Volume 001 Complete! & What's Next?
With the end of this story arc, I've reached a natural stopping point for Volume 001! I'm excited to announce that I've finished drafting the entire first volume, and I can't wait to continue the story in Volume 002!
But the journey through Volume 001 isn't over yet! There are still 21 more chapters left to be released (19 after today's!).
Looking Ahead:
Premium Early Access: I'm planning to launch premium early access for Volume 002! This means you'll be able to read 30 chapters ahead with some cool extra perks. I'm exploring a few options for how to offer this:
Ko-fi Membership: I might use my Ko-fi page ([]) to offer membership tiers with early access.
Premium Telegram Channel: This would be a separate Telegram channel with membership options and flexible payment methods.
Dedicated Website: I could create a website specifically for early access chapters and offer memberships there.
I'm still figuring out the best approach, so I'd love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments on Webnovel or Scribblehub which option you prefer, or if you have any other suggestions. You can simply leave a comment under this chapter on either platform.
Unfortunately, there are some issues with setting up a Patreon page right now, so that's not likely to be an option.
A Note for Readers on Other Platforms: I've noticed many of you are reading on platforms besides Webnovel and Scribblehub. While the story is free everywhere, if you'd like to join the community discussions, please leave your comments under the chapters on Scribblehub. For any errors you find, you can report them in the comments section of either Scribblehub or Webnovel.
New Year's Plans & Discount: I'm also cooking up something special for the holidays! There will be a New Year's release with a discount, so stay tuned for more details on that!
In the meantime, if you're enjoying the story, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review – it really helps!
That's all for now! Enjoy today's 2-chapter release!
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"Let me go! Let me kill those Li family members, avenge my Xiao family! I want revenge!"
On the spirit shuttle, Xiao Huang'er, her eyes bloodshot, struggled to break free from Qiuye's embrace and rush back to Medicine King Valley to kill those eight members of the Li family.
Qiuye gritted his teeth, the fear in his eyes lingering. But he still spoke gently, "Huang'er, calm down. Since they know our strength, do you think they would only send Li Yaozu and those seven unkillable demon brutes? Think carefully. They already have our information. We should return to the Azure Cloud Pavilion now, or come with me directly to the Skyveil Sect!"
"With Nascent Soul ancestors protecting us, they wouldn't dare to come."
Qiuye had once regarded the Li family as mere ants, seeing their annihilation as a means to destroy Li Yunlin. But now, all he felt was fear. Even during cultivation, the Li family had become his inner demons, hindering his progress over these seven years, even causing him to regress slightly.
Especially during these seven years, he constantly heard news about the Li family from the outside world.
One after another, forces that tried to deal with the Li family were destroyed, while talented individuals emerged from within the Li family. The Li family was no weakling. That rural and impoverished Tailin Town had always been a cage, imprisoning the sleeping lion that was the Li family. Now, this lion was baring its sharp claws and fangs!
Li Yunlin possessed exceptional talent and wielded the Nine Spirit Mystic Fire. However, compared to the rising experts of the Li family... whether it was the Sword King Li Yaozu, the Holy Maiden of Herbs, the Ancestor of Spirit Puppets, or the Lord of Dawn, Li Yunlin could only be considered average at best!
He didn't even dare to return to the Skyveil Sect. He feared that Sect Leader Zhen, who had used him as a pawn, would simply discard him!
His inner demons grew stronger with every passing period, to the point that now, all he wanted was to escape. He had no idea what other incredible depths this abnormal family possessed.
"Trash! You are a complete and utter Trash!"
Hearing Qiuye's words, Xiao Huang'er cried out and turned to pound on him. "Didn't you tell me to chase after that Demon King back then?" she yelled. "Why are you only thinking of escaping now?! You're still the same Trash you were over two hundred years ago, hiding behind me! Now you want to hide behind your Skyveil Sect's ancestors?!"
"I... I am a Trash, Huang'er, but I'm doing this for your own good!"
Qiuye clenched his jaw, feeling as if he were back in those days hundreds of years ago when everyone called him a pretty boy. He even contemplated killing Xiao Huang'er to prevent her from being a burden, but glancing at her swollen belly, he could only take a deep breath.
He knew he was probably truly finished. His inner demons were impossible to overcome, and only this soon-to-be-born child offered him any hope for the future.
Just then, Qiuye's expression changed. Xiao Huang'er looked towards the front of the spirit shuttle, her eyes growing even more bloodshot.
A wine gourd appeared before them, and atop it sat a drunken old man. The old man wore tattered cloth shoes, revealing his dirty toes.
"Well, well! Isn't this Elder Qiuye of the Skyveil Sect and Elder Xiao Huang of the Azure Cloud Pavilion? You weren't so disheveled when you were chasing me back then. What's the matter? Fallen on hard times?"
It was the Drunken Madman from the Thunderfire Cave. He had obtained a jar of fine wine from Li Dalong and his wife, a wine that had been treasured by the Xiao family for a thousand years. He was currently enjoying himself, drunkenly blocking their path with hazy eyes.
He poured wine into his mouth with one hand and tapped the tattered bowl and chopsticks tucked into his belt with the other, a complete beggar's outfit.
Suddenly, these two items gleamed with golden light, shedding their apparent shabbiness. They floated up into the air, and the golden chopsticks struck the golden bowl, producing a clear ringing sound that echoed through the clouds. In an instant, a square-shaped golden barrier trapped Qiuye and Xiao Huang'er!
"High Top-grade Spirit Weapons! The Golden Source Divine Bowl and the Universe Spirit Pivot Chopsticks! Drunken Madman, have you inherited the legacy of the Divine Beggar?!"
Elder Qiuye's expression turned grim. Back in the day, there was a Divine Beggar in the Azure Cloud region, a peak Golden Core cultivator who nearly reached the Nascent Soul stage. He used these very same Spirit Weapons. No Golden Core cultivator could escape from them!
But what truly terrified him wasn't the Drunken Madman himself, but the possibility that the Drunken Madman was working for the Li family!
Elder Qiuye, overcome with anxiety, trembled all over as he looked around frantically.
"You have some discerning eyes."
The Drunken Madman grinned. "Then take another guess. Why am I stopping you?"
But before the Drunken Madman could finish his sentence, he rolled his eyes.
Someone was approaching from afar, traveling on the clouds, alone.
Carrying a large coffin covered with a white cloth, who else could it be but Li Dalong?
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