- Location
- Third planet from the star named Sol
- Pronouns
- He/They
Ah but the Sunflower Goddess is family now. She's Liling's grandmother. So, if she's the only family left, then it is everything for her, no?
Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Well, the theory we had in the first thread was mostly correct, it seems.
The jungle is "conquered" in name only.
Sun Shao is trying to keep a multitude of balls in the air, and is losing family members again and again, either to the (toxic?) divine Qi, and/or to the retaliation the Bai left in the Red Garden.
So, yeah.
Glad we are part of the Cai/Bai faction, all in all.
The jungle is "conquered" in name only.
Sun Shao is trying to keep a multitude of balls in the air, and is losing family members again and again, either to the (toxic?) divine Qi, and/or to the retaliation the Bai left in the Red Garden.
So, yeah.
Glad we are part of the Cai/Bai faction, all in all.
- Location
- Canada
Liling has been forcibly adopted by the Sunflower Goddess, she's being made into a Spirit Blood
When Shao said "Everything for family" what neither we nor Liling understood at the time was he wasn't just talking about the family he lost, or that he's trying to protect, he's also talking about the Sunflower Goddess
He isn't merely trying to weather through his deal with her and reverse the damage it's done, he's accepted and embraced it
They don't just make use of and adapt the Blood Jungles Arts, or bind their spirits, they have become the new iteration of the Jungle inhabitants they once fought against
And he's planning to split from the Empire entirely, the Throne won't support him, and the Bai have withstood the years of hardship and are now recovering
So he's thrown his lot entirely with the Jungle now
- Location
- Earth
I don't agree with the backlash. Do remember Xin is Simo the Elder's wife as well. She's kind of a massive moon spirit. The Jungle is conquered. As long as the Grandfather lives. He pays taxes to the Empire, after all. His main problem is that his successor needs to be able to ride the same spirit, or the wheels come off. Keep in mind, for all its murderous nature, the spirit does seem to care for him.
So as long as he can get a good heir, he is fine. If only they'd all stop dying from poison already. I swear, there are so many snakes in the jungle. It's almost like insulting a true Major Clan means a generational grudge match of unimaginable proportions. It's really telling that only the children who don't agree with the Head of House and aren't worthy of taking command of the Spirit survive.
I don't think they all died to a spirit that agreed to carry his children to term. I think they died because the Bai are the Bai. You do not leave such an insult/upstart/betreyal unpunished. Or others will get ideas as well.
So as long as he can get a good heir, he is fine. If only they'd all stop dying from poison already. I swear, there are so many snakes in the jungle. It's almost like insulting a true Major Clan means a generational grudge match of unimaginable proportions. It's really telling that only the children who don't agree with the Head of House and aren't worthy of taking command of the Spirit survive.
I don't think they all died to a spirit that agreed to carry his children to term. I think they died because the Bai are the Bai. You do not leave such an insult/upstart/betreyal unpunished. Or others will get ideas as well.
deadcrystal
Slaaneshi Cultist
- Location
- The Warp
Given the theming of the Sunflower Goddess that we've seen both in this scene and previously in an outer sect dream challenge, and the domain we again saw here...
Not quite a Hive Mind, but a love in which you are utterly subsumed...
Sun Shao and the Sun family aren't the ruling family of the western territory, they're the slaves of one of the great external barbarian spirit that is invading and consuming the empire.
globalwarmth
ruining the weather.
- Location
- Polar ice caps
the Bai were right, burn the jungles
... poor Liling shudders.
The problem is that the Imperial dragon tried that, and it just grows back.
- Location
- the internet
Iicr, it seems that through this process Sun Liling will literally become spirit blooded through an extraordinarily painful and invasive process that I think may subsume part of her identity. This is the price they paid for "taming" the Jungle. In truth, they didn't tame it at all--in exchange for the power and living in the Jungle, they gave themselves to it and replaced the barbarian people they had conquered. With the Bai recovering from their bout of political weakness and her Aunt Lin dying, taking the influence they had in the seat of the Empire with her...Her grandfather was forced to speed up his timetable and give Liling, who he seems to trust more than other family members, this power now...Unfortunately, her getting this newfound power means...this.
Not quite how I understood it. Judging by Shao's aura of defeat and resignation, I think his original hope was that he could afford to have his deal with the goddess die with him.
But with the Bai resurgent and the empire beginning to switch allegiance, that's no longer in the cards. They need the power of an Ancestor, if his family is to have any hope of survival.
