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

[occipitallobe]

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.

 

[Leon12431]

Would forming or building the beginning of a Dao in Qi condensation be useful or help for the later levels?

 

[TimEd]

What is cultivation?

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This needs to be treadmarked to Informational.

 

[Enigma]

Would forming or building the beginning of a Dao in Qi condensation be useful or help for the later levels?

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The general idea behind a Dao (at least in Xianxia novels) is that a persons Dao is the representation of their core beliefs, developed throughout their life and it becomes central to their cultivation later on. Someone who follows their Dao will have a strong Dao heart and have an easier time cultivating than others, and people with better defined Dao's will typically be stronger then peers of the same cultivation. For example, Manuel Konstantinos has a Dao of Darkness which he developed from life experiences and his beliefs about the world. If he follows the ideals such as forging a path for his kin, then he will be stronger for it. If, for whatever reason, the quest decides to ditch the clan Manuel will probably develop a heart demon and his Dao will be weaker.

So basically a persons Dao starts being formed as soon as they have their first experience in life and the answer is probably yes.

 

[Leon12431]

Also as a follow up to my first question could someone in the early stages of Qi condensation even form a true Dao that they can follow or are they too weak to manifest such a thing?

 

[occipitallobe]

This needs to be treadmarked to Informational.

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I've edited it into the Cultivation Realm Information post.

The general idea behind a Dao (at least in Xianxia novels) is that a persons Dao is the representation of their core beliefs, developed throughout their life and it becomes central to their cultivation later on. Someone who follows their Dao will have a strong Dao heart and have an easier time cultivating than others, and people with better defined Dao's will typically be stronger then peers of the same cultivation. For example, Manuel Konstantinos has a Dao of Darkness which he developed from life experiences and his beliefs about the world. If he follows the ideals such as forging a path for his kin, then he will be stronger for it. If, for whatever reason, the quest decides to ditch the clan Manuel will probably develop a heart demon and his Dao will be weaker.

So basically a persons Dao starts being formed as soon as they have their first experience in life and the answer is probably yes.

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This, essentially. You start following the Dao as soon as you start living. But you don't need a strong Dao-Heart to proceed through Qi Condensation. Qi Condensation is the process of rebuilding your physical body and cultivation pathways up to be able to store sufficient energy in your Dantian to be able to form a Dao Pillar. So there's a magical aspect - you need so much Qi to form the magical Dao Pillar, but you can't form the Dao Pillar without having the beginnings of a proper Dao.

Also as a follow up to my first question could someone in the early stages of Qi condensation even form a true Dao that they can follow or are they too weak to manifest such a thing?

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Yes - even a mortal can form a true Dao. It won't have much in the way of a magical effect, though. A Dao is simply a path to follow. It's following a Dao and using it to form various magical constructs like Dao Pillars and a Dao Core that make you into a powerful cultivator.

 

[Leon12431]

I also assume based on what I have read on the posts is that even Daos with the same name manifest differently for each person due to ideological differences in their mindsets. For example another person who follows the Dao of Darkness might not view it the same as the Grand Elder. Is this true or am I off base here?

What secrets would be revealed to a Qi Condensation cultivator?

 

[TehChron]

@occipitallobe when would be appropriate for us to start sending you messages about what our Good Seeds are up to during any given turn?

 

[occipitallobe]

@occipitallobe when would be appropriate for us to start sending you messages about what our Good Seeds are up to during any given turn?

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Whenever, really. Actions and Focuses are so high-level they don't really impact your characters day-to-day lives much. Even if we focus on Military, we still raise cultivators. If we focus on Wealth, we're still inventing new Arrays. Unless you want to be specifically involved in a thing the Clan is voting on (in which case let me know after the vote closes), just either PM or post me what you want to do. If you post, just ping me in the thread.

I've updated the Speed and Lifespan information in a way I'm happy with. 4 turns in Qi Condensation. 15 in Foundation Establishment. 30 in Core Formation. Lots of Bottlenecks to help slow down progress for Good Seeds. Some extra cool options to pursue if you're feeling lucky or you've snorted a lot of powdered omake.

Also, I'm thinking about Good Seeds.

Here's my current thought. Rather than festoon Good Seeds with bonuses (more and more for more omake), I'm considering offering one bonus per turn max, with longer or more numerical omake offering a generic Fate bonus.

So writing 500 or 5,000 words gets you a single Bonus from the list, and I apply the rest as a positive modifier to behind-the-scenes rolls (mechanics which will remain hidden to prevent the possibility of people trying to exploit them).

I'm not certain on this, but it would make tracking things on my end easier.

I also assume based on what I have read on the posts is that even Daos with the same name manifest differently for each person due to ideological differences in their mindsets. For example another person who follows the Dao of Darkness might not view it the same as the Grand Elder. Is this true or am I off base here?

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Correct. The Dao of Darkness is Manuel's name for his personal Dao. It can differ from person to person.

What secrets would be revealed to a Qi Condensation cultivator?

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Very few. 'Fuck the Heavens, those jerks. Other clans chased us out of the plains and mountains. These guys are our enemies. We're awesome bronze people who the heavens hate for some reason.'

Part of the reason ancient secrets and the history of the rebellion against Heaven itself are only revealed to Core Formation cultivators is that the sheer loss and failure of the Clan is hard to bear without a very firm Dao-Heart. Part of it is that the Heavens will try and fuck with you, and it's easier to protect <100 cultivators than hundreds of thousands.

