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Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 19

Xu Zhenyan sat quietly inside his tent, meditating. Today was the day of admission, but he already arrived two days ago, making good time despite the delay.

Even though he expected it, it was still quite striking to see just how many applicants there were. Across the plains surrounding Azure Lake, thousands of tents were set up, just like his. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think an invading army was coming over the Sea of Mountains.

‘Yet, only a fraction of these will b...

Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 18

It seemed Xu Zhenyan’s lunch wouldn’t be without further interruption. While he and Qin Baofeng were in the middle of a menial discussion about politics, a well dressed, middle-aged man approached their table.

Raising his head, Qin Baofeng looked at him.

“Zhang Feng…?”

Being the one in charge of this convoy, he was familiar with the drug-store owner from Xiaoxiang province.

The merchant bowed respectfully, a few servants trailing behind him.

“I apolog...

Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 16

AN: I see I forgot to post this one. Sorry about that.

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Winter gave way to spring. As the snow melted, rivulets formed, running down the mountaintops. Sticking close to the Sea of Mountains, it was no surprise the road ahead was thick with mud, creating difficulties for travelers.

Currently, Xu Zhenyan and Lee Shin’s carriage were caught in the congestion, waiting for the way ahead to be cleared up.

‘Many of these carriages should belo...

Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 17

Despite the situation, Qin Baofeng’s hospitality wasn’t lacking. Unlike Xu Zhenyan, he didn’t travel lightly—from how many carriages, servants and guards there were, it seemed he brought his household with him.

With how many carriages had gathered here and how the surrounding vegetation had been cleared out, it was almost like a type of bazaar.

Through some contraption, one of the vehicles unfolded into a platform big enough to fit a table and a handful of people. Without ...

Piercer Of Heaven—Chapter 15

Xu Zhenyan sat silently inside a carriage, ruminating about his time in this new world.

‘To think I’ve already been here for a year.’

It felt much shorter than that, which was understandable given his six-month coma.

After awakening, he spent near every day in meditation, refining his ki. In a way, it was mind-numbing, but as an average person from the modern world, it was something he never got to experience.

Though, he wasn’t referring to cultivation. Rather,...

Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 14

Xu Zhenyan sat in his room, eating Xian’er’s roast duck. It was pretty good, similar to the spicy chicken dishes from life. However, if there was one problem, it was that the portion size was too small.

In thought, he didn’t realize it was finished until his chopsticks struck an empty plate.

“Are you still hungry, young master? I can fetch something from the kitchen, if you wish.”

Hua’er, standing next to Xian’er with her hands folded, immediately took notice o...

Piercer Of Heaven—Chapter 13

It was getting late, the setting sun dyeing the sky a mellow orange.

Currently, Xian’er was helping in the kitchen. Usually, she’d be by Xu Zhenyan’s side, but given his absence, she thought she may as well make herself useful.

She was sitting in the pantry for some privacy, in the process of plucking a duck. However, her mind wasn’t on the task at all. Instead, she was obsessing over Xu Zhenyan’s request.

At that time, she was caught off-guard, so she didn’t ref...

Piercer Of Heaven—Chapter 11

AN: Don't read this at work...

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When Xu Zhenyan felt Hua’er’s hands grip his cock, he groaned involuntarily. However, given his mouth was underwater, it was mostly suppressed.

The eldest maid, for her part, didn’t know what to make of the object between her palms. What she expected, she herself didn’t know. However, she never imagined it would be so hard.

“Rub it slowly.”

Seeing nothing was happening, X...

Piercer Of Heaven—Chapter 10

Xian’er’s hands stilled. She didn’t know why young master Xu said something like that.

‘Why doesn’t he want me to bathe with Yuanba? I mean, I wasn’t going to, anyway…’

It wasn’t that she was dull. Rather, the girl didn’t think Xu Zhenyan’s feelings toward her were ambiguous.

‘His… thing was that big, so he must like Hua’er, right?’

Unlike the eldest maid, Xian’er had two older sisters. They told her boys became like that when l...

Piercer Of Heaven—Chapter 9

Xu Zhenyan made his way over to the attached bathroom using a wooden crutch.

To his surprise, Hua’er immediately moved to support him. Though she was the most senior of the three, she couldn’t be older than sixteen.

