Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?

"You’re a prince?"

Qi Yuan was a bit stunned.

This guy really has a protagonist's template.

Not only does he have a remnant soul within him, but he’s also a prince with a fiancée who has broken off their engagement.

"In the Dragon Seizing Struggle, the sect master promised that I could select two foundation establishment cultivators from the sect to assist me.

The first one I chose was Senior Brother Kang Fulu.

For the second, I want to ask for your help, Senior Brother Qi Yuan, to participate in the Dragon Seizing Struggle.

If Senior Brother Qi Yuan helps me, I will definitely give a great reward.

Regardless of success, I will give you three Jade-level techniques and three foundation establishment treasures.

Dong Xian said sincerely.

This was the most valuable thing he could offer at the moment. It was everything he had.

After hearing this, Qi Yuan lost interest: "The Dragon Seizing Struggle requires going to the capital of the Great Shang Kingdom. It’s too far. I don’t want to go. I just like staying at home."

When he went to destroy Black Mountain Sect, Qi Yuan returned home overnight.

He didn’t like running around outside, especially not staying overnight.

Dong Xian was stunned by this reason for refusal. It seemed too unreliable.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to cultivating." Qi Yuan thought it was best not to get too close to someone with a protagonist's template.

If he became the protagonist's helper, one day he might be killed by the plot, igniting the protagonist’s inner potential.

He was all too familiar with such plots.

"Senior Brother Qi Yuan, I am willing to offer even better conditions. If you are not satisfied, we can discuss it further." Dong Xian hurriedly said.

"It’s too far, I don’t want to go." Qi Yuan decisively refused and returned to his house to continue cultivating.

Outside the wooden house, Dong Xian's face was filled with disappointment.

"Qi Lao, are my conditions not enough?" Dong Xian was very discouraged.

"It might not be about your conditions. What Qi Yuan said might be true. He really doesn’t want to travel far." Qi Lao said helplessly, "Some prodigies have peculiar habits. Especially those who focus solely on cultivation."

"Sigh." Dong Xian clenched his fists, feeling very unwilling.

This time, he was preparing to participate in the Dragon Seizing Struggle. He had informed his mother about it.

His mother, born in a small family, had only one foundation establishment cultivator in the family—his uncle.

Without hesitation, his uncle gave him the only two foundation establishment treasures he had.

His mother also gave him many spiritual medicines and treasures awarded by the emperor.

Therefore, he managed to persuade Kang Fulu.

Now, if he couldn’t convince Qi Yuan, his chances in the Dragon Seizing Struggle were slim.

He didn’t want to disappoint his mother and uncle.

Standing outside the wooden house, he waited quietly, like a student waiting in the snow.

Suddenly, Dong Xian's communication jade slip vibrated.

It was a message from Senior Brother Kang Fulu.

He glanced at the content and was stunned.

"Qi Lao, do you know what Senior Brother Kang Fulu just told me?"

"What?"

"Senior Brother Kang Fulu said a secret realm appeared in Rong City, and the location of the Dragon Seizing Struggle has been changed to Rong City."

"What?!!"

Rong City was very close to Seven-Color Peak. Even a Qi Refining cultivator could get there in an hour or two.

Just now, Senior Brother Qi Yuan said it was too far to go.

Now, the location of the Dragon Seizing Struggle had changed to Rong City.

Is this destiny helping me? Dong Xian thought, extremely excited.

"Senior Brother Qi Yuan, Dong Xian requests to see you!" Dong Xian shouted joyfully towards the wooden house.

Qi Yuan came out of the house: "You’re still here?"

"Senior Brother Qi Yuan, the location of the Dragon Seizing Struggle has been changed to Rong City!" Dong Xian said excitedly.

Qi Yuan was stunned: "In Rong City?"

That was very close.

Why did it suddenly change to Rong City?

"It's absolutely true. Senior Brother Kang Fulu told me." Dong Xian said, his breath visible in the cold air. "Now, may I invite Senior Brother Qi Yuan to assist me in the Dragon Seizing Struggle?"

