That's not something to feel content about. We're not 'further along', we're 'horribly behind', because we should really aim to catch up to the likes of Meizhen, not remain a bottom-feeder.
Also, opportunities require skill and know-how to make use of them. And it'd make sense to see for ourselves how effective each standard method of training will be so that we we can actually compare anything unconventional we may find to such and see if that's worth pursuing.
One single training session is not going to cause us to vault beyond the years of practice that the young miss has accrued, nor is missing that one physical training practice going to doom Ling Qi to forever be a substandard pugilist. Whatever option we choose, we are going to have to swallow pride and go after whatever crumbs are offered by those who are better than us to catch up; we have already saved the equivalent of two spirit stones through the help she has offered. Given that we are going to be a bottom-feeder for the near future, I would prefer to be a bottom-feeder with something approaching a clue of its environment to one that is marginally less physically incompetent but utterly lost as to its local environment.
Since you're making a big deal over skills and know-how, look to Ling Qi's strong streetwise ability and other assorted skills for survival in rough environments. Living on the edge of society at odds with the law, she will be particularly skilled at identifying shortcuts that can be made, places to escape from a tough spot, areas of likely ambush and that sort of thing in addition to other cool spots on the mountain that can serve as better places to further her training. For instance, perhaps she might happen across a waterfall or other site renowned for providing a superior environment to train. She doesn't even have to make use of such a site at the moment, only to know it is there for when she is ready to use it in the future and needs to find an edge over her opponents.
The time to look for that sort of thing is now, while the truce is still in session. I don't know about you, but I don't trust that the extra physical training will make any difference if we get jumped by students that have been practicing this sort of thing for years. Ling Qi has the skillset of a furtive and mobile life backing her up, I expect that we should use it having taken this path to begin with.
[X] Meet with Han Jian, he can help you, and you don't want to be rude.
[X] Spend time with Bai Meizhen. You're living with the odd girl now, and it would be best to get to know her
[X] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Physical cultivation
[X] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Spiritual cultivation
What accident are you expecting to happen where we die horribly as we are now but with no substantial skills other than an unlocked qi we make out perfectly fine?
Again, she has very high street smarts, some survival skills and a pretty solid dexterity. I don't think she's going to trip off a cliff and break her neck just to see the edge, nor do I think that having qi would help out inthat instance.
Obviously exploration is more efficient if we canhave her kick her way into the air and fly around the area, but that can't happen for a long time and so we forfeit anything we don't know about until we're at that point. I don't think that Ling Qi is going to have the competitive advantage in sitting still and rote studying like everyone else who has done that for years; what was the point of choosing a street urchin if you're going to play her like a scholar?
Vote Tally : Original - Fantasy - Forge of Destiny(Xianxia Quest) | Page 6 | Sufficient Velocity ##### NetTally 1.7.3.2
[X] Plan N00b
-[X] Meet with Han Jian, he can help you, and you don't want to be rude.
-[X] Spend time with Bai Meizhen. You're living with the odd girl now, and it would be best to get to know her
-[X] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Spiritual cultivation
-[X] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Physical cultivation No. of Votes: 17
[x] Plan Explore
[x] Meet with Han Jian, he can help you, and you don't want to be rude.
[x] Spend time with Bai Meizhen. You're living with the odd girl now, and it would be best to get to know her
[x] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Spiritual cultivation
[x] Explore the mountain. Surely there is more than one plaza and two residential areas No. of Votes: 3
[X] Spend time with Bai Meizhen. You're living with the odd girl now, and it would be best to get to know her
[X] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Spiritual cultivation
[X] Attend the training with the Elder focused on Physical cultivation
[X] Cultivate on your own. No. of Votes: 1
Ling Qi began her first morning as a disciple of the Sect blearily rummaging through the tiny kitchen for something simple to eat. She was quite happy that they had stocked up the previous night, she would hate to have to trudge out to the storehouse before she had a chance to properly wake up. She was a bit surprised to note that Meizhen's door was still firmly closed, and there was no sign of the other girl waking up yet.
She hadn't really read the girl as being the type to sleep in like this. A quick glance out the window as she sat down to eat her rather plain breakfast showed that it was a good hour past sunrise. Even after she had finished eating and gone back to her room to make a futile effort at taming her hair and cleaning up for the day ahead, her room mates door remained closed. Ling Qi considered knocking, or even cracking the door open to check on her, but the other girls warning still lingered in her mind.
Instead, she decided to spend her morning continuing to work on the exercises given for the Argent Soul technique until it was closer to noon. Sitting cross legged in the darkened meditation room simply breathing was oddly relaxing, once she had managed to mostly still her thoughts, and Ling Qi quickly found the lingering traces of her tiredness fading. Without using a spirit stone she didn't feel any increase to the fragile flicker of warmth that still lingered from last night's meditation, but it still felt good to sense it 'breathing' along with her. For the first time in recent memory, she felt like she was genuinely good at something. She knew it was probably just wishful thinking on her part, but she allowed the thought to linger anyway.
However, when she did emerge from the meditation room she found that Bai Meizhen had awakened at some point, as the girl was seated by the hearth, looking just as immaculate as she had when she retired the night before, while sipping from a cup of water. Ling Qi felt a twinge of jealousy at the seeming ease with which the other girl maintained her appearance, but it was a small thing. She had long since resigned herself to her own peculiarities. More importantly the pale girl was different in one major way, the snake she had seen hints of was now visible, looped loosely around Bai Meizhen's neck.
It was an eye catching thing, with bright green scales that reminded her of expensive jade. IT was also quite small, only being about as wide as two fingers held together. The both of them, snake and girl looked up with eerie synchronicity as Ling Qi merged, and she couldn't help but notice that the little snake's eyes were the exact same shade as Meizhen's. Before the silence could become awkward, Ling Qi looked back up to her room mates face. "Oh, you're up then. Good morning." She didn't feel he need to try and speak better around the other girl, she seemed to have no reaction to it either way.
