Chapter 9 Central Continent_1

"Should I pay compensation?" Lu Yang asked nervously, his most valuable possession was probably his brain.

"Compensation?" The Senior Brother glanced at the book in his hand and then at Lu Yang, the corner of his eyes twitching fiercely.

According to the regulations, Spirit Stones should indeed be compensated, but the problem is that if this book gets out, the Dragon and Phoenix Tribes would join hands to march from the Demon Territory to the Central Continent, driving right up to Seek Dao Sect.

Even though Seek Dao Sect does not fear the Dragon and Phoenix Tribes, and dragon liver and phoenix marrow taste delicious, a source of nourishment for both Yin and Yang... But they were a reputable sect after all, and having a forbidden book like "Dragon and Phoenix Changes" in the Scripture Pavilion, would eventually tarnish their reputation.

Having thought about it, the Senior Brother discreetly tucked the book into his sleeve, maintaining a calm face.

"Compensation? What book did you damage? I didn't see anything."

Destroying a book in the Scripture Pavilion would be too conspicuous and could trigger the Array Method. It's better to destroy it outside.

Lu Yang instantly understood what was going on—his Senior Brother wanted to keep it for himself.

Thus, nothing happened just now.

Their eyes met, and a smile formed on the corners of their mouths, as if they truly understood each other's intentions.

The forbidden book was a minor incident; Lu Yang had not forgotten his purpose for coming to the Scripture Pavilion.

After searching for quite a while, he finally found the book he wanted that introduced the Central Continent - "Discussion on the Topography of the Continent".

Lu Yang rubbed his hands with excitement and started to read carefully.

"There are human, demon, ghost and other races in the world. The Central Continent is the gathering place for the human race. The greatest force on the continent is the Great Xia Dynasty, the only country in the Central Continent. It represents the orthodoxy of the human race."

"So, even though my home is near Seek Dao Sect, it still falls within the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty."

"To the east of the continent is a vast ocean with scattered islands dotted within. From time to time, ancient demon beasts like the Kun Peng and the primordial Chen appear."

"To the west of the continent is the Golden Buddha Kingdom, a boundless pure land filled with many temples."

"To the south of the continent is the demon territory of the Demon Race. The Dragon and Phoenix Tribes dominate the demon territory. The demons are cruel and bloodthirsty. The Great Xia Dynasty has frequent conflicts with the demon territory, and demons hidden within the Great Xia Dynasty pose a threat to the human race."

"To the north of the continent is the North Pole, where the ice does not melt, and nothing grows. There are few human traces, and other creatures seldom show themselves, only very powerful races live there."

"The Central Continent is the most populous place for humans, and there are also the most cultivators. Some cultivators choose to become officials, while more choose to start their sect or join one. Sects are all over the Central Continent, and the strongest among them are the Five Great Immortal Sects, including the Seek Dao Sect, which are leaders of the Righteous Path."

"The book also says that among the Five Great Immortal Sects, there must be a Great Power at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, or a means to rival a cultivator at that stage...Could it be that the Sect Leader is a Great Power at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage? Or do we have an Elder in Seek Dao Sect who remains hidden from the world?"

Realizing that he may have the good fortune to be under the leadership of a Great Power at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, Lu Yang felt a bit thrilled. He stood up and fetched a cup of water, taking a sip to suppress his excitement before sitting down and continuing to read.

"Demon Path cultivators are bloodthirsty, using the lives of spiritual beings to enhance their own cultivation level. They are even more harmful than the Demon Race. Demon Path cultivators are ultimately not up to the standard, hiding in the dark corners, under the joint suppression of the Great Xia Dynasty and the Five Great Immortal Sects. They can only operate secretly and dare not show their faces."

Apart from Demon Path cultivators, the book also mentioned something called the Evil Demon, which was very vague. It said that Evil Demons are born without conscience, they are the shadow of the human race, beyond ordinary reasoning, they should be avoided when seen...it was all very profound, and Lu Yang couldn't quite figure out what an Evil Demon was.

