, Mother, I'm not some celestial maiden, but I won't just pair up with any rogue cultivator I meet on the street. I have to meet with other mine owners and go to the Black Mountain Sect in an hour."

Mentioning the Black Mountain Sect, the palace-dressed young woman's eyes clouded with worry.