I tried another comedy xianxia and it made me realize how good this is. Other comedies grow stale with worn out jokes that were funny only in the first volume, or constant lukewarm jokes that make you think 'Yes, that is humor.' but not actually laugh.
At this point, he would likely have enough mental will to slowly suppress his draconic instincts and return to normal... but this was the perfect time for some more serious training.
In truth, what Bing Meilu was doing, the Whispering Nettle Root Invasion was more of a torture and interrogation art than a will-tempering technique. However, to enlightened beings such as her, there was no difference. If she said it was a will-tempering technique, then it was.
Bing Meilu's typical high-handedness aside, one thing that I like about this story is the way you've communicated that this, in fact, true. "Might makes right" is a common theme in xianxia, handled with varying degrees of self-awareness and interrogation, and here it's already been shown - without beating the reader over the head with it - that this notion is baked into the very physics of the world.
Dragon scales are extremely durable not because of their physical properties, but because an extremely powerful dragon declared that they would be so. The Heavens inflict punishment and issue reward not because of an inherent cosmic justice or morality, but because their targets oppose or further the aims of whatever powerful beings established the Heavens. By implication of Bing Meilu's threat, a sufficiently powerful sinner could strongarm the Heavens themselves into changing the definition of evil.
The cosmos is so arbitrary that it wouldn't be surprising to learn that things fall down because someone long ago did enough crunches and push-ups to establish the law of gravity.
She doesn't care too much for their personality though. So while those that girl themselves will likely end up preferring it, they'll probably be wanting their "spear" back initially
Why, I imagine forced and unwanted sex change will be pretty traumatic, with possible permanent body dysmorphia if cultivation can't smooth it over, not to say I can't see Bing doing it anyway if it isn't harmful to cultivation, the girl doesn't really give a shit what her followers care about or want.
A compendium of common terms. Will be updated as the story progresses
Spirit Beasts
Also known as Demon Beasts or Magical Beasts, and if aquatic, Sea Beasts. These are beings, who as part of their natural lifespan and bloodline, cultivate and grow stronger. They can come in a myriad of varieties. Many Demon Beasts are often extremely violent and will attack Human settlements. However, they can also usually be tamed and some are used for combat, travel and other purposes by cultivators. Demon Beast parts have many uses, including in alchemy, certain cultivation methods, item forging and more.
Sea Beasts
Aquatic variations of Demon Beasts. They often harass ships and are one of the main reasons that movement between landmasses is dangerous and difficult. Since human beings have dominated most of the land but not the waters, Sea beasts are far more plentiful and dominant than their terrestrial counterparts
Demons
Beings that are non-human and do not possess the natural power to cultivate through their bloodline that have nevertheless gained sentience and began to cultivate. This is often due to an extreme concentration of Spiritual Energy or Qi around them for a long time. They can be anything, such as a tree, rock or bird. A strong enough Demon can give birth to a new Spiritual Beast bloodline, and it is said all spirit beasts ultimately trace their bloodlines to ancient Demons who forced a concession from the Dao of Heaven. While Demons are not explicitly malevolent, they are, like human cultivators, naturally rebelling against the Dao of Heaven and they often face fierce tribulations.
Devils
Beings from the Pit, also known as the Underworld. They are manifestations of extreme Yin. Devils are not 'necessarily' malevolent, as Yin is supposed to have its place in existence. However, Yin without Yang becomes cruel and all-devouring. Devils tend to endlessly scheme against the highest heavens and are the source of the greatest works of cruelty. Even wise demonic cultivators will usually join hands with the orthodox to exterminate any trace of the devilish, for they represent a threat to existence itself and seek to exterminate everything.
The Pit
Also known as the Underworld. An abyssal source of blasphemy, it is the enemy of existence and the source of Devils. If, of the four symbols, Earth is Younger Yin, and Heaven is Younger Yang, the Pit is Older Yin and it is opposed by a higher form of the Heavens.
Undead
Beings born by the breaking down of the cycle of life, including Jiangshi, Ghouls, Ghosts and more. The difference between forms of undead is as vast as the difference before forms of life, but they are united by a universal principle of yin resentment.
Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth
The term used to refer to Qi in its raw, unrefined state under the control of the natural laws of the world. It can be aligned to various more specific elements.
Heavenly Tribulation
A Tribulation is the punishment of the Heavenly Dao that occurs when one breaks through a Realm. It is usually a manifestation of thunder, but as one advances they can be far more esoteric. Usually, they also contain a measure of life force that can be used to baptise and improve your body and vitality.
Qi
A mystical energy refined from the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth. It is usually aligned to a specific element.
