Remove ads

Even Further Beyond [Complete]

Reader mode
greatoz said:
Hmm, a thought: the guy who made the archstar may have been using other people's essences to artifice, maybe his artifact gives a similar sort of ability to the lich—meaning the lich is the one draining the people.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Entirely possible--such an artifact would be a handsome prize regardless.

And yeah, the more I think about it, the more that Pearl is just made for Suizen--a buff to her Cheat-like power, and it brings her up to mid Soul Chrysalis--which is no fucking joke. It's actually enough to be combat relevant right now, especially if the upgraded Eyes count as an Effective Cultivation Level modifier.
 
Last edited:
That said, our 94 treasure sounds a bit questionable.

I'm worried about why it raises our level the same as Suizen's when we eat it. We do have the Aurorium Phial doubling its value, right?
 
RedV said:
That said, our 94 treasure sounds a bit questionable.

I'm worried about why it raises our level the same as Suizen's when we eat it. We do have the Aurorium Phial doubling its value, right?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, it'd make sense if we got the Artifact and a half stage, but yeah, the Phial should be worth at least a 2x bonus.

But still, for Suizen, it's a half stage and an upgrade to her cheat-like power. That plus the Loyalty buff makes her increasingly valuable.

I think it really all depends on what we decide our next move should be. If we're going to hit the Bleak Ravens, then if we chug the Pearl, and our Phial kicks in to put us at the Great Circle of Soul Chrysalis, we should be close enough in power to the Sect Master that he couldn't guarantee victory--or alternately, we could keep it and use it as barter.

If we're going to look into the mobile oppression fortress though and let him know that we have a more productive way to let his legacy be known than going out in a blaze of glory--then buffing Suizen seems to be the better choice, because that's not a problem that would be trivially solved by greater Cultivation.
 
Last edited:
RedV said:
That said, our 94 treasure sounds a bit questionable.

I'm worried about why it raises our level the same as Suizen's when we eat it. We do have the Aurorium Phial doubling its value, right?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The Pearl is just pure 'Cultivation energy,' it's not really a material / reagent by conventional measures. There's no additional potential for the Phial to draw out.

Also, if it were a material, it would be of the Reality Forming tier, so you'd only get 1.5x.

Aabcehmu said:
[X] Give to Suizhen
[X] Investigate Xylitemmerral

Seems like the most profitable arrangement. If we're lucky, Suizhen will develop the ability to see what kind of shenanigans Xyl is up to.

e-

Hm. We made an Artifact, a Magnum Opus, that would allow other people to use the Diagram.

Is it possible the Archstar, as the Fellborn produced something similar in his madness? An Artifact, a Magnum Opus, that allows for the sacrifice of others to fuel Artifice, even if one is not themselves able.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Well, whatever it does, it's letting him fight against Dao Cleaving on an almost even level. If you guys intend to go in against him, you ought to be prepared for anything.
 
Last edited:
Rihaku said:
The Pearl is just pure 'Cultivation energy,' it's not really a material / reagent by conventional measures. There's no additional potential for the Phial to draw out.



Well, whatever it does, it's letting him fight against Dao Cleaving on an almost even level. If you guys intend to go in against him, you ought to be prepared for anything.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Fair enough.

Hmm...

A question actually, would it be possible to use the Pearl as a reagent, drop down to the Great Circle of Organ Refining, and then Go Beyond and use the Artifact we made with the Pearl to Perfect it?

But--yes, we're actually incredibly well suited to engaging an angry screaming lich king on his floating fortress as we are right now. We're about mid-Dao Cleaving in combat strength, and we're also excellent at bitchslapping external magics. It looks like he's trying to go out in a blaze of glory now that he's seen his Doom is coming due--and we might get a chance to get his legacies instead of them catching fire and burning.
 
Last edited:
Remember what Rihaku has said about cultivation resources useful for the Reality Forming stage not usually being possible to buy with money. That means that selling it could give us an immense amount of resources useful for lower stages. Possibly solving our resource problems until we get close to Reality Forming! We will probably recultivate our current stage many times, so

[ ] Save It

and later selling it is likely the best option. This also removes the mentioned very small risk of contamination.
 
Alectai said:
A question actually, would it be possible to use the Pearl as a reagent, drop down to the Great Circle of Organ Refining, and then Go Beyond and use the Artifact we made with the Pearl to Perfect it?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

No, you need an Artifact of at least mid-Grand Solipsism (6.5) level in order to Perfect Organ Refining to the Philosopher-King's standard, and the Artifact can't be made until after you've Gone Beyond in the relevant stage.

UBR said:
Remember what Rihaku has said about cultivation resources useful for the Reality Forming stage not usually being possible to buy with money. That means that selling it could give us an immense amount of resources useful for lower stages. Possibly solving our resource problems until we get close to Reality Forming! We will probably recultivate our current stage many times, so

[ ] Save It

and later selling it is likely the best option. This also removes the mentioned very small risk of contamination.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You would likely be able to sell it later, but Deplian is probably too small a market to liquidate such a treasure. You'd need to go to the Ruby Court or a comparable metropolis.
 
