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

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New Good Seed and Omake Rule Updates
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    • Good Seed and Omake Spreadsheet Rules:

    Firstly, if you have questions about Good Seeds and the like please read here. If that doesn't answer your question please ping me in thread, or on Discord.

    If you write a new Good Seed, or write an omake, please update the spreadsheet if you have access.

    If you do not have access, please ping a collaborator (Swordomatic, Alectai, Quest, TehChron, Insane-Not-Crazy, Humbaba, ReaderOfFate, Kaboomatic, no., BungieONI) letting them know what you want and they will update the spreadsheet here. To gain access, you will need a gmail account of some kind. Throwaway emails are fine (I'm using one for the spreadsheet), but to gain access it's as simple as sending me either your email via PM, via DM in Discord, or just in Discord's #spreadsheet-requests channel.

    This is mandatory. If a Good Seed does not record their omake by pinging collabs (or just requesting access and editing things themselves - this is the preferred option), I won't give out awards. If a new Good Seed is not recorded here, they won't advance. By doing this it makes the whole thing manageable for me - it's gotten pretty unwieldy!

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    Omake Writer Instructions:

    There are four fields you need to fill out.

    Omake Link, which is just a link to your first omake for the turn. This makes it easier for me to read them as I do the update - without this it's tough to know off the bat which omake were written this turn, and to properly

    Requested Bonus, which is your requested bonus for your omake. You can leave it up to me if you like. You can see more info in the Good Seed infopost here.

    Cultivation Aims. For those following unorthodox paths - higher than 9th Heavenstage or later than 7th Dao Pillar paths. Please put in what you are aiming for before you break through. I have left it as 'default'. If you do not edit it, I'll go with that.

    Turn Notes - Do you want to do something specific? Enter a Secret Realm? Help the Clan out in some way? If you have something specific you want to accomplish on this turn, put it in turn notes so I can adjust your Fate around it.

    All other fields are for QM use to record character information to properly run the flow of the game.
     
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    • Fifth Sea Interlude - The Ambition of Chandi Randhawa
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    • There were so many of them, there.

    The Randhawa Dynasty, led by Patriarch Bhrigu. Normally so many cultivators would not gather, but this was the Contest! The Contest of Karma, where so many would challenge for the right to hunt the Bronze Demons, those scattered creatures who took the form of men and preyed on the poor benighted savages of the Third Sea. By completing such tasks the Svayambhu would help purify one's Karma, allowing you to more easily reach new and greater stages of enlightenment.

    Chandi was a mere Prana Gathering cultivator, standing far to the back of the gathering. She was no great talent - she was already thirty-two and had only reached the Eighth Cycle, putting her squarely in the middle of the pack of her peers.

    She whispered to her friend Aditi.

    "Argh, this contest is sitting on my head."

    Aditi was a true talent. Despite her youthful looks, Aditi was forty-six - they had met when Aditi had arranged to marry Chandi's cousin. This was largely as a method to tie two minor branches of the Dynasty together to solidify their hold on a particularly good valley where Prana gathered densely. Aditi had already opened her chakras - to be so young and in Chakra Opening was not unheard of it, but it was certainly impressive.

    She was hardly a true beauty at least, Chandi thought. Aditi had a nose that dominated her face, but her brown skin was otherwise flawless, and her eyes always made Chandi feel as though she had been seen through. After thinking that she felt bad - so what if her friend was not the most beautiful of women? Her cousin was not even a cultivator, and so he should be grateful to have such a wife! Guilt assuaged, she continued letting her thoughts wander.

    The two actually shared the same great-great-great grandfather, the leader of their branch of the dynasty. Their shared ancestor was in Dharma Shaping, shaping a true will, a dharma. Whispers were that the Ancestors was preparing to manifest Atman - this would be a great boon to their branch.

    Chandi shook her head. Her thoughts were wandering.

    Aditi simply looked at her.