The Dao of Heaven
Also known as Heaven, the Heavens or the Heavenly Dao. The gestalt Will of natural law. It governs the cycles of the world and manages Karma. It is a manifestation of Yang as the outgoing, dominating principle. Yin receives, Yang creates, therefore the one who mandates rules and laws is of Yang despite the fact that Heaven and Earth are truly one and the same from a certain perceptive. Heaven is revered by some and despised by others, but none doubt its existence. The Heavens are heavily bound by rules, but still have enough discretion to reward those they favour and punish others.
Immortal
A term used to refer to cultivators by mortals, although in truth most cultivators are not even close to real Immortality
Cultivator
The accurate term for someone who cultivates to elevate themselves. Cultivators generally join together into clans and organizations with a unified inheritance but not all do so.
Mortal
A human who does not cultivate. This was the intended fate for humans, so mortals are beloved by the Dao of Heaven and interfering with them, such as by refining them like demonic cultivators, is a grave offence.
Dantian
Dantians are a spiritual organ located in the stomach. They act as the basis for cultivation. Most Dantians are of imperfect quality and leak more Qi than can be put into it. Only those with perfect, unbroken dantians have a chance to cultivate. This trait is mostly genetic, so it's uncommon for a cultivator to birth someone incapable of cultivation.
Meridian Channels
Invisible, spiritual channels centered around the Dantian that run through the whole body and distribute Qi through it.
Apertures
The points on the meridian system where it connected to the outside world.
Constitution
A special power or trait acquired when an unborn baby is exposed to Qi. They can have all sorts of major effects.
Bloodline
Special powers or traits unique to a bloodline, usually belonging to a particular clan or lineage. These can be the results of breeding between humans and Spiritual Beasts or a Constitution that became hereditary.
Alchemist
Also known as Pill Refiners, though they find the word insulting. Cultivators who pursue the Dao of the Alchemy, which often involves the refining of consumables, like powders, pills, elixirs and salves with a myriad of mystical effects.
Magical Treasure
Interchangeably referred to with the terms 'magical' 'spiritual' as prefixes for Item, Treasure or Artifact. An item imbued with Qi in some way, often a formation, that can perform various supernatural processes.
Spirit Stone
A stone that has absorbed Qi from the air, they are very useful to cultivators and thus very expensive. Some spirit stones have absorbed specific elemental Qi and are worth far more.
Formation
Also known as Arrays, these are magical patterns that utilize Qi and Spiritual Energy to accomplish some task. The components of a formation could be humans, carved nodes or even natural mountains. Formations are used as the basis of much forging and automation.
Automaton
Also known as Puppets. Magical Treasures that act independently, usually powered by formations and spirit stones.
Dao
There are two main aspects to Dao, which means 'Way'. One is a personal path or lifestyle. 'I cultivate the Dao of the Sword' 'Surrendering is against my Dao'. The other is the broad, universal Dao, which is said to be an unknowable principle that is the mother of all creation. This may be also called 'The Great Dao' or 'The Three Thousand Daos'.
Cultivation Manual
A specific pathway of cultivation. These all differ greatly and are the determining source of one's power. Usually, these manuals are passed down and improved over countless generations.
Battle Skill
Also known as a technique or art. These utilize Qi or some other source to allow for supernatural feats like flying or breathing fire.
Clan
A family of cultivators centred around a unique inheritance. Multiple Clans can exist in one organization. Clans often have competing sub-branches.
Sect
An organization of cultivators. They can come in all forms, from armies, to companies to dynasties.
Why, I imagine forced and unwanted sex change will be pretty traumatic, with possible permanent body dysmorphia if cultivation can't smooth it over, not to say I can't see Bing doing it anyway if it isn't harmful to cultivation, the girl doesn't really give a shit what her followers care about or want.
Because while she doesn't care about their personal desires, she does care about compatibility and anyone particularly compatible with such a technique likely has the spiritual inclination to prefer, or at least adapt to, the change.
Because while she doesn't care about their personal desires, she does care about compatibility and anyone particularly compatible with such a technique likely has the spiritual inclination to prefer, or at least adapt to, the change.
Strangely RR has trustworthy most liked reviews, as long as the fic is not unkown and there are too few samples to judge.
Completely unlike other webnovel sites which give 4/5 stars to 90% of novels, where you have to dig to find some actual critique.
Strangely RR has trustworthy most liked reviews, as long as the fic is not unkown and there are too few samples to judge.
Completely unlike other webnovel sites which give 4/5 stars to 90% of novels, where you have to dig to find some actual critique.
I didn't find the properties of different polarities of the elements, like, Yang Metal was mentioned, do they behave differently? Is it possible to have non-polarized element, or one with equal mix of yin/yang?
