Book Pavilion. Second Floor.

In a room lined with shelves of scrolls and jade slips, the walls decorated with large maps gave the space an air of intellectual intrigue.

Bubai, his concentration etched on his face, stood beside a wide table, carefully tracing the contours of a detailed map on a small scroll.

Each stroke of his brush brought life to the outlined geography laid out before him.

"Fufufu~ Fairy Brother, it’s your move," came a soothing voice, breaking the silence of the room.

Bubai paused, setting down his brush against the ink stone.

His attention then shifted to the silver-haired beauty seated not far from him, her starry eyes fixed on him with a mixture of anticipation and playful challenge.

Between them, a chess set commanded attention, its board carved from sandstone and its pieces crafted from wood of two distinct hues - one set dark and rich like mahogany, the other a light, fragrant sandalwood.

The pieces itself featured various characteristics – recognizably being knights, pawns, rooks, bishops, queens, and kings.

This was the gift he handcrafted during the week off. It was a chess set from his previous life.

Setting his mind onto the game of chess, Bubai sighed inwardly, his mind cranked to its full potential as he assessed the situation on the board.

Only hours had passed since he had taught her the ropes, and now, the difficulty had spiked tremendously… for him.

He had summoned the tactics from his past life, drawing upon every strategy and trick in his arsenal to keep this lady entertained. But with each move, her skill seemed to outpace his own…

Bubai had to recognize the reality: His cognitive functions might have been improved, but there were still latent talents beyond that of the physical mind.

After what felt like an eternity of deliberation, Bubai finally made his move, breaking the stalemate with another calculated play.

“Please.” He gestured towards Shu Ling, who responded with a pout, her gaze now fixed intently on the board as she contemplated her next move.

While she pondered her options, Bubai's gaze wandered to the large beast skin hanging on the nearby wall, its content mirroring the smaller map he had been sketching on the scroll.

It was a reminder of the vast world beyond the confines of his current game, a world waiting to be explored and conquered.

This was the map room. It wasn’t until he stepped in here that he understood the grandeur of the cultivation world he transmigrated into.

Just the displayed maps, each representing the territories of different sects, already caused a sense of awe and insignificance to wash over him.

The complex topography aside, the countless provinces and districts clearly delineated within each kingdom already left him speechless.

These groupings were further subdivided into the territories of clans or smaller sects, heightening the dizzying effect of the organizational structure.

Of course, not all territories boasted the extensive layouts featured in kingdoms, resulting in a spectrum of diversity across the sect's domains.

For instance, the map he was copying. This one belonged to the jurisdiction of the Sun Furnace Sect, its depiction mainly focused on the Sunfire desert, but replete with much more details.

From the sprawling dunes to the hidden oases to the rock formations, from the nomadic tribes to the prominent landmarks to the subservient tribal villages dotting the landscape, every feature was outlined. Even special locations like the Ancient Desert Ruin were clearly charted on this map.

The monetary value of these detailed maps need not be mentioned.

In fact, these maps were one of the main sources of income of the Book Pavilion, catering to sect members embarking on external tasks or business ventures.

While the average disciple was not granted access to this exclusive storage chamber, copies of the maps were available for sale by Granny Shu, fetching hefty sums in contribution points, ranging from tens to hundreds per map.

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No wonder the old lady said "There is no end to the need for help in the pavilion.”

This statement now resonated with newfound clarity.

Indeed, in the unending task of stockpiling maps for sale, there could never be enough hands to meet the demand of decades or even centuries of purchases.

This was definitely a long-term, sustainable business for recovering contribution points from disciples, especially since the maps of each territory was sold separately.

Alas, despite the profitability of this lucrative enterprise, it was a clear contrast to his own meager earnings.

For each painstakingly copied map, he will still only receive a paltry single contribution point.

Compared to before, there was a vast disparity between labor and reward, especially since he estimated it would take at least a week to complete each map.

Of course, Bubai knew he wasn’t losing out in this exchange.

Stepping into this room was a boon in itself because he could freely memorize the treasure trove of maps displayed on the walls or already copied onto the parchments!

Thanks to this, he managed to piece together a wider vision of this world of cultivation.

It began with the formerly fragmented names of neighboring sect territories, now forming a cohesive map in his mind.

To the north lay the domain of the Cloud Sword Sect, while to the west stretched the boundaries of the Millennial Lotus Alchemy Sect. The eastern horizon was guarded by the ominous presence of the Deathshade Sect.

