Hey everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to make it clear that I am not dropping the story. I am having trouble finding motivation to write these days, but this story is dear to my heart and I will continue to update it when I regain some of my motivation.

My updates are going to be chaotic for a while and I'm sorry about that. I'll also be spending a lot of time doing some serious edits of what I consider the first book. I want to actually prepare to have it published, which is a big deal for me. if anyone is interested in becoming a beta reader for the edited version, let me know.

I hope you guys understand and I look forward to sharing more of Jia Lin's story with you.

On another note:

I have added a major change on Royalroad that will effect the story. In chapter 41, after the conversation with Jing Xia about Ai and what the sect will do with her. Shia and Jia Lin have a talk.

Jing Xia leaves the room shortly after that and I am left to my thoughts.

I look over to where Ai sleeps, wondering what I should do. After a moment, I stand up decisively.

“Are you planning to leave, just for the little girl?” Shia asks. I had forgotten that she was still in my robes, her presence so expertly hidden.

I pause, surprised at how accurately my thoughts had been guessed. “The sect will kill her or imprison her for the demon inside of her.”

“After you leave, then what, little one? You will raise the girl? Protect her as a Rogue cultivator in the Qi Awakening realm?”

“I will take her to one of the portals, we can hide in whatever land it takes us to.”

Shia hisses in laughter, moving up my body until she’s wrapped around my throat. She constricts, applying pressure to my throat. “You can not protect the girl from the crazed immortals that will be after her. You are truly naive if you believe you have any power.”

I pause, moving my hand up to the slowly constricting predator around my neck.

“Even an immortal in Dao Refining would wish to have their own sealed demon. What plans have you made to protect yourself and her? You are simply killing yourself and her!”

“I’m doing what I can!” I yell, gripping Shia’s body as hard as I can, I try to remove her from my neck, but she refuses to move.

“Use your brain, little one.” Shia moves off of my neck, curling around my arm. “I may know someone who can protect the girl until you are stronger.”

“You do?” I ask cautiously, wondering who Shia could know that I don’t.

“She will want something in return.” Shia lifts her head, looking into my eyes with a powerful gaze.

After a moment of thought, I ask “What will she want?”

“The knife.” Shia says simply.

My hand moves to the spot in my robes I’d placed the sacrificial dagger. The one Ai had been stabbed with in order to summon the demon.

“Can I trust this person?”

“She will honor her deal and protect the demon child.”

“How will we find her?”

“We will be traveling to Nanxing Province.”

Jia Lin then specifically requests to go to Nanxing Province from Princess Da Shi.

It's a major shift on my plans for the direction of the story, and probably something you guys should know.