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Sky Pride - Volume One: The Feral Daoist
The heavens decreed his death…He should have died in the womb.
Or when his family was murdered.
Or when the house burned down around him.
Or when he woke up in the dump sick and missing fingers.
Even the magic ring with a ghostly grandpa trapped inside it was sabotaged.
A reasonable person would roll over and die. Tian isn't that reasonable. And as it happens, neither is Grandpa Jun.
In a world where immortality can be cultivated and miracles forged, a broken boy will defy the heavens and soar.
The Feral Daoist is the first book in Sky Pride, a new cultivation fantasy series from Warby Picus, author of the hit Slumrat Rising series. With more than 26,000 followers, 5,000 five-star reviews, and over 20 million views on Royal Road, Sky Pride is perfect for fans of Cradle, xianxia, earned power growth, and heroes stubborn enough to defy the heavens themselves.
Or when his family was murdered.
Or when the house burned down around him.
Or when he woke up in the dump sick and missing fingers.
Even the magic ring with a ghostly grandpa trapped inside it was sabotaged.
A reasonable person would roll over and die. Tian isn't that reasonable. And as it happens, neither is Grandpa Jun.
In a world where immortality can be cultivated and miracles forged, a broken boy will defy the heavens and soar.
The Feral Daoist is the first book in Sky Pride, a new cultivation fantasy series from Warby Picus, author of the hit Slumrat Rising series. With more than 26,000 followers, 5,000 five-star reviews, and over 20 million views on Royal Road, Sky Pride is perfect for fans of Cradle, xianxia, earned power growth, and heroes stubborn enough to defy the heavens themselves.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 20, 2026
Most Excellent!
A story where the MC Tian starts his journey literally at the bottom of a garbage heap. It is amazing how he touches us through his suffering and triumphs over difficulties we today just don't see.
A story where the MC Tian starts his journey literally at the bottom of a garbage heap. It is amazing how he touches us through his suffering and triumphs over difficulties we today just don't see.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Warby Picus has created something special here. The blend of humor, violence, and heart was perfect. Tian's journey turns an interesting lens on cultivation tropes: at times deferent, at others satirical.
The secondary characters really shine throughout and are given a much appreciated depth. Grandpa Jun and Brother Fu make for a fantastic pair of mentors and help Tian maintain focus on the Dao.
This was the best first entry in a series that I've read in a while and I can't wait for the next installment. Highly recommend.
The secondary characters really shine throughout and are given a much appreciated depth. Grandpa Jun and Brother Fu make for a fantastic pair of mentors and help Tian maintain focus on the Dao.
This was the best first entry in a series that I've read in a while and I can't wait for the next installment. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy
One of my favorite series. My absolute favorite Cultivation series.
Sky pride very very quickly rose up my personal favorites with its sheer heart.
I absolutely love cultivation as a magic system but hate a majority of xianxia tropes. The entire system of face, young masters. The way MC's complain about the oppression when they are weak then become one of the abusers when they grow strong.
Sky pride is different. Instead of basing the story on translated xianxia, it's based on the sources that xianxia are based on. Actual daoism and deep forays into philosophy and human nature without getting lost.
Heretical cultivators are truely truely evil. Righteous cultivators can be corrupt and incompetent - the cultivation world is cruel and selfish. And yet despite that, the MC's heart and benevolence shine through. The Characters are what catapult this story into my favorites.
I love the main cast. I love Tians grandpa.
Everyone from side characters to villans feel real. The world feels real and the Style this story is written in is expressive and rich in a way thats hard to find. It feels deep without becoming pretentious. It's well written without sinking into dense poetic prose that becomes harder to read. It's very very human.
Honestly the only negative is that it's impossible to find any other xianxia as good as this. 10/10
Sky pride very very quickly rose up my personal favorites with its sheer heart.
I absolutely love cultivation as a magic system but hate a majority of xianxia tropes. The entire system of face, young masters. The way MC's complain about the oppression when they are weak then become one of the abusers when they grow strong.