"Good morning," Bai Meizhen responded evenly, not breaking eye contact… or blinking. Ling Qi really wished she would do that more often. "Did your cultivation go well?"
Ling Qi shrugged, feeling a bit self conscious. She liked to think so, but she had nothing to compare it too. "I think so. I mean… I don't think I managed to 'awaken' but I can feel something in my 'dantian' now I think?" Ling Qi stumbled over a few of the unfamiliar terms more than she would have liked.
The pale girl simply nodded slightly in response, setting down her now empty cup as she did. "That is expected. It would be highly unusual for you to have broken through to the Red Soul stage in a single night of cultivation without significantly greater resources," she reached up to idly stroke the tiny spade shaped head of her little serpent with one finger as she spoke and the little reptile seemed to press itself against her touch, clearly enjoying the contact. "I cannot imagine you will not have achieved it by the end of the week should you put the effort in," she added after a moment. Her tone was still as bland as ever, but you think she was going for encouraging, maybe. She also might be putting an ultimatum down, it's hard to tell.
Despite that, Ling Qi had an odd feeling that this girls views on natural progression speeds might be a bit skewed. "I know I'll manage it," she responded with more confidence than she actually felt. "I have to go out though, so I'll see you later." She'd like to ask more about some of the things the other girl touched on, but she had a feeling she'd be late if she did.
Bai Meizhen responded with a small nod as Ling Qi turned to go, turning her full attention back to the serpent around her neck. The last sight she had of them was the bright green snake raising it's head and hissing in Meizhen's ear, almost as if whispering to her.
It was a clear, bright day, though the chill in the air was quite strong. Ling Qi was quite relieved to find that her disciples uniform was quite warm, despite the fact that it was hardly winter wear. It really was the nicest set of clothing she had ever owned. She still wanted to modify it a bit though, if only because of the poor fit. Perhaps she could see if the storehouse stocked needles and thread at some point.
Such thoughts were kept to the back of her head though, as most of Ling Qi's focus was on ensuring that she didn't run across any trouble on the way to the plaza. She didn't know if her 'friendship' with Bai Meizhen would be enough to invite real reprisal, but she didn't feel the need to take chances. Particularly given the ugly expressions of some of the girls in the less luxurious parts of the residential area.
Still, with no one actively looking for her and the lack of real crowds, it wasn't difficult to simply take a circuitous route to the edge of the area and skirt along until she got back to the entrance to the path carved into the mountainside. She kept her head down, and slouched subtly to avoid appearing as tall as she was, and she made it out without recognition. It would likely get harder as time went on, but for now her little tricks for avoiding notice were sufficient. Luckily there were few people on the path to the plaza, and those that were traveling it were fairly scattered and occupied enough with their own thoughts that she didn't have any trouble.
The plaza itself was more populated if only just, and it was here that she saw for the first time older disciples, there were more of them than students her own age in fact. She wondered where they had come from? She stuck to the edge of the plaza for a time to observe, but eventually relaxed. None of the older disciples seemed to have any interest in those from your group. In fact, they seemed to be almost pointedly ignoring them as they went about their business. Most seemed to be going to the large lecture building, but others were simply standing around in groups chatting or heading off down the other…
Those hadn't been there yesterday. There were now four other gates, two on the eastern side and two on the western side. Each with a path winding either up or down the mountain. Ling Qi shook her head at the sight. More magic, she really was out of her league at the moment. The confidence she had felt last night and this morning were ebbing rather quickly. Still, she did eventually move out of the shade of the gates and begin searching for Han Jian.
She knew it was foolish, but between her embarrassment with Sun Liling and her room mates… taciturn nature. She really was looking forward to some simple, friendly interaction. She knew she shouldn't trust so easily, but she couldn't really bring herself to be suspicious of the handsome boy. Which was the only reason she just paused rather than stopping entirely when she caught sight of him already having a conversation with another disciple. It was another boy, shorter by a head than the two of them, but significantly broader at the shoulder and wider at the waist. If anything he seemed almost Han Jian's opposite, squat and brawny with fierce features spiky black hair.
She wasn't close enough to overhear them over the low murmur of sound from the rest of the plaza, but she did see that the shorter boy is doing most of the talking, gesturing wildly as he does so. He seems to have a rather bombastic personality at first glance. She also noticed that Han Jian's smile seemed pretty fixed, and a few other tiny tells that he wasn't exactly enjoying the company. The other boy was either oblivious or didn't care though. Han Jian met your eyes then, noticing her where she had stopped in shade of one of the scattered peach trees. For an instant, Ling Qi saw something like relief in his eyes. That was enough to get her moving again.
Once she had gotten closer, Han Jian raised a hand, interrupting the other boy as he did so. "Ling Qi! Over here! Glad you could make it." That's one way to excuse oneself from a conversation. She wasn't too pleased about the attention it drew to her though. For his part the shorter boy turned quickly in the direction of Han Jian's gaze, an eager expression on his face… only for it to fade a second or two after his eyes landed on her.
She held back on the frown that wanted to form at his reaction. Still she nodded politely to Han Jian in response and answered when she had closed the distance a bit more. "Good Morning Han Jian. I'm sorry if I was somewhat late." With him she felt like she should at least make the effort at politeness. Ling Qi then glanced at his companion, who was frowning unhappily at her, what exactly was his problem. "Who might your…"
"Really Jian?" He interrupted her giving the other boy an incredulous look. "When I heard a heartbreaker like you was coming out to meet a girl, I thought I would have a chance to meet a beauty, not a stick with pretensions!" His words are loud and coarse, even discounting their content. Ling Qi felt her pleasant expression freeze on her face even as Han Jian winced almost imperceptibly.
