Chapter 460

These two were both cultivators of the Song family's "Yuan" generation. Although they rarely saw their Clan Head on the mountain, Song Qingming's appearance had long been etched in their hearts.

Song Qingming nodded with a smile, signaling for the two of them to stand up, and asked, "Why are you two guarding here? Is someone else coming to Mount Funiu today?"

"Reporting to the Clan Head, Qinghe County has become increasingly turbulent in recent years. Half a year ago, Ancestor Qingyu gave our Law Enforcement Team orders to send people to take turns guarding the mountain gate every day to prevent those villains from approaching Mount Funiu."

Hearing them say this, Song Qingming said with a calm expression, "With the demon beast unrest approaching, there is some turbulence everywhere outside. Your Law Enforcement Team has worked hard recently; the family will find ways to provide you with more subsidies in the future."

"Thank you, Clan Head!" Hearing Song Qingming's praise, the two were overjoyed and immediately bowed in salute.

Song Qingming nodded with satisfaction as he watched the two, then walked directly up Mount Funiu. Having been away for more than six years, many places on the mountain had changed. Song Qingming walked while observing, and soon arrived outside the family council hall.

Huang Siyuan and Song Yuanli, who had received the news from the foot of the mountain, were already waiting there with several family elders.

Seeing Song Qingming's figure appear before them, Huang Siyuan, who was standing at the very front, immediately revealed a smile and walked quickly toward him.

"Husband, you really succeeded in Core Formation!" After getting closer, Huang Siyuan quickly sensed the change in Song Qingming's cultivation and blurted out in surprise.

Hearing what Huang Siyuan said, Song Yuanli and the others standing to the side were also shocked and somewhat disbelieving. These people had lower cultivation levels and had never seen a true Golden Core cultivator, so it was difficult for them to judge whether the aura on Song Qingming had truly reached the Golden Core realm.

Song Qingming gently held Huang Siyuan's jade hand, smiled, and nodded slightly, saying, "I have already walked the path of the Golden Core. Having been away for so many years, I have troubled you all."

"Congratulations to the Clan Head for achieving the Golden Core!" Upon confirming from Song Qingming's own mouth that he had truly broken through to the Golden Core realm, Song Yuanli and the several Song family elders kneeling to the side were immediately filled with joy.

When Song Qingming left the Song family for Core Formation, he had only told Song Qingyu and Huang Siyuan. Other members of the Song family, including the Foundation Establishment Elder Song Qingyuan, only knew that their Clan Head had gone out a few years ago and did not know what he had gone to do.

Over these six years, although the Song family had forbidden discussion of where the Clan Head had gone, because Song Qingming had been delayed in returning, some people in the Song family had already guessed that their Clan Head might have gone out for Core Formation.

After all, before Song Qingming left Mount Funiu this time, his cultivation had been stuck at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment for many years. For any Foundation Establishment cultivator, once their cultivation reached this realm, the thing they most wanted to do was naturally to attempt Core Formation.

The spirit vein of the Song family's Mount Funiu was only Tier 2 mid-grade. To attempt Core Formation, one needed at least a Tier 2 high-grade spirit vein for the spiritual energy to be barely sufficient. For their Clan Head to break through to the Golden Core realm, he naturally had to leave the family to find another place for Core Formation.

After greeting the Song clansmen, Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan returned directly to the cave dwelling on the mountaintop. Having not seen each other for many years, they naturally had many things to talk about.

"Siyuan, why didn't Qingyu come to see me today? Could it be that this girl just happened to be in seclusion for cultivation?"

"Sister Qingyu went to Qinghe Market the day before yesterday. Recently, the Li family and the Lu family in Qinghe County have been fighting more and more fiercely, and the entire eastern side of Qinghe County has become a mess. If this continues, most of the shops in Qinghe Market will have to close down.

A few days ago, Sipo sent me a message inviting Qingyu to go to the market to mediate the conflict between their two families. Qingyu hasn't returned yet; it seems things might not be going smoothly. Why don't you go to the market to help out?"

Hearing Huang Siyuan say this, Song Qingming immediately understood her meaning. Both the Lu and Li families were Foundation Establishment families, and it was naturally not a simple matter for other Foundation Establishment forces to mediate between them. Huang Siyuan asking Song Qingming to go was naturally considering his current status as a Golden Core cultivator.

The world of immortal cultivation is ultimately about strength. In the face of absolute power, no matter how great the conflict between the Lu and Li families, it is not impossible to resolve. The key is whether the person mediating has the true strength to do so.

Facing Huang Siyuan's suggestion, Song Qingming pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile and said, "You are right. With the demon beast unrest imminent, it is not good for them to keep making such a scene. It is better to resolve it sooner."

After speaking, Song Qingming rose to bid farewell to Huang Siyuan and left Mount Funiu for Qinghe Market.

When he first established his foundation, Song Qingming and the entire Song family were still very weak. Although he had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was still very cautious in his actions and would not deliberately flaunt his strength or that of the entire Song family.

According to Song Qingming's previous cautious personality, he would absolutely not have exposed his Core Formation to others so quickly.