"Ordinary people use gold, silver, and copper as currency, while cultivators use lower, middle, and higher-ranked Spirit Stones as currency."

Next, Lu Yang started to learn about the basic knowledge of the Cultivation World, such as the standards for dividing different realms, what kinds of skills are included in cultivation, the types of demon beasts, the levels of cultivation techniques, the history of the Central Continent, etc...

Based on what Lu Yang had heard from the storyteller in the teahouse, it was nowhere near enough for him to stand firm in the Cultivation World.

As Lu Yang looked at the mystical knowledge line by line, he couldn't help but get lost in it, roaming in the sea of knowledge until the evening, feeling hungry in his stomach, he realized that he hadn't eaten all day.

By now, the Senior Brother at the entrance to the Scripture Pavilion had been replaced by Senior Sister.

Lu Yang respectfully asked, "Excuse me, Senior Sister, I just arrived yesterday and I'm still unfamiliar with the Seek Dao Sect. Does our sect have a place to eat?"

The Senior Sister was startled by Lu Yang, she trembled slightly and avoided eye contact. She was very afraid to talk to people.

Generally, everyone was able to abide by the rules of the Scripture Pavilion, so there was no need to remind them, and her nature was well suited to this place.

She didn't dare to look Lu Yang in the eye, and spoke in a low, whispery voice, "So you're a new Junior Brother. The Seek Dao Sect does have a dining hall, but as an older student, I don't recommend you eating there."

Lu Yang was puzzled, "Why is that? Is there a problem with the dining hall?"

"It's on Fifth Elder's peak, Hundred Refinement Peak."

Lu Yang was taken aback, this name didn't sound like a place to cook: "What is this Hundred Refinement Peak about..."

"Fifth Elder is good at refining, so, of course, Hundred Refinement Peak is for refining. The dining hall is located on Hundred Refinement Peak, and the cooks there are all top-notch refiners, their buns can pierce through mountains, the rice grains can be used as hidden weapons, and the fried dough sticks can even break steel bones."

Lu Yang didn't know where to start, "....why can a cook be a refiner?"

The Senior Sister timidly explained, "Think about it, Junior Brother, the most important thing for a cook is the temperature and timing, and a refiner is best at controlling that. The relationship between the two professions is closer than you think."

Lu Yang nodded earnestly, "It's indeed closer than I imagined."

The Senior Sister looked at Lu Yang's simple attire and hesitated for a moment, "Plus, purchasing weapons, oh, sorry, I meant eating in the dining hall requires spirit stones, and you don't seem to... be wealthy."

The clothing of a typical cultivator was not overly luxurious, but at least it was made from materials like sky silkworm thread and other common spiritual materials, which were impervious to water and fire.

Lu Yang's attire was plain, his clothes mended in spots with numerous patches of cloth that made it clear at first glance he was of ordinary origin.

Embarrassed, Lu Yang gave a wry smile. He indeed had no Spirit Stones.

"There's no need to be embarrassed. There are many disciples from ordinary origins in Seek Dao Sect." The Senior Sister whispered comfortingly.

"There's a way to get food… Um…You could go to Elixir Cauldron Peak and see if there are any discarded fasting elixirs there. You could ask them for some."

"Elixir Cauldron Peak has high standards for elixirs, and when they say 'discarded', it's really just that the quality isn't high enough. There's no need to worry about it being poisonous."

"But at Elixir Cauldron Peak, you must be careful of Seventh Elder, the peak elder, as well as Senior Brother Wu Ming, Senior Brother Wen Da, Senior Sister Qingkong, Junior Brother Long Yan…In short, be careful."

Lu Yang pushed aside his bewilderment and bowed his hand in salute, "My name is Lu Yang, thank you, Senior Sister. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Zhou LuLu."