    "Chandi, be quiet. Focus your thoughts. If you could win a spot in the Contest, you might amount to something, no?"

    Chandi winced at her words. It was true she wasn't the most dutiful cultivator, but did her friend have to be so rude?

    They whispered among themselves for a little more time, and then a voice rang out. It was as if someone was speaking in her ear, and only to her. She felt power from the voice, a compulsion to listen and obey, a sound caressing her soul.

    It was Patriarch Bhrigu's grandson, an Atman Manifest cultivator himself. He was four hundred - so no great talent, but certainly worth noticing. Of course, she wasn't worth noticing for him, a fact she found a certain comfort in. It was said he was a lecher, but nowadays restricted himself to mortal women and wandering cultivators after his kidnapping of a Dharma Shaping cultivator had nearly lead the dynasty to ruin. Apparently it was his seizure of this woman that had set off a chain of events that eventuated in the war with the Naag - and the extermination of those vile snake worshipping fiends.

    "In this contest we will select the finest among us to engage in the Bronze Demon Hunt, to help those benighted savages of the Third Sea. I must warn you firstly - in such an event you will see terrible things. They will beg you for mercy, run, hide, and attempt to trick you, as though they are wearing the skins of true human beings. Do not be fooled by this - killing a Bronze Demon is smiled on by the world. If they were truly human and not demons it would not be so."

    He drew breath, and the air around all the gathered cultivators rushed out, and they floated into a vacuum, suddenly unable to breathe themselves. He exhaled, returning the air and cultivators to the ground.

    "If you win a spot in the Contest, you will be permitted to enter the Hunt in twenty years time. Tokens can of course be sold, exchanged, but not stolen. Stealing a Contest Token is a high crime. You will be required to make your own way to the Iron Pillar for teleport. If you are late, your token will crumble and you will not be able to enter. For the Contest, you must engage in a series of battles."

    Chandi listened intently for a moment, and then started thinking. The most crucial thing in the Contest was that it offered a token for each Cycle of Prana Gathering, as well as certain levels of strength for Chakra Opening, Dharma Shaping, and so on. Apparently there were two tokens for Ishvara Splitting cultivators as well, who served to guard the more valuable youngsters who were coming through. But the reality was, it was better for the Contest to be the best of your Cycle than merely Cycles higher. Being the most competent in the Eighth Cycle was better than being at the bottom of the Ninth, even if this was not true in most cases.

    Chandi was not the most competent, but she had a number of tricks up her sleeve. She was quick, and clever, and thought well on her feet. Also, she thought, she was friendlier and more unassuming than most. Being a pretty woman helped when it came to making sure men didn't hit their hardest, and there was no rule saying she couldn't hit her hardest back.

    "...and finally, you must acquire the most points in three categories to earn a Token automatically."

    Curse it! She'd missed all the details. Ah, well. She'd make Aditi tell her everything later. No big loss, there. She sat back and daydreamed for another second - she'd kill the Demons, save a few barbarian mortals, purify her Karma, and reach Chakra Opening. As long as she won a few contests - a foregone conclusion, surely - everything was looking up for her.
     
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    • Alectai said:
    There's a limit to how far just throwing more money at someone can go.

    The cheat code to grinding fast is to have the place you're born in lousy with Qi, to the point where your first breath immediately makes you Core Formation from the sheer richness of the atmosphere, and you're a full fledged Immortal by the time you're an adolescent.
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    This is incidentally one of the key points my interlude is making!

    Shard said:
    It's just that I noticed that Core Formation can devolve all the way down to Qi Condensation.

    So hypothetically, they could accumulate a massive amount of Qi Condensation Treasures, along with equally large amounts of Foundation Establishment Treasures, then zoom up through to Core Formation in nary a century. After hitting 13th Heavenstage and 9 pillars, etc.
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    Plausible, but unorthodox paths are much harder to cheese than orthodox ones.