 

[TehChron]

Here's my current thought. Rather than festoon Good Seeds with bonuses (more and more for more omake), I'm considering offering one bonus per turn max, with longer or more numerical omake offering a generic Fate bonus.

So writing 500 or 5,000 words gets you a single Bonus from the list, and I apply the rest as a positive modifier to behind-the-scenes rolls (mechanics which will remain hidden to prevent the possibility of people trying to exploit them).

I'm not certain on this, but it would make tracking things on my end easier.

Click to shrink...

Speaking from my own experience, this is actually a fairly good way to handle it.

You have a singular low hanging fruit available for anyone who meets the minimum bar of entry, and then you can eyeball the rest as you feel appropriate so that you can reward the effort without getting bogged down with having to answer optimization questions to death.

The less book keeping the better!

(Also I would absolutely drown you in 2k+ omakes multiple times a turn if I thought I could get away with it, and since I'm sure Alectai would as well anything to maintain your sanity by throttling those kinds of stunts is a good idea!)

 

[uri]

3rd Heavenstage - 30 (Semi-bottleneck, though not major. The Acupoint Awareness stage. Advancing too fast through the 3rd Heavenstage will negatively impact future development)

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I am assuming that our good seed aren't going to do something stupid in regards to bottlenecks unless something major happens.

I will also go and updated my good seed age.

 

[Enigma]

Hektor Sarantapechos
Hundred-Year Trial: Fly on the wall​

Vast legions of bronze men and women had gathered in the Mustering Ground, the central location of the Golden Devil Clans great citadel, before heading out to man the walls. The time of the Hundred-Year Trials had come again, and the many members of the clan had retreated to their stronghold in the Organ Meat Desert. What few fields the clan had raised in defiance of the heavens will had been returned to the dead earth of the desert, their final harvest a year ago in preparation for the trials. Almost all of their settlements lay empty, designed to be quickly and easily set up and taken down and had been stripped of all possible items of value as everyone that could migrated back to the clan's fortress city.

Hektor, a 29 year old 3rd​ Heavenstage cultivator found himself among his many bronze skinned clanmates, in a Centuria full of his peers. Grand Elder Alexios' grandson Demetrious, a 9th​ Heavenstage Qi Condensing cultivator and nearing a breakthrough to the Centurion realm, was leading the unit alongside various other children of elders and important members of the clan. According to the common sense of this cruel world, the Centuria full of important heirs to the clan should be coddled and never let out of sight but there was a dire need for every last hand in order to survive the coming massacre. Although his unit had been placed in the least dangerous place available, they would still be facing hordes of enemies trying to breach the walls and shall fight as valiantly as possible.

Far off in the distance, the great towers that were the core of the Shattering Glass Spear array fired endlessly into the distance, where a massive cloud of dust rose from the footsteps of the enemy army approaching the citadel. Grand Elder Alexios and Advisor Konstantinos floated above the walls, observing the steadily advancing hordes alongside the Legates of the clan – cultivators in the third great stage commonly called core formation by the outsiders.

Hektor saw his parent, the Elder of Diplomacy, floating alongside her peers and felt a sense of dread wash over him as it all finally came crashing down. The Hundred-Year Trial was here, the enemies were only hours from reaching the citadel and he would soon be thrown into a true battle, not knowing whether he would ever see his family again.

The relentless firing of giant glass spears continued for hours, battering down the enemy army just as much as the unwelcoming nature of the Organ Meat Desert would slowly wear them down over time. Soon enough, the armies were within Hektor's sight, the giant dust clouds no longer looming over the horizon, and the legions prepared their formations.

The battle was met first by the Elders leading seven massive Kataphraktoi formations, the hundred meter tall phantom horsemen charged forward and were met in turn by the Battle Blood Cannibal Sects great Warbeasts. Waves of force from the initial encounter nearly blew Hektor off his feet when they reached the wall, but he maintained his footing by virtue of the resilience granted by his Bronze Blood. From his position on the wall, Hektor could see the Kataphraktoi formations withdrawing one by one to regroup and reforge themselves into Hoplites and Two-Headed Eagles as had been previously planned, then re-joining the battle and killing endless swarms of Warbeasts and their cannibal masters.

Hektor could the effects that their allies and the desert had had on the opposing forces; Damaged armour even before reaching their stronghold, festering wounds covering the Warbeasts, and the exhaustion and rage evident in the cannibal horde. But clearly it hadn't been enough. It never was. The enemy tide continued to charge forwards, facing massive losses but making up for it with sheer quantity of expendable troops. One of the Hoplite formations fell to pieces as an attack from an enemy Nascent Soul had broken past the Grand Elders defences. It was quickly reformed into a Two-Headed Eagle, but not before the members had suffered severe damage and many clansmen had been lost.

The newly reformed formation crossed the battlefield and switched with the first of the reserve troops in their own eagle formation who eagerly flew out to protect their home. Hektor maintained his position on the walls as he watched the battle unfold, their lines slowly being pushed back and Two-Headed Eagles flying back and forth until eventually the fighting reached the walls. Siege engines unfolded and battered the walls, great ladders reaching high to provide a path for the barbarians and their beasts.

Demetrious lead the Centuria in the Hoplite Formation, a great phantom soldier wielding spear and shield generated by the clans mixed energies and their Bronzesigns glowed brightly. Though it was not as grand or large as one led by the Elders, it was still a power to be reckoned with and Hektor joined his fellow members in directing the spear to sweep away ladder after ladder, and barbarian after barbarian from the walls.

