He gazed up at the star-filled night sky, taking a mental inventory of all he had seen, gained, and lost.
His losses had been painful and many.
Friends, the company of girls he could have fallen in love with, access to not one but three cultivation libraries and miscellaneous treasures too numerous to mention, including a fair number of beast cores, spirit pearls, precious metals, and what might have been the patronage of at least a minor city lord who happened to be the deadliest cultivator Alex ever had the misfortune to cross without a convenient escape ring on hand.
He sighed, gazing down at his storage ring, now damaged, perhaps beyond repair, after he had dared to steal Bingwen’s immortal core and claim it for himself.
But even that bitter loss paled to the shattering of all ties of karma and the golden cords of virtue, to know that all the good deeds he had ever done, golden cords he was almost certain had influenced so many of his interactions in this life, had just been severed for all time.
The cities he had saved, lives he had rescued, past deeds stretching out over countless lives, all of it now meant nothing in the eyes of karma and fate.
It was a loss that truly stung, perhaps more than any other.
Now he couldn’t help but wonder if the concept of universal karma, knowing people would be just that much more comfortable with him if he kept to the straight and narrow, was what had kept him honest over who knew how many lifetimes.
A part of him feared the monster he might become, knowing that now there was no real spiritual consequence to anything he did. That he could go to any extreme, no matter how dark, without accruing any taint, or virtue, at all.
But at least there was one pristine silver lining to all the bitter trials he had been forced to endure. If his patron’s words were to be believed, Alex was now cloaked in cards of twisted fate and glorious catastrophe, utterly hidden from his divine enemies’ killing gazes.
It was as if he had redeemed countless lifetimes’ worth of good deeds for a prize that, after all he had been forced to endure, was now the greatest gift he could ask for.
From this point on, any treasures he discovered, found, or forged, were his to keep.
Any tome he borrowed or purchased would be his to savor and learn from, needing to worry no longer about spiteful gods tearing it free of his hands.
He was well and truly free.
Perhaps for the first time in a thousand years.
When Alex finally felt safe enough to close his eyes and study his character sheet, his sense of loss was tempered by fierce satisfaction.
For all his difficulties and hardships, he had made significant strides along the path that now meant absolutely everything to him. Perhaps the only thing he could truly call his own.
And that was taking his first steps along the most potent cultivation path he could imagine, having evolved his abilities and achieved his third Rank as a Bronze cultivator. Best of all, thanks to the extremes his enemies had embraced in their efforts to destroy him, he now possessed the strongest and most potent cords imaginable, forging a foundation that just might be a match for divine players as well.
And never had he felt the need to embrace his chosen path more than he did at that very moment, squeezing his fists as memory of the mocking laughter of those unspeakably powerful cultivators playing at godhood washed over him, his heart burning with their contemptuous sneers as everything of value was taken from him, all resources and succor denied him, and still those deities weren’t satisfied until Alex’s Ruidian friends and countless innocents were butchered for no reason other than to cause him additional pain.
He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth cracked, swearing right then and there that no matter what it took, no matter how dark or winding the journey, he would ascend to the very peaks of cultivation.
Until he was the equal of the corrupt gods who had torn away everything and everyone he held dear.
One way or another, Alex would make it to Baidushi and do whatever it took to achieve Silver and keep Liu Li safe. Just the first steps along a path that would one day see him break through to Gold, then Jade, and eventually ascend to the heavens above.
Then WiFu’s maniacal brothers would finally know the taste of fear.
Before knowing nothing at all.
It was an oath Alex swore to no one but himself, and one he intended to keep above all others, no matter how many years or centuries it might take to achieve.
Karma might no longer be keeping score, but Alex always would.
--- End of Book Four ---
The adventure continues in Silver Fox & The Western Hero, Book 5, 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
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Oath: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 4 Page 57