A second before he killed the Golden Immortal, Hui froze. Hold on. Let’s think this through!
I needed to wait for the other Hui to proc this moment, so I could see the Golden Immortal’s formation and know it was destroyed before making my move. After all, even if I fully turned back time, if I did it without understanding the purpose and principles behind the Golden Immortal’s array, I’d have to forever be on the watch for someone else to figure it out… or even fo...
2023-12-12 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Oz stiffened. He looked around. “What was that?”
Another screech rattled through the air.
The wind blew through the grasses, a lonely whisper. The four of them stood still, completely motionless, lone trees amidst the sea of grass. Heavy heads of grain beat their hips as the grass swayed.
A dozen meters away, the grass darted. Sharp motion shot toward them.
Roan drew his sword. Linnea backed behind him, her eyes wide, hands clenched to her chest. Oz’s hand clench...
2023-12-11 17:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Again, time accelerated in a blur. They saw moments. The past Hui forged a silver mask and left it in the realm, found the ruins, absorbed the bits and pieces of the realm that the Golden Immortal rejected, and quietly existed. Much of his time he spent as the Elusive Ghost, only emerging as his usual form for brief moments.
“It was hard to maintain my form. Neither Master nor the Golden Immortal could accept a full comprehension of time, so whenever I was inside the world, I spent mu...
2023-12-11 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Oz led the way to the World Door. Halfway there, he paused and looked at Linnea. “The dorms?”
Linnea nodded. She ran off, vanishing.
He looked at Roan. “Go after her. Use your pressure to kill any bugs that remain.”
“Bugs…?” Roan asked.
Oz shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”
“Wait, there were more bugs?” he clarified.
“So many bugs,” Oz confirmed.
Roan cursed. “How many of us did she get?”
“More t...
2023-12-10 17:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The Elusive Ghost closed his eyes. His form shifted, and Hui stood before them. Hui as he had arrived in the Immortal Realm, all those loops ago, his robes still slightly ragged, holes burned here and there and the sleeves singed, built of mortal fabric. He smiled gently and laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I suppose this is a bit of a surprise to both of you. Apologies, Seniors.”
The white-robed Hui, the Hui sacrificed on the altar, stared. He squinted. “You… how? You ar...
2023-12-10 15:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Aisling stumbled forward. She put a hand on the doorframe, staring out into the distance, then retracted her head, examining the doorframe instead. “A World Door!”
“A whatsit huh?” Oz asked, tilting his head.
Her eyes wide with excitement, Aisling rounded on Oz. “This door. It’s a World Door!”
Oz nodded slowly. Whatever that is.
Seeing his look, Aisling continued. “This door leads to another world. Most likely, this is a secret realm Madame Sao...
2023-12-09 17:00:02 +0000 UTC
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The sword stabbed down toward Hui’s heart. He watched it come, thinking. I shouldn’t let him know that I’m using this as an opportunity. And that includes looking accurate. My heart… let’s cycle it back to normal. It’ll hurt like shit, but it’s better that I bleed red than green. Plus, the formation might count on my blood to extract and absorb my qi. If I fail to meet the formation’s or Golden Immortal’s expectations, I’ve gained nothing and lost a lot.
2023-12-09 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Wandering the library, Oz ferried the books he’d pulled from the shelf back to the desk, wielding a broom and a sack in his other hand. As he picked up the books, he brushed the dead worms, eggs, and moths into the sack, steadily filling it with mushy bug corpses. Better get them all up before they start rotting. I don’t want the library to smell like dead moth.
He moved alone, his footsteps the only sound breaking the library’s silence. Aisling had left long ago, with th...
2023-12-08 17:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Locked in the formation, Hui shifted a little, trying to sit up, but the weight locked his shoulders down and held him flat against the altar. As I thought, I can’t just sit up and walk away. Well, it would be a shitty formation if the victim could just walk out of it.
Hui quietly probed the spell around him, searching it for an entry point. The formation moved constantly, shifting beneath his touch. He drew out his phoenix fire, changing a few of the songbirds to death qi, t...
2023-12-08 15:00:05 +0000 UTC
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The two of them worked their way through the library. Oz spritzed the books that Aisling pointed out. Worms fell to the ground at their feet.
As he worked, he read the bestiary in his mind, using the reading-meditative state and the repetitive nature of the deworming work to absorb more qi out of the air. Whenever he gathered enough qi, he rested his hand on a book and scanned it, then set the book flat on the ground. I need to know which ones I’ve already downloaded, after all. I...
2023-12-07 17:00:02 +0000 UTC
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They flew down toward the ancient Immortal Realm. Its time reversal slowed as the end approached, as the Immortal Realm itself grew smaller and smaller.