    Quest said:
    Okay, that works for me. I need to add him to the spreadsheet now, right?

    EDIT: Does the lifespan decrease also effect Lifespan extension?
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    I think that's fair. Bear in mind 1.5x cultivation speed is a free omake boost every single turn, so 1/2 Lifespan and 1/2 power Lifespan Treasures are a fair tradeoff to my mind.
     
    Katana1515 said:
    This last ingredient had been the easiest to acquire but was also the most heart-wrenching to part with. I pulled up a linen clad bundle and pulled back the wrappings to reveal a human skull. My grandmothers skull.

    Dead almost 80 years, this was the kind mortal woman who taught me rustic cures and common cooking by the hearthfire. The woman who gave me the means to change my fate and become something more. I loved her still. With a last bloody kiss on her brow and a prayer to my ancestors I added it to the mix. With a flex of my will the Flame broke the the bones into countless fragments before pouring all that remained of my beloved grandmother into my terrifying new child.
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    So erm, that suddenly became darker that what i expected. But i guess it makes sense, very in keeping with the darker aspects of Xianxia, of there being a sacrifice for everything. I'm not one to judge considering my Good Seed is dabbing into using blood arrays.

    Katana1515 said:
    I knelt down on one knee, bringing us to eye level with each other. I didn't have to fake the crooning sweetness in my voice. "Well hello little one, aren't you pretty." I pulled out a pill and offered it to the beast. "I have snacks!"

    The look it gave me was almost contemptuous, as if it didn't appreciate the baby-talk. It moved forward and took the offered pill anyway. I noticed it moved like a liquid, not a snake, flowing rather than propelling itself with muscles.

    After it snapped up the pill the creature flowed right up my arm. I repressed the urge to panic as its liquid body pushed itself into my skin. This was exactly what I had wanted after all.

    It wasn't exactly painful or unpleasant, but it was definitely a strange sensation to have something glide through your flesh and veins. I felt the blossoming of a mental connection as the serpents head reached my spine and stopped moving.

    I smiled in genuine glee. My poison child was fatigued and sleepy, it saw my familiar blood and Qi as the perfect place to rest and was dropping off to sleep. A projected a strong sense of maternal love at the creature as it drowsed off.

    "I will call you Emilia little one, after my grandmother. Rest well."

    I stood up, sighed, and started the work of cleaning up the lab. Now that I finally have my weapon for the Trials, the real work could begin.
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    It's ALIVE! And also pretty cool. I kinda want one lol.
    occipitallobe said:
    Chandi was a mere Prana Gathering cultivator, standing far to the back of the gathering. She was no great talent - she was already thirty-two and had only reached the Eighth Cycle, putting her squarely in the middle of the pack of her peers.
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    Holy shit. That's considered untalented??? Hitting the 8th stage in 1 turn?? Wow, really showing how outclass we are
    occipitallobe said:
    It was Patriarch Bhrigu's grandson, an Atman Manifest cultivator himself. He was four hundred - so no great talent, but certainly worth noticing. Of course, she wasn't worth noticing for him, a fact she found a certain comfort in. Apparently he was a lecher, but restricted himself to mortal women and wandering cultivators after his kidnapping of a Dharma Shaping cultivator had nearly lead the dynasty to ruin. Apparently it was his seizure of this woman that had set off a chain of events that eventuated in the war with the Naag - and the extermination of those vile snake worshipping fiends.
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    Sounds like we found the Ninth Prince's mortal foe
    occipitallobe said:
    "In this contest we will select the finest among us to engage in the Bronze Demon Hunt, to help those benighted savages of the Third Sea. I must warn you firstly - in such an event you will see terrible things. They will beg you for mercy, run, hide, and attempt to trick you, as though they are wearing the skins of true human beings. Do not be fooled by this - killing a Bronze Demon is smiled on by the world. If they were truly human and not demons it would not be so."
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    Oh that dick. Well, here's to showing them a new Trial where they will be the ones begging for mercy and attempting to run and hide. It might not be this Trial, but it will come!
     
    occipitallobe said:
    I think that's fair. Bear in mind 1.5x cultivation speed is a free omake boost every single turn, so 1/2 Lifespan and 1/2 power Lifespan Treasures are a fair tradeoff to my mind.
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    On the other hand, this'd mean spending a turn on Lifespan boost would get you 20 for the cost of 20. A net of zero.

