I am pretty sure they first appeared in Sage's CORE quest, and there were some amazing ones.
Then they migrated into AGG quests, and the rest is history.
"I am sorry if the question is presumptuous, but how do I go about earning knowledge of the next step in the Argent Soul technique?" Ling Qi asked with her head bowed. She had considered exactly how to word this question all day, nervous that it would be seen as rude. It had gotten easier for her to approach Elder Su, as the woman was not nearly as intimidating as Elder Zhou, but she still worried.
The medicinal energy surging in her veins, nerves and channels didn't help. Her fingers and toes tingled almost painfully, and her skin sang with sensation at the brush of even a breeze. It was incredibly hard to stand still like this without fidgeting when she felt as if her bones were trying to vibrate their way free of her flesh. Even her thoughts were filled with a low, irritating buzz as her dantian stormed and churned, making her feel uncomfortably stretched.
Elder Su regarded her with a slight smile. She didn't seem perturbed, by the question, if anything there was a hint of amusement in the older woman's eyes. She still flinched when she felt the Elder's soft, cool hand on her forehead. "I am surprised you managed to concentrate as well as you did in my lecture. You are burning up, young lady."
Ling Qi couldn't help but fidget uncomfortably as Elder Su removed her hand from her forehead and then pressed two of her fingers to Ling Qi's throat. It was useless to be nervous though, if Elder Su wanted to do something to her she would. "I think it is important that I learn all I can about formations while I can," she replied, swallowing anxiously as the woman hummed softly and cupped her chin, raising her head so that she could look directly into Ling Qi's eyes. "Is...is something wrong?" She finally asked, unable to hold back the question. None of the pills she had taken had any warnings to them…
"Well, I am always glad to have a student with a passion for what I am teaching," Elder Su replied, finally withdrawing her hand. "I had not taken you for the type to focus on that sort of thing to be honest," she said musingly, examining Ling Qi with perceptive eyes. Ling Qi squirmed a bit, glancing to the side, she just wanted to make sure she was ready. "Do not worry," Elder Su continued, ceasing her examination. "I was merely confirming a suspicion. You truly did have good fortune during Elder Zhou's exam, to have acquired such a pill, it is no wonder you can barely hold still."
Ling Qi stiffened, glancing around, hoping there was no one in earshot. Which of course there were, others had questions for the Elder too. "I… won't deny that," she admitted carefully. "Ah…"
"No one will overhear you child," she replied kindly. "To expand your qi as much as you have since arriving, while rising so quickly in other places as well? It is rather obvious to one with knowledge of such things," she continued softly. "That friend of yours, the Bai girl, would likely consider herself lucky to have such a pill. Do be careful should you have any left."
Ling Qi swallowed again, her mouth feeling dry. The Sable Light Pill was that valuable? She knew it had helped her greatly, but… "Thank you, Elder Su," she replied quickly. She still hadn;t gotten her answer. "About the techniques though…"
Elder Su nodded, her expression still warm. "Of course, more advanced techniques are typically on the second floor of the archive, which like the first can be accessed with sufficient Sect Points… or an Elders pass," she replied simply.
"Sect Points?" Ling Qi asked with a frown. She thought she had seen something like that on the paper slips stuck to the notice board in the buildings main hall.
"The pay for performing duties for the sect," Elder Su explained. "The system will be explained at the end of the week, but to put it simply, disciples may perform tasks for the sect, and are in turn rewarded with points which may be traded for various privileges or simply for spirit stones. I will leave that explanation to Elder Jiao though," she responded, glancing over Ling Qi's shoulder as she brought her hands back together in front of her once more leaving them hidden in her sleeves.
Ling Qi nodded in understanding, she wouldn't bother Elder Su about that if it was going to be explained soon anyway. "Alright, so I just have to do some work then," she murmured under her breath. That was… simpler than she expected.
"The Argent Genesis technique is only provided to those who are chosen to become disciples of the inner peaks however," Elder Su continued. "That selection will not occur until the end of the year however, so do not worry about it over much for the moment," she finished calmly. "Now, run along young lady. You look to be dearly in need of a bit of cultivation."
Ling Qi hastily nodded and stepped aside, ducking her head again and murmuring a thanks. Elder Su was right, she really needed to burn off some of this energy.
By the afternoon of the next day she did feel better, significantly so, even if she found herself jittering and fidgeting whenever she was still. She could feel the pool of her qi expanding again, the foundation formed by her practice of the argent soul stretching and warping to contain the deep, calm lake that her qi was beginning to form. She had chosen to focus on her arts this week, diligently practicing with her knives in Elder Zhou's training, while playing the soothing notes of the Forgotten Vale Melody at the vent with her friends.
