Apollos Thorne

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 5

A bright light came and went as Nathan was teleported away. He found himself in the same starting place he had before entering the trial. He allowed himself to plop to the floor.

The wall of text was waiting for him.

~ For fighting alongside others and guaranteeing that the majority of your party the trial, you have caught the attention of the Progression System.

Achievements

Most zombies killed.

Boss monster killed.

More than 20 solo zombie kills.

...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 4

A long tunnel blinked into existence before him. It was as simple as that. Its length shrank to nothing almost as soon as it appeared. Nathan felt the heat already. Even though the tunnel had shrunken, the area on the other side of it was a narrow hall made out of orange stone. After a second look, the stone wasn’t orange itself, but its light was.

He slowly stepped through the portal where a dry heat engulfed him. It left him licking his lips. He didn’t even notice the portal had d...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 3

“Bloody hell,” Nathan screamed as he regained some semblance of consciousness. He’d gone through it before, but the second time didn’t feel any better. His initial evolution would be the most painful for most paths, but his specific one didn’t follow that rule.

He lifted his head too quickly. Gritting through dizziness, he let his head fall back onto the matt and he stared up. The phantom text was there waiting for him.

~You have officially taken your first step into a m...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 2

He felt a sudden sharp pain in his temples. Nathan opened his eyes to make sure his little sister wasn’t clawing at his face or something equally as psychotic to wake him up. The light came in fuzzy, but he could confirm that there wasn’t a goblin princess attacking him. It was just a headache. A harsh one. He didn’t get headaches…

Everything rushed back to him. About his rebirth, fighting off the monster wave his Kyle and local law enforcement. It had gone better than he hoped....

Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 1

Waking up in his dorm room, Nathan just laid there staring at the ceiling as he moved his legs back and forth under the soft sheets. There was much he’d missed after the Divine Monarch’s Genetic Modification System had been implemented. Mostly it was the simple things.

The system hadn’t been considered the apocalypse when it first appeared, but a boon from the heavens. There had been little death during the initiation. Anyone with minor or major physical infirmities had been heale...

Body Cultivation Hurts - Prologue

Author note: This is a stand in title since one has not been decided on. This book will follow the returner trope, with a few interesting d

The sky was blood red as if mocking those bleeding out on the field of battle below. Small patches of dark clouds spotted the sadistic canopy. They were the sure signs of extreme-rank storm magic. Luckily those struck by the cloud’s charged lightning were already dead. The landscape was torn with cervices and multistory spikes of stone holding imp...

Update and Content

Hey everyone,

As you've probably expected, I've had some semi-serious issues that have caused delays. Everything should be returning to normal soon. I had an idea recently that I wish I would've thought of sooner. I've kept putting off getting an assistant which I'm regretting now.

I owe you guys content, so I'm going to unload a bit over the next couple weeks. It's not exactly what you've been waiting for, but if you remember the idea of having multiple MCs in the Heaven's Laws...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 61 - Part 1

“You’re leaving?” The beautiful Fairy Eu-meh asked as he turned away.

His training gave his grin a confidence he didn’t have. “Not all of my sect are like Harnish. I have to save who I can.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” The tawny skinned fire cultivator said, stepping away from the mobile palace. They’d just finished gathering everyone on the first floor from the joint sect and they’d piled in.

“No. I’ll be able to freely move alone.”

Th...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 60 - Part 2

Reaching the barrier between the Water Cultivation Chamber and the Vault, the first thing Chao saw was the domed wall of Tribulation ice segmenting off a larger portion of the room. He then saw the active pylon. Great surges of compressed qi shot up from its base to then fly out the orb at its top. It jumped from the orb at such a speed he could only see a strobe of light.

Even though his barrier he could sense the power in those beams of compressed qi. He wasn’t sure how she’d done...

Update

Hey guys.

Gotta get this out of my system. Muahahahaha. Okay, all done. So I was sick last week, which slowed me down a little, but not too much. Instead of the kids getting me sick, I got them sick this time. Not that I'm really happy that they're sick, but a dad has gotta appreciate the irony. The worst part about them and momma being sick is the dad-doesn't-get-to-sleep law. Being exhausted the last few days is worse being sick myself.

