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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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yrsillar said:
Ling Qi cast a sidelong look at her Mother, as much as her cultivation and arts had improved of late, she could feel in far more detail the problems that plagued her Mother's cultivation. Though it was inactive, she could feel Ling Qingge's dantian. It was small and empty like all mortals, but the difference was, with her recent efforts to cultivate, subtle flaws had been made clear. Though it appeared as a healthy vessel on the surface, it really wasn't. It was like a jug riven by a hundred invisible hairline cracks, and though it could hold some 'water' the closer the jug came to being filled, the more 'water' was forced out through the widening cracks.

While Ling Qi did not know enough of the subject to say, she suspected that this was the result of age on cultivation potential. Her Mother let out a deep breath then, opening her eyes, and Ling Qi watched the slow trickle as recently cultivated qi began to dissipate. "I never imagined that sitting and breathing could be so tiring," her mother sighed, trying and failing to disguise the slump of fatigue in her shoulders.
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Just remember, this little insight from the last update: cultivation is a race against the clock, and early advantages compound exponentially. With how high Ling Qi is aiming, she can't afford to lose out on any advantage during what's likely to be her most productive period of cultivation. She already spends a few hours a week with her family off-screen, and what with Ling Qingge breaking through to Red and Biyu having some measure of talent, it's not like they're going anywhere in the next 2 years. It's like being a university student, LQ's priority should be on studying right now, and in a couple years she'll have more time to spend with her household and family.

[X] While you will be present as much as you can, your household cannot be top priority yet. (Status quo)

 
[x] While you will be present as much as you can, your household cannot be top priority yet. (Status quo)

Enjoyed Ling Qingge's Tribulation of Getting Out Of The House bearing fruit. :V
 
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Huo Yuhao said:
Are people in the 500s Green 5 too? It seems Bao Qingling is at least. If those in the combat track at that range are also Green 5, I don't see any reason we'd need Green 6.

[X] In the future, devote more time to your household and your family. (-1AP in future turns)
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I don't think you listened to me.

Music Sempai, Bao Qingling, and Wen Cao are all Green Five.
yrsillar said:
540: Bao Qingling
598: Wen Cao
627: Ruan Shen
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So if we want to get past them, we need to be at at least that level of Cultivation.

You wanted a hard target that could get us past them in rankings?

Green 6 is it.
 
Also for everyone going "we see them plenty"/"they get the right amount of screentime already"

...no they don't. We barely interact with them unless forced to and ignore or put them off in favor of other SLs all the time. Saying that "off screen interaction" is just as meaningful as onscreen interaction is crap.

Zeqing even told us we were a bad daughter, this vote is another step in changing that.
 
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Do we know how likely we are to reach Green 6 by the end of our time in the sect if we maximize our cultivation speed?
 
TehChron said:
I don't think you listened to me.

Music Sempai, Bao Qingling, and Wen Cao are all Green Five.


So if we want to get past them, we need to be at at least that level of Cultivation.

You wanted a hard target that could get us past them in rankings?

Green 6 is it.
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Well, we are currently looking at turn 10/11 for Green 4. Green 5/6 are harder to predict so far (in good part because we'd need EPC+ and appropriate combat arts for mid green we are lacking), but even with said sacrifice we should be comfortable Green 5 by tournament and Green 6 by the end of the second year.

The big questions for our ranking are a bit different: How hard will be the bottlenecks, and how can we find appropriate arts.

Bottleneck wise, considering what is our way, I'd say spending those AP with the family might actually help.
 
[x] In the future, devote more time to your household and your family. (-1AP in future turns)

If Ling Qi's cultivation won't let her spend time with her family then what good is it?
 
[X] While you will be present as much as you can, your household cannot be top priority yet. (Status quo)

We have been ambitious in our goals from the start. We choose Cai out of ambition and pragmatism. We do not slow down the cultivation machine.

yrsillar said:
"Is that so?" Cai Renxiang replied, the eyes splashed over her chest now focusing upon Ling Qi. "I had thought you more ambitious than that. Do you not seek the highest levels of power?"

