After Eui’s grand accomplishment, Yoshika was more motivated than ever to reach some of the milestones that had been sitting frustratingly out of reach—after repairing the damage they’d done to the spring, of course.
She checked in with her family to inform them that she’d be throwing herself into training for a while, and topped Li Meili off on emotional substrate. While she did,...
2023-03-01 19:20:34 +0000 UTC View PostThanks to their new avatar, Jia and Eui were able to dramatically expand their training regimen. Even while possessing the avatar, their original bodies would maintain a state of steady meditation—drawing on the intense mana of the peak to strengthen the foundations of their cultivation.
Not only that, but after some experimentation, they’d discovered that it was possible for just one...
2023-02-27 18:02:35 +0000 UTC View PostWithin her domain, it was possible for Yoshika to focus her awareness into her new avatar while quietly meditating with her other bodies. She found it difficult to put the experience into words. It was as though she had a third body that was subtly different from Jia and Eui.
Jia and Eui each contributed their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences towards the greater whole that was Yosh...
2023-02-24 20:01:34 +0000 UTC View PostJia stared up at the sky as she relaxed in the waters of the Purewater Spring with Eui. The water wasn’t warm, but it provided a pleasant contrast against the frigid winter air that was close enough. The dense Purity essence of the spring soothed her right down to the soul—even though the water was cold enough to freeze a mortal to death.
“Do you think it’s weird that we ...
2023-02-22 20:37:22 +0000 UTC View PostJia did her best to keep her composure as she and Eui faced the three grandmasters within the grand hall of the sect’s main temple. It was the first time they’d been there since the welcoming feast after their arrival, and Jia felt awkward standing alone with Eui in the center of the enormous room. It was so much more empty without a crowd of guests and a table full of food.
Elder Xin...
2023-02-20 19:04:47 +0000 UTC View PostEunae wasn’t kidding about how long it would take her. Rika and Ja Yun left to meditate on their own after the first hour, and it was another three after that before Eunae had actually started to make any noticeable progress.
Yoshika stayed to watch the entire time. Not only because it had to take place within her soulscape, but also because she found the entire process so interesting. ...
2023-02-17 19:52:04 +0000 UTC View PostEunae’s second demonstration went as smoothly as the first, but it was no less fascinating. Instead of scrawling a complicated formula across the entire surface of the soul, Eunae’s Soulfire claws reduced themselves to a needle-fine point and penetrated deep into the chaotic mass of Ja Yun’s soul.
It was difficult for Yoshika to see what Eunae was doing, but judging from the sweat o...
2023-02-15 19:19:16 +0000 UTC View PostSoul magic was a complicated field of cultivation that wasn’t well understood by any of the disciplines that Yoshika was familiar with. All cultivation dealt with the soul—including body and mind cultivation—but common wisdom suggested that it was impossible to alter another person’s soul. The reality of it was more complicated, however.
Yoshika’s joint cultivation could be cons...
2023-02-13 17:27:16 +0000 UTC View PostJa Yun checked, double-checked, then triple-checked her notes to be certain she hadn’t made any mistakes. If someone had told her a year ago that she’d have found employment cracking xiantian level spells—from the royal family, no less—living abroad under the same roof as a princess with whom she shared a semi-amorous relationship, and raising a child with a loving girlfriend...she’d ...
2023-02-10 17:39:11 +0000 UTC View PostYoshika hesitated before the door to Lin Xiulan’s room. She always did. It was silly—Xiulan made a point of being approachable, and Yoshika was expected. The temple guardians knew to let her in, yet she still felt out of place. Yoshika had spoken candidly to queens, powerful cultivators, and ancient spirits—but Lin Xiulan intimidated her more than any of them.
Of course, it wasn’t...
2023-02-08 19:59:11 +0000 UTC View PostYue stopped in place, leveling an incredulous glare at Eui.
“That’s not funny, An Eui—even your jokes should have some boundaries.”
Eui coolly met her gaze.
“I’m serious. We don’t know very much about soul magic, but it’s definitely not some kind of intrinsic ability only available to demons and evil fox spirits. The best way to defend ourselves against it is t...
2023-02-06 20:10:19 +0000 UTC View PostHello everybody! It's been a while, I know, but I assure you that the previous commissions are well underway. Tsuu's just been a bit busy with the upcoming Book 4 cover as well as an absolutely fantastic cover for Vigor Mortis' fourth book (which I recommend checking out!). I've already gotten sketches back for the character designs from the last two polls, and they are looking great!
In ...
2023-02-03 23:08:36 +0000 UTC View PostAfter training, the girls returned home to get changed for dinner with Eunae. Jia still felt a little strange wearing different outfits throughout the day.
“What’s wrong with our usual robes, anyway? It’s just tea and snacks—same as we’ve done a million times already. Eunae isn't going to care what we’re wearing.”
Yue scoffed, sorting through Jia’s wardrobe—which h...
2023-02-03 21:58:47 +0000 UTC View PostEui wasn’t sure what to make of Guan Yu. Like his son, he maintained a permanent facade of stern stoicism, but where Guan Yi’s legendary stoneface was a mask for his sarcastic deadpan sense of humor, his father was much harder to read.
At first, she’d gotten the impression that he didn’t like her or Jia. The way he’d glared at them when they first met, and his disinterest in eng...
2023-02-01 19:42:24 +0000 UTC View PostA little girl with stubby goat horns flew through the air, giggling as she zipped around a tree then flipped in the air and slammed feet first into her sparring opponent.
“Oof!”
Pan Jiaying nearly fell on her butt from Narae’s assault, but barely caught her footing. By the time she was able to throw out a reprisal, the little gremlin was already looping back around for another...
