WarbyPicus
patreon
Sky Pride Vol. 3 Epilogue
🕑 Added 2025-09-06 14:00:14 +0000 UTCIn just a few hours, Sister Su and Daoist Mei had gone from desperate rivals to firmest allies. At least as far as Sister Su was concerned. She would no longer hear a single bad, or even cautionary, word about her new sister.
“It is quite obvious. She chose the most optimal outcome for the greatest number of people. It relied on her taking a leap of faith, of course. Trusting in her assessment of both Brother Wang and yourself. An act of commendable wisdom and courage. I, naturally, will meet honor with honor, and develop the best system for maximal happiness for everyone in this marriage.”
Sister Su forced herself to her feet and staggered over to her desk, grabbing blank sheets of paper, setting out ink and a clean brush. Volumes of law, biographies and courtly records fell from her ring like an avalanche tumbling down on a large, unsuspecting, man.
“Oh… good. And… what will Brother Wang think about all this?” Tian struggled to keep in the laughter.
“He will be delighted, once he knows. I’ll have everything organized first. That way he only has to nod, and all will be well. And stamp the marriage contract, obviously. But I will handle the administrative minutia.” The thought that the twenty six year old Wang might not want to be married clearly did not occur to Sister Su. It seemed useless to mention it now.
The books were opened and references found, while Su’s left hand was wholly involved with grinding the ink. Fine brushes were laid out on top of books with titles like “The Thirty Six Stratagems of the Bedchamber” and “Phoenix and Dragon Contending.”
Brother Wang was a big man, easily surpassing six foot one. Tian could only trust that he was tall enough and broad enough to take on the combined might of Sister Su and the soon-to-be-if-not-already Martial Aunt Mei. Though how the sects were going to resolve that little issue was mercifully not his problem.
He thought, for all of five minutes.
“Junior Tian Zihao, kindly drag your troublemaking ass up to my Windblown Manor. Now.”
Tian didn’t know that flying clouds could slam into the ground hard enough to make a booming thud. The one from the Manor did. He meekly stepped onboard, and was whisked directly to Elder Feng’s office. Very directly. Straight around the back of the Manor, up to her walk-out windows and deposited, swaying slightly from the speed and sudden acceleration changes, onto the carpet.
“What a generous, compassionate, caring young man you are. Truly an emblem of virtue for the younger generation,” Elder Feng said, in much the same way a judge might lead up to pronouncing death by five horses.
“What a pity you can’t offer a shred, the tiniest shred, of that thoughtfulness to your Elder. Someone who has, for most of a year now, been wracking her brain trying to keep her Sect alive, keep the Alliance she worked very hard to make intact, and keep five deeply wounded children from killing themselves and each other. Which, with the way some of you looked at knives when you thought no one was watching, was damned hard! Do you know what a suicide watch is? Can you even imagine spending a year doing it for five people and managing the sect’s diplomacy at the same time?!”
Tian cupped his hands and bowed. He didn’t really consider the Elders reliable, but there was no question that, like Elder Rui, Elder Feng had done her best for him. For all of them.
Elder Feng exhaled hard and recovered some of her composure.
“In fairness to you, most of the time I was trying to guess which day moral disgust would see you walking off into the jungle without a backward glance. Others had me a bit more on edge.”
She rapped the table, failing to notice her knuckles were leaving dents in the ancient wood.
“Let us quickly review. You arrived at the Courtyard and promptly crashed out of the welcome banquet. All good stuff, you really slapped their faces to a rosy pink. Cheered me up no end, and you worked splendidly with your Sister Hong to humiliate both juniors and elders. Your Brother Wang really walloped them too. The array? Adequate. Loved how you finally clicked with the crane, and even picked up on the lesson about leadership I was hoping you would learn. Ditto the waterfall. Junior Wang was the real hero there, loved the chair idea for oppression, but your man-bird dominance pose was memorable. That really ground in a feeling of humiliated inferiority in dozens of promising juniors.”
She slammed back a small cup. Tian could smell floral wine.