Eventually the onslaught of bodies became too great and whether through bad luck, poor planning or a combination of both, Hektor's Centuria had become separated from the nearest formations of Hoplites manning the walls. Tides of cannibals and their Warbeasts had scaled the walls and surrounded them, their Hoplites shield hard pressed to defend against all the attacks. Soon enough the Hoplite formation began to falter and fall apart, leaving Hektor and his clansmen to face their enemies on foot. Though they tried to regroup and forge their Hoplite once more, the enemy numbers were too great and wore them thin. Hektor relied on his spear and shield as he made his way towards Demetrious, the older man struggling under the weight of a giant snake pressing its fangs into his shield.

As Hektor finally reached the man a lucky arrow pierced Demetrious' shoulder, and his shield could no longer hold the weight of the snake above him. He was crushed beneath its fangs and though Hektor managed to pierce the snake with his spear, it was too late for his ally and not even his Bronze Blood could save him. All of a sudden, a great screech blew through the fog of war and turned into a roar of rage and despair as the mighty Two-Headed Eagle formation controlled by the Grand Elder that had been battling an enemy Nascent Soul fell apart. The Grand Elder blasted through all cannibals and warbeasts that remained on Hektor's section of the wall and fell beside the body of his grandson, tears of loss falling from his face.

The Grand Elder blasted away; rage clear for all to see. Hektor took the opportunity to regroup with his decimated Centuria, sporting a few wounds of his own and exhausted from the constant fighting, as they retreated from the walls to allow another group to take their place. Hours later, after many more rounds of fighting as part of another Centuria, the battle subsided. The Battle Blood Cannibal Sect and the other enemy forces had retreated, presumably having accomplished what they set out to do. The dead were tallied, and once again the sect had faced a great loss as they always did, though this time the Grand Elder was among the numerous dead.

Hektor sat amongst the exhausted and wounded, tending to a large wound in his leg that had come from an enemy sword cutting through his weary shield and piercing his bronze skin, and thought about the battle. Why must they assail us so? Every hundred years they come and lose their lives, draining us of our own. He lay amongst the wounded and dying for a time and a question arose in his mind, one that his parent had put forward to him many years ago.

"Which is mightier, the spear or the shield?" If the clan had a stronger shield, then no matter how many enemies had assaulted them none would have been able to kill a single member of the clan. If they had a stronger spear, then they would have been able to kill their enemies before they even lay sight on the Bronze Citadel. Neither answer sat well with him on their own, until he had an epiphany. If neither a stronger shield or a stronger spear is the answer, then mine shall be to have both!

With this answer came the feeling of his acupoints opening up and his cultivation increasing from the third to the fourth Heavenstage as he passed the bottleneck that had held him back for years. Hektor's newfound understanding mixed with the small surge of insight granted by increasing in cultivation to produce the beginnings of an idea, one that could become a set of twinned battle skills that would forge him into a powerful warrior like no other.

Hektor resolved himself; he would become both shield and spear of the clan so that he might stop this massive loss of life next time himself, or he would die trying.

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@occipitallobe Omake for the omake throne! (Word count 1508)

I hope my take on the Hundred Year Trials captures at least some of the chaos, death and destruction that would be prevalent in them, as well as being an enjoyable read! I have also changed my Good Seed background post to reflect the new ages and some other stuff. Also also, If there is anything that clashes with the already established canon or what may soon come, let me know and I'll try to change it.

 

[Wing101r]

Here's my Good Seed

Name: Damien Silver
Image:

Age: 21
Personality: A carefree fool who does things at his own pace. That said when it comes to the sword or Battle he is frighteningly focus revealing he simply doesn't pay much attention to things that don't interest him. He enjoys battle and gives his all to win. He earnestly loves the swords and thus trains himself in it obsessively wishing reach higher and higher levels in skill on it. He treats enemies like a dear Friend not minding any insult, hatred or arrogance they may have and will simply do his best to defeat them with everything he has even killing with no hesitation and smile on his face while praising them. Lastly while few he does genuinely care and treasures those who he loved even if he doesn't show it much and can annoy them due to their foolishness and selfishness.

Background: A member of the Golden Devil Clan whose Parents died shortly after he was born he was thus taken in by his Fathers best friend and raised alongside their youngest Daughter. At first he seemed like an ordinary child until one day he saw a practice match in which both sides used swords he immediately became fascinated with swordsmanship and there both his talent as well obsession became obvious. Starting from borrow or stealing blades in order to train his swordsmanship he spent most of his time apart the mandatory training and relaxation training in nothing but the sword. His Talent was obvious and with his obsessive training quickly learned and masterrd mortal swordsmanship. As he got older he would challenge other in matches in order to both test and improve his swordsmanship winning and losing yet never giving up in order to further hone his skills something that both's exasperated and impressed others. At 16 when he began cultivating his speed was average yet his swords was still continuously honed and once reaching Qi Condensation immediately started on the Path of the Sword Cultivator.

Overall Concept: A Sword Savant who mainly lives to improve his swordsmanship and enjoy battle. That Said he is thankful to the clan and especially the few people he loves in it thus being a loyal member. His Talent and Personality makes him a Fantastic Sword Cultivator which is great since its the class that can generally punch in fights.
Starting Perk: Sword Savant: Makes Damien a Natural Sword Cultivator and improves anything that is related to it.