I didn't find the properties of different polarities of the elements, like, Yang Metal was mentioned, do they behave differently? Is it possible to have non-polarized element, or one with equal mix of yin/yang?
Yang Metal is Blacksmithing, Weaponry, and strong Armor. Yin Metal is Commerce, Money, and Trade.
It is less "this is Yang Metal" and more "this is Metal, this has a Yang aspect". Similarly, you might find a "Yang Water" cultivator that uses the ocean and tropical storms in their cultivation, instead of the rain and snow common to Yin-Water. Yang-Fire will burn your body, while Yin-Fire burns your soul. Yang-Wood would be, like, clorokinesis, while Yin-Wood would be poisons and parasitism. Yang-Earth and Yin-Earth, I don't know what the difference would be. Maybe one is rock while the other is crystal? Idk.
The Procession of Daoist Cosmology - An Informal Primer by Ninjastar Part 1
A primer for many aspects of Daoism, cosmology and the cultivation system based on numerous online sources from well known sources like wikipedia and wuxiaworld to niche transcribed pdfs and self-help feng shui sites, as well as my own knowledge from reading and writing tons of Xianxia. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, if you think I missed anything or got something wrong, feel free to correct me.
If you find this primer useful and want to reward me for all the research I ended up doing, feel free to leave a like/informational, and give me a good review on royal road
I've linked some of the sources I used throughout the primer and at the bottom. Some of them lead to shady self-help scam-likely feng shui websites, so peruse at your own risk.
Some of the images/diagrams may be hard to see depending on your style/theme, so feel free to change them to see better.
Overview
From Wuji or Nothingness, came Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate.
From Taiji came the Liangyi, the duality of Yin and Yang
From Yin and Yang came the Four Symbols, Sixiang.
From Sixiang came the Eight Trigrams, Bagua.
From Bagua came the sixty-four hexagrams, I Ching, which represented all of creation.
This is what I've come to call the procession of daoist cosmology. It's a version of an explanation found in the Book of Changes about cosmology. Here's what Wikipedia has to say on the matter.
In Change there is the Supreme Polarity, (太極; Taiji),
which generates the Two Modes. (兩儀; Liangyi)
The Two Modes generate the Four Images, (四象; Sixiang)
and the Four Images generate the Eight Trigrams. (八卦; Bagua).
This explanation would later be modified to:
The Limitless (Wuji) produces the delimited, and this is the Absolute (Taiji). The Taiji produces two forms, named Yin and Yang. The two forms produce four phenomena, named lesser yang, great yang (tai yang also means the Sun), lesser yin, great yin (tai yin also means the Moon). The four phenomena act on the eight trigrams (ba gua), eight eights are sixty-four hexagrams
Wuji 無極. Linguistically, it is the compound of the character Wu, which means 'nothingness' 'emptiness' and Ji which means 'ridgepole', a part of a roof. Together, it means something that has no limit, i.e 'without an upper roof to cap it'
Wuji can be represented by the number '0'
Wuji refers both to the concept of infinity as well to the undifferentiated, primordial state that preceded the world. Wuji is nothingness, that which has no limits, attributes or characteristics. Before there was existence, or anything, there was Wuji. Because it has no limit, it can also not have any attributes, because to mean one thing is to not mean another, to be limited. As such, within Wuji, there is nothing we could call 'existence'.
Eventually, from Wuji is born Taiji, and the whole world begins.
To the Ancient Taoists, Wuji was the Dao itself while in Neo-Confucianist cosmology, Taiji was the Dao and was preceded by Wuji.
Taiji 太極 (Literally 'great pole') refers to the 'Supreme Ultimate', the whole affair of existence, the world from beginning to end. It's the combination of Yin and Yang to create everything, the transcension of dualism to a single state that contains all. While Wuji is timeless and undifferentiated, Taiji has a beginning and an end, meaning, limits, and relativity. It is the birth of one from zero.
Taiji is the singular supreme state, the unified one origin that duality and existence derive from, a concept that describes all states, everything that exists is within the Supreme Ultimate. Taiji can be represented by the number '1', as it is the sum totality of everything.
From Taiji derives the dualistic interplay of Yin and Yang, Liangyi
Liangyi 两仪 (Literally 'Two Instruments' or 'Two Modes'
From the absolutely singular wholeness of Taiji derives Liangyi, duality. Liangyi refers to the interplay of the two principles, Yin and Yang. From their dualistic interactions, everything in existence is born and explained. It is in Liangyi that Yin is differentiated from Yang, whereas in Taiji all things are wholly unified. Therefore, Liangyi is the birth of two from one.
