Chapter 81

"Who is stronger, those who practice ancient martial arts or those who cultivate internal family techniques?" Su Xiaofan asked, voicing his doubts.

From a historical perspective, there's no doubt that those who practice ancient martial arts are more powerful, with so many familiar names.

On the other hand, those who cultivate internal family techniques are more often found in myths and legends, making them seem somewhat intangible.

"The two systems are different, so it's hard to say who is stronger," Tong Dongjie shook his head and said, "When ancient martial arts are cultivated to their peak, it is said that one can achieve sainthood in the flesh, while internal family techniques can lead to immortality. The paths chosen are different, so the outcomes are also different."

"Alright, Dongjie, stop flattering your ancient martial arts," Jing Shizhen laughed after Tong Dongjie finished speaking, "Achieving sainthood in the flesh is a legend, and so is immortality. But you should know the benefits of cultivating true qi, right?"

"Uncle Jing, you're right, the internal family alchemy techniques you cultivate are indeed stronger than ancient martial arts," Tong Dongjie said with a bitter smile. Ancient martial arts and internal family alchemy techniques have been in competition for thousands of years, and today, ancient martial arts are indeed on the decline.

The alchemy Tong Dongjie referred to is not the kind of alchemy for making elixirs, but the cultivation of the inner elixir, also known as the golden elixir. The ancients once said that swallowing a golden elixir could make one's fate independent of heaven, which might sound a bit childish now, but it does indicate that achieving the golden elixir can indeed change one's destiny.

"Xiaofan, don't listen to his nonsense. Is it true that all internal family cultivation is about alchemy?" Jing Shizhen interrupted Tong Dongjie, "Cultivation is about evolving oneself. Immortality and enlightenment are just beautiful wishes, not the ultimate goal of cultivation. By cultivating and evolving to the extreme, one can live freely in the world. Don't let Dongjie mislead you. Men aren't women; they don't carry a golden elixir in their bellies like giving birth."

"Uncle Jing, I'm not making it up. That's what the Daoists believe," Tong Dongjie was a bit不服气 (unwilling to admit defeat). After all, he was in his early forties, and it was embarrassing to be scolded by Uncle Jing in front of Su Xiaofan.

"Is the Daoist school always right? Are they the orthodox?" Jing Shizhen sneered at Tong Dongjie's words. Their lineage, strictly speaking, followed the ideas and techniques of Zhuangzi, who was not highly regarded in the Daoist school.

"If the Daoist school is so powerful, why don't you go to them?" Jing Shizhen couldn't help but retort.

"Cough, cough, Uncle Jing, I was wrong. You are right," Tong Dongjie's face turned red. After all, he was the CEO of a listed company, and it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to him like that.

Moreover, the matter he sought from Jing Shizhen was something the high-ranking Daoists couldn't handle, so he had to come back to Jing Shizhen after trying elsewhere.

"Brother Dong, what exactly are you here for?" Seeing Tong Dongjie's embarrassed look, Su Xiaofan chuckled inwardly and quickly changed the subject.

"This matter is related to some changes on Earth," Tong Dongjie began, knowing that the issue was not simple and couldn't be explained in a few words.

After a moment's thought, Tong Dongjie said, "Xiaofan, do you know that there are some places on Earth that are very dangerous and mysterious?"

"I know," Su Xiaofan nodded and began counting on his fingers, "Bermuda should count as one, where planes and ships often disappear. Our country's Shennongjia should also count, as well as Poyang Lake, where ships often sink, and the Hell Valley in the Tianshan Mountains. There's also the 'Isle of the Dead' in the North Atlantic, the 'Ghost Island' in the South Pacific, and the 'Death Valley' on the Kamchatka Peninsula."

Su Xiaofan liked to read adventure articles and public accounts in his free time, which often introduced such dangerous places. There are probably hundreds of such places on Earth.

With his excellent memory, Su Xiaofan spoke fluently, leaving Tong Dongjie and Jing Shizhen speechless.

"Stop, stop, where did you hear about these places?"

Tong Dongjie interrupted Su Xiaofan, "What about the 'Death Valley' on the Kamchatka Peninsula? I've never heard of it. How do you know about it?"

"Brother Dong, don't you use your phone?" Su Xiaofan laughed, "I saw it on my phone. With big data and cloud computing, if you search for adventure, all kinds of articles pop up. But cloud computing has a downside too. If you search for something, those apps will keep recommending it to you, which can be quite annoying."

