Hmmph... this junior is a good seed [Cultivation Management Quest]

News just in! A great troop of the Imperial Optimatoi dared the perils of the Yuan Man-as-Mountain Array in 200 E. K. Juniors and Experts provide tales and daring and intrigue in the Secret Realm. Rumors whisper of heaven defying good fortune and maddening defeat! Read below as witnesses narrate their experiences to our interviewers.

Lipita Delphi (9th Heavenstage) - It turns out that rushing a major bottleneck can have crippling results if you're willing to make the attempt while suffering major injury. Who would've thought!? Perhaps next time I won't try to stuff enough qi to blow my head off down the gullet. 8/10 would go again.

Abel Angelus (2nd Heavenstage to at least 8th) - Abel did his best Dark Lord impression as he made large qi gathering arrays that sucked the life out of large areas of the realm from a black tower in the center.

Diomedes Cestus (1st Pillar, Foundation Establishment) - Managed to stumble on a gambling Spirit Den, game was overcomplicated with dozen upon dozen of changing rules and scams. Recommendation: Just use a luck granting artifact and bull rush through to get a decent reward. 7/10 got a headache trying to understand the rules.

Afterwards I tried to follow a rumor and find a powerful gravity controlling axe only to stumble on a core snake and get poisoned,poison felt bad ,got headaches , burning meridians syndrome, puked blood, and even had to spend a few treasures to save my life. Recommendation: don't try to follow odd legends on powerful artifacts you would only get poisoned by overpowered animals. 2/10, note that if you did get poisoned, bottle and sell it afterwards for resources and rewards.

Savvas Nicolidis (2nd Pillar, Foundation Establishment) - After efficiently and ruthlessly but unproductively trapping numerous cultivators not of the clan, found out unlucky cultivators are just really unlucky. Afterwards acquired qi-manipulating gloves during the actual realm. Excellent artifact, 8/10.

"Trust me, those traps were a total waste of time. I didn't know bad luck was persistent like that. Also, ignore the ectoplasm. That's a.. work in progress."

Paulus (5th Pillar, Foundation Establishment) - *No words when interviewed. Haunted expression only response.*

The Builder (from 6th to 7th Heavenstage, gaining exactly one year of cultivation^^) - Tried and failed to get a pill that would give power to my brothers, did not found a treasure or enough 'evil stones' (odd fellow apparently referring to spirit stones) to update the 'Amulet of True Will', was poisoned and almost crippled. 0/10 would not go to a secret realm again.
Also the builder. Raised his power by a realm, got the strength of eleven (strong) men, witnessed the raising of a lot of talented good seeds, even discovered that senior Abel had risen to Foundation Establishment. 10/10, would still not go to a secret realm unless he had a very good reason.

Katha Theodoros (Qi Condensation 1st to 12th Heavenstage) - At first, an unremarkable seed, destined to die like so many other fools to brave the Realm. But the Yuan Man-As-Mountain Array had other plans! Reaching the 12th Heavenstage before the age of thirty? A Heavenly-Defying Talent has risen amongst the Golden Devils! Despite the death of Riala, her daughter and son may yet drag the Theodoroi back to prominence! Even crabby old Tormenos, famed for his stoicism and face like a bitter gourd, has not smiled so often since his daughter made Foundation Establishment! As for the girl herself, when approached for comment, Katha simply said 'I met a beetle in the mountains and the rest was history.' What a humble seed!

Magnus Centenius (At the 6th Pillar of Foundation Building) - Tried to get away with it again. He had gotten a little cocky when the last secret realm he visited nearly doubled his cultivation. He thought he could once again steal from other sects here and get away with it. Unfortunately, while he did steal a sword and dagger of space and time, the cultivator he stole from did not let him go. The core realm elder chased Magnus all over the realm, trying to recover his weapons, only stopping when Minverina forced him to. In the end, Magnus lost some life saving treasure and his dantian was destroyed, but he gained a pair of extremely powerful weapons.

