Hui introduced the phoenix fire to his dantian and watched closely, ready to eject the herbs at the slightest sign of misbehavior.
Almost as soon as the heat touched the life-absorbing leaf, it burst into action again. Hui pulled the heat back, and the absorption lessened, buying himself a few seconds to take in the whole scene.
The white flower wilted, its warm golden qi streaming into the leaf. On the opposite side, the life half of the half-dead branch likewise fed life qi into...
2023-08-27 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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A bitter flavor assaulted Mortal’s tongue. He pulled his hand away from his mouth, pursing his lips in disgust. Oh. Ugh. That’s not good.
Following the bitter flavor, a wave of heat flowed through his body. It flared for one moment, almost unbearably hot, then faded away. Mortal pressed his lips together thoughtfully. Perhaps a heat poison? Or some kind of heat-heavy yang pill, meant to expel yin poisons? One way or another, it was a success. Let’s put it to the side ...
2023-08-26 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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More and more singleton herbs joined his original set. At last, the list stabilized. Even as the other clones progressed, herbs rarely joined Mortal’s set. He looked over the herbs, looking them up and down.
Currently, I’m looking at eight herbs. Judging the pill’s difficulty by the number of herbs required to cultivate it, it’s well out of my skill range!
Oh well. If I have to rely on Xi Sanji, so be it. I’ll try my hardest to figure it out first, but I’m...
2023-08-25 14:30:01 +0000 UTC
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Out into the light. In the distance, the cartaurs’ engines growled. Zeke glanced left and right, then went to run left.
Ryan grabbed his arm. “Right, let’s go right.”
Zeke hesitated. He looked at Ryan. “Foresight?”
Ryan hesitated. He nodded. “Yeah.”
Zeke narrowed his eyes. Ryan’s being extremely suspicious. I’m not imagining it. Something’s up. With all of time at his disposal, it could be anything. Did he lie about Regression? Is it really ju...
2023-08-25 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Presorted information flowed into Mortal’s brain, all the extraneous bits removed, and only the essentials remaining. He focused on nothing but the information, blocking out all else. The other clones and his own thought clones accomplished all the menial tasks, while he alone drew all their information together, synthesizing it into something more. So many herbs… so many potential combinations. Ugh! It’s way too much! How do pill cultivators handle this?
… probably...
2023-08-24 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Wildman glanced over. What’s Mortal doing?
Who cares? At least he’s quiet, Rogue responded, focusing on the information.
Wildman shrugged. Fair enough, I suppose.
Focus, guys, Sectgoer called, sighing.
Deep within his network, Mortal ignored them. He tapped his chin. How do I create an automated script? It’s not like we’re home. I don’t have access to any computers, let alone programming languages, and even if I did… ...
2023-08-23 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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A metal-on-concrete squeal echoed through the warehouse. Zeke held his breath, listening silently, the mist blocking his view outside. The cartaurs individually aren’t that bad, especially with Manipulate Wires, but if one of them sees us, it’ll call the rest… and whatever else is out there. We don’t know what kind of monsters are roaming the Cyborg Apocalypse. Cartaurs are surely the least of it.
Outside, tires ground slowly along, gravel stones popping out from under ...
2023-08-23 13:59:01 +0000 UTC
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I’m back!
We’re all back. You aren’t special.
Hey, everyone! Good to see you.
Technically, we see each other every day in the mirror. In the end, we’re all one person.
That’s true, but it’s boring.
One person? More like one dumbass.
Hey! Who was that? Mortal? Calm yourselves, everyone. We need to behave, or he’s going to dismiss us again.
He’s going to do that anyways.<...
2023-08-22 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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As Hui stared at the pill furnace in silent dismay, a half-dozen beams of sword light lit the sky, hurtling toward him. The Tier Master, Wan Lu, landed beside Hui. Five disciples in neat, identical robes landed beside him, creating a small formation. Wan Lu squinted at Hui. “Where is Xi Sanji?”
Hui nodded off in the direction she’d flown away. “She’s gone to the library.”
Wan Lu blinked. “Xi Sanji…? The library…?”
“Yes, yes. She, er, I think she had a m...
2023-08-21 14:59:01 +0000 UTC
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With a flourish, Xi Sanji tossed a final blade of Wind Pavilion Grass into the pill furnace. Hui watched as the grass wilted in the heat, smoothly processing into a drop of dark green liquid that quickly integrated with the flowing proto-elixir in the heart of the furnace. He applauded. “Elder Sister, how impressive! To think, you could follow such a complex recipe so perfectly!”
“Hmph. Complex? It’s only a handful of steps. So easy I could do it in my sleep,” Xi Sanji scoffed...