However, Liangyi is instead referred to as three in some daoist works. This is because they often conceived of one as Yang and Two and Yin, therefore one plus two, Yin plus Yang, becomes three, or all things.
Yang is the force that represents the outgoing principle. It is creative, active, hot, hard, masculine. It represents the sun, heat, heaven creation, life. It gives and emanates.
Yin is the force that represents the receiving principle. It is accepting, feminine, passive, soft, cold. It represents the moon, earth, stillness, tranquility, death. It accepts and draws in.
Everything in the universe has yin and yang aspects to it. A still, calm ocean is of yin, but a rampaging tsunami is of yang. All things can be expressed and manifested in countless ways according to the interplay of yin and yang.
Yin and Yang both oppose and support each other. They can interact in both destructive and reductive cycles, and the opposite, supportive and expanding cycles. Death may end life, but a mother and a father can create children.
Yin and Yang can be represented by 'yaos', or line symbols. A broken line with two halves is the Yao for Yin while Yang's Yao is represented by an unbroken singular line.
From the duality of Yin and Yang comes the Sixiang (Literally 'Four Images'), which can also be expressed as the Five Phases, Wu Xing. As you can see from the Taiji diagram above, there is a seed of yin within Yang and a seed of Yang within Yin.
These seeds are the Lesser Yin, Shaoyin and Lesser Yang, Shaoyang.
While the halves are the Greater Yin, Taiyin and Greater Yang, Taiyang.
These can also be represented by the line symbols or 'yaos'. Two Yang line is Greater Yang, while a yao of yang with a yin line above is Lesser Yang. The same follows for Yin.
Now we have our four symbols. Each refers to a mythical beast with a host of symbolic meanings.
There is Greater Yang, Taiyang. It is the Vermillion Bird. It represents the element of fire, the direction south, the season of summer and the color red. It is two Yang lines stacked atop each other, the greater half of Yang.
There is Greater Yin, Taiyin. It is the Black Tortoise. It represents the element of water, the direction north, the season of winter and the color black. It is two Yin lines stacked atop each other, the greater half of Yin.
There is Lesser or younger Yang, Shaoyang. It is the Azure Dragon. It represents the element of wood, the direction east and the season spring. It is one Yang lines with a yin line atop it, the seed of yang that exists within the greater yin.
There is Lesser or younger Yin, Shaoyin. It is the White Tiger. It represents the element of Metal, the direction west and the season autumn/fall. It is one Yin lines with a Yang line atop it, the seed of Yin that exists within the Greater Yang.
Collectively, these four symbols combine to manifest everything. However, you may have noticed that there is a fifth animal from the above diagram missing.
That is the Yellow Dragon, which represents the direction of 'center', the element of 'earth' i.e soil, the color yellow and the season of 'mudsummer'. Because it lacks a connection to the aspects of Yin and Yang as each of the other four have, it is not always included with the other four guardians.
That brings us now to a related concept to the Four Symbols, the Five Phases. Wu means five. Xing essentially means 'movement' or 'moving'. Wu Xing is often translated as the Elements, Five Agents, Five Movements, Five Phases, Five Planets, Five Processes, Five Stages, Five Steps, or Five Ways.
Many people, including myself in the past, have explained the Wuxing as the Chinese 'five elements', like a counterpart to the western four elements. This is really not the case. Each Phase of Wu Xing is more of a celestial agent of transformation than an 'element' or static substance, and the focus of the five phases is always on the transformations they bring.
Essentially, the Five Phases is the concept of a series of active, transformative cycles that form everything in heaven and earth.
The Five Phases are, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.
Each Element interacts with each other element through Five Cycles. The elements, like all things under heaven and earth, can also manifest differently based on the interplay of Yin and Yang.
There are Five Cycles by which the Phases interact, two main ones and three lesser ones.
The first cycle is the generative or supporting cycle, it follows the five phases circularly, from fire to earth to metal to water to wood. It is the concept of how various aspects of nature give birth to each cyclically.
Wood feeds Fire
Fire produces Earth
Earth bears Metal
Metal collects Water
Water nourishes Wood
The next cycle is the destructive or overcoming cycle. It follows the pentagram you see in the image above. It is the concept of how various aspects of nature oppose and destroy each other.
Wood parts Earth
Earth contains Water
Water dampens Fire
Fire melts Metal
Metal chops Wood
Now, there are the three lesser cycles.
The overacting cycle connects the same phases as the destructive cycle, only more severely. It is the connection between a phase and the phase two segments away from it on the circle. I.e, wood generates fire, and fire generates earth, therefore wood overacts earth. Each overaction is the same as the destructive cycle, only more extreme.