But now that the demon beast unrest was imminent, the entire northern part of Wei Guo would soon fall into war. Song Qingming indeed did not have much time to slowly get used to his status as a Golden Core cultivator.

Moreover, now that Song Qingming had broken through to the Golden Core realm, no one in the entire Qinghe County, or even the entire Jiangling Commandery, could threaten him. Having finally achieved today's results after many years of cultivation, there was indeed no need to continue being as low-key as before.

His Core Formation would likely reach the Carefree Sect before long. What must be faced will be faced sooner or later; deliberately concealing this matter might instead invite suspicion from the Carefree Sect.

In the council hall of Qinghe Market.

Song Qingyu, Huang Sipo, Huang Shengyue, Gao Yubai, and Feng De were sitting in the hall, listening to Lu Xingde and Li Chengyue taking turns attacking each other's faults.

From yesterday when they gathered to mediate between the two families until today, a full two days had passed. Song Qingyu, Huang Sipo, and the others had taken turns to mediate, but the two seemed to have their eyes bloodshot with killing intent and refused to take a step back no matter what was said. Now they were even arguing loudly in front of everyone, completely lacking the demeanor that a Foundation Establishment cultivator should have.

Seeing this situation, Song Qingyu felt somewhat helpless. She had thought that inviting the senior Huang Shengyue to come out would have some effect, but Lu Xingde was relying on his seniority to act like a rascal, showing no respect for Huang Shengyue at all.

The Lu family had been nibbled away by the Li family step by step over the years, not only losing a lot of territory, but many of their vassals had also defected to other families. Apart from the Li family, the one that benefited the most was the Huang family, an old-established Foundation Establishment family in Qinghe County.

Moreover, because of the fighting between the two families in recent years, the business of almost all immortal cultivation families in Qinghe County at Qinghe Market had been greatly affected. Immortal cultivation families with a thinner foundation like the Song family had quickly encountered a financial crisis.

Because the Huang family's territory was in the west of Qinghe County, far from the battlefield where the Lu and Li families were fighting, the impact was not as widespread. In recent years, the business at several small cultivator gathering places in the Huang family's territory had suddenly become booming, which had secretly brought the Huang family quite a lot of benefits.

This was not only known to the Song family; the several major Foundation Establishment families were all well aware of it, but everyone had no way to deal with it.

The Lu family had now declined and had formed a life-and-death feud with the Li family. With Lu Xingde still alive, the Lu family could barely maintain the dignity of a Foundation Establishment family. Once Lu Xingde passed away, it was estimated that they wouldn't even have to wait for other Foundation Establishment families to make a move; the Li family would soon find an excuse to kill their way up to Iron Immortal Mountain.

By then, the entire Lu family would be like fish on a chopping block, left to be slaughtered.

Lu Xingde wanted to leave a way out for his family while he was still alive, to completely end this matter with the Li family, and have the two Clan Heads sign a soul contract to stop fighting forever.

In this way, as long as Li Chengyue was alive, the Lu family cultivators would not have to worry about the Li family's revenge, and it would at least give the Lu family a buffer of one or two hundred years. Even if the Lu family could not cultivate new Foundation Establishment cultivators in the future, they would have enough time to move out of Qinghe County.

Facing Lu Xingde's wishful thinking, Li Chengyue naturally did not want to agree. The Li family had just risen and was like the morning sun; they were waiting for Lu Xingde to pass away to swallow the entire Lu family in one gulp. As long as they could fully take over the Lu family's territory, the Li family would soon be able to rapidly strengthen their own power and narrow the gap between themselves and other Foundation Establishment families in Qinghe County.

Li Chengyue agreed to the mediation of several families to temporarily stop fighting with the Lu family and wait until the demon beast unrest passed to discuss the matter between the Lu and Li families, but Lu Xingde was now dead set against it. He had simply broken the pot and was determined to use the demon beast unrest as a final opportunity to force Li Chengyue to sign a soul contract and completely end the matter between the two families.

Facing this difficult-to-mediate situation, the people from the Huang, Song, and Gao families, and even Feng De, who was stationed at Qinghe Market, felt deeply helpless.

The Lu family's oppression of the Li family back then had long ago planted the seeds for today's dead end. Although Lu Xingde still wanted to fight for a final glimmer of hope for the Lu family, the fate of the Lu family's decline was already inevitable.

In the world of immortal cultivation, all immortal cultivation families and even those large sects, after ups and downs, none could remain prosperous forever. The fate of the Lu family's decline was just an ordinary matter in everyone's eyes and was not worth sympathizing with.

Just as the argument in the council hall was lively, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator dressed in the market's Law Enforcement Team attire rushed into the council hall and shouted loudly at Feng De, who was sitting in the middle:

"Master, Senior Song... Senior Song is here!"

Hearing the visitor call out the three words "Senior Song," everyone in the hall looked at Song Qingyu to the side with some confusion. Even Lu Xingde and Li Chengyue, who were arguing, quieted down.

Seeing everyone's eyes on her, Song Qingyu was also full of confusion and hurriedly asked the messenger, "Speak clearly, which Senior Song is it?"