“Publicly naming the scions of two of the Courtyard’s leading lineages the Fried Dough Daoists and making it stick was delightfully petty. So much so that I ‘accidentally’ addressed my counterpart as ‘Elder Oily,’ and had the pleasure of watching the other Heaven Watching Scholars hide their snickers.”
She poured herself a fresh cup from the slim porcelain carafe on her desk. “Jungle? Fine. Battle? Fine. Luring in more horrors? Excellent. Multiple possible right answers, but meeting elaborate schemes with simplicity and minimal action gave both juniors and seniors alike fits. The elders sure got the message, and I can tell you, they didn’t enjoy receiving it from a Junior. At high speed. Open palmed. To their face. In public.”
Her smile was downright infernal. “You now have a reputation for unspeakable ruthlessness at the very highest echelons of the Five Elements Courtyard. And you are going to have a considerably more benevolent reputation when word gets back to the sect about how you healed Junior Lin’s dao heart. Not that she isn’t going to be a screaming migraine for those old bastards she calls her family.”
That got a savage smile from her, even as she downed the cup.
“And you were right- there was a big set-up around the temple. Huge natural array. The clay soldiers come to life and you have to form yet more arrays to suppress them if you want to study them. Defeating them, at the Earthly Realm, is quite impossible. Kind of taunting- ‘Oh, you like your fighty, stabby stuff don’t you? There is a huge opportunity here, but none for you! We don’t even want it, we are just practicing our arrays, lah dee dah.’ Regrettably, Daoist Mei wasn’t given the activation talisman for the temple protecting formation. Not being considered reliable, due to her not being part of a Manor. And her well known loose morals.”
Tian grinned, then suppressed his smile. Not the time.
“Which leads me to why I’m drinking this three hundred year old Sweet Wind Valley wine by myself at four in the afternoon in my office.” She waved the cup menacingly. “You already met or exceeded my hopes for the trip. And nobody really cared about Mei and Wang. One was playing the other, and if both were sincere, then there would be two broken hearts at the end of it all. I might care about Wang, but they didn’t care about Mei. So no problems.”
“Ah.”
“Oh we are well past ‘Ah.’ You are usually very careful. So why, Junior Tian, DID YOU THINK THAT YOUR LITTLE TEA PARTY WASN’T WATCHED BY THE ELDERS?!”
“You… never seemed to mind if other people knew about my tea, so…”
“OTHER PEOPLE Junior, aren’t a sect called The Five Elements Courtyard! Other People don’t break through to the Heavenly Person realm after a pleasant tea session. Sounds like she had a real revelation too- she’s bound for the “Ascending Phoenix Aerie” with the other young ladies. Their equivalent of Core Disciples, with the understanding that many of them will be raised to their Direct Disciple equivalent.”
She exhaled heavily, her eyes flicking back and forth under heavy lids. “Coiling Dragon Pool. Before you ask about male core disciples.” She pinched the brow of her nose. “For Heaven’s sake do the math, Tian! Your father ascends with a revelation powerful enough to trigger a heavenly tribulation, at the youthful age of two hundred and twenty four. He is now a direct disciple. And not just any disciple. You want to guess who accepted his first disciple in six hundred years?”
“I couldn’t possibly, Elder.”
“I’ll give you a hint- it rhymes with Grand Elder, Daoist Master Heavensieve. Which makes Disciple Fu disciple brothers with the current Sect Master!”
“Ahah. Ahaha. Ha. Ha. Go Dad?”
“Oh yes. Go Dad. Indeed. Did you… somehow… fail to connect the whole “Crush their next generation to establish the superiority of our own next generation” strategy to your own father’s elevation? Even if everything was going well, his breakthrough would be legendary. You might, just possibly, maybe, potentially, have noticed that things are not going well. The sect needs a rising legend. Direct Disciple Fu is it.”
She waved an elegant hand as she built momentum.
“So we have your famous father, who has become the new God of every elderly Level Nine and every frustrated reformer in eight kingdoms, then there is you, politically untouchable wildling that you are, who can give insights into the five elements via a cozy, if rustic, tea session. There is the Courtyard’s new direct disciple who is plunging headlong into what sounds like a three way marriage with Juniors Wang and Su, your close siblings in the sect. She breaks through right after you thoroughly, comprehensively, crushed the Courtyard’s youngest generation. And slapped their elders so hard, they will carry your hand print for years. Which puts an interesting spin in at least two directions on the whole ‘crushing the younger generation of the Courtyard’ assignment.”
