The illusion played on. Days passed, but more quickly than actual days. Blocks of hours vanished at a time, and nights passed in seconds. Only the worst moments played out in real-time. Hui ignored the boy’s life and focused on the flow of qi around him, zeroing in on the outward flow. Sending ...
2022-01-22 19:27:32 +0000 UTC View PostHui circulated his qi deliberately, killing it to the level of someone who’d just stepped onto the first stage of Qi Gathering. With this, the illusory array should take me more lightly, if there’s something intelligent controlling it. I have no evidence one way or another, but it’s goo...
2022-01-22 18:34:26 +0000 UTC View PostHawkers’ cries rang out, offering snacks, ornaments, parasol repair, and everything in between. Children surged down the street, laughing amongst themselves. A cart rattled through, drawn by a lazy donkey.
In the middle of the street, Han Yichen paused. A young man of twenty or so years, ...
2022-01-22 18:33:07 +0000 UTC View PostSun spilled over the top of the mountain. Hui broke his meditation and stood, stretching in the first rays of dawn.
Six months had passed. The other cultivators returned home long ago, and so too had Hui restocked his talismans. Over the six months, his dantian had become firmer, the inside...
2022-01-22 18:32:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe three remaining sect representatives stood in the sky, watching Sect Master Mu leave with his disciples. Sect Master Lan’s eyes flashed, and the other two turned toward him. Occasionally, one would nod or frown, clearly locked in silent communications.
Weiheng Wu descended to Hui’s ...
2022-01-21 01:06:41 +0000 UTC View PostWords flashed through his mind. Xixing’s voice, echoing over time and space to sound in his ears once more.
Undead cultivators… I wouldn’t fight one unless I had an entire realm on them. They negate our magic and techniques—our qi splashes off them like water, it can’t even da...
2022-01-21 01:03:19 +0000 UTC View PostThe life and death qi poured into Hui. Ding Bo jumped back, wary. The life qi closed his wound, from the depths outward. Before it closed the surface wound, Hui clamped down on it, circulating it in his dantian instead. He drew out his death qi, emanating a powerful aura of death, and laid absolu...
2022-01-15 23:55:49 +0000 UTC View Post“Enma, King of Hell, Lord of the Underworld, Demonic Emperor… what was that one I heard recently? Grandmaster of…” He glanced at the reaper.
“That one doesn’t bear repeating,” she said shortly.
“You’ve caught my interest, though. Mmm, I give you permission to address...
2022-01-15 23:54:32 +0000 UTC View PostDing Bo lifted his sword, his hands trembling. “This—”
Hui grabbed the Jade Garden disciple by the arm. A sudden thought leaped to the top of his mind, irrepressible. In this situation, what would Bai Xue say? His brows furrowed slightly. A serious expression on his face, he ...
2022-01-15 23:53:08 +0000 UTC View PostHui skipped down the peak, in a good mood. I haven’t made my talismans yet, but I’ve made progress on comprehending life qi, and that counts for something.
Back up Starbound Peak. He ignored the bustling cultivators and the stalls set up in the main square of Starbound Peak, in...
2022-01-15 23:52:10 +0000 UTC View PostBack atop his Master’s peak, Hui paced around, thinking. I originally found death qi in Bai Xue. From there, I had the fortune to encounter and absorb death qi a few times, especially with the lotus. When it comes to life qi, I’ve encountered it thanks to Master. Hypothetically, everythin...
2022-01-15 23:51:06 +0000 UTC View PostHui popped a pill as he stepped off the arena square. A group of panicked-looking Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivators darted to the ice block that contained Ding Bo, hurriedly chipping at the ice. “Inheriting disciple!”
Hui’s ears perked up. He whipped around. Is this how they ...
2022-01-12 23:13:33 +0000 UTC View PostDing Bo formally bowed. The second he did, Hui pointed a wind talisman at him. “Activate!”
A wave of wind rushed at Ding Bo.
From his bow position, Ding Bo sliced upward, splitting the wind. He stood, frowning at Hui.
“Ah, you activated my trap card. Next, I’ll place two...
2022-01-12 23:10:58 +0000 UTC View PostEdit: numbering should be fixed now!
It's been brought to my attention that the current numbering system is confusing new Patrons. As is, I use the original chapter numbers as I broke up the chapters--aka the chapter numbers my manuscript has. On RR, the numbering is five chapters behind as...
2022-01-08 03:59:27 +0000 UTC View PostLi Xiang stretched and walked off her square. As most of the other duels drew to an end, Hui hopped down. It’ll be my turn next.
He landed beside Li Xiang as she stepped off and nodded at her. She smiled back. “Good luck, Hui!”
“Thank you, elder sister. Congratulation...
2022-01-08 03:36:54 +0000 UTC View PostSu Yan sniffed and wrinkled his nose. “Stinks.”