Liu Mang (1st Heavenstage to 5th Heavenstage) - Imagine. Jingshen to your left. Jingshen to your right. Behind you, and in front. A true troop of forces, with their strongest reaching as high as 9th Heavenstage.

And this badass here dropped them all deader than dead!

Did it matter that he was only in the 1st Heavenstage himself? No!

Did it matter that they had him surrounded? No!

All they did was place him in a target-rich environment. And not only that, they were so kind as to upgrade Ruin and Torment, his twin hand axes!

Truly, a 10/10 experience. Qiguai, you're next!

Caius Venandi (1st Heavenstage to 2nd Heavenstage) - Entering the Yuan, was a mistake. Maybe if I had been luckier I could have retrieved the treasures I found there. Maybe if I was as skilled as some of the legends like Katha Theodoros or Constantin Nikeodemos I could have achieved something more. If anything, it slowed me down and cost me a great treasure. The Yuan is powerful, but you have as much to fear from the other cultivators as trials within. If you wish to enter, and you are confident in your skill, then the advantages are immense. But I cannot recommend it. The risk of death is too high for me.

Choíros Pentekonter (1st Heavenstage to 1st Heavenstage) - I can't say much about the main Yuan area as I never have been able to enter it. I was mistaken by trial defences to be a spirit beast which led to a very painful and almost lethal encounter in which I got empowered with a lot of battle power. Let this be a warning for brothers and sisters that are like me not human or not pure blooded humans, be prepared for these sorts of mistakes in yuan! Without a life saving treasure or two you will likely perish or gain very little there. Also remember the righteous path is anything to our clan but righteous.

AN: Thanks to everyone who wrote something. Next time should be spicier

Kakos Alexikeravno stood among his clanmates at the opening of the Yuan Clan Secret Realm, quietly psyching himself up. This opportunity had been a gift. He could not possibly have afforded it. He refused to waste such a thing.

The recruitment process was very strange. It had taken him many years of training with the arrays before he was certain that he had what it would take to survive stepping outside the protective warding of his home. He was lifted to the First Heavenstage at age 11, courtesy of some spare spirit stones that his mother had saved for the purpose. He was 16 before he mastered the few scraps of family lore available to him, and was able to make the walk to the local Legion Recruiter. His first interview was in a group of prospectives in a nearby empty lot, held once a month. The Recruiter had asked what he could do. He'd explained that while he had no combat training at all, he was a capable array-crafter, and expected to serve in that capacity. That had gotten him sent to a second recruiter in a small but well-kept building, halfway across town. He'd demonstrated his skills there, over the course of a rather comprehensive examination. At the end, the recruiter had nodded briefly in something that was at least not disapproval, and started asking things about his family history and personal life. He'd gotten to the part about his bloodline, and, on describing how he was heir to a relatively rare mutant strain of the Blood of Bronze, he'd been sent on to a third recruiter - three days away, in the nearby city, on the bottom floor of a large, blocky building. That recruiter had asked him questions about his history and philosophies. It really had not taken long to get him ranting (in his quiet but intense way) about the fundamental unfairness of Heaven and after only a few minutes of that, he'd been sent to a fourth recruiter, a number of floors up. She was a sharp-featured axe of a woman with a fair bit of green in her hair, who carried herself in a way that made it clear that this bronze had been forged into a weapon, and had not dulled with age. That recruiter had interrogated him extensively on the implications of his bloodline and his plans for leveraging it. She'd gone as far as he'd thought through, and then just kept asking questions. He'd had to keep coming up with things to say to keep going, because admitting defeat in front of her had felt simply unthinkable. By the time she was done he was utterly wrung out, but he was shocked at how thoroughly his plans had been refined and beaten into shape over the course of his desperate attempts to not disappoint her with his answers.

