Chapter 5: Central Continent

"Do I need to pay for damages?" Lu Yang asked nervously, his brain probably being the most valuable thing he possessed.

"Pay for damages?" The Shixiong glanced at the book in his hand, then at Lu Yang, a muscle twitching fiercely in his eye.

According to the rules, he should indeed pay Lingshi as compensation. But the problem was, if news of this book got out, the Long and Feng Clans would unite and rampage from the Yaoyu to the Zhongyang Dalu, attacking Wen Dao Zong.

Although Wen Dao Zong wasn't afraid of the Long and Feng Clans — Longgan Fengsui tasted delicious and invigorated Yin and Yang upon consumption — they were, after all, a renowned righteous sect. The presence of a forbidden book like "Long Feng Bian" in the Cangjing Ge would ultimately tarnish their reputation.

Thinking of this, the Shixiong quietly hid the book in his sleeve, his expression calm. "Pay for damages? What book did you stain? I didn't see anything."

Destroying books inside the Cangjing Ge would be too obvious and would trigger the Zhenfa, so it was better to destroy it outside.

Lu Yang instantly understood the crux of the matter: the Shixiong intended to secretly keep it. Therefore, nothing had happened just now.

The two exchanged a look, a slight smile playing on their lips, as if they truly understood each other's intentions.

The forbidden book was a minor interlude. Lu Yang didn't forget his original purpose for coming to the Cangjing Ge. After searching for a long time, he finally found the book he wanted, one that introduced the Zhongyang Dalu — "Dalu Kanyulun."

Lu Yang rubbed his hands excitedly and began to read carefully.

"The world is inhabited by Renzu, Yaozu, Guimei, and others. The Zhongyang Dalu is a gathering place for the Renzu. The largest power on the continent is the Da Xia Wangchao, the only country in the Zhongyang Dalu, which suppresses the Renzu's Qiyun and represents the Renzu's Zhengtong."

"So, although my home is close to Wen Dao Zong, it still falls within the Da Xia Wangchao's territory."

"To the east of the continent lies a vast ocean, dotted with sporadic islands, where ancient Yaozu such as Kunpeng and Hundun occasionally appear."

"To the west of the continent is the Jinse Foguo, boundless pure land, with temples as numerous as grains of sand."

"To the south of the continent is the Yaozu's Yaoyu. The Long and Feng Clans are the overlords of the Yaoyu. The Yaozu are cruel and bloodthirsty, and the Da Xia Wangchao constantly experiences friction with the Yaoyu. There are also Yaozu hiding within the Da Xia Wangchao, posing a harm to the Renzu."

"To the north of the continent is the Jibei Zhidi, where ice never melts, no grass grows, human traces are scarce, and other living beings rarely show themselves. Only extremely powerful races live there."

"The Zhongyang Dalu has the largest population of Renzu and the most Xiushi. Some Xiushi choose to serve as officials in the imperial court, but more choose to Kaizong Lipai or join a certain sect. Sects in the Zhongyang Dalu are scattered like stars, and among them, the most powerful are Wen Dao Zong and the other Wu Da Xianmen, serving as the leaders of the Zhengdao."

"The book also states that among the Wu Da Xianmen, there must be a Dujie Qi Daneng and means to rival Dujie Qi combat strength... Could it be that the Zongzhu is a Dujie Qi Daneng? Or does our Wen Dao Zong have Taishang Zhanglao who live in hermitage?"

Recalling that he was fortunate enough to become a disciple under a Zongzhu who might be a Dujie Qi Daneng, Lu Yang felt a thrill of joy. He stood up, poured a cup of water, and, while drinking, suppressed his excitement before sitting back down to continue reading.

"Moda Xiushi are bloodthirsty, using the lives of living beings to cultivate themselves, posing an even greater threat than the Yaozu. Moda Xiushi are ultimately disreputable Xiushi, hiding in dark corners. Under the combined suppression of the Da Xia Wangchao and the Wu Da Xianmen, Moda Zongmen only dare to act in secret, not daring to show their faces."

