Dragon of Rochester

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 18)

The merchant’s figure trembled.

It would be a shame to just kill her off. She was an incredible Black Market Dealer with fantastic connections.

Should I try to use the classic trope of turning an enemy into a subordinate? It was usually done by the main character, but maybe it would work out. It wouldn’t be too late to kill her if she betrayed me later. Of course, I would have to get some assurance first.

“If the Demonic sects sent those assassins after me, th...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 17)

Clear Eyes and I used obfuscation tokens to blur our silhouettes from the few assassins still looking for us. This allowed us to avoid running into fights we couldn’t handle. It still took us half a day to reach a small grotto near a few thinner trees, the secluded rendezvous point I set up with Little Spring.

After waiting for a few more hours while setting up a defensive formation, the kid finally arrived. His hair was down and he carried a massive egg. He also was wearing brand new...

Story 8 Extra - Tribulation Troubles (Part 16.1) - Vignette 1 - First Reaper

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Author’s Note: Before you worry, This is not the chapter for this week. It's an extra for you wonderful Patrons. I wrote this after last week's chapter for you all as a surprise so you'll still be getting a chapter this week! Actually, I'd planned to write another extra that showed ...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 16)

At twenty strands every five minutes, removing the lingering energy went faster than I’d suspected. It still took an hour to clear away the foreign Qi and have the dragon store it away.

Even though the bleeding had stopped long ago, because of his repetitive energy usage, Little Spring had developed dark circles around his eyes and his pale face had turned paper white.

“What’s next?” His voice sounded lethargic.

“Now it’s time for you to sleep so you can wake up ...

'Twas the Night Before the Duel

Hi everyone!

This isn't a post for WIAFTTTTA but I have something I wanted to share.

I wrote a fun short story about an adventurer that speaks in rhymes and his good friend who is tired of his shit. For this short story, he uses the classic 'Twas the Night Before Christmas as its base (though it has nothing to do with Christmas). It's fun, short, and dumb. I wasn't sure where I should post it but since this is the holiday season I figure some of you might be interested in reading ...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 15)

I scowled at the teen. “It’s not like that mission at all.”

The flabbergasted expression on his face was priceless.

“Listen up, junior, we just watched a pinnacle stage 5 beast beat up a low stage 3 ascendant white tiger. During the crab mission, we saw two stage 5 krakens kill each other.”

He glared.

I raised a finger before he could interrupt. “We also didn’t embarrass ourselves so badly afterwards that we all agreed to never speak of this mission again...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 14)

I moved left to dodge an arrow, then sent a spiritual hand forward to block several more. Since the attacks were from Foundation Establishment cultivators, they easily pierced through my technique, but their trajectory had changed enough to avoid us.

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 13)

Thunder rumbled from the depths of the forest. Birds scattered. There was something going on over there, but it was something only the Nascent Soul cultivators could deal with. Plus, the chances of it traveling over here was minimal.

Little Spring, Clear Eyes, and I ran past large trees and clusters of bamboo toward the next plant on our list, Resplendent Red Rhubarb. A rare spiritual herb used in several heart injury prescriptions. I’d heard that immortal chefs considered its stem a ...

I apologize!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been updating patrons through discord and forgot that I needed to do it on this platform as well. It also doesn’t help that Patreon changed their menus around so instead of sending everyone a message I’m creating a post (I seriously spent 10 minutes failing to find where they moved the message all option). I am not fond of this platform, and trying to navigate it while very sick and stressed out from dealing with a 4 year old all by myself just made it worse. So,...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 12)

There was one last person I had to talk to before I left and I managed to catch him as he took a break under a tree outside where the peaks of the sect blocked the horizon. Beautiful forests crawled up the mountains and a few of the sect’s buildings br...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 11)

As soon as I made it back to my courtyard, I entered the space where I’d placed the Spiritual Rubber Tree and pressed my hand to the bark. Because this tree was only one level up from being mundane, the way to collect its latex to turn it into rubber was similar to the normal method.

I carved out a shallow vertical tapping panel, peeling away the surface. Using a lot of body-cultivation-enhanced muscles and a curved knife, I created a spiraling track in the bark, exposing the cambium....

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 10)

“It’s time to split this up and form this part of the armor!” I said, then turned to Little Spring. “Are you ready to focus on the flames while I shape everything?”

His eyes focused on the furnace. “How hot do you need it?”

“The highest you can go for now. And when I give you the signal, use this seal.” To demonstrate it, I clapped my hands then — while keep...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 9)

I pulled out several more homemade jars and placed two drops of Red Titanium Lime Juice in each one. Next I slid pieces of paper under each labeled, Control, Water, and Fire. I also specified the glass I’d recently experimented on as Spiritual Spring W...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 8)

“I created this method based on a type of synthetic fiber that existed in my past life.”

Except this material wouldn’t contaminate the oceans with microplastics.

Regardless, I had no plans to share the recipe for mass production unless there was a war. While the ingredients I used were currently considered inexpensive or trash, as soon as other blacksmiths learned my recipe, they would become overpriced.

Unlike the Alchemists’ Guild, the Blacksmiths didn’t have a g...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 7)

“This is an extremely powerful, spiritually-enhanced acid.”

“Can’t you just say, 'spiritual acid?'”

”That’s not… fine, whatever.”

I pointed to one of the smallest chunks of metal as it visibly vanished.

“It’s...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 6)

Did he seriously just kick the damn pan?!

Unnecessary and risky!

If he couldn’t catch everything...

