This book, to Lou Xingyao who at this moment still had only a vague understanding of the Tianming Continent was nothing short of a timely downpour after a long drought.
He didn’t even have the energy to care about Wen Hanshan’s less-than-pleasant words. Smiling cheerfully, he offered his thanks, then immediately lowered his head and began to flip through the pages.
As its title suggested, Overview of Tianming recorded a great many things about this vast continent.
The very first thing that entered Lou Xingyao’s sight was a map.
From the map, it was clear that Tianming Continent was home to one great central city and one hundred and eight county cities.
As for the great central city, there was no need to think twice. It t was, of course, none other than Canglan City.
The Pingyang County where Lou Xingyao was born, the Xilin County which lay ahead as their next destination, and even the Fufeng County Wen Hanshan had mentioned earlier, were all among those one hundred and eight counties.
Below these were countless villages scattered like stars across the land. Their numbers were far too many to mark in full detail, so the map simply bore a short note in the margin to indicate their existence.
Pingyang County sat on the very eastern edge of the continent, an extremely remote place.
No wonder that even when riding the third-rank Wind-chasing Mystic Hawk day and night without pause, it had still taken over a full month to reach Canglan City.
Thinking this over, Lou Xingyao let his gaze drift westward. Before long, he found the location of Xilin County.
Compared to the long journey from Pingyang to Canglan, the distance between Xilin County and Canglan City was barely even half as much.
Seeing this, he instantly had a clear idea of what to expect from the journey ahead.
Beyond cities and counties, Tianming Continent was also home to three Forbidden Lands and eighteen Dangerous Lands.
The so-called Dangerous Lands needed little explanation. They were regions where demonic beasts thrived, and because powerful fourth-rank beasts guarded those territories, the surrounding cultivators could do nothing about them.
Over time, these places developed into known hazardous areas.
Since each covered only limited territory and also served as valuable grounds for cultivators to temper themselves, they were left as they were.
But the three Forbidden Lands were of an entirely different order.
From the map, it was clear that each of the three was vast enough to rival the entire expanse of the one great city plus all one hundred and eight counties. Added together, they occupied more than half the whole continent.
They were known as the Endless Forest, the Hundred-Thousand Mountains, and the Desert of Death.
The Endless Forest and the Hundred-Thousand Mountains were so tightly connected that it was hard to even separate one from the other.
Spanning from east to west and sweeping up across the northern edge, the two formed a natural encirclement around the lands where human cities thrived.
No one knew just how large the Endless Forest or the Hundred-Thousand Mountains truly were. No one had ever reached their ultimate depths. Even the map was merely shaded in a vague outline.
A Forbidden Land was called a Forbidden Land precisely because of its unparalleled danger.
It was said that deep within the Endless Forest, beasts of the fifth and even sixth rank roamed freely. Venomous plants and animals were plentiful, and the treacherous terrain itself was rife with deadly hazards.
Even a Golden Core master, upon stepping into the Endless Forest, had to prepare himself for the very real chance of never returning.
Yet danger often walked hand in hand with opportunity. In addition to high-ranked beasts, the forest teemed with rare spirit herbs and treasures of heaven and earth.
To stumble upon even one such thing could bring immense improvement to a cultivator’s strength.
And even if one failed to find some legendary treasure, the forest brimmed with low-level spirit beasts and herbs, enough to fetch a handsome profit in the markets of the continent.
Thus, though the risks were clear as day, cultivators still flocked toward the Endless Forest, making it the most renowned training ground on the continent.
The Desert of Death lay far to the south. Its very name came from its harsh environment. The desert stretched endlessly, blanketed with golden sand where not a single blade of grass could grow.
Ferocious sandstorms swept across without warning, and once caught within one, it was almost impossible to escape.
On the map, its size did not seem nearly as immense as the Hundred-Thousand Mountains or the Endless Forest. Yet its reputation for peril was no less fearsome.
