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

Chapter 190: Since We’re Already Here

When Qi Yuan said this, Ye Liuyun’s expression momentarily changed, but he quickly composed himself.

"Your Excellency must be joking; I am not of the dragon race," Ye Liuyun replied calmly, though curiosity and a hint of apprehension brewed within him. He had used a precious item to conceal his true aura, so how did the other party see through it?

"No five claws, not a Qinglong nor a Zhulong, indeed not a true dragon, just a half-dragon at best," Qi Yuan commented nonchalantly.

Moments earlier, Qi Yuan’s eyes had revealed Ye Liuyun’s information, confirming his dragon lineage, which prompted his statement.

Hearing this, Ye Liuyun suppressed his initial disdain and felt a surge of complex emotions. He considered himself a pureblood dragon with a rich lineage—if he wasn’t a true dragon, then who was? As for those other types like five-clawed dragons, Zhulong, and Qinglong, he hadn’t even heard of them, likely just some mongrel dragons. Although these thoughts brewed in his mind, he kept them to himself, not wanting to reveal too much.

He observed Qi Yuan closely. "And you are?"

"Guardian deity of Qingshui Village, Origin Celestial Lord," Qi Yuan responded truthfully.

Ye Liuyun and his attendants exchanged puzzled glances.

To Ye Liuyun, Qi Yuan’s power did match that of a village-level guardian deity. However, the fact that Qi Yuan had six true gods serving him like servants, holding umbrellas and offering fruit, was utterly bewildering. Even though Ye Liuyun had a prestigious status within his clan and was respected by elders stronger than him, he couldn’t imagine making them serve him in such a manner. If he ever dared ask his elders to feed him fruit, they’d probably break his legs—not out of a lack of affection, but simply because it was beneath them.

"You must be here for the Hundred Flowers Festival?" Ye Liuyun inquired.

"Yes," Qi Yuan nodded.

"Why don’t we travel together?" Ye Liuyun suggested, intrigued by Qi Yuan.

"Sure," Qi Yuan agreed without hesitation.

The group then set off together toward the North Sea’s Divine Eye.

As they journeyed, Ye Liuyun began to explain, "The dragon that terrorized this area was not particularly strong, but its talent was exceptional. It was considered the hope of the North Sea Dragon Clan. However, it was slain by the third Miss of the Phoenix Clan, and since then, the dragon clan has held a grudge against the phoenix clan."

Ye Liuyun glanced at Qi Qi and added, "Miss, when you enter the North Sea’s Divine Eye, it might be wise to conceal your aura. If the dragon clan senses it, it could lead to trouble."

"Thank you for the warning," Qi Qi replied.

Standing nearby, Wang Wenqi cast a spell to conceal Qi Qi’s phoenix aura. Of course, if a true god were to approach closely, they might still sense it, unless she used a treasure like the one Ye Liuyun had used.

Qi Yuan watched this unfold but made no move to intervene.

"Have you prepared for your trip to the North Sea’s Divine Eye?" Ye Liuyun asked.

"I’m always preparing," Qi Yuan answered, thinking of his ongoing readiness to kill evil gods. Unfortunately, he hadn’t encountered any on this journey so far.

"It seems you have great ambitions, and I’m sure you’ll make your mark at this Hundred Flowers Festival," Ye Liuyun remarked, still trying to discern Qi Yuan’s background.

"Are there many treasures at the Hundred Flowers Festival?" Qi Yuan asked.

Shenlei Grand Venerable was not from the Northern Lands and didn’t know much about the festival, and the newly ascended true gods in his service had no experience with it either.

"Legend has it that at the last Hundred Flowers Festival, a prodigy walked away with seven treasures, each capable of elevating someone to true god status," Ye Liuyun said, his tone tinged with envy.

Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up. "That many? How do you win them?"

These treasures were precisely what he lacked most. With enough of them, he could create an endless number of true gods, greatly expanding his influence.

"Well, it’s not easy," Ye Liuyun cautioned. "In the North Sea’s Divine Eye, a Grand Venerable named Qionghua is in a deep slumber. She is undisputedly the first among the North Sea Water Tribe. The original purpose of the Hundred Flowers Festival was to make the flowers bloom and awaken Grand Venerable Qionghua."

Ye Liuyun continued, growing more certain that Qi Yuan was either from outside the area or someone without a strong backing, given his lack of knowledge on these matters.

"To make the flowers bloom, just add some fertilizer, right? If that doesn’t work, get a dwarf to kiss her awake," Qi Yuan mused, his imagination running wild.

