Chapter 1553: World Map Setting Manuscript of Crimson Heart Patrol

This is a world of Immortals and cultivation, thus its map is far vaster than the author's rough sketch.The nations marked upon this map do not represent all the nations in the current world, but merely a portion depicted within the novel. (As the novel remains unfinished, the possibility of further additions in subsequent creations cannot be excluded.)Unless specifically described, there is no need for major powers to share borders. The vast empty spaces in between may be desolate lands, regions for rearing ferocious beasts, or perilous and secret realms not captured on the author's sketch. This differs greatly from a real-world map. Some space must be left blank.Furthermore, within this world, the national system is merely an innovation in the cultivation system since the new era. Not all lands belong to the various great nations.In essence, the Sect powers that appear on the map are generally mightier than ordinary nations.The above serves as the premise for the present world's map.…………Beneath the heavens lie six great hegemonic nations.The State of Jing is the hegemon of the Central Region. It lies at the heart of the entire Central Region, presiding over the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons. (Beyond the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons lies the world where the Demon Race resides.)The State of Qi is the hegemon of the Eastern Region. Due to its duty of suppressing the Seafolk of the Azure Sea, its eastern border directly faces the sea.The State of Chu is the hegemon of the Southern Region. Located at the southernmost point, it must suppress the Fallen Immortal Forest.The State of Qin is the hegemon of the Western Region. It dominates the southwestern expanse of the current world. To the west of Qin lies a river named Wei River, which extends beyond the national border, connecting to the Abyss of Yu (at the bottom of the Abyss of Yu resides the Asura Race). Upon the Wei River stands Wu Pass, constructed for the purpose of suppressing the Abyss of Yu.The States of Mu and Jing are the hegemons of the Northern Region. These two nations' combined forces are stationed on the Borderlands (which is the boundary between life and death).The State of Mu is a nation of grasslands, while the State of Jing has many plains.Deep within the boundless desert lies endless quicksand. Human footprints cannot reach it.It is said that deep within the endless quicksand, it connects to the Myriad Realms' Desolate Tomb. (The Myriad Realms' Desolate Tomb is the world where the Demon Race resides.)Original text: Likely due to being ravaged by the Demon Tide for too long, the geography of the Northern Region is the most peculiar in the current world.The "Line of Life and Death" that divides the boundless desert from the boundless grassland takes on a different appearance within the borders of Jing.Jing is unlike Mu; it lacks such vast grasslands. What confronts the boundless desert in Jing are military fortresses, sharp-angled like ferocious beasts, scattered across the plains.The "death" of the Borderlands is unchanging.The "life" of the Human Race, however, takes various forms.In Mu, it is a boundless grassland, brimming with vitality.In Jing, this "life" is the "life" of swords and spears like a forest.These six hegemonic nations can roughly delineate the scope of the five regions.This is the foundation of the entire current world's map.…………The Gate of Ten Thousand Demons suppressed beneath the capital city of Jing, Tianjing City; the Azure Sea beyond the Maze Realm; the Fallen Immortal Forest at the southern extremity; the Abyss of Yu beyond Wu Pass; the endless quicksand within the boundless desert (Myriad Realms' Desolate Tomb).These five locations fundamentally represent the most perilous places in the world, and are also connected to the Human Race's mortal enemies, thus they need to be displayed on the map.……This world only has a sea to the east; there are none in other directions. Therefore, other seas can be omitted.This world has no end; its end is blocked by another world.……Upon the Eastern Sea lies a vast expanse of near-shore islands. Upon the near-shore islands is a powerful Sect called the Sea Fishing Pavilion. Further east from the near-shore islands is the Maze Realm (the Maze Realm is a chaotic minor world, the front line battlefield for Human Race and Seafolk battles). Beyond the Maze Realm is the Azure Sea where the Seafolk reside (the living environment is extremely harsh, with world-ending lightning storms and eternal dark whirlpools and other natural disasters occurring constantly).Hand-drawn map of nearby islands. Haimen Island is long and narrow, Deqiao Island is axe-shaped. The large and small Crescent Islands are opposite each other.