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Chapter 24 - Black Fist Gate
54th of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt slept poorly that night. Doubt haunted his soul, and he feared it might escalate into a heart demon. He almost gave up on going to Black Fist sect, only to realize that running away from his fears would turn his potential problem more substant...
Chapter 23 - Silence and Dreams
46th of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt said nothing, because he did not know what to say. Elder Stronggrow had dedicated his life to the clan, sacrificing his own growth and cultivation to teach new generations. The notion moved him deeply. He wanted to help his respected senior, t...
Chapter 22 - Meditation and Comprehension
46th of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycle“Teacher, there is something I wish to ask of you,” Newt lowered his gaze, his heart beating in his throat.“What is it, Newstar? How can I help?” Elder Stronggrow offered an encouraging smile, motioning Newt to continue.“Could you please ...
Chapter 21 - Blazing Salamander Ancestral Techniques
46th of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycleWhile three men wept, six others stared without saying a word. Two of them had the decency to look away in shame, but the rest were just waiting for the sappy reunion to finish so they could pursue their own agendas.“Teacher, I…” Newt hesitat...
Chapter 20 - The Clan
46th of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt’s whole body shuddered, his gaze glued to the blood pooling on the floor. Huddled against the mine’s rough rocks, he had dreamed about it hundreds of times; about killing his uncle, about executing the traitor, but he did not really mean t...
Chapter 19 - Decadent Traitor
46th of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt stopped before the closed gate, wondering why his clan had allowed vines to smother and conceal the fearsome ancestral guardian statues which flanked the main gate. They spat on thousands of years of tradition for the sake of greenery blooming...
Chapter 18 - Difficult Choices
43rd of Season of Earth, 56th year of the 32nd cycleSpiritual energy gushed out of Newt’s twin spirit roots, flooding his body, reinforcing and nourishing it. He was still scrawny, ten weeks of slightly better diet barely keeping up with the increased physical activity from exercises and mining sp...
Chapter 17 - The Perfect Realm
57th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleCultivators defined the Perfect Realm as one free of heart demons, cultivated exactly according to its master’s wishes. Most cultivators ignored it, rushing forward, seeking power which comes with increased spiritual energy capacity, extended long...
Chapter 16 - The Unfriendly Spar
56th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleThe only heart demons left were Newt’s old sparring partner and his uncle. Newt had not caught a glimpse of his uncle, and the fact scared him more than the velociraptors and Borhem combined.Newt waited in his cavern, practicing and altering his t...
Chapter 15 - Battling Velociraptors
55th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleVelociraptors’ howls washed over Newt’s body, shaking his bones. He tried to fight his irrational terror, but the fearsome shriek made his legs shaky, barely able to support his weight.Calm down. It’s just a child’s fear. Your skin is imperv...
Chapter 14 - Heart Demons
55th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleCommon velociraptors, often shortened to simply raptors, were small dinosaurs humans had tamed for hunting and as pets. The real, non-spirit beasts barely reached Newt’s knees. Snout to tail they measured around six feet and rarely weighed more th...
Chapter 13 - End of the Three-year-long Nightmare
54th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt sat in a dimly lit cave, staring at a wall he could hardly see. The jagged floor and debris bit into his butt, and the echo of a distant wind whispered into his ears.“Was that a dream?”Tears slid down Newt’s cheeks as he struggled for air...
Chapter 12 - The Apex Predator
54th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleThe pterosaur appeared less than thirty seconds after Magmin gave the warning. The behemoth had a wingspan of almost twenty feet, its body taller than Newt.And yet, despite its imposing size, menacing red eyes, and the aura of terror it emanated, it...
Chapter 11 - Mighty Attack
54th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt wanted to protest, to say he was not ready to confront the heart demon, but he knew Magmin would have none of it.“Can we test my Magmin Scales one last time before I advance a layer? Please?”The serpent snorted, then spoke. “Fine. We can ...
Chapter 10 - Granite Crust
53rd of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt could not believe it, but he got the Granite Crust on his first attempt. The technique was identical to Magmin Scales, but instead of covering him in fire-aligned spiritual energy, a solid shell of earth-aligned spiritual energy crept across hi...
Chapter 9 - Fire’s Nature
51st of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt paid close attention to the interaction between Magmin Scales and the flames trying to burn him. It took several attempts and several long breaks to recover spiritual energy until he understood the defensive technique’s principles.He original...
Chapter 8 - Magmin Scales
51st of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycle“Do you think you can teach me Magmin Flame now?” Newt asked, but Magmin shook his head.“No. You are a newt. You must first learn Magmin Scales, lest you burn yourself to cinders.” The serpent’s response landed like a hammer against a bell...
Chapter 7 - Magmin Grove
50th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt had slept for ten hours straight and woke up next to a pile of crystals. He devoured sixty before depleting the mound and closing his eyes while drifting into meditative trance.He ignored his uncle’s insults and his former sparring partner’...
Chapter 6 - Third Eye
47th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt closed his eyes and tried to focus on his third eye, the mind’s eye. He willed himself to observe the world through his glabella, but his world remained dark, with lava gurgling and bubbling in the background.Newt’s parents lacked the mythi...
Chapter 5 - Building Foundations
45th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleNewt knew a lot about cultivation. His father had expounded on the topic ever since Newt was old enough to understand his words. The realm was a blank slate, a barren wasteland of mortal dust for the cultivator to sculpt, to cultivate.Cultivators po...
Chapter 4 - Prodigious Expansion
45th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleMagmin graciously gifted Newt with a total of sixty-four spirit gems, and the youth devoured them voraciously.“How much time does a spirit gem take to form?” Newt asked, looking at the tree, counting six remaining fruits, confirming that this on...
Chapter 3 - Greetings Teacher
45th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycle“What would happen if I grabbed one of those spirit gems and absorbed its energy?” Newt asked, gazing at the shiny pinecones with undisguised longing.“I would bite you for stealing.” Magmin glowered at Newt viciously, and the youth backed a ...
Chapter 2 - Enter Magmin
45th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycleThe gargantuan creature swept the forest with its gaze, but its bloodshot eyes failed to find prey. The monster screeched in frustration, sending shivers down Newt’s spine, before it flapped its leathery wings and flew away.The youth heaved a brea...
Chapter 1 - Twin Suns
45th of Season of Fire, 56th year of the 32nd cycle,the day of summer solsticeThe mine shaft was dim, illuminated by the dull glow of spirit gem detritus embedded into the walls. The dry air suffused with fine dust hampered Newt’s breathing, still, the young man’s worn out pickaxe struck the gra...
