Hello guys! Important note that I'm going on vacation across the world from May 25th~mid June, so I won't be able to update then! Was going to write another chapter before I left buuut a lot of peeps donated for more chapters of Poison Genius Consort so I'm working on those instead.

Instead, enjoy some nice background music while I give you guys a summary of some canon facts for fun! ^-^

 

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Schools & Sects☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Skyedge Sect -  天外派 

Literally "faction beyond the skies," this is a moderate-sized sect whose members are dedicated to cultivating themselves. Located somewhere to the east of mythical Mt. Penglai, it's only accessible through various teleportation portals or pure flight, as the entire sect exist on a large floating landmass in the skies. The origins of Skyedge Sect can be traced to a long lost, mysterious "Founder" from ancient history who collected five elemental stones and implanted them in the four peaks and central region of the sect. These stones are also the power source that keeps the sect airborne; however, the exact details have been lost to time.

 

The ruling hierarchy of Skyedge Sect consists of:

Masters:

Venerate Elders - 4 total, all previous Peak Lords and now retired to seclusion. Oldest members of the sect with the most knowledge, but rarely seen and now mostly known by legend.

Sect Leader - 1 total, also keeps to himself

Council of Elders - 3 total, serves as advisors to the sect leader and absolute say over the Peak Lords, although they rarely meddle unless it involves matters that endanger the sect

Peak Lords - 4 total, of which only 3 are active. (Azure Peak has been without a lord for a very long time). They are in charge of training, recruiting, and guiding the disciples. 

Elders - older members of the sect with lower cultivation status than the peak lords, aid in running the sect.

 

Disciples:

Core Disciple - also known as "closed-door disciple," one who has been personally recognized by a Peak Lord or higher as their master, destined to learn their exclusive teachings and most likely to inherit their master's rank. Most Peak Lords or older take on no more than a few core disciples in their lifetime. The main characters fall into this range.

Inner Disciple - higher rank disciples under the general tutelage of Peak Lords or higher, though not taught exclusive techniques.

Outer Disciple - general disciples accepted into Skyedge Sect. They have no preferential treatment and learn the general skills/cultivation techniques of the sect.

 

"Xun" 巽

A name associated with the sacred groves of Azure Peak. Some speculate that Xun was the previous Azure Peak Lord, while others suspect that Xun was a benefactor to Skyedge Sect or not even a person at all, but a concept. (The character for Xun is the same found in the Earthly Branches of the Chinese dating system, and associated with 'Wood.') In any case, their name is widely respected across Skyedge Sect.

 

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Yin Yang Sect - 陰陽派

One of the five largest sects across Shenzhou that specializes in divination as well as cultivation. A strict sect ruled by the law of absolutes, but broad-minded enough to explore the realms of gray between a world of black and white. Although well known for their abilities to scry the future, few in the sect have actually mastered this technique. Many Yin Yang Sect outposts exist across the continent, but its true headquarters are heavily concealed from both common and cultivator eyes. 

 

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Novel Metaverse☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

 

To the Edge of the Heavens, to the End of the Skies is the name of the original novel, which depicts the sassy, Heaven-defying cultivation adventures of Wu Yelin. Supposedly, the author got tired of reading stallion novels with male leads and their harems and decided to do the same thing with a girl as the main character instead. However, a third of the way into the story, the author got so infatuated with writing Li Hanlan that she decided to make him a "True Love OTP" with Wu Yelin while regulating the rest of the love interests to fellow brothers or allies. 

The novel was still ongoing as of 694 chapters and was on the verge of revealing the evil mastermind behind the scenes when "Wu Lianlei" transmigrated into the series. For reference, the original "white lotus" Wu Lianlei died around Chapter 568.

 

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Character List☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

 

Wu Lianlei (吴怜蕾) - Lian means love, pitiful/sympathetic, Lei means flower bud; mid-tier 4th rank (WOOD) Slyph of Spring

Original: A delicate slip of a girl who grew used to having the best and then wanted to have it all. She was never interested in cultivation beyond what it offered as an alternative to the streets, and simply wanted to live a peaceful life by her sister's side. But all of that went to ruin once she discovered the man she loved--Li Hanlan--loved her sister, not herself. What started as a selfish whim of a silly girl to win his heart turned more and more vicious until she had no way back. In the end, she didn't have the courage to face her wrongs and drove herself to a dead end by Wu Yelin's hands.