Finally she smiled, a little, and suddenly the questions became easy.
"So, son, you say that you hate the Heavens."
"Yes, Ma'am, with every fiber of my being."
"Are you willing to risk everything you are and have in return for a chance to strike back at them as hard as you possibly can?"
"Is that an offer? I am eager, Ma'am."
"Then sign here, son. The Clan's going to hook you up."

...and that was all it took. They had sent him to another place and done... things to him. He didn't know where it was, actually, and that was probably for the best. He also wasn't really clear what it was that they'd done to him, but when they finished, he could feel his bloodline singing stronger in his veins. That was potentially bad, actually. It meant there was far less margin in the Covering Of The Blood arrays woven into his robes than he'd had when he left home - far less than was truly safe. He'd had to beg further resources and spend every spare moment he had for the next month and a half on reinforcing them before he felt it was again acceptable, but it was worth it. He had known his path from the beginning, and the only way he could possibly succeed was wielding the hatred of the heavens against them. Let the Heavens hate.

From there, they'd moved him to another undisclosed location. This time it was a grand pavilion of arts. Normally, they told him, a young cultivator would come to this place a bit later in their career, but he was going to need all of the help he could get very soon. They didn't tell him why, and he didn't ask. He loved the Clan and trusted it. They knew his goals, approved, and were supporting them. When he needed to know, he'd be told. He didn't need to think about the future. He just needed to choose an art - preferably something that would keep being useful for a long time, as he wouldn't necessarily be allowed back any time soon. Part of the answer was simple. Blood. In order to actually achieve any of his vague hopes for the future, he needed to be able to wield his own blood, with tools that were faster, safer, and more effective than a knife and a brush. He also needed it to be something that would be useful with relatively little qi, as power was not his strong suit. He chose the Blood-Spraying Art. It was a way to briefly open the arteries and let out a semi-controlled blast of your own blood. Its initial intent was as a way to blind the opponent with a fast attack that they would not expect, but it got the blood out of his body and under his control (even if only a little) and he could build on that. The fact that it naturally sealed up after itself once the qi flow stopped was also very nice. It meant that he still did not have any real ability to win a fight with other cultivators, but... well, he was going for an impossible goal. In a very real way, he could not afford to make safe choices if he wished to have any hope of success.

From there, they'd sent him to the training grounds. It was... not pretty. He was marginally less bad with the staff than with anything else, and so they'd had him trained in that, driven by some sort of schedule he was not privy to. It was three months of bruises on bruises that pushed him physically in ways he'd never really been pushed before. In the end, in the words of his drill sergeant "Well, you're not up to legion standard in physical conditioning, but you're at least a damn sight closer than you were when you got here. Your staff-work has improved, too. You're only pathetic now, rather than actively shameful. Your attitude's good at least. They're taking you somewhere tomorrow. I don't know where. Don't really care, either. Wherever it is, try not to get in any real fights. You'll die, and you've got enough potential that that would be a waste. Save the heroics for when you're good enough that it actually means something." Then she sent him off to his quarters to rest. The next day, they had handed him a token worth a hundred times as many contribution points as he could possibly have accumulated for himself, and put him on a carriage towards the Yuan lands. It was as the old battleaxe had said. The clan was giving him his chance.

..and that led to the present. Kakos stood in the electrified air of the Yuan's mountains, as the Man-as-Mountain array accumulated power. He had his robes. They were as reinforced as he'd been able to make them, and more than warded enough to deflect the eyes of heaven now. He had a staff of simple bronze, issued by the clan. He had a set of small boxes and flasks for collection, as he'd been informed that such things could be useful inside the secret realm. He'd etched and empowered their preservation arrays himself - the effects wouldn't last forever, but hopefully they'd work well enough. He had a moderate amount of food, chosen to be unspoiling and easy to carry. He was certain he'd get quite sick of it, but it would give him what he needed. Finally, he'd spent as many contribution points as he'd had on the best tools and supplies for array inscription he could afford. He was as ready as he was going to be. He was also itchy. There was something that was worrying at him, and he couldn't tell what... but there were no other preparations he could make. He stood and fretted as the heat rose.