 

[Twisted Mind]

Lin Fans 1st Omake. Mindset of a Demon

Lin Fan could feel the dark demonic Power in his body and smiled, ''The Hellpoemer had given him so much!". The memories that the hellpoemer had given him said that Killing people would enhance his cultivation and so Lin Fan Smiled '' Thats What ill Do!'' Lin Fan travels until he meets a Healthy Looking Bandit and Smirks. (Bandit: Hey Kid give me all your money! The bandit says raising a knife, Lin Fan smiles and pulls out a Creepy looking flute made out of Bones and plays a Depressing tune while Subtly Lacing the song with Qi exactly how the memories told him to do, As the bandit hears the music his eyes go dull and he shoves the Knife into his own Heart. As the bandit Crumples to the Ground, Lin Fan Smirks feeling his Cultivation level Increase and his Demonic bloodline get Stronger by a Little bit.


This was kinda a mini-Omake.

The reward i wanted was a slight increase in cultivation and The introduction of the bone flute and How the bloodline changed Lin Fan.

 

[occipitallobe]

Adhoc vote count started by occipitallobe on Aug 28, 2020 at 8:43 AM, finished with 114 posts and 20 votes.

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  17 people have voted

  [X] Plan: Rebuild what was Lost
  -[X] Hold Party - Invite your vassals and territorial allies to a celebration of your breakthrough. This demonstrates your power and will invite major gifts as various powers in your territory jockey for your favour. It will cause some minor discontent, though, and take up a few months of valuable cultivating time.
  -[X] Building Bridges (Oasis Rebels)
  -[X] Lecturing - You can simply lecture your many juniors on cultivation. Spend your time helping them grow, using less resources and ensuring better growth for the Clan.

  • Alectai
  • Kaboomatic
  • TimEd
  • No7sHere
  • Leon12431
  • hyperspacemage
  • veekie
  • atrophy
  • Beastly
  • gale
  • TehChron
  • LordEdric
  • ninjastar
  • skaro
  • Yun
  • UwU
  • uri

  3 people have voted

  [X]Plan increase wealth
  -[X] Hold Party - Invite your vassals and territorial allies to a celebration of your breakthrough. This demonstrates your power and will invite major gifts as various powers in your territory jockey for your favour. It will cause some minor discontent, though, and take up a few months of valuable cultivating time.
  -[X] Increasing Wealth - More trade, more mines, more growth. Aim to find more Spirit Stones, tax more from traders, whatever works to increase your Clan Wealth.
  -[X] Lecturing - You can simply lecture your many juniors on cultivation. Spend your time helping them grow, using less resources and ensuring better growth for the Clan.

  • elui
  • Mr. Prokosch
  • Meep

Firstly, I think it's time to close the vote. I think in future (to be honest, I expected far less activity in the thread - normally I don't need to bother with this as things are much slower in other quests I've run) I might have a moratorium of a few hours for people to make plans before voting opens, but I'll see how we go as time goes on.

For omake writers, please ping or message me with your bonus requests if they're not in your omake already. In the event you're not sure, I'll apply a generic cultivation speed one, or a cool fortuitous encounter if I feel one is appropriate to what's happening with the Clan and your character.

Lastly, I've reorganised the Sidestory threadmarks. Good Seeds were ordered by first posting, but this was growing unwieldy to find the right Good Seed to put their omake in. I've resorted them alphabetically.

 

[Twisted Mind]

@occipitallobe what i want is My Demonic bloodline to be upgraded.

 

[occipitallobe]

@occipitallobe what i want is My Demonic bloodline to be upgraded.

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In-character Lin Fan has a small boost to his bloodline, which is fair. I assume his bloodline starts out weak but is enhanced through murder?

 

[Twisted Mind]

Basically yeah his Bloodline gets enhanced with murder. how would my Good seeds Demonic bloodline work? @occipitallobe

 

[occipitallobe]

Basically yeah his Bloodline gets enhanced with murder. how would my Good seeds Demonic bloodline work? @occipitallobe

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Bloodlines are usually a boost to something - whether it be a specific talent, cultivation speed, enhancing certain techniques... and so on. Usually they have a downside as well - those with the Blood of Bronze are tougher and stronger, but being made up of metal over time slows them down. I would assume your demonic bloodline would give the option of strengthening Lin Fan's cultivation whenever you force someone to kill themselves, but might slow his speed down otherwise. Basically rewarding him for going full Demonic Tunist and punishing him if he strays from that path.

 

[Twisted Mind]

Yeah that sounds about right.

 

[Mochinator]

Well, time to join the Omake bandwagon, here's hoping my writing isn't too shit.

Xiao Yi [Origins]

" DISMISSED! " Jumping to his feet, Xiao Yi and his Classmates bowed to the Grand Elder as he left the lecture hall " All Juniors are to now undergo self cultivation, consider the Grand Elder's lectures on our Great Hoplite Formation! MASTER IT, When the Clan calls, none shall be found wanting. "

Following his fellow group mates out of the room, Xiao Yi quickly made his way past them and instead of strolling towards the barracks, made his way to the Clan stables. Strolling to his sole remaining kin, Xiao Yi began his daily ritual of attending to Qing Yun.

