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

Chapter 201: Is the Ancestral Land Dangerous? That’s It?

The group of ancient gods continued their secret discussions, speculating about the situation. It wasn’t surprising they were so cautious—they were trying to predict Qi Yuan’s actions using normal reasoning. Qi Yuan had pointed out potential dangers among them, which was difficult for them to understand. But regardless of his reasons, running away seemed like the safest choice. After all, anyone willing to defect to the evil gods was naturally quite concerned with self-preservation.

“Don’t tell Yanxi Ancient God about this; he might have already betrayed us. The information might have leaked because of him!”

The group communicated via divine transmission, pretending nothing was wrong on the surface.

“Old Snake, let's team up when we enter the ancestral land. We can watch each other's backs,” the burly man suggested to the distracted Old Snake.

Old Snake, lost in thought, nodded absentmindedly. “Sure.”

“I have an artifact that allows us to combine our powers for both offense and defense. Do you want to use it together?” the burly man asked.

Old Snake’s face suddenly darkened. “No need!”

Such an artifact would indeed enhance their combat abilities, but it would also bind him to the burly man, limiting his movements. It was a trap!

Old Snake's hesitation vanished, leaving only one thought—escape as soon as they entered the ancestral land.

The other defectors also reached the same conclusion after witnessing this exchange. Meanwhile, the burly man was left confused, unaware of why Old Snake reacted so strongly.

The elder twin sister, however, looked thoughtful as she observed the situation.

"Let's head into the ancestral land and see what's inside," Qi Yuan said eagerly.

The sky turned from gray to white, and a transparent barrier appeared before them.

"This looks like an energy shield—interesting," Qi Yuan mused as he examined the barrier rising over the ancestral land. The barrier gave off a sci-fi vibe, unlike the more traditional formations he was used to in cultivation worlds.

The group quickly moved through the barrier and into the ancestral land. As they entered, several powerful auras erupted.

Old Snake immediately unleashed his divine power and bolted. Yanxi Ancient God’s three Purple Mansion-level followers suddenly revealed themselves as True Gods, their divine apertures burning as they fled with incredible speed. The other defectors Qi Yuan had pointed out also fled at breakneck speed, their movements hundreds of times faster than the speed of sound.

"What just happened?" the burly man wondered, then quickly followed the fleeing gods without hesitation.

The remaining ancient gods were left standing there, bewildered.

Qi Yuan, watching the fleeing gods, couldn’t help but remark, "Is there a reward for getting first place in the running race here?"

The younger twin sister snapped out of her confusion. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Why is that burly guy running with them?" Qi Yuan could guess why the others were fleeing, but not why the burly man had joined them.

The other ancient gods were equally puzzled. Finally, Yanxi Ancient God turned to Qi Yuan, his expression respectful. "Senior, were you sent here by a Great Venerable?"

This question only deepened the confusion among the others.

Qi Yuan, puzzled, replied, "What Great Venerable?"

Yanxi, still uncertain, explained, "I thought a Great Venerable might have discovered that the Proud World Great Venerable was plotting against the ancestral land, and thus sent you to thwart the plan. Besides the Fortune Venerable, all the other gods, including Old Snake, had already defected to the evil gods."

Yanxi's words shocked the other ancient gods.

"What? They defected to the Proud World Great Venerable!"

"The Proud World Great Venerable is even planning to seize the last entrance—could it be..."

"Indeed, when this senior pointed them out, I knew something was off."

The group began to murmur among themselves as Yanxi continued revealing more details. He explained that the Proud World Great Venerable had captured his family, forcing him to bring three True Gods disguised as followers into the ancestral land. The other defectors had been secretly working for the Proud World Great Venerable, and their mission was twofold: to assassinate the remaining ancient gods and seize control of the last entrance to the ancestral land.

The ancient gods were alarmed by this revelation.

"Thank goodness this senior pointed them out," one of the gods said, realizing how close they had come to disaster.

Another ancient god bowed deeply to Qi Yuan. "Senior, you have saved our lives. We are deeply grateful. If you have any requests, please let us know."

The other gods quickly followed suit, expressing their gratitude and offering to repay Qi Yuan's kindness.

"Can I really ask for anything?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Please, feel free to ask!" the gods urged him.

Usually, such a favor would be repaid with a precious treasure or kept as a favor for the future.

"Your powers are impressive. How about becoming citizens of Qing Shui Village?" Qi Yuan suggested earnestly.

These gods were all True Gods, and their addition would significantly boost the village's power.

The gods were taken aback by the suggestion.

"Senior... surely you're joking?"