Wood depletes Earth (depletion of nutrients in soil, over-farming, overcultivation)
Earth obstructs Water (over-damming)
Water extinguishes Fire
Fire vaporizes Metal
Metal overharvests Wood (deforestation
Next is the weakening or draining Cycle. It is the generative cycle but in the reverse, showing how what is generation for one element, can be the draining of another.
Wood depletes Water
Water rusts Metal
Metal impoverishes Earth (overmining or over-extraction of the earth's minerals)
Earth smothers Fire
Fire burns Wood (forest fires)
The last cycle is the insulting cycle which is the destructive cycle in reverse. It's what happens when something fails to destroy that which opposes it, or loses to an opposed force.
Wood dulls Metal
Metal de-energizes Fire (metals conduct heat away)
Fire evaporates Water
Water muddies (or destabilizes) Earth
Earth rots Wood (overpiling soil on wood can rot the wood)
So, to summarize…
Wood
Wood is related to the direction East and the colour Azure, although it can also be translated as blue or green. Wood is related to the symbol of the Azure Dragon. Wood is a manifestation of Lesser Yang of the four symbols.
Yang Wood is a mighty and vibrant forest, its explosive growth, the strength and stability of wood, the life giving properties of plants.
Meanwhile Yin Wood is like rot and poison. It's mushrooms growing over a fallen log. Poison, and toxicity and the deathly aspects of plants.
Wood feeds fire in the generative cycle.
Wood parts Earth in the destructive cycle
Wood depletes Earth in the overacting cycle
Wood deplest water in the draining cycle
Wood dulls metal in the insulting cycle.
Fire
Fire is related to the South and colour vermillion or red. Fire is related to the Vermillion Bird. Fire is a manifestation of Greater Yang of the four symbols.
Yang Fire is a raging blaze, like an uncontrollable forest fire. It spreads, forcefully giving heat and warmth.
Yin Fire is a candle or lamp, a controlled slow burn that illuminates what is around it. It is gentle, controlled and passive.
Fire produces Earth in the generative cycle.
Fire melts Metal in the destructive cycle
Fire vaporizes Metal in the overacting cycle
Fire burns Wood (forest fires) in the draining cycle
Fire evaporates Water in the insulting cycle
Earth
Earth is related to the Center. Earth is related to the colour yellow. Earth is related to the Yellow Dragon or the qilin depending on what interpretation you use.
Yang Earth is solid rocks and mountains. It is hard, and unyielding. It's earthquakes and mudslides, dams and walls.
Yin Earth is soil and sand and mud, deserts, fertile land. It is the soft, receiving, loose aspects of earth.
Earth bears Metal in the generative cycle.
Earth contains Water in the destructive cycle
Earth obstructs Water (over-damming) in the overacting cycle
Earth smothers Fire in the draining cycle
Earth rots Wood (overpiling soil on wood can rot the wood) in the insulting cycle
Metal
Metal is related to the direction West and the colour White. Metal is symbolized by the White Tiger. Metal is a manifestation of Lesser Yin of the four symbols.
Yang metal is weapons of war, arrowheads and swords and the like. It's steel and iron, hard and unyielding and poised to kill.
Yin metal is jewels and finery, Jade or Gold. It's necklace and bracelets, chains and ostentatious displays.
Metal collects Water in the generative cycle.
Metal chops Wood in the destructive cycle
Metal overharvests Wood (deforestation) in the overacting cycle
Metal impoverishes Earth (overmining or over-extraction of the earth's minerals) in the draining cycle
Metal de-energizes Fire (metals conduct heat away) in the insulting cycle
Water
Water is related to the direction North and the colour Black. Water is symbolized by the Black Tortoise. Water is a manifestation of Greater Yin of the four symbols.
Yin water is ice and snow, stagnant ponds. It's a still, chilly lake, a smooth river, the calm seas.
Yang water is a flowing rapid or whirlpool, tsunamis and storms and raging waves. It's crushing rapids and the destructive power of a flooding river.
Water nourishes Wood in the generative cycle.
Water dampens Fire in the destructive cycle
Water extinguishes Fire in the overacting cycle
Water rusts Metal in the draining cycle
Water muddies (or destabilizes) Earth in the insulting cycle
Ba, meaning Eight and Gua, meaning Symbols, is derived from Sixiang. Taking each of the four symbols, you split them into two by adding either a Yang or yin on top. You end up with eight yao symbols constructed of three lines, or eight 'tri-grams'.
There is Qian, or Heaven, which is of one Yang atop Greater Yang
Dui, or Lake/Marsh, which is one Yin atop Greater Yang.