" Qing Yun, today our Grand Elder gave us his insights into the Hoplite Formation. Do you think this means our luck has turned for the better ? After all a Cultivation Lecture from a Nascent Soul is something we would have killed for just 2 years ago. " Pulling his hand back at Qing Yun's gentle bite, Xiao Yi gave a bitter smile. " Well, i guess we did kill for it. "

As he Oiled Qing Yun's scales, Xiao Yi reached deep into his Spiritual Sea twisting it as per the Grand Elder's lecture, trying to obtain that sense of Stillness and Anticipation that came from invoking the Hoplite Formation. Letting his thoughts wander as his hands moved, Xiao Yi remembered the day his Fate changed...

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" Xiao Yi, congratulations on your Coming-Of-Age, i guess that after today's ceremony Little Yi will no longer be so little! " Face scrunching into a scowl, 10 year old Xiao Yi brushed at his Uncle's hand as it ruffled his hair. " I'm already not little! Just because i was born at the end of the year and the others had their Coming-Of-Age and Adult Names before me doesn't mean i'm little! "

" Brother, will you stop teasing my son ? " Letting out a sheepish smile, Xiao Yi's uncle turned to his Clan Chief and gave a deep bow. " Sorry, Big Brother. I'll control myself. Here is my gift for the Clan Heir. " So saying, he presented a Fangtian Ji to XIao Yi. " This Ji is made from the bones and claws of a 100 year old Rock Eagle, may it allow you to soar to the heavens. "

Bowing his head in thanks, XIao Yi turned to his father, his eyes gleaming as he reached out with his hands. " Hmph! You greedy boy, here is your gift from the Clan Head. " Xiao Yi's expression was a sight to behold as his Father dropped a barely weaned Qilin into his arms. " Here, in accordance with our traditions here is your first Beast Pet, your Pact Brother. You're lucky that i stumbled onto this young beast on my last hunt, a Qilin like the lord of this Mountain is a rare Beast to have as your first Pact Brother. "

Thanking his Father profusely, Xiao Yi made a cut on his palm and presented it to the beast. " Let us be bound by this blood, you will be my brother and i will be yours. We will share Joy, Sorrow, Anger and Hate, let our pact be done " As the young beast licked the blood, Xiao Yi found a sense of presence bloom in his mind. " I shall name you Qing Yun (Green Cloud), let us soar together. "

As Night approached, Xiao Yi made his way to the Ancestral hall, ready to begin his adulthood ceremony when a thunderous roar split the air causing everyone to come to a standstill. An Elder of the clan exclaimed in shock " That sounded like a Blood Tiger. But the Qi in the roar... the amount is of a Liquid Core Beast! "

Before anyone could make a move, a bloodied Clansman made his way to the Clan Chief. " Lord! The Beast is approaching us, the Outer Clansmen are already attacking it to buy time. Your Orders Lord! "

" If a Mid Core beast wants to exterminate our Clan.. we are finished. But we will not go out without a Fight! All Clansmen attend! Let us show this beast that we will not be food for it! " As the Clan Chief rallied the Clan, Xiao Yi started forcing his way to his room to grab his Ji when his Mother grabbed his arm.

" Xiao Yi, listen to me. You will not Fight. " Yanking his arm out of his Mother's grasp, Xiao Yi couldn't help but shout back.

" Mother, i am as old as some of the Clansmen! I will fight in defense of my Clan! "

" Oh Xiao Yi, you have not gone through the adulthood ceremony, you are still a child. Go to the Saferoom, you will be safe there. "

" She's right, Little Yi. Kids should stay safe and let the adults handle this. " , " Xiao Yi, our Arts will live within you now " , " You are our legacy now. " Hearing the murmurs of the crowd around him, Xiao Yi burst into sobs as his clan ushered him into the saferoom.

" Here is your Ji Little Yi, keep Qing Yun safe and don't come out until everything is quiet. Head to the Golden Devils and pass them this Token, my clan will take care of you. " So saying, his mother passed over a Golden Token of a 2 headed Eagle as the stone walls of the saferoom started to close and as the sound of combat begun.

It took 2 days for the outside to go dead silent. 2 days for the sounds of battle, and of bones crunching to subside to a halt. Xiao Yi made his way out of the Safehouse to find a charnel hall, with bodies of his clansmen and their Pact beasts lying around half-eaten.

Falling to his knees, Xiao Yi stared at the devastation of his Clan until a growl caught his attention. Turning his head, Xiao Yi observed Qing Yun digging a hole in the ground and respectfully placing the bodies of his clan for burial in it.

" Yes, Qing Yun. I should bury our Clan and ensure the wild beasts do not disturb their rest. "

Scavenging the surviving pieces of intact armor he could find until he had a full suit and all the Clan Arts and Records he could gather, Xiao Yi left the ruins of his home vowing vengeance as he made his way to the Organ Meat Desert, to the Golden Devils, his mother's Clan.

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It took me Nine Years to get here. Nine Years of Fighting, killing and robbing. Nine years of cultivating with whatever beast cores or spirit stones in accordance with the scraps of Clan Arts i was able to decipher...

Xiao Yi remembered finally making his way to the Clan and handing over his Mother's Token. Of proving to the Clan that he was of their blood, and of trading away his Clan Arts for the resources to cultivate, to obtain the chance to eventually becoming strong enough to wipeout the Beast that killed his clan.

---------------------------------

A sense of Qi resonating with him snapped him out of his musings. Turning to Qing Yun, Xiao Yi felt his Pact brother Qi's resonating and reaching out to him. Upon grabbing the Qi, Xiao Yi felt a sense of Sturdiness, a sense of becoming Bronze enveloping him and Qing Yun for a brief second.

