Ying Lin stood on her tiptoes, curious. Li Xiang sliced the blood off her sword and dashed to Hui’s side.
Chen Xigui held Ya Ai by her throat. He grew rapidly, while Ya Ai shriveled further. At the sight of the interlopers, he laughed. “It’s too late. You fools—”
Burning with extra qi, Hui dashed to his side before he could...
2022-10-20 19:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostA spark of white light appeared at the end of the long, dark tunnel. Hui charged for it, reaching out. Come on! Just a little further!
A last rune rose up, larger than all the runes before it. It stood in Hui’s way, solid as a brick wall. Hui stumbled, drawing to a halt. How do I…?
The rune pushed forward, press...
2022-10-19 18:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostAcross the room, Lu Xubo startled. He looked up at Li Xiang and Wang Xiu clashing. “Li Xiang—!”
Ying Lin grabbed him by his collar and held him in place. She frowned at him. “Li Xiang can handle it. Our job is to be the smokescreen that allows her to fight freely!”
Lu Xubo stared over, biting his lip. “But I… but if she...
2022-10-18 17:33:00 +0000 UTC View PostChen Xigui led Ya Ai along, the two exchanging polite conversation and occasionally giggling at whatever they talked about. The guards glared at Hui and the others, all but cracking their knuckles. For their part, Hui pretended not to notice, Li Xiang maintained her usual poker face, Lu Xubo glared single-mindedly at Chen Xigui, and Ying Lin bou...
2022-10-17 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Let’s begin.”
“Not here. In my manor. Somewhere that’s safer, for both of us,” Chen Xigui replied.
Ya Ai stiffened. “Could you not do anything to me within your manor? I prefer to stay here, for my own safety.”
“Do you fear your future husband?” Chen Xigui said, hurt. He tutted and shook his head.
Ya ...
2022-10-16 15:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostA strange sect elder sat in Ya Ai’s room beside Ya Ai, not Hong Haitao but someone new. The two sat close together, conversing quietly. Ya Ai nodded, covering her smile with a sleeve, while the elder drew something on the boards for her.
Hui frowned. Where are all these sect elders coming out of?
Seeing them come in, the s...
2022-10-15 14:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe city loomed up before them. Hui swallowed, checking his stock of talismans again. He peeked at the city from the ship’s rail, then went through his talismans one more time. There, there, there, yes, yes, hmm, okay, yes… all settled!
My mental energy is settled, my qi is circulating nicely, all my talismans are restocke...
2022-10-14 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostLi Xiang nodded. She gestured as she explained. “I can’t afford to risk weakening myself with childbirth with the battle with All-Heavens on the horizon, but afterward, we can attempt reproduction.”
Hui blinked at her. “Eh… hold up, Li Xiang. You…”
She tilted her head. “We’ve been close for a long time, right? Breed...
2022-10-13 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHong Haitao and Ya Ai exchanged a look. Silent communication passed between them. Hong Haitao’s frown deepened, but Ya Ai shook her head. Hong Haitao lowered his eyes first.
Ya Ai straightened up. “We will believe you. In any case, I have no desire to fight a large group of third- and fourth-stage cultivators. Although Hong Haitao is n...
2022-10-12 19:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostYellow petals blanketed the boat’s deck and rained down from the sky. Cultivators ran around, kicking up petals left and right. Lu Xubo glared imposingly down from on high. Petals poured out of his blade like water. A thick floral scent choked the air.
Li Xiang raised her sleeve to cover her nose. Her nose wrinkled slightly in disgust. ...
2022-10-11 15:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostYa Ai sighed. She shook her head. “It’s a stabilization technique. If I don’t do it every day, my condition deteriorates more rapidly. I know it looks… unconventional, but it’s entirely pure.”
Hui nodded. Qi sharing isn’t anything unusual. The world’s conventions are the only thing making it weird. Everyone should be mo...
2022-10-10 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostHui dusted off his robes and stepped out of the forge, his new bell tinkling at his hip. As he walked, he carefully wound his qi away from the bell, mindful not to accidentally feed the spell. Even my passive qi is enough to activate the spell. If I’m not actively excluding it, the bell will resonate and start bewildering people around me....
2022-10-09 18:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostHui drew about half of the molten metal out of the small bucket all at once. His brows furrowed, and he focused. The metal swirled in midair, obeying his urges. He shaped the rough form of a bell all at once, shaping more a simple bowl than a true bell shape. I don’t need it to sound good or look good, I just need it to resonate!
<... 2022-10-08 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostHui looked around the room, nodding to himself. Well, that’s an anvil… and that’s a forge, a furnace, right? That’s a bucket, and over there, uhm, a fan? Is that a rake? And a hammer! Hammers are important, yes! Haha, those are some big tongs! Wow, look at that heavy… whatever-that-is.
Er… I take it back. Forging i...
2022-10-07 20:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“We mean none of you any harm,” Hui pledged.
Li Xiang muttered something under her breath. Hui glanced at her. A little longer, just a little longer!
In any case, that shouldn’t have triggered her, right? I don’t mean her harm right now, but I might mean her harm, depending on her answers. Is that condit...
