While Chen Mo cultivated quietly in Deng Wu’s courtyard, far above the clouds the Azure Pine Immortal Sect had already begun tightening invisible nets because of a single whispered name.

  He knew nothing of it.

  And even if he did… it would change nothing.

  He had long resolved to move like a shadow stitched into daylight.

  The next morning, he adjusted his facial bones once more. Cheekbones softened. Jaw narrowed. Brows slightly altered. In moments, he became an entirely different youth. Ordinary. Forgettable.

  He strolled toward the Spirit Treasure Pavilion with unhurried steps.

  The moment he entered, a servant hurried forward with a polite smile.

  “Fellow Daoist, may I assist you?”

  Chen Mo nodded lightly. “Does your esteemed pavilion sell general knowledge books? Maps. History. Geography.”

  The servant blinked, then smiled apologetically.

  “We specialize in cultivation resources. Pills, weapons, talismans, techniques.”

  He gestured toward the street outside.

  “If Fellow Daoist seeks general knowledge, the City Scripture Pavilion would be more suitable. Even loose cultivators may browse unrestricted materials there… provided they can afford the access fees.”

  Chen Mo’s eyes flickered faintly.

  Knowledge had a price.

  Good.

  He preferred it that way.

  Chen Mo strolled out of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, pockets slightly lighter but mind sharpened, and made his way toward the city center. The spiritual qi thickened as he approached, pulsing more intensely here than the outskirts—likely the subtle effect of protective formations layered throughout the urban core.

  The closer he got to the Scriptures Pavilion, the more obvious it became: sect disciples were everywhere. Shops, offices, and the best residential districts were dominated by the inner workings of the sect; even some of the wealthier independent cultivators had to accept the peripheral corners. The city’s hierarchy was written in the streets themselves.

  Chen Mo didn’t linger. He walked straight into the pavilion and approached the counter, cupping his hands politely in greeting.

  The man behind it—an outer sect disciple, mid-level Qi Refinement, sixth stage—glanced at him with thinly veiled disdain. “The public section of the scriptures is on the first floor. Ten spirit stones per hour.”

  Chen Mo ignored the condescension. It was expected; sect disciples often regarded loose cultivators as insects, and he had long ceased to care about their opinions. With a composed nod, he cupped his hands and paid thirty spirit stones, securing three hours of access, then turned and ascended directly to the first floor, eyes scanning the rows of shelves ahead.

  Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, letting the weight of the knowledge settle in his mind. He recapitulated what he had absorbed so far:

  The Azure Immortal Continent is unimaginably vast—so immense that even a Golden Core master would need years to traverse it fully. In the south, the Azure Pine Immortal Sect reigns supreme, its influence spreading across hundreds of immortal cities, mountain ranges, rivers, and dense forests. Countless small mortal kingdoms cling to life in regions where spiritual qi is sparse or nearly absent, entirely under the sect’s shadow.

  Travel within the sect’s territories depends on a sophisticated network of spiritual boats, each calibrated to different qi levels. Without them, even experienced cultivators would find journeys between distant cities perilous and slow; some trips could take two months or more. The further one ventures from the sect’s heartlands, the greater the danger—wild terrains, hidden formations, rogue cultivators, and demonic beasts patrolling the borders.

  The southern lands are hemmed in by a massive mountain range, stretching hundreds of thousands of kilometers—a natural barrier shrouded in mist, full of treacherous passes. These mountains are effectively forbidden zones, home to countless demonic beasts and untamed wilderness, their peaks a silent warning to all who might trespass. Maps of the continent are incomplete, heavily restricted, and costly, reflecting the sect’s total control over both information and territory.

  Within this immense domain, the Azure Pine Immortal Sect’s presence is absolute—a living, breathing empire whose reach dominates the south and whose shadow stretches far beyond the mountains.