Qi Yuan stood there, feeling a bit amazed.

Is this the protagonist's template?

Even the heavens are helping him solve problems.

He thought, if he still didn’t know what was good for him, even the heavens might deal with him.

Since the heavens were helping Dong Xian, couldn’t he ask for an exorbitant price?

Qi Yuan hesitated and slowly said, "I can help you, but I have a few conditions."

Dong Xian was thrilled: "Senior Brother, please speak freely."

"I want a treasure that can kill an Yin Shen cultivator."

Dong Xian was stunned: "…Senior Brother Qi Yuan, are you joking?"

"Then I want to achieve ascension"

Dong Xian was silent.

If he could achieve those things, why would he come to ask Senior Brother Qi Yuan to participate in the Dragon Seizing Struggle?

"That doesn’t work either?" Qi Yuan sighed, "Then give me the sun in the sky. I want to refine a golden core."

"…"

"That doesn’t work either?" Qi Yuan was extremely helpless. Finally, he thought of something, "Alright, then give me a secret method to enhance my soul."

This was already the lowest request.

Dong Xian heard this and couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.

This time, Senior Brother Qi Yuan’s condition didn’t seem so outrageous.

But that was only in comparison to his previous conditions.

A secret method to enhance the soul?

Such a secret method was extremely rare, even in the Great Shang Kingdom.

Enhancing the soul was very important.

A Nascent Soul-level cultivator wanting to advance to the Purple Mansion realm had to pass through three tribulations.

These three tribulations were all attacks on the soul.

So, any Nascent Soul cultivator wanting to break through to the Purple Mansion realm must first strengthen their soul. Otherwise, no matter how strong their techniques and mana, they would not survive the three tribulations and would die.

Thus, techniques to strengthen the soul were very rare. Even if they existed, they would be in the hands of some Nascent Soul-level old monsters.

Techniques to strengthen the soul were more precious than even Xuan-level or Heaven-level techniques.

Dong Xian looked very troubled.

Not to mention a technique to strengthen the soul, he didn’t even have a Xuan-level technique.

"Qi Yuan…" Dong Xian was about to say something when Qi Lao transmitted his voice: "Promise him, I have a technique to strengthen the soul."

Dong Xian was first surprised, then moved: "Qi Lao, I…"

His nose felt sour. He then said to Qi Yuan, "Senior Brother, I can agree to this condition."

Qi Yuan was slightly taken aback.

Actually, he didn’t expect Dong Xian to have a technique to strengthen the soul.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded: "If you produce the technique, I’ll help you."

A technique to strengthen the soul was indeed useful, and Qi Yuan needed it.

He needed to strengthen his soul to unlock the second game.

"Senior Brother, please wait for two days. I will deliver the technique."

"Alright."

...

Two days later, Dong Xian handed a jade slip with the technique to Qi Yuan.

"Senior Brother Qi Yuan, here is the secret method to strengthen the soul.

But Senior Brother needs to be careful. This technique cannot be practiced excessively.

During practice, it will be extremely painful, like the soul being torn apart.

If practiced too much, it can even severely damage the soul." Dong Xian warned seriously.

Qi Yuan took the jade slip and nodded: "Alright, I’ll keep that in mind."

He returned to his wooden house, and his divine sense entered the jade slip.

"The Hundred Refinements Soul Strengthening Technique?"

[This is an ordinary soul-enhancing technique with 250 flaws. After modification, the cultivation effect will be tripled, but the pain will also triple.]

This technique, true to its name, involved refining the soul into a hammer, constantly striking other souls, like forging a sword.

Naturally, striking one's own soul would be extremely painful.

Qi Yuan thought for a while, then sat on a wooden stool and began to perfect the technique.

The technique was difficult, and even with the tips his eyes provided, it took him ten days to complete the modifications.

