BLUE SKY [Cultivation - Multiple MC]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

[Winner of the Winter 2025 writathon]

Every conscript carries a weapon. Some carry a destiny.

When the Empire’s elemental test marked them as cultivators, rare individuals born with an elemental affinity, they were conscripted into military service.

Forget the Ministry of Logistics, they chose the Strike Force program instead.

Thrown together as strangers, Liu, Nozomi, Xo, and Lei trained, bled, and slowly began to shape something more than just technique and discipline. They became thePanda Squad,a name born in jest and worn with pride. A mismatched team of aspiring cultivators, each carrying their own past, their own purpose… and their own reasons for becoming the spearhead of theBlue Sky Empire.

But cultivation isn’t just about power.It’s about control. Insight. Transformation.

And as their cores strengthen, it’s the bond between them, the slow burn of trust, camaraderie, and hard-earned respect that may one day turn them into something greater.

This is not a tale of chosen heroes or fate-bound prodigies.This is the story of a squad that fights to earn every inch of strength, every fragment of belonging, and learns, together, what it truly means to endure.

[Xianxia/Progression story, Multiple lead characters, Slow-Burn]

50+ chapter illustrations!

Chapters released on sundays.

Book 1 - Panda Strike Force -Available onAmazon

Book 2 - The Black Orchid -Available onAmazon

Book 3 - A Thousand Realms -Ongoing

French versionhere

Disclaimer:I'm not a native English speaker. As such, AI has been used for proofreading, editing, and vocabulary research. Although, the story does have my own voice.

Information

Status: Hiatus
Year: 2025
Author: Tequilama

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 359
Views: 66,415

What readers say about BLUE SKY [Cultivation - Multiple MC]

“English First question: Why is it called Panda Strike Force? God knows. Does it work? Somehow, yeah. It does. Second question: How does a French doctor who is probably a massive Japanese nerd write one of the best black characters I have seen to date? Well,…”
cursedclarkeRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Blue Sky is an immersive story with fantastic worldbuilding that sucks you right into that world. This story has strong sensory and cultural details. The visuals, the smells, the sounds. Everything is so immersive from the very beginning and draws you immed…”
CalebVanPoneisenRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

cursedclarkeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
English
First question: Why is it called Panda Strike Force? God knows. Does it work? Somehow, yeah. It does.
Second question: How does a French doctor who is probably a massive Japanese nerd write one of the best black characters I have seen to date? Well, stick around and give it a read.
The book doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. It doesn’t slap a prophecy on your plate in Chapter 1 and beg for importance. It doesn’t shove exposition in your face to prove it built a world. It just starts with conscription, a handful of strangers, and the slow, aching shape of a squad becoming something more than bodies in formation.
And that’s the point.
Blue Sky is not about chosen ones. It’s about people. Dangerous, flawed, stubborn people who bleed to earn every inch of ground. If there’s a larger world out there, fine. It can wait. Because for now, all that matters is the dust on the training field, the bruise blooming on your ribs, the silence between two soldiers learning how not to flinch around each other.
It opens with four recruits: Nozomi, Lei, Liu, and Xo. They’re not friends. They’re not rivals. They’re not anything, yet. Just four kids from different ends of the empire, handed the same brand and told to become useful or be broken trying. Each of them carries something sharp under the skin. And the story doesn’t rush to show it. It earns it.
Nozomi is restraint incarnate. All sharp eyes and clean cuts. Lei hides ice under every word and cracks only when it’s strategic. Liu is the stone wall you want at your back but not in your way. And Xo? He watches. Learns. Moves like someone who’s seen too much to speak quickly. Also there is one of the best written Black characters in the genre and there’s not even a spotlight on it. It just is.
What’s smart here is the restraint. The voice of the story doesn’t try to sell you on them. It doesn’t yell “Look how cool this is!” It trusts you to see it. These characters aren’t built from tropes. They’re shaped by silence, hunger
CalebVanPoneisenRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Blue Sky is an immersive story with fantastic worldbuilding that sucks you right into that world. This story has strong sensory and cultural details. The visuals, the smells, the sounds. Everything is so immersive from the very beginning and draws you immediately into Chengtan Harbor. You can easily picture the scene. I really liked that. A lot.
Speaking of visuals, the art at the end of each chapter is a delightful bonus. It fits the genre and is very well done. I also appreciate the map in chapter 5. Makes it a lot easier to imagine and visualize the continent.
The writing feels culturally distinct, not just in setting but also in tone. Phrases such as “[…] both men laughed without malice” evoke Chinese storytelling, which I think adds more authenticity. There are some good quotes throughout. On a few occasions, the style felt a bit abrupt, but nothing that pulled me out of the story.
On the contrary, the chapters, hovering around 2,000 words, make you want to keep reading.
Introducing each character separately and showing how they join the Strike Force was a great choice. A genuinely enjoyable one. I knew what was coming and it made me excited, wanting to read faster to see how the dots would connect, which is, honestly, the most satisfying part in any novel. And it made for a perfect introduction.
Each character has their own distinct personalities with different backgrounds and voices, and they're driving the story. Worldbuilding is, as I said before, amazing, layered, movie-like.
All in all, it is a great story with nice illustrations, great worldbuilding, and unforgettable characters.
167fiveRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Honestly, Im not against writing with AI, but I do wish the author edited it a bit to make it sound more human.
Still, this is an alright story. The characters are decently relatable, and the story plot and worldbuilding is great, though it is a bit cliche.
Overall, this is a good story. New readears should check this one out.
JessCournifleRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is my first time reading something online, and I have to admit I wasn’t expecting anything of this quality. I’m completely blown away. The plot is captivating, and the atmosphere feels so real that you could easily imagine a major producer using it as inspiration for a top-tier film.
If you meet John Woo, tell him this is a story for him
LarousseRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall — 5/5
Overall, the story is great, with a nice wuxia/Xianxia set-up that is different enough from usual to feel fresh. I like the relation to the elements and the feeling that we learn little by little, that there is more depth to it. The rest is filled with squad vibes, and a conspiracy about a regime that seems less benevolent that you first might thought. It felt big without drowning me in lore which I appreciate, with each snippet of it feeling well implemented. I really liked it and I’m waiting for next chapters, hoping that the author continues on the serie.
Story — 5/5
The setup is quite simple for the first arc (training + first mission), but the mystery keeps twisting, jungle weirdness, falsified reports, old sect secrets. The pacing breathes with quiet beats to think and rest almost going on to slice of life, then sharp and dynamic fights. No deus ex anything, it doesn’t feel like there is plot armor, which is a big win to me.
Grammar — 5/5
Clean and readable. A few tiny bumps here and there (nothing that pulled me out), but overall the prose flows. Dialogue punctuation is tidy, tense use is consistent, and I never had to reread a sentence to figure out who was doing what. There is for sure at least one or two heavy edits, so, a win as well.
Characters — 5/5
I know that I really loved the serie and put 5/5 everywhere, but if there is one big success, it is the cast! Each character is well introduced with good, although classic, backstories and motivations. The story is mostly written at the 3rd person but the few changes in POV works really well. I really like how the relationships form organically. If you like to be more involved with characters than story, which is the case at the beginning, you should give it a try!
Style — 5/5
Punchy when it fights, moody when it needs to. The elemental stuff feels good, Even if a bit more variety would have been nice. But it is implied that the characters are still early in their cultivation which might be the
LazybeepRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
After coming out of youjo senki fan fic induced coma , I have finally found a good cultivation story to binge read to avoid my real life problems. The author is taking time to build characters that you enjoy interacting among themselves while adding good fight scenes like those in kill bill. I am surprised that this is hidden till now as this is quite a polished gem with a good cultivation system and collection of mcs. I am currently on the beggining of second volume and only think which I can think that author can work upon is maybe the world itself as the reader is still little bit ignorant of what exactly is empire
PerilousPlatypusRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
We’re three chapters in and it’s off to a fantastic start. Extremely high marks for prose, structure, and general flow of the narrative. This is a polished work with thoughtful use of words and exposition. Descriptive without overburdened. Syntax is top notch.
The characters jump off the page. Each feels distinct with clear motivations that don’t feel forced. Tropes are aptly deployed without being boring. The world itself is being capably developed but the characters are taking center stage, which I really appreciate.
If I have one quibble it’d be the amount being thrown at us early on, particularly with the introductions of characters and shifts in viewpoint. A few times I found myself confusing one character for another (though Nozomi hops right off the page and is deeply memorable from the outset).
This is still the early days for the work but it’s one I’m already invested in. I’ve been spending a lot of time reading new authors and this has to be one of the strongest entries I’ve seen from anyone out of the gate. Strong recommend that you pick it up and give it a shot, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you’re a fan of the genre.
This is one to watch.
SkarabraeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
So, this is a pretty good story. I really did like how the author included pictures as well. Those are a very nice bonus.
Style: The style was pretty good. The imagery the author uses helps build an image of the story. I also like the tone the author sets, and how it is able to aid the story. Overall, I have no complaints here.
Story: The story is really good. It is a cultivation story about a group of people going through their first training. it is paced at just the right rate, and I like how the plot moves along. The story focuses on what it needs to, and it does this incredibly well.
Grammar: I didn't notice any grammatical errors. That doesn't mean there aren't any, just that any that exist weren't enough to distract me. So, I don't really have any complaints here.
Character: The characters are the highlight of the story. There are quite a few of them in the cast, and the author is able to make them all interesting to read about. They are also generally likeable with great dynamics. So, I like this.
Overall, I would highly recommend this story.
This was part of a review swap.
clem_swordRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Blue Sky is by far one of the most immersive reads I’ve come across in a long while! You can immediately sense the author, Tequilama’s deep appreciation for the genre and the world he’s crafting. And honestly, the illustrations at the end of each chapter? Absolute cherry on top. They’re gorgeous, enhance the experience and I genuinely wish I had thought to do something similar for my own fiction.
I especially appreciate how Tequilama dedicated the early chapters to introducing and developing each of the main character before weaving them together for later on. It helps make their formation as a group easy to root for despite their differing backgrounds. A thoughtful and well-executed approach!
The prose is refined and highly readable, striking that ideal balance between strong imagery and narrative restraint. It all benefits from its tight pacing throughout, shifting smoothly between scenes dynamically. Plotwise, the story balances training arcs, elemental cultivation, political undercurrents, and creeping mystery with admirable discipline. It feels big in scope without drowning the reader in lore.
Grammar and structure are consistently clean and the story reads like it’s undergone careful, professional editing. All in an excellent experience!
In short, Blue Sky is polished, extremely atmospheric, character-driven, and deeply engaging. An easy recommendation and one of the strongest new entries in the genre.
JWoodrellRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Overall – 4.5
The world feels lived-in from the start, the tone serious but not overwrought, and the pacing never drags even when the prose slows down to focus on quiet moments. There's a strong anime or wuxia influence here, especially in the character introductions and elemental cultivation systems, but it avoids clichés by leaning into grounded emotional beats rather than spectacle. The story's opening delivers tension and intrigue right away, while the shift to the academy training arc brings structure without feeling too derivative.
The writing feels deliberate and clean, with strong atmospheric detail and a clear emotional through line. Characters stand out quickly, not just visually or by skill set, but through small interactions that establish voice and motivation. Dialogue rarely feels performative; it’s confident without becoming self-indulgent. If anything, some parts border on being a little too polished, where you start to see the author’s hand more than the characters’. But overall, this reads like a refined and confident draft, well above average for fantasy genre beginnings.
Style – 4.5
The prose is elegant but restrained. It manages strong imagery (“the temple was dying… in silence”) without tipping into purple territory. Pacing is well-controlled, and tone shifts, especially between quiet reflection and military training, feel seamless. The one knock is that sometimes characters’ voices blur together due to a uniformly articulate style. That said, the moments of humor, grit, and vulnerability hit well, and nothing feels overwritten.
Story – 4.5
The narrative stakes are clear early on, and the later academy structure gives you a satisfying framework for character growth and future conflict. While the elemental testing arc isn’t new, it’s executed with a focus on internal stakes over flashy battles, which gives it emotional weight. There are a few familiar beats (noble kid trying to prove himself, rough outsider, mysterious loner girl), but they’re h