Actual solid improvement of either yet eluded her. The next measure of the Melody was more complex than anything she had ever attempted to play, and she could not quite understand the full meaning and feeling in the words that went along with it. Zephyr's Breath was a more physical sort of challenge. She simply couldn't manage the flow of the wind well enough to master the spiralling motion necessary for its final techniques, at least not well enough to do more than to kick up dust and send everyone's gowns fluttering.
Training wasn't the only thing on her mind though, even if she had warned Gu Xiulan that she would be cultivating furiously this week. Thankfully the girl didn't seem to mind, since she was intending to break through to yellow herself this week, and would thus be busy. She avoided bringing up Suyin or Su Ling though, as the girl still seemed a bit disgruntled about the matter.
She was more concerned for Li Suyin though. Su Ling had taken her poor reception in stride, seeming oddly satisfied with it despite the difficulties. She had focused rather hard on practicing with her new weapon and cultivating physically, occasionally prodding Ling Qi for advice, or pestering her to spar.
Bai Meizhen was inscrutable, simply sitting in absolute stillness by the vent, letting the rest of them go about their cultivation without interference. She intended to complete the Argent Soul technique this week. Li Suyin though, for all that she had broken through to Late Red, and Mid Gold, seemed to have withdrawn again.
So once again, Ling Qi felt the need to start a conversation as she walked back toward the lecture hall with the other girl. It had become a habit, leaving a few minutes early to stroll down the path that lead down from the cliff side at a relaxed pace. Walking with Suyin was nice and calming, even if it was too overcast and chilly that day to really enjoy it. "I'm sorry I pushed you into that last week," she began a bit awkwardly, glancing down at the blue haired girl. "I didn't think Gu Xiulan would be… like that," the girl had always been pushy and domineering yes, but she hadn't expected the disdain she showed for Li Suyin.
"It's fine, you were only trying to help," she replied quickly, looking a bit distressed. "Please don't apologize. I-I… even if it was a little hard, I benefited from it," she added. "She wasn't wrong after all," Li Suyin murmured under her breath.
Ling Qi frowned, looking worriedly at her friend. "She was. It's not like you're taking advantage of me, we're helping each other."
"It doesn't feel like that sometimes," Li Suyin replied glumly. "I was ready to give up just a short time ago, m-merely because I couldn't handle things not being like my books. I'm… I am not a strong person. I don't want to be weight on my friends."
"You're not," Ling Qi replied stubbornly. "You've helped me just as much as I helped you," she added firmly, meeting Li Suyin's eyes. "You're keeping up just fine."
She looked like she wanted to protest more, but in the end smiled weakly. "Of course… thank you Ling Qi," she said softly.
"It's no problem," Ling Qi replied with a huff, even as worry about the next week clouded her thoughts. How well would Li Suyin weather the mess that was coming?
Passive Effects
-Increases user's speed by 4
-Increases user's initiative by 3
-Add one dice to all stealth rolls
-Speed and initiative bonuses increase by two in low light, and three in darkness
-Stealth bonus becomes auto success in darkness
-User adds two dice to their first offensive clash pool if attacking first
-User gains a one die bonus to physical defense in darkness
Trackless Escape: o
Cost: 2 Qi
The user becomes as a shadow, leaving no sign of their passage for up to eight turns. Mundane tracking is impossible. Applies a three die penalty to all qi aided attempts to track the user.
Crescent's Grace: ooo
Cost 5 qi
Instant
Can only be activated in low light or darkness. The user adds three dice to their defensive pool and increases their speed by 5. While active, the user ignores terrain penalties to speed and slopes of 45 degrees or less. User may cross water or gaps freely as long as their movement ends on solid ground.Lasts three turns
Third Step Progress -/- requires Early Silver Physique and Early Yellow Soul. Requires Spine Meridian.
Talent 6, Lesson 4, Red Spirit Stone 5, Suyin 2, Pills 17
9 1 3 10 3 4 9 3 8 6 1 8 8 8 6 7 3 8 2 10 5 7 6 10 4 8 1 7 5 4 5 3 6 9. 15 successes
Rerolling 3
4 7 2. 2 successes. 17 total
11 required for Head Meridian
6 goes to Physical 60/60
Remaining 5 goes to spiritual 33/60
Passive Effects:
-Provides two additional dice to all projectile weapon attacks.
-Provides two additional dice to defense against projectile attacks.