As ancient gods, they could have superiors but not "fathers." The relationship between a protector deity and their citizens was akin to that of a parent and child. Thus, when the Venerable Qiong Hua had agreed to become Qi Yuan's citizen, it had shocked everyone. Qi Yuan’s current proposal was equally surprising, to say the least.

"I never joke. A joke requires both parties to accept it as such; otherwise, it's just an insult. I am sincerely inviting you," Qi Yuan replied seriously.

The usually talkative younger twin sister was left speechless. Inviting True Gods to become citizens—if this wasn't a joke, it was an insult!

"Is this guy mentally unwell?"

"He's acting strangely."

"Bringing so many people and telling fortunes... It does seem odd..."

The gods exchanged mental transmissions, expressing their doubts.

The elder twin sister finally spoke up. "I'm afraid we can't fulfill this request, Senior. However, since you brought ten followers with you, the ancestral land is extremely dangerous. Perhaps we can protect them for you, as a token of our gratitude."

She hoped to repay the favor by offering to protect Qi Yuan's followers.

Qi Yuan waved off the offer. "My followers are safer with me. If you don't want to join Qing Shui Village, then let's not waste each other's time."

He didn't seem to mind at all.

The other gods, seeing his reaction, didn't press the matter. However, they couldn't help but be intrigued by Qi Yuan. Some suspected he might be unhinged.

With the matter settled, Qi Yuan turned his attention to the ancestral land.

The ground beneath his feet wasn't soil but various types of metal, likely alloys. Qi Yuan recognized some of the materials, which would be valuable to lower-level cultivators but not to True Gods. The landscape was littered with metal debris and broken constructs. A massive metal foot rose into the sky, its eighteen toes adorned with brightly colored toenail polish, featuring strange animal patterns that Qi Yuan had never seen before.

The younger twin sister pointed to the massive foot. "According to legend, our ancestors of the Gu Clan came from beyond the stars. The entire ancestral land is actually a fragmented artifact. The Gu Clan used this artifact to reach the Mortal Heart Realm. When the artifact landed, it shattered, creating the ancestral land. Many treasures were scattered across it."

Hearing about the treasures, the True Gods became interested. The ancestral land was known for its strange and powerful relics, making it worth the risks.

Old Snake had once found a rare elixir in the ancestral land, which allowed him to open two more divine apertures after consuming it. Some treasures could increase the amount of divine energy one could store, enhancing a cultivator's foundation and strength. Despite the dangers, these rewards drew many gods to the ancestral land.

"There are indeed many treasures here, but the risks are great as well. One careless step, and you could lose your life," the elder twin sister warned. "The ancestral land is home to various types of 'Puppet Gods.' They have no fixed form and can appear as a drop of liquid, a stone, or even a cloud of mist. They are extremely powerful, with the weakest being First Step True Gods and the strongest reaching the level of Great Venerables. If you accidentally enter their territory, you could easily perish. These Puppet Gods are constantly moving and sleeping throughout the ancestral land, so past experiences are useless. Any place could harbor a sleeping Puppet God. For example, the giant metal foot ahead likely houses a Puppet God. Disturbing it could awaken the god."

The mention of Puppet Gods made the other True Gods tense.

"Where can I find these treasures?" Qi Yuan asked.

The younger twin sister explained, "The deeper you go, the more and better treasures you'll find, but the dangers also increase. The ancestral land is divided into seven layers. First Step True Gods usually stay on the first layer, while Second Step True Gods venture into the first two layers, and so on. In the first layer, a First Step True God has a fifty-fifty chance of survival. In the second layer, that chance decreases significantly. Don't you have a map?"

"I don't have a map," Qi Yuan admitted.

"Here, take this," the younger twin sister said, tossing him a parchment map.

Qi Yuan glanced at the map and memorized it. "The division is rather basic. So, I just keep moving forward until I reach the deepest part, which is the seventh layer?"

The map didn’t seem particularly useful to him. His ultimate goal was the seventh layer, where the Proud World Great Venerable had obtained his godhood opportunity. Of course, he wouldn't pass up any treasures he encountered along the way to strengthen his followers.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"In that case, I’ll take my leave. Good luck to you all," Qi Yuan said, then started moving forward.

He glanced at a distant tower. "There's something good in that tower. Let's go!"

The elder twin sister quickly called out, "Be careful! That tower is known to house a powerful Puppet God! Several ancient gods have perished there."

The other gods also tried to dissuade him.

The ancestral land was filled with many such towering structures, which were notorious for their treasures but also for the dangers they held. Some towers were guarded by Great Venerable-level Puppet Gods, so no ancient gods dared to enter them.