    Perhaps reducing the boost from +40 to 30 would be better? That'd be a net of +10.
     
    occipitallobe said:
    This is incidentally one of the key points my interlude is making!
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    Hmm, if that means they hit that with less effort, it should also mean their Qi Condensation cultivators are less battle harden. Considering our veterans have gone through 2 wars, we should have the advantage in dirty tricks and battle experience.
    ReaderOfFate said:
    Atman is soul. Reaching Nascent Soul by 400 is only pretty good, not worth noticing? That's insane! But I suppose that's the benefit of being in a region with denser Qi.
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    I know the quest is going to end when we conquer our region, but i sure hope for a chance to whack them back somehow....
     
    occipitallobe said:
    Yes, but you also get an omake-tier cultivation boost that turn due to an inherent cultivation boost.
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    Gore17 said:
    I mean, you also get a Cultivation roll, so it's not time spent completely wasted.
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    That's definitely a fair point. Hm. That might be an interesting way to play, tbh. Such a character would probably want to really make their sole four omake bonuses count. Tribulation boosts probably would be wise, though so would lifesaving treasures.
     
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    ReaderOfFate said:
    That's definitely a fair point. Hm. That might be an interesting way to play, tbh. Such a character would probably want to really make their four omake bonuses count. Tribulation boosts probably would be wise, though so would lifesaving treasures.
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    I'm thinking I'll focus on Life-Saving treasures and then just keep extending my lifespan until I can breakthrough naturally. The completionist in me wants to aim for 13th Heavenstage, but the rest of me knows that's a terrible idea.
     
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    Quest said:
    I edited in a reply just before you quoted me, but pretty much yeah.
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    Hm. See, I get that, but when you're going to reach the 9th at 40 in average, waiting for 140 to stabilize without moving up since you don't want to increase the tribulation difficulty seems a bit of a waste, since you'll be firing off a cultivation boost-equiv each turn which'll get unused for a century.

    Maybe not the 13th in full, but the 10th or 11th may not be a bad idea. At your boosted rate, you'd reach the 10th at 72, and the 11th at 125, btw. I don't have hard numbers for how long it'd take to stabilize for guaranteed breakthrough to Foundation for each of those, but it's a number between 140 and 640 and a lot closer to the first than the second.

    (Basically, narratively tribulation strength doubles for each Heavenstage beyond the 9th that you take. A 12th Heavenstage tribulation would be half as hard as 13th, 11th is half as hard as 10th, and so on.)

    Feel free to ignore this, ofc. I just felt like giving advice, but you might want something completely different.
     
    ReaderOfFate said:
    Hm. See, I get that, but when you're going to reach the 9th at 40 in average, waiting for 140 to stabilize without moving up since you don't want to increase the tribulation difficulty seems a bit of a waste, since you'll be firing off a cultivation boost-equiv each turn which'll get unused for a century.

    Maybe not the 13th in full, but the 10th or 11th may not be a bad idea. At your boosted rate, you'd reach the 10th at 72, and the 11th at 125, btw. I don't have hard numbers for how long it'd take to stabilize for guaranteed breakthrough to Foundation for each of those, but it's a number between 140 and 640 and a lot closer to the first than the second.

    (Basically, narratively tribulation strength doubles for each Heavenstage beyond the 9th that you take. A 12th Heavenstage tribulation would be half as hard as 13th, 11th is half as hard as 10th, and so on.)

