My Core is the Boss

While Qi Yuan was conversing with Black Deer, nearly four hundred peak Martial Kings had gathered beneath the Sky-Supporting Tower. They stood quietly together, divided into different factions.

Due to how important the Ancestral Blood Battle was, nobody dared to speak loudly or act out of line. Though they appeared calm on the surface, excitement surged within them. Their gazes reflected varying emotions, though many burned with ambition and aspiration.

Just then, a serpent-like creature said in a mechanical voice, "The Chief Examiners have arrived. Pay respects to the Chief Examiners!"

Following its voice, thirty-six thick beams of light descended from atop the tower. Each beam represented a powerful Martial Lord. They sat high atop the tower, with only a trace of their aura manifesting as projections.

The nearly four hundred peak Martial Kings bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Chief Examiners!"

None of them dared look directly at the examiners. They kept their heads lowered, careful and respectful. Well, even if someone had the courage to look up, all they could perceive was the Martial Lords’ auras. Even their projections appeared only briefly, like gods seated above the clouds.

The serpent-like creature said, "Pay respects to the ancestor!"

All the officials solemnly faced south, bowing respectfully.

After the ceremony ended, the serpent-like creature announced, "The Ancestral Blood Battle begins!"

The iron gate beneath the tower slowly opened.

All the peak Martial Kings grew excited.

"This time, I will definitely enter the top ten!"

"The top thirty will certainly include my name!"

"One day, I too shall ascend the throne and become a supreme Martial Lord!"

Some thought of the Martial Lords atop the tower with yearning.

Just then, a black-clothed man stepped in front of Mu Yan, full of confidence and dominance. "I’ll definitely surpass you this time, Mu Yan!"

Mu Yan smiled casually. "My goal has never been to surpass you."

The black-clothed man paused. "You sound just like Qi Yuan. Back in the Mountain-Sea Scroll, he said the same thing to me. He stood above others, treating everyone around him like air. As if that wasn’t enough, he took away the mission objective and did whatever he pleased.

"And where did that get him? Without a Martial Lord Seal, he can only hide in the shadows and doesn't even dare show his face. Since you've said something similar, it seems you'll meet the same fate."

Unlike the other bloodline inheritors, who were content to sit back while Qi Yuan handled the mission, he was dissatisfied. He wanted to challenge Qi Yuan. He wanted to prove that he could complete the mission himself and become a goal Qi Yuan could never surpass. The result had been miserable.

"My goal has never been to surpass you," said Qi Yuan before effortlessly defeating him.

Mu Yan sneered. "If Brother Qi possessed Ancestral Blood, you wouldn't even be qualified to carry his shoes."

Inwardly, however, he felt regret for Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan was the most talented martial artist he had ever seen. One could say that even if all the dozens of Martial Kings aboard the ship joined forces, they probably wouldn't be Qi Yuan's match. But alas, he lacked Ancestral Blood.

The black-clothed man said arrogantly, "Have you learned nothing in the Mountain-Sea Scroll? Background is also a form of strength."

Mu Yan argued no further.

***

Atop of the tower, screen-like objects appeared, displaying the appearances and conversations of all the peak Martial Kings below.

The Black Deer smiled. "Do any of you have promising candidates in mind?"

One Martial Lord said, "That Li Fan seems unremarkable at first glance, and even his name means ordinary. But upon closer inspection, he has extraordinary bearing. He has the potential to become a Great Martial Lord!"

Another Martial Lord said, "I think Zhuge Yu is quite good. He looks intelligent. Besides talent and bloodline, wisdom is also important when one is to embark on the martial path."

The Martial Lords commented casually. To them, the juniors below had no secrets whatsoever. A single glance was enough to see through everything.

Black Deer turned toward Qi Yuan, casually asking, "Brother Qi, is there anyone who catches your eye?"

Qi Yuan replied nonchalantly, "If I had to choose, that fellow named Mu Yan is pretty good. But don't give him special treatment just because I mentioned him. I'm only bringing him up because I know him fairly well."