"In cultivation, of course," Ling Qi replied, frowning. "But that is a personal matter, not trying to affect the entire empire."
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yrsillar said:
"Your daughter offers me strength and a solid foundation from which to grow, for both myself and my family," she said, being careful to speak evenly without going too fast or too slow. "And I think I would like to live in and up to the sort of order she wishes to create."
...
"Hm," she felt her shoulders stiffen as the Cai matriarch made a thoughtful sound. "I do not hate such pragmatic attitudes," she mused. "See that you do not allow yourself to waver in your devotion to our order," there was something in the older woman's tone that raised the hairs on the back of her neck in alarm, some thread of amusement directed at her.
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yrsillar said:
Folded neatly in her lap, Cai Renxiang's hands twitched, as if to clench, though the motion never got that far. "I had thought so," the other girl said in a low voice. "...But I have been reminded that power must come first, for anything else to hold meaning," she spoke calmly, but Ling Qi could detect a lingering edge of bitterness there. "I will redouble my efforts in the Inner Sect."

"I will not disagree," Ling Qi replied mildly. "Strength is the key to accomplishing anything, but it is still only the means, not the end."
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yrsillar said:
"Good, I feel little need to offer you specific instruction," the ruler said lightly. "End your time no more than five ranks beneath my daughter."

"Of course, Duchess Cai," Ling Qi replied evenly. She could do that.

"What a good girl you are," the woman said with a throaty chuckle.
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Arkeus said:
Well, we are currently looking at turn 10/11 for Green 4. Green 5/6 are harder to predict so far (in good part because we'd need EPC+ and appropriate combat arts for mid green we are lacking), but even with said sacrifice we should be comfortable Green 5 by tournament and Green 6 by the end of the second year.

The big questions for our ranking are a bit different: How hard will be the bottlenecks, and how can we find appropriate arts.

Bottleneck wise, considering what is our way, I'd say spending those AP with the family might actually help.
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It's a fair point, but losing a full turns worth of AP is a big sacrifice, especially when challenges are matches of different skillsets at the discretion of the challenged.

It's not something we can treat flippantly. If we make this move, it's going to cost us in terms of our overall objectives. In discord you said you didn't care, to be sure, but I still want to make that fact very clear.
 
[X] In the future, devote more time to your household and your family. (-1AP in future turns)

The foundation of our way is home and i think this will better help us develop that which is fundamental for our long term cultivation.
 
[X] While you will be present as much as you can, your household cannot be top priority yet. (Status quo)


TBT, this is not easy, but argument concerning our immediate superior sweating bullets and doing work in ubercrunch mode because her mom scares her shitless makes me choose this. It really doesn't feel quite right to relax just yet, even if merely acknowledging the problem within our family is not enough.
 
uiopion said:
[X] While you will be present as much as you can, your household cannot be top priority yet. (Status quo)

We have been ambitious in our goals from the start. We choose Cai out of ambition and pragmatism. We do not slow down the cultivation machine.

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And? What's the point? Why even bother to be ambitious if we can't enjoy time with the people we care for? "Ambition" is not an end in and of itself.
 
[X] While you will be present as much as you can, your household cannot be top priority yet. (Status quo)

We are in magic kung-fu college; so long as we stay connected I'm willing to delay building deeper bonds to push ourselves more for the time we're in the Sect. Especially if Qingge is becoming an Immortal and is extending her lifespan.
 
[X] In the future, devote more time to your household and your family. (-1AP in future turns)
 
While this vote is important, I want to talk about Zhengui!

First off, this is pretty cool!
yrsillar said:
Namely, a 'pocket pavilion' a block of formation carved wood that rapidly unfolded into wide wooden platform, with self adjusting stilted legs to ensure an even surface, and a single use storage talisman, meant specifically to hold prepared meals in good order.
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It's nice, simple, and very functional. While we can't use the storage talisman again, the pavilion will certainly come in handy should we plan on having picnics and the like. A good proper asset for the up and coming Ling Clan!

yrsillar said:
As busy as she had been in the last few months, Ling Qi had not had the leisure to spend at the hill Zhengui was hibernating in. So she was glad that the Sect had assigned someone to check on the location periodically as well. She knew the Sect was doing so partially out of self interest. Having a confused recently broken through beast of Zhengui's likely size wandering around would not do them any good. Studying his growth could benefit them in other ways too, or so Cai Renxiang had said after making the arrangement. She would get a copy of their observations too, for the future.
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Very smart of the Sect! Make sure you know when the large dangerously powerful spirit beast wakes up and keep some records and observations about it's growth and potential. While Zhengui is one of a kind right now, should Zhengui start having children there may be more of these powerful spirit beasts in the Emerald Seas. Get a headstart on understanding them while you can. Nice that we also get the information for our own use.

yrsillar said:
Finally, though, Ling Qi felt the awakening qi of her little brother Zhengui, and knew that the little fireworks show was coming to an end. From the top of the hill a column of orange and blue fire rose, and molten rock and dirt erupted in a wave, only to stop dead at the boundary set by the totems surrounding the hills base.