Current: A confounded and trapped transmigrator stuck going through the motions in a body of the so-called cannon fodder. "Wu Lianlei's" memories of her real life are fuzzy compared to the novel events, but she's generally laid back beyond being a stickler for the plot. Of course, figuring out what's canon and what's not is getting increasingly tricky as everyone seems a little OOC. She doesn't harbor any strong attachments to the characters since she picked this book on a whim to pass the time. For her, completing the story and going home is most important.

Weapons: Her sword Beilei and various plant pods/seeds. She can apparently use her sleeves to attack, but lacks practice to wield them effectively (body memory can only take you so far!). 

 

Wu Yelin (吴烨霖) - Ye means firelight, sunlight, Lin means continuous rain; low-tier 6th rank (FIRE/WATER) Soldier of Summer. 

Original: The amazing protagonist and musclehead girl with a heart of gold. Her natural charisma and sheer raw power attracted various people under her wing, thus forming a random team of misfits that ended up conquering the entire cultivation world.

Current: Still a musclehead with a heart of gold, but taken to extremes. She's more interested in powering up than making friends, and treats Li Hanlan purely as an ally (as one of the few people whose name she's bothered remembering.) 

Weapons: Twin swords with opposite affinities of ice and fire to match her elemental strengths.

 

Li Hanlan (李寒蘭) - Hanlan literally means winter orchid; mid-tier 7th rank, (WATER - ICE), Scholar of Winter. 

Original: The titular male lead who was known for his mild and gentlemanly ways. A genius with verse and extremely sharp-witted, he admired Wu Yelin for her simplicity and supported her quietly from behind the scenes until she realized she loved him, too. Somewhat of a black belly.

Current: Now all he does is quip sarcastically at his Junior Sister Lianlei and bask in the adoring attentions of his fellow disciples all day long. His black belly traits have bloomed into full-fledged two-faced hypocrisy. No one believes Wu Lianlei when she claims that he's...a jerk!

Weapons: He favors darts, daggers, and iron-tipped fans, his skill lies in covert attacks and assassination. One of the rare Skyedge Sect disciples who doesn't specialize in swords. This doesn't seem to affect his powers of flight, however--he simply stands on his fan while others ride their swords. Some say it's just a prop to hide the fact that he can fly on his own...

 

Qin Fengyun (秦風昀) - Feng is wind, Yun is sunlight, sunshine; ??? (above 8th rank), (METAL - LIGHTNING), Wu Lianlei's master.

Original: A titular ice cube who won't move for anything or anyone except his own interests.  Also happens to be skilled with chess, calligraphy, and the guqin. His quarters give off the feel of a cool and refined immortal. A man of few words who can move mountains when he speaks. Unfortunately, Wu Lianlei never takes his words to heart, disappointing him again and again.

Current: A titular ice cube who won't move for anything or anyone except Wu Lianlei. He rarely touches his chessboards, writes only when forced, and has his guqin collecting dust in a corner. His quarters give off the feel of a rather apathetic packrat. A man of few words who confuses everyone that listens to him when he speaks. Luckily, Wu Lianlei's gotten good at guessing his meanings and humoring him, which he uses to his benefit many times.

Weapons: He can call upon assistance from his spiritual beast companion, Bai Ruo, but his main weapon is an extremely potent, extremely ancient sword laced with lightning qi. Supposedly, it has a mind of its own, so Qin Fengyuan simply wills the blade to fight for him in battles while he stands and...watches. Hurhur.

 

Situ Xuanshuang (司徒玄霜) - Situ is a double character surname, Xuanshuang can mean mysterious/black frost; ??? (above 8th rank), (WATER), Li Hanlan's master.

Once the daughter of royalty who gave up her lineage when the previous peak lord asked her to be his disciple. Has an especial fondness for Li Hanlan, who resembled her master in his youth. A calm and collected lady with a mothering streak, and the only one unmoved by Li Hanlan's charms. For some reason, this version of Situ Xuanshuang seems particularly uneasy around Qin Fengyuan and actively avoids him when she can...

