We’re thrilled to share the cover of Tao Wong’s The First Step, the first of three novels in a progression fantasy series. Check out the cover below, along with an interview with the author.
The A Thousand Li series is a cultivation fantasy adventure rooted in Chinese mythology and has already won legions of fans with its self-published editions. The series opener The First Step introduces readers to a spectacular world of immortals, spirit beasts, and mystical martial arts. The young farmer Wu Ying’s life will be changed forever when he is unexpectedly invited to join an elite school of cultivation.
Ace Books will publish hardcover editions of The First Step in spring 2026, followed by The First Stop in summer 2026, and The First War in fall 2026.
In a spectacular world of immortals, spirit beasts, and mystical martial arts, the young farmer Wu Ying’s life will be changed forever when he is unexpectedly invited to join an elite school of cultivation.
Now with a bonus story exclusive to this print edition!
It is said that a journey of a thousand li begins with a single step…
Long Wu Ying never expected to become a real cultivator, never dreamed of having the chance to train and develop wondrous martial arts skills and magic of his own. As a farmer’s son in a rural village, his days were spent studying, planting rice, and spending time with his friends. Fate, however, has different plans for him.
Conscripted into the army and taken from everything he knows, Wu Ying’s chance observation of an incoming ambush prevents a bloody rout—and brings him to the attention of the powerful Verdant Green Waters sect, an elite school of cultivation. Invited to join the sect as a novice, Wu Ying is thrown into a world he is utterly unprepared for, one filled with demonic beasts, haughty nobles, and, most of all, the very real possibility of reaching immortality—if he’s brave enough to seize it.
We had the chance to speak with author Tao Wong about the A Thousand Li series, Chinese fantasy subgenres, and characters that “level up”…
Tell us about the A Thousand Li series and the first installment, The First Step. What was your inspiration for this story?
A Thousand Li is very much a rebuttal of some of the more brutal Chinese xianxia webnovels I was reading at the time and also, a love letter to old school wuxia classics from Jin Yong and Shiao Yi, where the emphasis on the ‘xia’—the heroic aspects—of the characters were just as important. I purposely utilized some of the archetypes familiar to readers—peasant turned hero—in a second world China-inspired world; to build the story of Wu Ying.
Can you familiarize us a bit with the cultivation genre? What elements make the A Thousand Li series a cultivation story?
So cultivation stories are not, as you might think, stories about farming; but the cultivation of the immortal soul. Its origins come from Daoist philosophy and practices, where luminaries like Qin Shih Huang attempted to achieve immortality by refining the human body. This idea is taken into fantasy concepts, where characters are able to develop their bodies and souls to become immortals.
A Thousand Li draws heavily from Daoist philosophy and the concept of immortal achievement, with the world of A Thousand Li fractured among those attempting to achieve true immortality, those who have fallen by the wayside on the long road and the mortals who have chosen not to chase this elusive dream. In A Thousand Li, we follow Long Wu Ying who chases this elusive dream after a fateful encounter that changes the course of his life.
You have a background in writing LitRPG novels. What can LitRPG fans look forward to in the A Thousand Li series?
Those who know LitRPG novels would understand that much of the appeal is the progression of the main character in specific, discrete steps. In A Thousand Li, Wu Ying’s progression to immortality goes through multiple stages, having to breakthrough chi meridians to gain strength, form an immortal core and eventually, nurture an immortal spirit within himself. All these are distinct steps, with significant jumps in strength and peril that our hero faces.
One thing that I was clear when writing the series was understanding where the final ‘level’ would be; so there is a clear power progression as well that the character can achieve; and look forward to which I think many LitRPG readers would enjoy.
Let’s talk art! What are your thoughts on the new cover of The First Step? Did you have a hand in the design process?
I love it! It’s a little mysterious, a little dark but full of action. I did have a chance to speak with my editor, give them my input of what might work and I think they hit it right out of the park here. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
What new content can your fans look forward to in Ace’s hardcover edition of The First Step?
One of the things we added for The First Step’s release with Ace was an exclusive short story that I wrote specifically for the books. It follows a familiar—and popular—character that we don’t see enough of in the series, helping to flesh out some events that are hinted at that our protagonist never sees but is directly impacted with. I think the new short stories add a new layer to the main story and I’m really excited to see what other people think. One of the hardest bits of this job is waiting to see reactions for work you’ve written ages ago!
For fans of maps, we actually have created the first (public) map of the A Thousand Li series. We’ll be marking many of the major milestones in the book in there and have plans to keep adding to it for each book.
Buy the Book
The First Step
Tao Wong is the author of the A Thousand Li progression fantasy series and the System Apocalypse LitRPG series, among others. When he’s not writing and working, he’s practicing martial arts, reading, and dreaming up new worlds. He lives in Toronto, Canada.
I enjoyed the books in this series that I’ve read, but the author has a reputation for suing anyone who uses the phrase “system apocalypse” in their works.