Aside from Moda Xiushi, the book also mentioned something called Xiemo, speaking of them quite cryptically, saying that Xiemo are born without emotion, are shadows of the Renzu, defy normal understanding, and should be avoided at all costs. It was very mysterious, and Lu Yang couldn't figure out what Xiemo were.

"Mortals use gold, silver, and copper as currency. Xiushi use high, medium, and low-grade Lingshi as currency."

Next, Lu Yang began to learn common knowledge of the Xiuxian Jie, such as the standards for classifying different cultivation realms, what Xiuxian Baiyi included, the types of Yaozu, the levels of cultivation techniques, the history of the Zhongyang Dalu, and so on.

The knowledge Lu Yang had gathered from storytellers in teahouses was far from sufficient to establish himself in the Xiuxian Jie.

Lu Yang gazed at the profound lines of knowledge, becoming deeply immersed. He swam in an ocean of information until evening, when a pang of hunger reminded him that he hadn't eaten all day.

By then, the entrance to the Cangjing Ge had changed from a Shixiong to a Shijie.

Lu Yang respectfully asked, "Shijie, excuse me for bothering you. I'm a new disciple who just arrived yesterday and am not yet familiar with Wen Dao Zong. Is there a place to eat at our Wen Dao Zong?"

The Shijie was startled by Lu Yang, trembling slightly, her eyes darting away. She was very afraid of talking to people. Generally, everyone could adhere to the Cangjing Ge's rules without reminders, so her personality was very suitable for this place.

She didn't dare to look directly at Lu Yang, lowering her head and speaking softly, "So it's a new Shidi. Wen Dao Zong does have a cafeteria, but as someone who's been here a while, Shijie doesn't recommend you go there to eat."

Lu Yang was puzzled. "Why is that? Is there something wrong with the cafeteria?"

"It's on the Wu Zhanglao's peak, Bailian Shan."

Lu Yang was stunned. The mountain name didn't sound like a place for cooking. "May I ask what this Bailian Feng is..."

"The Wu Zhanglao excels at Lianqi, so Bailian Feng is naturally a peak for Lianqi. The cafeteria is located on Bailian Feng, and the chefs there are all top-notch Lianqishi. Steamed buns can pierce mountains, grains of rice can be used as hidden weapons, and even youtiao can shatter steel bones."

Lu Yang had no idea where to begin complaining. "...Why can chefs be Lianqishi?"

The Shijie weakly explained, "Shidi, think about it. The most important thing for a chef is heat control, and Lianqishi are most skilled at controlling heat. The relationship between these two professions is closer than you imagine."

Lu Yang nodded sincerely. "It is indeed closer than I imagined."

The Shijie looked at Lu Yang's simple attire and hesitated. "And buying Bingqi, oh no, going to the cafeteria to eat requires Lingshi. This Shidi, you don't seem... very wealthy."

Generally, a cultivator's clothes, even if not exquisite, were at least woven from common spiritual materials like Tiancanshi, making them resistant to fire and water. Lu Yang's attire was simple, with many patches sewn onto his clothes, making it evident at a glance that he was from a mortal background.

Lu Yang smiled awkwardly. He indeed didn't have a single Lingshi.

"Don't be embarrassed! Many people in Wen Dao Zong come from mortal backgrounds, and I'm one of them," the Shijie comforted softly.

"There's a way to eat, hmm... you can go to Danding Feng and have a look. There should be some discarded Bigudan there, you can ask them for some."

"Danding Feng has very high standards for medicinal pills. What they call 'discarded' is just not high enough in quality, so don't worry about them being poisonous."

"However, on Danding Feng, you need to be careful of Fengzhu Qi Zhanglao, Wu Ming Shixiong, Wen Da Shixiong, Qing Kong Shijie, Long Yan Shidi... in short, be careful of everyone."

Lu Yang suppressed his confusion and bowed, saying, "My name is Lu Yang. Thank you, Shijie. May I ask for your esteemed name?"

"My name is Zhou Lulu."