Another small cup filled, and emptied. Then Elder Feng pressed on.
“You promoted someone to their upper echelons who doesn’t come from an established faction. Bad enough, and they all heard what she said too. So their core or direct-disciple tier disciple is a prime candidate to be poached by us. Which means they are going to be very, very prickly about this. A lot of fine young gentlemen, and their enablers, are going to want to take steps about her, and I don’t mean apologize or make amends. But they can’t, because she is the rising hope of a humiliated sect! All going on while I’m trying to get those scheming, slimy, snobby, scumbags to make the regional array that we need. I know you disdain flowery words, so I will simply describe the present political situation as fucked!”
“I think Brother Wang was more hoping for a slow, sweet romance, actually. I don’t think he’s seriously thought about marriage at all.” Tian volunteered, desperately trying to pretend he didn’t hear an Elder repeatedly losing their composure.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Elder Feng snapped. Then softened her voice. “Two people you admire and desire, hoping to devote themselves to a life with you? Most of us can only pray to be half so lucky. He’ll adjust.”
“Respectfully, Elder, all the things you mentioned sound like good things for us. If nothing else, threatening to steal away Daoist Mei would encourage them to cough up the goods, wouldn’t it?”
“Funny you should say stealing away. You look like you are about to get packed up.”
Tian forced his mind back on track. “Am I in danger?”
“Oh yes.”
“You think they will kidnap me?” Tian’s eyebrows shot up. He wanted to run, but they were already inside their territory. Where could he go?
“What kind of dilettante thugs do you think we are dealing with? They heard your little speech to Mei as clearly as I did. Things went as well as they did because you wholeheartedly extended your hospitality and compassion to her. They can’t even bribe you and hope for the same outcome. No, they want to give you whatever you want. Anything you want. With complete sincerity, they want you joyful, growing as a cultivator, and alive. Just so long as you stay in your little gilded cage, learning more about the elements and serving lots and lots of tea.”
“I don’t think I can be happy in a cage. I’m quite sure of it, actually.”
“I think they aim to persuade you otherwise. They want to poach all of you troublesome kids, but you and Hong Liren are definitely their top two picks. In a single, stunning move they reverse the tide and ensure their future hegemony. Wang and Su can be considered free extras, reformers promised the ability to make real change thanks to the power of their wife. A scion of the Lin Clan is welcome wherever she goes. She has already felt the cold contempt of her family. Not too hard to pull over.”
Tian had the sudden premonition that life was going to get very unpleasant for a number of people surnamed Lin in the near future.
“It’s very them. I can manage the marriage, and I can manage Lin. It’s just West Town’s Finest Young Thugs that have me worried.”
“Elder, Sister Hong is intensely loyal to her family, and my father is on track to be at the very, very top of the sect. What could they possibly bribe me with that would keep me here?”
“Oh, not much. How about the lives of everyone you love?”
Tian felt icy water pouring over him, snapping him into focus. Elder Feng’s expression was grim.
“They wouldn’t threaten you. That would really be too stupid. No, they will offer. Depot Four gets a new, far better, defensive array. The regional array we wanted? Done. Turning dead treasures into living direct disciples is a trade that would have them smiling in their sleep. Arrays to improve healing, to concentrate qi in a region, illusory arrays to assist with training, they would give it to you. Whatever you needed to feel like your leaving was better for the people you love than your staying.”
The icewater froze solid. Elder Feng didn’t slow down. “And refusal often offends. Which is why we are getting you and Hong out of here. Now. Right this-” There was another thud and Liren practically bounced off her own flying cloud. “Minute. She’s already being discussed as the Five Color Vanguard General.” Elder Feng looked contemplative.
“She had her own fun time with arrays while you were working with the crane. Did you know she made forty leading ladies of the younger generation here compose odes to her beauty, then perform them publicly? It turns out that if you beat someone hard enough, they become poets. And watching her casually shatter dozens of combat arrays in a few breaths was quite the beating. Particularly as she was using an array cracking technique she was very clearly inventing on the spot. Some of the Heaven Watching Scholars needed to have some quiet time in a dim room to recover themselves after watching her.” Elder Feng’s contemplative look turned firm.
