Seeing the situation, Meng Jingzhou also stopped pretending to be ill and wailed, abruptly rising from the stretcher.

Master Liu and Master Gao were not dressed in their greasy barbecue shop uniforms, and their faces were devoid of the simple smiles they usually wore when serving customers. They were dressed formally, their expressions solemn, as if reminiscing about the glorious days of the Immortal Sect.

When they looked at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, the two felt a chill run down their spines.

“Both of you, come with us. We need your help with something.”

Master Liu and Master Gao had already investigated. After Lu Yang and Yun Zhi returned, Yun Zhi left the Seek Tao Sect for some unknown reason. Now was the perfect opportunity to make a move on Lu Yang!

If they didn’t act now, when would they?

The place was crowded and not suitable for action. They needed to invite Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou to their Immortal Sect’s headquarters – the barbecue shop!

Previously, the barbecue shop was just a small shop barely holding its ground in the commercial street, surrounded by enemies, and under the watchful eyes of Body Fusion stage powerhouses, it was in a precarious situation.

However, under the guidance of the Sect Leader and the Immortal, as well as the meticulous planning of the Immortal Sect’s high-level members, the barbecue shop had become a den of the Immortal Sect.

And the Seek Tao Sect was completely unaware of the barbecue shop’s expansion and growth in the commercial street…

“Let’s go then.” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou didn’t lose their momentum.

Sandwiched between two Body Fusion stage powerhouses, they had no room to resist. Even if they didn’t want to go, they would probably be forced to. Rather than that, it was better to go willingly.

“Please, this way.” Master Gao gestured, inviting the two to the barbecue shop.

Standing at the entrance of the barbecue shop, Lu Yang noticed that the shop was pitch black inside, with only two faint figures swaying in the darkness.

As they stepped into the barbecue shop, Master Liu and Master Gao stood quietly at the door, like two iron statues guarding the entrance.

Upon entering the barbecue shop, Lu Yang felt a sense of isolation from the outside world. He couldn’t hear any noise from outside, nor could he see what was happening outside.

What he didn’t know was that not only sound and sight, but even divine sense had been blocked by the grand formation the Sect Leader had set up in the barbecue shop.

Light from an unknown source gradually filled the barbecue shop, revealing the true identities of the two shadows – the Sect Leader and the Immortal, both dressed formally, as if they were determined to do something big.

“Please, have a seat.” The Sect Leader invited the two to sit down.

“Speak, what’s the matter?” Lu Yang asked coldly, somewhat unable to figure out the Sect Leader’s intentions.

However, Lu Yang was not afraid of him, with the Immortal sitting right next to him.

As the controller of the Immortal lineage, the Immortal could completely control the Immortal, the source of the Immortal Sect. With this relationship, the Sect Leader couldn’t make any waves.

“The matter is not big, we just want to ask Brother Lu Yang for a small favor. With Brother Lu Yang’s status in the Seek Tao Sect, it’s just a matter of a few words.”

“Look, I heard that both of you just formed your Golden Elixirs, so I’ve prepared a small gift as a token of my sincerity. I hope you two will accept it.” The Sect Leader silently pushed two gift boxes towards Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

The Sect Leader casually opened the gift boxes, revealing the items inside – the invaluable Solid Foundation Elixir, which could solidify the Golden Elixir stage cultivation, the remaining medicinal power could be transformed into a foundation, aiding future breakthroughs, and it wouldn’t leave any medicinal residue in the body that could affect future breakthroughs.

A defensive artifact that could withstand a full blow from a Body Fusion stage powerhouse.

A book titled “Insights on Cultivating at the Golden Elixir Stage”.

Five small bottles containing the five elements, such as True Fire, Pure Water, Breath Soil, etc., which could be refined into growth-type Five Elements artifacts.

In addition to these, there were various precious items, each of which was not something a regular Golden Elixir stage cultivator could afford.

The two didn’t accept this “small gift”, and Lu Yang directly said, “Sect Leader, we’re old acquaintances, let’s not beat around the bush, speak.”

The Sect Leader slowly voiced the plan he had been plotting for a long time, “Specifically, we want to absorb loose cultivators to become part of us, expand our sphere of influence, increase our influence on the Great Xia Dynasty, and make people unable to leave us!”

“After the matter is done, we won’t treat you two badly, and there will be generous rewards!”

“Perhaps you two don’t know yet, our influence is quietly spreading, and it has already spread to the entire commercial street, and the Seek Tao Sect knows nothing about it.”

Lu Yang frowned, the Sect Leader’s words were equivalent to saying that everyone on the entire commercial street was theirs. If they didn’t agree, they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to leave the street.

But he still didn’t give in, “What if we don’t help you?”

“Not helping?” The Sect Leader slowly stood up, like a long-silent mountain god awakening, exerting tremendous pressure on the two.

The Sect Leader squinted at the two, threatening fiercely, “I’ve been very polite to you two. We just want to open branches of the barbecue shop in the outside world. If you two push your luck, don’t blame me for begging you on my knees!”

The Sect Leader felt that he had done everything perfectly. He had asked Master Liu and Master Gao to dress formally instead of wearing their shop uniforms, and to invite these two over with smiles on their faces.

Considering that it was June, the scorching summer, he had specifically instructed Master Liu and Master Gao to release cooling spells when they saw Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, so as not to make them feel hot.

For safety’s sake, to prevent eavesdropping by competitors, he had set up a grand formation to isolate the outside world.

He had cleaned the barbecue shop until it was spotless, with no grease.

The two defensive artifacts were refined by him using all his spare time from running the slaughterhouse.

The insights on cultivating at the Golden Elixir stage were summarized from the memories of all the members of the Immortal Sect and written by the Immortal himself.

The five elements were bought from the owners of the commercial street after much persuasion.

Opening branches in the outside world was just a matter of a few words, yet these two were still not satisfied?The sect leader steeled his heart, a true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. For the grand plan of the barbecue shop, he was ready to kneel if necessary!

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou quickly stopped the sect leader, completely baffled by this sudden turn of events: “You guys want to open a branch for the barbecue shop?”

“Yes.”

“And you just mentioned recruiting loose cultivators to become part of your team?”

“We’re recruiting staff.”

They all couldn’t leave the Seek Tao Sect to open branches in the outside world, so they had to recruit staff.

“And expanding the scope of your influence?”

“Opening the barbecue shop outside the Seek Tao Sect.”

“Increasing your influence over the Great Xia Dynasty?”

“Becoming a major taxpayer.”

“Making it impossible for people to leave you?”

“Encouraging people to visit our shop more often.”

Meng Jingzhou looked at the sect leader suspiciously: “You just said that your influence has spread throughout the entire commercial street, and the Seek Tao Sect knows nothing about it?”

“We underreported our earnings and paid less in management fees.”

An immortal added: “There’s another meaning. It means that our barbecue shop’s earnings within the Seek Tao Sect have reached saturation. We need to open branches in the outside world to explore new markets.”

Lu Yang: “……”

Meng Jingzhou: “……”

Is it really necessary to make opening a branch for a barbecue shop this complicated!

(End of Chapter)