“Let me help you, young master.”

Smiling kindly, she put one hand on Xu Zhenyan’s shoulder and the other on his arm.

Such forwardness could be considered overstepping, but he didn’t rebuke her.

“Thank you.”

With Hua’er’s help...

Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 8

Although Xu Zhenyan was eager to start cultivating, he thought it best to assess his condition. Directing his ki-sense toward his dantian, he discovered his foundation was clearly unstable.

‘Right now, I need to consolidate my gains.’

Cultivating too fast had its downsides. If he had to explain it, it was almost like building a tower—being the fastest meant getting to the top sooner, but would result in a lower-quality structure.

Thinking of how much his progress would...

Piercer Of Heaven—Chapter 7

The next morning, the third young master finally opened his eyes, sending the entire household into a frenzy. Housekeeper Bo, ever the dutiful servant, immediately sent a few errand boys to a local shrine to burn incense and offer donations as thanks.

City Supervisor Li Xiping somehow caught wind of the news and, not missing an opportunity to curry favor, brought his personal doctor to assess Xu Zhenyan. Finding the youth in stable condition, he soon excused himself, blaming his busy sc...

Piercer of Heaven—Chapter 6

AN: The voiceover for this was surprisingly good. I expected the AI to struggle with Chinese names, but the devs clearly paid attention to that, for some reason.

Also, Lee Jin's name was changed to Lee Shin.

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Two months turned into three, yet Xu Zhenyan didn’t wake up. Doctors came and went, but his condition remained mysterious as ever. Nobody understood...

Cornerman—Chapter 15

Sasuke was surprised to discover his pursuer.

He didn’t mind falling out with Mineko. Their relationship was predicated on mutual benefit and if that dried up, there was no reason to continue. Consequences were expected, but it was impossible to live as a shinobi without ruffling a few feathers.

For a moment, he considered ignoring her, but then he slowed down, stopping by the roadside. Countless eyes followed his movements, making him feel like a zoo-animal. To some extent, he ...

Cornerman—Chapter 14

Two individuals, a woman and a boy, sat at a wooden desk. Papers were scattered across the surface, as well as various medicinal ingredients.

Holding her chin in one perfect, manicured hand, Mineko watched Sasuke work. Since their agreement a few weeks ago, she’d been teaching him the poison arts. As expected, the start was awkward and difficult, but as one session gave way to the next, their relationship and co-operation improved.

The young Uchiha wasn’t much of a conversatio...

Cornerman—Chapter 13

AN: No audio for this one. It just sounds too weird. The pronunciation is off for all the names except Sasuke and none of the voices quite fit. 

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A rugged, graying woman sat at a pitted wooden desk. She looked at the subordinate standing in front of her, a plain younger woman, in silence.

After a few moments had passed, she exhaled slowly, laying down the report she’d been reading onto her desk.

“There has be...

Which voice would you prefer?

Hi guys. As you know, I've been experimenting with AI voices. The site I use is called NaturalReaders, but they have a couple different options. If possible, please listen to these four (they let you do that much for free) and tell me which one you like most. These are the best, after some testing. I've been using 'Jane' for the everyman chapters.

Thanks!

https://www.naturalreaders.com/

Everyman—Chapter 7

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Tucking the clipboard under his arm, coach Martinez approached the gathered players. His gait was long and steady, and unselfconsciously confident. Standing a short distance away, his piercing green eyes swept the boys.

“Why did you lose?”

In an even tone, he directed the question at the B-team.

The group of athletes seemed both awkward and wronged. The answer was obvious, wasn’t it? The other players were stronger and mor...

Everyman—Chapter 6

AN: As before, MP3 below.

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Giovanni stared at her, wearing an unreadable expression. He couldn’t believe this was the same girl from two years ago.

“Damn…”

Speechless, his eyes swept her again. She looked entirely different.

This time, Luci didn’t appear discomforted by his gaze. Instead, she almost seemed proud.

“Like I said, I’ve been running since primary school.”

Clasping her...

Everyman—Chapter 5

AN: Busy, busy, busy. This week should be better, though. As before, find the MP3 below.

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Fifteen minutes had passed and the middle-group was halfway around the school.

