Ashlock was utterly astounded by what he had just witnessed.
"Did I mess up?" Ashlock wondered as he saw the world on its side due to the Bastion being thrown off by the Lunarshade Grand Elder.
The group of Lunarsahde Elders had been far too strong for the Redclaws and the girls to defeat as they outnumbered them two to one while empowered by the moon. There had also been the pressing matter of the swarm of bounty hunters on the horizon that he didn't want to g...
2024-04-15 23:57:23 +0000 UTC
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Magnus Redclaw, Grand Elder of a family that used to dominate wars across the realm and was feared by all, had fallen to ruin during a peaceful era. Without war, his family slowly faded into the background of the Blood Lotus Sect. As the decades passed, respect toward his family sharply declined, causing others to eye his family's lands. In the following internal conflicts, many of his Star Core Elders were slain, leaving his family weak like mangled dogs.
They had need...
2024-04-14 13:26:54 +0000 UTC
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Douglas rushed through the dark stone corridor with Mudcloaks clinging to both of his legs for dear life while another hung from his back like a cape. However, unlike a cape, its claws dug deeply into his suit, and it made terrified whimpers in his ear.
"Guys, can you get off me?" Douglas pleaded, "I know the mountain is trembling, but your 'protection' is unnecessary."
"We will die for the king!" "Protect the king!" "Scary mountain!"
D...
2024-04-12 14:27:57 +0000 UTC
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The plan had worked. Ashlock realized that to have a chance of contending with the Lunarshade Grand Elder, he would need to fight the man with his full power through his S rank skill {Progeny Dominion}. So, using it on Willow's Bastion back at Red Vine Peak, the next issue was getting the Bastion close enough to the Grand Elder without it being destroyed.
Since Bastions weren't that fast, even over his roots, Ashlock needed to give the Grand Elder as little time as possible t...
2024-04-10 12:49:57 +0000 UTC
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As a tree spread across a thousand miles, the little things no longer bothered Ashlock. It took a lot for him to feel anything and stir his fading humanity into action, let alone explode with rage.
But it had happened. A group of pathetic weaklings had taken advantage of his adopted daughter's recklessness and pushed her to the brink of death. If not for his interference, Stella would have died such an easily preventable death. Just the thought of these moon-loving bastards...
2024-04-08 02:38:54 +0000 UTC
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Stella charged toward the Lunarshade guards, but it was hard to focus. Headache aside, it was rather distracting to have the philosophy and teachings of the Supreme Nirvana Finger technique forcefully passed down to her via the chorus of her ancestors.
Humans fear scorpion tails and ant stings, so why wouldn't the gods fear the wrath of humankind's finger?
It's not about the size of one's weapon but its capability to kill...
2024-04-05 09:52:33 +0000 UTC
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Uninterested in being drowned in mystic Qi and having her mind wholly torn apart, Stella left Ashlock to his evil god antics and headed back through the portal to the basement of the Duskwalker residence and upstairs to the meeting room. Her hand paused on the doorknob as she overheard the voices from inside; it didn't sound like politics or finance-related speech, so with some hesitance, she turned the knob and walked inside.
Everyone was here except the Grand Elder of the M...
2024-04-03 08:33:06 +0000 UTC
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Ashlock enjoyed the afternoon sun as he idly watched Jasmine complete her laps. Judging by her cursing at the skies, she seemed to think she was alone up here, but that was not the case.
"Don't you think over a hundred laps is a bit too far, Stella?" Ashlock asked his adopted daughter, who was hiding away from her Disciple in his canopy.
Her eyes were closed as she rested her head against his trunk and listened to his rustling leaves...
2024-04-01 12:48:52 +0000 UTC
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After eating the Vampiric Touch fruit, Jasmine felt a strange hunger clawing through her body toward the tips of her fingers. Despite the low lighting, she couldn't help but look down at her hand, fully expecting to see small mouths growing through her skin.
"Phew," Jasmine sighed in relief. Her hand hadn't turned into some monstrous appendage, but the hunger was getting to her. Her hand trembled, and it was tempting to scratch at her face and feast on her own Qi...
...
2024-03-30 13:38:54 +0000 UTC
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Stella was in a fantastic mood, humming a pleasant tune as she descended into the mine.
Her eyes were closed as she saw the world in a series of interconnected grids in the spatial plane. A black metal sword embroidered with a golden star pattern that Ash had gifted her floated at her side with telekinesis. With a flick of her finger, it shot through a portal like an angel of death, followed by a pained cry that echoed through the mine and two thumps as a headless body fell...