…………Other landmark locations (original text of the novel)Calamity WaterLocated in the southeastern corner of the world, it is a perilous land that bears the dark side of the entire world. (Can be understood as a place where calamities gather.)The duty of the Blood River Sect is to govern the Calamity Water.In addition to being a renowned Sect and the Sacred Land of Legalism, the Three Punishments Palace also has the duty of suppressing the Calamity Water.Long RiverThe longest and largest river in this era is the Long River.Its known sections alone already span tens of thousands of li.The source of the Long River originates from the extremely western lands, and there is also a saying that the source is on Mount Yujing, one of the Sacred Lands of the Dao Sect.Neither claim has been verified.What is presently verifiable is that the source of this water vein is at least further west than the State of Wan in the Western Region, and it winds its way through the Central Region, all the way to the State of Xia in the Southern Region. (It does not flow into the sea.)The Long River water system, connected by the Long River and its tributaries, covers nearly half of the Human Race's territory and nurtures countless living beings on its banks. Hence, it is also called "Inland Vast Sea," "Mother River," "Ancestral River," and "Source Flow of Inland Rivers."……Upon the Long River are nine towns (nine bridges). The ancient Human Emperor refined the nine sons of the dragon into nine bridges to suppress the Long River's water vein.……Tianma Plain is a plateau in the middle section of the Long River, near the states of Wei and Wo, located north of the Long River. It overlooks the Long River like a giant and is in distant opposition to the River Observing Platform to the south of the Long River.Tianma Plain faces south towards the Long River, borders the State of He to the west, and faces the Renxin Pavilion to the north. Looking eastward, from south to north, are the State of Wo, the State of Wei, and the Diligent Study Academy.……River Observing Platform"Ancient Sages built the River Observing Platform on the segment of the Yellow River and jointly suppressed the Long River's water vein here. Because countless living beings on both banks rely on the Long River for survival, it cannot be suppressed completely. If the power is intentionally controlled, the seal is inevitably loosened by the constant erosion of the Long River. Therefore, every so often, the Ancient Sages must come to reinforce the seal. This was the earliest River Gathering."Later, it evolved into a gathering of prodigies from various states. It displayed the future of the Human Race, intimidated the Dragon Lords in the Long River, and also allowed various states within the Human Race to divide interests.This is a structure of great significance to the Human Race.……There is no river called the Yellow River in the world; there is only the Yellow River segment of the Long River.The so-called "Yellow River segment" is precisely between the State of Wo and the Jing State's Jingtian Prefecture.(Original text 1: When the Long River passes through the Tianma Plateau, it carries silt and sand. In the segment from the fertile land (State of Wo) to the Jing State's Jingtian Prefecture, the river water is turbid and its original color is not visible, so it is called the Yellow River segment.)(Original text 2: The Long River flows through the current world, passing through Wo to Jing, where it has a southern bend.In other words, the flow direction of the Yellow River segment is from northwest to southeast, rather than the straight eastward flow it had before.The Suanni Bridge happens to be at the upper end of this turning point, meaning it spans the beginning of the Yellow River segment.Even more coincidentally, the end of the Yellow River segment is the "Sixth Town," where the Baxia Bridge is located.The Yellow River segment just happens to flow under the gaze of the River Observing Platform and is also coincidentally suppressed by two great bridges at its beginning and end.)……The River Observing Platform is located directly west of the State of Jing. The Yellow River segment separates the two.……Star-Moon PlainThe Star-Moon Plain is a long and narrow plain situated between the State of Xu and the relatively western State of Xiang.Its narrowness is in relation to the overall geography. The Star-Moon Plain itself is quite vast, almost as large as the territory of either the State of Xu or the State of Xiang.The terrain here is flat and the land is fertile, making it an excellent plain. However, it does not belong to either of the neighboring states of Xu or Xiang. Instead, it lies in between, becoming ownerless land and naturally serving as a boundary between the two states.……North of the Star-Moon Plain is the State of Zheng, and to the south is the territory of the Hanging Temple Sect.……The States of Zheng and Qu are located at the junction of the Northern and Eastern Regions.The States of Zheng and Qu explicitly share a border. These two states can even be considered the dividing line between the Northern and Eastern Regions.……The States of Xiang, Xu, Zheng, and the territory of the Hanging Temple explicitly share a border with the Star-Moon Plain.……Severed Soul GorgeBetween the State of Qu and the territory of the Eastern King Valley Sect lies a massive gorge.Named Severed Soul Gorge.The length of this gorge even exceeds the straight-line length of the Eastern King Valley Sect's territory.It originates from the State of Rong, north of the State of Yang, and its end even penetrates deep into the northern desert, said to be not far from the endless quicksand.