“Five Color Vanguard General is a position they are inventing just for her. I heard mutterings of selecting a ‘Vanguard’ unit of ‘soldiers’ for her to command, made up of their prettiest flatterers. Flattering someone with low self esteem is disgustingly easy. And her family has suffered dreadfully under the Monastery. They would naturally be invited over and given everything they needed for a fresh start here.”
Elder Feng stopped bothering with the cup and had a swig directly from the bottle.
“I have had the advantage of watching you for months now, and even though it offends my every instinct, I’m pretty damn sure I know what the two of you need. And it’s not more time in a quiet place, or arrays, or being good little sacrifices for other people. You two need to run wild, but in a useful way. So I’m not waiting around. You two menaces to my peace of mind are getting dropped off at Thundering Falls Temple, just over the border from the Three Rivers Kingdom.” She pointed out the still open window. At what, Tian didn’t know.
“From there, you two are to make your way into the interior of the Broad Sky Kingdom. I’m giving you both access to the Mission system. Disciple Tian, this is my token. I’m giving you permission to use it for the sole and exclusive purpose of sending letters across the country. You don’t have to be glued to each other, but stick together unless Elder Rui or I give you orders to the contrary. Nobody else below the Direct Disciple Level has any authority to order otherwise. Understood? No, that was rhetorical. Here is Daoist Wilddark. You may remember him as the giant crow Daoist Steelshimmer arrived riding.”
A black crow flew into the room and bobbed his head. A dizzy looking crane staggered in next to him. “A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, both of you.” Elder Feng waved him down.
“He’s taking you two and the crane across the mountains. Neither of you left anything in your rooms. I will send your fondest regards to the others. Now. Scram!”
Two uncomfortable, confusing days later, Tian, Hong and the crane found themselves on the side of a gorge. There was a temple on the other side. It was no trouble to reach the temple, the gorge was spanned by a sturdy stone bridge just a hundred yards away.
“So. Here we are then.” Hong said. Tian nodded.
“Indeed.”
“Tea service, huh?”
“And the love of a good woman. Women. Possibly a good man. At this point I’m seriously considering a vow of chastity and living as a hermit. I’m told it’s very traditional for daoists to live in caves. I could live in a cave. It sounds peaceful.” Tian looked wistfully into the night sky.
“Clear out a second cave, I’ll join you.”
They lapsed into silence. Two days of thinking over Elder Feng’s deduction. Could he really stand living in a golden cage in exchange for all that? It seemed that mortal air could be found on immortal mountains. The thought was enough to make him short of breath.
He was afraid of being lonely. But he was also afraid of being choked by the expectations of others. He had seen what it had done to his brothers and sisters.
“I think Elder Feng was paying us a sort of compliment. She figured we would figure that all out at some point, or one of their spies would reach us or something, and she wanted us to hear the truth from her first. And then she set us loose to do whatever we wanted.” Hong said.
“Some compliment. When you get right down to it, I could see the Monastery agreeing to pass us over with terms that good.” Tian grunted.
“Nah. That’s where you are wrong.” Hong grinned. “Merchant life really isn’t for you, is it?”
“Eh? And no, but, eh?”
“If they are willing to pay so much for the two of us, willing to pay without blinking according to Elder Feng, then what does that say we are worth? And if Elder Feng was willing to buy a favor from the Seven Star School to fly us away at speed, what does that say about how the Monastery values us? Hell, do you know of any level sevens whose official orders are ‘run around the kingdom adventuring?’”
Tian nodded. Worth more than a regional array. Not for who he was now, but for who he might become. Who they might become. And while he was growing, his brothers would be dying. A worthwhile trade. The Monastery only cared about the few elites who could change everything. What a great trade. What a delightful, wonderful trade.
In the end, what did he want? A lot of things. Well, what could he get? Right now, in this place, at this time?
He looked over the misty gorge, and for the first time in days, smiled.