Sky pride is different. Instead of basing the story on translated xianxia, it's based on the sources that xianxia are based on. Actual daoism and deep forays into philosophy and human nature without getting lost.
Heretical cultivators are truely truely evil. Righteous cultivators can be corrupt and incompetent - the cultivation world is cruel and selfish. And yet despite that, the MC's heart and benevolence shine through. The Characters are what catapult this story into my favorites.
I love the main cast. I love Tians grandpa.
Everyone from side characters to villans feel real. The world feels real and the Style this story is written in is expressive and rich in a way thats hard to find. It feels deep without becoming pretentious. It's well written without sinking into dense poetic prose that becomes harder to read. It's very very human.
Honestly the only negative is that it's impossible to find any other xianxia as good as this. 10/10
November 4, 2026
Cultivation novels have become common enough to constitute a fantasy subgenre. The core concept is that it is possible for particularly-gifted people to become superhuman through a regimen of self-improvement. (Think particularly-effective meditation on steroids.) At the early stages a cultivator can sit in an academy or monastery and learn breathing exercises, but at high levels (stop aging, defeat mortal armies with a snap of the fingers) cultivation is costly, and this can breed desperation.
Cultivators are at or near the top of society. If you can defeat a mortal army by snapping your fingers, it's a good bet that any armies still hanging around belong to you - or to rival cultivators. And that ordinary soldiers are basically red shirts.
"Sky Pride" respects these tropes, but digs deeper. In a world dominated by superhumans focused on becoming more superhuman, being at the bottom has the potential to be unpleasant. The best cultivators are focused on getting what they need for their next breakthrough, not on governing. Cultivators who are not quite good enough for a breakthrough are still good enough to be monsters.
Tian Zihao (the name is a bit of a pun, as it can be translated as 'Sky Pride') starts at the bottom - or even lower. A crippled and desperately-sick child, he is literally thrown away, and survives as a feral child in a dump. He gets better:. This is a necessary plot device, or there wouldn't be a story. He is admitted to a temple where he is taught the beginnings of cultivation.
He is also taught the beginnings of culture, etiquette, and philosophy, but here his asocial upbringing is a problem. He didn't grow up learning normal social conventions and taking them for granted, which can make it hard to learn. For example, he thinks metaphor is a sign that the speaker or writer is confused. (That's not necessarily wrong, but it makes it hard to learn some complicated subjects.) And he is tremendously clear-eyed about the world in which he lives.
Cultivators are at or near the top of society. If you can defeat a mortal army by snapping your fingers, it's a good bet that any armies still hanging around belong to you - or to rival cultivators. And that ordinary soldiers are basically red shirts.
"Sky Pride" respects these tropes, but digs deeper. In a world dominated by superhumans focused on becoming more superhuman, being at the bottom has the potential to be unpleasant. The best cultivators are focused on getting what they need for their next breakthrough, not on governing. Cultivators who are not quite good enough for a breakthrough are still good enough to be monsters.
Tian Zihao (the name is a bit of a pun, as it can be translated as 'Sky Pride') starts at the bottom - or even lower. A crippled and desperately-sick child, he is literally thrown away, and survives as a feral child in a dump. He gets better:. This is a necessary plot device, or there wouldn't be a story. He is admitted to a temple where he is taught the beginnings of cultivation.
He is also taught the beginnings of culture, etiquette, and philosophy, but here his asocial upbringing is a problem. He didn't grow up learning normal social conventions and taking them for granted, which can make it hard to learn. For example, he thinks metaphor is a sign that the speaker or writer is confused. (That's not necessarily wrong, but it makes it hard to learn some complicated subjects.) And he is tremendously clear-eyed about the world in which he lives.