[X] Consume Personally
[X] Investigate Xylitemmerral

Plan Going Green lives once more! While it's too much to hope that the situation with the Bleak Raven Sect won't evolve in our wake, the Archstar of Xytl-Teloch sounds like quality loot. Killing an arch-terrorist (what is it with liches and sticking 'arch' in front of everything?) is a good way for Nameless to start making a name for himself as well. This gives us a chance to exploit our Ring-granted immunity to Diagram Magic to save a city... and extract concessions afterward, naturally.
Rihaku said:
All the hoarded resources of a millenia-old elder lich are being unleashed in a single titanic onslaught.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Titanic onslaught? Kong Zang would beg to differ, if he were the sort of person to beg.
 
[X] Consume Personally
[X] Investigate Xylitemmerral

His doom is coming. And by his doom, I mean us.

Taking the pearl now so we're strong enough to deal with this guy. We're immune to all of his diagram magic, we're a powerful Cultivator, and we've got artifacts and diagram magic of our own. I think we stand a good chance. Also, he sounds like a really interesting character.

I'm kinda tempted to give the pearl to Suizhen just to see what her eyes do, but she is getting free powerups from being our lieutenant, and she'll be getting more once she turns 18, so I think she can wait.


 
We're faced with a myriad of powerful opportunities. The option to investigate the angry Lich does seem to have to potential for the greatest gains, but it comes with two problems: 1) We may not have enough time to get there and back to exploit this Lich and 2) that Lich may have some interesting effects. 2) is a lesser problem due to the Ring, and 1) can be mitigated if we simply increase our Cultivation for higher movement speed in between teleports. Thus, I think the optimum choice is to Consume the Pearl and to investigate the other angry Lich. If it works out, we'll have investigated 1 Lich for certain and will be able to try and investigate the Lich hiding in the Dimension.

Even if we don't do this and assault the Ravens, we're going to need personal power to do so. I think Consuming the Pearl is the optimum choice here if we want a chance at getting something from 1 (maybe 2) liches.
 
The one problem with Xylitemmerral is that the situation complicates trading with him for spells, since he's in a state of open warfare. The Archstar is literally and metaphorically shiny, but we'd have to reverse-engineer his Diagrams from notes or any of his Grands that we can lay our hands on.
 
Rihaku said:
*The Lich arch-terrorist Xylitemmeral the Destroyer has launched an all-out assault on a Ruby Court fortress some twenty thousand miles away. He has laid siege to the walls from a floating tower of emerald-hued orichalcum conjured from thin air. The Dao Cleaving-lead garrison of the area has been unable to repel him despite inflicting colossal losses to his army of constructs and undead. All the hoarded resources of a millenia-old elder lich are being unleashed in a single titanic onslaught. Upon his brow burns the Archstar of Xytl-Teloch, its viridian flame lending him the desperate strength and fury of its maker, the Fellborn**. The battle is not likely to be resolved until Peak Dao Cleaving reinforcements arrive from other Ruby Court encampments. Source: intercepted Vane intelligence reports headed for Eastern Kong.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

From this description, it seems he's a master of at least Stone and Death, both of which would be very useful to us as they don't intersect with our specialties (barring Lichdom for Death).
 
Last edited:
Orm Embar said:
[X] Consume Personally
[X] Investigate Xylitemmerral

Plan Going Green lives once more! While it's too much to hope that the situation with the Bleak Raven Sect won't evolve in our wake, the Archstar of Xytl-Teloch sounds like quality loot. Killing an arch-terrorist (what is it with liches and sticking 'arch' in front of everything?)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

He was an archmage, then he switched his profession... a task to which he devoted every bit of the studiousness and vigor he applied to magecraft. Would you deny a man his properly-earned title?

vali said:
[X] Consume Personally
[X] Investigate Xylitemmerral

His doom is coming. And by his doom, I mean us.

Taking the pearl now so we're strong enough to deal with this guy. We're immune to all of his diagram magic, we're a powerful Cultivator, and we've got artifacts and diagram magic of our own. I think we stand a good chance. Also, he sounds like a really interesting character.

I'm kinda tempted to give the pearl to Suizhen just to see what her eyes do, but she is getting free powerups from being our lieutenant, and she'll be getting more once she turns 18, so I think she can wait.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Not worried about Zang Kong's schemes? The Monster of Utility wields foresight like a scythe; the Elder Beast of Reason nurtures plots within plots... wouldn't you sleep easier knowing Zang Kong has had no vector whatsoever by which to get his hooks into yourself or your lieutenants, no matter how unlikely?

Orm Embar said:
The one problem with Xylitemmerral is that the situation complicates trading with him for spells, since he's in a state of open warfare. The Archstar is literally and metaphorically shiny, but we'd have to reverse-engineer his Diagrams from notes or any of his Grands that we can lay our hands on.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Plus, while he is likely to have some seriously impressive offensive capabilities, he may not be as proficient in utility magics that lend themselves well to Cultivation. It's certainly possible he knows force-amplifiers like Llewyn's Prodigious Might, but you haven't even learned Prodigious Might yet!
 