" Did that just happen ? Were we able to resonate with the Hoplite Formation ? Qing Yun, I see it now! I see our future path, our way of obtaining strength and vengance for our Clan! " Letting out a bitter laugh, Xiao Yi resolved to work harder now that his path to vengeance had revealed itself to him as the last words of his Clan ran through his head.

" Xiao Yi, our Arts will live within you now " , " You are our legacy now. "

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XIao Yi's Dao: Dao of Vengeance (Path Of Vengeance )
Xiao Yi Traits: Blooded, street smart.
Xiao Yi Skills: Spearmanship, Mounted Combat
Xiao Yi Cultivation Arts before entering the Golden Devils: Man-Beast Pact Cultivation, where Man and Beast work together as partners in combat.

So here is that backstory. Changed some details from the original Good Seed entry to better hit those Xianxia Cliches @occipitallobe

I'm trying to convey that it took him Nine Years to make it from the mountains to the Clan safely, since he was a non-cultivator when he left. As a result of his journey, he had to do " Demonic " stuff like killing and robbing, so he has seen real death and betrayal on the road.

His cultivation is low as he didn't have anyone teaching + a lack of resources or safe areas to cultivate. If the above interpretation/branch off of the Clan Formation is cool, for future Omakes if i have the time i will want to expand on Xiao Yi working on merging his Old Clan arts with the Formation for him and Qing Yun.

Something like:

Hoplon Formation: A Hoplite Formation branchoff where the User and his Pact Beast channel their Qi to make themselves like the SHIELD OF THE HOPLITE increasing the defenses of Armor worn by the User And the Scales of the Pact Beast
Dory Formation: A Hoplite Formation branchoff where the User and his Pact Beast channel their Qi to make themselves like the SPEAR OF THE HOPLITE increasing the attack power of the Weapon wielded by the User and the Claws of the Pact Beast.

i see it working only because as part of the pact ritual of Xiao Yi's old clan, his blood his shared. So Qing Yun has some Bronze Blood within him. Not enough for him to initiate but enough for him to basically tag or enhance Xiao Yi's formations.

 

[uri]

@occipitallobe after sleeping on it I decided that I want the Powerful Technique reword for a powerful stealth technique (I don't actually knows how powerful the technique can be so tell me if something isn't allowed) that allows Yan to fade into the background either completely or partly and that with further mastery will allow him to come off as if he is in a lower small realm then he actually is (I assume this is possible and that techniques get more powerful as one masters them).

 

[Empere]

I'm going to give this a shot!

Aurelia Xu

Spoiler: Reference Image

Technically, Aurelia Xu is a princess, not that the title means much to her. Her Ancestor is Xu Shan, a mortal emperor who begged the Elders of the Golden Devils Sect for aid when the Jin Empire was besieged and the Seven Divine Saber Palace would not act. Moved by such a plight and by the humility so rarely shown by rulers in the Turtle World, they accepted. They sent an expedition force that repulsed the Abyssal Demon Sect and saved the land from slaughter.

Then the Seven Divine Saber Place Sect invaded the land, ostensibly to protect the empire from the golden-haired devils who had swept over the land, but in reality to satisfy their greed and ire. One target of their ire was the Emperor who had invited the Golden Devils to repulse the Devil Bee's Sect and this had cost them face.

For this insult a Sect Elder chopped off Xu Shan's feet and hands, then severed his limbs one by one before taking his head.

Before this terrible injustice, knowing his life was forfeit, Xu Shan begged one last boon from a General of the Golden Devils. When the clan retreated from the Jim Empire's capital city, a carriage joined the convey. It carried his beloved wife, his doted upon concubine, and their children away.

Aurelia is one of many descendants of those children, more particularly a descendant of the boy who would've been First Prince. All descendants are told this story, and the gratitude and responsibility felt towards the Golden Devil clan for saving their family from extinction is profound. It is for this reason, many of the Xu who have the Talent join the clan in defense of the land where they now live and their family.

Not all who live in territories of the core clan of the Golden Devils are Bronze-Blooded, There are numerous communities of Turtle World natives who live their lives there as well, either as fellow exiles who fled with the clan, or peoples who integrated when the Golden Devils came to the Organ Meat Desert. With the fallen royal family, almost five thousand years of history have given time for a sizable minority to blossom in these lands. In one such community, where her branch of the family are bureaucrats, scholars, and teachers, she was born.

Aurelia was an intelligent and elegant girl. She took to her lessons with passion, from mathematics to manners. Even outside lessons, she enjoyed reading and learning. She wrote (bad) poetry, practiced calligraphy, and did embroidery. Outside of the Bronze-Blooded people, she has many of the assets for classical beauty--with a willowy frame, long black hair, and black eyes.

When she turned sixteen, she was tested, as was traditional in her family, and was found to have the Talent. Pleased, she decided to become a cultivator and be inducted into the clan. Though she does not bear the Bronze Blood, she is determined to contribute with pride and defiance of the world who condemned her ancestor.

~*~*~*~*~​

Overall High Concept: Descendant of fallen royalty lineage joins the clan in repayment of her family's eternal gratitude for saving the Jin Empire and her family. Has the look and training of a stereotypical Young Mistress of Chinese fantasy but with a terminal lack of awfulness. Beyond debt of gratitude however, Aurelia has made the cause of the Golden Devils--their rage against the heavens, her own. She is also an example of what the cultural mixing of the cultures of the Turtle World and the culture of the Bronze Devil might look like.