“Hey, Sister. Why don’t you go ahead of me? I’ll meet you at the temple in a day or less.”
“Brother Zihao? Oh, what’s this?! You gave me so much shit for taking off my robe-”
“Yes, but that’s different. You were being weird. I am being very sensible.” Tian stripped off his robes and put away his rosary. He pulled on cheap linen trousers he had bought from the store, along with a rough tunic. On his left he hung a calabash full of cold tea from his belt. He couldn’t find a good spot to put the bamboo flute so he kept it in his ring.
“This is sensible, is it?”
“Yes. Very. Sometimes, to be something, it helps to dress the part. It doesn’t change who you are inside, but it can help get your mind in the right place.” He unpinned his hair and let it fall down his back. He didn’t quite like the way Liren rocked back at the sight. He must look mad. In the spirit of compromise, he loosely tied his hair back. The moon was just off full, and the mists came rolling off the waterfalls and rising up from the gorge.
“I have been dreaming of this night for a long time.” The words came out on a soft breath.
“Brother Zihao?”
He extended his mind towards the crane, just as the manual had taught him. Sharing a memory. The crane shimmered in the night, then grew. Not as big as Elder Redmane, but big enough. He jumped onto her back.
The crane flapped her long wings, and with a mighty surge, Tian entered the sky.
END Vol. 3
Comments
atmosphericturtle
Let’s go! HE’S FLYING!!!
CalamityFerret
I just remembered that I actually called the throuple 5 chapters before this and this is me being retroactively smug about it
Grish99
*Literally shaking right now* I'm not addicted I can stop whenever I want!
Robert Mullins
I don't believe they ever spoke about the tribulation and what happened so it may be time for that since they 'should' be away from elders now.
Jacob Goodwin
Helllo warbly just found out no chapters till the 15th... I'm currently undergoing experimental cryostasis to freeze myself untill the next chapters and the new Nintendo wii come out. If I die the blood will be on your hand... you will have to look after all 12 of my adopted children.
DarthWaffles
Author only puts notes on Royal Road, no chapters until the 15th
EvilLittleThing
If you beat someone enough, they become a poet.
LUXRUS
Chapter today or in a week?
Alexander Dupree
I’m dying
Brian P.
I love that Tian unintentionally pulls the same move as so many women in romance or romantic comedy media. I can just picture Hong seeing Tian unpin his hair, watching in slow motion as it cascades down his back and he shakes his head to unbind it all. There would be soft lights and some flute music over the whole scene. Then he looks at her and she gasps, stepping back.
Leon Calvit
> “Sixties is probably more right. Maybe a vigorous seventy. Tian you are probably twelve. You look younger, but… twelve. I’m two hundred and seven years old. Ch28 Fu should be aboht 210 at the present date, not 224
Evan
I hope the cover for the next arc has the swan dominance pose on it.
Robert Mullins
Poor Liren. Got Rizzed and then left in the cold. She's got her work cut out for her if she wants to be birds of a feather. I'm rooting for her. Definitely feels like we got the setup for that to start playing out in some form or another next volume. Even if only the most initial developments.
SlaveToMyWhims
Oh yesss. This ending feels a bit rushed, as if its missing at least a chapter. The language just puts a highlight on that feeling for me. It'll need a hard editor's touch or to get marked for revision now that the vol is done.
Morog T Tiny
I think the real threat/benefit would be other followers of the Dao who join them in their wondering. Not with any harm in mind, but there are powerful groups who suspect his benefit. How hard would it be to direct certain tier 9s to find them and journey with them. I would expect members of both(all three) sects (steelshimmer) to be on the lookout for them and to support them in their travels. The Heretics, if they ever found out about this, would send kill squads. (there would probably be a hidden dao master to watch over them)
Noah
The next art Tian needs to master is his disguises. If he could learn to supplement them with a technique like Elder Steelshimmer’s, then that would go a long, long way towards keeping him alive. Ideally, he would learn a technique similar to AVE XIA REM Y’s Art of the Roaming Thief. An art that directly plays with perception and can let him pass directly in front someone without their notice!
RadiantSpren
Great epilogue. Am i the only one bothered by modern slang and language like the Elder saying "crashing out"? It just feels wrong, and kind of ruined the vibe for me.