Indeed, at the spot marking its location, the cartographer had scrawled a warning in bright red characters: Those not of the Golden Core realm must never enter!
The map offered no further explanation, but those glaring scarlet words alone were enough to send a shiver through anyone’s heart.
For that reason, cultivators of Tianming often referred to the Desert of Death as the Land Forbidden to Life.
After carefully studying the map and forming a rough outline of the continent’s layout in his mind, Lou Xingyao turned the page to continue reading.
Before long, he discovered that the book also recorded events from more than a hundred thousand years ago.
From its contents, it was not hard to see that in those distant ages, the Tianming Continent had been far larger than it was today, so vast, in fact, that its present size was not even one percent of what it used to be.
And all of this traced back to one cataclysmic event over a hundred thousand years ago.
Because of the span of years, the precise details and causes of that Great Catastrophe had long been lost. All that was known was that the disaster was so immense that not a corner of the land escaped its ravages.
The Tianming Continent itself had been shattered and diminished into the shrunken form it now held.
Before the catastrophe, Tianming had been a land overflowing with genius. Tales of ascension to the higher realms were common.
But after the calamity, even cultivators who had reached the Fusion stage became vanishingly rare. As for the Great Ascension or Tribulation stages, those were unheard of.
By now, even Nascent Soul ancestors had become little more than figures of legend.
The last known Nascent Soul cultivator was said to be the very ancestor who, ten thousand years ago, inscribed the calligraphy over the gates of Canglan City.
But after leaving behind that final mark, he vanished without a trace. No one knew whether he had ventured forth to seek a higher path… or whether he had long since perished.
With the path forward severed, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth growing thinner by the day, the present situation had come to be: even a Foundation
Establishment cultivator could dominate a county, while a Golden Core master was enough to hold a seat of true authority within Canglan City itself.
The author of the book seemed unable to conceal his despair at this point. Even through mere words, Lou Xingyao could almost picture the confusion and sorrow he must have felt at seeing the path of cultivation cut off before him.
But Lou Xingyao himself felt no trace of worry. After all, he had already come across this very information before, in On the Dao and the Heavens as One.
That text even went so far as to call the Tianming Continent, a world where the highest cultivation reached only the Golden Core realm, a “Small World.”
Above the Small Worlds were the Middle Worlds, where cultivators could reach the Divine Transformation stage. Above those were the Great Worlds, whose cultivators might attain the Body Integration realm.
And higher still existed the Spirit World, where the strongest of cultivators gathered, and where the ascending passage to the Immortal Realm could be found.
The original novel had also made mention that the road from Tianming to the Middle Worlds was not unique, there were several.
Lou Xingyao might not have the luck of a protagonist, stumbling upon a cross-realm talisman in the middle of the street, but he could always take the path of gambling his life in the Desert of Death.
Yes, that very place the cultivators of Tianming called the Land Forbidden to Lif at its furthest end, it connected directly to a desert Forbidden Land in one of the Middle Worlds.
Should one manage to cross it, the higher Dao would naturally open before him.
In the original work, this path was not even a secret among Golden Core cultivators.
But those rooted in Tianming were either bound by limited talent, with no hope of advancing further, or else too enamored with the power and status of being “lords among men” as Golden Core True Persons.
Few were willing to risk themselves in the Desert of Death for a near-hopeless chance.
Since they would not take the risk themselves, and in order to ensure their absolute grip on Canglan City, they also kept the knowledge to themselves.
With time, the illusion was created that Tianming’s path of cultivation had truly been cut off.
Who knew what feelings would stir in the heart of the author of this “Overview” if he ever learned of this hidden truth?
Thinking this, Lou Xingyao let out a soft sigh, then shifted his attention back to the book itself.
Beyond the grand overviews, the latter half of the text gave simple introductions to Canglan City and several of the more renowned counties, including local customs, terrain, and native specialties.