2023-01-30 19:33:16 +0000 UTC View PostI got sick with covid recently and it's been knocking me on my butt. I pushed really hard to get the book finished, but I burned through my entire backlog to do it. I'll be taking a week or two off for my health and to rebuild some of that safety net. As much as I'd like to be able to promise that chapters will resume on the 30th, I'm still sick, and I don't know if I can keep that promise.
... 2023-01-20 18:32:57 +0000 UTC View PostJianmo ripped the core out of the fiend before her and grinned as she savored the taste of its soul. A weakling like that hardly added anything to her power anymore, but consuming souls was a pleasure unto itself. Unfortunately, this one was as tight-lipped as the rest. They practically reeked of dragons, but they were most concentrated in the areas closest to Longyan’s enclave.
They wo...
2023-01-20 18:32:46 +0000 UTC View PostYang Qiu hugged her knees tightly and tried to shut out the world around her. They were fighting again. It had been happening almost every day lately. Her fellow captives—her so-called brothers and sisters in craft—turning against each other over the smallest things. She was used to it by now—their camaraderie had been taken from them by their captors along with everything else.
The...
2023-01-18 20:27:34 +0000 UTC View PostHyeong Daesung reviewed his notes while he waited in a plush antechamber within the royal palace. He didn’t need to review the notes—his memory was perfect—nor did he really need to have taken them in the first place—for the same reason—but the ritual was calming, and he was rather anxious.
Even after having spent the better part of a year living there, he’d never been able to...
2023-01-16 19:24:53 +0000 UTC View PostWith Guan Yu’s declaration, the tone of the conversation quickly shifted into something more business-like and measured. Misun drummed her long fingernails on the table, frowning.
“Just how much have you heard about our travels?”
Guan Yu inclined his head subtly in her direction.
“More than you might think. Your altercation with the Gaze of the Everwatching Mists stand...
2023-01-13 18:45:36 +0000 UTC View PostJia didn’t need to be told twice to dig into the mouth watering dishes on offer. Most everyone else shared a bit of small talk as they ate, but Jia was mostly focused on the food—maintaining only enough attention to conversation to avoid being rude to anyone.
Based on Yue’s preferences, she’d expected Qin cuisine to be on the bland side, but if anything it had even more variety th...
2023-01-11 20:35:51 +0000 UTC View PostJia tried not to fidget too much as Yue helped her get ready for the banquet.
“Lee Jia, I swear to the emperor—I’ve seen you meditate for days on end without so much as a twitch. How can you not stay still long enough to apply makeup?!”
Jia groaned in frustration—apparently she was failing.
“I hate makeup. It makes me feel like there’s dirt on my face an...
2023-01-09 18:06:15 +0000 UTC View Post“Lady Lin Xiulan is busy preparing for tonight’s banquet, and isn’t seeing visitors. Whatever business you have can wait until tonight.”
Yue scowled at the temple guardian barring her way.
“Tell her it’s urgent! I need to speak with her right away—this cannot wait!”
Jia grimaced.
“Yue—we’re fine, it can wait—”
“Your opinion is invalid by...
2023-01-06 18:31:39 +0000 UTC View PostYue took a deep breath as Yoshika finished filling in the missing details of her story.
“By the emperor, Yoshika. I should have guessed you’d be more involved in this than I thought. There are, of course, a number of discrepancies with what I’ve been told, but for the most part your story matches up.”
Yoshika frowned.
“What have you been told, exactly?” 2023-01-04 22:14:04 +0000 UTC View Post
It was late evening by the time everyone had settled into their new accommodations. Li Meili, Pan Jiaying, and Luo Mingyu ended up staying in the same house as Yoshika and her family, which might have made things a little bit crowded if the place wasn’t so huge.
It was somewhat intimidating just how much wealth the Spiritual Flowing Purewater Sect was flaunting. Their resources matched ...
2023-01-02 23:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostYan Yue looked almost exactly the same as Jia remembered her. Black hair done up in a pair of loose buns and decorated with golden ornamentations, narrow green eyes with makeup to accentuate her already considerable natural beauty, and impractically flowing dress robes that managed to flaunt her figure while still adhering to Qin’s conservative style.
Jia wasn’t sure whether to throw ...
2022-12-30 18:36:45 +0000 UTC View PostJia was on high alert for the entire trip to the border between Baishulin and Qingchuan. Their escorts had sent word ahead, and the plan was to meet up with their new escorts at a designated point on the border to officially pass into the custody of the Spiritual Flowing Purewater Sect.
She didn’t trust that plan one bit, but there was no way to countermand it without losing their claim...
2022-12-28 21:31:59 +0000 UTC View PostBai Lin had changed since Jia had last seen her—at least, in terms of appearance. Apparently no longer hiding her gender, she wore a dress robe in the same black and white color palette as her underlings, but accented with red and gold that invoked the autumn colors in the trees above. Her androgynous features were enhanced by makeup to give her a more feminine appearance, and even the way sh...
2022-12-26 21:00:53 +0000 UTC View Post“Sir Zhou Ye, can you spare a moment to talk?”
Now that the group was back on the move, Jia decided to see if she could gather some information to prepare for what was shaping up to be a rather treacherous final leg of their journey.
“How may I help you, Lady Ambassador?”
While most of the Austere Mountain group kept their distance, the acting commander was at least po...
2022-12-23 23:03:28 +0000 UTC View PostWith the immediate threat of the fiends dealt with, the Austere Mountain cultivators quickly rallied to reassert their authority.
“By the authority of the Great Austere Mountain Sect, identify yourselves and surrender!”
Jia grimaced.
“We just saved your lives! You’re not even going to thank us before trying to take us prisoner?”
The gray-haired leader of the cu...
2022-12-21 21:34:12 +0000 UTC View Post