[X] Consume Personally
[X] Investigate Xylitemmerral

The Lich Stronghold option is actually a lot more interesting that I initially assumed, and it opened multiple opportunities to acquire some extremely good spells.

Also, what are those Ravens doing so far from their base? I still get the sense something fishy is happening, but that may be paranoia.
 
Last edited:
Rihaku said:
[ ] Investigate Xylitemmerral - Xiaoling's contacts picked up this information, it would be a shame not to exploit it. Your window of opportunity is limited. The risks are not inconsiderable, of course; Xylitemmerral has the Dao Cleaving garrison opposing him on the back foot. His power is greater than that of any ordinary lich, but perhaps the opportunities for plunder are greater as well...?

*Several days' travel time to go there and come back. If you leave now you should make it before the situation is resolved, but on the off chance you don't, you may waste time for little benefit.
*You're not sure you would be immune to Xylitemmerral's array of esoteric attacks. Who knows what the Archstar of Xytl-Teloch can actually accomplish?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If we consume the pearl would it be quicker to leave Suizhen as Xiaoling's bodyguard as she confronts the Bleak Ravens while we run off to fight Xylitemmerral? We have to run between teleports after all and we'd be burdened down by our lowest member normally, so by relying on Xiaolong's clout (and potentially our seal sent along with Suizhen) we could accomplish both objectives more efficiently.
 
Wolfy said:
Rihaku, can we make Artifact to drop us below Organ Refining, Go Beyond it and then eat the pearl to get back to mid SC?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It'd have to be a pretty meh Artifact, you're at 3.0 and have almost no essence to invest. You want an Artifact laser pointer or something? Fate may not look kindly upon frivolous forging.

RedV said:
The 2x is stated to be for materials of Reality Forming stage or below, so I thought it would include Reality Forming materials for 2x
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

My bad, was looking at an earlier draft.

Da Boyz said:
If we consume the pearl would it be quicker to leave Suizhen as Xiaoling's bodyguard as she confronts the Bleak Ravens while we run off to fight Xylitemmerral? We have to run between teleports after all and we'd be burdened down by our lowest member normally, so by relying on Xiaolong's clout (and potentially our seal sent along with Suizhen) we could accomplish both objectives more efficiently.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Suizhen is too weak for you to rely on her for that. There are numerous Bleak Ravens a full stage above her.
 
Rihaku said:
It'd have to be a pretty meh Artifact, you're at 3.0 and have almost no essence to invest. You want an Artifact laser pointer or something? Fate may not look kindly upon frivolous forging.



My bad, was looking at an earlier draft.



Suizhen is too weak for you to rely on her for that. There are numerous Bleak Ravens a full stage above her.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Artifact would be mostly secondary to Going Beyond in Organ Refinement.
 
Rihaku said:
Suizhen is too weak for you to rely on her for that. There are numerous Bleak Ravens a full stage above her.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Suizhen's presence would mainly be as a representative of us, though do we have enough money to bribe one of the Dao Cleaving cultivators of Deplian to act as a Dao Protector for the duration of it? Between our scammed finances and Xiaoling's we have considerable dosh.
 
George said:
What do you guys think about whether it's too early to make a Quickening-enhancing Artifact?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
We should probably be at the peak of our stage when we forge that one. That is a very important artifact.

Doing it this way does mean that we will have to do a lot of cultivating for the next few artifacts, but fortunately we just got something which we could sell for an immense amount of cultivation resources useful for our stage. If only people were willing to vote on saving it...
 
What kind of Artifact could we make if we decided to expend the Pearl on forging one?

Like, admittedly, fighting at Combat Rank 4.75 means that we're basically invincible within Dao Cleaving and might be about to out-fight the master of the Crows if he's still hurting, but I'm not certain if we need 4.75 if we're going to fight someone who makes their primary focus an area that we can bitchslap thanks to our Force Diagram. At the very least, we're physically stronger than even a theoretical Further Beyond Might can match, his diagram magic is a non-issue to us, and while the Crown is potentially dangerous to us, if it fires zappy bolts of magic, it probably counts as something we can dispel and mitigate.

What it boils down to is that I feel if we're going to poke the Crows, we should use the Pearl ourselves. If we're going after Xyl, we should empower Suizen and see if her cheat-like power can give us a greater edge, while also securing her loyalty.
 
Last edited:
[] Consume Personally
[] Investigate Xylitemmerral
- [] Leave Xiaoling and Suizhen here to deal with the Bleak Ravens, between your pooled resources hopefully a suitable Dao Protector can be found from the surrounding cultivators for the duration of their trip. If not then they're better off training here then going up against an arch-terrorist who's put a garrison of Dao Cleaving cultivators on the backfoot.

So how does this look as a preliminary draft if Rihaku deems it plausible?
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top