If she hadn't already noticed his discomfort with the other boy, she might have done or said something unfortunate, as it was she held back, but only just, by clenching her teeth. In the silence that followed Han Jian managed to rally. "...Yu, isn't that a little too much? There's no call to be rude to another practitioner. Besides, I told you that it wasn't anything like that."
"That was definitely more than a little much," Ling Qi interjected sourly, glaring at the shorter boy, and ignoring the unpleasant twinge that Han Jian's words brought for no reason that she would acknowledge.
'Yu' simply waved a dismissive hand at her words, making her temper flare further. He didn't even look at her. "She's just a commoner Jian, you can tell by looking. Are you really going to waste time on this?"
Ling Qi didn't bother saying anything this time, though her expression grew darker. She couldn't do anything about this now, but she would certainly remember the insult. Han Jian's expression was wary as he responded. "I'm not going to break a promise Yu," it was probably the least friendly thing she had ever heard him say.
The shorter boy snorted in response. "Fine, I suppose I won't begrudge you your tastes Jian. Just try not to waste too much time. I won't stand for a brother of mine falling behind!" He stops off on his own at that point, leaving the two of you standing in awkward silence. Well, Han Jian seemed awkward, Ling Qi was seething internally. It was likely only her humiliation by Sun Liling yesterday that allowed her to hold her tongue as well as she did.
"So… brother?" she asked somewhat dully, fixing Han Jian with an unimpressed expression.
He winced, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. It was only then that you noticed the tiger cub was nowhere to be seen. "Not by blood, it's just…" he trailed off seemingly searching for words. "Have you ever had a peer that your parent's pretty much ordered you to make nice with? It's like that. I kinda have to stay on his good side."
Ling Qi hadn't ever had that experience, but she could understand what he meant. She had certainly 'made nice' with less pleasant people during her time living in the streets. She felt her temper cooling for the moment. It wasn't Han Jian's fault. "Heartbreaker?" She then asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Now the handsome boy just looked sheepish. "I… may have made a couple of the girl's my parents invited for marriage interviews cry. Rumor can get out of hand back home though, it's nothing like you're thinking."
Ling Qi thought he sounded sincere, but she couldn't help but be a bit more wary now. "So, what happens now?"
He sighs. "I give you a few tips on starting your cultivation, and if you would like help you practice a bit, like I said I would," he responds evenly, his expression sincere. "I'll be going to the classes the Elders are holding in the afternoon though."
"So will I," Ling Qi said, feeling a bit relieved. "Will this be a one time thing then?"
"I figure I can spare an hour or two every few days if you'd like," he offers reasonably. He really did seem almost too nice. His ass of a friend did have a point, she was just a commoner, so why was he willing to spend so much time on her? She would certainly like for the answer to be that he simply liked her and was being friendly, but she wasn't sure she could believe that.
"I would like that," Ling Qi responded after a moment. She considered just asking him, but she couldn't risk offending him and losing his aid. She needed every resource she could get right now. She felt a little sad that the encounter with the other boy had made her suspicious. It was probably for the best though.
Despite that damper on her spirits though, the next two hours were quite productive for filling her in on some of the basic details she had been missing. The dantian was at the core of all cultivation, the root of a cultivators power. It didn't exactly exist physically, if you cut someone open there would be nothing there. It was just the beginning though, even once she had awakened her Qi, she found that she would have to clear at least one of her meridians to use any sort of technique, as they were the channels which allowed Qi to flow through and outside the body.
There were a very large number of potential meridians in the human body, and even more 'gates' or exit points, and which ones she chose to open would effect which techniques she could learn. Much of it went over her head to an extent. She thought she understood the essential idea though. Han Jian had a pair of wind aligned meridians in his right and left legs open, as well as a fire aligned meridian near his heart. A practitioner essentially had a limited amount of space in each part of their body to use for differently aligned Qi. As a cultivator grew in power their body could withstand the opening of more meridians, and thus allow them a greater breadth of techniques.
It did mean that someone like her who was just started out would be quite limited at first though, which was troubling. If the classes turned up nothing on the matter she might have to ask Bai Meizhen for advice.
For all that she did enjoy the time she spent with Han Jian in the shade of one of the scattered trees in the plaza, it couldn't last forever. She felt like she had a slightly better handle on things now, and he had corrected some mistakes she was making with the Argent Soul exercises. So it was with somewhat restored confidence that she walked alongside him to the lecture hall to find where the beginners courses were being held.
Thankfully, in the entry hall of the building there was a large board with said information posted upon it. She had thought it simply part of the wall when she had passed it yesterday, but now the smooth polished wooden surface had many notices written on its surface. Even as Han Jian and her searched the board, some vanished while others seemed to write themselves. It was an impressive bit of magic.
As it was it seemed that the two Elders who had made themselves available had scheduled their lessons such that it was impossible to attend both on the same day. It was a bit frustrating to Ling Qi, but she supposed they must have a reason for it. For now she chose to head to the spiritual cultivation course, as Han Jian had mentioned during their chat that one could not begin physical cultivation properly until one had unlocked their qi anyway, which the spiritual lesson would presumably involve.
The lecture hall they had been directed too was less full than the one she had entered on her first day, with perhaps only thirty students. Another difference made itself apparent when a sharp female voice stopped her dead in the doorway. "Unawakened disciples on the left. Awakened on the right," it seemed the instructor was already here. The elder was a short, somewhat stocky woman with grey hair done up in a simple and utilitarian bun. She stood behind the lecturer's podium with her arms crossed over her chest, with a no nonsense expression on her severe features.
