Chapter Thirty-Three: The Locator Pearl

Positioning Pearl!

As soon as Chu Tiange injected his spiritual power into the bead, a flash of azure light burst forth. He immediately felt a mysterious force tugging at him, pulling his consciousness out from his body and whisking him through the void, transporting him into another world in an instant.

His vision shifted dramatically, as if he were dreaming, stepping straight into a living painting.

All around him, the scenery morphed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he was no longer in the small mountain valley but had arrived within an endless forest and canyon.

Within this panorama, mountains and rivers unfurled before his eyes, and he could even hear the wind and the rush of water.

In one region, a blood-red blazing sun hung high in the sky. Clouds churned and colored the heavens while cranes soared through the air. Strange beasts, too, were entrenched in their own domains.

Chu Tiange even spotted another region where nine full moons hung, like nine silver plates gleaming with radiant light.

This sight left Chu Tiange utterly stunned!

"Nine moons! What is this place?" A flicker of delight flashed in Chu Tiange's eyes.

If he could cultivate the "Primordial Sword Canon" there, his progress would be twice as fast for half the effort, and he could surely condense more sword qi.

His heart raced with excitement.

Soon, small points of light appeared, and next to the nine moons, two characters formed:

___ Moon Palace.

Not only there, but in many other regions, names flashed in shimmering light.

That blood-red sun, for instance, was named the Blood Domain!

There was also a particularly bright point of light marking his own location, named the Forgotten Spring Mountains.

In the span of just a few breaths, words appeared after each region’s name:

Safe, Relatively Safe, Rather Dangerous, Moderately Dangerous, Very Dangerous, Extremely Dangerous!

Both the Moon Palace and the Blood Domain were marked as Extremely Dangerous, while the Forgotten Spring Mountains were Rather Dangerous.

Chu Tiange also noticed that outside these regions, there were still dim, unmarked areas, clearly places no one had yet explored.

After a moment, Chu Tiange withdrew his spiritual awareness.

"Well? Isn’t it astonishing? This map is the result of thousands of years of painstaking work by our Sect Master—a labor of both mind and heart. Now that it’s finally complete, if it were ever made public, it would shake the entire Azure Profound Continent. But for the sake of our sect's future, it will never be openly shared. You are the first to behold the map of the Ancient Azure Profound Domain," Xiao Shijing said, brimming with pride.

"Truly remarkable. The Sect Master is a person of unparalleled talent—I am full of admiration. I wonder, has the Sect Master traversed all these places himself?" Chu Tiange inquired, his praise sincere.

"Not quite. Any places marked as 'Extremely Dangerous' are home to Tier Four fierce beasts or other strange phenomena. For any cultivator entering the Ancient Azure Profound Domain—unless they possess the cultivation of the Azure Profound Dao Sovereign and can maintain the Nascent Soul stage—all others, be they at the Divine Realm or the Forgetting Sorrow stage, are suppressed to the Spirit Core stage."

"At the Spirit Core stage, venturing into those places means certain death," Xiao Shijing sighed. "Yet those places are where all the best treasures lie."

"But then, how did the Sect Master gather information on these places for the map? Did he rely again on the Great Elder?" Chu Tiange asked, a hint of curiosity sparking in his mind.

The Azure Mirror had been improved over several generations—it could soar into the sky, burrow underground, and even traverse the seas. In a few more generations, it might even cross the stars.

"Exactly. Every thirty years, during the sect-wide examination, the Sect Master secretly affixes an Azure Mirror to every disciple. Once they enter the Ancient Azure Profound Domain, these mirrors fly high into the sky, exploring in all directions, and transmit their findings directly back to the Sect Master," Xiao Shijing explained.

"Genius," Chu Tiange remarked, then changed the subject. "But on the map, I only saw myself—Ning Wujue didn’t appear."

With this map, Chu Tiange could avoid much danger and not stumble blindly into the most perilous places. But his true goal was to find Ning Wujue and the sealed ghost immortal, to perform a second sealing.

"Don’t worry. The Sect Master made a second arrangement. You should have seen that Ning Wujue was alive and well," Xiao Shijing said.

"A second arrangement?" Chu Tiange recalled how, when the secret realm opened, Ning Wujue hadn’t seemed gravely injured.

Xiao Shijing, in a conspiratorial tone, revealed the second arrangement.

Ning Wujue had indeed been gravely wounded, barely clinging to life. To show the sect’s care for its disciples, the Sect Master summoned the finest healer on the Azure Profound Continent.

Though Ning Wujue’s life was saved, his “root” could not be preserved. Yet there was hope—if he could reach the Nascent Soul stage and remake his body, he could become a man again.

But that was not the critical point. The key was a tracking device, newly invented by Xiao Shijing, hidden within the pill given to Ning Wujue. Once swallowed, the device would attach itself to the intestinal wall and could not be dislodged.

As long as the two were within a thousand miles of each other, the positioning pearl would grow hot and indicate the direction.

Currently, the distance between them was clearly more than a thousand miles.

That was the first arrangement.

The second was that, once Ning Wujue entered any area under the Azure Mirror’s surveillance, the map would display his location as well.

With both preparations in place, it wouldn’t be long before Chu Tiange could track down Ning Wujue.

The glow of the Azure Mirror faded. By then, enough time had passed for a cup of tea to grow cold, and thousands upon thousands of premium spirit stones had been consumed as fuel.

Because Chu Tiange was not a woman, Xiao Shijing saw no need for further small talk.

During this time, Chu Tiange even asked about the meaning of “Return.”

As the Sect Master’s nephew, Xiao Shijing was certainly half a scholar. Yet, he knew nothing; as someone in his position, he didn’t need to compete for resources like common disciples did. After all, the entire sect would one day be his.

Chu Tiange gathered his belongings and placed the positioning pearl close to his body, so he would immediately know if Ning Wujue came within range.

"I can leave this place now, but A’gen’s death still troubles me. I must discover why my Heaven-Piercing Eyes failed me; otherwise, if the boundaries between human, spirit, and ghost blur, there could be trouble ahead," Chu Tiange mused.

Agu Duo would hold a ghost wedding to appease A’gen’s restless spirit. With this, the being called “Return” would not appear, and calamity would not befall the tribe.

Chu Tiange speculated that the failure of his Heaven-Piercing Eyes was connected to this “Return.”

Yet, among the twenty-four documented anomalies, there was no mention of “Return.” Could it be a new anomaly, unknown to the records?

____ Thud, thud.

Suddenly, a knocking sounded at the door.

A clear voice called from outside.

"It’s me, Agu Duo… I want to see you. I don’t want to die like this. I’m still young, I haven’t… even tasted what it’s like to be a woman. You are a warrior, stronger than anyone I know. Before I die, I beg you—let me truly become a woman, just this once."

Chu Tiange’s brow furrowed. He replied, "Agu Duo, such things should only happen between those who love each other. Please go. I am sure there is a way to save you, but I cannot grant your request."