**The Central Continent**
"Do I have to pay compensation?" Lu Yang asked nervously. The most valuable thing he owned was probably his brain.
"Compensation?" The senior brother glanced at the book in his hand, then at Lu Yang, his eyelid twitching violently.
According to the rules, compensation in spirit stones was indeed required. But the problem was, if this book were to get out, it would invite the united forces of the dragon and phoenix clans to march from the demon realm to the Central Continent and storm the Dao Inquiry Sect.
Though the Dao Inquiry Sect feared neither the dragons nor the phoenixes—after all, dragon liver and phoenix marrow were delicious delicacies, nourishing both yin and yang—they were still a renowned orthodox sect. Having a forbidden text like *The Dragon-Phoenix Transformation* in the scripture pavilion would ultimately tarnish their reputation.
With this in mind, the senior brother quietly tucked the book into his sleeve, his expression calm.
"Compensation? What book did you damage? I didn't see anything."
Destroying books inside the scripture pavilion would be too conspicuous and trigger the formation. It was better to dispose of it outside.
Lu Yang instantly understood the situation—the senior brother wanted to keep it for himself.
So, nothing had just happened.
The two exchanged a glance, their lips curling into faint smiles, as if they truly understood each other's meaning.
The forbidden book was just a minor episode. Lu Yang hadn't forgotten his original purpose for coming to the scripture pavilion.
After searching for a long time, he finally found what he was looking for—a book introducing the Central Continent: *The Discourse on the Continent's Geography*.
Rubbing his hands excitedly, Lu Yang began reading carefully.
"The world is home to humans, demons, spirits, and more. The Central Continent is the gathering place of humankind. The greatest power here is the Great Xia Dynasty, the only nation on the Central Continent. It suppresses the human race's fortune and represents its orthodox rule."
"So, even though my home is close to the Dao Inquiry Sect, it still falls under the Great Xia Dynasty's domain."
"To the east of the continent lies an endless ocean, dotted with scattered islands where ancient beasts like the Kunpeng and Hundun occasionally appear."
"To the west is the golden Buddhist kingdom, a pure land with temples as numerous as grains of sand."
"To the south lies the demon realm, where the dragon and phoenix clans reign as overlords. The demons are cruel and bloodthirsty, and conflicts between the Great Xia Dynasty and the demon realm are frequent. Some demons even lurk within the Great Xia Dynasty, posing a threat to humanity."
"To the north is the frigid polar region, where ice never melts, no grass grows, and few humans or other creatures venture. Only the hardiest races survive there."
"The Central Continent has the largest human population and the most cultivators. Some choose to serve in the imperial court, while most establish their own sects or join existing ones. Sects are scattered across the land like stars, with the five great immortal sects—including the Dao Inquiry Sect—standing as the leaders of the orthodox path."
"The book also mentions that each of the five great immortal sects must have at least one Tribulation Transcension powerhouse or a method to rival one... Could it be that our sect master is a Tribulation Transcension expert? Or perhaps our sect has a hidden elder of that level?"
The thought that he had the fortune to study under a possible Tribulation Transcension expert filled Lu Yang with excitement. He stood up to pour himself a cup of water, using the motion to suppress his joy before sitting back down to continue reading.
"Demonic cultivators are bloodthirsty, using living beings' lives to enhance their own cultivation. They are an even greater scourge than demons. However, demonic cultivators are ultimately disreputable, forced to lurk in the shadows under the combined pressure of the Great Xia Dynasty and the five great immortal sects. Their sects dare not act openly."
Apart from demonic cultivators, the book also mentioned something called "evil fiends," described in vague terms—creatures born without emotion, shadows of humanity, beyond normal reasoning, to be avoided at all costs. It was all very cryptic, and Lu Yang couldn't quite grasp what they were.
"Mortals use gold, silver, and copper as currency, while cultivators use high-, medium-, and low-grade spirit stones."
Next, Lu Yang delved into general knowledge of the cultivation world—standards for different realms, the hundred arts of cultivation, types of demonic beasts, levels of cultivation techniques, the history of the Central Continent, and more...
The knowledge he had picked up from teahouse storytellers was far from enough to establish himself in the cultivation world.
As he immersed himself in the profound texts, Lu Yang lost track of time. It wasn't until evening, when his stomach growled, that he realized he hadn't eaten all day.
By now, the senior brother at the scripture pavilion's entrance had been replaced by a senior sister.
Lu Yang bowed respectfully. "Senior Sister, pardon the interruption. I'm a new disciple who just arrived yesterday and am still unfamiliar with the Dao Inquiry Sect. Is there a place to eat here?"
The senior sister flinched at his words, her eyes darting away. She was terribly shy and avoided conversation whenever possible.
Most disciples followed the scripture pavilion's rules without needing reminders, making her temperament well-suited for the role.
Not daring to meet Lu Yang's gaze, she replied in a soft voice, "Oh, a new junior brother. The sect does have a dining hall, but as someone who's been here a while, I wouldn't recommend eating there."
Lu Yang was puzzled. "Why? What's wrong with the dining hall?"
"It's on the Fifth Elder's mountain—the Hundred Refinements Peak."
Lu Yang blinked. The name didn't sound like a place for food. "What kind of peak is that…?"
"The Fifth Elder specializes in artifact forging, so the Hundred Refinements Peak is naturally the mountain for crafting treasures. The dining hall is located there, and the chefs are all top-tier refiners. Their steamed buns can pierce mountains, grains of rice can be used as hidden weapons, and their fried dough sticks can smash through steel."
Lu Yang didn't know where to begin with his吐槽吐嘈 (complaints). "...Why would chefs also be refiners?"
The senior sister explained timidly, "Junior Brother, think about it—the most important thing in cooking is heat control, and refiners excel at precisely that. The two professions are more closely related than you'd expect."
Lu Yang nodded earnestly. "Indeed, much more than I imagined."
Noticing Lu Yang's plain attire, the senior sister hesitated. "Also, buying weapons—er, I mean, eating at the dining hall—requires spirit stones. And you, Junior Brother… don't seem particularly well-off."
Most cultivators wore robes woven from spirit materials like heavenly silk, resistant to water and fire.
Lu Yang's patched-up clothing made it obvious he came from a humble background.
He smiled awkwardly. It was true—he didn't have a single spirit stone to his name.
"Don't be embarrassed. Many in the Dao Inquiry Sect come from mortal families—I'm the same," she reassured him gently.
"But there are other ways to eat. Um… you could try going to the Alchemy Peak. They should have discarded fasting pills you could ask for."
"The Alchemy Peak has high standards for pills. What they call 'discarded' are just ones that don't meet their quality requirements. Don't worry, they're not poisonous."
"However, at the Alchemy Peak, you should be wary of the Peak Master, the Seventh Elder, Senior Brother Wu Ming, Senior Brother Wen Da, Senior Sister Qingkong, Junior Brother Longyan… Well, just be careful around everyone."
Suppressing his confusion, Lu Yang clasped his hands in gratitude. "I'm Lu Yang. Thank you, Senior Sister. May I ask your name?"
"I'm Zhou Lulu."
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This translation maintains the original's humor, world-building, and character dynamics while adapting it naturally into English. Let me know if you'd like any adjustments!