The heat rose, and kept rising, to an almost unbearable level, and then it held, before finally falling once more. Finally, he was in. The richness of the qi was astounding. In his home, there was always just the least bit of effort in the back of the mind, to hold in his cultivation so as to reduce the stones spent on maintenance. Here? His cultivation rose just by breathing. It was glorious! It was... he just couldn't shake that feeeling of dread... that... oh. It was that smell. The smell of lightning.

He glanced up, and the sky directly above was a clear blue, with no clouds at all. Instead, they were all gathered over a secondary peak a short distance away - roiling, black, and angry. Apparently some idiot had decided to save money on his ticket by breaking through to Foundation Building just after entering the secret realm, and was calling down his tribulation right then. Kakos began to run away, at an even, steady pace. Normally, he'd have confidence in the arrays woven into his cloak, but existing tribulations were different, and this place would be more different still. With more qi to work with, the lightning would be stronger here than it was in the rest of the Third Sea. If the fool had misjudged his abilities, he could very well die while heaven still had some wrath left, and Kakos did not wish to gamble on his chances of avoiding the attention of a Heaven who was actively looking. Best to be far away when that happened.

Then it got worse. A very specific array, carved carefully into the flesh of his shoulder, began to hurt. Heaven's eyes were upon him. How was that possible? He wasn't entirely confident in his preservation arrays, but he'd put a tremendous amount of effort into his Covering of the Blood, and he'd tested them thoroughly. They should have been more than sufficient to... oh. They were more than sufficent... for the level of qi in the rest of the Third Sea. It wasn't just heaven's javelins that were sharper here, was it? It was heaven's eyes as well. He could no longer afford to be judicious. Kakos lurched into a sprint as best he could, while desperately casting about for an answer. Simple distance was no longer sufficient, and he had very little time.

There was a ravine opening up with greenery at the bottom. Take it, and scramble down. it might dead-end, but he had little enough time left that he wouldn't be able to make it to the end anyway, and the plants might hold an answer somehow. There was a moderately offended plant-thing of some sort. Doesn't matter. He didn't know how to deal with it, and he didn't have the time. Spray it with blood and keep going. If it came after him, he'd figure out what to do once he'd survived the immediate crisis. There was a stand of poplars. No! Not just poplars! Heaven-Favored Poplars! He was saved! Maybe. If he could shroud his location well enough, then heaven's unwillingness to shatter the things might see him safe. He scuttled inside, found a small clearing, and laid out a Heaven's Eye Blinded array around himself. It was hurried. It was desperate. It gave off the soft golden glow that only the most perfect examples of the array ever did. He only managed to make it that good one time in ten, under ideal conditions. It made no sense... but he wasn't complaining. The relief shuddered through him. That... should be enough. Even with the new sharpness of heaven's eyes, that should be enough.

The thunder crashed and rolled, from not so very far away, as he slumped to the ground. Once. Twice. Thrice... and then the lightning struck the grove. Only three? The idiot had only managed to survive three? Or was it the heavens breaking their own rules again? Of course it was. Damn those miserable tyrants in the sky! Worse yet, they didn't just break their own rules about tribulations. They also broke their own rules about lightning. The lightning came in like serpents, rather than javelins - twisting around the trees, never touching the blessed wood... and then once it had gotten to the edge of the forest? It came twisting back.

That was bad. The lightning didn't seem to be going anywhere, and he could not stay in the array forever. He refused to waste his chance in the secret realm, but even without that, his array would fade without maintenance. The maintenance would take materials. He'd eventually run out, and the array would fade, and he'd be done. Even sooner than that, though, there was the plant thing, that... oh. Never mind. Looking through the trees, it seemed that the plant-thing was looking a bit lightning-charred. Apparently the idea of using his blood to draw lightning to his enemies did have some potential... though it would likely take quite a lot more work under normal circumstances. Well, that problem was solved, at least. Still, both array supplies and food would eventually be a problem, and his family surely knew that heaven's wrath was more patient than Man's need.

