The First Stop is the second book in the Thousand Li series. I really enjoyed The First Step, which was as close to a slice of life Cultivation novel as I’d ever read.

I say was because The First Stop is even more slice of life.

This is not a very dramatic book and I quite liked that. Whereas a lot of other cultivation novels have a sense of urgency behind them, the characters obsessing over getting as strong as possible as fast as possible, Wu Ying takes everything at a very slow pace, trying different things and seeing what style fits him and what to develop. Some of my favourite parts, in both the first book and this one, was when he went to the library to look up different styles of martial arts that he could think of practising and trying to figure out which one fits him best.

It’s a very relaxing book, at least for me, and builds nicely on the first. There was a certain amount of desperation in the first book, with Wu Ying striving to both earn his place in the sect and also survive when he’s sent out into the world for the first time since becoming a cultivator. This book has left

If this seems a bit dull to you, don’t worry, there is life threatening danger and excitement. Wu Ying is sent out on a few missions to defeat some monsters and on an expedition at the end. And there’s death defying heroics, (and some heroics that don’t quite defy death), and fun action scenes. But it’s not end of the world stuff. Life will go on if Wu Ying falls and it’s nice to read a series that doesn’t have that sense of urgency.

All in all, The First Stop is a nice continuation to the series and a fun, chill read.