Alex’s eyes widened, soul shuddering with the horrid weight of that curse, sensing even the Gold headmaster beyond the gates gasp and hiss.
And perhaps that horrified shudder was the pause in his enemy’s resolve that Panheu had been looking for, hesitating not an instant to pop the divine golden pearl into his mouth as the sea itself smashed against the cliff’s edge with unimaginable force, howling winds blowing any and all cultivators completely off their feet, save within Panheu’s gated residence, the eye of the storm.
And the furious roar that left Alex shaken and stunned, as if he were in the literal eye of a tornado, was nothing less than Panheu’s savage cry, as the snarling man struggled against what was perhaps the greatest challenge of his life, the greatest hurdle imaginable, using a pristine soul-stone that Alex was sure was worth far, far more than the mere three-hundred-forty spirit pearls to break through to Gold.
Alex shuddered, awed beyond all words, realizing both that his mentor was striving to master powers beyond belief and that Alex himself had been played beyond belief as well. Perhaps from the moment his mentor had first laid eyes on him.
“Alex. You’re Alex again, right? You won’t survive a battle between Golds. Move!” snapped Zhao Doushi, all but throwing Alex towards the cliff’s edge.
Alex gulped, looking down below, before remembering how easily Bullrush came to him, to say nothing of how he had actually been racing through the air without a lick of fatigue just minutes, hours, or days ago, when he first felt the rush of the storm flowing through him.
Alex felt an almost brotherly squeeze on his shoulder. “Alex?”
“Yes, Zhao?” Alex said, gulping as he gazed down upon the sea.
“Tell Qie Qie, if I survive this...”
Alex smiled into the crashing spray, knowing that if he fell into those waves before he could embrace Wind Running, he was as good as dead. “I will!”
“Thank you!”
And without another word, his kung fu brother shoved him over the cliff’s edge.
26
You feel the storm of Qi flowing through you! Wind Running is now Rank 2! Water Walking is now Rank 2!
You have successfully fused Wind Running and Water Walking into Storm Flight, Rank 2! You can now race across the heavens themselves as fast as a phoenix, so long as the air is heavy with moisture, actual precipitation, or you can see storm clouds on the horizon! You are immune to all lightning strikes or adverse weather phenomena while embracing this discipline.
Beware the sudden absence of humidity and precipitation, or a cloudless sky, or your running might come to an unexpected conclusion!
But Alex paid the notification instantly flashing across his mind’s eye little heed. It told him nothing that he hadn’t already figured out, howling with glee as he raced across the raindrops, visualizing a swirling storm of Qi all around him, both Light Qi so like that he manipulated with White Crane, and the incredibly powerful flood of Water Qi echoing the power and fury of the sea below, and the storm he raced within.
In the back of his mind, he was sure that true wind-running masters tapped into Light Qi alone, but his connection as a Bronze, at least for now, was not dense enough for him to run on it. The swirling storm of Water Qi, however, not only held him up effortlessly, but somehow mirrored the incredible speed and potential of the High Roads themselves, and Alex couldn’t help but wonder if those god-forged spirit roads connecting the cities together that would allow a third-ranked basic or stronger cultivator to race between cities a thousand miles apart in just a day somehow tapped into the very storm of power and potential he raced through even now.
One thing was for sure, however.
He was running at speeds as fast as a phoenix could fly.
And he could taste the desperate panic of a girl he ached to be with even now, their own spirits linked after countless hours in fiercest competition, bound by forbidden techniques and too many perilous kisses at the edge of deadliest temptation for her soft lips not to leave a mark upon his soul.
And the terror she felt, Jidihu’s grand carriage ambushed along the side of the road as old enemies sought to settle bitter scores, had become Alex’s own.
The storm’s piercing howl had become the cry of a newly-forged Bronze desperately racing across the heavens to save the girl he loved.
--- End of Book Three ---
The adventure continues in Silver Fox & The Western Hero, Book 4, coming soon!
In the meantime, if you’re interested in checking out a LitRPG series about a young former soldier making his way in a world filled with blades, blasters, spells, spaceships, and level-ups, here is a link to Endless Online: Oblivion’s Blade. Five books out so far, more to come!
And because free is good, here is a link to my novel First Blood, a story about a girl with a talking cat and a knack for killing who ends up facing down dark gods by the end of the eight book series. It’s not Wuxia or LitRPG, but it is a fun high action fantasy series. Check it out and tell me what you think!
If you would like to sign up for my mailing list, I’ll let you know when my next book comes out. And if you have any feedback you’d like to share with me, you can always reach me at [email protected]
Thank You
Thanks again for checking out my series. Without the interest and support of readers like yourself, there’s no way I could do what I do, and I’m grateful for each day that I have the opportunity to write for you. That being said, I know that finding the next great novel is a passion for many of us, and I thought I’d share a few of my favorite authors, assuring you plenty of great cultivation stories to enjoy!
Curious to see just how deadly a cultivator you can become with the aid of a magic brush? Then I highly recommend Painting the Mists by Patrick Laplante. Packed with adventure, intrigue, strong friendships, and plenty of character advancement and skill progression, it’s a wonderful series with with eight books out so far!
Riluo City by Tinalynge is the start of an epic 8 book series about a young man who finds himself reborn in a world where cultivation is real, and the opportunities for young cultivators are virtually unlimited! If you enjoy series devoted to character progression, then I highly recommend giving it a read.
Tao Wong, in addition to writing some wonderful LitRPG with his System Apocalypse series, has also written the first few novels of an epic cultivation series filled with challenging adversaries, solid character progression, exciting breakthroughs, and some epic fight scenes! If you like visceral combat, well written sword duels, and earning every step of your growth, then check out A Thousand Li: The First Step.
Cultivating Chaos by William D Arand is another favorite of mine. It’s a story about a young would-be cultivator with his memories of Earth intact, struggling to find his place in a ruthless world. If you enjoy great combat scenes, heroic power progression, and a healthy dose of passion, then I recommend giving this series a try.
If you’re interested in chatting with other fans of Cultivation novels, you might want to check out the Facebook group Cultivation novels where you can meet fellow fans and get some great Wuxia and Xianxia recommendations.
Another great option for finding your next cultivation read would be the Facebook group Western Cultivation Stories.
And for those of you interested in connecting with other GameLit readers and writers, I’d like to recommend the Facebook group GameLit Society where I pop by regularly.
Several additional LitRPG Facebook groups I also like to hang out in include:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPG.books
https://www.facebook.com/groups/litrpgforum
Additional Links
To learn more about LitRPG, talk to authors including myself, and just have an awesome time, please join the LitRPG Group at www.facebook.com
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Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Forsworn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 3 Page 43