This section read less like an overview and more like a travel journal. And because the author’s prose was vivid and engaging, Lou Xingyao soon found himself immersed, losing track of time as he read on.
Time slipped away, unnoticed.
With a soft clack, Wen Hanshan placed a white stone onto the board, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. “You’ve lost.”
The black and white stones were scattered across the grid, but unlike white’s steady advance, black had retreated step by step. When that final white stone fell, black’s pieces had been pressed to the brink with nowhere left to go.
Lou Xingyao’s gaze swept the board again and again, searching desperately for a single glimmer of life. Yet his efforts were in vain. At last, he let out a frustrated huff and put down the stone in his hand. “Can’t you just let me win once?”
It wasn’t unreasonable for him to say so. Ever since he and Wen Hanshan had signed their contract, the two had shed much of their initial distance.
At first, Wen Hanshan had only occasionally tossed him a book or two to relieve his boredom.
But as Lou Xingyao began to discuss what he read, a bridge formed between them, closing the gap little by little.
Not long ago, Wen Hanshan had casually mentioned the idea of playing a game of Go. The words lit an instant spark of interest in Lou Xingyao.
In his past life, thanks to his grandfather, Lou Xingyao had achieved no small skill at the game. By the age of eighteen, he could already sweep through his grandfather’s small circle of players with ease.
Even after his grandfather’s passing, Lou Xingyao often played online, rarely finding an opponent who could truly challenge him.
So when Wen Hanshan brought it up, how could he resist?
Yet who would have thought that his once-unbeatable skill would meet utter defeat here? In their very first game, Wen Hanshan had wiped the board clean of him in short order.
It was the worst loss Lou Xingyao had suffered since reaching adulthood. Naturally, he couldn’t accept it. At once, he began pestering Wen Hanshan for another match.
Though Wen Hanshan disdained his poor skill, he could not withstand Lou Xingyao’s relentless coaxing, and in the end had no choice but to nod.
From then on, Lou Xingyao demanded games almost every day. But try as he might, he had yet to win even once.
“You say that and don’t feel the least bit guilty?” Wen Hanshan shot him a look, torn between exasperation and laughter. The one who begged to play was him, the one who lost and then whined about it was still him.
“Ahem… well, who asked you to be so good?” Lou Xingyao’s guilty look flashed and vanished in an instant.
By now, Wen Hanshan’s playstyle had grown much gentler than at the beginning.
But still, the gap between them was simply too great.
If Lou Xingyao could be called a folk expert, then Wen Hanshan was a true professional. With that thought, Lou Xingyao’s expression firmed, growing righteous again.
“You…” Wen Hanshan shook his head helplessly, finally reducing it all to a single question: “Shall we continue?”
“Of course!” Lou Xingyao answered without a heartbeat’s pause, reaching out to reset the scattered stones on the board.
In truth, aside from his steadily improving skill, his greatest gain in these days was the growing closeness between him and Wen Hanshan.
At the beginning, he had to wheedle and cajole for half a day before Wen Hanshan would grudgingly agree to a match. But now, before he even asked, Wen Hanshan himself would offer.
If that wasn’t progress, what was?
As he mused, Lou Xingyao had already finished sorting the stones. By habit, he pushed the white pieces toward Wen Hanshan and kept the black for himself, placing the first move on the board.
Wen Hanshan followed smoothly with his own white stone.
As the board gradually filled, Lou Xingyao’s expression grew increasingly serious. At this point, the thought of asking Wen Hanshan to “go easy” was long forgotten.
Wen Hanshan, watching that concentrated face, felt the corner of his lips curve upward.
Though Lou Xingyao might grumble and whine after the game was over, during the game itself he was unfailingly earnest. His attitude toward the board was upright, his “chess character” impeccable.
It was precisely this quality that made Wen Hanshan indulge him time and again.
And besides, Lou Xingyao’s mind was sharp. His progress in Go was astonishing, the kind of improvement that could be called a thousand miles in a single day.