Li is Fire, with one Yang atop Lesser Yang.
Zhen is thunder, with one Yin atop Lesser Yang.
Xun is Wind, with one yang atop Lesser Yin.
Kan is Water, with one yin atop Lesser Yin.
Gen is Mountain, with one yang atop Greater Yin
Kun is Earth, with one Yin atop of Greater Yin.
There are two main ways of arranging the Bagau. The 'Primordial' 'Early heaven' or Fu Xi Bagua Diagram, and or the 'King Wen' or 'Later Heaven' Diagram. In both Bagua's, South is at the top, but in the early heaven sequence, Qian - Heaven was south, whereas in the later heaven sequence, Li - Fire was south, probably to bring it in line with the Sixiang, in which the fire-vermillion bird guards south.
In the Early Heaven, Qian - Heaven is at the top and represents south, while Kun - Earth is at the bottom and represents north.
In the King Wen Later Heaven diagram, Li - Fire/South is at the top, while Kan, water/north is at the bottom.
Using the Bague, you can create a three by three square, such as this Early Heaven Diagram.
What happens if there is something in the middle? That brings us to the Nine Palaces. Just like you can add the central earth to the Four Images to create the Five Phases, if you add the central earth to the Eight trigrams you get the Nine Palaces.
The Nine Palaces refer to nine aspects of life that one passes through to better themselves and potentially reach enlightenment. Each Palace corresponds to one of the Eight Trigrams, usually based on the later Heaven Sequence. In most versions, Kun - Earth, is included again as the center, while in others it is a Taiji Symbol. Almost every version of the Nine Palaces one fins will include slightly different versions, but the most common is as follows.
Employment or Career is the trigram of Kan - Water/South and the number 1. It is one's life in works and achievements, what you do to earn a living.
Relationships or Love is the Palace that corresponds to both romantic experiences, but also more cold pragmatic 'relationships', friends in high places, business partners and more. This Palace corresponds to the trigram Kun or Earth and has the Number 2
Family is represented by the Trigram Zhen - thunder, and the number 3. It is clan and duty and blood relations, the past lineage who all were needed to produce your existence.
Wealth or Prosperity is the Palace that corresponds to having money, audience, not needing to worry about cash. It corresponds with the Trigram of Xun - Wind, and is represented with the number 4.
Health is the Palace that corresponds to the center, usually the Trigram Kun - Earth. It refers to one's physical health and wellbeing. It is represented with the number 5.
Travel is the trigram of Qian - Heaven, and is represented by the number 6. It refers to exploration, having seen the world, been places and seen all sorts of things.
Creativity or Children is a Palace that corresponds to making things, including and especially children. It's the fruit of your efforts. Creativity is represented by the Trigram Dui - Marsh/Lake and the number 7
Wisdom is represented by the Trigram Gen - Mountain, and the number 8. It refers to the experiential learning of a long lived life.
Reputation or Fame is the Palace that corresponds to the top/south, the Trigram Li - Fire. It refers to what others think of you, being looked at with a positive regard. It is represented by the number 9.
The last step in the procession of all existence from Wuji is the I Ching, or Sixty-Four Hexagrams. Each hexagram is the combination of two of the eight trigrams, with the three lines segments or yaos of each stacking to become six or 'hexa'. It is believed that the sixty-four trigrams represent everything in existence.
And of course note that not all Xianxia works actually did the research.
A lot of these are written by novel mills or basically fanfics of OTHER Xianxia works.
Tian Feifei blinked in shock at Xia Xuefeng's words. When she had heard that the girl had rejected the guidance of Karmic Merit and refused to join the Son of Heaven society, she had been utterly confused. Now, she could understand somewhat. The look of furious resentment in her eyes... It reminded her of herself when younger.
"You resent us for doing nothing about the Shadow Pit? I can't blame you... The Son of Heaven Society has long stood against the Port's dangerous and misguided policy of festering such evil below their own soil. We have, however, always lacked the power or influence to force the Sect to make such a drastic change. If what you say is true, I would thank you on behalf of all the mortals consigned to that hellscape."
"That only proves my point. You can't go on and on about how I have to join the Son of Heaven society to help people if I've already been more effective than you without even joining it!"
"No, in fact, precisely the opposite. It took a Commodore to make the change you wanted, right? Of course, because in this world, only power matters. Those with power may oppress the downtrodden, slaughter mortals and more. Only by acquiring our own power to counteract evil does Good have a chance to succeed." Feifei's voice rose with zeal.