“Senior, how long did you rule the Immortal Realm?” Hui asked, no longer able to stop himself. Master only lasted a few hundred years in the mortal realm, at best. So why does this Immortal Realm have a primordial era? If the Golden Immortal took over that recently…
“Ages. Absolute eras. I have been Heavenly Emper...
2023-12-07 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Oz opened the door. Aisling and Roan stood there, hugging large brown jugs. Roan scowled at the sight of him. “Here. The girl and the vinegar. Now let me in.”
Oz lifted one finger. “What did I say?”
Roan frowned deeper. “What? I brought the vinegar, and Aisling. What else do you want?”
Clicking his tongue, Oz waggled his finger. “You forgot number one. Ask nicely.”
Roan’s scowl furrowed deeper in his face than Oz had thought possible. He glowered at O...
2023-12-06 17:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Time raced forward. The Immortal Realm crumbled a double-speed. The Immortals fled, hiding at last in Heart Lotus City as the last scraps of the Immortal Realm crumbled away. Heart Lotus City floated in the void for a time, then began to fall apart itself. Soon nothing remained, except Hui’s cardinal beasts, the white-robed Hui, and the Golden Immortal.
The white-robed Hui looked at the Golden Immortal. “Now I possess the Immortal Realm,” he declared, patting the garbage realm. ...
2023-12-06 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Loud knocking burrowed into Oz’s brain early the next morning, startling him from his slumber. Groaning, he rolled over and covered his head with his pillow. “Ten more minutes…”
Maybe I’ll just call in today. They don’t need me, anyways. There’s a million drones just like me.
Ugh, but that’s exactly why I have to get up. They’ll replace me. I’m not special. I need to cling to this job. Gotta make money to survive. Gotta get that bread so I can eat....
2023-12-05 17:00:02 +0000 UTC
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The realm crumbled, on and on. The most far-flung of the villages met the edge of the crumbling space, and its bubble dissipated. The cultivators within flew away as fast as they could, picking up those who couldn’t fly and carrying them along with them. They stared up at Hui with horror and fear, shock and disbelief. One or two flew toward him, drawing weapons they hadn’t touched in some time, but when they met the cold void, they flinched back and retreated instead.
Hui watched th...
2023-12-05 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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As Oz set off into the library, the shallow dish of mercury caught his eye. He paused, backtracking to it until he caught sight of himself in its reflection.
A smooth-chinned face stared back at him, about the fifteen years old he’d guessed himself to be, maybe as old as sixteen or seventeen, but no eighteen. Reasonably handsome, though a bit wan in the face, he had the kind of dark blue eyes that poets might describe as depthless wells of sapphire, and those less poetically inclined ...
2023-12-04 17:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The earth quaked. The sky began to tremble. Qi ran riot, flowing wildly out of the dragon veins and surging through it. Hui grinned. Excellent. It’s working! As I expected, a qi deviation is, fundamentally, qi flowing incorrectly. By reversing the direction of the four cardinal dragon veins, we’re essentially creating a qi deviation for the entire Immortal Realm. It’s the same principle that works for people, applied on the scale of an entire realm!
Er, or rather, it...
2023-12-04 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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On and on, endlessly wandering through the shelves. Oz’s eyes blurred. It’s been so long since I set off. Can I ever return? Am I lost for the rest of my life? Am I going to be found centuries from now, no more than a skeleton amidst the stacks?
The large desk appeared around the corner of the shelves at last. Oz fell to his knees in relief. “I’m back! I made it!”
Sitting on the desk, Sid rumbled deep in her throat with nondescript disapproval.
Oz...
2023-12-03 19:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Zhubi’s eyes snapped open. Black qi stopped pouring into him. He let out a little breath, exhausted.
“Are you done?” Hui asked, a little hopeful, a little relived. Phew. I only had to wait for a few minutes! That isn’t that long, surely?
Zhubi nodded. He tilted his head, giving Hui a confused look.
“Ah… no. Pay no mind to my tone. I’m a little strange right now, a little strange!”
“Isn’t that all the time?” Bai Xue asked.
Hui jolted...
2023-12-03 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Oz knelt at the magic circle and picked up the letter. Spidery text crawled over parchment. For a moment, the letters appeared strange, unreadable, but then he blinked, and the words fell into place.
Hello.
Master is gone, and I’m still unable to sense magic. Did I ever deserve to call myself her disciple?
I’m so sorry, but I can’t do this. I’m leaving everything to you. With my lifeblood, I’ve summoned you, oh tenacious soul. The spell said a...
2023-12-02 19:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Hui closed his eyes, drawing on the Vermillion Bird bloodline he’d absorbed into his body. Red feathers fluttered at his neck, and his robes flickered, changing from blue to shining red feathers, flowing with the motion of his body. Fire burned in a halo around him, arcing high above his head.
