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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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Arkeus said:
It's almost like even extremely talented people who takes extreme risks tend to not advance through green, but author pets do without any issues.
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I'm going to be honest... I can't think of a single character that is extremely talented and who has taken extreme risks but has stalled in green. I mean, if the average noble cultivator stays in green, then individuals who have exceptional talent would go higher than green. The law of averages basically. The average talent of a noble stays green, while those who are below average get to yellow, or possibly early green if we are being generous, and that would indicate the individuals in the upper talent would step outside of green.

It seems to me that extremely talented people who take extreme risks either die or go past green. Or, I suppose, choose to stay in green because they don't want to cultivate anymore and thus stop taking extreme risks and cultivating.
 
[X] Seek out Liao Zhu, there were things she wanted to get out of her mind, and she thought her senior brother might have useful insights.
 
Thor's Twin said:
I'm going to be honest... I can't think of a single character that is extremely talented and who has taken extreme risks but has stalled in green. I mean, if the average noble cultivator stays in green, then individuals who have exceptional talent would go higher than green. The law of averages basically. The average talent of a noble stays green, while those who are below average get to yellow, or possibly early green if we are being generous, and that would indicate the individuals in the upper talent would step outside of green.

It seems to me that extremely talented people who take extreme risks either die or go past green. Or, I suppose, choose to stay in green because they don't want to cultivate anymore and thus stop taking extreme risks and cultivating.
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The problem with Arkeus is that he's of the impression that Talent 6/7 is fairly common among anything but the basic baronial clans, and since almost all nobles stall out in Green when they should be Talent 6/7, it's implausible for our group to be the exceptions.
 
Alectai said:
The problem with Arkeus is that he's of the impression that Talent 6/7 is fairly common among anything but the basic baronial clans, and since almost all nobles stall out in Green when they should be Talent 6/7, it's implausible for our group to be the exceptions.
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And both of his assumptions are wrong, because if they weren't then we'd have never been exceptional in any way. Most people in the Argent Sect would be Talent 6 if this was the case, and while Ling Qi is fairly hardworking, she was not that far above the norm early on.
 
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Alectai said:
The problem with Arkeus is that he's of the impression that Talent 6/7 is fairly common among anything but the basic baronial clans, and since almost all nobles stall out in Green when they should be Talent 6/7, it's implausible for our group to be the exceptions.
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That's wrong. I've said it's wrong. Average talent is 4-5 even for nobles.

And inner sect is exceptional talents by definition anyway.
 
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065tdsa said:
And both of his assumptions are wrong, because if they weren't then we'd have never been exceptional in any way.
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Well, yeah. The setting and background breaks down if Talent 6 is 'Ordinary' among anything viscount or above.

Talent 6+ baseline means that you get the attention of greater powers, which can give you that leg-up. Ji Rong is 7--which is one of those 'Once or twice per generation" talents as his baseline. This has pretty much been true from the beginning, so it's not weird for him to have as much good luck falling in his lap as Ling Qi has.

The Ducal Scions don't need luck. They're high ranking if 'Regular' Talents, who have effectively unlimited backing to begin with. Their "Lucky Chance" was being born in a high position in that clan to begin with and is no lesser an advantage than the spirit patronage we and Ji Rong have enjoyed.
 
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[X] Seek out Liao Zhu, there were things she wanted to get out of her mind, and she thought her senior brother might have useful insights.
 
This dragon thing wouldn't feel be so bad if the reveal was given a little more narrative weight to it.

I mean, this is a Heavenly Dragon, one of the Four (technically three now) Directional Guardians, and Ji Rong binding one merits only like two sentences of discussion in a chapter otherwise completely unrelated to it.

I mean, isn't this kind of thing supposed to be a fairly big deal, what with how rare and powerful dragons are? Wouldn't this have made a great interlude with him binding the dragon, or showing it off in a sect ranking challenge? Hell, using this kind of sudden upset against us in a challenge would have made an amazing surprise, but instead the whole thing is treated almost as an afterthought.

It just sort of sucks any sense of awe or wonder out of the whole thing.
 
Kingofbooks said:
This dragon thing wouldn't feel be so bad if the reveal was given a little more narrative weight to it.

I mean, this is a Heavenly Dragon, one of the Four (technically three now) Directional Guardians, and Ji Rong binding one merits only like two sentences of discussion in a chapter otherwise completely unrelated to it.

I mean, isn't this kind of thing supposed to be a fairly big deal, what with how rare and powerful dragons are? Wouldn't this have made a great interlude with him binding the dragon, or showing it off in a sect ranking challenge? Hell, using this kind of sudden upset against us in a challenge would have made an amazing surprise, but instead the whole thing is treated almost as an afterthought.

It just sort of sucks any sense of awe or wonder out of the whole thing.
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Strictly speaking, no it's not?

Heavenly Dragons aren't innately Divine Beasts or something like that, they're just flying dragons that are aspected towards celestial elements rather than water like River dragons, or Earth like Cave Dragons.