"Finally, I can start cultivating. I hope it won’t hurt too much. I’m afraid of pain; I can’t even watch when I get a shot."

Qi Yuan began cultivating the modified "Hundred Refinements Soul Strengthening Technique." A giant hammer appeared, constantly striking his soul.

"Huh, it doesn’t hurt?" Qi Yuan was surprised.

He thought that constantly hammering his soul would be very painful.

But unexpectedly, he felt nothing, and it was rather amusing, like playing Whac-A-Mole.

His soul continued to grow stronger.

After a long time, a familiar voice suddenly entered his ears again.

"I killed the last person in this world related to me by blood. Although she attacked first… heh, I am indeed a demon girl."

Qi Yuan realized it was Ning Tao's voice.

But why did her voice sound so cold and not cute anymore?

Qi Yuan thought for a moment, and couldn't help but reply: "So what if you killed? Your character setting is an evil woman, isn't it normal for an evil woman to kill people?" After Qi Yuan finished speaking, he didn't hear any response, so he continued practicing the "Hundred Refinements Soul Increasing Technique".

In the Flowing Wind Realm.

The girl was now in her teens, with a black veil covering her face. The exposed half of her face revealed her beauty. She wore a black dress and held a scythe of death in her hand. Blood was dripping from the scythe.

She looked at the corpses on the ground, feeling utterly desolate. The ground was covered with blood and corpses everywhere.

Suddenly, a familiar voice entered her ears. Ning Tao's eyes first showed bewilderment, then surprise: "Uncle, you're here?" Unfortunately, no one answered her.

She stood there, her small figure looking somewhat lonely. "Uncle? Have you left?"

Still no response. She didn't leave, standing in place for two hours. She seemed to be waiting for something. She was alone, looking particularly lonely, yet with a bloody beauty.

Unfortunately, what she was waiting for didn't come, but enemies did.

"The evil woman is still here, kill her quickly!"

"It's the evil woman!"

A group of people rushed towards her. Ning Tao's eyes flashed a sweet smile. "Uncle, it seems you support me too. I am an evil woman, so I'll kill them all and turn the world upside down."

She raised her scythe of death, her tall figure in the sunset looking like a rose of death. The slaughter began again.

And then it ended. "Uncle, I have to go. If another wave of enemies comes, your charming little wife will die here, hehe."

She deliberately laughed "hehe".

...

"Not bad, my soul has grown quite a bit, and I'm a little closer to that game icon."

But it was still far away. Qi Yuan felt that at this rate, it would probably take three months to enter this game.

"It's too slow, so boring."

Qi Yuan walked out of the room to bask in the sun. The days of melting snow were even colder than usual.

Now on the Seven-colored Peak, the palaces and pavilions at the top were still covered in silver, while the snow below had mostly melted.

"Master, do you want to come down and bask in the sun with me?"

Qi Yuan shouted towards the peak. Unfortunately, no one responded.

"When I reach the Golden Core stage, I'll be able to go to the mountaintop to see Master. Sigh, Golden Core is too difficult."

Qi Yuan felt very helpless. Golden Core was indeed difficult. He hadn't made much progress in his Foundation Building cultivation method yet.

He was only at the early stage of Foundation Building. He needed a cultivation method to reach Golden Core before he could step into that realm. Without reaching Golden Core, the master wouldn't even bother to see him.

Naturally, he received no response when he called for his master to bask in the sun. At this time, Jiang Lingsu's slightly weak voice came:

"Senior brother, let me keep you company in the sun."

Jiang Lingsu walked out of the room. Her complexion wasn't very good, pale and bloodless, seeming to have some frost on it, as if she had just walked out of a freezer.

"Junior sister, what's wrong with you?" Qi Yuan looked at Jiang Lingsu and reached out his hand.

Jiang Lingsu hesitated for a moment, then placed her delicate hand in Qi Yuan's. Cold, very cold. Qi Yuan felt as if he was touching an ice cube.