October 20, 2026
Title: You're kicked in the head if you don't like this
Content Ratings: Language – R; Violence – PG13; Other – R
I've been following this story for a few years on Royal Road and was thrilled when it was picked up and (now) published. I love the story and its characters, even though aspects of it are outside of my lane. I'm very invested in the characters and will see it through to the end. Sure, it's heavily into cultivation and Daoism, and occasionally waxes philosophical on topics I sometimes don't care about, but the characters, action, and progression are always enough to make it feel worth it. Oh, and the title? It's one of Tian's (MC) favorite explanations for why others don't seem to think the same way he does. "You must be kicked in the head."
Content Ratings: Language – R; Violence – PG13; Other – R
I've been following this story for a few years on Royal Road and was thrilled when it was picked up and (now) published. I love the story and its characters, even though aspects of it are outside of my lane. I'm very invested in the characters and will see it through to the end. Sure, it's heavily into cultivation and Daoism, and occasionally waxes philosophical on topics I sometimes don't care about, but the characters, action, and progression are always enough to make it feel worth it. Oh, and the title? It's one of Tian's (MC) favorite explanations for why others don't seem to think the same way he does. "You must be kicked in the head."
October 31, 2026
The Feral Daoist 1: Sky Pride
The Heavens decided that this child would die. He received every possible defect and then was basically put to death when his clan was attacked and house burned down around him. He woke up tossed into the dumps with burns and chewed off fingers. That’s when he found a magic ring with the spirit of Grandpa Jun inside it, who decided to invest in this child that the Heavens seem to fear.
This was a fun start to a new cultivation series. The child has no memories of his early childhood and Grandpa Jun has to go silent for years at a time, so survival is usually the only goal. It quickly turns into a Tarzan type situation and is quite fun! I’m looking forward to the next book. J. S. Arquin did a fantastic job with the narration!
Content Warning: none
Can you please stop revealing new horrific chronic conditions? You aren’t supposed to have all of them!
Grandpa June - The Feral Daoist 1: Sky Pride
The Heavens decided that this child would die. He received every possible defect and then was basically put to death when his clan was attacked and house burned down around him. He woke up tossed into the dumps with burns and chewed off fingers. That’s when he found a magic ring with the spirit of Grandpa Jun inside it, who decided to invest in this child that the Heavens seem to fear.
This was a fun start to a new cultivation series. The child has no memories of his early childhood and Grandpa Jun has to go silent for years at a time, so survival is usually the only goal. It quickly turns into a Tarzan type situation and is quite fun! I’m looking forward to the next book. J. S. Arquin did a fantastic job with the narration!
Content Warning: none
Can you please stop revealing new horrific chronic conditions? You aren’t supposed to have all of them!
Grandpa June - The Feral Daoist 1: Sky Pride
November 9, 2026
This is a well-crafted, smoothly paced book. It simply missed the mark for me personally because wuxia is not my preferred subgenre. Even so, it held my attention through to the final page, though I remain unconvinced the subject matter justifies continuing the series.
The trope of unintentionally hilarious, risqué dialogue has been beaten to death here. On the bright side, the arrogant young master trope is completely absent, making it a mixed bag of tired clichés avoided and embraced.
The trope of unintentionally hilarious, risqué dialogue has been beaten to death here. On the bright side, the arrogant young master trope is completely absent, making it a mixed bag of tired clichés avoided and embraced.
October 20, 2026
one of the greats
Warby continues to amaze with their ability to blend deep philosophical introspection with pulse pounding action. I loved Slumrat rising, and sky pride is shaping up to be one of the prog fantasy classics. Absolutely incredible and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Warby continues to amaze with their ability to blend deep philosophical introspection with pulse pounding action. I loved Slumrat rising, and sky pride is shaping up to be one of the prog fantasy classics. Absolutely incredible and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
October 22, 2026
Classic Cultivation
It's been too long since I saw a novel that returned to the roots of the Xianxia genre, but here we are, Ring Grandpa guiding our plucky protagonist towards defying the Heavens, overcoming tribulation and growing as a human being along the way.