Ye Liuyun struggled to maintain his composure.

Qi Qi, sensing the awkwardness, explained, "My godfather speaks like this all the time, please bear with him."

Hearing Qi Qi address Qi Yuan as "godfather" only made Ye Liuyun’s composure falter further. This man had taken someone with phoenix blood as his goddaughter! That was quite the audacious move! If the Third Miss of the Phoenix Clan were still around, wouldn’t she have cut him down with a single strike?

Pushing his thoughts aside, Ye Liuyun resumed his explanation. "The true gods who gather at the North Sea’s Divine Eye each attempt to visualize a god related to Qionghua. The more memories of Qionghua they can awaken with their visualization methods, the more flowers will bloom in the Hundred Flowers Garden, and the greater the rewards they’ll receive."

"What if I’ve never met Qionghua and can’t visualize a god related to her?" Qi Yuan asked honestly.

He didn’t know Qionghua and had no way of visualizing a god connected to her, making it difficult to awaken her.

"That doesn’t matter," Ye Liuyun reassured him. "Even if you haven’t seen Qionghua, the gods you visualize might have. As long as they can describe her, there’s a chance they’ll help awaken her."

"That’s interesting," Qi Yuan thought the concept was intriguing. It seemed like the idea was to reconstruct Qionghua from the memories of other gods and wake her up. But would the awakened Qionghua still be the same?

"Unfortunately, I’ve never met her, nor can I visualize a god related to her," Qi Yuan admitted, feeling a bit down. Did this mean the treasures from Qionghua were out of his reach?

"But since I’m already here, I might as well take a look," Qi Yuan decided, adhering to the fine tradition of making the most out of any situation. After all, he was here already, so why not?

After about half an hour, Qi Yuan and Ye Liuyun arrived at the North Sea’s Divine Eye. A grand palace stood there, filled with powerful beings, most of whom were true gods. The gathering was lively, with true gods mingling and conversing.

Qi Yuan glanced around, his interest waning. They were all ancient gods, not evil gods—not very exciting.

His arrival, however, attracted considerable attention. While most true gods arrived with only a child servant or maid, Qi Yuan showed up with a security detail of more than twenty people, including six true gods, making him particularly conspicuous.

"Who is he?"

"Never heard of him."

"Quite the entourage!"

"Four true gods acting as servants—he must be the son of a Grand Venerable!"

The ancient gods whispered among themselves, some envious, others dismissive of what they saw as ostentatious behavior.

Qi Yuan and Ye Liuyun found seats in the palace, waiting for everyone to arrive before the North Sea’s Divine Eye would open.

"Hmm, I want to eat those. Go get them for me," Qi Yuan said, feeling hungry after the journey, and ordered the Four Heavenly Kings to fetch the food.

The Four Heavenly Kings, already stunning in appearance, had grown even more beautiful after becoming true gods, making them the center of attention in the hall.

The other true gods, who relied on their talents to ascend, found it strange to see such beautiful servants. For them, ascending to godhood was a matter of talent; for these four, it seemed to be about looks.

At Qi Yuan’s command, the Four Heavenly Kings didn’t hesitate. They moved gracefully to gather the food Qi Yuan had requested.

Watching the four fairy-like figures clearing the table was indeed an unusual sight.

Ye Liuyun couldn’t help but laugh. "Qi Yuan, you’re quite the character."

During their journey, he had learned Qi Yuan’s name.

"If I can’t make the flowers bloom and win the treasures, at least I won’t have come in vain. I might as well eat well," Qi Yuan explained reasonably.

The Four Heavenly Kings brought over the food, and Qi Yuan turned to the Eighteen Arhats.

"You all eat too."

Just then, an elderly voice interrupted.

"Are you the Origin Heavenly God of Qingshui Village?" A yellow-robed old man approached, his aura unmistakably that of a Second Step true god, one of the most powerful in the hall.

As he appeared, the six true gods serving Qi Yuan looked at him with apprehension.

"Yes. Are you here to share a meal?" Qi Yuan asked casually, glancing at the old man.

"I am the Dusk Venerable from the Ancient God Alliance. Recently, someone in the alliance offended you, and I’ve come to apologize," the Dusk Venerable said sincerely.

For a Second Step true god to lower himself like this before someone who wasn’t even a true god was surprising to the other gods present.

"The one who offended me has been dealt with, so we can consider the matter closed. I was half-expecting you to come looking for trouble, but instead, you’re here to apologize. I must say, I’m not quite used to it," Qi Yuan replied casually.