Fuck, we’d have to store the first dish in the new time-freezing pantry of the space, then search for the ingredients for the tofu and vegetables.

I should yell at the brat. But I had to keep silent — cooking was one of the few subjects I knew shit about. For all I knew this was necessary.

While I kept a stiff face, I watched the little shit use an immortal c...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 5)

By the time we landed in our courtyard, Little Spring had fully recovered from the recent duel.

“I’m ready to make our last Qi Condensation body cultivation meal.” The kid looked determined.

“Good! The last meal should increase our survivability significantly.” We wouldn’t be able to consume the Foundation Establishment meals if we didn’t finish these.

“I’ll be using the forge today, so there are some things I need to prepare. ” When I took a step away, h...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 4)

“What do you mean it’s not worth ten mid-grade spirit stones? It was the sword of an immortal! I’m giving you a huge discount here.” my black market dealer crossed her arms.

I grinned. “It may have been an Immortal Ascension cultivator’s sword — when they were in Golden Core — but it definitely isn’t pure Three Stars Red Titanium. It’s an alloy, which will have spiritual metals in it that won’t work with the item I’m preparing.”

The girl’s whol...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 3)

Since I was no longer welcome to watch Little Spring’s lessons, I headed over to the Sect Leader’s hall.

I entered the side area where disciples filed reports and finished paperwork. A few of them talked excitedly while others quietly handed jade slips to each other.

Daoist Early Rise Swift Brush rushed down the bustling room. The young cultivator looked like he was about to burst with energy, figuratively.

His eyes widened and he slid to a stop right in front of me.

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 2)

[Due to the author’s poor health, this part hasn’t been content edited, so some areas may change later.]

After a good twenty minutes of lecturing how to do the stance while hinting at the deeper meaning behind it, I ended my lecture. “Remember, this stance doesn’t work for all sword cultivators. But even if it doesn’t, learning something new is better than not knowing it.”

A couple of the kids vibrated with energy and immediately left to practice.

Little Spring s...

Extras - September 2022

Hi Everyone!

I promised an extra post that included the new cover. I was supposed to post it last week but I didn't have the files at the time.

The artist I worked with is Kittra McBriar. She writes and illustrates Stonesong and is a really amazing artist.

I gave her this image below which is an initial concept I worked on. It's very rough and...

Story 8 - Tribulation Troubles (Part 1)

[Due to the author’s poor health, this part is, unfortunately, shorter and hasn’t been content edited, so some areas may change later.]

As we faced each other on the training grounds, I eyed Sword Master Salamander’s classic stance. It was perfect for this time period.

But it wasn’t perfect for Salamander.

With the ease of motion from hundreds of years of practice, I placed my feet in the form that he taught me. The one he’d wished he’d known about when he was yo...

Story 7 - To Kill Demonic Vines (Part 18/18 End 🎉🎉🎉)

Spear That Weaves Through Lightning walked forward with his own weapon out. “Even though she just made us help a bunch of mortals by doing work that should have been left up to the city lord—”

Little Spring scowled. “Are you still talking about that?”

“—You don’t insult our sect’s senior.”

The kid stepped in front of me, as if determined to protect me this time. This brat.

Actually, all of these young kids were brats!

As a thousand-year-old mo...

Story 7 - To Kill Demonic Vines (Part 17 🌱)

As she paused, I really wanted to strangle her.

Fortunately, she didn’t leave me hanging too long.

“Hold on, let me start at the beginning.”

I glared, and she looked amused but continued. “When I arrived, I noticed fluctuations of spiritual energy and immediately checked it out with divine sense. I found that Sword Master Salamander was fighting with that demonic cultivator. What did you call him again?

“Demon Thorny Devil Vine.”

“Right. Well, from ...

Story 7 - To Kill Demonic Vines (Part 14 🌱)

Since it had been a few minutes, I sent my divine sense into Hu Huan.

His organs and meridian blockages had already started the clearing process. There were a few areas where small bits of leftover toxins were sticking. This was worse than I originally suspected, but it wasn’t that bad.

The acupuncture had done its work, so I pulled out the needles.

To clear up his condition, I took back his cup of spring water, refilled it and added a shaving from a mild cleansing pill th...

Story 7 - To Kill Demonic Vines (Part 13 🌱)

“And this will be a real cure.”

Her eyes wavered. “He’s healthy. It’s just that it’s taking time for his body to recover fully.”

“Your son’s disease is a wasting affliction. It’s one that accumulates impurities in his five organs and six bowels. Also—”

“There isn’t anything about his condition that I don’t know.”

I ignored her interruption but skipped over the rest of the symptoms since she already knew. “A few years back, a physician ...

Story 7 - To Kill Demonic Vines (Part 12 🌱)

I started with the most powerful move I could currently use. “Thousand Cuts!”

A thousand thin blades of Qi struck the vine demon and tore up part of its wing and skeleton-like body. Pink debris sprayed the forest behind the demonic construct.

Unfortunately, my attack could only do so much. I was still merely at the peak of Qi Condensation while the plant wyvern was created by a cultivator of unknown strength.

I’d barely taken out a third of the thing.

Mad Tongue�...

Story 7 - To Kill Demonic Vines (Part 11 🌱)

As I left the clinic, I sent a telepathic message to all the sect cultivators within the city. ::There is an issue with the plague. Finish your batch of pills, then stop. Everyone should be prepared to either ‌fight or escape.::

::Senior Lin! What’s going on?:: Incapacitating Wind asked.

::The prescription I created all stopped working as well as it originally had.::

 ::You did take only a few hours to create the new recipe. Couldn’t...