As dramatic as the name sounds, it doesn't signify "Yeah definitely going to White". It just means that theoretically, the potential exists to be raised to that level.
 
To proactively confronting our issues!

[X] Seek out Liao Zhu, there were things she wanted to get out of her mind, and she thought her senior brother might have useful insights.
 
[X] Take care of her tutoring session with Bai Xiao Fen, to ensure her time afterward was free.

I think this includes time to reflect on killing BINO by ourselves/in the dreamscape with Sixiang. I am not really sold on the idea of getting good advice about this stuff from the guy who is trying to twist the bloody moon into "JUSTICE MOON!". By the bloody moons philosphy we did nothing wrong, but it isn't that we think we have done anything wrong that is the problem, it is that killing someone is traumatic anyway.

I think the best one to reflect on that with is Sixiang
 
[X] Seek out Liao Zhu, there were things she wanted to get out of her mind, and she thought her senior brother might have useful insights.

Zhengui is better than any Ugly Sky Eel anyway
 
Anyway.

[X] Take care of her tutoring session with Bai Xiao Fen, to ensure her time afterward was free.

Teasing Snek kouhai can only be fun.
 
My 0.02c on the topic of talent and unreasonable luck: it's no coincidence.

We have in-setting evidence that people with high talent have at least the potential for a rapid rise in power whether they're in the imperial cultivation system or operate outside of it. Otherwise the MoI and empire wouldn't have such wide-sweeping draconian recruitment policies and extreme response to loose elements.

Those who have high talent have the potential, but I think only the crazy and actually-lucky survive throwing themselves into risky situations and properly seizing the advantages that cross their path. (and of course those whose 'luck' lies in their birth advantages, only a tiny few of which size and grow to become Monsters)

And between the great spirits and high tier cultivators playing their games, our seniors taking an interest and helping their juniors, the sect itself likely built to facilitate rapid growth, and the current generation's potentially pivotal role in the empire's future, is it really that surprising that divine luck finds its way to those can take it furthest?
 
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[X] Take care of her tutoring session with Bai Xiao Fen, to ensure her time afterward was free.
 
Kingofbooks said:
This dragon thing wouldn't feel be so bad if the reveal was given a little more narrative weight to it.

I mean, this is a Heavenly Dragon, one of the Four (technically three now) Directional Guardians, and Ji Rong binding one merits only like two sentences of discussion in a chapter otherwise completely unrelated to it.

I mean, isn't this kind of thing supposed to be a fairly big deal, what with how rare and powerful dragons are? Wouldn't this have made a great interlude with him binding the dragon, or showing it off in a sect ranking challenge? Hell, using this kind of sudden upset against us in a challenge would have made an amazing surprise, but instead the whole thing is treated almost as an afterthought.

It just sort of sucks any sense of awe or wonder out of the whole thing.
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Actually, Zhengui is rarer, being not only an unheard of Fire/Wood Xuan Wu, but in the complete opposite end of the Empire from the place you're supposed to find Xuan Wu at. Heavenly Dragons are more prestigious sure, but they're a known type of beast and according to Xiulan they're something you can expect to find here.
 
Xuan Wu also live in Celestial Peaks, albiet with Mountain... Heaven? Elements. But yes, Zhengui is just as powerful, and rarer, than Ji Rongs new dragon princess.
 
Alectai said:
Strictly speaking, no it's not?

Heavenly Dragons aren't innately Divine Beasts or something like that, they're just flying dragons that are aspected towards celestial elements rather than water like River dragons, or Earth like Cave Dragons.

As dramatic as the name sounds, it doesn't signify "Yeah definitely going to White". It just means that theoretically, the potential exists to be raised to that level.
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And I never said that they were, where did you even get that from? o_O

I just meant that dragons were supposed to be seen as a pretty big deal and the scene revealing that Ji Rong had one was kinda underwhelming, that's all.

My post didn't say anything about Divine Beasts or getting to White, just Directional Guardians, which I'm pretty sure* is just a fancy name for a group of particularly prestigious types of spirit beasts.

*Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, it happens quite a lot. :p
 
Alectai said:
Talent 6+ baseline means that you get the attention of greater powers, which can give you that leg-up. Ji Rong is 7--which is one of those 'Once or twice per generation" talents as his baseline. This has pretty much been true from the beginning, so it's not weird for him to have as much good luck falling in his lap as Ling Qi has.
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Yeah, see, that's the idea that Arkeus is objecting to. The "once per generation" thing. It's not that talent 6 is anywhere close to the average. It's that once you whittle things down to the sect - which is the cream of the crop - you've probably got like 5-10% being talent 6. It's just that raw talent isn't everything. Like, if Ling Qi wasn't an actual crazy person who cultivates 140+ hours a week, she wouldn't stand out like she does.

Or, like @yrsillar has told us: there are a lot of Yanmei's in the empire. Most still stall out in Cyan, despite their talent. High talent is no guarantee of anything.

Go a bit lower, and the same is true of Green. Of course, that doesn't mean "they can't ever have nice things". We should expect most greens we know to have had at least one or two crazy stories.
 
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