Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

Within the Dao Seeking Sect, there were numerous businesses catering to various needs, ensuring that the cultivation life wasnt just about rigorous training but also included essential entertainment.

For instance, the previously mentioned Sichuan and Chongqing hotpot and the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion, where Lu Yang, Peach Blossom Leaf, and Meng Jingzhou were heading.

Lu Yang had heard that the Dao Seeking Sect wasnt always this way. In the past, cultivation was strictly about cultivation, without the distractions of miscellaneous activities that could affect ones dedication to the path of seeking the Dao. However, when the old Sect Master and the former elders retired and new leaders took charge, the Sect underwent significant changes, promoting a balance between cultivation and relaxation.

If these things can affect the heart of seeking Dao, then whats the point of seeking Dao? This was the new leaders viewpoint. Lu Yang felt the current atmosphere in the Sect was not ideal and resolved to reform it once he reached a high position in the Sect.

At Hundred Fragrances Pavilion, the atmosphere was lively with disciples gathering after completing missions or hard training sessions. The food here was notably better than that in the cafeteria.

Waiter, we had reserved table number nine with three sets of utensils. Please serve the dishes as per my previous order, Meng Jingzhou instructed.

Alright, right this way.

As they moved to the second floor, the fragrant aroma of dishes from other tables stimulated their appetites. Lu Yang noticed that he couldnt discern the cultivation level of the waiter, which piqued his curiosity.

This was Lu Yang and Peach Blossom Leafs first visit to Hundred Fragrances Pavilion, as they usually didnt need to dine here. Meng Jingzhou, on the other hand, was quite familiar with the place. Youve never been here before, right? There are so many delicious dishes to try, and the menu offers an array of choices beyond your imagination, he said while handing them the menu.

Lu Yang browsed through the menu, intrigued by its contents. The first page contained a noticeable note: Only finished dishes are sold here, not ingredients.

The second page of the menu finally presented the main dishes, with prices listed in both contribution points and spirit stones.

Steamed Thunder Tribulation Essence: A culinary delight made from the essence left by cultivators during their Thunder Tribulation. Its believed to significantly aid in understanding the Way of Thunder and Lightning.

Braised Ice Abyss Giant Elephant: Sourced from the coldest northern lands, this dish is made from the Ice Abyss Giant Elephant, a dominant species in its habitat. An adult Ice Abyss Giant Elephant is known for its immense strength, capable of shattering glaciers and standing firm against avalanches.

Tomato and Egg Stir-fry: This common dish offers a selection of eggs, including ordinary chicken eggs, eggs from the exotic Eight Treasures Chicken, and even the rare Golden Winged Peng eggs.

Seeing the prices, Lu Yang couldnt help but whistle in amazement. Clearly, these delicacies werent intended for Foundation Phase cultivators like themselves, and they could also hardly afford such extravagant fare.

However, there were also items he could afford, such as Stir-Fried Fasting Pill.

Seeing Lu Yangs increasingly furrowed brow, Peach Blossom Leaf thought he was scared by the prices and couldnt help but ask with a smile, Whats wrong, have you encountered some problem?

You see, the meaning of fasting is to replace food with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and taking a Fasting Pill allows one to fast, Lu Yang explained.

Thats right, Peach Blossom Leaf nodded.

So, tell me, if you eat a Stir-Fried Fasting Pill, does it count as eating or fasting?

Peach Blossom Leaf and Meng Jingzhou were both taken aback at first, finding the question somewhat absurd. But upon further thought, they found it intriguingly profound.

They called the waiter over and asked if he knew the answer to this question, but even he was stumped.

He had been working there for so long and had never encountered a customer asking such a question. Was it because they were bored waiting for their meal?

The dishes here arent cheap, do you have enough contribution points? Lu Yang shifted his concern from the Fasting Pill conundrum, worried about whether they could afford the meal.

Meng Jingzhou had only done three tasks in total and couldnt have earned many contribution points.

The idea that Meng Jingzhou, Peach Blossom Leaf, and himself might end up washing dishes to pay for the meal seemed quite in line with Meng Jingzhous style.

Use contribution points? Of course not, Ill use spirit stones, declared Meng Jingzhou with the voice of a wealthy man.

Peach Blossom Leaf glanced at Lu Yang in surprise, not understanding why he was worried about a Meng family member being short of money. Havent you heard of the Meng family?

Lu Yang was puzzled. Is Meng Jingzhous Meng family famous?

With the vast expanse of the Central Continent and countless cultivators striving for a lifetime to explore it, there were many Meng families. How could Lu Yang know which Meng family Meng Jingzhou belonged to?

He had known Meng Jingzhou for so long but had never heard him talk about his family. Initially, Lu Yang thought Meng Jingzhous family was in decline and relied on him, a single spiritual root cultivator, to revive their fortunes.

The most famous one, Peach Blossom Leaf clarified.

Lu Yangs pupils contracted in shock, finally realizing which Meng family she was referring to.

The one from the Imperial City, which fought alongside the ancestors of the Xia Dynasty to establish the Great Xia Dynasty?

Lu Yang was genuinely astonished. The Meng family of the Imperial City had a significant history. A hundred thousand years ago, during a period of chaos, it was said that heroes emerge in troubled times. The ancestor of the Meng family rose from the eastern ancestral lands, conquering far and wide, driving away demons and sea beasts, and subduing rebellious forces.

After a thousand years of warfare, the Meng familys ancestor controlled half of the Central Continent, becoming one of the two dominant powers. The other was the ancestor of the Xia Dynasty, who similarly expelled barbarians and demons, ending the era of turmoil.

People had expected either a split rule over the Central Continent or a grand battle for supremacy between the two and various military strategists began to conduct war deductions to figure out which side had the greater advantage and how the other side could defeat the strong with the weak. However, both ancestors decided against further bloodshed. They believed that the mainland had been in chaos for a thousand years, with people devastated and bleeding. If the war continued, there would be many more years of chaos, how many people would die by then. They conquered the world to bring peace to the world, not for the throne of the dynasty.

So the ancestors of the Meng family and the ancestors of Emperor Xia gave up their armies and started a decisive battle in the vast starry sky as cultivators. In that battle, the sky collapsed, the sun and moon lost light, and the stars fell. The ancestor of the Xia Dynasty emerged victorious, and the Meng familys ancestor graciously conceded.

At that time, the ancestors of Emperor Xia publicly announced that as long as the Xia Dynasty existed, the Meng family would never die. The Xia Dynasty was established, and they stayed true to the words. The Meng family settled in the Imperial City, never oppressed or diminished.

(End of the chapter)