"It's fine. My left eyebrow keeps twitching, which means the treasures inside are calling to me!" Qi Yuan declared confidently as he led his followers into the tower.

The remaining gods exchanged worried glances.

The elder twin sister spoke up. "We can't just leave him. He saved us—let's go after him!"

The gods followed but arrived too late. Qi Yuan and his group had already entered the tower. The gods outside looked grim.

"He’s already inside. What should we do?"

"They're doomed. If the Puppet God inside wakes up, they'll be in serious trouble!"

The gods hesitated to enter the tower themselves. Even the slightest disturbance could awaken a Puppet God, so they could only wait outside, hoping Qi Yuan’s group had somehow avoided disturbing the ancient guardian.

Meanwhile, inside the tower, Qi Yuan was filled with curiosity as he examined the strange items around him.

He stood on a surface resembling marble but made of some unknown alloy, staring at the oddities within the tower.

[Hart Titanium Bowl: A strange drinking vessel that turns water into wine.]

[Puppet God: Second Step True God, currently dormant. If the tower's alarm is triggered, it will awaken.]

[Universal Pill Furnace: A unique pill furnace.]

[Golden Silk: A discarded piece of lingerie.]

Qi Yuan's eyes scanned the surroundings, reading the hidden information that revealed the tower’s secrets.

Qi Yuan also noticed the dormant Puppet Gods in the tower. They came in various forms: one looked like a speck of dust, another like a six-legged metallic beetle, and yet another resembled a brick.

"Just at a glance, I can see fifty-seven Puppet Gods. No wonder the tower is considered so dangerous."

Qi Yuan's ability to see hidden things made everything in the tower clear to him.

"So, as long as I don't trigger the tower's alarm, these Puppet Gods won't wake up?" Qi Yuan pondered aloud.

According to the other ancient gods, any action could potentially awaken a Puppet God, even if one transformed into a wisp of wind.

"Time to put my twitching eyebrows to work!" Qi Yuan thought, eager to test his theory.

His twitching eyebrows could predict danger and fortune. By mentally charting a path through the tower and using his eyebrow’s reactions as a guide, he could figure out the safe route without triggering any alarms.

As he experimented, testing possible routes in his mind, his right eyebrow twitched.

This path is dangerous!

He tried another route, and again, his right eyebrow twitched.

He kept testing until, after several attempts, his eyes lit up. He had found the safe first step.

Next to him, Zhu Zhuangshi, puzzled, asked, "Lord Qi Yuan, is something wrong with your eyebrow? It's twitching like crazy!"

Village Chief Yuli, Priest Shentu, and the other villagers looked at Qi Yuan with surprise. His eyebrow was twitching so rapidly that it seemed unnatural.

"I told you, my eyebrow can tell fortunes," Qi Yuan said with a grin. He had just figured out the first safe step.

The villagers, hearing this, steeled themselves.

Lord Qi Yuan was known for his peculiar methods, and this was no different. After all, he was the one risking his life first, so they had nothing to fear.

"Follow me—left hand, right hand, one step at a time," Qi Yuan instructed as he led them forward in an odd dance-like manner.

The others imitated his strange movements exactly, even using magic to match his body shape and attire.

The group moved in unison, like a coordinated dance troupe, until Qi Yuan halted at a safe spot he had identified. He resumed his mental calculations, figuring out the next safe step.

The villagers whispered among themselves.

"Look, his eyebrow is twitching like crazy again!"

"Is he really telling fortunes?"

"Or maybe he's just really tired?"

"If I said I find this kind of funny, would you hit me?"

"We must treat the Lord with respect. We're professionals, loyal followers—no laughing at the Lord."

"Unless... he's just too funny."

Amidst their mutterings, Qi Yuan opened his eyes again.

"Follow me, same move as before," Qi Yuan said, leading them deeper into the tower.

In just a few dozen breaths, he guided them to the top floor, his path weaving through the tower’s dangerous interior like a skilled dancer.

There, a musty fragrance filled the air, lingering as if from ancient times.

The villagers' eyes widened as they saw the liquid bubbling with immortal energy.

"Linmu Immortal Liquid!" Village Chief Yuli exclaimed, his eyes glowing with fervor.

"This is incredible! Just a small sip can increase the speed of divine aperture formation fivefold, and there’s so much here!"

"How many thousands of catties are there?"

The villagers were on the verge of losing their composure. This was immortal liquid, a treasure even True Gods coveted.

"Is this stuff drinkable?" Qi Yuan asked, eyeing the Linmu Immortal Liquid with suspicion.

[Linmu Immortal Liquid: A special bathwater mixed with a cleansing agent created by the Water Treasure Clan.]