……The State of Rong is located northeast of the Star-Moon Plain. Further north of the State of Rong is the Severed Soul Gorge.The State of Shen is likely the closest power to the Severed Soul Gorge.……Book MountainThe Sacred Land of Confucianism.At the foot of Book Mountain is the Evening Drum Academy, one of the four great academies under heaven.(Can be regarded as the southern extremity of the world, similar to the Fallen Immortal Forest.)……Mount YujingOne of the three great Sacred Lands of the Dao Sect.(Can be regarded as the western extremity of the world, similar to the Abyss of Yu.)……River Valley PlainSouth of the State of Dan is the River Valley Plain. Further north of the State of Dan are the states of Mo, Cheng, and Zhuang.The geopolitical environment is very complex.Qin and Chu engaged in a great battle on the River Valley Plain, and both sides mobilized powerful military forces. This great battle can be said to have severely impacted both hegemonic states, but the most tragic outcome befell the River Valley Plain, which was treated as a battlefield.All the small states on the River Valley Plain disappeared after this battle.The citizens of these states either fled south or surrendered to Qin and Chu.Or those who were unwilling to leave... were buried in the ruins.The entire River Valley Plain became a desolate land. The states in the River Valley ceased to exist.Relative to the geographical location of the State of Dan, the states of Xuan and Qiao are located to the south of the River Valley Plain.……JuA steel fortress, a city of mechanisms.It is currently stationed in a place further south of the State of Xuan.……Qi Chang Mountain RangeSouth of the State of Yong, a small section borders the State of Zhuang, but a large portion of their border is separated by the Qi Chang Mountain Range.To the northwest of the State of Yong is a small state named "Chen."The Qi Chang Mountain Range lies between Zhuang and Yong, naturally forming a massive barrier.……Qing RiverThe eight hundred li Qing River mostly flows within the borders of the State of Zhuang. It flows westward out of the State of Zhuang.…………Some states whose locations have been heavily described.State of ZhuangWhere the protagonist was born.To the south is the State of Mo.To the southeast is the State of Cheng.Across the Qi Chang Mountain Range is the State of Yong.These four states explicitly share borders.In addition, between the states of Zhuang, Yong, and Luo, there is a triangular area not under anyone's jurisdiction, called Unredeemed City.The State of Zhuang and the State of Luo to the northwest do not directly border each other, but are indirectly adjacent through the area belonging to Unredeemed City.The State of Zhuang and the State of Yun to the northeast also do not directly border each other, but are connected through continuous high mountains. (Followed by the states of Luo and Yun.)……State of LuoNorthwest of the State of Zhuang is a state named "Luo."The northern part of its territory is crossed by the Long River. (The Long River also crosses the State of Yong.)The State of Luo has a dense and intricate network of waterways. Most of the time, its people travel by boat, which creates a unique landscape. Therefore, it is also called the "Water State."……State of YunThe State of Yun is located northeast of the State of Zhuang, and its territory is mostly mountainous.As the capital of the State of Yun, Yuncheng is located on the highest peak, Mount Baoxue, within its borders.When Yuncheng was first established, because the environment at the foot of the mountain was harsh, the then Sect Master of the Lingxiao Pavilion leveled the mountain and built the city on the high mountain.Since then, when the State of Yun built other main cities, they followed this example.Because the cities are generally built on high mountains, their elevation is extremely high, as if in the clouds. Hence, it is called the "State on the Clouds."There are two routes to reach the upper Yuncheng. One is a cable car connecting from other main cities, and the other is a massive stone staircase built from the foot of the mountain, which is also called the Stairway to the Clouds.The State of Yun is wealthy and invited a master of Mechanist techniques from the Mo Family to oversee the design.Most of the main cities are connected by cable cars.……State of DanLike the states of Xuan and Qiao, the State of Dan is also located in the intermediate zone between the two hegemonic states of Qin and Chu. (See the section on the River Valley Plain for details.)The difference is that the State of Dan is much stronger than Xuan and Qiao; it is a regional great power. Furthermore, its political independence is not manipulated by either Qin or Chu.South of the State of Dan is the River Valley Plain. Further north of the State of Dan are the states of Mo, Cheng, and Zhuang.