Her tone brooked no disagreement, so Ling Qi split from Han Jian there, withe the boy mouthing a silent 'good luck' to her as they did. She appreciated the sentiment as she found a seat with her back to the wall and no immediate neighbors. Once she was settled in she studied the instructor a bit more. Her appearance was a bit strange. She seemed like an old woman in demeanor, her barked orders and severe expression would fit right in with the elderly women from her home town. Despite her grey hair her face had an ageless quality to it, not unlined, but certainly not old either, nor did her full figured body give the impression of being withered with age.
Considering what stories she knew about immortals that would make sense she supposed. It was a bit exciting to see proof of the slowed aging that awaited her with success as a cultivator. A few more students trickled in over the next few minutes, each new entrant receiving the same order Ling Qi and Han Jian had, until at last, the matronly elder made a sharp gesture with her right hand and the door snapped shut.
"Consider this my first lesson. Lateness will not be tolerated," she said crisply, sweeping the room with an intimidating stare. "If you are late, you will not receive my instruction that day. There will be no exceptions." Without uncrossing her arms, she continued with barely a pause. "Nor will I allow interruptions. Any purposeful disruption of my lesson will result in your immediate expulsion from this room. You will not be allowed back." The few whispers and sounds from the students presented ended immediately at that pronouncement.
She waited a beat, as if to allow that warning to sink in before she pressed on. "Good, you can follow instruction," she said with a small amount of satisfaction. "I am Elder Hua Su. I am the head of our Medicinal department. You will refer to me as Elder Su, Physician Su, or Instructor, and nothing else." Another beat of silence follows. "You are here because you have had no instruction in the spiritual arts, for whatever reason," there is no judgement in the Elder's words, only a statement of fact. "Or because you desire expert advice in setting your foundation. In the latter case, I applaud your humility."
"All cultivation is rooted in the spiritual," Elder Su continues. "One cannot begin to improve the body with qi before that qi itself is unlocked, and the concepts necessary for all cultivation are by their nature, ephemeral." Ling Qi leaned forward slightly in her seat, not willing to miss a single word. "But before we begin, it would be best to split the class as I Intended."
Ling Qi blinked in confusion as the Elder flicks her hand, drawing forth a silver needle and pricks the thumb of her opposite hand. She didn't understand what the older woman was doing until the bright droplet of blood swelled and grew on it's way to the floor. It shifted through a kaleidoscope of colors as it did and seemed to pull the heat from the room going by the sudden chill. Within seconds a copy of the Elder stood at her side, looking completely identical.
"And now, to avoid distraction," it was odd hearing two identical people speak in perfect unison as both raised their left hands and gestured again, and the room filled with cloying mist which quickly congealed into a barrier right through the center of the room that blocked Ling Qi's sight of the other side. It also left them, once again with only one instructor. The original she thought, though she wasn't certain.
"Qi is the root of a cultivators power," Elder Su began without missing a beat, easily pulling Ling Qi's attention back to her without any trouble. "When you awaken it, you will begin the path to shucking mortal concerns. Food, drink, sleep, all of these can be replaced with qi, given sufficient cultivation," she said evenly, panning her gaze over those of you left in this half of the room. "And a good thing it is, as walking the path of cultivation does not afford us the time to spend on such things every day."
"That is not to say that mortal pleasures should be abandoned entirely," she continued. "That is a common misconception, and a foolish one. Your Qi is colored and shaped by your experiences and personality. Those who abandon everything in the pursuit of power will find their path to be narrow one indeed," her lip curls slightly, a display of contempt that seems out of place on the woman's stern face. "Of course, such narrowness does not mean a lack of power, and so I expect some of you will fall to the temptation."
She pauses then, and Ling Qi can see why. Near the front of the room a thin girl with light blue hair has raised a trembling hand. Ling Qi was a bit surprised at the girls boldness. Elder Su regarded to girl silently for a several seconds, but her hand did not lower. Then the Elder's stern expression cracked and she smiled. "Yes? What is your question?"
The girl lowers her hand, seeming almost startled to be addressed. Unfortunately Ling Qi could only see her back. "Ah… I just wondered if you could expand on what you meant? I never, I mean your instruction is just… different than what I have heard before."
The older woman seems to study her for a moment, "What is your name, girl?"
The girl shifts uncomfortably, but answers. "Li Suyin, Instructor."
"I see," Elder Su responds quietly. After a moment, she nods. "I had intended to expand on the point regardless, but as Miss Li has shown. I am willing to allow questions… should you not be disruptive in the asking," she pauses to let that sink in before continuing. "There are eight distinct elements to qi, and how easily one can channel a given type is largely dependant on the individual and their mindset. It is all too easy to say that a clear and emotionless mind is for the best, as it provides a fair baseline for them all, the fact remains that one loses something in this practice."
"Heaven, lake, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain, and earth; these are but a few of the many aspects qi can conform to. Each one is associated with several concepts, emotions, and effects. Those who devote themselves to the well being of others find the qi of the earth flowing more easily. Forget joy or pleasure, and your lake qi will grow sluggish," she shakes her head slightly. "Such things are beyond the scope of this introductory lesson. Should you wish to learn more, I strongly suggest you continue coming to these lessons." Her expression here grows stern again. "More importantly, those who forget the mortal world entirely too often hole themselves up in caves doing no good to anyone. Hermits are hardly a boon to the empire," there is a touch of humor in her voice at this, but though Ling Qi laughs politely along with the others, she gets the feeling there is more to the older woman's words than the light explanation given.
"Now, more relevant to newcomers such as yourselves is the stages of cultivation. All of you are, in effect, still mortals, though I see that some of you have at least begun to awaken your qi," Ling Qi shifted a bit in her seat as the instructor's gaze rested on her for a moment. "The first stage of spiritual cultivation is the Red Soul stage. Each stage is then divided into early, middle, late and peak. The next two levels beyond are the Yellow and Green stages. For most cultivators, the Green stage is the limit of what they can achieve. Advancing beyond it requires a great deal of talent and dedication, as well as significant physical cultivation to survive the strain such large amounts of qi put on the body."