  Chen Mo leaned back, letting the questions swirl in his mind. The Azure Continent… and even the mighty Azure Pine Immortal Sect, despite its vast southern holdings, only dominates the south. What lies beyond those mountains in the north? What of the so-called Endless Sea? Are there other behemoths ruling there, like this sect?

  He mused silently. Small sects still linger here and there, but even they seem to fall under the Azure Pine’s sway. Strange… I transmigrated directly into such a major sect. According to the novels I read in my previous life, transmigrators usually appear in backwater lands, far from power.

  Chen Mo shook his head, letting a faint smile cross his lips. It doesn’t matter. This world is vast, and I’ll have plenty of time to explore it. For now… a map is the priority.

  His target was clear: the Antics Market. Not only did it sell antiques and maps, but its many bookstores also carried ancient scrolls—though most were fakes or counterfeits. Chen Mo already had a name in mind, gleaned from Deng Wu’s diaries: Old Hei, a shady old man, 8th level Qi Refining, notorious for trading in maps, scrolls, and the occasional tomb-raider finds. Perfect, Chen Mo thought. If anyone has real knowledge of the land beyond the Azure Pine’s reach, it’s him.

  He adjusted his cloak, letting his calm, practiced composure mask the storm of thoughts beneath. Time to see what this Old Hei really has…

  Sheng Xia smiled warmly, brushing a strand of hair from Li Yuxue’s forehead as she watched the young girl carefully tend to the spiritual plants in her garden.

  “Yuxue’er, you’re getting more skilled with these plants,” Sheng Xia said with a teasing lilt. “Maybe you even have a hidden talent for alchemy!”

  Li Yuxue shook her head modestly. “Senior Sister, these are just basic spiritual plants. Anyone can handle them. As for alchemy… I don’t think I have that talent. But I’ve started learning talisman drawing. If you hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t even have the opportunity.”

  Xia chuckled, her eyes softening. “It’s only natural to take care of one another. The sooner you discover your talents, the greater the benefits. And if you succeed in the future… wouldn’t I benefit too?”

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  Li Yuxue’s eyes sparkled with gratitude. “Senior Sister… you’re so kind. Yuxue will never forget this.”

  Sheng Xia’s smile deepened, her gaze lingering on the girl with a mix of pride and warmth, knowing that nurturing such potential today could ripple into extraordinary things tomorrow.

  Sheng Xia looked at Li Yuxue with a warm smile. “By the way, Senior Brother Luo Yan invited me to accompany him to Fenglin City. There’s an auction being held there in a few days. You’ve never left the sect—how about coming with us? It’ll give you a different perspective, and the city has many things worth seeing. Do you want to go?”

  Li Yuxue paused, her fingers stilling on the leaves of the spiritual plant. “I… I wonder about Chen Mo. I’ve been warned not to leave the sect… what if he’s still out there somewhere?”

  Sheng Xia laughed softly and shook her head. “Yuxue’er, it’s been more than ten months. Even if he’s alive, he’s probably stranded somewhere in some remote wilderness. You’ll be perfectly safe with me and Luo Yan.”

  Li Yuxue smiled faintly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “I’ve never been outside the sect… it might be interesting to see the city.”

  Sheng Xia nodded encouragingly. “Exactly! You’ll get to learn things you can’t from just staying here. New experiences, new perspectives, and you’ll see more of the world.”

  Li Yuxue’s smile grew brighter. “Then… I’ll go with you to Fenglin City!”

  Sheng Xia placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Good. You’ll be with me and Luo Yan. It’ll be safe—and a great chance to learn.”

  Chen Mo strolled through the Antics Market, a maze of hundreds of stalls selling all manner of strange objects—scrolls, jade slips, and curiosities. Several bookstores were scattered among them. In an era where information was tightly controlled and knowledge jealously guarded, even these small shops earned a decent living. Most were affiliated with the sect; only a handful operated independently. But “independent” didn’t mean free rein—you couldn’t openly sell anything without scrutiny.

