Dancing on the golden ashes - Chapter 285: Phantoms of the Self

After years of exile, Marcus is coming back home. A powerful mage with few equals, Marcus lives in a world full of monsters and powerful adepts, many of which have bad histories with him. But he has not come back to pursue vengeance or start a fight. All Marcus wants to do is reconnect with old friends, build himself a house, and maybe train a successor or two.Alas, the world didn’t stop just because Marcus went into exile, and not everyone is content to let go of old grievances. Strange things are happening in the world at large, too, hinting at a looming disaster of unknown nature. Still, where there is a will, there is a way.If nothing else, Marcus has a lot of magical power to throw at problems.+++Zenith of Sorcery is set in its own original setting and isn’t related to Mother of Learning… beyond being written by the same person, of course. This is a more classical fantasy story than my previous one, with a lower level of technology and stuff like elves and dwarves, but it has a lot of worldbuilding effort put into it and its own complex magical system. The story has significant xianxia influences, but isn’t meant to be a xianxia story.For those of you not familiar with my previous work, I write relatively slowly. I intend to publish chapters at the rate of one chapter every three or four weeks, subject to further delays as life intervenes.

The Dayan Empire had enjoyed a reign of over thirteen hundred years.The Emperor was critically ill, the Crown Prince was regent, local immortal sects were entrenched, and central authorities were vying for power in the chaotic court.Upon waking,Xu Yuan saw a dilapidated temple in the mountain rain at night,saw the eerie, broken-armed stone Buddha,and,the mysterious woman by the fire, her face veiled by thin gauze.......He had become the ultimate villain's third son, of pure heritage and legitimate lineage.The fake villain, dressed in fine garments and enjoying luxurious feasts, simply waited to be humiliated, while the real villain was caught by the Big Ice Lump and dragged across the world in flight from the start.Golden finger?Only a fake villain relied on a golden finger to get rich, a true villain dared to confront a bleak life!“If Heaven had not birthed me, Xu Changtian, villains would be as eternal as the never-ending night.”“........”

A huge scandal rocked the Qi family. Young Miss Qi gave birth to triplets before she was married!

The thousand-year-old Imperium is crumbling, and war looms on the horizon, bringing with it both brutalities and splendor. Caught in the midst of this chaos is Lansius, an office grunt and veteran MMO player who has been transformed into a medieval peasant. With no wealth, status, or magical abilities, and armed only with his basic knowledge of the art of war, can he endure and thrive in this realistic medieval fantasy realm?Follow Lansius as he moves from one occupation to another, striving to survive during these turbulent times.