He had always followed rules and valued fairness. Hence, even though he mentioned Mu Yan due to personal feelings, he still added that no favoritism should be shown. Qi Yuan felt that he was truly a meticulous man of impeccable character.

Black Deer glanced at Mu Yan. "Oh? Him? He is indeed handsome and carries himself with dignity."

The Martial Lords below also glanced at Mu Yan. Among them, a burly Martial Lord showed a trace of confusion. Mu Yan was his bloodline descendant. How does Lord Qi Yuan know him? And they are familiar with one another? Hmm?

Suddenly, he remembered a request Mu Yan had made before. A thunderbolt seemed to flash through his mind. Wait... no, that can't be right? There’s no Ancestral Blood In the Mountain-Sea Scroll. One cannot become a Martial Lord there.

Furthermore, we Martial Lords cannot leave the Origin Land at all. It has to be a coincidence! Uh-huh. They probably have the same name, or maybe the Qi Yuan he mentioned has some connection to this lord.

That Martial Lord thought this through. At the same time, he resolved to invest more in Mu Yan and use him to build a rapport with Qi Yuan.

"If there's someone I think highly of, naturally there's also someone I don't." Then, Qi Yuan pointed at someone. "See that black-robed fellow over there? I'm not very optimistic about him."

He analyzed seriously, sounding just like a scholar, "Look at how long his legs are. When he walks, his butt sways back and forth. It is very obvious that his butt is afraid of heights. That says a lot about his character. If his butt fears heights, the rest of him probably does too. The trial grounds are a tower. The higher you go, the taller it gets. Since he's so afraid of heights, he'll definitely perform poorly."

The Martial Lords were too stunned to speak. Though they couldn't make head or tail of Qi Yuan's words, they felt that if he had said them, there had to be a reason.

Black Deer smiled gently. "Your analysis is quite reasonable, Mr. Qi."

Although Qi Yuan was a newcomer, he was an expert of immense power. They had to give him face. Since he wasn't optimistic about someone and had even provided a reason—well, albeit a ridiculous one—they had to take it seriously.

Qi Yuan shrugged. "Naturally. I've always been a very reasonable person. I never make baseless statements. Everything I do is grounded in practical evidence."

Black Deer smiled politely. "Haha."

No one mourned for the black-robed man. After being singled out by Qi Yuan, his future would certainly be miserable.

Qi Yuan then asked, "Is the Ancestral Blood related to the Myriad Demon World?"

The native demon ancestor of the Myriad Demon World had vanished. If he had to guess, they probably came to this world.

Black Deer's expression changed slightly. "To possess such knowledge, it seems you've lived an extraordinarily long time as well, Mr. Qi. In fact, Dong Jun's dao companion was one. Or rather, she was the lord of the demon ancestors. However, all the demon ancestors perished in the catastrophe. In a sense, we can be considered their descendants. They are the source of our bloodlines."

"I see."

Afterward, the Martial Lords either watched the battles unfolding, chatted idly, or closed their eyes to rest. If not for Qi Yuan's arrival, they wouldn't even have come in person as Chief Examiners. They would have sent a clone to handle things perfunctorily.

Qi Yuan remarked lazily, "Haa... They're progressing too slowly. When will the Wall of Dong Jun appear? I want to meet the legend himself."

He was only interested in Dong Jun and the Spirit Martial God.

Black Deer said casually, "Brother Qi, if you are bored, you could simply enter seclusion. By the time you open your eyes, the competition will likely be over."

For Martial Lords like them, entering seclusion for thousands of years was perfectly normal. Of course, because of the Dawn Chime and Dong Jun's missions, they rarely truly secluded themselves for that long.

"No way, I'd rather browse the internet."

After saying that, Qi Yuan closed his eyes. Though the Origin Land had no internet access, he still had his Nascent Souls. They could browse the internet on his behalf and inform him.

***

At the Land of Death, Qin Yuan.

Wu Qi, who had originally been preparing to explore the ruins, suddenly stopped. "Fellow Daoists, my apologies. Something has come up. I won't be joining this expedition."

She teleported inside a hotel. Taking out a computer, she posted a thread online.

Seeking Advice: How Do I Build an Underworld Palace?