2024-03-28 10:05:52 +0000 UTC
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Stella was in a terrible mood.
It was the crack of dawn, evident by warm sunlight streaking through crude glass, illuminating the bare stone room. She sat at a table with other central figures of the Ashfallen Sect on a wooden chair with no padding that dug into her back, successfully aggravating her mood further.
How did I get dragged into another meeting? I thought I told Ash to leave all meetings to Diana, yet...
2024-03-26 08:40:16 +0000 UTC
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Jasmine shouted back into the hut, "Master! Your dad brought back a big lizard."
"Already?" Stella called from inside. Trudging out of the hut, she yawned and looked at the dead beast with some surprise. "That was faster than I expected. How did the hunt go?"
"Pretty good. Once I arrived at Ironclad town, I was lucky I didn't have to wait long for the monster to appear. Though in my haste to down the beast and r...
2024-03-24 09:18:53 +0000 UTC
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"Welcome back," Ashlock said to Stella and Diana as they stepped through a portal with {Abyssal Whispers}. Neither girl so much as winced as his presence bloomed in their minds. "Stella, did you complete the tasks I gave you?"
"You bet," Stella yawned as she stretched her back, "Though that was more exhausting than I expected... All the pills were evaluated, I scouted out a list of bounties and missions, and I...
2024-03-22 08:02:23 +0000 UTC
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Here is the book 4 cover. Shows Stella and her disciple Jasmine cultivating in Ashlock's canopy. Oh, and Maple is on Stella's head. I will change the cover on RoyalRoad once they hit the chapters that have Jasmine introduced as Stella's disciple :)
2024-03-21 02:14:11 +0000 UTC
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Stella pulled the hood of her cloak tighter over her masked face as she followed the group through the sea of mortals, shifting between the various halls of the pavilion open to them.
They had flown over here as a group from the Duskwalker residence first thing in the morning. Once they had reached the city's outskirts, the group walked the rest of the way down winding backstreets to avoid their origins being known once we reached the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion.
2024-03-20 08:15:39 +0000 UTC
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As the title says, I was on a podcast, and I guess this also counts as a face reveal. If you want to hear some of the behind-the-scenes info on how the series is made and my thought process, then check this out :D
(Chapter 282 was posted before this, in case you missed it!)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_xW35uNI-4&ab_channel=CritRPGPodcast
2024-03-18 14:05:19 +0000 UTC
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Evelyn had no idea what to say.
How can Stella say something so ludicrous with such certainty when so many have failed? My tyrant of a husband dead by the end of the week? Can such a reality even exist?
"Stella, I don't think such a thing is possible..." Evelyn felt her skin crawl, and a chill spread through her body as the image of her husband came into mind. Albis Lunarshade was a towering figure with broad shoulders and round features. He was also bald—hairless from ...
2024-03-18 13:09:53 +0000 UTC
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Stella tapped the heavenly ink contract Kaida had written for them for a third time as Evelyn made no move to sign it in blood. At a casual glance, the contract written on some yellowing parchment with rough edges and a few simple and agreeable terms looked innocent enough.
Loyalty to the Ashfallen Sect & Trading Company.
Secrecy regarding the activities of the Ashfallen Sect and its members.
You will agree to act as a proxy for the Ashfallen Se...
2024-03-16 10:01:47 +0000 UTC
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"We are being followed," Stella said to Diana as they briskly walked through the gate at the mountain's base. Since the defensive formation was far less suppressive down here, Stella could use Qi to mask her voice.
"How many do you count?" Diana replied, "I can detect five tailing us."
"You can feel five? I only noticed four."
"My demonic Qi is more resistant to the suppression of the defensive formation. The fifth person is hanging quite far back up the mountain, but they o...
2024-03-14 08:51:25 +0000 UTC
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Diana met the gaze of the monster's glowing green eye that was like a contained star hidden within a mass of shifting tentacles.
Yes, Diana is my name. She replied within her mind and was glad the monster seemed to understand her inner thoughts as she didn't want to be seen speaking to the monster while in view of the many pavilion members.
"I thought I smelt the blood of a Ravena, but I wasn't so sure until just now when you leaked your presence."
...
2024-03-12 04:41:25 +0000 UTC
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Ashlock felt locked out, and he didn't like it. Sneaking a single root under Nightshade City to that restaurant near the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion's mountain so he could make the portal for Stella and Diana had been risky enough. The mountain was the closest thing to a military base that he had seen so far in this world.