“Brother!” Su Caiyi protested, punching him lightly.
Su Yan refused to flinch this time, glaring Hui down instead. He raised his fist.
Hui threw his hands up to block.
“You didn’t get kicked out?” Su Yan asked, ...
2022-01-08 03:35:34 +0000 UTC View PostDays passed. The paper slowly filled, until at last Hui had a batch of every type of talisman. Every so often, he paused to check the back of his hand, but the mark remained a blur of silver, unchanged.
It seems there’s lots of matchups going on out there. Either that, or they’re gi...
2022-01-08 03:34:43 +0000 UTC View PostHui tossed the branch not far from the hut. The wolf gave him a disappointed look.
“We can’t throw it long, senior. I’m sorry,” Hui said, bowing to the wolf.
It grumbled and wandered over to the branch, plopping down to gnaw on it. It gave off an irritated air and rolled over....
2022-01-08 03:33:46 +0000 UTC View PostHui dove for his body, but halfway there, stopped. He turned, brows furrowed.
The cultivator’s hand still clung to the sword, but now he could see through it. The qi faded steadily, darkening to death qi, but a vestige of qi remained. From the cut end of the hand, fine threads squirmed in...
2022-01-08 03:33:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe green-robed cultivator stopped mid-strike. He narrowed his eyes at Hui, then threw back his head and harrumphed, looking down his nose. “The pathetic cultivator who had to cheat to win? What, are you going to stop me?”
“I didn’t cheat. There’s nothing in the rules against mid-...
2022-01-08 03:32:33 +0000 UTC View PostFire burned under the cauldron. Hui crouched over it, manipulating the ink inside with his qi. He spun it evenly, syncing his qi to the qi in the berries. The berries’ qi kept slipping out of his control. He furrowed his brows and reached out, trying to snare the qi. Like a slippery eel, the be...
2022-01-08 03:31:56 +0000 UTC View PostRather than let the precious berry mush hit the ground, the wolf leaped forward and ate it out of Hui’s hands as he slumped over the bucket. From above, Hui looked down at himself and frowned. What is happening? Why do I keep falling out of myself?
He lifted his hands and turned ...
2022-01-08 03:31:23 +0000 UTC View PostHui collapsed beside the familiar hut on his Master’s peak, exhausted. He sighed and patted the hut’s walls. I’ve never been so happy to see this tiny place. Another day, another mob escaped!
I’ve got to do something about the whole mob issue. Right now, I can’t be se...
2022-01-08 03:29:43 +0000 UTC View PostLuc yawned. “Any more of that tea?”
Yvon held up the teapot. A single sludgy drop dangled at the spout’s lip. “None. Ugh, I can’t believe we finished a whole pot of Madeline’s tea.”
“What about… what about those fiddly sandwiches, with the cucumber?”
“Gone....
2022-01-01 19:11:57 +0000 UTC View Post“Which way do we go?” Yvon asked, leaning against the window.
Forest flashed by outside the carriage’s narrow windows. Thick and gnarled unlike the well-kept forest inside the walls, it had seen little human intervention in the centuries it stood. Brambles snarled below, tangling arou...
2022-01-01 19:11:14 +0000 UTC View PostYvon crouched low in a bush. Small leaves brushed against his face. Sharp-tipped internal branches poked at him from all angles. Birds sang, and the sunlight filtered through the thick canopy low overhead.
His legs shook from holding still for so long. His hand, pressed against the ground, ...
2022-01-01 19:10:28 +0000 UTC View PostThunk.
A bolt sunk into the side of a tree. Yvon frowned, displeased.
“What’s the sour look for? You hit it!” Luc said, moving through the few swordplay forms he knew. His new white sword flashed in the sun, an ivory sheen playing over its surface. He stood off to the s...
2022-01-01 19:09:30 +0000 UTC View PostLuc struggled. Sweat dripped down his face, falling into the dirt below. His core burned, and his arms trembled, muscles quaking against his will. His body ached, begging him to give up, to give in.
Veins stood out on his face as it burned red from sheer effort. Tendons stood rigid on his n...
2022-01-01 19:08:44 +0000 UTC View PostBasking in the glow of victory, Hui skipped over to the edge of the arena. He hopped onto the low outer wall of the arena and perched there to watch the other battles.
A body impacted the wall just below his legs. Hui yanked his legs up and looked around, frightened. Who’s attacking t...
2022-01-01 18:45:39 +0000 UTC View PostThe instant Hui stepped into the ring, Zhenmao and Shen Xe ran at him. Zhenmao rushed from the left, while Shen Xe charged from the right.
“Take this! Panther’s Claw!”
Hui froze, startled. Shen Xe grinned. He clawed through the hapless cultivator while Zhenmao tore him apart wit...
2022-01-01 18:44:36 +0000 UTC View Post