He looked up at the whirling serpents of lightning. Well. The situation wasn't good, really, but he didn't need to panic. He had time to think. He had time to consider. He had everything there was with him in the array to work with - his robes, his sample containers, his staff, his provisions, and his array-carving supplies... and as the charred plant-creature had demonstrated, he was safe now from all but the slowest of threats. He pulled out the first of many painfully bland ration bars, and sat down to eat, and think. When he was done, he reached out to pick up his staff, and lifted it into one of the coiling serpents above.

Heaven's wrath surged into him, and it hurt. The raw hate it was infused with locked him up for a moment, letting more come pouring down the channel, until finally he managed to tear the staff away... and then, desperately struggling against a body that was only half-responding, managed to not drop it on the array that was keeping him alive. He collapsed to the ground to cultivate - to turn his cursed blood to the task of eating Heaven's wrath. After all, it is said that Tribulation Lightning is 4 parts vital energy to 1 part killing intent. The lightning that sought the clan had its proportions reversed, of course, but Kakos was quite sure that this tribulation had been intended for another. No inheritor of the legacy of Bronze would have been so stupid. Vital force and death chased each other around his veins, and he drew and drank the vital force out... and when he was done, he forced what was left of it into his arms, and poured the lightning-charged blood out into a flask, where it couldn't injure him further. It was messy, but it worked. He was hurt. He was hurt quite badly, but he would live, and he could do this. He caught his breath, took the time to eat the second of many painfully bland ration bars, and reached for his staff once more.

Two and a half months later, he was done. He'd absorbed what he could, and decanted what he couldn't, reinforced his Covering the Blood arrays with all of the reagents he had left, and now it was time to drag his badly wounded body home. He broke his array, and made his way towards the road, carefully, leaning on his staff. Bloody Man-as-Mountain array. He whacked one of the poplars as he left, just for spite. Hopefully he'd make it without further trouble, but if not? If some young Jingshen buck decided to try to take advantage of him in his weakness? Well, he had bottles full of blood charged with the essence of heaven's desire to kill. See how they feel about getting that all over their absurdly fancy robes.

//=========
@ReaderOfFate (or whoever) could I have this entered in the rolls?
2827 words. I believe I'd like a Life-Saving Treasure, please. I get the feeling that Kakos is going to need as many of those things as he can get.

There are many Bloodlines of significant power recorded in the clan's annals. Aptitudes for the Five Elements of this realm, inheritances from great beasts, blessings from the Heavens brought on by some great deed achieved by an ancient progenitor and even stranger things that go beyond counting--all of which uplifts their lineage to stand above their competitors.

The Blood of Bronze is different. It is thought to be an artifact forged in ancient times, to create the perfect soldier. Where some Bloodlines seek to create greater strength, the Blood of Bronze not only matches it--giving a superb physique challenged by very few--but more importantly, it creates a common standard, a single unified foundation that all others build on in the furtherance of their Truth. While there are untold variants, mutations, and unique off-shoots of the Blood, that common standard remains--strong enough to serve as a major point of commonality, and one of the most significant reasons why the Formations of our Clan run rampant over the indigenous cultivators of the Third Sea, as while some have also realized the potency of a shared lineage in augmenting their techniques, many hold a great deal of pride in their superior bloodline, and will rarely cooperate with their kin except for in times of greatest exigency.


The Blood of Bronze begins as a precursor substance--dubbed Celestial Bronze--a liquid metal extracted from the marrow of any who bear the Blood. Used as a warfighting material, it can be bonded with a wielder through a secret casting process, allowing it and the owner's blood to resonate—permitting a mystic tool forged from the substance to match the growth of its owner up until Nascent Soul. More practically however, when introduced to a living being, it seeks to replicate itself, steadily propagating through the body until the body learns how to produce the substance itself--though the rate of progression differs based on one's own natural affinity, and can rarely be predicted at the time of infusion.