Red Potato
I look forward to the next volume. These volumes have ended with ascension. I can only look forward to the potential of Tian and Hong ascending at the end of the next volume if it keeps the pattern.
P.R. Bakker
Not necessarily the statement can apply to Tian only.
P.R. Bakker
Elder Feng chugging straight from the bottle, love it. Still somewhat worried about Iron Gorge murder squads going after Tian (and Liren)
Tessellae
What cliffhanger? This is just an ending.
Tessellae
When did Hong hit level 7?
Tessellae
That's not what she said.
Brian P.
Should we worry, given Steelshimmer told Tian to only put on that outfit when he was ready to kill?
ioajfidsnmfomds77
I hope Sister Su shared her treatises and stratagems on men with Liren because that girl is down bad
Book Worm
Aw, man. Another author I love has become versed in the way of cliffhangers :(
Xeophyn
Sounds like Liren approves of doaist Steelshimmer's recommendations
King Eater
The Monastery just took a hit to their resources while Five Colors made out like bandits with the caravan they robbed. They cant afford to spend like the array masters.
Duck_Giblets
Perfect ending, enjoy your week off!
Gardor
"And while he was growing, his brothers would be dying. A worthwhile trade. The Monastery only cared about the few elites who could change everything. What a great trade. What a delightful, wonderful trade." He says this with bitterness, like he wont get a bribe that helps his brothers anymore, but wouldnt the Monastery match any attempt? In fact, shouldnt they be proactively giving Tian what he wants so people dont know what to bribe him with? And sorta unrelated, but isnt Direct Disciple Mad Dog Fu helping out his former temple?
HyperJoJo
Damn, that ending was fire! (and earth and metal and water and wood ;)
HyperJoJo
I think the Mad god mostly had a problem with Tian getting so close to restoring his hands, not so much with the body enhancement itself. I assume the three still missing fingers will cause progressively bigger tribulations when they are restored.
Logrus
>He didn’t quite like the way Liren rocked back at the sight. He must look mad. ....Is Liren down bad? <_<
JackassofAllTrades
"Your father ascends with a revelation powerful enough to trigger a heavenly tribulation" So Elder Feng thinks it's the power of his revelation that got the Mad God's attention and not killing the heavenly person heretic like Fu originally thought. Interesting. Also this means that Grandpa Jin's body enhancement was powerful enough to compare to Disciple Fu's revelation in terms of threat to the Mad God. Very excited to see why that is.
Baconwargod
I think the seeds were planted last volume for Hong and Tian to start to see each other in a more romantic light. So hoping that gets explored a bit in this next one.
Noah
Or Tian just spent longer with Elder Feng, and thus had more time thoroughly break her! lol
Jeryd Greer
Thanks for the Book! Or Thanks for the Volume.
William Johnson
I think he's mentioned previously considering it. I'd also love to just get some more Hong Liren spotlight moments like the end of chapter 15 and beginning of chapter 16 of this volume. (Edit) Found it, the author's note from chapter 16 of this volume on royal road: I haven't posted it anywhere, (including my patreon lest you think I'm trying to hustle you) but I have been working on an interlude piece that goes into her backstory, her capabilities and her future development. I do intend for it to eventually go up on Patreon and into the final books, but for now, it's main function is to force me to work these things out.
Joe
Great ending to this book. Really excited for the next one. I hope the world reflects some of Tian's compassion back to him. He's long overdue to collect.
Steve Wright
Nailed the landing! I really wanted to know what the other elders all thought. Got it. Wanted to know what was next. Got that, too. Tian and the crane go flying is a bonus that I wasn't expecting, and super happy to see! Great chapter, perfect end to the volume, looking forward to whatever fate brings us next!
William Johnson
I hadn't considered that, if many volumes end with Tian getting a talking to about being too awesome that would be fun.
Jordan Schmitt
oh thank you i didnt realize that until just now
Fayhem
"He unpinned his hair and let it fall down his back. He didn’t quite like the way Liren rocked back at the sight. He must look mad." MY SHIP SAILS! Fr though, thank you for an excellent capper on an excellent volume. Definitely looking forward to what's next.
