Wu Ying was not even sure if they’d stay friends. Of course, they had both assured each other that they wanted to. But the wounds were a little fresh, and even if it had been relatively painless, relatively known, there was still that tinge of doubt, of loss. Even if they had both come to the same conclusion, for the same reasons, it wasn’t easy. Better to stay away from the training grounds for a bit, maybe meet with her later. Who knew? At some point, they’d probably be friends again. He still owed her for Yin Xue, for coming.
But for now, their path together was over.
“Get moving. You’re blocking my sun.” Elder Lu’s querulous voice resounded, waking Wu Ying from his musings.
The cultivator offered the elderly gatekeeper another deep bow before he hurried up the familiar pathway. There was still a lot to do, his Master, Fairy Yang, and others to speak with. There was the Assignment Hall to report in, Elder Lee to placate. And of course, it was time to catch up on his cultivation.
Chapter 25
Once again, Wu Ying was seated in the courtyard of his residence. Seated at the table, playing a game of chess[17], were Fairy Yang and Tou Hei. The scene was similar to the one from months before, when Wu Ying had attempted to break through the Body Cultivation stage. Except this time, the courtyard was lush, filled with grass and vegetable boxes, the herb garden in the corner sprouting and being tended to by Auntie Yee. Of course, Wu Ying did most of the work in caring for the garden, but the watering and occasional trimming was something that even the old servant could do. Most of the contents of those boxes were from herbs and other vegetables that Wu Ying had found on their journey back, now carefully tended and grown. They had been chosen mostly because someone like Auntie Yee could take care of them when Wu Ying was not around. After all, he knew that most of his contribution points would still be gained in the field. That fact Elder Li had been quite clear on when he met her.
It amused Wu Ying, to some extent, the almost negligible effects his departure had had on the sect. Upon Wu Ying’s return, his Master had only glanced at him once, stared into his eyes before he offered a simple nod and dismissed him. Fairy Yang had invited Wu Ying and his companions for dinner, where they’d regaled her with their story. But in the end, she too had no comments to offer. In fact, the only person who’d expressed deep interest in his quest had been Elder Li, and that had been entirely because she had sent him with a stack of spirit herb requests.
Of course, she’d been more than disappointed when Wu Ying pointed out that he had no intention on questing immediately because he wanted to break through soon. Still, refilling his dantian and gaining enough chi to commit himself to the breakthrough took weeks. Weeks that had him worked to the bone, often joining the Martial Specialists in search of spirit herbs and digging into ruins. With his increased expertise, the Sect was eager to make use of his skills to exploit known but untouched herbs.
Even if the work had delayed his breakthrough, he could not help but be grateful for the influx of contribution points. He had a debt that had to be paid – to Bao Cong, to the Sect for the villagers needs - and only hard work would see it reduced.
Wu Ying took another deep breath, discarding all of those erroneous thoughts. He was ready to complete his cultivation, to achieve the next level. And he would not fail. Not this time. For he believed he knew why he had failed the last time. It hadn’t been a lack of chi. It hadn’t been because he wasn’t physically ready. It had been because, in a part of his mind, he had not viewed himself as a real cultivator.
It irked Wu Ying that by watching Yin Xue as he progressed through the expedition, he had realized his own mistake. He had been so fixed on the fact that he was a peasant cultivator that he had forgotten that there was no such thing. There were no peasant cultivators. Just cultivators. He had been so fixed on his past, he’d held himself back. Because what peasant could be a real cultivator?
His past, the world he had been born into as a farmer, as a peasant, as a commoner. Those were the bedrocks of his soul, the truth of what he was. It would influence who he was and what he would do. But it was not all that he was now. And it certainly did not dictate the extent of his ambition.
He would become a cultivator. A real one. He would climb the path of immortality, and he would see how far he would get. But his parentage, his background, would not hold him back anymore. He was no peasant. No farmer. He was a cultivator.
Drawing a deep breath, Wu Ying drove the chi in his dantian, sending it at the first Energy Storage meridian as per his cultivation manual. He readied himself for a fight, for the pain that would occur as his chi gushed out, driven by will and intent.
But this time, breaking through was as simple as turning over his hand. It required no effort, just the desire. And though there was no influx of worldly chi, no heavenly sign of approval as he broke through, Wu Ying could not help but admit he felt lighter within.
A smile crept up on Wu Ying’s lips as he churned his chi through his body, cleansing the meridian and feeling it fill. He continued drawing in the world’s chi, making it his own. And in the meantime, he sat, contented and hopeful.
For he was looking forward to what came next.
###
The End
Wu Ying will continue his journey to immortality in book 4 of A Thousand Li.
Expected release Q3/Q4 2020!
Author’s Note
With the end of the First War, the book closes on Wu Ying’s journey as a Body Cultivator and his first tentative steps into the world of cultivation. Wu Ying has a better idea of what he wants to be, and while there will still be occasional doubts, he’s also setting aside mortal concerns.
Book four will be the start of a new arc in Wu Ying’s journey, one that sees him traveling out of the Sect more and seeing much more of the world. Along the way, Wu Ying will continue to search for his dao, his own meaning. I expect to release the next book in the third to fourth quarter of 2020.
As always, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing the novel. If you enjoyed reading it, please do leave a review and rating. The reviews make a huge difference in sales, which is how I earn a living.
In addition, please check out my other series, the System Apocalypse (a post-apocalyptic LitRPG), Adventures on Brad (a young adult fantasy LitRPG), and the Hidden Wishes (an urban fantasy GameLit series). Book one of each series follow:
Life in the North (Book 1 of the System Apocalypse)
A Healer’s Gift (Book 1 of the Adventures on Brad)
A Gamer’s Wish (Book 1 of the Hidden Wishes series)
I also host a Facebook Group for all things wuxia, xanxia, and specifically, cultivation novels. We’d love it if you joined us:
For more great information about LitRPG series, check out the Facebook groups:
About the Author
Tao Wong is an avid fantasy and sci-fi reader who spends his time working and writing in the North of Canada. He’s spent way too many years doing martial arts of many forms and, having broken himself too often, now spends his time writing about fantasy worlds.