The lesson goes on after that, with the older woman helping greatly in expanding Ling Qi's understanding of just what she is doing when she is filling her dantian, and how to guide it for maximum efficiency. With her eyes closed concentrating on her internal energy she can actually almost feel what she thinks are her meridians. It's as if her dantian has dozens of veins flowing out from it, but every single one is blocked by… something. The weak energy within her can't even begin to shift it, whatever it is.
She still felt refreshed, her energy bolstered by the time the lesson let out. She felt thoughtful as well as she returned to the little stone home she shared with Meizhen as the sun set and settled in to cultivate for the evening.
Talent 6, Instruction Bonus 4(3 from lesson, 1 from Jian), 1 from Spirit Stone.
1, 8, 9, 2, 4, 6, 3, 7, 5, 2, 8. 7 Success.
Early Red Soul (1) reached. 3 Successes banked for next step.
Argent Soul Level 1/5 now learned and equipped.
Argent Soul(1): This technique for the cultivation of qi is among the easiest to understand. Rather than sheer power, versatility, or any other more practical use it is primarily focused on fortifying one's Qi and building a strong foundation for later cultivation.
Effect: Users gain one bonus dice to all cultivation attempts up until Late Red Soul Stage. User's gain a bonus success on all attempts to expand their Qi pool up to a maximum of ten. Users gain two additional Qi. Users may reroll a failed physical attribute check once per turn.
Level 2 Progress. 0/15
Ling Qi has officially become a cultivator, as such I will now provide the mechanics tutorial for Qi.
First, you have Qi equal to 3+Your cultivation level+Cultivation art bonus+ Expanded Qi reserves/misc bonuses.
So if you can math, you will see that Ling Qi begins with 6 qi. Qi is a replenishable resource which is used to perform techniques, arts and other superhuman feats.... Once you learn to do so.
At it's base, Qi can be expended in place of health to prevent lethal wounds at a 2:1 ratio. That is you may expend 2 qi to prevent one point of damage. If a wound would reduce Ling Qi to 0 health, this happens automatically.
Qi reserves may be expanded by focusing cultivation time on it. You require a number of successes equal to the amount of Qi you will be increasing to. That is going from 6->7 Qi requires seven successes. Cultivating in this way does not require a spirit stone.
In addition, Qi may be expended in place of various needs, thus granting you extra action slots. You do not yet have enough qi for this though, and overuse of this function can have side effects.
Finally, in regards to cultivation level. Your cultivation acts as a modifier for all relevant actions, providing a free success on any relevant role for each stage of your cultivation. Now most times when you are receiving such bonuses, you will be competing with other cultivators in some way. As you can see, against someone of equal level this bonus cancels out, essentially leaving things up to your skills and abilities. Against someone of higher or lower level it begins to make quite a difference.
A fight against someone three levels above you for example, gives them a rather large three success bonus over you before you even begin rolling dice. It is even worse when competing against someone a full stage(that is if they are Yellow and you are red for example) the number of bonus successes doubles. So a late red stage(4) versus and early Yellow stage(5) results in two bonus successes even though they are only one level apart.
-1 Red Spirit Stone
The moment she broke through would be one Ling Qi remembered for the rest of her life. Her breath was the wind, her bones were the earth, her blood was like fire, and she felt like her thoughts could expand to cover the heavens. She felt right, she felt complete for the very first time in her life. Her dantian burned with energy, and though those stubborn obstructions prevented her from drawing it out, the warmth and comfort she felt from simply having it were all too real.
Then the exhaustion hit, a bone deep tiredness that nearly made her black out where she sat as the qi in her body burned, drawing from her own body to fill her newly expanded dantian. She did, thankfully at least manage to make it to bed, if only just.
Linq Qi awoke the next morning feeling full of energy, despite her exhaustion the night before. She did find that she needed a change of clothing though, as she had fallen asleep in her uniform. The satchel she had been provided contained a few additional sets though, so she didn't have to worry about laundry just yet. She would have to find a place to bathe soon though.
...Was it strange to be concerned about something so mundane when she had just taken the first real step into the world of Immortals? Ling Qi thought so, but hadn't Elder Su said yesterday that neglecting mortal concerns entirely was a bad idea?
Ling Qi put those thoughts out of her mind as she finished getting dressed and left her room. She stopped as she opened the door though, surprised at the sight that awaited her. Bai Meizhen was awake this morning, and already seated cross legged by the hearth, sipping from a cup of water again. There was no sign of a breakfast tray though, or any other food. She hadn't actually seen the girl eat anything at all so far now that she thought about it. Perhaps she was using her qi to suppress her appetite? Ling Qi could feel instinctively that she could suppress her appetite with her newly awakened Qi, though she didn't think she could manage it for very long.
She didn't just want to stand there staring though, so she stepped out and nodded to the girl. "Good morning," she greeted cautiously.
Both Meizhen and her pet look up in response, and the pale girl dips her head in response. "Good morning, and congratulations on your awakening. I take it your lesson was fruitful?"
Ling Qi nodded and after a moment's thought seated herself across from the other girl as she had the first night. "It was. I guess you didn't need it though? I didn't see you there," Ling Qi responded, idly smoothing the fabric of her uniform as she got comfortable.
"I attended Instructor Zhou's lesson," she said calmly. "It was… intense, but I feel I benefited from it." The little snake coiled loosely around her neck twisted its head to look up at her, flicking it's tongue out several times. Bai Meizhen just glances at it with a slight frown though.