Chapters

I'm sitt...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 60 - Part 1

Shoi-ming did the only thing he could do. Remain on his feet. He pushed against the impossible weight of an overlord’s water qi. His sword clawed at the ground as he was slowly driven back. Even then, his Burning Cage didn’t fail. It wasn’t just his strong body that pushed, but qi flowed out of him as a combative river of fire. If the gave way, not only would he be forced into the vault’s chamber, but then Sage Harnish could stand on this side of the barrier and take shots at Pangfua ...

Update

Chapter 60 is looking good. Should have it published tomorrow. I'll probably publish a part one just to get out some content today. 

It's the first day I haven't been feverish all week, so if there's anything that has sounded off, just let me know. I'm hoping the POV changes aren't too much which is why I'm trying to keep them nice and sweet.

Cheers!

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 59

Big Sister Pangfua had gone out of her way to give them as much freedom as possible while in the spire. It was a stark contrast to the time she’d left him to discipline of the mine without knowing the cause. She’d watched over them for their year in the Frigid Moon Mystic Realm, and kept a close eye on his Huifen in her time of need. Their relationship was a strange one, but as far as Chao was concerned, she was family.

If it was just her, this Sage Harnish’s crimes would be enoug...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 58 - Part 2

Pulling the bulk of her joint sect juniors behind her, Pangfua entered the vault’s chamber. Her perceptions landed on the pylon at the center of the defensive array. Even still, it had yet to activate.

She’d already considered worst case scenarios, and knew the best course of action was to fly them across the room into the hall leading to the upward staircase. If she moved fast, even if the array activated, she’d save many. She hated the very idea of having to play games with thei...

Heaven's Laws - Lifetstone - Chapter 58 - Part 1

Baros remained hidden as Harnish sped by. The sage wasn’t alone. There were at least two elders and six juniors. These were the most favored juniors. Testing the array was a job that wouldn’t have even been offered to them.

He had never been favored no matter how well he performed. The position of core disciple was saved for the children of elders and political allies. Was it bitterness over this that led him to consider leaving the sect? No. He didn’t deny there was a grain of bi...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 57

Dvora didn’t move a step before she felt a mountain of qi moving in her direction. It was distant, but because of the way the rooms blocked qi it would be deceptively close. She then felt herself being dragged. Baros didn’t pull her back from her mission but nudged her forward in the direction she needed to go.

It was just enough to get her moving. She didn’t look back but darted through the chambers between her and her destination. She peered back through the entryway that was th...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 56

A week later, Chao sat with Father Tu discussing concepts and laws. Li Qiang was playing the borrow game with his study partner, while the girls were huddled on the other side of the chamber. Practice was going well, and Huifen was very hands on as she competed with each of them in turn. Most of her time was spent with Fairy Zhu, however.

The life had been sucked out of the group since the loss of Fairy Daiyu but lose was something he had a lot of experience with. There was a haze. It m...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 55

A few days passed, and things returned to normal. Except for the Morning Midst Village having less disciples in the Divine Spire at any one time, it was like nothing had even happened. Uncomfortably so. Chao kept asking himself, what was the point? Elder Harnish wasn’t a fool according to every source, so how couldn’t he know this would’ve happened? Which meant he knew, and yet he acted anyway. What made it worth it? What did he gain?

The obvious answer was that somehow, he’d be...

Content Update

I wanted to make everyone was aware of this. It's not a huge change but could come off as inconsistent.

From Chapter 7.

“It’s called a Humility Sash, at least among high realm cultivators in jest. The original name is drawn out and I don’t remember it, so it will have to do. What it does when worn is obscure your cultivation. Everyone will see your core with their perceptions in its simplest form and think you’re an earth realm cultivator. Ping Ping is giving one to you...

Update

Next set of chapters starts tomorrow.

Cheers!