……State of HeEast of the State of Yong is a small state named "He." Further east of the State of He is the Tianma Plain.At the same time, the Tianma Plain is located north of the State of Yun.Further north of the Tianma Plain is a powerful Sect named Renxin Pavilion, a great Sect of medicine renowned alongside the Eastern King Valley.Further north of the Tianma Plain is the State of Jing. The vast territory of the State of Jing and the once glorious State of Yong, like two giants, one large and one small, semi-encircle the area near the Tianma Plain.The fertile Tianma Plain is also ownerless land.The States of Yong and He explicitly share a border.The State of He and the Tianma Plain explicitly share a border.……Snow StateAs its name suggests, it snows all year round in this state. This state is located further west in the northwest, the furthest known state in the northwestern direction within the known range of the current world.It is a great distance from the State of Han, which is the closest to it, and it does not get involved in the affairs of the Northwestern Five States Alliance, having little interaction with other states. It has a posture of "hiding away in a small building to rule autonomously, regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter."……The so-called Northwestern Five States Alliance is an alliance formed by the states of Liao, Zhen, Gao, Tie, and Han. They jointly resist the State of Jing.These five states explicitly share borders.The Snow State is also a great distance from Mount Yujing.……State of JiWhen participating in the River Gathering, the State of Qi's team set out from Linzi, traveled west through the State of Zheng, circled around the north of the State of Jing, finally passed through the State of Ji, and went from the State of Wo to the River Observing Platform.The States of Ji and Wo explicitly share a border.……State of RongThe State of Rong explicitly shares a border with the State of Yang to the south.The State of Yang explicitly shares a border with the State of Qi to the southeast.The State of Rong is south of the Severed Soul Gorge and is relatively close to the Severed Soul Gorge.The specific locations of the states of Rong, Shen, and Qu can be found in the annotations for the Severed Soul Gorge landmark.……State of YueThe State of Yue is east of the State of Chu.There is a large expanse of wilderness in between; they do not directly border each other.……State of SongNorth of the State of Chu.There is a large expanse of wilderness in between; they do not directly border each other.The State of Song should be one of the closest states to the River Observing Platform, geographically located southwest of the River Observing Platform.This state solely respects Confucianism and governs the nation with "rites."West of the Dragon Gate Academy is the State of Song, east is the State of Wei, and directly north is the River Observing Platform.In terms of distance from the River Observing Platform, the Dragon Gate Academy is actually closer than the State of Song.The States of Song and Wei are both great nations, one to the west and one to the east, facing each other across the Dragon Gate Academy.The true location of the Southern Dipper Hall is west of the State of Li, south of the State of Wei, and north of the Evening Drum Academy.The states of Song, Dragon Gate Academy, Wei, Li, Evening Drum Academy, Yue, and Chu.Form an ellipse.There are large areas of wilderness in between.……The State of Li is south of the State of Wei and west of the State of Xia. It is separated from the State of Xia by a large area of wilderness.……State of XiaThe State of Xia once spanned across the southeastern and southern regions.It was once a great nation that contended for hegemony with the State of Qi.After its defeat, it declined, losing all its territory in the Eastern Region, and the State of Liang in the Southern Region also regained independence...But it is still one of the few powerful nations under heaven.The Long River ends at the State of Xia.The States of Xia and Liang explicitly share a border.However, the shared border is very short.They mostly face each other through the sphere of influence of the Sword Pavilion.Southeast of the State of Xia are continuous steep mountains. (The great Sect under heaven, the Sword Pavilion, makes swords into peaks.)Between the States of Xia and Qi are more than a dozen small states. They serve as a buffer between the two nations. (The author's sketch does not show all of them; they can be represented as wilderness on the map.)……The State of Qi explicitly shares borders with the states of Zhao and Chang to the south.The State of Chang explicitly shares a border with the State of Yi.……State of ShengAs the strongest Daoist-aligned state, it is the blade of the Daoist Sect's State of Jing striking at the State of Mu.The State of Sheng explicitly shares a border with the grasslands.Between the State of Sheng and the Qingya Academy, there are many other small states. They are not shown in the sketch and can be represented as wilderness on the map.Qingya Academy, as one of the four great academies under heaven, also has a large expanse of wilderness separating it from the State of Jing.A large expanse of wilderness should be left around the State of Jing.