Zhou… that was the name of the instructor for physical cultivation, Ling Qi recalled. She supposed that would explain why she didn't see the other girl yesterday. "I don't know if it's rude to ask but… what stage are you at?" Ling Qi asked after a few moments of companionable silence. The question had occurred to her later in Elder Su's lesson, and it hadn;t quite left her mind.
"Mid Sin Shedding," she responded without pause. She must have noticed Ling Qi's confusion though, because an expression of chagrin crossed her face a moment later. "....Middle Yellow stage spirit cultivation," she amended a moment later. "I am not yet used to using the… standardized terms."
She was very far ahead then. It was a little discouraging to know she was so far behind. "Are most of the other disciples that advanced?" Ling Qi asked somewhat dreading the answer. "And what do you mean by standardized?" She added after a second.
"No, those in the Yellow stage can be counted on the fingers of one hand," the pale girl responded dismissively. "Most of our peers are no higher than the middle of the Red Soul Stage." She paused to take another sip of her water. "Old families such as mine have their traditions and terms for cultivation. The terms we are taught to use here are only a handful of centuries old. They were coined during the establishment of the current imperial dynasty."
Ling Qi nodded, feeling a bit relieved that she wasn't trailing quite as far as she had feared. Her roommate was simply… unusual. It feels strange that someone as strong as her would be ostracized though. She would think that everyone would want to be friends with the taciturn girl. She didn't want to press the other girl for information on something that might be personal though. "Is that why you came here with a spirit beast already?" Ling Qi asked, searching for a thread to keep the conversation going. She could sense the qi in the little snake now. "I've seen a couple others who have them too. Do your families give them out?"
Bai Meizhen frowns harshly at you, and the snakes head twitches toward you as well, leaving you subject to two baleful unblinking stares. Ling Qi shifted uncomfortably, what did she say? After a moment the other girl sighed, glanced at her pet and made a brief soft hissing sound, reaching up to stroke the serpents bright green scales. "I will forgive the insinuation since you are not aware. It is partially my fault as well, for now introducing her properly." Bai Meizhen fixes you with a serious look. "This is my cousin, Bai Cui. Please do not refer to her as if she were a pet."
Ling Qi stared blankly at her. This was the second time. Were nobles just… off in the head or something. "How does that even… it… she's a snake. How is she your cousin?" Ling Qi asked, incredulity coloring her tone.
Her companion merely frowned, but the snake… Cui, Ling Qi reminded herself hissed softly in what could almost be mistaken for laughter. "I know it is not an approved practice anymore, but really how can you not know such things," Bai Meizhen responded with an annoyed huff. "She is my cousin because our Sublime Ancestor is the White Serpent of Lake Hei. We are from two branches of the same family."
Ling Qi closed her eyes, trying very hard not to picture the… mechanics of such an arrangement. Did that mean that Han Jian too… she couldn't help but picture the tall boy with a pair of fuzzy cat ears atop his head. "I… right, sorry?" Ling Qi eventually managed. "You just don;t really hear about that kind of thing in the little town I came from," she finished a touch lamely.
Bai Meizhen simply nodded, not appearing to hold it against her, though maybe that was just her usual lack of expression. "I think," she began slowly. "I should attempt to educate you on a few things. If only to ensure you do not offend someone unintentionally in future."
Ling Qi blinked, surprised at the offer, even as she felt a hint of dread at having to learn a bunch of information not even related to her cultivation. Still, she had been intending to spend time with the other girl this week. "That could be useful," she hedged. "What did you have in mind?"
"Nothing complex," the other girl assured her. "Just a bit of history and some knowledge about the nobility. Enough to prevent you from making a fool of yourself." Ling Qi did not like the way Cui appeared to be doing the serpentine equivalent of laughing aloud.
"That sounds fine…" she still responded despite her better judgement. Really how bad could it be?
Quite bad, she thought gloomily as she trudged across the plaza on the way to her first lesson on physical cultivation. Bai Meizhen was not the best teacher, her diction was dry, and her dispassionate tone made it all to easy to nod off. Still she couldn't say the information was useless, not truthfully. In fact, despite her room mates lacking teaching style, she actually found herself remembering most of it, which was strange. She had never been particularly great at academic learning. Maybe it was a side effect of her awakened qi? Her thoughts had felt clearer since she had woken up, and it felt much easier to recall information.
She could ask Elder Su tomorrow she supposed, for now though she had a lesson to get too, and she had no intention of being late. She was walking alone again, as Meizhen had declined to come along citing the need to perform some kind of personal meditation. Ling Qi slipped through the crowds with practiced ease and soon found herself walking down a path she had not walked down before. It spiralled up the east side of the mountain, eventually ending on a smaller plateau where a number of wide fields divided by posts and rope barriers extended to the range of her vision. Each field was equipped with racks full of practice weapons, weights and other equipment as well. She saw various older disciples scattered about, performing exercises, running, and other slightly incomprehensible things. Was that boy balancing himself on the point of one finger? Why?
She shook her head and hurried past to the field at the end, where a fair sized crowd of disciples her age was waiting. She saw the boy with the burn scar she had noticed the first day, as well as that loathsome 'Yu' fellow, she didn't recognize any others though. She peered into the fog as she got closer, looking for the instructor. She thought she saw a taller figure standing beyond the crowd.
She stopped dead a moment later as she reached the rear of the crowd and got a good look at him. The first thought and indeed the only thought that came to Ling Qi for several long seconds was… muscles. The man standing with his arms clasped behind his back was shirtless, and looked like he had been carved from a block of solid bronze. His biceps were easily as thick as a man's thigh, and she had no idea that it was even possible to have that many clearly defined abdominal muscles.