He waved his hand. If I can establish a connection to the others, why not receive video, too? Pushing more qi into the spell, he called out to the light between the four of them and res...
2023-12-02 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to the novel that will take MTPDDAT's slot in the lineup. I'm hoping you'll enjoy it as much as MTPDDAT. Or at least give it a try! It's a cultivation novel set in a European-esque fantasy setting about a librarian scholarly cultivator. Well, don't let me keep you any longer. Here we are!
--
He coughed, choking on a thousand burning books. Fire roared in his ears. Smoke blackened his vision. Lifting his hands to heat-chapped lips, he shouted, “...
2023-12-01 19:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Hui flew on his own. The blue sky stretched overhead, the sun beaming down. A gentle breeze rustled his hair. The Immortal Realm panned by below, placid lakes and wild forests, beautiful villas and the small, mortal-esque towns.
The Immortal Realm should be enormous, larger than the mortal realm, but… even from here, I can still see Heart Lotus City, Hui thought, watching over his shoulder as he flew. It’s as if space is compressed, and yet, I still need to fly the orig...
2023-12-01 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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In a blast of bright sword light, Li Xiang flew through the window. Hui caught himself seconds before he fell backward. Good, good. I don’t need to play dead.
Around his neck, Zhubi rolled belly-up. Tian Lan peeked up, nosing at his body, then flopped over herself. She snuck a look at Zhubi again, adjusting her claws and jaw, and flopped a little more convincingly.
Hui patted Zhubi. “It’s okay. We’re fine.”
Tian Lan reared up. “I knew we were fine!”
2023-11-30 15:00:04 +0000 UTC
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“Ying Lin!”
Hui pulled with all his might, yanking Ying Lin out of the gap in the barrier. Ying Lin leaped at him, throwing herself forward at the same time. Hui fell backward, pulling Ying Lin with him. The barrier slammed shut.
They struck the ground. Hui bounced, holding Ying Lin close so she wouldn’t hit the floor. He let out a relieved sigh. She’s safe! Hui craned his neck. “Ying Lin?”
Ying Lin laughed aloud, fear echoing in her laughter. She pushed...
2023-11-29 15:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Song Wei slammed the doors open. “I’ve brought your statue!”
Hui quickly fixed his robes and climbed off the throne. “Yes, yes. Thank you!”
Still sitting on the throne, Bai Xue clicked her tongue. “We barely even had time to get started.”
Song Wei glared at her, the silver mask hiding his face.
Without a word or hesitation, Bai Xue glared back. Murderous intent clashed between the two of them, all but sparking on the air.
A…anyways, let’s le...
2023-11-28 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Swooping through the sky, Song Wei paused, hovering high in the sky over the city. He gazed down on the lotus, a thoughtful expression on his face. Acquire the statue… hmm. Stealthily. That isn’t going to be easy. I—
A small pale snake head poked out from around his neck.
Song Wei startled. “You—Master’s snake?”
The snake gave him a look, clearly expressing, Phrasing.
Song Wei coughed. “Forgive me. What are you doing here?”
Zhu...
2023-11-27 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Song Wei led the way. Li Xiang and Hui followed, Hui nudging Tian Lan deeper into his sleeve as they entered the brothel. I don’t need her getting any bad influences. Her father will have my head if she learns anything naughty from this!
Tian Lan struggled against his hand. “What? It smells funny. What’s going on?”
“Horrible adult things, Tian Lan. Stay in my sleeve. It’s safe there.”
Tian Lan harrumphed, but settled down. “Daddy always lets me see, ...
2023-11-26 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“Where to now?” Li Xiang asked.
You’re the one who flew off. You don’t know? Hui shook his head, then nodded. In any case, I do have somewhere I want to go, so I won’t complain. “Let’s go check on Bai Xue. From there… well, I like this loop, so I want to go as far as I can during it. If the loop is still going, we can talk from there.”
Li Xiang nodded.
I don’t want to say too much aloud. Not that my mind is particularly safe from pow...
2023-11-25 15:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Three beams of gold light landed beside Li Xiang. A moment later, they resolved into familiar faces. Xi Muchen, Cho Haoli, and Sa Zhangli stood before Li Xiang. Xi Muchen looked at her with an amused expression, his arms crossed, Cho Haoli leaned on his back foot, bored, and Sa Zhangli glared, obviously tired of disturbances.
“Is there usually an enlightenment at this time?” Sa Zhangli asked, glaring at Li Xiang.
Xi Muchen shrugged. “No, but there’s plenty of cultivators i...
2023-11-24 16:00:03 +0000 UTC
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