"We are all ancient gods, and we should support each other, not engage in mutual slaughter," the Dusk Venerable said, casting a glance at the gods around Qi Yuan before sending a message via divine sense. "Are all these gods around you recently visualized through new methods?"

The Dusk Venerable had heard about Qi Yuan and knew he had recently visualized several powerful gods. After hearing about how Qingshui Village survived a crisis, he concluded it was likely due to Qi Yuan visualizing another powerful god who became a true god to overcome the threat.

The Dusk Venerable was well aware of Qingshui Village’s previous strength. Now, seeing so many true gods here, the explanation seemed obvious: new visualization methods. He quickly connected this to the recent event at the Visualization Mountain, where twenty-one legendary methods were revealed.

Given the timing, he boldly guessed that the legendary figure was none other than the village guardian, Origin Celestial Lord. Such a figure was worth befriending, not offending!

The Dusk Venerable’s amiable approach led the other true gods to mistake Qi Yuan for the son of a Grand Venerable. Otherwise, why would a Second Step true god go out of his way to befriend him?

"Yes, I visualized them," Qi Yuan answered the Dusk Venerable’s query truthfully.

Hearing this, the Dusk Venerable became even more excited.

"Would you be willing to sell some of these methods? I’d offer a high price," he offered, his desire evident.

Visualization methods were valuable not only for followers but also for true gods. For a Second Step true god like the Dusk Venerable, advancing further was incredibly difficult. However, a powerful visualization method might offer a breakthrough—provided the visualized god’s path closely aligned with his own.

Qi Yuan shook his head. "I don’t sell visualization methods. They’re only for my followers. But if you come to Qingshui Village, I might grant you one."

The Dusk Venerable felt a pang of disappointment. He had hoped to use these methods to find a breakthrough or at least empower his followers. His path involved controlling water, a popular but challenging path to find suitable methods for. Without the potential for personal growth, he wasn’t willing to become a follower of Qi Yuan.

"Well, I hope we can collaborate in the future," the Dusk Venerable said, maintaining his enthusiasm. With Qi Yuan’s vast potential, he was certainly someone worth knowing.

Just then, a woman’s voice announced, "Now that everyone is here, please follow me into the North Sea’s Divine Eye."

A regal woman appeared, nodding at the gods gathered before her.

Qi Yuan, having just finished a grape, joined the other true gods as they proceeded into the North Sea’s Divine Eye.

The Divine Eye resembled a giant vortex, sinking into the ground, radiating powerful spatial waves. The vortex wasn’t filled with water but seemed to contain space itself.

The woman holding a command token scanned each true god. After confirming there were no disguised new gods and that the invitations were in order, she allowed them all to enter.

In an instant, the scene before Qi Yuan transformed. They now stood in what resembled an underwater palace. Budding flowers surrounded them, with lush greenery and vibrant plants filling the space. Various sea creatures like crabs, squid, and shellfish swam through the water.

"Is there a golden cudgel here?" Qi Yuan suddenly blurted out, a thought crossing his mind.

The nearby gods looked at him, puzzled. They had never heard of such an item.

"What is that?" Ye Liuyun asked.

"It’s a weapon wielded by a monkey, quite powerful, and it can calm the seas," Qi Yuan shrugged. According to the tale of Journey to the West, the golden cudgel was just a magical staff. However, in Qi Yuan’s memory, it was a great treasure. What man wouldn’t want a golden cudgel that could shrink or grow at will? With it, he could subdue demons and make all creatures obey him.

Unfortunately, Qi Yuan lacked the divine energy to visualize the Monkey King and lacked the necessary treasures to break through to true godhood. Otherwise, bringing Sun Wukong to life would be a lot of fun.

The noblewoman’s voice interrupted his thoughts. She spoke with a hopeful tone, "The Hundred Flowers Festival has begun. I invite you all... to awaken a sea of flowers!"

At previous festivals, two-thirds of the sea of flowers had bloomed. But a third remained unopened. If all the flowers bloomed, Grand Venerable Qionghua would awaken, providing the North Sea Water Tribe with a pillar of strength, and they would no longer fear the dragon clan’s encroachments.

The gathered gods gazed at the budding flowers, deep in thought, eager to try their luck. After all, the treasures hidden within the North Sea’s Divine Eye were valuable. Just one could elevate a follower to true godhood. Having a true god among one’s followers was a crucial advantage in such turbulent times.

At that moment, Ye Liuyun spoke up, "Brother Qi, I’ll give it a try."

He was eager, having clearly longed for the Hundred Flowers Festival’s rewards.