Weapons: Ice needles and her willow-leaf saber (liuyedao), a graceful blade with a moderate curve. Despite her blindness, she can "see" as long as there is water present for her to use and sense her surroundings.

 

Qi Yuan (齊淵) - Yuan means deep pool, deep spring; mid-tier 7th rank (EARTH), core disciple of the Yin Yang Sect.

A no-nonsense, deadpan man who seems stiff and bland at first glance, but is simply dedicated to his work. He considers himself an observer of the world and its people and strictly follows the tenets of his master and sect. With his rational judgment and diplomatic speech, he's rumored to be a favorite of the elders back at his sect.

Weapon: Meteor hammers. He's also quite good at projectile throwing.

 

Junior Sister Wei (衛師妹) - a young outer disciple under Peak Lord Situ, poisoned by the spider demoness; low-tier 4th rank, (WATER).

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Upcoming Characters☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

 

Bai Ruo (白蒻) - literally "white indocalamus;" a spiritual beast in the form of a white deer that sometimes accompanies Qin Fengyuan. (WOOD) A beautiful, if aloof creature who rarely shows itself, and only seems to follow Qin Fengyuan out of a sense of obligation. Supposedly, he has existed as long as Skyedge Sect itself and never leaves its grounds.

Yang Jixian (楊寂弦) - Ji means quiet or lonely, Xian means bowstring or chord. Qin Fengyuan's other (first) core disciple, but because he's not handsome or popular with the readers, he rarely gets screentime. Oftentimes gone off on journeys or missions for the sect. A running joke is that no one ever remembers him. Low-tier 7th rank (METAL - LIGHTNING) Silence of Autumn

Yuan Zhenghao (元正豪) - Zheng is righteous, Hao is "person of extraodinary powers/endowments," "forthright/unrestrained," "grand/heroic;" top-tier 3rd rank (FIRE). Supposedly a genius in his youth, but later lost his mind and now wanders Skyedge Sect as a happy-go-lucky idiot. Wu Yelin adopted him as a little brother once upon a time, but he ended up dying even earlier than Wu Lianlei. In this timeline though, they could become friends...

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Lyrics Translation☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

This is the rough English translation for the song featured in Chapter 2. The various "characters" introduced in the song will be more relevant to the plot as the story goes on, but as to which is whom...haha, you can figure it out yourself.

《翩躚 》 "Lightly" or "With Tripping Steps" by Tacke竹桑

New pistils in March seek for Spring,
Warm mists send wings aloft
Go chase after the loveliness of beautiful flowers

The faint clouds and light breeze quiver
As the flowering shrubs intoxicate with their splendor
Forgetting the broken cocoon of exhaustion

While traveling with tripping steps through a dream
To playact a show of affection
The butterfly dances throughout the seasons
How many times can it linger on?

I am that ignorant youth
Standing outside the traveler's pavilion of 18 li
Mortal realms within a dream
Still tremble with the strings of the qin

I am a thousand-year fantasy
From meditation upon a painted pillow
An eternity never to be guessed

Whirling until the petals and leaves shed color
And the withered plants turn wan and sallow
My transient steps have no regrets

Don't ask of how many sorrows
There's no right or wrong in fate
Life always ends in oblivion, dust, and ashes

Will you dream about the past?
As it quietly changes
Even if it's hard to avoid being lonely
Wait until the day comes when you're like the swallow

I am the enduring vow
That flew across the deep blue seas
Lightheartedness in dreams
Melts into persistent longing

I am centuries of verse
Composed by accident
Unceasing affections unable to stop

It isn't fate that determines one to die of old age
Reincarnated to step lightly across the skies and lands
Wings flapping to a tune since time immemorial
The dream and the butterfly are like shadows following a person

I am that ignorant youth
Standing outside the traveler's pavilion of 18 li
Mortal realms within a dream
Still tremble with the strings of the qin

I am a thousand-year fantasy
From meditation upon a painted pillow
An eternity never to be guessed.