2023-08-20 14:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Xi Sanji pursed her lips. “If you need it, I guess we can follow the recipe.”
“Yes, yes,” Hui said, nodding. I don’t care that much about waking the cultivators, but if I don’t stop Elder Sister, I’ll end up dead from her, er, genius pill cultivation! For example, that green liquid. If I hadn’t been aware of it and able to defend against it, if I hadn’t been here to toss it away, I would’ve been hit by a deluge of acid with no warning. I could have… be...
2023-08-19 14:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Xi Sanji stoked the flames beneath the furnace. Watching it intently, she waited, red-blue leaf held tightly in her hand. She held her breath, her eyes narrowing at the pill furnace.
Hui squinted at her. There’s nothing in there. You’re just preheating an oven. What are you being so intense for? Elder Sister, it’s good to put on a show, but I’m the only one watching. I’m grossly unworthy of this kind of performance!
Though… is anyone worthy of a one-on-one...
2023-08-18 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Hui laid there, waiting for the other cultivators to wake up. I don’t have to wait the longest. Even though I was gassed last, I can simply explain that I received less of the gas, and use it to escape early. So all I have to do is wait for someone else to wake up.
Time passed slowly. Hui began actually dozing off. He jolted himself awake, peering around. Everyone’s still asleep? How long do I have to lie here…?
A shadow fell over him. Hui quickly played as...
2023-08-17 14:10:00 +0000 UTC
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Hui deactivated his body cultivation technique as he stepped into the second tier, dismissing the crystalline form with a quiet ping.
Looking at his hands, he pressed his lips together thoughtfully. What if I created a large body, then condensed it down to normal size? If I could create a body with incredible size and muscle density, then compress it to make those muscles even more dense…
He turned up. The ceiling loomed over him, not far above his head.
...
2023-08-16 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Light swirled just outside the closed door. Hui appeared moments later, dressed in his new robes, still in his crystal form, his hands behind his back. He smiled up at Shuhang Han. “Senior, you didn’t have to wait for me!”
Shuhang Han stared. “You survived?” And hold on, where did those robes come from? He looked Hui up and down, startled. A new hair ribbon, shiny and bright. Blue robes as clear as the midday sky. A black sash, counterpoint to the robes, and matching ...
2023-08-15 13:59:01 +0000 UTC
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Hui tensed, waiting for the pain to hit.
Aches bit into him, but they quickly quieted. After a few moments, he let out his held breath. Phew! I thought that was going to be way worse. That wasn’t actually that bad. Huh.
The blades hurtled toward him. Hui quickly activated his crystal form.
Crunch.
Hui jolted. Ugh! That didn’t sound good. Did my body get weaker, somehow? What happened? Startled, he looked around him.
Not even a scrat...
2023-08-14 14:59:01 +0000 UTC
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His body instantly crystalized. Between his smaller body and the highly concentrated compressed qi, the technique activated faster than ever before. The crystal glistened, nearly translucent, its structure more dense than before.
Ah? Is this because of the compressed qi? It’s condensed down to a more powerful form, so my techniques also get compressed and become more powerful? Excellent!
The blades struck Hui and clattered harmlessly off his body, barely drawing scratch...
2023-08-13 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Slowly, his tiny body took shape. Tiny hands and tiny feet, tiny legs and tiny arms, a tiny torso and tiny legs, and a tiny head to top it all off.
Hui jolted to life for a moment, gasped half a breath, and immediately keeled over as his tiny heart stopped. Immense pain blasted through his entire being, every hair of his very few hairs aching in electric agony. Instantly calling on phoenix fire, he burned the body away without waiting for the blades this time. Failure! That’s a fa...
2023-08-12 14:59:01 +0000 UTC
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The voice sounded out, echoing outside the room.
“Failure. Round Two.”
Outside the room, Shuhang Han sighed. “So much for the disciple with the greatest potential in the history of our sect. I suppose I’ll have to apologize to Jizhi Zhimei. She’ll have to find a new hostage.”
A few of his disciples stared at him, startled, but none dared to speak up.
“Alright, open up. Let’s see his body,” Shuhang Han said. I want to see that technique he had! I h...
2023-08-11 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The wall of blades slammed into Hui’s skin. They skidded off his crystalized body, sending shocks flying. Little bits of crystal chipped off of him, but the blades did little damage. It grew closer and closer, pressing his arms against his body, then pulled back abruptly. The blades spun away from him, and the pressure lessened once more.
Hui breathed out, relieved. Alright. Not so bad. I was able to hold it off, and I picked up a few cuts, but given how bad it looked, it could ha...