  Chen Mo inquired about Old Hei’s shop. Only after offering a few spirit stones did he receive an accurate address. Approaching from a distance, he extended his spiritual sense and saw an old man at the counter, fumbling through his wares. Chen Mo’s senses swept the shop’s storage pouch—and his eyes brightened. It was enormous, stretching nearly twenty zhang, packed with scrolls, jade slips, books, and about two thousand spirit stones.

  He didn’t intend to rob the man—at least, not yet. Chen Mo wanted only to browse the items without alerting the owner. Robbing would have been easy, but complications could arise. If he emptied multiple storage pouches, the cultivators would panic, reports would be sent to the sect, and that was the last thing he wanted. The Azure Pine Immortal Sect was a behemoth; he had no idea of their full capabilities—and he had no wish to find out the hard way.

  Chen Mo rented a small room in a modest hotel about 2 li from Old Hei’s shop. Once inside, he focused intently on the old man’s massive storage pouch. Using his Spatial Dominion Art with extreme care, he extracted a handful of scrolls at a time, browsing them discretely. After finishing each batch, he returned the items and selected new ones, making sure nothing was disturbed.

  Most of the scrolls contained miscellaneous information—biographies, treasure maps, ledgers, and cryptic clues. At one point, Chen Mo wondered why Old Hei would bother hoarding so much seemingly random “junk.” His interest peaked when he discovered an ancient jade slip. Probing it, his eyes widened in surprise: Soul Searching Art! A truly unexpected and useful find. The technique was simple and straightforward, but with one critical limitation—the target’s soul had to be weaker than the user’s, or a dangerous backlash would occur. Chen Mo memorized it immediately.

  He continued sifting through the scrolls, and finally, he found what he had been searching for: a detailed map showing the routes from Fenglin City to numerous other cities. The farthest destination lay nearly 20,000 li to the north. According to the map, the routes marked were the safest, with warnings of dangerous regions, powerful families’ territories, and immortal markets along the way. Such a map would easily cost thousands of spirit stones. Chen Mo wasn’t entirely certain of its accuracy, but he carefully copied it anyway, knowing it could prove invaluable in the future.

  Traveling wasn’t just a matter of maps and routes—he also needed a spirit boat. The cheapest ones on the market cost at least 5,000 spirit stones, with prices varying based on speed, the materials used, and the boat’s spiritual energy consumption. The best vessels were exclusive to the sect, far beyond the reach of ordinary buyers.

  Chen Mo considered stealing one outright, but the risks were too high—if the sect could trace it, trouble would follow him immediately. Instead, he decided on a subtler approach: he would probe the spiritual auras of late-stage Qi Refining loose cultivators in the city and find out who might own a spirit boat. Once he identified a suitable target, he could discreetly “borrow” it, avoiding direct confrontation and any unwanted attention from the sect.

  Chen Mo spent the night at the small hotel, and by the next day he was strolling near the city center, where sect disciples and late-stage loose cultivators usually wandered. He probed their storage pouches carefully, but not a single one contained what he was looking for. He wasn’t surprised in the long run—spirit boats were incredibly expensive, and only a handful of people could afford them.

  Eventually, his senses were drawn to a commotion in front of a massive building. Reading the characters above, he saw: the City Auction House. Without hesitation, Chen Mo decided to join the crowd—at least to observe and broaden his horizon.

  A few inquiries later, he learned that today was the monthly auction. Paying 100 spirit stones allowed one to enter and bid. One of the rules caught his attention: a Foundation Establishment master from the sect would personally oversee the auction. Anyone causing trouble would be dealt with swiftly.

  Chen Mo paused, frowning slightly. A Foundation Establishment master? Even if his spiritual senses remained undetectable and his aura completely restrained, there was still a risk. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

  In the end, he decided not to enter. Instead, he positioned himself at a safe distance, quietly observing the cultivators going in and out. Whoever was qualified to participate in this auction might very well possess the spirit boat he sought—or at least give him clues on how to find one.