All White-tier cultivators are monsters.
Tbh, her mother was killed by her Clan (Bai tradition. I bet best snakes mother was also killed by Bai plot.) Most of what we've been told of Empire rulership (those close to the Empress) is that they are snakes... *Glances at best snake*
Tbh, what choices do they have? The Empire doesn't seem to care and the second Bai have the chance, they'll attack the Red Garden. So get someone who can bitch slap them if they go too far. Given the original rebellion was caused by them not allowing Sun Shao to go beyond the river...
You know, I always thought that Ling Qi and Sun Shao would be similar in regards to their family, but they're not really. Sun Shao is willing to sacrifice everything, including family, for family, forcefully I might add. Ling Qi on the other hand is only really willing to sacrifice herself. Sure she'll offer to let others make sacrifices and take risks, but she prefers that it'd be her.
I think this is partly correct.
Remember, we could have ended up in rhe Liling faction, and yrsillar would not have given us a "no win" scenario.
This said, the whole setup Shao has going there, does not seem stable to me, so I am still glad we are not more involved in this mess.
The balance of power between him and the spirit is very much in doubt here.
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- Location
- the internet
I really don't think that's correct. For one thing, Xin is only aPrism spirit of the Hidden Moon. That thing we saw was a deity, something on the level of the Sublime Ancestors, I believe. Xin could be partnered with, the way she is with Jiao. Grandpa Sun had to give his fav grandchild to this thing, this process in order to retain his power. He clearly didn't want to but he acted like he had no other choice. Considering he's either Prism or White, that's saying something bc at that level, there's very little you can't do. He clearly loves Liling, if there was another way he knew of, he would've chosen it. He refers to a deal they've struck. Rings very much of a deal with the devil.
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Granpa Sun is White.
- Location
- the internet
Had we joined Liling, the story would've gone differently. Liling would've won her clash against Cai because we'd have been the deciding factor in so many fights in her favor instead. Though I'm not positive, I think its possible that Grandpa Sun wouldn't have believed Liling to have needed the power up.
Or maybe we wouldn't have considered this a lose-lose situation. Like yes, poor Liling. However, if we were as close to her as we are to Meihzen, we could've offered enough moral support that Liling could've weathered it and retained more of her identity. As of now...I have my doubts.
- Location
- United States of America
The more I learn about the spirits and different aspects of this world, the more I want to take explore actions to have Ling Qi see the world herself. Because this, taking aside the facet about horribly forced adoption by a greater spirit, was fascinating. The palace complex of the Sun, and the details of the fortress city, all the way to the complete toxicity of the land where Grandpa Sun took his stand and rebuffed the Bai, presumably making the devil's deal as well.
The Western Province is fascinating. Too bad that it is very hostile to basically everyone. Hopefully Liling doesn't get too consumed by this adoption, it is already a tragedy the lengths that Grandpa Sun is willing to go. At this point though, depending on just how much stronger Liling gets, I would certainly put her ahead of Meizhen and Cai. Possibly even if the latter two work together to stop her.
It's going to be interesting to see how different she is upon her return to the Sect and just how much more dangerous interacting with her will be.
The Western Province is fascinating. Too bad that it is very hostile to basically everyone. Hopefully Liling doesn't get too consumed by this adoption, it is already a tragedy the lengths that Grandpa Sun is willing to go. At this point though, depending on just how much stronger Liling gets, I would certainly put her ahead of Meizhen and Cai. Possibly even if the latter two work together to stop her.
It's going to be interesting to see how different she is upon her return to the Sect and just how much more dangerous interacting with her will be.
The Sunflower Goddess is the end of the path that Zeqing was on and which she rejected, though it cost her life.
Our advanced insight, that families are made from many wills, is us inheriting Zeqing's legacy of love. For that matter our domain, which is family of choice rather than family of blood, confronts the basic idea of the Sunflower Goddess as well. Rather than taking away identity, we nurture it. That's presumably why all those powerful spirits and spirit beasts keep trusting us with their children.
Jensaarai
Sing Victory Everlasting
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I might be forgetting some stuff, but what are these "greater works" that he's talking about?
Yeah, I think so too. The more and more we hear about this world and the various powers and nations in it, the more I just want Ling Qi to take all her stuff and family and go explore it all. The Empire's fascinating as well, but there's just so much out there.
I'm still holding out hope that we'll get a chance to see or hear more about the Conqueror's Graveyard.