WarbyPicus

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 24- Disgraceful Sparring

Word got around Bamboo Medicine Hut quickly. By the time the tea party reached the martial practice courtyards, a sizable crowd had gathered. Hong huddled with Tian and gave him some last minute instructions.

“No matter what he says, don’t kill him, don’t cripple him, don’t destroy his cultivation, don’t castrate him. Don’t hit his face either. That’s important.” Hong was rattling through a list of “exchanging pointers” do’s and don’ts. Mostly “don’ts,” tho...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 23- Young Master Tian

Tian realized he was being rude about ten seconds after people started staring at him. He jolted to his feet and cupped his hands towards the new arrivals, bowing almost ninety degrees. “I am sorry! I was completely lost in my thoughts.”

“Understandable. You were just out in the desert, weren’t you?” This from a daoist of around thirty years old. Tian pegged him at the seventh level of the Earthly Realm, which for the Bamboo Medicine Hut made him something of a talent.  2025-07-23 12:00:15 +0000 UTC View Post

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 22- A Peaceful Life of Cultivation

“So you grow the Red Heartline Grass in rows for easy reaping, but the Coldeye Flowers need to be grown in an array with these other plants?” Tian asked.

“Yes! Well, no, you could kind of grow it by itself or spaced out in rows or something, with enough soil amendments and regularly applying supplements. But it grows much better and much more productively if you grow it in a sect.”

Tian blinked and looked over at the suddenly awkward Daoist Shu. She was blushing and lookin...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 21 The Bamboo Medicine Hut

The disciples started walking onto the flying cloud when Tian spotted a dreadful, expedition destroying problem.

“We never resolved the issue of seniority!” Tian exclaimed. “Quickly- which of us is the senior brother or sister? Brother Wang and Sister Su have the highest cultivation, and Brother Wang is the eldest. By default, he should be the senior. Any disagreements?”

“Yes, me. My disagreement.” Brother Wang shook his head. “I can play the leading man, but I prefe...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 20- Thoughts Like A Mountain Stream

Tian clapped his hands together. The loud noise shocked everyone out of their argument. “We are going around in circles. We should take a br

Tian clapped his hands together. The loud noise shocked everyone out of their argument. “We are going around in circles. We should take a break here. May I trouble Sister Su to compile the notes into something readable?”

“Certainly, Brother Tian.”

Tian retreated to his room to meditate. Big problems require big solutions. If t...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 19- Choking on Mortal Air

They gathered in the common room to sort through what they had put together. Tian passed around his little timeline, which got grim nods of

They gathered in the common room to sort through what they had put together. Tian passed around his little timeline, which got grim nods of appreciation from Brother Wang and Sister Su. They came with their own stacks of notes. Sister Su took the floor first.

“We underestimated the importance of salt.”

“We did?” Tian blinked. He ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 18- Finding Today’s Limit

Tian had reached his limit. He hadn’t slept properly, his mind was a mess, and even bickering with Hong had lost all appeal. He would move h

Tian had reached his limit. He hadn’t slept properly, his mind was a mess, and even bickering with Hong had lost all appeal. He would move his body a bit. Tian walked out into the garden. There wasn’t any dedicated practice space, but the area around the tiny pond was mostly filled with low lying shrubs and rather pretty little flowers. He wo...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 17- A Rock Worth More Than A Kingdom

“You two will remain in the Manor for the next little while. I plan on giving Juniors Wang and Su some more time to work down in the city. T

“You two will remain in the Manor for the next little while. I plan on giving Juniors Wang and Su some more time to work down in the city. They are digging up…” Elder Feng paused, her eyes growing a little hazy. “Painful truths. Our trip through the country might not be a peaceful one, unfortunately. Which is not good for healing.” ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chap. 16- A Fairy With Bloody Knuckles

“Fairy Maiden descends from the fiery star, unafraid before ten thousand devils.” Hong swung her spear around with one hand, then collected

“Fairy Maiden descends from the fiery star, unafraid before ten thousand devils.” Hong swung her spear around with one hand, then collected it and fell into a ready stance. Power gathered, ready to lunge upwards and pierce the heavens. 