Ling Qi flushed scarlet and averted her eyes when she noticed that she had been, staring in a rather indignified manner at her instructor. Luckily no one seemed to have noticed her losing her composure. She glanced up again this time at his face. He looked as she would expect, stern expression, a wide square jaw and short evenly cropped hair, tied back in a short top knot. Still feeling slightly ashamed… and tempted to lower her eyes, Ling Qi did her best to fade into the crowd and not draw attention to herself until the lesson could start.
She did not have to wait too long, a few other students filtered in joining the murmuring crowd standing before the utterly silent instructor. She might have thought the man a statue were it not for the rise and fall of his chest.
She wasn't staring. She wasn't.
When he spoke, the disciples quieted immediately. "Those who were here yesterday. Begin running." A good two thirds of the students immediately began to move away, toward the well beaten dirt track extending around the edge of the field. "Those of you who remain," he continued without once looking their way. "I expect your full effort for the length of every session. Any disciple giving less than their full effort in every task I assign will be expelled from the lesson. I will not provide second chances."
Ling Qi was feeling a bit of deja vu at the similarity to the other Elder's speech. "I will not mince words. I am only here at the direct request of Master Yuan, the Sect Head. Most of you will never serve in my unit on the border. Most of you do not have the resolve to be a part of the Empire's Bulwark. I train those who act as the wall which keeps the Cloud Tribes from our towns and cities. Where a single failure of attention can bring ruin to entire settlements. I am not in the habit of training those who will only be here long enough to gain some piddling strength to establish themselves in Court."
Several disciples shift on their feet, Ling Qi saw some angry and indignant expressions, as well as worry and other emotions. The Instructor pushed on though, as implacable as a glacier. "I am Zhou the Indomitable, and for some reason the Sect Head thinks you have the potential to be taught by me," he barked, voice carrying over the field. "I expect you will disappoint him."
One or two of the others were looking rather mutinous, but Ling Qi noticed that those who had been here the day before had their eyes firmly fixed ahead, not reacting to his words. She caught then, a mutter from one of the boys in front of her, one of a handful of young men standing in a loose group near that bastard Yu.
Of course if she heard it, she was not surprised that the Elder heard it as well. "Repeat what you just said, boy," the instructor commanded, pointing an accusing finger at the speaker. The boy immediately went pale, looking around for support only to find his companions conspicuously turning their faces away. He swallowed, but seemed to find his spine a moment later. "I said… I said that fighting nomads weren't so impressive," he looked rather miserable. "They're just… just barbarians, you know. Any decent city guard should be able to handle a few."
"Is that so," Zhou responded blandly. Pivoting on one foot he reached over to a nearby weapon rack and tossed one of the blunted practice spears on it at the boy. To his credit, the boy caught it with barely a fumble. "You have a late gold rank physique, correct?" At the boys nervous nod he continued. "As I understand it, that is roughly average for most interior cities guard officers, correct?" The boy nodded, now with a hint of pride. "Very well. Strike me."
The boy blinked, clutching the spear looking non plussed. "Sir…?"
"Did I stutter boy?" Zhou asked coldly, taking a step forward. "I said strike me. Strike as if you were trying to kill." Still the boy hesitated and Zhou took another step forward. "Strike. Now. Or I will have you expelled from the sect."
That seemed to finally break his hesitation and he set himself, stabbing forward toward the instructors throat. It appeared like a skilled strike to Ling Qi's inexperienced eye. Zhou made no effort to move though, instead only stepping forward to meet it. The blunt iron tip of the spear struck against his neck and bent in the instant before the pressure snapped the wood haft and the instructor's hand swept out in a blur.
The next thing she knew the boy was rolling across the field a half dozen feet away whimpering and clutching a rapidly swelling cheek. Zhou looked as impassive as ever, withdrawing his extended hand. "I did not use my qi in any active way," he explained clinically. "Nor did I touch him," he fixed a glare on each of you in turn as he continued. "I have met several nomad Khan's who could match me in combat. I have met more still who could at least put up a fight. When I say that allowing a single one into the interior is a disaster, I am not exaggerating in the slightest."
Ling Qi found herself nodding, along with the other disciples present. Not a single one hesitated when he commanded them to run and to not stop until he commanded it. What followed were the most miserable and grueling hours of exertion that Ling Qi could recall. Instructor Zhou was utterly without pity for any of them including her, but at the same time he seemed to have a preternatural sense for when they really couldn't be pushed any further.
Those that had reached their limits with more conventional exercise were set to meditating under his watch, while being instructed to… 'diffuse' their qi throughout their bodies. To allow it to soak into their flesh and bones rather than gathering in their dantian. They were allowed to practice these exercises until he had decided they recovered enough to resume their other exercises.
Unlike her earlier efforts at cultivation Ling Qi felt that her progress was quite slow. She could definitely feel something happening, but it was frustrating feeling most of the qi she attempted to diffuse simply wasting away into the air. Her mood wasn't exactly helped by the soreness of her muscles and the exhaustion she could feel by the time she was trudging back home for the evening.
The rest of the week proceeded much the same, a blur of training, cultivation, and conversations with what were thus far her only two contacts in this place. She was rather pleased to see Elder Su's brief surprise when she returned to her lesson newly awakened. The Elder had actually smiled when she had informed her that she had only begun cultivation on her arrival!
She was able to join the other half of the class then, which instead of being focused on awakening was instead focused on achieving the opening of new meridians. Which left Ling Qi with a choice. She would need to decide what to work on first. According to the lessons she could choose either one of her limbs, her spine, or her heart to begin with. Meridians in the legs were primarily used for movement techniques. The arms were best for offensive techniques and energy projection. Spinal meridians were best used for techniques which enhanced or modified the self, and the heart meridians were best used for techniques which created various effects in a field around the user.
Which Meridian will Ling Qi begin unblocking.