Fayhem
It's a problem because it means her negotiating partners are laser-focused on seeking the one thing from her she absolutely, positively cannot give up. Which is a distraction at *best*. At worst they might actually come up with an offer that Tian and Hong couldn't bear to refuse - you saw how Tian reacted like he was getting doused with ice water at just Elder Feng's speculation about what they might offer, right? Even aside from Elder Feng's own feelings about the kids in her care (which to be fair seem pretty genuine AFAICT), imagine her coming back to ACM like "good news, Mr. Direct Disciple of our Sect's Grand Elder - I got everything we wanted, and all I had to do was sell your son to another sect! :D" - her political and possibly literal life expectancy would be measured in seconds at most. Or in other words, Tian pulling that off *is* a very good thing - in the long run, and for the sect as a whole. But he did it at the maximally problematic time and place, which is why Elder Feng's response was to get him and Hong somewhere else as fast as physically possible.
Zenopath (AEV)
Not sure why Elder Feng is upset. Sure I get sending Town away, but "We have a 14 year old level 7 who has already helped push two people, including A 224 year old, into the heavenly realm." Seems like a massive flex. "We may have taken losses, but when Tian gets to heavenly realm he might be able to he push several more level 9s per year." How would this be bad for the negotiations?
Ben Nikel
Hhhhh. This is just such a fun retrospective. Also, another volume ending in "Tian Zihao, get your carcass up in front of me so I can give you SUCH A LECTURING." Sad to see the big five split up, but it'll be fun to see just Hong and Tian on a trip, for a bit
Grant Prater
Heavenly persons emerging from tea ceremonies as far as the eye can see, the Tian sect becomes the strongest on the continent in just a few years
Hunter Brown
absolutely cannot wait to see Tian interact with citizens of the kingdom at large
Ryan Zyro
Fantastic end to a fantastic volume 🥰
Teach
@warby, would you ever do a version of last book from Hong’s perspective? While I am a big Tian fan her adventures sound so cool. Secret MC indeed. Honestly you could drop it as a very short companion book on RR and probably break top 50
Abhi
The men with long hair that's always tied up except by barbarians and the mad is a classic ancient China thing. The women with short cuts is probably Warby adding a nice dualism thing to it. I thought it was a reference to the Bird theme (males with longer plumage females with shorter) of Ancient Crane Monastery and its Kingdom at first but since it seems pretty universal I guess it just a cultural quirk he liked?
The Golem Crafter
Im guessing its just this cultivation world the authors cooked up but it always trips me out to hear the men have long hair while the women have close shaves. Is there a precedent for this in cultivation stories or is the author just putting his own spin on their culture
Chris Fey
This goes back to the debate on how much of him is sincere and how much of him is snarky and calculating.
James Faulkner
Incredible writing, Tftc!!
William Johnson
That seems to be the direction we're headed. Fairies are going to be lining up for their beatings.
Lurker
I’m pretty sure the elders going to regret letting loose little tian on the world. Last time there was a religion started, this time I imagine it’s going to be so much worse.
Johan Persson
Amazing end to the book, can't wait for the next one.
Albadia
This remains easily one of the best written most engaging things I’ve read in years. The characters, the world, the action, the emotion… top tier. Wonderful job Warby.
Calibri
Great stuff, I’m looking forward to their adventures!
jack
Why am I just now understanding what she meant by "other people aren't called the Five Elements Courtyard". I need a smack to the head. Tian's tea session would be a unique thing for this particular sect because they focus on all 5 elements.
jack
Reading the chapter again, Elder Feng is the most down to earth practical Elder we have had in this story. Elder Fu and the others were way more aloof in their speaking and final exasperation with Tian.
Mqrius
It's kinda interesting because I don't miss that stuff at all. In normal stories my eyes kinda just skim it anyway and it doesn't stick. AIUI my own imagination is more 'relational' than 'visual', so unless the appearance of something directly affects anything, it just doesn't register.
BaguaBrady
What a masterstroke of a book Warby, on what I was expecting to be a transition slump book of the series. As a reader who has been with you since early Slumrat days and still considers that my favorite audiobook in the genre, I'm stoked that you seem to keep improving in your craft. Bravo!