2023-08-10 13:59:01 +0000 UTC
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“Well? What are you waiting for? Jump on in!” Shuhang Han said, gesturing him on enthusiastically, for all the world reminding Hui of the way his gym teachers used to smile before demanding he do a dozen pull-ups, the whole time knowing for sure he couldn’t do a single one.
Hui gazed into the darkness within the vault. One last time, he took a deep breath, circulating his qi in preparation. I can do this. I’m not that scrawny kid anymore. I’m a cultivator now! I’ve defea...
2023-08-09 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Hui reached the entrance to the Tier and looked around, considering his next move. Which Tier is which again? I want to go to one of the manly tiers. Body cultivation or sword cultivation are the best, but beast cultivation is no problem, pill cultivation… I’ve had no karma with it ever, but… the demonic healing sect I have no interest in, but it’s not un-manly. The Eighth Tier seems to be just Tseng Caihong, and no telling what she’d teach. So really it’s just the music tier....
2023-08-08 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Without looking down, Tseng Caihong caught Zhubi out of midair and put him around her neck again. Hui reached out toward Zhubi in despair, and Zhubi leaned down toward Hui, letting out a mournful hiss.
“So the demons snuck into one of our secret realms and attacked our disciples as… retribution for our killing a single demon, a year ago?” Tseng Caihong asked. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
I agree. I agree, Elder Sister, Hui thought, nodding.
“Ai Tuzi wa...
2023-08-07 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The yin in the valley had diminished by the time they reached the exit of the deep ice cave. Light spilled into the valley’s depths, illuminating the bare stone floor, and the frost cloaking the walls melted, dripping to the floor with a quiet plink… plink.
Hui looked around, then bit his lip. Well, I, er, I guess Tseng Caihong probably won’t lock the resentment demons up within here again, now that there isn’t yin energy to suppress them. Or, well, was she just tos...
2023-08-06 15:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“There they are.” Swishing the blood off her sword, Ai Tuzi chuckled. She gestured.
Force gripped Meimei and Hui, dragging them out of the passage and into the light.
“No!” Tian Mo shouted. He reached for them powerlessly.
Zhang Zhisho gave the two of them a look, but could only grit her teeth and hold on.
Hui took a deep breath. He drew back his hand. This is enough. I can’t allow this to go any further. Even if Eight Tiers Palace is my enemy… there ar...
2023-08-05 14:00:03 +0000 UTC
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The yin-elemental woman impacted Hui’s chest. He jolted backward, his eyes half-closing. Icy cold shocked through his body, freezing him to the core. A shiver ran through him from head to toe, freezing his entire body.
The second she entered him, she began infiltrating him. Icy cold yin, colder than anything he’d felt so far, filled up his qi passages, his meridians, his dantian. His body temperature dropped yet again. Ice began coating his body, creating a hard, transparent shell a...
2023-08-04 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Bright white light shone from all around him. All around him, pure white. Ice walls whiter than whitest jade, snow floor, crunching underfoot, paler than finest silk. Thick yin still swirled around them, but now, the light was so bright that he could see clearly through it. Chandeliers of icicles dangled overhead. Frost coiled on the air, mixing with the yin.
Hui’s breath clouded the air, cold so intense it chilled him to his bones. Subconsciously, he ran his hands over his arms. ...
2023-08-03 14:00:04 +0000 UTC
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The path wound into the earth, spiraling slowly downward. The deeper they grew, the thicker the yin became. Ice coated the floor, and formidable icicles descended from the cave’s roof. More than once, Hui had to put his arms out to the narrow walls of the passage to catch himself before he fell over.
Though actually, if I fell, it would be kind of fun, wouldn’t it? It’d be a spiral slippy side! Like a water slide, but colder. If only I had some kind of sled to sit on, this wou...
2023-08-02 14:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Deep inside the valley, Hui let the tree dip to the ground and float to a halt. He hopped off, and the other disciples followed. With a wave of his hand, Hui cut a board off the tree, then slid it under Zhang Zhisho. Another wave, and she floated alongside them on the board, still unconscious.
As usual, thick yin qi swirled in the valley, darkening the sky and chilling their bodies to the bone. The abandoned chains that had once held the resentment demons laid still on the floor, infuse...
2023-08-01 15:00:07 +0000 UTC
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The killing chord sounded out from dozens of zithers at once. The root strings leapt forth, flying toward Ai Tuzi.
Ai Tuzi flinched back. The first of the strings barely missed her.
Hui halted the tree, turning it roundabout to charge at Ai Tuzi. In the same moment, he adjusted his tones slightly, resonating with the rest of the chords to draw out the note for one more moment. The remaining strings held for a few spare breaths, while the tree closed in on Ai Tuzi.
Lifting hi...
2023-07-31 14:59:01 +0000 UTC
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