"Few cultivators spend any of their time doing the almost thankless task of protecting mortals. Of all such cultivators, Ji Longyi is by far the most talented in countless generations. He represents an opportunity for a real change to the status quo. True extermination of the unorthodox. Anyone who cares about saving mortals from Demonic cultivators should be fully on board with aiding his rise in any way they can, regardless of personal grudges. He's our only chance. Are you really going to put a petty grudge over aiding the most talented karmic merit cultivators in generations?"
Xia Xuefeng raised an eyebrow skeptically, scoffing. Petty grudge? It was a lot more than that! And the reverence for Ji Longyi was just bizarre. With the way the pretty girl described him, you'd forget he was a man and not a god.
"Only chance?"
"You feel the Karmic Merit in the air around this place, right? It was once home to a Pavilion of the Heaven-Rejecting Conference. They used mortal women with Yin affinities as cultivation cauldrons. Once they had forcefully extracted every drop of Yin energy they could, the few women unlucky enough to survive were used to... repopulate the reserves. Often by their own fathers. The organization that preceded the Son of Heaven Society was called the Anti-Demonic League. They knew about this location but did nothing because the amount of mortals killed was 'not worth' the loss of assaulting such a well-defended position." Feifei's voice was flat and dead as she spoke.
Xia Xuefeng shivered in disgust, feeling the urge to vomit. She remembered Bing Meilu's strange insistence that Demonic cultivators shouldn't count as humans. At first, she had thought the idea was absurd. Biologically, they were human, and it wasn't like there weren't evil orthodox cultivators... But every time she interacted with them, first in the Shadow Pit, and now, the more she became convinced that it was a fully warranted assessment.
"For generations, it continued. Daughter after daughter. Until, one day, Ji Longyi himself found out about it. Despite having just ascended to Core Formation with a barely stabilized foundation, he charged the Pavillion by himself and cleansed it, killing three Nascent Souls demonic cultivators singlehandedly! Praise be to him!"
The reverence in Feifei's voice would make even the most devout Buddhist nun seem like a wicked whore in comparison. In a sense, it wasn't unwarranted, at least to Feifei. After all, Nascent Soul cultivators were more walking phenomena than men. They could erase cities as easily as breathing, teleport, and unleash esoteric abilities that targeted the soul rather than the body. For an early Core Formation to kill one, let alone three, was almost unfathomable. Only a genius like Ji Longyi could accomplish such a thing, who had been beloved by the Dao of Heaven since his birth.
"You sound like you're worshipping him." Xia Xuefeng said, uncomfortably.
"If a God is righteous and powerful, then Ji Longyi is more than worthy to be my God!" Feifei stated eyes widening manically. "And one day, hopefully, the whole world's!"
Behind her, Xia Xuefeng could see Ji Longyi walk back into the hallway, an awkward look on his face as he met the young girl's questioning eyes with a sheepish gaze.
"Come one, Miss Xia. I'll show you to the treasury. Junior Sister Feifei, why don't you go have dinner with the others..."
Feifei perked up at the words of her self-chosen deity, smiling sweetly at him before walking away. Xia Xuefeng raised an eyebrow, staring at Ji Longyi, who coughed uncomfortably. He bowed apolitically.
"Please don't mind her. Feifei had a difficult past. This is... just how she copes."
'She can cope somewhere else, dammit!'
Xia Xuefeng hesitantly nodded, watching as Ji Longyi sighed in relief. He led her out of the hallway into another room, which held a huge, opened vault door. She took a moment to look over the man, pondering Feifei's words. Was this, unassuming-looking pretty boy really so powerful? He reminded her more of a pampered nobleman than a veteran warrior.
"Please, feel free to take anything that catches your eye," Ji Longyi smiled. "You can store it in this spatial ring."
He tossed her a small golden ring. Drawing on her Qi, she could see a large, empty room within the magical treasure.
'I wonder how much I can get away with taking?'
Xia Xuefeng would have to hit the perfect sweet spot. She wanted to fleece every drop of value she could out of the man who had tossed her to the Shadow Pit. But it wasn't like she could just directly take literally everything in the vault. She couldn't afford to go too far and offend the Core Formation Chosen.
"Do you have any weapons or magical items suitable for blood Qi?" she asked.
Ji Longyi looked around, before walking off. In the meantime, Xia Xuefeng ran around, sucking into her ring piles of various medicine, pills, elixirs and salves. She saw a few plants that looked valuable and grabbed those alongside a pile of blue crystal throwing daggers and a dress made of golden feathers. Ji Longyi returned, holding a pile of items.
"Some of this stuff might be suitable," he said.
There was a red crystal Jian with a groove and black symbols carved into it. Picking it up, she could see it would channel her blood Qi effectively to the blade of the polearm. Besides it was a large jug. It would suck in and store large quantities of blood for later use. There was a ring that would increase her rate of blood production when worn. If she ever had to use her own blood in a fight, it would help her restore it faster.