Leser
Wow that's beautiful
BelligerentGnu
Well, I love the direction vol 4 is headed in. Also, am I reading this right? Liren has become a lesbian thirst trap?
Dylan
Sister Hong is now a victim of Jade Beauty Mind Control
Arah Traveller
Really loved the book. My compliments to the writer. That being said, have a minor complaint: the scenes and characters lack exposition. Take Mei for example -- she is a character whose appearance is kinda important to the story. But after reading all the chapters with her I still don't know how she looks. Does she have sharp features or soft ones? Is she blonde or brunette? Or Elder Feng's cabinet -- so many important events happened there, but I still have no idea how it looks, beyond the fact that she has a table made of wood. Is the furniture in that room minimalistic or classic medieval. Is it spartan or gaudy? And more importantly how does Tian feel himself in there? Warm? Cold? Irritated by the sound of wind? I know that kinda stuff might hurt pacing, but not having it hurts immersion and investment in the events. There needs to be balance. Yin and yang.
Jason Smith
How could you do this to me!?!? I need a break from this book, got me feeling fiendish as all hell for another chapter. Imma catch up to y’all in a week or two lol…
kellanved
West Town’s Finest Young Thugs have been unleashed.
jack
I knew it was said Wang was hurt alot, but he would be like number 3 on the list of 5 willing to off themselves. Su and Lin sure.
Baconwargod
It’s still so funny to me that they are both so against romantic entanglements and yet stick together as much as they can. They are both ride or die for the other and wish to follow each other wherever they go. I hope we see them at least entertain the idea next volume.
Baconwargod
Wonderful
Diarmuid McGinnity
What a cathartic ending. Smiling like a crazy person rn.
piranha
https://media1.tenor.com/m/MrenCmOdJdoAAAAd/justic-madel-canadian-male-models.gif
Tom C
TFTC!
Diarmuid McGinnity
I’d bet it’s a similar feeling to the one he had looking at daoist Steelshimmer
Misty57
What a lovely ending to this great epilogue, thank you!
piranha
Heartbreaker Tian has unlocked another level - Let Your Hair Down - and has acquired the title “Supermodel”
Marcia McGinley
Thank you. I know you plan to be writing but I hope you find the next week relaxing as well.
Martin Toder
*vow of chastity. Tian probably means vow of celibacy. Celibacy means no sex ever. Chastity means no sex until marriage.
Afrisan
Nice ending, thanks for the chapter!
Austin Cagle
I think Tians got that noble savage rizz going. He's got the feminine grace but some real masculine features so it confuses people. Just like that really hot woman he ran into that he didn't quite understand.
Codered999
That recap of events was immensely entertaining and adds a lot of context that would make a future reread quite fun too. I do hope the Monastery manages to steal Mei away, the courtyard is clearly awful at social management.
Ian Ayers
He finally soars!!! What a great ending to a wonderful volume! Next week can’t come sooner, I need more already!
pierre boucheron
" He unpinned his hair and let it fall down his back. He didn’t quite like the way Liren rocked back at the sight. He must look mad." ... yes, Tian, i am quite sure that's what she's thinking.
porilaine
just a BEATIFUL ending for a season+!
Markus Müller
Amazing end
Austin Cagle
Enjoy your break! We will be waiting.
DT
-cheerfully plays golden for the ending scene-
DT
Warby's going to take a week break and then resume posting I believe the post a week ago stated.
William Johnson
You have wildly exceeded my expectations, now please go do it somewhere far away from me. Poor Elder Feng, I bet before this trip she didn't think heavenly people could have ulcers.
Mqrius
🪽🏗️🪽
Ekko
I think Hong just realised how hot Tian is, lol. Our boy should have reached pretty boy level at this point
True_Jolly_Roger
Oh ho ho, Warby always wants to flirt with gender fluidity of a character. It did fit the slum rat, I guess Tian is too straightforward for that, pun intended.
Alexander Dupree
I’m so ready for Tian’s ascent
I Amastar
very nice ending, do we immediatly go into book 4 or is there a rest period for you?
Powernap
Excellent