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 54

Mother Sya chose to limit the joint sect’s activity to the first floor until Quinyuan’s return. After Elder Harnish’s explanation, they were put in a difficult position. If they decided to push back too hard without Pangfua present, they’d have to reveal themselves.

Chao was regretting keeping their identities hidden. He was sure if their presence was known that this sage wouldn’t have attempted whatever he was up to. It was clear even to him that the man was saying j...

Chapter Update

Next chapter coming tomorrow. As usual, I'm trying not to leave any cliff hanger over the weekend. We have the last kids birthday party on Sat, so the next one after that should be Monday.

On a side note, Anyone playing the Diablo 4 Early Release Beta? I won't have time, but I'll post next week and ask how it went.

Cheers!

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 53

The tension between the formed-up Ice and Fire Phoenix Sect and the encroaching Morning Midst Village was palpable. All conversation ceased and only whispers remained. Elder Harnish was seemingly ignorant of the force aligned against him. He finally slowed after passing the Trial of Might platform. There was only a short distance between his party the joint sect formation and Mother Sya and Father Tu.

Before words could be exchanged, Elder Alfori of the Night Pearl Sect took to the air,...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 52

The messenger entered the mobile Ice Phoenix cultivation chamber at a run. She leaped to her knees and began talking before her head even touched the floor. Only the temporary disciples that were running errands for guild points would kowtow when they entered. This girl was almost out of breathe, which was nearly impossible for an Earth Realm cultivator, even early ones, unless she’d forgotten to breath for some time.

“This one reports. The elder of the Morning Midst Village has com...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 51

It was past midnight when the Morning Midst Village elder Baros was assigned to received the message. They had fewer transmissions jades than the Ice and Fire Phoenix Sects did, but they weren’t so poor that their elders didn’t have them. This elder was a portly sky realm cultivator who had a naturally kind expression. His armor pultruded over his gut, downplaying his powerful shoulders. Even now as he called the four disciples, including Baros, to follow him. Even the man’s stern expre...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 50

Sleep came easy enough, but the little peace Chao had found while awake was quickly banished. He envisioned a monster led by nothing but rage. The Ice Phoenix Palace was engulfed in an inferno while the joint campus was split in two down the middle. Using the same irony, he’d flooded the Fire Phoenix Palace and frozen it in a giant cube of ice. As if froze, the walls cracked and in some places collapsed. That was only the beginning.

He'd tested his space vortex technique above the Gol...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 49

Chao heard his wife’s explanation and was just as shock as she had been. It didn’t take but a moment for him to grasp what had happened. As with most breakthroughs, a foundation must first be laid before you can break old boundaries. This wasn’t like any common breakthrough. He’d tried it again later and found it impossible to duplicate what had happened to the same level. However, now that he knew something had changed he could feel it.

As was his habit, he wouldn’t conclude ...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 48

Now that Huifen was aware of what was happening to her, she was able to sense her connection to the music even though she’d been thrown into another vision. A girl with thick eyebrows in an ice phoenix gown stomped toward her. She was the most vicious bully of her youth. One time already she had injured Huifen enough to send her to the infirmary. It seemed this time she intended the same if not more.

If she so desired, Huifen believed she could put a stop to the vision at any time, bu...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 47

Chao wasn’t writing one song. He was experimenting. Why did certain patterns of notes cause emotion? He wondered about it for the thousandth time. This time there was something more. He was putting patterns to individual emotions. He was categorizing them. Sometimes he remembered to make notes. Other times, he got carried away and eventually had to stop himself and go back to record what he remembered.

There was no magic to the process that fixed his every problem. It did allow him to...

Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 46

Leaving the building, Chao still felt disconnected from what was going on around him, but Elder Gen’s demeanor as much as his words had jolt him out of himself. Was what he said really the difference between facing this murderer and when he’d killed Prince Jin?

He remembered appearing behind Jin and his own disbelief at what happened next. As an early Earth Realm cultivator, he removed the Fire Phoenix Sect’s Lead Disciple’s head with a single swing of his sword. There was no do...