Giovanni’s breaths were long and slow. This much wasn’t enough to tire him. Since he was little, he got into the habit of exercising regularly. Mainly, by playing sports, but over the holidays, when practice was suspended, he worked out on his own.

...

Everyman—Chapter 4

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Giovanni walked out of his sixth-period class, heading toward the locker rooms. He just had economics, a subject he wasn’t particularly interested in, but enjoyed because of his teacher. The fellow in question was an old man, already in his sixties. Apparently, the grampa retired a few years ago, but returned when staying at home got too boring.

What interested Giovanni was the elder’s attitude toward him—the boy was almost sure h...

Everyman—Chapter 3

AN: Please let me know if you liked the attached MP3. I think it's pretty good.

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Giovanni’s third period was uneventful. He listened to the math teacher explain exponents with half an ear until the bell rang, signaling the start of recess. After putting his things in his backpack, he exited the class, heading toward the cafeteria. Today, his packed lunch wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him.

Before going there, he picked up...

Audiobooks

I've been experimenting with text-to-speech lately, 'cause I thought a lot of you guys would probably want to listen instead of read, if you had the option. For now, I'll only do it for everyman.

Look at the bottom of the chapter for attachments. If it isn't available yet, then I'm still in the process of uploading.

Everyman - Chapter 2

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Giovanni’s feet carried him through tiled hallways and up wide staircases.

As he walked, he scanned the overgrown facilities with familiarity. Trivandrum was known for its lavish gardens, a feature most students appreciated, including himself.

He still remembered stumbling across a female teacher, making out with a student behind an overgrown rose-bush. Back then, he was still a freshman and unused to such sights. Now, it wouldn’t ...

Everyman—Chapter 1

AN: Hello guys. Sorry for being so absent. This probably isn't what you guys were waiting for, but my brain is giving me a hard time lately. Please have mercy.

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In the dim, grey light of winter’s dawn, a one-story, middle-class house sat next to a narrow, tar road. Its appearance was ordinary, not liable to catch the eye of passing pedestrians or drivers.

Shadows flickered behind its neighbors’ windows, the occupa...

Piercer Of Heaven - Chapter 5

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The air trembled and the ground quaked as heaven-and-earth energy madly rushed into Xu Zhenyan’s body.

Large, dark cumulonimbus clouds formed in the sky above the mountain. In the span of a few breaths, the clear spring weather took a turn for the worse. Already, flashes of light could be seen inside those dense columns of water-vapor.

Leaves were shaken out of trees, rocks and pebbles tumbled down mountainsides and the dry soil cra...

Piercer of Heaven - Chapter 4

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Xu Zhenyan walked into the forest behind Xu manor without looking back. Even though it was late-afternoon and the sun was nearly setting, he didn’t hesitate. After a month’s waiting, he couldn’t be patient anymore.

His advance was single minded to the point where he didn’t even pay attention to the branches scraping against his body. When warm droplets of blood beaded on his cheeks and forehead, he still continued.

The sun soon h...

Piercer Of heaven - Chapter 3

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The journey went by uneventfully.

There were no sudden bandit attacks, mysterious encounters with old men or pretty young ladies encountering trouble by the roadside. The Yunqin empire, at this stage, was still a place of law and order.

Xu Zhenyan enjoyed the road-trip more than he expected. In the modern world, it was difficult to see this sort of undisturbed countryside. The ancient world’s population density was extrem...

Piercer of Heaven - Chapter 2

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It was only later that day, after Xu Zhenyan finished his lessons and Xu Tianwang returned from the Judicial supervisor’s office that they were able to speak.

Standing in front of his father’s courtyard, the youth wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt.

His and his two siblings’ mother died when he was young, so the man was the only parent he ever knew. He was also the reason why the original Xu Zhenyan became so twisted, having...

Piercer Of Heaven - Chapter 1

It was dark outside, the sun having set long since. Thick, dark clouds covered the sky, obscuring the moon and stars.

Raindrops pattered heavily on top of a clay-tile roof, dark and dusky, like charcoal. The place was a separate courtyard, part of a larger estate. It belonged to the Xu family, a prominent clan in the Yunqin empire.

Even though bedtime came and went, figures still moved in the darkness, carrying oil lanterns and paper umbrellas. They weren't intruders, but guards a...