“First Form: Annunciation of Fire.” She saw the lightning come down. The same sort of lazy ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 15- Gone But Not Forgotten

Tian was lightheaded from the shimmering, twisting agony of the demon’s finger. It had reached a point of obliteration, where the pain simply overwhelmed rational thought and demanded that the panicked animal do whatever was necessary to escape. Weighed against that was the increasingly loud chant from the Hell Suppressing Sutra. As the curse qi intensified within his body, the Sutra grew louder in his ears and worked more quickly. Tian had been counting on it- a calculated risk in the mids...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 14- Trading Heads

Tian took a long moment to try and understand what he was seeing. The girl was dressed in rather good robes. They were a fine silk, bright g

Tian took a long moment to try and understand what he was seeing. The girl was dressed in rather good robes. They were a fine silk, bright green with gold trim and a blindingly white underrobe. All carefully tied and belted in place. Her hair was nicely cropped, but not decorated. There was a pendant on her waist too- a lovely blue stone, but what ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 13- A Local Snake

The shadows lengthened with the setting sun. Then they consumed the mercenary cultivators. “You are only level six. You are doing something

The shadows lengthened with the setting sun. Then they consumed the mercenary cultivators.

“You are only level six. You are doing something weird to your breath, but I can still tell. You are just a goddamn level six junior!” The spearman’s voice came slow but gathered momentum as he spoke.

Tian sighed silently behind the straw h...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 12- Flowing Water Becoming a Landslide

Brother Long was Tian’s friend. Brother Long was an elegant young man who cultivated sophistication. He studied the four arts a gentleman sc

Brother Long was Tian’s friend. Brother Long was an elegant young man who cultivated sophistication. He studied the four arts a gentleman scholar should master with the grace of someone who would never be pushing a plow or digging ditches for a living. He cultivated immortality the same way- as a duty expected of a gentleman such as himself, th...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 11- The Smokey Shadow of the Demon

There wasn’t a fight. The mortal swung a mallet at Tian and watched in horror as Tian stopped it with a finger, then flicked it hard enough

There wasn’t a fight. The mortal swung a mallet at Tian and watched in horror as Tian stopped it with a finger, then flicked it hard enough to send the four pound sledge through the wall. 

“Your particular brand of heresy is called the Art of Smoke and Fire or something like that?”

“Im… Immortal!”

“Compared to ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 10 Exploding Bad People

Slavery was a concept that only existed on paper for Tian. He knew it existed, something perpetrated by the heretics of the Black Iron Gorge

Slavery was a concept that only existed on paper for Tian. He knew it existed, something perpetrated by the heretics of the Black Iron Gorge or some ancient dynasty that died drowning in its own sin. It was also, apparently, about twenty miles from Burning Flag City. Closer on some days, but never further than that. 

“It’s a big part...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 9- A Daoist in the Garrison

There was a peace to moving with no expectations. Tian jogged to keep up with the returning cavalry, his black robes flapping and his straw…

There was a peace to moving with no expectations. Tian jogged to keep up with the returning cavalry, his black robes flapping and his straw… he was never quite sure what to call it. Hats didn’t usually cover the whole head, face included, in what was closer in appearance to a straw basket. Whatever it was, it bobbed around as he ran, looking ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 8 The Red Plume General

Tian needed a sit down after the Elder’s revelations. He wasn’t going to get one. 

“We are not in a position to completely dismantle the salt trade in the Broad Sky Kingdom, even if we were to disregard the familial interests of our disciples, but this is unendurable. Junior Wang?”

“Trade with other salt producing nations. The Green Dragon kingdom has oceans, and we share a border on the Northeast. Alternatively find new salt mines domestically that can be exploited...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 7 The Second Supreme Virtue

The tea session was a modest success. While no definitive common points were identified across all four scrolls, there was a definite theme. Where, on balance, should ensuring the common good be balanced against the instinct of all people to better themselves specifically? And, following that question, to what degree did it make sense to put the cost of maintaining that public good on a central authority, rather than decentralizing it? 

The question was surprising...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 6- Making Human Noises, Spotting Immortal Traps

The scroll was written in a deceptively academic style- seemingly dry and clinical, but laced with hidden traps for the unwary reader. Tian would never want to be a scholar, but between studying medical texts, the nakedly propagandic history texts and Grandpa’s heckling, he had honed a few basic instincts. The most crucial of which was this- “What is the author choosing to write about, and what are they leaving out?”