[] Arm
[] Leg
[] Spine
[] Heart
She knew she needed think hard on what she wanted to do, as each successive meridian would be harder to open. More than that though, she would need to consider what she would be doing in the coming week.
Choose FOUR actions for the following week
[] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
[] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[] Mingle with your fellow female disciples. Surely some of them can;t have been put off by Meizhen
[] See if any of the other boys are worth talking too
[] Explore the Mountain
[] See about modifying your uniforms.
[] Cultivate on your own
-[] Spiritually
-[] Physically
-[] Unlocking a Meridian
-[] Increasing qi
Stamina 1/15- Zhou's Training
Intelligence 4/15-All actions
Composure 1/15- Meeting Han Jian
Academics 3/6- Han Jian, both lessons
Athletics 1/9-Zhou's training
Occult 1/3- Meizhen
Politics 1/3-Meizhen
AN: Well that one got away from me a bit. Ended up rushing the end a tad I feel, but here your first turn.
[x] Spine
[x] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
[x] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[x] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[x] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
Interesting. Dont really know much about wuxian etc so just gonna vote for this until.
[x] Heart
[x] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[x] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[x] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[x] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
Always go for the lessons, we got a lot of catching up to do. Both Meizhen and Han Jian seems to give out some nice bonuses and they seem interesting. Still we should probably explore the mountain sooner or later.
Street rats should know how to run. Heart/Arm can come after, because being able to flee from a confrontation is more important than winning it.
[X] Plan Watch Ling Run
[X] Leg
[X] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[X] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[X] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
[X] Explore the Mountain
Meizhan's lessons don't really seem that useful right now. Plus, the fact that we live in the same house means we wouldn't be ignoring her if we did the same to Han.
Explore because a thief should always know where the exits are.
[x] Plan Unlocking Ling's Heart
[x] Heart
[x] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[x] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[x] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[x] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
Elder training beyond the first month was noted to only be guaranteed for the first month beyond that requires the disciple to impress* the Elder so at some point Ling will want to work on cultivating her spiritual as a separate action for the lessons, and work toward unlocking her meridian, but for now spending time with the individuals she knows is good idea. Also it only takes 3 actions to gain a dot in Occult, and Politics so why not?
In regards to exploring the mountain, unless our QM decides to go with the horrible cliche of there being a super extra special mystical artifact laying around which everyone appraised as worthless I see no reason to do so until after the first month is complete.
*Heart sounds like the one which Ling's specialty is behind, and picking the field in which Ling will learn skills quicker is the most straightforward manner to do so.
[x] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[x] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[x] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[x] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
Seems clear enough, and I suppose I'm invested enough in Meizhen at this point Maybe not going to go for her option the next time around, but I feel like she's also kind of an introvert, so we can give her space before going for her option again~
[x] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[x] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[x] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[x] Continue meeting up with Han Jian. He may be able to help with unlocking your meridians.
@yrsillar A couple of questions. First, can we ask Instructor Zhou for tips on how to increase our body improvement or to point us to someone that might be able to help us? I realize that there's no way he has time to focus on us in any real capacity, but there shod be someone that can help us, I hope.
Second, would it be rude to ask Meizhan whether she and Cui are linked in cultivation, and what effect it has if they are? Curiosity is poking me.
[x] Plan I've Got Your Back
[x] Spine
[x] Keep spending time with Meizhen, she's full of useful information.
[x] Continue attending Elder Su's lessons
[x] Continue Attending Instructor Zhou's lessons
[x] Explore the Mountain
People are making a critical error here! Folks are saying that 'heart' somehow has particular resonance with the support/exotic talent. Nonsense! Why, it is the spine that does the lion's share of work in physically supporting the body, whether you sit or stand. Certainly spine meridians seem more exotic than anything I've ever heard of, while we are fully aware of the power of heart from all manner of media. No, it won't do to pick heart for the first meridian.
Looking back, Han Jian doesn't look as great as the narrative was making him out to be. He's a nice guy who gave us some tips, sure, but all that we got out of it was one extra dice roll and I guess an avoided relationship malus with him since he wasn't standing out in that area waiting for forever. I think we have more useful stuff to do for the moment than meeting him, and we have a reasonable excuse not to since he didn't seem too enthused about continuing the lessons and Ling Qi felt rather upset over the guy's friend.
Meizhen, on the other hand, is someone we really need to invest in. The help she's provided has been more substantial than Han Jian's thus far, she has information from high society and tradition that we don't have, unlike Han Jian she's very easily accessible, and it's best to get on her good side anyway considering that murder in the night business she was talking about earlier along with her having similarly easy access to where Ling Qi sleeps. Let us attach ourselves to her hip and reap the benefits as her person.
Elder Su and Zhou have lessons that provide tons of free rolls, which seems superior to self-study. Those are pretty important to catch up on.
Mingling with the boys and girls seems unlikely to provide much benefit given that Qi is not great socially. It seems to be about a 50/50 shot thus far as to whether we end up with a semi-friend or a sort of almost-enemy, not great odds. I think we'll just have to deal with Qi being considered as a weirdo commoner trying to go beyond her station in life, honestly, at the very least for the immediate future.
Exploring seems very important for the reasons I explained before, and also well-suited for her own skillset. If we're going to want to find buffs for her personal training sessions, that's probably the best way to find those sorts of features given that she's almost certain not to hear about them in her non-existent circle of friends.
Lastly, cultivating on her own for the moment seems inferior to attending lessons, and I think can probably be put on hold until she has done some sort of exploration.
Broadly similar to the heart vote, but come on. A heart meridian? Yeesh. I want to know how the spine option would stand up.
Maybe not going to go for her option the next time around, but I feel like she's also kind of an introvert, so we can give her space before going for her option again~