This process is more difficult as the cultivation of the recipient increases—a mortal can be put in good stead with a single drop—a Foundation Establishment cultivator seeking to gain the same result must need thousands. For all practical intents and purposes however, the Clan rarely attempts to recruit any who have gone beyond the fifth Heavenstage of Qi Condensation, as the cost of doing so is rarely worth the effort. Exceptions do occur from time to time, but must generally be authorized by at least five Legates and come with an extensive background check to ensure the applicant has no ties to any other influence.

A more recent innovation has been the production of Gravebronze. The Desert is and remains mineral poor for all its Spirit Stone production is excellent, and without the great mines and Silverine forges left behind in the last great retreat, it was no longer possible to ensure the Clan's elites were properly equipped. It was speculated that cremation of slain Clan members, and mixing of the ashes into what stores of materials we have would impart some of the Blood's traits onto the desired tool. While a regrettable use of our fallen, it serves as an intermediary step between ordinary material--given its extreme resistance to damage and self-regenerative properties, they are rarely damaged beyond repair, and thus can be re-used by generation after generation, compared to traditional Spirit Steel which is often destroyed with its wielder. Indeed, weapons forged from Gravebronze sourced from a fallen Legate are often no lesser in strength than Celestial Bronze tools, and can be produced in greater numbers. Where the difference lies is the capacity of Celestial Bronze to resonate with its wielder's evolving bloodline, and upgrade itself to match--a Gravebronze weapon will be left to one's successors upon entry into Nascent Soul. A tool of Celestial Bronze will ascend along with you--often stained in the colors of the Dao wielded by the newly born Great Elder. They have the power of growth that any Cultivator holds, and Celestial Bronze tools wielded by former Grand Elders are among the legacies lost in the most recent Retreat.

Due to its artificial nature, so long as the Clan continues to produce Core Formation level Cultivators, the supply of Celestial Bronze will not be exhausted. While the Blood can be artificially limited (And indeed, has been as a measure of mitigating the curses we labor under), it does not decline over time and necessitate regular renewal from external forces. Indeed, as lineages are adopted, endure, or otherwise advance in the Clan's esteem, the Blood grows in diversity and in strength. For it is that powerful families with filial Cultivators can afford greater infusions into their scions--and the most established ones need no infusions at all--the success of countless generations inherited by their children who immediately awaken to the Blood upon becoming Cultivators.


The Blood of Bronze is a living metal, teaching the human body how to evolve into being a superior soldier. It is a partner and companion to any Golden Devil Legionnaire, and it will be with even the most ancient Grand Elders on their final days.

While there are uncountable recorded variations, alterations, and mutations in the Blood, the common foundation ensures that they can all nonetheless serve in the Clan's Formations, and study the Clan's Arrays.

That being said, there is an orthodox path that the Blood progresses through, as a result, many of the variants tend to follow a similar progression.

Awakened: The state that any newly inducted Cultivator--whether Infused or Natural--enters upon grasping Qi for the first time while bearing the Blood within them. Over the course of a few weeks, their hair takes on a metallic sheen, and their eyes begin to brighten. The Clan's Formations recognize you as kin, and you gain a measure of the Clan's recovery powers. Nonetheless, merely Awakened Legionnaires are rarely considered to be combat ready, as they do not yet possess the Clan's strength and toughness.

Copper Skin: On average, a Cultivator who Awakens upon entering Qi Condensation will manifest the Copper Skin by the third to fifth Heavenstage. The flesh steadily darkens as one's Cultivation increases, taking on a measure of Bronze's strength. Recovery abilities increase further in this state, and the skin hardens into potent armor in this state, allowing minor attacks to be simply shrugged off without incident. Strength enhances somewhat, but the greatest gain is simply being able to exert more of one's own innate strength without fear. However, agility and flexibility begin to decline compared to ordinary cultivators of the same level, and this effect becomes more pronounced as one's Blood becomes more developed.