The eye of history couldn’t be focusing everywhere all at once...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 5- Making New Friends

The atmosphere on the platform had dropped to freezing. Hong still had her spear out, but it looked like she had forgotten she was holding it. She was, instead, watching her friend carefully fill a bucket with water then adding a carefully measured portion of harsh soap to it. He pulled a mop from his ring, placed it in the bucket, agitated it gently to make sure the soap was properly combined with the water, then leaned the mop handle against a railing. Preparations complete, he turned back ...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 4- Strangers With Familiar Faces

The room was dead silent. Elder Rui was content to let them process his words. It had been a lot. Eventually, Tian stood, bowed with clasped hands and asked “Elder Rui, if I may be so bold as to ask, why the… why are we fighting this war? What exactly do the heretics want?”

He was slightly desperate to know at this point. The semi-regular motivational speeches were long on all the terrible things the heretics would do if they won, but the motives were never really explained beyond...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 3- Broken Emissaries

The Daoist Master arrived by sky barge. He didn’t deign to appear before the masses. He summoned Direct Disciple Sung, and through her, gave instructions. A few hours after the Daoist Master arrived, those instructions filtered down to Tian.

Tian gathered in a hastily reconstructed reception hall. Tian assumed it was a reconstruction, anyway. He had certainly never been here before, and had no particular recollection of it. The thought that it had been specifically built for this meet...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 2- First Under The Heavens

Brother Fu stood rooted on the ground, his voice a rolling chant. Each word landed like a graven tablet, like a bronze stele carrying the supreme law.

“The things of the world burst out everywhere, and each returns to its own root. Returning to the root is called stillness; this is called returning to destiny; returning to destiny is called constant; knowing the constant is called enlightenment.” 

The sky convulsed. The dragon palm ripped apart the clouds and fell into se...

Sky Pride Vol. 3 Chapter 1- Unrivaled Since Ancient Times

The Heavenly Realm cultivators were the first to run. They were closest to the gathering clouds on their flying swords or swarms of insects or lotus platforms. They could see the clouds crackling with malevolent red and purple lightning. They could feel the heavenly fury, feel the utter violence of the coming storm. So they ran. To reach the Heavenly Person Realm required a moment of revelation, a personal grasp of what it meant to be immortal. Not one of them, heretic or orthodox, believed i...

Rolling into Vol. 3 and a Mea Culpa

TL,DR:

Longer answer-

I goofed on the fingers. Finger Truthers were right. I miscounted. Somehow I got into my head that he had regrown his ring fingers, and was looking forward to posting a "Signature Look of Superiority" meme when I pointed out where tha...

Sky Pride- A True Legacy (Alternate POV Chapter)

“A man needs a creed. Without a creed, he’s lost. So let me ask you, Daoist Kong, what’s your creed?”

“Immortality at all costs. And yours, Daoist Gobek?”

“Don’t have one. I’m lost.”

Daoist Gobek, as he was known in Stillearth Refuge, smiled thinly and took a long drink of wine. He didn’t consider himself a fussy man, but a lightless room inside of a rocky hill decorated in accumulated loot nobody wanted was distasteful. And the people who filled it wer...

Vol. 3 of Sky Pride Begins Monday, June 23!

Whew! Quite the wild ride. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting Sky Pride. It is your support that lets me turn my passion into a career. I will get out that side chapter next week, and use the rest of the time to recharge and load up on new ideas for Vol. 3.

Now, long time readers of mine will know I like working with a major stockpile, as it gives me time to revise and improve things before it reaches you. So you will be... less than surprised to know that I'm currently w...

Sky Pride Vol. 2 Chapter Chapter 55- A Father in Old Age

“Junior Tian, sit down!”

“I need to go to my brothers. I need to be there with them!”

“Tian! No!” Hong yelled.

“I have to go to them!” He lurched for the side of the platform. Elder Rui snarled and made a sharp gesture. Tian collapsed, flattened against the wood.

“You think I don’t know how you are feeling? Four hundred years ago, it was me down there! Two hundred years ago, I was picking the bones of my best friend out of my cheek after some ba...