Hey there, Shade here!

This is my first attempt at an Eastern-style novel. If you're reading this, I'm glad you have found it in your intestines to look through this book.

Now, we all love the standard Eastern stories, with the various Cultivation techniques they introduce, the spectacular sects, and everything else they instill in our brains to keep our minds stimulated and tap-dancing. I admire those stories and their fantastic authors as well.

This story, however, is a little different, and not in an inherently good way, mind you.

I-I-Imma do my own thing.

PREFERENCE:

This story is moreso tailored towards those that enjoy fairytales, mystery, adventure, some romance, and then action. It will not devolve into sects and traditional Eastern fantasy elements (those in most Cultivation webnovels) for a long time. Additionally, it is a slow burn. Things happen, but I know some of y'all don't like slower stories, and that's completely fine. That's why I'm warning you beforehand.

MAIN CHARACTER:

As I have not added the tag, I hope you do not go into this story expecting an overpowered, supernaturally intelligent protagonist. (If you're interested in that kind of MC, you can check out my other work This Family is Full of Broken Psychos! I'm One of them!)

That is not the type of character I'm trying to build and explore in this story and I don't intend to explore themes of extreme power early-on. The protagonist's journey is more mental and 'spiritual' than it is based on how many enemies he can take on at once. To be sure, the protagonist grows in strength, but probably not as quickly as some of you would like.

POETRY AND SONGS:

There are songs and poems in this story. They aren't anything ground-breaking or special, but they serve the plot and the characters. They aren't in excess or long for that matter, but if that turns you off, then this is also likely not your cup of tea.

POWER SYSTEM:

The power system in this novel is rather... broad. Unlike most novels (and again, I say, this isn't a matter of better or worse - this story gives a lot more show with the power system than tell, at least for a while. If you're interested in dissecting power system mysteries, then you might enjoy this.

INSPIRATION:

This book is definitely inspired by the novel, Journey to the West, and the recent, popular game, Black Myth Wukong, though, admittedly, you won't see that initially, beyond superficial details.

CONCLUSION:

If none of the above bothers you, and you're willing to give this story a try, then… welcome Daoist. Hope to see you in the Ao Universe.