~*~*~*~*~
​

Current Status: Freshly awakened and initiated Cultivator of the First Heavenstage of Qi Condensation.
Perk: Scales Fall From Your Eyes - Aurelia is resistant to illusions of both the physical and mental and has an increased ability to maintain a clear head when it comes to her beliefs.

 

[occipitallobe]

(This was meant to be a party, but ended up being a tour. I realised my mistake 1,500 words in, and figured, hey, I'll just bear with it. Assume Manuel overrode the party and decided to tour instead.)

Manuel grinned.

Not in sight of others, of course.

For all he loved trickery and a good prank on his friends, it was better to be the impossibly deep old monster here. He had decided to go around the vassals clockwise, spending some time meeting each potentate, leader, Emperor, Clan head, Patriarch and broadly anyone of power in their own territory.

He had come alone, as befitted the message.

In other times, he would take a grand entourage, many good juniors and Core Formation cultivators to show off the strength of the Clan.

This was different. No weaknesses were possible, no possible minor losses in exchanging pointers, no friendly jostling for position. That would all happen later, and others would deal with the matter.

His message was far simpler.

"We have a mid Nascent Soul cultivator. You do not."

Oh, it was cloaked in pleasantries, and when he reached Shen Kingdom their early Core Formation King begged him to slay a bandit who had reached the same realm through the misuse of Blood Path. Old Shen knew he'd be paying more tribute for this visit, and he intended to get his money's worth. Still. Tens of thousands of mortals dead. He sighed. Shen Kingdom would bear further watching, King Shen Ya was an incompetent for all his strength - suppressing those who followed Blood Path on the back of innocents was a key law of the Clan.

Two days later he had simply flown over, unveiling his cultivation in the sky for all to see. Old Liver Eater, as they called him, was holed up in a mountain fortress with another thousand or so rebel cultivators. He hadn't bothered fighting seriously - the point was to ensure all knew of the strength of the Golden Devil Clan, and that the notion of disobedience was simply impossible. In a real fight he would have killed Old Liver Eater before the other man even saw him.

He yanked with a hand, and clawed the man out into the sky, holding him up with a line of invisible force. In the other hand he held a jewelled spear. His Grand Projection Spear was a useless weapon against Nascent Souls, but it could project an image and sound for hundreds of li around where it was. He had used it to ambush a Nascent Soul during a Blood Cannibal incursion two centuries ago, wounding a man a full small realm above him.

"Shen Kingdom."

His voice was calm, implacable. He felt the darkness of the universe run through him. The certain notion that there was a shadow to the Heavens, an authority that could be its equal. An authority he channeled, his voice sounding all the world like the decree of Fate itself.

"This man, Old Liver Eater has rebelled against a Golden Devil Clan ally."

Old Liver Eater started to choke, blood streaming out of his eyes and nose.

Manuel frowned. He hadn't intended to kill the man so quickly. Better reign in his aura.

"Any who defy the laws of the Clan face death. He has slaughtered mortals, a crime. He has consumed cultivators under our protection, a crime. He has rebelled against our ally, a crime. The sentence is death."

Now. How to impress?

Well, if Liver Eater loved blood arts so much...

Manuel focused on the air around Liver Eater. He wasn't an air cultivator, but applying pressure to a disabled cultivator was a fairly simple task for a Nascent Soul. The pressure grew, and grew. Blood flowed out of Liver Eater's mouth, eyes, nose, and ears, and then-

Pop.

His whole body exploded, like a balloon of blood.

Manuel hadn't even touched him.

A touch melodramatic, he thought, but people loved that sort of thing. Those who were clever enough to record it on a jade slip would be selling copies of those slips for decades - if not centuries - to come, which would help retain control in Shen Kingdom.

-----------

A day later, he sat in Shen City Palace, enjoying a fine meal.

"King Shen-"

The sweating king interrupted.

"Please, Elder Manuel, call me Little Ya. You are my benefactor!"

Manuel smiled.

"Of course not. How could I impose on a noble ruler such as yourself?"

Another bead of sweat ran down the portly king's face. He had grown a beard, and dyed it yellow in imitation of the Golden Devil Clan. Probably, Manuel thought, as soon as he heard that Manuel was coming.

"No, no. If you won't accept calling me Little Ya, please, accept these great gifts so that I do not lose face by sitting with you as an equal?"

Manuel was familiar with this particularly annoying song-and-dance.

"No, King Shen! I came bearing gifts. How could one such as I accept gifts from a junior. Wouldn't I just be bullying you?"

King Shen shook his head.

"Please, it is my honour. I will tell my children, and their children's children of this visit. How can I tell such a tale and admit I was a miser who gave no gift? Do not shame me in front of my children, I beg you. Leave me some face!"

This went on, to Manuel's count, for another fifteen minutes. Tiresome. But necessary.

Eventually he accepted the gifts, placing them in his Soul Aperture. About sixty years of savings for King Shen. Three times what he expected, but the king knew he was at risk. Failing to suppress such a bandit might see him overthrown by a more righteous bandit the Clan approved of, and Shen Kingdom had only been Shen Kingdom for a short five hundred years.