-Increases the initiative of the user and all allies within forty meters by one
-Increases maximum range of all projectiles to twenty five meters if less
Active Effects
Against the Wind: oo
Cost: 4 Qi
On a successful clash reduces the dice pool of enemies within thirty meters by two for the next three clashes. In addition enemy movement is reduced by three
Guiding Zephyr: o
Cost: 2 Qi
Grants an additional dice to the clash pools of all allies within thirty meters. When used in conjunction with a projectile attack by the user it increases the damage dealt by one.
Shielding Gale: oo
Cost: 5 Qi
Instant
The user releases a sudden pulse of qi in an expanding spiral around themselves, kicking up furious winds. Provides three dice of defense against projectile attacks targeted at allies or the user within thirty meters. As a secondary effect, on a successful clash, all enemies adjacent to the user are pushed back ten meters, suffering a DV 1 attack. Effects last for two turns
To next level
Max
The rest of the week passed in a blur of training and cultivation. Ling Qi's meditations opened one channel after another, her surging Qi burning new paths outward through her body. Her eyes and ears burned with new sensation, and even the taste of food seemed to grow stronger with the opening of the channel in her head, and her thoughts seemed clearer than ever. Her body tingled every time qi flowed through the new channel in her spine and the beat of her heart was ever stronger and steadier.
With Han Jian's help, she mastered the second step of the Sable Crescent step, learning the trick of activating it's full power in an instant while channeling other techniques. This in turn helped her complete her mastery of Zephyr's breath, allowing her to reactively pulse her qi and kick up furious winds to push foes and missiles alike away. All the while she could feel the still lake of her qi growing deeper and wider, filling her body with more power even as the excess medicinal energy soaked into her flesh and bones, leaving her feeling strained and… full in a way she couldn't quite explain. She had felt something similar when breaking through the higher levels of gold, but now she felt a strain, as if any more qi would cause her veins to burst apart and her bones to break.
Ling Qi felt awkward as she explained the feeling to Han Jian at the tail end of their training session. His expression was hard to read, like he was carefully keeping his reaction in check. "So… have I run into a problem with my cultivation?" She asked carefully. "I don't want to hurt myself this close to the end of the truce…"
She shifted nervously as she noticed Fan Yu's dark expression and the way he clenched his fists until the knuckles turned white. Han Fang at least simply gave her an encouraging smile from where he sat pausing in polishing his warhammer to remove the stains and dust of practice. Han Jian smiled as well, but there was something a little strained too it. "No, it's the opposite really," he replied jokingly. "You've reached the peak of this stage. You're ready to work on advancing your physique."
"Really?" she asked, surprised. She hadn't even really put much focus on cultivating her body outside of lessons. She had thought it would take much longer to reach the peak, given how everyone seemed to regard it. She knew many people had retreated from public this week to attempt breakthroughs to yellow or silver, but they had all been cultivating for years. She couldn't help but smile. "That's great," she added, feeling a little giddy, no longer worried about the odd reactions of the others.
"It is," Han Jian replied, his smile a touch more genuine as he chuckled, seemingly amused by her good humor. "Anyway, want to help me finish up advancing my Dust Devil technique? The wind resistance you can cause really helps. I'd like to have the next step mastered before I start my own breakthrough to silver."
Ling Qi nodded, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "Of course, just give me a second to prepare."
The final day of the truce came all too quickly, leaving her to train alone as Han Jian and Han Fang followed Gu Xiulan's example and retreated for their breakthroughs, only emerging for Elder Zhou's lessons. The last of those lessons came soon enough though.
Zhou stood before the assembled class in his signature pose, straight backed and with his arms clasped behind his back. The difference between today and the first day Ling Qi had seen him though, was in his expression. That first day he had been disdainful of all of them, giving them no regard nor respect. Today… his face did not show any pride precisely, but it did hold a certain satisfaction.
"Each of you who stands here today is one who has a chance to truly make something of yourselves in the Sect," he began without preamble. "You have worked hard and diligently, keeping up even as I have pushed you to your limits day after day."
Ling Qi straightened up, feeling just a bit of pride from the instructor's words. It had been hard; the long runs through the mountain paths, climbing sheer cliff faces weighted down by heavy packs, and numerous other difficult physical exercises flashed through her memory. The spars might have been the most memorable part of the training, but the rest was certainly just as grueling.
"Yet today is still the last I will see of many of you," he continued on evenly. "I am not unaware of the internal workings of the sect. Some of you will fall at each other's hands. Some will give up, and still others will end their path due to the numerous other dangers one runs across while training. I have been away from the front for too long, and I no longer have the time to guide you," Ling Qi liked to think his panning gaze had paused on her for a moment, but she knew well enough that it was simple wishful thinking.
"Still, I remain confident that one day, I will see at least a few of you again. Perhaps then we may strike down barbarian scum together, as the fist of the Empire," the rough Instructor added sternly, but with satisfaction. "You are dismissed disciples. Good luck to you."