These were previously outlined vaguely in the lesser maps available in the first floor, but were now crystallized into vivid imagery, thanks to the maps on display.

However, these weren’t the only sects on this continent.

Venturing further northeast led to the ominous domain of the Death Corpse Sect, shrouded in darkness and foreboding.

To the northwest of the Cloud Sword Sect stood the Heartless Sword Sect on the cold, icy mountains.

Finally, to the southwest, tucked next to the Alchemy Sect, lay the isolated enclave of the Sun Blossom Sect, basking in the glow of the setting sun on a peninsula.

Together, these seven sects were the puzzle pieces that covered the entire continent, a lonely sovereign amidst the vast expanse of seas that encircled it, as if it was just a solitary island in an endless ocean.

Yet, it wasn't the well-defined sect territories that piqued Bubai's interest the most.

Instead, his curiosity was drawn to the four smaller regions etched on each cardinal point of the island.

The Sword Gate to the north of the Cloud Sword Sect, the Sun Gate to the south of the Sun Furnace Sect, the Death Gate to the east of the Deathshade Sect, and the Alchemy Gate to the west of the Millennial Lotus Alchemy Sect.

These four gates were prominently highlighted on every map’s depiction, hinting at their significance, but Bubai was uncertain regarding the specialties of these landmarks because he had encounter zero knowledge regarding them thus far.

However, he speculated they probably led to the world beyond the seas.

That’s right! This world of cultivation wasn’t restricted to just a couple of big sects on this continent.

In fact, the maps on open display on the room's walls were but the tip of the iceberg!

The truly important maps were kept in the more exclusive jade slips – each priced at a staggering minimum of 1000 contribution points!

Even without perusing them, the boundless expanses of this world was hinted at within the jade slips’ labels, each whispering of distant lands and faraway isles.

Among these jade slips, there was a notable section with an exorbitantly higher price, starting at 5000 points or more!

Bubai learned from Shu Ling that all of these slips pertained to a place named the Central Continent.

Unfortunately, despite his burning curiosity, Shu Ling refused to elaborate further.

Seeing Bubai's gaze wandered towards the jade slips once more, Shu Ling's dissatisfied voice reached his ears, “Humph, your thoughts are still wandering off. Didn’t this fairy tell you? Some truths are best left uncovered until the time is ripe. Even if you obtain enough contribution points, granny won’t let you waste it on them.”

When Bubai returned his focus to Shu Ling, she continued to caution, “As granny claims, knowledge is a double-edged sword. While it may broaden your vision, it can also burden your soul. Not everyone will have the will to persist after knowing their insignificance…”

Shu Ling’s words trailed off, “Ahum, this fairy naturally believes fairy brother isn’t that weak-willed, but… rather than having superfluous thoughts on matters beyond your reach, it’s still best for you to focus on the present. Hum, it’s your move.”

Bubai swept his gaze over the game at hand, analyzing the potential traps of her move.

Tack. After making a seemingly casual move, he reached for his brush to resume his drawing task while still attempting to persuade, “Shu Ling, I am simply eager to broaden my understanding of the world. Surely, it’s not harmful if you shed just a bit of light on the Central Continent, right?”

Shu Ling pouted as she stared at the board, “Granny said if fairy brother attains the realm of Golden Core, this fairy can disclose some details regarding the Central Continent.”

Bubai understood. It was basically unlocking a new map upon leveling up. It was a cliché often found in both games and stories, but he really didn’t enjoy his appetite being whetted like this.

The jade slips were sitting right there, but Bubai realized that no matter how many of these “normal” maps he copied, he wouldn't have the opportunity to lay eyes on them!

It was just like the queen on the chessboard, tempting him to eat it, but knowing it was a trap, he can’t...

This feeling… ugh.

As if sensing his frustrations, Shu Ling suddenly rolled her eyes slyly, her gaze fixating on Bubai’s busy hand.

Bubai’s hand paused mid-stroke when he felt a soft, bare foot teasingly brush against his leg beneath the table.

His eyes met those of the lady sitting across from him, who maintained a proper noble expression with an elegant smile, belying the under-the-table deal she was proposing, “Fufufu, how about this fairy come find fairy brother later… to discuss more about the so-called magic trick that fairy brother performed…”

Ah, yes. His life wasn’t a game or a story. Thus, there were always exceptions and loopholes to drill...