"It's nothing, just an old problem," Jiang Lingsu lay down on the lounge chair next to Qi Yuan. She didn't withdraw her hand, feeling that senior brother's hand was very warm. Qi Yuan's eyes fell on Jiang Lingsu's pale face.

[This is an ordinary girl, she's feeling cold right now.]

The prompts from the eyes about intelligent beings were often random, and Qi Yuan couldn't tell much about his junior sister's condition.

"Junior sister, are you cold? Let me warm you up with my passion."

As Qi Yuan spoke, he circulated his Five Elements Fire and slowly transferred it to Jiang Lingsu. Jiang Lingsu was a rich girl, and also Qi Yuan's junior sister. Last time she even took such a big blame for Qi Yuan. Naturally, he should be considerate to his own junior sister.

Warm energy spread from senior brother's hand. Jiang Lingsu felt warm and was a bit surprised. She didn't expect senior brother could alleviate her pain.

She said, "This condition of mine needs a Water Attribute Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator at the Purple Palace realm to cure completely. It doesn't hurt much now, thank you, senior brother."

"It actually requires a Purple Palace realm cultivator?" Qi Yuan was surprised, "When I cultivate to the Yang Shen realm, I'll definitely catch a Purple Palace realm cultivator to treat your injury."

"Pfft... ow..." Jiang Lingsu's face involuntarily smiled, then showed a painful expression, "Senior brother, don't talk anymore, you're too funny. My chest hurts when I laugh."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan felt very wronged. He was being sincere, but ended up being treated as a comedian.

"How about I help you massage it from a distance?" Thinking of how he had been too abrupt with his junior sister last time, Qi Yuan felt his words were very emotionally intelligent this time. The words "from a distance" both avoided being too forward and showed a gentleman's demeanor.

"Just shut up!" Jiang Lingsu really wanted to sew senior brother's mouth shut with a needle.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan didn't say anything. He didn't want to argue with a sick person. At the same time, he was reflecting on what he had said wrong to displease his junior sister. Could it be that although "from a distance" showed decorum, it seemed insincere?

"Senior brother, thank you," Jiang Lingsu said softly.

"It's nothing," Qi Yuan said.

"Don't speak."

"..."

"I'll tell you some good news. I helped you apply to join the Divine Flower Association, and it has been approved."

"..." Qi Yuan nodded, somewhat delighted.

"This is the proof of membership for the Divine Flower Association." Jiang Lingsu took out a special jade slip from her bosom with her left hand and said, "This jade slip is specially made and worth ten thousand spirit stones."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan was immediately surprised. This alone is worth ten thousand spirit stones? That's equivalent to a Golden Core-level magical treasure. This junior sister is really too rich! No wonder ordinary people can't join the Divine Flower Association, they can't even afford this proof of membership. Unfortunately, he couldn't speak now. He really wanted to throw out the "little wife" sign to express his respect for the rich girl.

"It's yours now. From now on, you're a member of the Divine Flower Association," Jiang Lingsu gave the jade slip to Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan took the jade slip and heard Jiang Lingsu say: "Separate a strand of your soul and enter it, and the jade slip will recognize you as its master. The functions of this jade slip are not as simple as just being proof of membership. Except for some special places, members of our Divine Flower Association can communicate through this jade slip no matter where they are."

He followed Jiang Lingsu's instructions and separated a strand of his soul to enter it. Instantly, the jade slip recognized him as its master.

A flood of information poured into his mind. Qi Yuan's face showed a look of surprise.

Isn't this just like QQ plus a forum? He found that this jade slip was like a mobile phone, with many modules. One of the modules was like QQ, similar to ordinary communication jade slips but an enhanced version with more functions. Moreover, there was a place for Divine Flower Association members to communicate, just like a forum. Qi Yuan was somewhat surprised.

Indeed, even though cultivators hadn't activated the technology tree, many things were the same. Jiang Lingsu's eyes showed a smug smile: "Senior brother, is this your first time seeing such a high-level jade slip? What do you think?"

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