Her first glimpse of Zhengui was the sinuous shape of Zhen rising in the smoke, with a body as thick as a small tree trunk and black scales outlined by faintly glowing molten light, he peered left and right, his flicking tongue looking like little more than a wispy jet of fire. The rest of him emerged shortly thereafter, giant stumpy feet pounding down the dirt and making a ramp for Zhengui to pull the rest of his bulk from the pit. The eyes of his other half were still a bright vibrant green, and flecks of the color had spread to his scales and shell, glimmering in the ash darkened sun. However, Ling Qi could not help but notice… he was a bit smaller than she had expected, the length of his shell was closer to five meters than six, which was the lower range Xuan Shi had indicated. For a moment, she worried that something might be wrong, but then his aura washed over her, healthy, vibrant and vital and washed the concern away.
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So, first thing to note is that "orange and blue fire rose" from Zhengui's resting place. We've seen blue fire once before, and that was with Xiulan and we all know just how powerful that fire is. Now, it's not clear if this was a one time awaken from slumber thing, a modification on his more powerful attacks, or simply he can choose to amp up his attacks. I'm sure that we will get more information later when Yrs posts Zhengui's stats and techs.

Next thing to note is that Zhengui is smaller than the lowest range that Xuan Shi gave. He seems perfectly healthy and happy which probably means that whatever new type of Xuan Wu Zhengui is, they are probably going to be smaller on average than their northern cousins. He might grow larger over longer periods of time given his nature of growth and destruction, but I find that to be a bit unlikely. And this smaller size is probably healthier for him anyway. He isn't going to be moving around using water, and there will be more obstacles to maneuver around on dry land than in the open ocean. His smaller stature means he can get to more places and cause less damage when getting there.

yrsillar said:
"Big Sister?" Two voices echoed out from the Xuan Wu, and to Ling Qi's surprise, and the widening of her mother's eyes. The words were not immaterial. Gui's voice was a deep rumble now, and Zhen's a smooth and loud hiss. "Big Sister!"

"Lil turtle?" Biyu whispered in her arms, eyes wide in both fear and wonder. The little girl looked up at Ling Qi then and seemed to take comfort in her smile.
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Zhengui can be heard now! Properly by mortals and immortals alike! This will do wonders to his ability to communicate to mortals. Of which there are only really two to worry about. Biyu and Qinnge. Although Qinnge isn't a mortal anymore, her ability to understand immaterial words will probably be sharply limited like ours initially was.

Either way, this opens up wonderful opportunities for Biyu to talk to Big Turtle now.

yrsillar said:
"You know, I worry about that boy sometimes," Sixiang whispered in amusement, breaking their relative silence.
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We all do Sixiang, we all do.

yrsillar said:
They stayed out there for much of the afternoon, and by the time they returned home, Zhengui once more snugly stored away in her dantian. His presence certainly strained her qi a great deal more now, but it was a comfort to have him back. That night however, she did not return to the mountain. After Biyu had been put to bed, as she had been about to leave, her Mother had come to her and asked that she stay and instruct her.

By the time the sun rose the next day, Ling Qingge had awakened. Her cultivation was a fragile thing, in need of constant reinforcement, but her Mother had taken the first step. It seemed like she wouldn't be losing her any time soon after all.
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So, we know that Zhengui's presence is straining her qi, but it is unclear whether it is simply a great deal more than what Zhengui was taking up or if we have dropped down to C rank qi. Dropping down to C rank would be a slight problem given our techniques propensity for having a B ranking, but I'm sure that it will be shortly taken care of. Can't excersise something without a bit of strain!

It's wonderful that Qinnge finally broke through into red soul. Sucks that it takes constant reinforcement (which seems to imply that you can actually lose cultivation levels. A scary thought), but it is still better than not having reached it at all. I wonder what Qinnge felt when she broke through? Did she feel like Ling Qi did, or was it muted because of the damage to her channels?

Anyway, this was a fantastic update, and well worth the wait.
 
[X] In the future, devote more time to your household and your family. (-1AP in future turns)
 
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