It wasn't the Soul Fire Realm guards at the gates or any walls that made the place impenetrable. It was the endless layers upon layers of formations that simply defied l...
2024-03-10 09:25:50 +0000 UTC
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"The registration fee can be paid with high-grade spirit stones, dragon crowns, or Yinxi Coins." The Lotus Informat listed off as she placed the jade slip with her name on it under the table. "What will it be?"
Stella hardly registered the woman's words as she felt blind. The defensive formations in this place were suffocating. Her spiritual senses were suppressed to just a meter, and even cycling Qi through her spirit roots was a chore. So, for the first time in years, she relied on he...
2024-03-08 11:43:45 +0000 UTC
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AUTHOR NOTE: A lot of context + clues were added near the start and end of the chapter.
Stella had a headache as she stared at the strange-looking ring of shadow in her palm.
"So, to summarize these last few hours of discussion," Stella massaged her temples, "You want Diana and me to head to the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion to get registered as bounty hunters. Are you sure that is a good idea?"
"Diana has already been regist...
2024-03-06 08:35:14 +0000 UTC
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A few more days passed since Jasmine rejected the sword and embraced the path of the fist. She was here again at sunrise, fighting an illusion Ashlock couldn't see.
Stella intently watched Jasmine's punching form while sitting on the bench and shouting pointers every few tries.
"Lift your hands a bit higher—yeah, there we go. Keep your head straight. Only twist your upper body here. Yes!"
Idletree Daily Sign-In System
Day: 3605
2024-03-04 21:22:22 +0000 UTC
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Ashlock watched as Jasmine stood under his canopy, swinging her wooden sword and dodging the attacks of an enemy he couldn't see.
Elaine had cast illusion magic on Jasmine so she could fight a weakened copy of Stella while the real Stella lay slothfully on the bench under the shade of his canopy, reading one of the many technique manuals she had looted from the Azure Clan's library.
The idea of fighting an illusion had been brought up after Stella found herself unable to hold back...
2024-03-01 20:57:29 +0000 UTC
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Stella placed two parchments written in heavenly ink on the table, and the two Silverspires reached to take them.
"The terms of our agreement are written crystal clear on this parchment, so there's no room for you to interpret the meaning and continue to share sensitive information with others," Stella said as she made no move to sit down, instead opting to stand there with her arms crossed and looking down at them.
Sebastian's eyes glided over the agreement before settin...
2024-02-29 11:00:08 +0000 UTC
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"Morning, sleepyhead," Ashlock said to Stella as she sluggishly got off the bench and wandered over while yawning and rubbing her eyes.
Her hair was disheveled, and it seemed a few fallen fruits had smacked her on the head in her slumber, judging from the variety of colors staining her blonde hair.
"Morning Tree..." Stella yawned again before smacking herself awake, "Wow, I am exhausted. So... why is everyone shouting so early in the morning? Oh, hi L...
2024-02-27 19:59:54 +0000 UTC
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Ashlock rustled his leaves in anger, causing ripe fruit to rain from his branches like hail. He had gone to sleep and dreamt of waking up to a delicious stack of fresh corpses overflowing with Qi, ready to be consumed. The taste of devouring a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator a few days ago still lingered, making him even hungrier than usual.
So, to wake up and find his breakfast not only missing but also catching the culprit in the act made him rather angry for the first time in a while. ...
2024-02-26 17:22:04 +0000 UTC
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Evening descended on Red Vine Peak.
While Stella and Jasmine spent most of the afternoon cultivating in the hut, Ashlock had been working with Douglas and the Redclaw Grand Elder on a plan for a transport hub after explaining to them how his new skill worked.
Because of his {Ethereal Roots} skill, his roots could now act like permanent portals so long as he hollowed them out. This was because space within them was compressed, so every step someone took would equat...
2024-02-23 20:14:11 +0000 UTC
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Jasmine felt like her entire worldview had shattered into a million pieces in a single day. She had seen a shadow spirit, met a grumpy ink snake, was taken in as the Disciple to the daughter of an immortal, and discovered that the immortal is a facade and everyone is taking orders from a spirit tree.
If that wasn't enough, she was dragged into a meeting with an heir of the Silverspire family and the Grand Elder of a noble family. They bowed to her with respect. She watched her Master ef...
2024-02-22 19:30:53 +0000 UTC
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