I considered distinctive parts for each option, starting with the second one.
"No individual is great in all". This is a relatively safe belief to lock in. Time is a limited resource in the forgeverse, and so becoming great in all is just impossible. However, this also is kind of too obvious? I've seen people argue in favour and against adding this to Ling Qi's cultivation, but given how obvious it is, I don't see it significantly impacting Ling Qi. The last part, "Power united is greater than its parts", seems like a logical follow-up, which doesn't raise much concern. I don't hate this option, but it looks bland, especially for a level 5 concept.
The first option, "The great and the small, the subtle and the strong, amplify in unity," conveys a similar message but seems more nuanced, as many have said. Like the other option, it says that individuals can be more powerful together. It doesn't explicitly mention the limitations of a single person, but again, this seems obvious, so I don't worry about it. What it highlights is the potential role of less powerful and different types of power, which I agree to be a more interesting focus. Unlike the limitations of the individual, the importance of mortals and low-level cultivators can more easily be forgotten as Ling Qi's family members, friends, and opponents reach higher stages of cultivation. If explored further, this focus could also find some nice synergy with the Ling Qi's role as a clan's head and the future ruler of the fief. My only concern with the first option is that "the great and the small, the subtle and the strong'' is slightly too poetic, but I think that could be refined at the following concept levels.
[X] Power is the ability to act on or resist the world, it manifests through many forces. The great and the small, the subtle and the strong, amplify in unity.
Other considerations
There appears to be a concern that the first option is … totalitarian? That it will lead to an evil hierarchy, will focus on amplifying the power of just one individual, and has many similarities with the Palace of One. I disagree with that. While it's true that unity strived by the Palace of One ultimately led to the exploitation of the powerless, the option doesn't necessarily enforce this outcome by design. I interpret the first option as "Hey, let's acknowledge the powers of all individuals and combine them to achieve more", and I guess Hui's application of it would be "Hey, let's acknowledge the powers of all individuals and (possibly with force and/or mind manipulation) combine them to achieve more of what we want". The question is about the means of the unification and the determination of the goals, which doesn't seem to be an issue given Ling Qi's concepts/insights of choice and communications.
Some people also disliked the first option's use of the word "unity," which I don't understand since the second option uses "united." Is there some nuance that I am missing?