Infused Muscle: The Blood begins its work on the muscles and tendons of the body, rendering them a complex system with power beyond a normal cultivator of equivalent rank. One's physical strength takes a great leap in this state--the refined structure of the muscles now able to produce tremendous power without significant increase in mass. On average, this stage manifests on entry to Foundation Establishment, and is considered the standard through which Centurions must meet to be granted significant responsibility.

Transmuted Bone: The Blood continues to do its work, entering the Bone and reinforcing them beyond all known limits. Up until this point, the bones have gotten only a tithe of the Blood's attention, just enough to keep up with the other augmentations. The transmutation turns one's bones into bronze, all the way down to the marrow. It is at this point that a Golden Devil begins producing significant amounts of Celestial Bronze--though extraction can impact their Cultivation until Core Formation. More importantly, the hardening of the bones sharply increases one's strength and toughness, while also optimizing recovery abilities. This tends to manifest by Late Foundation Establishment.

Tin Tendons: The penultimate step of the Blood of Bronze's progression--with the body turned to an artifact, so must the mechanisms through which Qi is harnessed. Tendons, Meridians, Blood Vessels, and Dantian are reinforced again and again, retaining their flexibility while sharply increasing the degree through which they can expand without risking damage. This permits Golden Devils to wield enormous swaths of Qi in short periods of time, avoiding the 'Warm Up' period that indigenous cultivators often have to indulge in before they can reach their full strength. Additionally, as minor benefits, Golden Devils cannot experience shock symptoms by this point, and their capacity to recover from what would be crippling injuries to other cultivators reaches its zenith. Tin Tendons are usually achieved by Middle to Late Core Formation.

Alloyed Body: The final step of the Blood of Bronze--at least in its traditional form--the entire body has been converted into a living artifact of Celestial Bronze, and the unique traits of each sector of the body are spread to the others, creating a comprehensive package. Tireless, swiftly recovering soldiers, stronger and tougher than their peers--with the ability to conduct tremendous quantities of Qi on short notice. The hair and eyes also change color in this state, hinting at the direction through which the Blood will evolve further in future days--though due to the limitations on this Sea's cultivation, only a small handful of Cultivators can reach this state. Ordinarily manifests in Nascent Soul.


While largely beyond the scope of our present concerns, there are occasional outliers and throwbacks that show where the Blood can progress from the peak of the Bronze.

The two most orthodox paths are the Blood of Gold and the Blood of Silver. The former seems to be the more natural progression, as it is--in many ways--the Blood of Bronze taken to greater heights, mitigating some of its weaknesses while doubling down on many of its strengths.

The Blood of Silver, on the other hand, is less well known, as many of the Lineages that tended to manifest it were lost over the many retreats (With the most significant surviving Silver Lineage the Myia). Where the Blood of Gold builds on the foundation of Bronze, the Blood of Silver seems to delve into more esoteric fields, harmonizing with mind, soul, and other more exotic forces. It is speculated that the Silver Line was designed for special operatives compared to the Golden Line's field officers and champions, but far too much has been lost to do much more than speculate.

Beyond those? We lack the records--while we have some insight on the Gold and the Silver from the occasional talented Nascent Souls that have emerged from one of the Ancient Lineages, only the slightest clue to the final (If anything related to Cultivation can ever be called 'Final') evolution of the Blood.

The Effigy of the Earl-of-Bronze is crafted from a metal seen nowhere else in the modern Clan. Its properties are unknown, its method of acquisition a mystery. All we retain is a name. "Orichalcum."


The Blood of Bronze is and remains the greatest legacy of our past, the strength that unites us as one people in a realm that would see us all destroyed. It is always changing, adapting to our talents--how many of our most notorious young elites bear unique mutations and variations? Some find themselves struggling--others move from strength to strength, rapidly rising to be among the greatest of the Clan's future champions.

So long as we remain true to the Blood, it will support us, no matter what happens.