Mistakes made once were never repeated a second time. Clearly, he was working hard.
As Lou Xingyao’s style edged closer and closer to his own, Wen Hanshan even felt the quiet pride of a teacher watching his student succeed.
Watching Lou Xingyao place another black stone, Wen Hanshan’s mind flickered back to that half-jesting complaint from earlier. His fingers hesitated, then landed a fraction off from where they should have.
Sure enough, the moment his stone fell, Lou Xingyao’s eyes lit up. “Ha! Got you this time!”
But before he could set down his next stone, the carriage gave a violent lurch. The board tipped, scattering the neatly arranged pieces across the floor.
It was the first time since their departure that the Blue Flame Horned Horse had made such a commotion. Forgetting the game, Lou Xingyao’s head snapped toward the window.
And there it was, a towering stone stele that seemed to pierce the sky, its face carved with three bold characters, sweeping and grand:
Xilin County.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Breaking news: translator still enjoys coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · Lu XioaWuChapter 3 · UncleChapter 4 · Substitute MarriageChapter 5 · Travelling Through BookChapter 6 · SpaceChapter 7 · InheritanceChapter 8 · ExplanationChapter 9 · He familyChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · WeddingChapter 12 · LeavingChapter 13 · SuspicionChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 15 · SummaryChapter 16 · Family BusinessChapter 17 · ResettlementChapter 18 · DeterminationChapter 19 · TreatChapter 20 · Enter the TaoChapter 21 · Private TrainingChapter 22 · BreakthroughChapter 23 · ExperienceChapter 24 Part 1 · Questions and AnswersChapter 24 Part 2 · Questions and answersChapter 25 · GiftChapter 25 Part 1 · GiftChapter 26 Part 1 · Sword IntentChapter 26 Part 2 · Sword IntentChapter 27 Part 1 · SelectChapter 27 Part 2 · SelectChapter 28 Part 1 · PastChapter 28 Part 2 · PastChapter 29 Part 1 · ConfessionChapter 29 Part 2 · ConfessionChapter 30 Part 1 · TradeChapter 30 Part 2 · TradeChapter 31 Part 1 · Male LeadChapter 31 Part 2 · Male LeadChapter 32 Part 1 · LuckChapter 32 Part 2 · LuckChapter 33 Part 1 · GuessingChapter 33 Part 2 · GuessingChapter 34 Part 1 · SystemChapter 34 Part 2 · SystemChapter 35 · OpportunityChapter 36 Part 1 · LingquanChapter 36 Part 2 · LingquanChapter 37 Part 1 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 37 Part 2 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 38 · Worth itChapter 39 · SaintessChapter 40 · ExperimentChapter 41 · Vampire SystemChapter 42 · NotesChapter 43 · WarningChapter 44 · PlanChapter 45 · Fellow VillagersChapter 46 · AssimilationChapter 47 · IlliterateChapter 48 · Pak WahChapter 49 · Sudden EnlightenmentChapter 50 · Wen ZhiChapter 51 · CarrierChapter 52 · LeavingChapter 53 · Follow UpChapter 54 · OutrageousChapter 55 · OnceChapter 56 · TeasingChapter 57 · Playing aroundChapter 58 · Beast fireChapter 59 · Watching a PlayChapter 60 · Extermination of the entire clanChapter 61 · ChoiceChapter 62 · PossessionChapter 63 · CalculationChapter 64 · GuaranteedChapter 65 · Grand OpeningChapter 66 · Grand OpeningChapter 67 · Protecting one’s ownChapter 68 · Secret RealmChapter 69 · BetrayalChapter 70 · DetailsChapter 71 · FramedChapter 