2022-10-06 18:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostHui fled at top speed, robes ragged and bloody. Li Xiang carried a pathetic Ying Lin behind him, all of them huddling together as they flew. Hui looked over his shoulder, then grit his teeth and jumped out in front of Li Xiang and Ying Lin. His sword clashed with a huge saber, and yellow petals swirled on the air.
“You won’t get away, ...
2022-10-05 18:02:01 +0000 UTC View Post“Then, it’s decided,” Li Xiang said, standing.
What’s decided? When did we have a meeting? Wasn’t it just everyone somehow finding me intimidating for the first time in my life, and no one agreeing with anything?
Eh, wait. No, putting aside the intimidation thing… that’s pretty much how meetings go, isn’t...
2022-10-04 19:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostLu Xubo returned, but this time, five sword lights followed him in every color of the rainbow. He burst through her window in a flurry of flower petals. Five others materialized behind him, three women and two men. None of the rest of them created flower petals as they landed.
“Are we finally making our move against Chen Xigui?” one of...
2022-10-03 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View Post“His beloved is arriving soon. We need to be prepared,” Li Xiang said. She led the way to a simple, clean house at the edge of town. Although nothing stood out about it except its cleanliness, it stood out anyways. As for why…
Hui swallowed, not daring to glance at the glamorous manors squeezing in as close to the humble house as pos...
2022-10-02 15:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostLi Xiang raised her hand and pointed.
Far in the distance stood another village, but so far that Hui couldn’t make out any of the details. He squinted, focusing on the village. Li Xiang, what do you mean by ‘here?’ It’s way over there! Say ‘here’ when we get there, okay?
I overlooked it at first, but now it s...
2022-10-01 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostWang Xiu and Li Xiang battled back and forth. Both seemed familiar with the other, prepared for each other’s attacks and counterattacks. Although Wang Xiu had a stage on Li Xiang, Hui wouldn’t know it to watch the two battle. Li Xiang fought her on even footing. If possible, she even had the upper hand.
No, it is possible. Sword cu...
2022-09-30 18:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe uninjured cultivator laughed. “What a fool. To think, he dared to rush into our battle without the skill or power to back it up! Only death could await him before my might!”
“That’s not true! Benefactor, I’ll make the most of this opportunity you gave me!” the injured cultivator shouted. His eyes glowed green, and he sudden...
2022-09-29 18:59:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Now, there’s an easy way and a hard way to find her,” Wang Xiu announced as they flew.
“Enlighten us, Elder Sister,” Hui said, bowing.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Easy: We corner that disciple of yours and attack as if to kill… or do other terrible things. She’ll show up.”
Ying Lin tensed....
2022-09-28 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostNight fell. Wang Xiu chose a broad, flat plains and dropped out of the sky, gesturing as she fell to catch her blade in her hand. She looked back up at the sky and gestured for Hui to come at her.
“Ying Lin, stay on Gu Tian and watch the battle from above. It’ll be good experience for you,” Hui said.
Ying Lin swallowed. She nod...
2022-09-27 18:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostHui put a hand on his chin. Hmm… but if he isn’t really twelve and that dark hallway isn’t his porn stash, then…
Well, it’s probably the prison, isn’t it? Or the torture chamber, or whatever. It could be treasure storage, or a million other things… in any case, there’s a billion reasons for a cultivator to hide...
2022-09-26 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostTaken off-guard, the City Lord blinked. “She’s Wang Xiu, the notorious outlaw. I need her exterminated before my beloved arrives next week.”
“There isn’t anyone else? Someone else you need killed?” Hui prompted, hopeful.
“Hmph! Naturally, if you do well, I will give you more dangerous targets. I might even consider addi...
2022-09-25 16:59:02 +0000 UTC View PostHui walked along the road, thoughtful. Li Xiang is hiding… well, it makes sense. All Heavens Sect should be after her as much as it’s after me. In that case, how will I find her? I’m good at hiding, but it’s not like I’ve practiced finding much. She’s doubtlessly disguised her aura and suppressed her qi… or has some item that c...
2022-09-24 18:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostA chill flew down Hui’s spine. Glancing over his shoulder, Hui rubbed his neck. He saw nothing but the street behind him, full of ordinary cultivators going about their business. I feel like someone was speaking evil about me just now. But who would bother to speak evil against a righteous cultivator like me?
“Should we ask ar...
2022-09-23 16:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostUnable to focus enough to meditate or relax enough to sleep, Hui wandered around his house, pulling random things out of his node and stuffing them back. Spirit stones… gold… dried-up bits of herbs from back when he cooked Fatty… a random flying sword he didn’t recognize…
At last, he came up with a pair of scrappy pieces of paper...
2022-09-22 17:59:01 +0000 UTC View PostYing Lin spun around happily as they left the clothing store, all her master’s teasing forgotten. She wore a fine green-and-pink robe, the top pink and the bottom green, the two fading to white in the middle like a flower. The hems were short and practical to allow her to practice her newfound sword skills, and a white belt hung with a white j...
2022-09-21 19:15:06 +0000 UTC View Post