Mysterious mirror hanging high

When Zhang Gengshi saw Jing Yu coming, a warm smile appeared on his face. He stood up and said loudly:

"Fellow Daoist Ye, the vegetarian banquet at this restaurant is very delicious. Even many Jindan Zhenren have praised it highly. I would like to invite you to come and try it today."

"I also heard that you don't like drinking alcohol, so I've prepared some excellent spiritual tea."

Jing Yu thought to himself, "You know a lot about my preferences."

Then his eyes fell on the table of freshly baked, steaming vegetarian dishes, and his heart sank.

"Great! They even calculated the time of my arrival with such precision... I guess there were secret agents monitoring me all along the way?"

So he sneered and said:

"Why isn't King Crab Green here?"

"Those with different beliefs are not worthy of cooperation. Fellow Daoist Ye, to be honest, if the Zhang and Wang families were not allies, I, Wang, would not want to pay any attention to this person at all."

Zhang Gengshi shook his head: "Let's not talk about that bastard. Fellow Daoist Ye, please."

Jing Yu swaggered down and sat down. He looked Zhang Geng up and down, his eyes lingering for a moment on the two walnuts that kept turning in his hands. Then he said calmly:

"Fellow Daoist Wang, I see that you are not far from completing your foundation building. You should be preparing for your core formation within the family. Why do you still have the leisure to hang around outside the family and wait for the direct descendants of the Song family?"

After hearing this, Zhang Gengshi's face flashed with gloom and he sighed:

"Fellow Daoist Ye is indeed just as the rumors say, having traveled here from other seas. It seems he doesn't understand the rules of the Red Dust Sea's aristocratic families."

"In fact, whether it's a Foundation Establishment family, a Golden Core family... or even a Nascent Soul Immortal family, the distribution of resources within the family is not evenly distributed. Take my Wang family as an example. We have three Golden Core seeds in our current generation, but the spiritual resources in our family for forming a core are not as simple as being divided equally into three parts."

"Depending on each direct descendant's background, qualifications, connections... the resources they can be allocated vary."

"Generally speaking, there will be one person who is the focus of cultivation. Almost the entire clan will use their strength to support this person. From the beginning, they are chasing for a mid-grade golden elixir. After all, only when the elixir is of mid-grade or above can one have a hope of cultivating into a great immortal in the late stage of the golden elixir."

"For an ordinary golden elixir seed like me, who is slightly inferior in all aspects, I can only eat some leftovers. The fact that the clan rewards me with some scraps is a great favor."

"The little spiritual resources provided by the clan? It's good enough to barely form a low-grade elixir. There's a high probability that it won't even form a elixir. After all, the golden elixir seeds are only for foundation-building cultivators who have the hope of forming a elixir. What level of genius dares to say that he can 100% form a golden elixir?"

"But even if the elixir is of low quality, it will only make us the lowest level Jindan cultivators. Our path to enlightenment will be cut off and we will never have the chance to advance to the Nascent Soul stage again. How can we accept this?"

"If you want extra spiritual resources for forming a pill, you can only go to the secret realm and fight for opportunities."

Jing Yu nodded silently, feeling that Zhang Gengshi was right. This man behaved with reason and spoke with courtesy. Putting aside his position, he was truly a rare gentle gentleman. He couldn't help but become more curious about Zhang Gengshi's purpose in inviting him, so he said directly:

"Friend Wang, let's be frank. What exactly is your intention behind inviting me to this banquet today?"

Zhang Gengshi smiled slightly and said leisurely, "Actually, there's really no reason. I just want to make friends with the proud people from the outer seas."

"Or perhaps to establish a good relationship?"

"You and I have different positions, what's the point of forming good relationships?"

"That's a bad word."

Zhang Gengshi said calmly, "Although the Song and Wang families are currently at odds with each other, it can be said that they are as hostile as fire and water, there is no need for me and Fellow Daoist Ye to become enemies. Given Fellow Daoist Ye's awkward position, he doesn't necessarily have to be tied to the Song family's warship."

"Even Wang believes that whether there is any irreconcilable hatred between the two great Jindan families is still a matter of debate."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Zhang Gengshi obviously knew some inside information, which aroused Jing Yu's curiosity.

"I think Fellow Daoist Ye doesn't understand the reason behind the feud between the Wang and Zhang families and the Song family. Please allow me to explain in detail."

Zhang Gengshi first used his magical power to capture the teapot, poured a cup of spiritual tea for Jing Yu, and then began to speak:

"The major families of the Falling Star Sea always have some friction due to power divisions, resource struggles, and personal vendettas, but to say they're deadly enemies isn't too high... After all, the sea is still rich in spiritual resources, and various secret realms and caves appear frequently. Every household is living comfortably, so there's naturally no need for a life-and-death feud."

"A hundred years ago, the relationship between the Wang and Zhang families and the Song family wasn't exactly harmonious, but it was just minor friction. How could it have reached the point of a life-and-death struggle? The current tension is actually just a personal vendetta between the ancestors."

"Did Master Song offend Master Fujia and Master Qingmang?" Jing Yu asked in confusion.

It's no wonder Jing Yu didn't believe it. It's just that after years of getting along with each other, he felt that Song Jianxu had a very good temper and rarely got angry. He was also a very upright person and could almost be regarded as a benchmark figure of righteousness in the Red Dust Sea. How could such a great immortal who was also good at divination easily become a mortal enemy with a great immortal of the same level?

"This matter dates back to over eighty years ago. Fellow Daoist Ye, do you know that your Xingluo Island Song family once had a genius who achieved a top-grade elixir?"

"Of course I know. Master Song's grandson, Jinghong's father, the top-grade Jindan cultivator [Song Wangshan]... It's said that he died while exploring a secret realm over eighty years ago, and not even his body has been found..."

Jing Yu's pupils shrank: "More than eighty years ago, could it be?"

Zhang Gengshi sighed and said, "Yes, Song Wangshan did die in a secret realm. This secret realm is called the [Dinggu Secret Realm]. Every few decades, it drifts to the Taixu near the Red Dust Sea and runs aground in the world."

"According to the time, it should be reappearing in this sea area soon."

"Is this secret realm very dangerous?" Jing Yu frowned.

"No, strictly speaking, the Dinggu Secret Realm can only be considered a Foundation Establishment-level secret realm. It is almost impossible for it to pose a threat to Jindan cultivators. Logically speaking, Song Wangshan should never have died there."

Zhang Gengshi whispered, "It wasn't just Song Wangshan who died in the Dinggu Secret Realm. The two most outstanding high-level Jindan cultivators from our Zhang and Wang families also died there!"

"Three cultivators who were at least mid-level Jindan cultivators died in a secret foundation-building realm. Fellow Daoist Ye, do you find this a bit absurd?"

"No one could believe it at the time, but facts speak louder than words. The soul lamps left by the three True Immortals in the clan were indeed extinguished."

"A Jindan Master died in the Foundation Establishment Secret Realm. This kind of thing is not uncommon. Perhaps he triggered some ancient restriction. Who knows?" Jing Yu asked, "Why did this incident lead to a mortal feud between the three families?"

Zhang Gengshi said quietly, "That's because the origin of this matter is precisely the hexagram of Master Song..."