The other kingdoms in the north were similar. Peng Kingdom needed a princess cured. Manuel was no doctor, but in the end it was simply a matter of poor Qi circulation, a matter he had lectured on for centuries. Twelve City Alliance needed conflicts mediated. He mediated fairly, but made it clear he expected larger gifts for doing so no matter who he found for. The Divided Mortal Kingdoms were undergoing a major war, and six of the thirty-two kings were turning to Blood Path to help supplement their forces. Only Foundation Building cultivators, but still.

He took two days to kill them publicly, appointed new kings, and in return for a slip to shatter to request aid for the first fifty years of their reign, took most of their resource stockpiles.

The Simmering Soup Sect was a brief visit, and they renewed a slightly larger payment. They were a major power in the region, and Manuel didn't want to push them too much. They had caught a Dao-Core Viper, though, and had made soup from it. It was an excellent soup, capable of increasing poison resistance to those who drank it permanently. He would save it in storage until new Elders were eventually promoted - poison path was too dangerous to Core Formation cultivators, ensuring they had some resistance was an important task.

Hua Empire and Xin Kingdom were at war. Manuel mediated the conflict, allowing a series of duels to determine the next 100 years of ownership over a Spirit Stone mine. This was more favourable to Hua Empire, but Xin Kingdom had seen three Blood Path rebels in the last century - he suspected King Xin Fe needed to be removed. Of course, such mediation came at a cost, and most of those proceeds from the mine for twenty years went as tribute to the Golden Devil Clan.

It wasn't until he returned to Hong Xuan Clan that the unexpected happened.

An Early Nascent Soul from the Battle Blood Cannibal Sect had crossed into Hong Xuan Clan - normally this would be difficult to detect, and a city might be lost. It was sheer fortune - the kind that made Manuel suspicious - that saw him here, now. He was dressed in rags, covered in scratches, and clearly trying to sneak into Hong Xuan territory.

No Core Formation allies. No Foundation Building juniors.

Hmmmm.

To him, that spoke of problems in the Battle Blood Cannibal Sect. Disunity between their Nascent Souls, assuredly.

The man moved along the ground, creeping from place to place, lowering his cultivation.

He hadn't noticed Manuel.

Manuel thought about this, considering his options. The best move would be to force the man to activate any lifesaving talismans or artifacts he had, making him vulnerable and unwilling to come out. Wounding was probable, crippling possible. Killing? Almost certainly not.

But...

The man was radiating a Foundation Building level. Perfect.

Manuel tapped a small glass spear on a necklace around his neck. Once. Twice. Three times.

Enough power to kill a Core Formation cultivator. It'd weaken the array for a few years, but opportunities like this came up so very rarely.

A few minutes later, a massive glass spear came shooting across the sky, headed for the man directly. It aimed at him. The man looked up, and saw the sheer power of the spear.

Manuel drew his meat cleaver. Others used grand Dao of the Sword or Spear. He had a hundred artifacts, pills, poisons, tags and formation flags, all usable in the right situation. In open combat he had never been exceptional, but this was his element. The Bone Hacking Cleaver was a fairly weak weapon, but once it hit a limb it cut it off. Every time. Easy to block, but if you didn't know it was coming...

The spear flew towards the man. He sneered, and flared his Nascent Soul, pulling a sword out of nowhere to deflect it from. It was only for a breath of time, but that was enough. Manuel leapt at the man, and struck at his left leg with the Bone Hacking Cleaver.

Snicker-snack.

The leg went off as the spear was deflected.

The man screamed, and rose up into the air, looking around. He saw Manuel.

"Who are you? Seeking death?!"

Manuel smiled. Thin lips, stretched taut. Shoulders forward. Always confident, always inviolable. Invincible. Unfathomable. He only had one more trick for this battle, but it would hopefully be a useful one.

He flared his own cultivation to early Nascent Soul level.

"Elder Nikephoros Theophylaktos, Golden Devil Clan. What are you doing here, Cannibal scum?"

The man seethed visibly.

"Blood Elder Child Corpse Gulper. I'll kill you for this insult. I'll kill you, then these mortals, too."

He charged at Manuel. The second trick, he thought, was even better. The Certain Death Corpse Dagger. Used on those with a lower cultivation realm, it convinced them the attack coming at them was deadly, and would kill them if it hit. Of course, it was just an ordinary Spirit Dagger otherwise. He'd got it when he was in Qi Gathering, and had reinforced it several times.

As the dagger evaded the man's sword, Manuel moved so that they would exchange blows. A sword-blow for a dagger-strike.

If the man accepted this exchange, he'd be much the worse for wear. But if he didn't-

Corpse Gulper flinched, and a magical orb rose up and shattered, blocking the dagger-blow. As it did, a great magical doorway opened behind him inside a giant frog's mouth, a massive red tongue wrapping around Corpse Gulper and whisking him away.

"Two life-saving treasures and a leg."

Manuel grinned openly.

This had been a very lucky day.

Hong Xuan Clan of course offered great tribute - taking a Nascent Soul limb was no easy feat. Manuel even left them the little toe to display in their Clan Hall. A little foolish, but their pride in having the toe would remind them of the Golden Devil Clan's power every time they walked into the centre of their strength. Certainly a worthwhile trade.

 

[No7sHere]

I really like our elder he just seems like an actually decent person.

 

[ReaderOfFate]

The power of a gap of small realms in the Nascent Soul stage seems to be significant, especially considering that we have a penalty to combat from low stamina.

But I suppose the combat-skill of the Slowly option mitigates that penalty.