Lastly was a large, dark crimson, almost black, blob of what looked like slime or jelly. Xia Xuefeng raised an eyebrow and placed her hand on it. She could feel a refined blood Qi that connected to her own. Responding to her will, the blob changed shape into various weapons. Compared to just a raw manipulation of blood-Qi, it would be a far more durable and lethal weapon. However, a grimace grew on the girl's face. There was the recognizable yin chill of demonic Qi within it.
"This item- Was refined from mortals?" she looked up at Ji Longyi questioningly.
"The suffering required to make the item has already passed. The least we can do is use it to fight against evil rather than throw it out and make their suffering have been for nothing."
It was a logical pragmatic argument, but it infuriated her completely in a way she could not describe. She stared down at the blob, biting her lip hesitantly.
'Something like this shouldn't be allowed to exist!'
"Are you worried that someone might mistake you for a demonic cultivator again? Don't worry, so long as you have karmic merit, no one could make such a mistake."
Forcing herself over her discomfort, she stored all four magical treasures into her spatial ring. She didn't know if she'd ever use it, but better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
"Do you have any defensive treasures suitable for Foundation Establishment and Core Formation?"
Xia Xuefeng knew she would be able to step into the Second Realm as soon as she had time to cultivate and consolidate her gains from the shadow pit. Items intended for Qi Condensation would be pretty useless to her, besides to sell.
"Yes, there's a gold-feathered dress over-" Ji Longyi blinked as he noticed the item was missing.
"Where are your talisman stores?" the girl quickly pressed forward, changing the subject awkwardly.
Ji Longyi began to lead her to another section of the vault. Along the way, she grabbed anything that took her fancy, including a magical-looking painting, an automaton made up of steel armour, and a flock of several dozen winged swords.
She went to grab a large rainbow crystal when Ji Longyi hesitated, stopping her with a hand. It must be something supremely valuable. Xia Xuefeng paused, looking over at Ji Longyi questioningly.
"Can I not have this? Is it something too valuable for my compensation?"
He had promised she could take anything she wanted, so she was curious to see if he would intervene. Which would win out, the face to prove his words a lie, or the value of the item?
"Well, it's just that... I mean, I did say you could anything you wanted but..." Ji Longyi smiled shakily, before blinking in confusion. "You know what, never mind. Feel free."
At the same time, she could feel a wave of happiness, from the Karmic Merit inside her. She frowned, quickly putting two and two together. If her own energy was encouraging her, then Ji Longyi's own Karmic Merit must have interceded, telling him to let her take the crystal.
But why? Did the will of Heaven think it could buy her gratitude? It wasn't like she would stop hating him just because he proved himself to be generous, honest, upright--
'Hey, stop that, you shitty fucking energy! Have some shame!'
With how unsubtle the manipulation attempts were, they felt more frustrating than actually threatening. But after seeing Feifei's manic worship, she had only strengthened her resolve to avoid indebting herself to the energy any more than was already necessary. It was possible the girl's scary, completely devoted attitude towards Ji Longyi was natural, but Xia Xuefeng would rather be safe than sorry. If it wasn't a life-saving trump card, she would have expelled it all already.
With another hour spent in the vault, Xia Xuefeng filled up her spatial ring with pills, talismans and magical treasures of all kinds. Ji Longyi furthermore gave her a jade slip containing information on everything she had taken.
"Let's head to register you as a new disciple. Once we've done that, I'll send you a sum of contribution points as well."
Just as they were about to leave the treasury, Xia Xuefeng felt the Blood-Moon Spectral God's Sealing Mark shiver. She audibly gasped, clutching her stomach as the mark vibrated. It seemed to be pulling her towards something. She turned, heading back towards the innards of the vault. Ji Longyi didn't stop her or even seem to notice, as she walked. She arrived by the area where the talismans were held.
There was an eye-catching black pedestal, carved from a pure ebony bone-like material, and studded with rubies and ornate carvings of skeletons alongside an ancient language she didn't recognize. Atop the pedestal sat a single key. The handle was of a black skull with rubies for eyes. The actual key itself was a simple cylinder, with no visible details.
'Given how conspicuous this is, how the hell didn't I notice it on my first stop through the vault?'
She could already guess the answer. Hesitantly, she took the key into her spatial ring. The Sealing Mark seemed to stop resonating for a moment. The whole situation was completely eerie. Xia Xuefeng once more made her way back to the vault's exit, where Ji Longyi was still waiting in a daze. He blinked in confusion as she returned, before smiling.