Ling Qi took a deep breath as the instructor turned away and vanished in a plume of kicked up dirt. She wouldn't be one of the ones who fell. She might not look forward to having to fight… but she thought it would be nice to meet the older man again, as a grown woman and a cultivator worthy of his respect.
There was absolutely no need for Gu Xiulan to smirk at her like that though. For all her good breeding and status, that girl's mind was a gutter.
Only a few short hours later, she was seated in Elder Su's class, awaiting the arrival of the second of her teachers for the final lesson. She felt more nervous here, as today she would find out if all of her hard work had been enough to satisfy Elder Su. For her, the archive pass represented a vast resource, and for one such as her, who had nothing but what she could scrounge together, who often simply didn't know things that her fellow disciples took for granted… She wanted it.
It wouldn't be the end of the world if she failed to do so, but it would be a disappointment, particularly if that creepy ass Huang Da won and she didn't. It would make everything harder, and she would be much more reliant on whatever she could… acquire in the coming weeks.
"Good afternoon my students," Elder Su greeted them as she appeared in the lecturers pulpit, as she had done every day. Her expression was somewhat wistful today though. "I shall not tarry overmuch on introductions today, as I know what you are waiting for. Firstly though, I would like to state that each one of you who remains is a diligent cultivator deserving of respect. Else you would not still be sitting in the room. However, the world is not fair. Whether it is talent, good fortune, or simply an unusual drive, some will always advance leaps and bounds above their peers. Today, I will be awarding those whose performance has impressed me most of all."
Ling Qi held her breath, clutching her knees with her hands as Li Suyin beside her chewed on her lower lip. The whole room was silent as the gathered disciples waited on the Elder's word.
"Ji Rong, your growth has been truly phenomenal. Reaching the peak of both Red and Gold from nothing within three months time, mastering three separate arts to their fullest extent, as well as your other accomplishments… you have earned a pass to the archives," Elder Su announced. "However… I would suggest that you take some time to settle yourself. A prodigy who burns out does nobody any good, particularly themselves."
The scarred boys lips twitched into a scowl, but he bowed his head from where he sat in the front row anyway. "Thank you Elder Su. I will be sure to heed your advice."
The older woman's gaze became pitying for just an instant, but then it was gone. "The second pass belongs to one who has been just as inspiring in her growth, if a bit differently so. Ling Qi, you have earned your pass as well. Though you have not mastered as many arts as Ji Rong, you have grown the base of your Qi more than any student I have seen in years, while still rising nearly as quickly as Ji Rong in other areas."
Ling Qi's breath caught in her throat, and she had to fight down a slightly silly grin as she bowed her head. "Thank you Elder Su," she quickly replied, wincing at the sound of her too loud voice.
"Of course young lady," Elder Su replied cordially. "Now the last pass, I found myself deliberating for quite some time over. Many of you have done very well, but in the end…" Li Suyin was trembling beside her, her grip on the desk in front of her turning her hands white. "I believe Huang Da has earned it."
Ling Qi's stomach dropped as she saw the proud smirk light up the silver haired boys face, and saw Li Suyin slump beside her, expression pained. "Through mastery of several difficult and esoteric arts, as well as reaching the Yellow soul stage with such a solid foundation, and fully mastering the Argent Soul, I have found you to be deserving of a pass as well. However... " She shot the boy a stern look. "One's attitude reflects on their cultivation. It is important to learn to temper one's pride as well."
"Of course Elder Su," The blind boy replied smoothly, bowing his head. "Thank you very much for this opportunity."
Ling Qi patted Li Suyin's shoulder, scowling as the boy shot her a bright smile. Great, now he would be even more insufferable, and he would probably end up sharing the archive with her.
"All three of you will receive one final Qi Foundation Pill," She continued. "Li Suyin and Hong Lin, you have both earned your final pills as well."
That hardly seemed a comfort to her friend, Ling Qi thought glumly. Her own happiness at winning was damped by Li Suyin's failure.
+1 Qi Foundation Pill
+1 Archive(1st floor) Pass
As dawn came the next morning Ling Qi was awoken by the sound of Elder Jiao's voice booming out over the mountain
"GOOD MORNING OUTER DISCIPLES OF THE ARGENT PEAK," the man's obnoxiously cheery voice announced loudly, practically vibrating the air. "TODAY I SHALL EXPLAIN THE CHANGES IN THE RULES FOR NEW DISCIPLES! DO PAY ATTENTION."
"FIRSTLY, NEW DISCIPLES ARE NOW ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN. AND MAY GO AS FAR AS THE TOWN AT THE BASE AND THE SURROUNDING FOREST. GOING BEYOND SECT BOUNDARIES WILL REMAIN PROHIBITED. YOU WILL KNOW THE BOUNDARIES WHEN YOU SEE THEM." Ling Qi groaned as the voice pounded on her ears.
"RELATED, NEW DISCIPLES...WHAT, Xin stop that… Tch, ruin my fun will you," the voice suddenly decreased to a more normal volume and took on a petulant tone. "Hmph, in any case. New disciples may now make use of the Request Board in the primary lecture hall, simply take the request note from the board and bring it to the disciple in charge of the Payment hall once the request maker has stamped it complete for you."
The Elder's voice takes on a slyer tone as he continues. "But that is all rather minor is it not? Allow me to explain the more important changes. While killing your fellow disciples remains prohibited, you are now allowed and even encouraged to challenge one another. The only exceptions are inside of Sect buildings, such as the main hall and the archive, and the market. Violence remains against the rules in these areas. And while a victor does deserve some spoils, it is highly frowned upon for violence or other untoward harm to be laid upon your fellow disciples after they have been defeated. We are not barbarians after all," the man's voice remains amused despite the dire subject matter. "Now, please report to the plaza to pick up your spirit stone allowance. As of today stones will only be handed out from dawn until noon. Do not miss yours."
It had begun.
Forgot to add argent soul to the meridian rolls, so I had someone roll me up the forgotten dice
18 rolls resulted in twelve successes, with 2 rerolls, which I will do here...
9 2. so that's 13 total added to Spiritual.
Strength 7/15
Dexterity 5/25
Stamina 9/20
Intelligence 10/20
Manipulation 1/20
Academics 3/12
Formations 6/6 New dot Gained!
Occult 3/9
[] At home with Bai Meizhen, resting from her training.
[] At Li Suyin and Su Ling's house, she had gone to comfort her friend
[] With Gu Xiulan, the other girl had wanted to celebrate her breakthrough
[X] With Gu Xiulan, the other girl had wanted to celebrate her breakthrough
For once I rather not be in a bad position when a thunderdome starts. Sorry Li Suyin, but Ling Qi cant be your crutch every time you end up sad over something.
Huh, it occurs to me that we're the only one of Su's winners who didn't have an admonishment at the end.
I guess in this case that it was because she genuinely couldn't find fault with what we were doing. I suspect Ji Rong basically has done nothing but Cultivate since he got here, and Huang Da isn't as good as he thinks he is (Though he's still good, his arrogance is a genuine problem that'll slow him down once he stops being carried by his resources, he's likely to bite off more than he can chew.) Meanwhile, our bit was all basically pointing out how we've managed to maintain a solid balance and foundation throughout the whole thing--especially taking best advantage of the resources we did acquire to maximize our gains during a period where we have relatively cheap access to Qi expansion (Red/Gold being the most 'Malleable' level of a Cultivator's growth makes sense now, it's cheap and easy to raise Qi in this state), and we did it while making valuable connections and learning many skills too, even at a modest cost in vertical growth.
[X] With Gu Xiulan, the other girl had wanted to celebrate her breakthrough
I'll be honest- I expect Gu Xiulan to start a fight ASAP, and I'm 100% okay with that.
It's sort of a shame that Li Suyin didn't earn a pass, but it's true that if she can't handle Gu Xiulan's dislike, the envy that earning that pass would prompt probably wouldn't be good for her.
It means we're unlikely to get jumped ourselves, though she might get jumped by a rival, and we'd have to back her up. We might be out of our league there.
On the other hand, she said we wouldn't be much help to her until we were Silver or Yellow, so...
Yeah Ji Rong, that is probably the prisoner background, has probably been doing nothing but cultivation from the start and Huang Da... well he is a bit weird.
Compare this to Ling Qi that has a somewhat functioning social life and still managed to keep up somewhat, with luck to be fair but luck is a a sign of greatness in this setting.
[X] With Gu Xiulan, the other girl had wanted to celebrate her breakthrough
This option implies social-time with Gu Xiulan, that she felt our relationship is such as to invite us as her girl-friend to a sleepover, she has a good grasp on social matters, and is roughly as strong as Ling Qi.
We are painting a target at Suyin and Fluffy by being there.
Hm, yeah, if Bai Meizhen will be jumped at by her rivals, we might just go "squish" from the collateral.
For me with Bai Meizhen it is due to how hard it is to predict what she will do in this situation and that any enemies she will have will be so out of our league... Gu Xiulan is kinda predictable and have kinda outright said that she would relish the fighting around Ling Qi.