    Feel free to ignore this, ofc. I just felt like giving advice, but you might want something completely different.
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    Interesting points. I still need to pick up stuff about the system. It'll probably depend a lot on my starting rolls tbh.
     
    Quest said:
    I'm thinking I'll focus on Life-Saving treasures and then just keep extending my lifespan until I can breakthrough naturally. The completionist in me wants to aim for 13th Heavenstage, but the rest of me knows that's a terrible idea.
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    Personally with such a trait I would doubledown on cultivation speed to zoom through the stages of cultivation. I would go through the default cultivation stages so I could get as much power as possible, even if it wasn't optimized. It would certainly be an interesting style of play.
     
    Let us have a moment of silence for those poor poor 5th Sea Qi cultivators who have to deal with Rina Calista during the next 100 year trial.

    Do the 5th Sea and the 3rd sea speak the same language
     
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    Shard said:
    Personally with such a trait I would doubledown on cultivation speed to zoom through the stages of cultivation. I would go through the default cultivation stages so I could get as much power as possible, even if it wasn't optimized. It would certainly be an interesting style of play.
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    This turn I'm going for a Life Saving Treasure because of the Trials, but I'm definitely going for a Tribulation Boost at some point. Apparently, one of those guarantees a breakthrough from the Ninth Heavenstage so that sounds like a better path than just waiting.
     
    Quest said:
    This turn I'm going for a Life Saving Treasure because of the Trials, but I'm definitely going for a Tribulation Boost at some point. Apparently, one of those guarantees a breakthrough from the Ninth Heavenstage so that sounds like a better path than just waiting.
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    Indeed.

    BTW, as a reminder, the age you're in a stage and your overall wordcount stack cumulatively with TBs for considering tribulation odds. One Tribulation boost really cuts down on the time needed to wait for breakthrough to even higher stages than 9th.
     
    Quest said:
    This turn I'm going for a Life Saving Treasure because of the Trials, but I'm definitely going for a Tribulation Boost at some point. Apparently, one of those guarantees a breakthrough from the Ninth Heavenstage so that sounds like a better path than just waiting.
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    Also a point. 9th heavenstage isn't that bad honestly. I think there was a mention that Manuel went for 9th Heavenstage as well.

    Personally, if i'm in a similar situation, i would go for 9th to hit Foundation Establishment as soon as i can. Once there, i have 250 years lifespan after the cut,which is still about 11 turns. So aiming for more then 7 pillars is possible especially with the increased cultivation speed from the Unique Boon.
     
    Mochinator said:
    Also a point. 9th heavenstage isn't that bad honestly. I think there was a mention that Manuel went for 9th Heavenstage as well.

    Personally, if i'm in a similar situation, i would go for 9th to hit Foundation Establishment as soon as i can. Once there, i have 250 years lifespan after the cut,which is still about 11 turns. So aiming for more then 7 pillars is possible especially with the increased cultivation speed from the Unique Boon.
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    True, if you get the Tribulation boost ASAP you could rush for Foundation since you wouldn't have to wait for a century to naturally stabilize to that point. Would be a viable path, yeah.

    Feels like a bit of a missed opportunity tbh, but not going past 9th is ofc still a valid route.

    Though, Mochi, because of lifespan boosts even going past 9th would allow for going past Seven Pillars. Each lifespan boosted turn still is cultivation boosted, after all.
     
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    Mochinator said:
    So erm, that suddenly became darker that what i expected. But i guess it makes sense, very in keeping with the darker aspects of Xianxia, of there being a sacrifice for everything.
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    The original plan for Minervina was for her to be a necromancer. I flipped to poison partially for lack of good examples of how that sort of thing usually works with Xianxia and because I wasn't sure if it would fit well with the Clans 'Demonic by technicality' Shtick.

    Stuff like that's a fun nod to what might have been. When I eventually build a Death Pillar we might get a few more.
     
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