72 · MeetingChapter 73 · KillChapter 74 · MapChapter 75 · FoundationChapter 76 · Strange Phenomenon!Chapter 77 · ExchangeChapter 78 · LetterChapter 79 · ShortcutChapter 80 · God of Slaughter!Chapter 81 · Poison PillChapter 82 · Lou ShuChapter 83 · ProgressChapter 84 · An attemptChapter 85 · Movement and StillnessChapter 86 · Good intentionsChapter 87 · ChangeChapter 88 · Childhood friendChapter 89 · ThoughtsChapter 90 · Old storiesChapter 91 · HeritageChapter 92 · TestChapter 93 · LoverChapter 94 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 95 · MasterChapter 96 · TeachingChapter 97 · IllusionChapter 98 · Mutual RestraintChapter 99 · ObstructionChapter 100 · PalaceChapter 101 · Core TechniqueChapter 102 · OathChapter 103 · Dual cultivationChapter 104 · AccessChapter 105 · VulnerabilityChapter 106 · DensityChapter 107 · WantedChapter 108 · EntrustChapter 109 · RevisitChapter 110 · MonitoringChapter 111 · Secret RealmChapter 112 · NourishChapter 113 · InventoryChapter 114 · Get Rich QuicklyChapter 115 · ElderChapter 116 · Grand FormationChapter 117 · Heaven’s WillChapter 118 · BountyChapter 119 · GainChapter 120 · BlameChapter 121 · ChattingChapter 122 · GuessChapter 123 · Zheng TianChapter 124 · SparringChapter 125 · Sword intentChapter 126 · KenshinChapter 127 · Auditing a classChapter 128 · CoincidenceChapter 129 · ContradictionChapter 130 · RouteChapter 131 · CostChapter 132 · ConfiscatedChapter 133 · Holding a grudgeChapter 134 · SupportChapter 135 · DeteriorationChapter 136 · Unable toChapter 137 · PriceChapter 138 · VariantChapter 139 · Start AnewChapter 140 · ShamelessChapter 141 · Black PotChapter 142 · Benefiting fromChapter 143 · PieChapter 144 · DifferencesChapter 145 · DetoxificationChapter 146 · Current situationChapter 147 · TeasingChapter 148 · IntelligenceChapter 149 · Returned GiftChapter 150 · Old debtChapter 151 · FleshChapter 152 · OpeningChapter 153 · GrudgesChapter 154 · RegretChapter 155 · Gang fightChapter 156 · GentleChapter 157 · ComplaintChapter 158 · ScreamsChapter 159 · GeniusChapter 160 · ConcernChapter 161 · Hidden StoryChapter 162 · StingyChapter 163 · Guilty conscienceChapter 164 Part 1 · StruggleChapter 164 Part 2 · StruggleChapter 165 · Win or LoseChapter 166 · TasteChapter 167 · Shifting The BlameChapter 168 · MoonlightChapter 169 · Past EventChapter 170 · RegretChapter 171 · RetributionChapter 172 · Cause and EffectChapter 173 · BackgroundChapter 174 · FlatteryChapter 175 · HonestChapter 176 · BookkeepingChapter 177 · FarewellChapter 178 · GuidelineChapter 179 · BottleneckChapter 180 · HabitChapter 181 · Casual ChatChapter 182 · Flowing WaterChapter 183 · RumoursChapter 184 · Seeking AdviceChapter 185 · PityChapter 186 · FormationChapter 187 · BasicChapter 188 · Fake TombChapter 189 · BewareChapter 190 · TraceChapter 191 · DiscussChapter 192 · Ancestral preceptsChapter 193 · Loose CultivatorChapter 194 · AllocationChapter 195 · Thank you for your kindnessChapter 196 · ExplanationChapter 197 · ErrorChapter 198 · Culinary skillsChapter 199 · Starry SeaChapter 200 · ComparisonChapter 201 · FrustratedChapter 202 · Don’t watchChapter 203 · LonelinessChapter 204 · NoChapter 205 · Exposing ShortcutsChapter 206 · CraftsmanshipChapter 207 · Bottom LineChapter 208 · StrikeChapter 209 · Ten GoldChapter 210 · Pretentious