The Sect of Asking the Way has many businesses, providing all kinds of entertainment. Cultivating isn’t just about isolating oneself in a closed-off space; it can’t be boring training that makes one a true immortal. There are plenty of recreational activities available.
For example, there’s the hot pot from Sichuan mentioned earlier, and then there’s the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion where the three of them are headed.
Lu Yang heard that the Sect of Asking the Way wasn’t always like this. In the past, cultivation was taken seriously, and they didn’t involve themselves in trivial matters that could distract from the pursuit of immortality.
However, after the old sect master and the previous elders retired, the new sect master and eight elders took over, and the sect underwent a complete transformation. They encouraged everyone to cultivate when they needed to and to relax when it was time to unwind, promoting a balance between work and leisure.
As they put it, if such things could affect one’s pursuit of immortality, then what was the point of seeking it at all?
Lu Yang felt that the current atmosphere in the Sect of Asking the Way was not right. Once he became a higher-up in the sect, he would definitely make some changes.
Inside the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, the place was bustling with noise. Many disciples of the Sect of Asking the Way liked to gather here after completing tasks or after hard training to enjoy meals together and share insights about their cultivation experiences.
Not to mention, the food here was way better than what was served in the cafeteria.
“Waiter, we have a reservation for table nine, with three sets of chopsticks. Please bring the dishes I ordered earlier,” Lu Yang said.
“Sure thing, just wait a moment,” the waiter replied.
As they went up to the second floor, the delicious smells from other tables wafted over, making their mouths water and stirring their appetites.
Lu Yang stared at the waiter for a while, and only looked away when the waiter disappeared down the stairs. He realized he couldn’t even see through the waiter’s cultivation level.
Lu Yang and Tao Yao Ye looked around, both curious about the place. Lu Yang usually had meals at Tianmen Peak, while Tao Yao Ye could cook, so they didn’t really need to come here.
Meng Jingzhou was quite familiar with places like this. “You haven’t been here before, have you? Let me tell you, there are so many delicious dishes here. There’s nothing you can’t find, just take a look at the menu.”
Lu Yang took the menu and opened the first page, quickly getting drawn in by what he saw.
The first page didn’t list any dishes; it only had a prominent notice: “This establishment only sells finished dishes, not raw ingredients. Thank you for your understanding.”
The second page had the actual menu, with prices listed in contribution points and spirit stones.
“Steamed Thunder Calamity Liquid, the essence of the thunder calamity left by cultivators during their tribulation. It greatly helps in understanding the way of thunder and lightning.”
“Braised Ice Abyss Giant Elephant, a creature that lives in the extremely cold northern regions. Adult Ice Abyss Giant Elephants can crush glaciers with a single step and face avalanches without falling.”
“Tomato and scrambled eggs. We have regular eggs, Eight Treasure Chicken eggs, and Golden Winged Roc eggs.”
After seeing the prices, Lu Yang couldn’t help but click his tongue. These dishes were clearly not meant for foundation stage cultivators like them; they couldn’t afford them either.
However, there were some things he could afford, like the Stir-Fried Spirit Food Pills.
Noticing Lu Yang’s frowning expression, Tao Yao Ye thought he was shocked by the prices and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Did you run into some problem?”
“Look, the meaning of ‘spirit food’ is to consume the essence of heaven and earth instead of eating regular meals. Taking spirit food pills counts as spirit food, right?”
“Exactly,” Tao Yao Ye nodded.
“Then tell me, if you eat the Stir-Fried Spirit Food Pill, does that count as eating a meal or as doing spirit food?”
Both Tao Yao Ye and Meng Jingzhou were taken aback at first, thinking the question was strange. But after some reflection, they found it surprisingly profound.
The three of them called the waiter over to ask if he knew the answer, but the waiter was also stumped.
In all his time working here, it was the first time he had been asked such a question.
“Is it because the dishes are served too slowly?”
“Here, the prices are not low. Do you have enough contribution points?” Lu Yang didn’t dwell on the spirit food question and instead worried about whether they had enough money to eat.
Meng Jingzhou had only done three tasks, earning a limited amount of contribution points.
It seemed like it was in his style to treat both Lu Yang and Tao Yao Ye to a big meal and then have the three of them wash dishes to cover the bill.
“Contribution points? Of course, we use spirit stones,” Meng Jingzhou said with a rich person’s tone.
Tao Yao Ye looked at Lu Yang with some surprise, not understanding why he would worry about the Meng family lacking money. “Haven’t you heard of the Meng family?”
Lu Yang was confused. “Is Meng Jingzhou’s family famous?”
The Central Continent is vast, and cultivators spend their whole lives exploring it. There are many families with the surname Meng, so Lu Yang had no idea which one Meng Jingzhou belonged to.
He had known Meng Jingzhou for a while, but he had never heard him talk about his family.
When Meng Jingzhou came to the Sect of Asking the Way for the trials, he didn’t even have an elder accompanying him. Lu Yang thought his family had fallen on hard times and that Meng Jingzhou, being a single spiritual root, was trying to revive the family.
“The most famous one.”
Lu Yang’s pupils shrank in surprise as he realized which Meng family Meng Jingzhou was talking about.
There are many Meng families, but the most famous one is the Imperial City Meng family.
“Is it the one that fought alongside the Summer Emperor’s ancestor to establish the Great Xia Dynasty?!”
Lu Yang was truly astonished. The Imperial City Meng family has a significant history. A hundred thousand years ago, during a time of great chaos, it’s often said that heroes emerge in troubled times. The ancestors of the Meng family and the Summer Emperor rose up, fought for the world, and created a legendary tale that is still told in tea houses and theaters today.
A hundred thousand years ago, the last dynasty faced internal and external troubles, falling apart and marking the beginning of chaos. Monsters and sea beasts left their territories, wanting a piece of the Central Continent.
The ancestors of the Meng family rose from their eastern homeland, waging wars across countless miles, driving monsters back to the Monster Domain and sea beasts back to the Eastern Sea, while treacherous officials and rogue heroes bowed down in submission.
Leading the army for a thousand years, the ancestors of the Meng family conquered half of the Central Continent, becoming one of the two dominant powers.
The other was the Summer Emperor’s ancestor, who conquered the other half.
The Summer Emperor’s ancestor also drove away the barbarian beasts, ended the chaos, and ruled over half the land, making their achievements hard to compare.
At that time, everyone thought the two powers would either each rule half of the Central Continent or engage in a great battle for supremacy.
So, various military strategists began to simulate war scenarios, calculating which side had the advantage and how the weaker side could win.
What no one expected was that both the Meng family’s ancestor and the Summer Emperor’s ancestor believed that the continent had been in chaos for a thousand years, with countless lives lost and rivers running red with blood. If they continued to fight, who knew how many more years of chaos would follow and how many more lives would be lost?
They fought for the sake of restoring peace, not for the throne of a dynasty.
Thus, the ancestors of the Meng family and the Summer Emperor’s ancestor gave up their armies and decided to settle their differences as cultivators in the vast starry sky. That battle shook the heavens and the earth, causing stars to fall, and in the end, the Summer Emperor’s ancestor emerged victorious.
The Meng family’s ancestor accepted defeat gracefully and stepped aside.
At that time, the Summer Emperor’s ancestor publicly declared that as long as the Great Xia existed, the Meng family would never perish.
And indeed, after the establishment of the Great Xia, the Meng family settled in the Imperial City and was not suppressed at all.
(End of Chapter)