"Brother, can you stay on topic?" Tong Dongjie interrupted Su Xiaofan again, finding his rambling off-putting.

"Oh, right, Brother Dong, I know a lot more, but most of them are abroad," Su Xiaofan stopped talking, waiting for Tong Dongjie to explain.

"You're right, these places are indeed dangerous," Tong Dongjie said, "But do you know how these dangerous places are formed?"

"I don't know, the internet doesn't say," Su Xiaofan shook his head. The phenomena he mentioned were mostly unsolved by science, so the internet wouldn't have the answers.

"These dangerous places are formed due to spatial rifts," Tong Dongjie said solemnly.

"Spatial rifts, what are those?" Su Xiaofan was taken aback, not expecting such an answer from Tong Dongjie.

"How should I know what spatial rifts are?" Tong Dongjie laughed bitterly, "It's just a name we give to that phenomenon. These spatial rifts can be large or small, but regardless of their size, they are extremely dangerous. The air and space in areas with spatial rifts change, and many living beings die when they enter these areas. Therefore, many places with spatial rifts are designated as dangerous zones and are off-limits."

"Is it that dangerous?"

Hearing Tong Dongjie's explanation, Su Xiaofan was amazed, "Can't we find a way to solve the spatial rifts?"

"Small spatial rifts can be closed, but large ones can't," Tong Dongjie said, "Bermuda has had shipwrecks for hundreds of years, and the problem still hasn't been solved. I doubt it will be solved in the future."

"I see."

Su Xiaofan looked at his master, "Brother Dong, you encountered a spatial rift and want Master to help you solve it, right? But shouldn't you go to the government for this?"

"The government usually doesn't rush to handle spatial rifts that aren't very harmful," Tong Dongjie shook his head. He had tried to contact relevant departments, but they were all helpless.

Tong Dongjie also sought help from other lineages and sects, but none could solve the problem. In the end, he had to turn to Uncle Jing for help.

"Brother Dong, tell me what exactly happened. I'll do my best to help!"

Su Xiaofan learned a lot from Tong Dongjie, things his master had never mentioned before.

"It's like this. Five years ago, our group planned to develop a project in Jiaocheng," Tong Dongjie, with no one else in the room, told Su Xiaofan the whole story.

Originally, the Tong family, after starting in foreign trade, invested in the mainland, focusing on real estate and tourism development. Tong Dongjie, with his business acumen, turned the tourism group he managed into a well-known listed company, bringing in substantial profits for the Tong family.

Five years ago, Tong Dongjie heard about a unique place in Jiaocheng and went to investigate. To his surprise, he felt as if he had traveled back a few hundred years when he entered the area. The entire place was built in a style from a hundred years ago, preserving its original charm. It was the first time Tong Dongjie had seen such a well-preserved ancient building complex.

After investigation, Tong Dongjie believed the place could be developed into a nostalgic tourist attraction. He negotiated with the local authorities and bought the land for a few million.

The local authorities had one condition: the Tong Group had to fund the construction of a road to the area, which would allow them to sell the land at a low price.

Traffic convenience was crucial for developing a tourist attraction, so Tong Dongjie readily agreed to the condition.

However, what Tong Dongjie didn't expect was that this condition would almost ruin him. The area was deep in the mountains, making it extremely difficult to access. It took him four to five years and nearly 700 million yuan to build a road.

Just as Tong Dongjie was ready to develop the area into a tourist destination, an accident occurred. Six designers who entered the area to survey the terrain and prepare designs were found dead the next day.

In China, a death is a serious matter. After Tong Dongjie's people reported the incident, the relevant authorities quickly sent people to investigate.

The conclusion was that a micro spatial rift had appeared near the ancient building complex, covering a limited area and not radiating outward. Spatial rifts are difficult to eliminate, and even the authorities would have to pay a high price to handle them. The best solution was to leave it alone.

Thus, the people living near the area were relocated, and the tourist attraction Tong Dongjie planned to develop became a no-man's land.

If this had happened early in the land purchase, Tong Dongjie would have accepted his loss, at most losing a few million. But he had already invested several hundred million in building the road, and he had to develop the tourist attraction to avoid huge losses.

The last time Su Xiaofan saw Tong Dongjie, he was persistently begging Jing Shizhen to help him solve this big problem.

"Brother Dong, where exactly is this place?" Su Xiaofan asked.

"Fengmen Village!"