It's well-written, epic and delightfully human
It's been too long since I saw a novel that returned to the roots of the Xianxia genre, but here we are, Ring Grandpa guiding our plucky protagonist towards defying the Heavens, overcoming tribulation and growing as a human being along the way.
It's well-written, epic and delightfully human
October 30, 2026
One of my favorite stories
I have followed this story in serial form for nearly 2 years, it is one of my favorite Cultivation tales. The ultimate underdog story about an orphan tossed aside in the most horrible circumstances and rising against the heavens and the worst humanity can throw at him. In the process he shows what humanity could be. Wonderful.
I have followed this story in serial form for nearly 2 years, it is one of my favorite Cultivation tales. The ultimate underdog story about an orphan tossed aside in the most horrible circumstances and rising against the heavens and the worst humanity can throw at him. In the process he shows what humanity could be. Wonderful.
November 11, 2026
This MC is unlike any other that I have seen. The setting of a trash heap was new to me too. It became more familiar once he joined the cultivation school. I enjoyed the interesting take on a cultivation system and how the MC’s situation became advantageous for him. Fun story and take on cultivation.
October 21, 2026
10/10 cultivation series
I have loved Warby's previous work, this one is another banger.
Great worldbuilding, characters, humour, philosophy.
The philosophy in particular has always been what I love about Warby's writing.
I have loved Warby's previous work, this one is another banger.
Great worldbuilding, characters, humour, philosophy.
The philosophy in particular has always been what I love about Warby's writing.
October 22, 2026
Best Cultivation Novel
One of the best cultivation novels I’ve ever read. Warby takes all the cliches and overturns them while staying true to them. And his characters breath and live.
One of the best cultivation novels I’ve ever read. Warby takes all the cliches and overturns them while staying true to them. And his characters breath and live.
October 22, 2026
A Classical Yet New Xianxia
Overall, I have to say that Sky Pride has to be my favorite xianxia novel I have ever read, narrowly beating out Cradle and Beware Of Chicken. It is both a classic xianxia, while also hewing a bit more to modern sensibilities.
Overall, I have to say that Sky Pride has to be my favorite xianxia novel I have ever read, narrowly beating out Cradle and Beware Of Chicken. It is both a classic xianxia, while also hewing a bit more to modern sensibilities.
October 24, 2026
The best in the genre, bar none
Warby is the master of taking a common setting and building an amazing, deep, unique and engaging story in it, this is easily the best cultivation story I've ever read.
Warby is the master of taking a common setting and building an amazing, deep, unique and engaging story in it, this is easily the best cultivation story I've ever read.
November 3, 2026
A very good and some what humorous xianxia novel. Does most things well. Dialogue is good, characters as well And combat is best that I've read. Where the book falls short, as is with most series, is the plot.
October 21, 2026
YES, PLEASE, AND THANK YOU
Super good! I love this series and finally getting the opportunity to download and keep it with me is an absolute treat!!!
Super good! I love this series and finally getting the opportunity to download and keep it with me is an absolute treat!!!
October 22, 2026
I enjoyed it
I like the book, had a good time reading it. Will read again when the next book comes out. Would recommend
I like the book, had a good time reading it. Will read again when the next book comes out. Would recommend
October 24, 2026
Brilliant writing
Classic yet fresh, Sky Pride will keep you turning its pages till the very end. Beautiful character development and a strong plot. Can't recommend it enough.
Classic yet fresh, Sky Pride will keep you turning its pages till the very end. Beautiful character development and a strong plot. Can't recommend it enough.
November 4, 2026
Read this when it came out on Royal Road. The first two books are fantastic - love how contemplative the writing is (while the plot still moves at a good speed)
November 5, 2026
worth the read
I have been reading this on Royal Road. Worth the read. Weak to strong progression.
Nice to see it made it to Kindle.
I have been reading this on Royal Road. Worth the read. Weak to strong progression.
Nice to see it made it to Kindle.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews