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A world where might makes right. A world of Jade and Gold, of Phoenix and Dragons, of Pills and Talismans, of Martial and Spiritual arts.
A world where diligent training yield strength, meaning freedom. A world where loneliness means death, meaning social chains.
A world still unfair, as the ones reaching the heavens are most likely born rich - be it political riches of the aristocrats, power of secret knowledges and hidden realms of clans, or lucky enough to be born one-in-a-thousand genius.

This was not the case of Quiet Word - that is, (You).
Your current skill level being on par with said genius of your age? Lucky encounters and a knack for navigating social situations.
You know a fair amount of technic for such a young cultivator, but your strength lies in the impressive amount of Bonded Spiritual Beasts - A Hawk spirit, a Horse spirit, a Snake spirit and a Wolf spirit.
Speaking of that last one, you didn't told a world about him to anybody. As a scion of the Primordial Wolf spirit, its father warned you of its worth and how people could want to rip it away from you.
Said worth comes from its ability to Fuse without restriction - fusion being a secret of the higher ranking of your sect, secret you have almost completely rediscovered on your own. Alright, the Primordial Wolf might have helped you on that point.

Recently, your sect, the Eastern Branch of Tamers of Hundred Beast is currently under political attack from the Symphony of Gilded Waters.
This sect attempt to increase their relevence on the global scene by stealing some of yours. They are backed up by the Turtle Copper Sect, as your senior brother Bathias discovered.
>>
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Character Recap Anchor
Picrel is character sheet.

Tamers of Hundred Beasts
(You), Quiet Word, almost 7 year old. First Stage, working on opening your Ear Aperture.
Dhundan Kepa, peerless genius. You've witnessed him yell a tiger, a shot arrow, and even the sun to compliance. Although this Never worked on Ai.
Ai, peerless genius. Can speak and calm all thing (except Dhundan)
Three "gifted but not great" kids : Sin Din, skilled Horse cultivator. Man Din, bounded with a precious spirit but lagging a little bit behind. Yi Norm, Monkey Cultivator.
Kyo Ko (nicknamed Kyo Kyo), 11 year old Second-Stage cultivator. Extremely secretive of her techniques.
Gro Ta, 13 year old Second-Stage cultivator. Whale Cultivator.
Bathias, 16 year old Third-Stage cultivator. Current Hawk Master
Ryota. Boar cultivator, Branch Master.

Other Stable Lotus cultivators
Venerable Stable Lotus, local's bigwig.
Young Mistress LienWen YanEr, his sole daughter, your age. And she is a good friend.
Young Mistress LienWen JiaLin : unpleasantly ambitious cousin of YanEr.
Medicine Master Soulgaze : Uncle of YanEr. Pill crafter expert.
Sovereign All Learner's Teacher, Master of Versatile Harmony Quest.
Ping Jun, student of Versatile Harmony Quest, bounded with Golden Talismanic Horse Spirit. And he's a good friend.
Meiying Youling - Ant-burning mentally unstable young mistress of Death Harvester Cult
Ster Ling, unsuferable Genius boy of the Stable Harbor Military Youth
Xiao Niar, Death-seeking unskilled boy of the Stable Harbor Military Youth
Inborn Tanuki's Lantern; Loose cultivator that saved Bathias life.
Marketer Golden Eye, Silver Tongue - All-selling Merchant Alliance highest rank cultivator.
Old Jiang - Owner of the town's spiritual technique bookstore.

Golden Skystone Village
Daoist Golden Skystone Patriarch, Village leader. After plotting with Gilded Waters, seems loyal.
Man Cong, eldest son, 18. Bounded with Golden-scale Stellar Snake. Second stage.
Dan Rol, second son, 14. Bounded with Golden-scale Stellar Snake. Last step of First stage, studied in the main sect for a few months.
Daughter (unnamed), 7. Bounded with Golden-scale Stellar Snake. A bit haughty. Working on opening her Heart Aperture.
Maya Tao, that you know more as Snake Mistress, working with Patriarch on improving the clan's technique.
A harem of domestics, probably jealous of Maya Tao and the Patriarch's... closeness.
>>
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You are utterly and completely lost. This realm is strange : it lack height. Only depth and width are present.
You are facing lines - walls? - obscuring your vision. Where to go?
You don't believe in your luck enough to randomly stroll in the paths.
"Come forth, Hawk Spirit! Eyes from Above!"
The Hawk's is not flat, and able to go over the lines, providing you a better vision of this realm.
You are... A drawing? In a maze? You activate the energy sight throught the Hawk's eyes.
One side of the maze is colored. Another is blank.
Wait. Over there... The colored maze stop abruptly. Or perhaps start? The energy reads like the day you partook the exam. Huge branches start at that point, one brimming with all of energies, another focusing on weapons, and the last... the one you're on.
Some of the branches are dark. You unwind memories. The first dark spot was around Transplanhumance? You look closely.
Looks like the path you've taken is a bright golden hair amidst a lake of darkness : harmless, catching the precious Hawk Spirit, meeting and building a good relationship with Kyo Kyo. The maze turns way darker after your acquisition of the Wolf Spirit. For now, you've navigated easily and avoided the black blobs. The closest you've been to danger : the visit at the Tamers of Thousand Beasts. A close call with the Wolf Master that taught you your spear style, another with the soul appraising with that white-beard senior. Another smudge of danger when going to Golden Skystone Village.
The hawk shows that your path was one amond a myriad. Some path in the future merge, even with different starting branches.
Are you seeing fate? There must be an opportunity to seize! You take a deep breath in your flat body, and get jolted by a fang of pain.
You open your eyes. That was a strange dream. Your hand on your broken ribs, you slowly gets up.
No body tempering, nor martial training for you right now. Although, things are going better. Your energy is recovering. Better not strain yourself a tad more, and you'll be free to cultivate again.

Perfect opportunity to sow seed for long-term gains
>>
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First, you will work on improving the Snake Pits. With the absence of Snake Mistress, fellow older students are doing the bare minimum.
When you see a kid a couple year older than you dropping a cluster of ball python eggs - which are safe and good choice to give to little one for the admission test or as an animal to turn into bounded spirit - in the pit of the King Cobra, notorious snake eater, you know you must take things in hand.
But how? You're far from close to those other kids. You see them as untalented slacker, they see you as priviledged, favorite, underperforming. Meaning, they're not afraid of you. Your cultivation is equivalent or even above most of the slackers but they heavily outnumber you. Luckily, the second-stage kids are not working with mundane beasts. Still, something must be done. You approach Kyo Ko that evening.
"Dear sister, I'll need your help.
- Oh? What for? Need some help to talk with a girl you like?
- What? No! Beside, girls are trouble and sticking too close is a great way to catch germs.
- So if I hug you it's trouble? I'm so dirty you think I've germs?
- Get away! Get away!"
Your two hands push the older girl's face away, akin to an unwillingly held kitten.
This result in overtime for the two of you in the Snake Pits. Clearing and refilling basic supplies. Adapting the logistic to the actual population of the pits. Detailing a plan for hatching enough vipers and pythons for newcomers.
Checking the snakes individually - and that's when you figure out how careless the other kids have been.
"Kyo Kyo, I think we have a problem.
- You finally run out of ways to give me more work?
- I'm afraid it is the contrary..."
A good lot of the snakes are suffering from scale mold. It's a good thing you put more effort on the pits, as the situation will be harsh but recoverable. Cleaning extensively the pits, brushing the reptile and using the special balm becomes additional chores for you and the other kids.
Other kids who glare more and more angrily at you. Luckily, Kyo Ko is never too far, and they are not brave enough to misbehave in front of authority.
You took action at the right time. Situation is bad, but salvageable. However, efforts will have to be maintained.

When you're not scrubing the pits, you hang out with Ai and Dhundan. And you launch them on debates. On everything and anything.
They never agree, from minute points like the sky's color, to which element is strongest in direct pairing, what material supplement best what element.
This is deeply distracting, and you have to refrain to laugh for the sake of your ribs.
This continued strategy is starting to bear fruits, as the two geniuses are getting worked on, but slowly not at each other anymore.
This draws a smile on your face. Ai is getting more anchored in reality. Dhundan significantly more eloquent than when you met him.
You'll have to find good ideas to get them closer though.
>>
There's still an amount of daily time dedicated to work on your litteracy.
This week is mainly spent on improving your writing of characters, with little supervision from Ryota.
"So in a few weeks of time, we'll be going to Frost Copper Turtle Town. A "gifted student exchange".
I still don't know what's my angle will be. I can write up to a few other Masters I'll trust and just assault them.
But this will be risky, and will bring trouble from the Empire.
Else, we can act subtely and get definitive proofs. Then, we can submit them to the Imperial Court, hope our case will be listened before the next 20 years.
Or just attempt to negociate like adults... Oh, this seems like you have mail.
"
A letter? From LienWen YanEr.

"Dear fellow daoist Quiet Word,
This Young Mistress LienWen YanEr formally invites you to partake in tea-sharing where we could discuss and exchange pointers.
Our last pointer exchange was far too long ago, and I have no doubt we both progressed and would greatly benefit from discussing of our unique Martial Perspective.
Greatest Regards,"

"So... Any difficulties?
- No. I got it all. I... I think I know all the words."
>With your constant efforts, you are now considered "Litterate". You can read and write effortlessly on mundane subjects.

You head toward the Stable Lotus compound a few days later. YanEr owes you for folding your match two rounds after you defeated her cousin.
The deer master leaves you in front of the compound, where you show the invitation to the average cultivator relegated to the job of gatekeeper.
You are guided into the maze of bridges over canals, reminiscence of that dream of yours, until you reach a small room where LienWen YanEr, in formal robes, wait. She's sitting on her knees behind a low table, completely focus. Her pretty face brightens when you step in.
"Fellow Daoist Quiet Word! Glad to see you!
-Fellow Daoist Quiet Word! Glad to see you!
- Why are you repeating yourself?
- Why are you repeating yourself?
-That's not me, that's the Echo Root!
-That's not me, that's the Echo Root!"
Indeed, on the table, a small piece of wood - like a tree that split in half and rejoined, creating the frame of an harp.
The instrument's string are made of creepers. The whole naturally-grown contraption is no more than a feet high.
"I recently broke through Nose Aperture. I wanted to share this with you. Let's make some tea.
-I recently broke through Nose Aperture. I wanted to share this with you. Let's make some tea."
You nod, and proceed unfurling the cloth layering your precious teapot, while your friend boil water. Both of you remain silent until she cuts the echo root using silver scissors.
>>
"Thank you.
-It's hard to have a conversation with the words bouncing back.
And no. 'Tis is I which formally thanks you. With my win in the turnament, I'm back in the favored child position.
I caught up with you and my cousin. It's fair I share those spoils. And if there's anything else...
"
You both take a sip at the energy-rich water infused with the roots. It somehow taste even plainer than raw water.
But you feel threads of Qi And Blood already present in the two spheres of the Ear aperture erect.
Tension augments, layering the aperture with strings catching and amplifying sounds.
"So this is the secret of Echo Vines? Structured Qi and Blood allow to open the aperture while half the threads produce twice the results?
- It seems so...
- Regarding what you say... Could you take me to Medicine Master Soulgaze? His pills were more than amazing.
- Sure thing!"

You cherish the precious moment spent walking in the compound with the Young Mistress.
The Loose Cultivator road you're aiming for will certainly leave you free enough to step away from conflicts involving a friend in the opposite side.
But will you have enough opportunities to see said friend as much as you wish? Nothing is certain.
"Look at what bloomed in the Lotus. Bold of you to invite a foe, YanEr
- Out of our way, JiaLin.
- Come on. You're the one mingling with outsiders. Leeches only looking to sap the strength of our dominant position."
Her words are harsh, but she's barely looking at you; gaze lock on her cousin. Tension is rising.
"Bold words from the weakest cultivator among us, JiaLin.
I beat you. Young Mistress LienWen beats me. Are you courting death facing two of your seniors in cultivation?"
You raise your voice enough to drag a bit of attention. The jade princess steps back.
"You. You were just lucky. I'll prove you I'm better. And you. You won't always have the failsafe net of seniors watching."


"Hello Uncle
- Hello YanEr. And Quiet Word, right?
- Thank you very much for your help with the pills. They help tremendously.
- Let me see... You had good progress. And the pills were correctly balanced, so no residual energy... I can give you a few more."


Then, you say your goodbies to LienWenYanEr and her uncle. You're back at the sect. And your wound healed all nice.
Time for cultivation.
>>
>Pill request
What technique do you want pills for? [write in]

Chose 3

Potential
>Study the Martial Technique scroll
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Sin Din is thriving. Can she become a fourth genius?
>Train Squad Tactics!
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Deepens your learning ability with Ryota
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>Bathias return's means twice the work at the Hawk's Aviary
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Discuss with Inborn Tanuki Lantern about the Loose Cultivator life
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6042038
Meteor hammer style pills

>Improve meditation technique
>Foundation
I want to get the "wanderer" key word. And besides, we should make up for the lack of a month. We have barely a year left to reach second realm.

>Snake pits.
Need to keep this fixed. It'll earn us points with the sect that we can use later.
Also fuck you, slackers.
>>
>>6042038
>Request pills for Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer

>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>>
>>6042038
>Pill request
Meteor hammer style: Silk Tiger sun-seer

>Study the Martial Technique scroll
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>>
>>6042038
>Hawks Wide Fiery Ballet(this is what we have now, right?l

>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>Bathias return's means twice the work at the Hawk's Aviary
>Discuss with Inborn Tanuki Lantern about the Loose Cultivator life
>>
>>6042256
it is the correct body tempering item.

The character sheet needs updating, by accident. it looks.
>>
>>6042037
>That JiaLin exchange
Woah she's saltier than I realized
YanEr might need to watch out for Parricide here.

>>6042038
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Work on your Foundation
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits

Uuuuh technique pills uuuuh
Can we get them for the Star kick?
>>
>>6042038
>Request pills for Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer

>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
Though I feel sometime soon we will need a horse or halberd technique to round out our abilities.
>>
>>6042256
You're right. the Hawk's Wide Fiery Ballet. I updated my .txt but not the picture charcter sheet.
>>
>>6042549
Yes.
>>
6042038
>>6042132
>Seems good. +1 to Improve meditation technique, foundation, and snake pits
>>
>>6042132
+1
>>
>>6043037
Star kick pills pls
>>
I really really love the recap and character anchor, by the way, QM. Thanks for listening to my feedback.
>>
>>6043186
Thanks player.
>>
>>6043197
I agree with >>6043186, hug QoL improvement, adds that little bit extra to the thread to bring up the quality.
>>
>>6042132
+1
>>
This one looks quite consensual.

>Tally status
Won't be able to write right now, you'll have to wait a bit for your update.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
>>
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With your wound healed, time to indulge in a bit more of cultivation - especially, foundation.
First thing first, re-read Gar Ruk book, extract the lessons, apply them to your style.
Let's just say you find several ways that doesn't work, preventing you to accumulate as much energy as you think you should had.
Even with your limited success at meditation, you feel your body-tempering is most effective - the addition of Fire energies in the mix is pulling its fair share. Most importantly, the result of LienWen YanEr's Tea Party is just simply and plainly amazing.
In the span of the two weeks, your Ear Aperture jumped from one tenth full to one fifth : the Structured Threads are somehow letting a new thread fill up more the aperture. This lead you to ponder, and voice out a question at the Wolf Mistress during your duties : are fortuitous treasure best used immediately after breaking through?
"For first stage, undoubtedly so. For later stage? It is on a case-to-case basis.
- I have a second question... About Body tempering and Meditation... I feel that several options would be better, wouldn't they?
- Indeed. It can circumvent bottlenecks for start, and help turn you into an even more fully fledged cultivator."

The rest of your time is spent at the Snake Pits.
Kyo Ko helps a little bit at the beginning of the week, and the situation soonly gets manageable. Slackers work correctly again, the scale mold is contained, afflicted Snakes are healing, and new Python eggs are layed, while vipers are hatching their eggs inside - securing a supply for new recruits.

But something else happens at the pits.
You're transfering a few healed snakes out of quarantine when you feel something wrong.
Behind you, seven older kids. The worst offenders among slackers. The ones you never bothered to know - you're unable to even give their names.
"What's this?
- Me and the boys feels you have lot of nerve.
- Thinking you're better than us?
- Ordering us around? We'll teach you your place."

Troublesome.

You will...
>Attempt to talk this out [write-in your arguments]
>They want it? Bring it on [Triggers a fight]
>Best you can do is grit your teeth and take the beating
>Abscond [use your movement options to flee
>Write-in.]
>>
>>6044535
>Use movement options to move to the narrow entrance of the snake pit where only two/three people can fight you at one time.
>>They want it? Bring it on [Triggers a fight]

Can the hawk hold our weight to fly above them and then drop us down at the entrance?
>>
>>6044549
The Hawk can't. Your kick can.
>>
>>6044550
Let's use our kick then :)
>>
>>6044535
>"You have a few options, being older and more numerous than me. One, you can turn around and leave to carry on with your chores. Which you should have been doing without my oversight. I will say nothing about those who leave now and this matter will be ignored.

The next option is that you continue with your plan to beat me to a pulp. I will not go down quietly, and I know for a fact I can take down two of you. But there are a lot of you, you might. Might. Have a shot.

And if, and only if, the two I havent beaten to a pulp bring me low, You will then answer to Dhundan and myself, Then to Ryota. First for harming his friend, Second for harming his direct student for the terrible inconvenience of doing your tasks correctly.

Leave. At least two of you getting beaten to a pulp by the second best fighter in the first realm. Dealing with The battle maniac genius of the first realm. And then being reported to the Sect master.
These are your paths, you have 5 breaths to decide."

>Then sneak attack on breath 4 the guy who is talking the biggest game, he's gonna be the most confident and the one leading this whole caper.

I like the repositioning idea, But thats for when we have made the threat to allow them to walk.
But we are not going to let this slide.
>>
>>6044535
>>6044564 +1 but only sneak attack if it seems some of them aren't gonna give up, don't wanna trigger an unnecessary fight
>>
>>6044535
>Abscond [use your movement options to flee]

This is not the place for a fight. The damage caused here could really hurt the sect. If we have to fight, let's take it outside.
>>
>>6044564
I'm fine with this write-in warning them but I don't know if the sneak attack is really a good idea. Sure we'll get initiative on one of their guys, but we'll immediately get surrounded after. I really think if we want to win this fight we need to reposition. Even if we're uber-talented they're still older than us and likely don't have too far of a gap in cultivation base.
>>
>>6044624
We will need to reposition, but Gaining the initative to knock them from 7 to 6 is a valuable trade.

And if you block the door, they have nowhere to run. A cornered mouse will fight any cat. If the warning hasn't warned off at least one of them, then we can reposition after we take down the first of them.

to be clear, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying it needs to be step 3 rather than step 1, so it doesn't fuck over step 2. [Which is offer an out for the intimidated sect members to fuck off]

>>6044598
I accept this concession being made clear.
>>
>>6044624
As a Minor aside, we can fix up that size disparity somewhat with blood wolf summoning, turning it into 2 vs 6, by summoning them with their blood.
Might help by forcing them back in surprise.
>>
>>6044564
>>6044598
+1 but I hope we avoid collateral damage
I wonder if the healed snakes will assist us because they've been treated and Quiet Word is carrying them
>>
>>6044564
+1
easy
>>
>>6044535
>>6044564
Seems good, with the >>6044598
addendum
>>
>>6044535
Idk why you are all so keen to get fucked up. Obviously we have been pissing these guys off for a while, and it's not like they have no idea who we are. There is a reason they have decided that now is the time to confront us, we're getting ambushed or fooled if we think this will be anything close to a 'fair fight'. Also, we only just recovered from a serious injury that stifled our cultivation, and you expect to come out of this unharmed? Foolhardy and unnecessarily risky just because we want to wave around our pride even though they are our seniors.

>Attempt to talk this out [write-in your arguments]
Immediately kowtow, hands and knees to the ground and apologize for treading on their 'turf' and say we just wanted to learn more about snakes and become more like these respectable seniors. Ask if we can do any work for them to make up for our insult.
If they don't accept;
>Abscond [Unlimited Rising Star Kick]
But either way immediately tell Ryota of the situation, including the scale mold, wasting ball python eggs, and other work we have needed to do in the pits.
>>
>>6045185
Alpha dominating behavior.

Immediately folding like you are suggesting is going to make us a bitch, and they aren't going to let our reputation stand like that. And Reputation is everything.

If we win, Our standing should increase.
>>
>>6045196
>make us a bitch
you really can only think 2 steps ahead huh
Actions like this hotheadedness will not improve our reputation or standing, it is damaging to the sect as a whole to bicker and quarrel because we couldn't follow seniority.
You think Ryota will congratulate us for weakening the sect and sticking our nose where it didnt belong in the first place?
>>
Movement into fight
>>6044549
>>6044602

Talk no Jutsu into fight
>>6044564
>>6044598
>>6044733
>>6044765
>>6044797

Beg for your safety
>>6045185

I'd say we reached a consensus.

>1 anon roll me 1d100
DC is 70/90
>>
Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>6045232
100, callin it.
>>
>>6045233
Anon did not, in fact, call it
>>
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A little bit earlier...

"Remember. He WILL try to talk us out of it. Menace us with <<consequences>>. Or beg. This is bullshit and false. So he tries to talk? A slug in the mouth. He lower his head and knees on the ground praying for mercy? Kick in the ribs."

Back to a bloody-mouth present
Not only you didn't convinced a couple of them to drop it, you also suffered a hit that surprised you enough to let them deploy around you. With the time needed to channel Qi and Blood before Unlimited Rising Star Kicking away, doing so will open chances for more dire hits. Looks like options are running thinner.
However, those kids are only aware of your Horse and Hawk trumps, and they lack the talent You don't know if they have bounded spirit themself though. And they most definitely lack talent to recognize the Wolf Spirit for what it is. For now you raise your fists and get ready to do your best.

>Already revealed trumps :
Hawk Spirit
Horse Spirit
They are only deployable upon revealing another trump.
>Available trump list :
Snake Spirit
Wolf Spirit
Summon Blood Shadow Wolf
>Upon receiving a hit (result in a wound for you)
Vengeful Spear [Need Spear]
>Upon inflicting a hit
Hawk's double Talon (can turn a missed-by-five into success)
Double-sentence thrust

Fight!
>1 anon roll 1d100
>>
Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>6045271
Told you we should've just repositioned lmao.
>>
"See? I told you he was..."
You return the favor to their leader with a roundhouse kick to the head, sending him flying. One step back let you regain a tad of control in the fight. Yeah, he's out of it. They still aren't deterred, and three of them steps forward.
>6 opponent left.
>1 anon roll 1d100!
>>
>>6045277
You allowed to repeat roll? I’m guessing not.
>>
Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>6045277
Lets go
>>
>>6045212
I can think fine.

I refuse to let a bunch of talentless lowlifes try and bully us because they think they have the upper hand.
If we win, we have a reputation built for beating up 7 fuckwits.
If we lose then we will take a propwr vengence and get the reputation for there being consequences to fucking with us.

Yes, Ryota will thank us for Taking care of the snake pit. And depending on how well we aquit ourselves here, might say nothing about beating the fuck out of them.
The strong and the most potential can do as they like.

Bow your head if you want, But keep it bowed while everyone else walks over you.
>>
>>6045303
I suggest we summon our spear.

Ot will lower the Dc by a bit.
>>
>>6045307
The more we take them out, our DC should decrease as the opponents do. There were 7 and the DC was 70/90. Now there are 6, so is the DC 60/85? And the leader was the one we KO'd and mid-sentence too
>>
>>6045333
Thats. . A good catch. I hadnt even considered it.

I still think we should throw out our spear first, But we can save it for when we are actually in trouble.
>>
>>6045333
The DC was DC of talk-no-jutsu. 70 would have avoided the face punch, 90 would had been the most favorable outcome for picking talking.
This time, the DC was 65. However, you have
>Hawk's double Talon (can turn a missed-by-five into success)
This is in my opinion the best trump to use with the mechanics of the quest, if you guys agree I'll auto-proceed with that.
>>
>>6045359
Yeah that's fine.
>>
>>6045359
Do it. It's not even that big a trump here because we got it from the sect teachings, not that these arrogant juniors would know
>>
>>6045359
Do it, and Unleash the Horse spirit.

Close quarters, Not much room for them to dodge a kick.
>>
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One of them jumps at your leg. A tackle? You sidestep.

Ducks under a punch.

Step back to get out-of-range of a kick.

They are a lot. Despite being slackers, their raw power coupled with their sheer number should turn them into a true menace, overwhelming.
It isn't, and you get a flash of insight : your Body tempering technique is based on Dance, and this is a direct application out of a ballroom - navigating a complicated battlefield where opponent outnumber you is not as hard for you.
That doesn't help you much with winning the fight. Merely prolonging it.

"Damn it, catch him already!"
The bulkiest one, a girl, open her arm in a grappling pose. Your fist sends your best regards to her nose, which doesn't bother her much.
"Hawk's Double Talon!"
The technique takes the shape of your leg strengthening and fastening, hard and straight as a steel beam, with your shin smashing into the girl's lower leg.

CRCK

She tumbles in tears, clutching her damaged member.

2 down. 5 to go.

>One anon roll 1d100!
>>
Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>6045377
>>
Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>6045377
1d100 from only 1 person SUCKS QM
>>
>>6045382
I know. Good thing your unprompted roll doesn't count as a trump, right?

What trump do you want to use?

>Snake Spirit
>Wolf Spirit
>Summon Blood Shadow Wolf

With the trump, you can deploy the Hawk and/or the Horse.
>>
>>6045385
>Summon Blood Shadow Wolf
>>
>>6045385
>Blood wolf, Unleash the horse.

Horse will help with its +10
>>
>>6045385
>Snake Spirit, Unleash Horse

Guys it’s the snake pit we have to show symbolically its value!!! Also the blood shadow wolf isn’t the primordial wolf right?
>>
>>6045418
it's a spear technique.
>>
>>6045424
The Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault is a spear style.
The "Summon Blood Shadow Wolf" is a spell requiring you to have some of your empowered blood.
>>
>>6045439
The mouth is bleeding from their punch. Can that be used for it?
>>
>>6045439
I'll amend myself.

It's a spell we got from a spear style.

>>6045440
Ayup. It's why the offer is there, we only need a drop to use it.
>>
>>6045451
Imagine if we spit blood at them as an insult, but the blood wolf makes in an attack they never see coming. That'd be sick
>>
>>6045464
Well no, it'd be blood.

But we should also absolutely do that. Fuck you talentless hacks. Get a wolf spat at you.
>>
>>6045468
Fools! Our edgy hot topic wolf technique makes any injury against us an attack vector against you!
>>
>Tally status

Maybe the past was too fast for anons?
>>
>>6045385
I'd rather use snek spear, but I can back wolf with horse in the interest of moving things along
>>
>>6045638
>>6045737
+1 snake trump, show these fools the power of the serpents they have disrespected
>>
can we just kill these shitters baka sect would be better off without such infants
>>
Locking the spear choice, + tactical Horse deployment.
>1 roll of 1d100; DC 55
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>6046028
Bingo
>>
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In the middle of the pit, you're surrounded.
You realize the two you took out actually were going on the way of the others. Now? They're organizing better.
Sending coordinated hits from front and back, baiting and jumping away. You get tagged a couple time - that will leave bruises, but nothing too serious.
Until they mess up. Leaving you enough of an opening.
"Come Forth, Golden Cosmic Spear Snake!"
The following stab have enough reach to make another girl step back to dodge, trip, stumbling on her butt.
You sadly can't capitalize directly on that mistake of her, but this leave you ample enough breathing room...
"Come Forth, Supreme Shieldmaster Silver Horse!"
...to get your mount under you. One of them tries to approach from behind at the same time. Dire mistake.
You hear the horse's hoof breaking a couple ribs.

3 down. 4 to go.

>1 anon roll 1d100; DC : 50
>>
Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>6046051
Baka?
>>
>>6046052
Baka what?
>>
>>6046053
Sometimes, Words summon good rolls.

It is the Dice's perogative.
>>
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There's a global shiver of uncertainty among your agressors - or at least the ones still standing. You charge, they have the presence of mind to make way. Not that will protect that boy to get properly stab by and through his back by the supple spear of yours.

4 down. 3 to go.
You don't like how confident they remain. Although you feel you have the upper hand - mostly by luck - the remaining fighters are several year older and made little-to-no mistake you could capitalize on earlier.

>1 anon roll 1d100; DC : 45/65
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>6046124
Time for a trump card perhaps?
>>
>>6046125
I assume the double strike doesnt apply here, as it has been used.
>>
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You charge. In front of you, a boy looking a bit like the grappling girl takes a wrestler stance.
Wait. That seems really bad. Following your instincts, you strike. A feet and half above his head.
Good call - you dispelled what seemed like an Astral Bear Spirit or something. However, your foe remains unharmed.

>>6046126
Reason double strike doesn't trigger is because you didn't exactly touched the cultivator's body

>1 anon roll 1d100; DC : 45/65
>>
>>6046127
Got it.

Somebody else get this roll.

I aint a hog.
>>
>>6046130
Good. Nobody likes a dice hogger.
>>
Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>6046127
I will cast
>>
>>6045233
>>6045276
>>6045303
>>6045303
>>6045378
>>6046029
>>6046052
>>6046125
>>6046135
Over 9 rolls you guys scored 7 times between 60 and 64. I'm impressed with how well you're dealing with the gauntlet so far.
>>
>>6046139
Shame there's no significance to that range of numbers. Might have unlocked some manner of threshold.

We'll wait to see if we win the gauntlet for that, we've already come up with "dance is good vs groups"
>>
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Your mount step, quickly reposition, performing a textbook half-turn - pressing on the Bear cultivator would be a mistake, leaving your back exposed to the other foe. Better spin and strike unexpectedly.
"Oh no! Come Forth, Shining Diamond Turtle!"
The rightfully-named spirit is too bright. You close your eyes while striking, hopefully hard enough to knock another opponent down.
Alas, you only feel the distinctive surge of Astral energy a dissipated spirit emit.
Seriously, does the third one also have a bounded spirit?

>One anon roll 1d100. DC : Won't tell :)
>>
Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>6046151
>>
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Still on thread 3 but I loved this
>Ai also doesn't get it, but understand it seems important for you. She says she's happy for you. Under your perplex gaze, she retracts into a "sorry that happened?"
Sometimes subtle memes and references in moderation are good, but only in moderation
>>
>>6046250
Glad you're liking it so far anon.
>>
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>>6046156
You faint toward the bear-bounded boy, plant your spear-snake spirit in the ground, use it in a pole-vault way to attempt a nasty kick at the third one while the two other, dumbfounded, doesn't react
Success
The kick connects in the upper arm, sending your enemy tumbling down. A smally-charged Unlimited Ground-contracting Kick later, you're back on your mount.

Two opponent remains. You got this.
>One anon roll 1d100. DC : 40/80
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>6046279
Let's crush those fools.
>>
This was bound to happen.
Here are your options.

>Burn an available trump :
Wolf Spirit
Summon Blood Shadow Wolf

>Burn the Deployed Horse Spirit
He will dispel and you won't benefit anymore of his bonus
>Take the hit, retaliate with the Vengeful Spear
You'll suffer a wound. You will still be able to fight.
>>
>>6046287
The dice pisses me off, but I can't deny it makes narrative sense. We are outnumbered and deliberately cornered, and they dealt the first blow, and our boy is almost 7 with no experience in real non-tourney fights. I'm surprised we did this well so far
>>
>>6046293
>Take the hit, retaliate with the Vengeful Spear
There's only a few remaining - I think that showing being hit means more pain for them should cancel out with the wound debuff. Maybe.
>>
>>6046293
>Take the hit, retaliate with the Vengeful Spear
We have rarely trained this one. I think we should do that more often
>>
>>6046293
>Summon Blood Shadow Wolf
rawr
>>
>>6046293
>Take the hit
>>
>>6046293
>Take the hit, retaliate with the Vengeful Spear
We've got this.
>>
>>6046293
>Retaliate
>>
>>6046293
>>Take the hit, retaliate with the Vengeful Spear
Any claims that they were just fooling around will be dispelled. It sucks to get hurt but between that and the fact we started the fight with talking I think we won't get into too much trouble.
>>
I'll take one last roll of 1d100.
>>
Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>6046735
>>
>>6046735
>>6046738
Woooo
>>
>>6046738
We have definitely had enough of this shit.
>>
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>>6046738
>>
The Bear boy is getting ready for another tackle. Your horse sidesteps, while you catch a glimmer of energy with your enhanced sight.
You smell light and earth energy accumulating. The turtle-bounded one caught a pebble, arm recoiled and ready to throw.

Oh no. You can't dodge this.
But you can most certainly make the most of it. You charge.

"Pebble of smiting!"

You jump and turn in the air, and get hit by a massive concussing force. That hurt a lot.
Worse, you feel your thighbone shatter and fragment. For now, your Qi and Blood holds it together, but you might be crippled by this blow for a little while. Again.
"You're going to taste the Skill I was rewarded after being undefeated in the Stable Lotus Harbor Yearly Tournament.
Vengeful Spear!"
You strike. The snake bites at the flesh of the offender's leg, burrowing deeply and thrashing inside, tearing muscles and veins apart.

Then you hit the ground. The impact on your shattered leg almost makes you pass out.
The Horse spirit. You hop on one feet, catch his metalic mane, pull yourself up.
The Bear-bound boy is afraid, as He should. You simply order the Horse to walk. Spin the snake spirit above your head. Strike.
He's down. You won. You are the last standing among the sob and cries of the wounded.

You take a second look at the ones that suffered the most damage : the pebble-shooting fellow, with a mangled thigh, and the back-turning boy, lying in a pool of his own blood after your snake went the whole way through him. Tan skin. Blond hair. Most certainly a Golden Skystone Village boy.

You'll need to get your leg looked up. But this can wait a few more minutes as your Qi and Blood, stirred from combat, still hold it well enough.

What will you do of your defeated foe?
>Kill them all. It's your natural and fair right as the winner.
>Leave them be. The direly wounded will most likely die. Natural consequence of seeking death.
>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life.

However, there's something else. An exhilarating feeling : putting your safety on the line, in a dire fight, and above all, overcoming.
It feels good. It feels great. It feels invigorating. It feels the right way to push one's cultivation.
You benefited from the fight and its victory. How?
>Write-in benefits. QM veto might apply.
>>
>>6046804
>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life.

The humiliation is enough. Make them work extra hard at the snake pits after, and maybe extort them for a spirit or two.

>We have a revelation from using our body tempering technique in such dire circumstances. We can now use the power of DANCE to empower ourselves and navigate the battlefield more effectively.
>>
>>6046807
That's a waste of write-in.
You already realized that (never thought you guys would pick the "Dance" body cultivation in the first place, you've spent 5 threads dancing before even knowing why it's good.)
>>
>>6046804
>>Kill them all. It's your natural and fair right as the winner.
idk about the revelation, but I think this is a valuable lesson in what happens to bullies and cowards
>>
>>6046804
>Leave them be. The direly wounded will most likely die. Natural consequence of seeking death.
Unworthy of consideration, we have our own wounds to get looked at.
>Write-in benefits.
We get the feeling we could use our Qi and Blood to do more than just harden our body after damage, if we know we are going be struck, we could defend our body from the more serious damage, and burn through energy rather than suffer.
>>
>>6046804
>Bring the threatened ones to someone capable of saving them.

They owe us their lives now. Make sure they understand it.

>Forming a deeper understanding of the Stress and valor of combat, we add "Mental pressure/Fighting intent" to our meditation technique/Practice it naturally, similar to Dhun.

I think this would serve us best.
>>
>>6046841
+1
>>
Still on thread 4. I wonder how the Sun Adorators would react to the truth that the moon simply reflect's the sun's light, or that the sun will eventually burn out and die like any flame does.
>>
>>6046804
>>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life.
What if someone suspicious of our wolf spirit put them up to this? We have to know if that's the case.

>Write-in benefits
>Shaken from complacency. Your situational awareness deepens in a way rarely gained outside of experience. You become more in touch with your "6th sense" for danger.
>>
>>6046929
Nobody knows shit about our wolf spirit and we have taken pains to ensure that absolutely nobody. NOBODY. Knows about it.

all they have, possibly, is a weird inclination that we don't have one. Which is only weird to our wolf tutor, and we brushed that aside.

They are doing this out of ego and dispising us for not letting them get away with slacking.
Asking about our wolf spirit would be overplaying.

>>6046918
Who says that's the truth?
>>
>>6046804
>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life.
>Write-in benefits.
We get the feeling we could use our Qi and Blood to do more than just harden our body after damage, if we know we are going be struck, we could defend our body from the more serious damage, and burn through energy rather than suffer.
>>
>>6046804
>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life.
Sometimes, all it takes is a good ass-beating to set someone straight. Besides, our MC is like... 7. I don't think we need to rack up a body count this young unless we're planning to go full devil-cultivator.
>Write in Benefit
>Forming a deeper understanding of the Stress and valor of combat, we add "Mental pressure/Fighting intent" to our meditation technique/Practice it naturally, similar to Dhun.
Being able to exert our aura/battle intent on others seems like a good next step-- both in terms of our mental resiliency training, and also chasing off idiots that try similar stuff in the future.
>>
>>6046804
>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life.

>Write-in benefits
Other kids near our age in the sect, or ones working in the snake pits, are extra impressed and more likely to listen to us in the future.
>>
>>6046804
>Bring the threatened-ones to someone that can save their life
>Super-Saiyan Recovery - When we get injured we heal back stronger.
>>
>>6047110
Isn't Super Sayan recover less get injured heal back stronger and more get beat up (or beat yourself up) to a inch of your life and if you somehow don't die heal back stronger?
>>
>>6047120
The worse they’re injured the stronger they heal, so they try and make it as bad as possible to maximize the gains
>>
>>6046942
I'm not saying ask about it specifically, more of, "Did someone put you up to this?"
>>
So let me sum up the ones I'll say are valid.

>Add Fighting Intent to meditation technique
>6th sense for danger
>Street cred

I'll veto the Super Saiyan recovery : wounds are meant to be hindrance, unfortuitous things that happen, or trade-off; capitalizing on wound would be ok for a Saiyan Cultivator Quest or an Abnormal Cultivator Quest.

Same for Qi Shield/Qi healing, although some learnable techniques in the future might do just that you described.
>>
Feel free to vote and keep the discussion alive, no update for at least 8/12 hours.
>>
>>6047400

Changing my benefit vote >>6046959 to
>Add Fighting Intent to meditation technique
>>
>>6047401
Well I got an idea for Dhun and Ai.
We can read them our storybook, and suggest that they come up with their own tales.
Ai would live to be whimsical and Dhun can be convinced with the potential of power that they can extract from the tales.
Plus we are giving them common ground, which they can discuss and bond over. Our injury time is time to spend with our friends.
>>
>>6047413
>Switching from my suggestion of 6th sense to Fighting Intent being added to our meditation technique.
Its more interesting narratively speaking than something that makes avoiding conflict easier.
>>
>>6047400
Swap from
>>6046828
to
>Add Fighting Intent to meditation technique

>>6047480
I like the idea of kids playing make believe, something to look into
>>
Tallying, writing.
Meanwhile, question.
According to Picrel, how complicated are Techniques and Conflicts in this quest? I'm aiming for Chinese Technique and Japanese conflict, but I might be biased.
>>
Forgot Picrel. Of course I did.
>>
Also, I already know that character relationship chart is close to Picrel.
>>
Also,

>Tally Status
>>
>>6048686
Not that complicated, if you are being reductionist.

The naming convention is on point though.
>>
>>6048686
You're in the middle? Definitely more complex that single sentences but not minimized wall of text complex. Honestly I'd prefer being closer to Japanese techniques, those could lose some complexity.
>>
>>6048693
I want to see Dhundan's reaction to us copying his thing. Will he be offended or flattered as Quiet Word, his rival, taking pages from his book? We should retort by suggesting he's welcome to do the same from us if he's so bothered by it in his tsundere edgelord way.
>>
>>6048693
One (1) vote for Street Cred, please and ty
>>
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Regardless of their aggressiveness and slacking of, you can't muster the strenght to finish them of, or even leaving them here.
After all, those guys where background character of all your life in the sect, sharing food at the common meals, training together, working together.
You might have half-heartedly cheered at a couple of them in tournaments, and you're pretty sure the Bear Boy and Girl supported you and congratulated some of your best performances.
You power through the pain, Qi and Blood thread still gathered around your leg while you throw the emptying bodies of the likely-born in Golden Skystone Village and the dark-haired, black-clothed pebble shooter.
No point going to the infirmary. You rush, pooring your remaining Qi and Blood into the Horse with the Hawk's alacrity, unfurling the protection around your hurt bone.
"Bathias! Help!
- What the? Oh shit!"
Soon, the Healer gets to work. Asking you to lay the two wounded kids next to each other (which is excruciatingly painful), and using some apposition of hand skill, you see the red glimmer of energy preventing more blood loss. He ask you to take them back to the infirmary, that you deny with the sorry state of your leg now you're drained of energy. He promise to check you out after saving the two of them.

Despite how bad it feel, with your bone shattered in as many splinters as a tree's leaves, your leg wound is not that dire.
Your legs are an heavily reinforced part of your body thanks to your practice of the Unlimited Rising Star Kick.
You can feel that your mystical channels are opened way more there than in other parts of your body (such as your ribs). Coils of Qi and Blood thread poors around the damaged bones, dampening shocks.
You won the confrontation and your cultivation is all around at the same level of your assaillants, so you will heal incredibly fast - Bathias advised you while pouring a cast around your thigh.
"You can do whatever doesn't mobilize the leg. If you have a body tempering technique relying on hands for example, you could work on it.
I'd advise against martial techniques, with the exception of mounted fighting which might be fine.
Also, despite how I'd feel having extra hands, you will be useless in animal care with your reduced mobility.


In the end, nobody cares much about the fight. If you'd have lost it, or kill someone, it would had been the same.
After all, you're in a world where Might is Right. Victory and Defeat are handed out by the Heavens. And cultivators seek for a way to overcome the Heavens.
>>
Still, there is a lesson you learned : your Fighting Intent is not half bad.
Fighting Intent is the mental pressure exerted by a cultivator ready to contend seriously. It's a bit akin to Dhundan's aura, but you know your Fighting Intent won't stop an arrow in its track. There might be a way to tie it into your Meditation technique?
It comes naturally fast.
>Meditation technique breakthroughed into "Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter"

It's been one year and 10 month since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.

Choose 3

Potential
>Study the Martial Technique scroll
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Sin Din is thriving. Can she become a fourth genius?
>Train Squad Tactics!
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Deepens your learning ability with Ryota
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>Bathias return's means twice the work at the Hawk's Aviary
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Discuss with Inborn Tanuki Lantern about the Loose Cultivator life
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6049305
>Mounted arrow training.
>Learn with Ryota.
>Improve thibgs between Dhun and Ai by reading them Gar ruks story, and trying to bond them through building a common ground for them to appreciate and build off of.
>>
>>6049305
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan

He’s going to be surprised with our new fighting intent.

>Improve thibgs between Dhun and Ai by reading them Gar ruks story, and trying to bond them through building a common ground for them to appreciate and build off of.

>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!

Let’s finally fully catch this bitch up.
>>
>>6049366
Anon, the fact you realized you could add it to your Meditation doesn't mean it's trained hard already.
>>
>>6049305
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Sin Din is thriving. Can she become a fourth genius?
>>
>>6049305
>>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Discuss with Inborn Tanuki Lantern about the Loose Cultivator life
>Sin Din is thriving. Can she become a fourth genius?
>>
>>6049305
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
With Man Din in exchange for
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Improve things between Dhun and Ai by reading them Gar-Ruks story and practicing creative writing playing make-believe.
>>
>>6049305
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
If we get the siblings even they'll push each other to improve, but if Sin Din pulls ahead too much Man Din might just give up.

Also works well with
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration] (Man Din)

>Deepen your learning ability with Ryota
>>
>>6049305
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
Come on girl you can do it
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
Muh chink tech
>>Deepens your learning ability with Ryota
READ NIGGA READ
>>
>Tally status
It's been a while since I've seen votes so scattered

Full disclosure : you won't get much benefits from reading - you're litterate already with how much you invested in that.
Will remove that option for the next tallys.
>>
I'm also running a KaiJuly monthly Event on the next door thread i'm running
>>6048525
If you're not a player of that thread and haven't rolled already, I'd appreciate you guys jumping there and rolling 1d100 to create trouble for the Xenos tribe
>>
>>6050042
With that note

>>6049335
>Change learning with Ryota to Sin din is thriving.

Lets see if she can help motivate her lazy ass sister. Her problem is almost entirely a motivation one.
>>
>Still tied
Anyone there?
>>
>>6050132
Potential device
Ai and Dhundan, Gar Ruk story common ground
>>
>>6049305
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
Let's ask the Din twins!
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Sin Din is thriving. Can she become a fourth genius?
>>
>>
>>6049430
Im this guy. I'll switch from training mounted archery to improving things between Dhun and Ai by reading for them.
>>
>>6050144
Just saw all this and the whole reading further is useless post, I'll swap from that to helping Sin Din for the sake of progress.
>>
...
>>
Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>6050428
Engage QMs perogative.

Or use this number for what gets dropped.
>>
>>6050436
Could be a vote Swaying fag, but to curb any temptation I am >>6049335
>>
>>6050437
Just change your vote? Mounted training and reading ain't happening this week.
>>
>>6050523
>double checking vote.

In my defence, I was half asleep.

>>6050065
>>6049335
Ignore these and my new final vote is

>Potential contraption [Dhun]
>Improve things between our friends [Same write in]
>Man din is struggling

TIE IS BROKEN
>>
>>6050428
Am background reader, will only vote to tie break.
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
>Man Din is struggling. Help her catch up!
>Sin Din is thriving. Can she become a fourth genius?
>>
I sincerely appreciate the effort; however should have called a lock vote.
Started to write Man Din/Contraption/StoryTelling with Ai and Dhundan.
>>
Another bit of time without cultivation.
Well, at least, thanks to the treasure you consumed you're not too late and still might break out before you're 8, right?
Speaking of, you make minor gains thanks to your opened Nose Aperture - it is true that every breath you take gather spiritual energy, that turns into mote, then spin together to form a Qi and Blood thread. the process is slow, but progress is progress - and twice the worth since you structured the threads in your Ear aperture.

The fact you can't work yourself doesn't mean you can't do anything - you have much catching up to do.
First, the case of Man Din : She made great progress with your help last time.
She's still a couple steps behind Yi Norm, which had steady progress, and her twin - that cultivation almost grinded to an halt.
By giving Man Din time and attention - discussion from Senpai to Kohai about cultivation, giving her the hindsight you have for being a handful steps farther on The Way than she is, she caught up with the two others : your three friends are halfway to open their Nose Aperture.
You can't prevent the thought of the insane chance this is : so close to each other, each treasure or oportunity given to them will allow the sect to reap three time the crop for planting only once the seed - more treasure are ample enough to be share among two cultivator easily, so three might be doable too, right?
Especially so with your special Teapot. However, acquiring treasures for their sake might be done at the cost of opportunities for your own progression.
With how cultivation work, they might breakthrough in the next month or two (and so might you if you work diligently); the best thing to do would be acquire something similar to the Echo Root for their ears - or something for your soon-to-be-opened Mouth Aperture.

You spend more time binding together Ai and Dhundan. This time, you brought ink, pens and paper.
"Let's make a story together. First, I'll write up ideas. What do you want the story to be about?
- I want it to be about a friendly dryad in a enchanted glade in the middle of a magic grove!
- Well, I want it to be about a supreme fighter, defeating all its ennemy through might and trampling the bowel of the slain lesser being!"
You sigh. There are obvious flaws and neither will make a good story.
>>
"Why? just what are you trying to do?
Ok, let's get the basics. Let's say my life was a story. I won't tell the countless hours of doing the same moves again, again and again with the same correction and pointers from masters agains, agains and again.
I won't describe in length the content of this morning's rice noodle, even though the carrot where divinely crunchy, coriander a fresh savoury explosion, the sweet taste of spiceless peppers and the spiritual energy traces in the beef made for an excellent meal.
I could go about how it would have been improved greatly by adding shrimps. But who would want to lose ten minutes of their life reading all that?
My life is not interesting to be a story. But I'd think I'll start with a beginning. A kind of starting situation, laying the basis and the world of the story.
Like my admission to the sect. Then, stories are a simple cycle : something disrupt the daily life : A tourney, a journey, an event. Then, things happen that are not the daily boring life, until the situation is resolved.
We get back to our starting situation, with something taken from the event. A new technique, a treasure, relationship, a wound..."
Even with your clear insight coming from nowhere about storycrafting, the three of you struggle. But you all have a blast.

Last point of business this week is setting up your Potential Estimation Contraption.
You build most of it already, although crudely. A string passing through stone on a column, where pulling the string would pick up the rocks one after the other.
A little winch, a knot on the string, and your lodestone are ready to test you. Unsurprisingly, you Sun affinity is so low you don't pull anything with it, while the gold one let you drag everything together.
Yeah, now is the time to put that thing to test. And the better tester would be the other kids. You immediately think about Man Din and Dhundan.
Then, you just settle for "the more, the better" and get Sin Din, Norm Yi and Ai also invited. That evening, instead of going to bed after the meal (and Dhundan to elude Heavens knows where), you bring everyone in the vincinity of your Immortal Cave.
Not inside. A few minutes away. You then fetch the contraption.
>>
"So, what do you think?
- It's... Interesting. But why does it seems to work for the Sun and not much for the gold?"
You were indeed able to graduate each other well using the Sun stone, each lifting a different amount of stone with you being the worst.
The gold one ? Result are half of you lift one stone, other half lift all.
Wait. You've seen such a broken scale before. The cultivation-filling speed of aperture. Three month of cultivation at a recently opened aperture are one week of diligent work near breaking through.
"Could it be... We'll try putting more weight the more we lift.
- That's absolutely stupid and retarded.
- And what should I do, wise among the wise?
- Put a longer rope obviously. Your thing works.
- And if I need a thousand stone, should I build a mountain-high contraption?"
That shut his belligerent mouth while you tinker at your device.
"There. Now, let's try again..."
Indeed, results have a better granularity that way. Things can still be improved, fine tuning on a case-per-case comparison is needed, but your device can now pull the information correctly.
You're proud, and the other kids congratulate your genius in crafts. Of course Dhundan say you'll need to forego cultivation to create smart craddles and school desks, and you tell him to go shovel dung.
He can't even hit you because you're on strict no-contact order from Bathias (but your wound closed today, and you could kick the fight out of him. Attempt to at least).
This thing could help out tremendously sort out the kids' affinity for next year's crop. That is, if you want to give your device and the lodestones to the sect.

The next day, you go at the infirmary to remove the cast around your thigh. Inside, your Qi let you know everything is fine and well; you could resume cultivation any...

"Alert! Everybody regroup in the training compound!"
Wait, what's happening? The wounded kid, recovering, grumble in their bed, too weak to get out of bed and join the others outside.

Ryota is standing, waiting.
> /qst/ KaiJuly event : attack of the monsters!
"We are facing a dangerous situation. An onslaught of powerful Spiritual Beasts are raising out of the sea to attack the land.
Those spirits are strong. I know most of you would think of this as an opportunity to bind a mighty beast.
I won't prevent you to partake. But remember that those things can severely incapacitate, maim or even kill you.
Thus I'll advise you to stay safe inside the sect's compound, protected by our layers of defensive formations.
"
The air is brimming with the sent of powerful spiritual beasts. Your hand goes to your pocket, clutching your remaining Spiritual bead.

>Ryota's right. Better play that one safely and stay right where you are.
>Ryota's right. This is an opportunity to catch mighty spirits, for you and your friend to bound, fuse, or trade.
>>
>>6050916
I'd like to sell the loadstone contraption to the sect for some more resources.
But also.

>Ryota's right, this is an oppertunity.
>>
>>6050923
I also want to explain to the trio their condition, and that by pooling their efforts they can all advance in leaps and bounds.

Cultivators are normally solitary figutes, but you three have an incentive to band together.
>>
>>6050916
>Ryota's right. This is an opportunity to catch mighty spirits, for you and your friend to bound, fuse, or trade.
>>
>>6050916
>Opportunity
How can we miss KaiJuly
>>
>>6050916
>Ryota's right. This is an opportunity
Let's go boys, time to catch rare Pokemon. Or is this a Raid? It sounds a lot like a Raid
>>
>>6050916
>>Ryota's right. This is an opportunity to catch mighty spirits, for you and your friend to bound, fuse, or trade.

Gotta catch em all.
>>
>>6050916
>Ryota's right. This is an opportunity to catch mighty spirits, for you and your friend to bound, fuse, or trade.
They don't stand a change against the local army of 8 year olds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h78ZnbctuYY
>>
Alright, this looks like a landslide win.

Regarding preparation...
>Who do you team up with [write-in!]
>Do you have request or material things you want?
>>
>>6051371
>Our three friends, the din sisters and Yi Norm. Then group under Kyo kyo or Bathias.

>Prep with spirit beads, at least 3 more. And some sort of energy pill.
>>
>>6051425
So no Dhundan and Ai?
>>
>>6051425
I support this but with better grammar.
>The talented crop of our year, being Dhundan, Ai, ourselves, Sin Din, Man Din and Yi Norm. After we have organized together, present ourselves to Kyo Ko and ask for guidance, and if she will not lead us, demand that Bathais does.
>>6051426
I think there's some 'oxford comma' shenanigans going on there
>>
>>6051426
That is correct.

Ai is gonna not want to fight.
Dhun is someone who's going to get better results by himself.
I'm not opposed to their inclusion, I just doubt one will want to and the other will play ball.

>>6051436
I'm also not demanding they "lead us", I mostly just want them nearby for security and to have a bigger gun to handle anything that comes our way.

I recognise I should have used a semi colon after "friends"
>>
>>6051425
>>6051449
I support this way of thinking, it would be awesome if we get some kind of support net for us, and if things get a little worse, also be there to help other cultivators or normal people.

Personally I think we should play it the safest, hell, getting a single beast like those would get us a huge boon that surely everyone can get something out of it. And if someone needs help we can lend a hand
>>
>>6051425
+1
>>
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You turn back and stare at your friends. Ai doesn't seems to care. Dhundan seems eager. The twin and Yi seems scared.
"Ryota's right. Can't you smell the enticing perfume of opportunity?
Here's the plan. Dhundan, Ai, you can manage on your own. Do your best. Other, we'll group together.
First, do you guys have some remaining spiritual beads?"
They all uncomfortably shift around. Good thing you thought about that. Your little group beeline to Ryota.
"We're going. Have we remaining beads?
- Well, every of you, try not to die. Here."
He's extending his hand, holding three of the precious blue spheres.
"Ai, Dhundan, take one. We'll get two for our group."
Bathias is nearby. Before you even approach...
"Nope. Too much work here. When, not if, when, you get hurt from your recklessness get back here as soon as possible."
Ominous, but won't deter you. Ah, there's Kyoko.
"Kyo Kyo, we're going. You come with us?
- A free skewer of baits? You bet.
- You've got beads?"
She flashes a cyan pearl.

Your little group goes out of the sect. In the distance, immensely huge spirits, as far as the eye can see.
Ai and Dhundan go do their own things. The air is brimming with Spiritual energy.
"Alright, we'll have to play it smart and safe. I see a fair amount of 4th realm spirits, a few fifth, and at least one sixth..."
You spin your energy. Wait, Kyo Kyo is looking dim... First stage? What?
Before you can delve on that, your Nose track a few... interesting... smells.
What's your strategy?
>Prioritize "easy" catches. The more the better.
>Search for high-value spirits to sell to the sect
>Look for something that could be fused to one of your spirit when you'll reach second realm
>Look for something that could be fused to one of your friend's spirits
>>
>>6052034
High quality art.

>High value spirits.

We have 3 spheres total. It has to be a valuable catch to be worthwhile.
And we should help Bathias out later.
>>
>>6052038
Thanks. Kyo Ko took me around as much time as all the other
>>
>>6052034
>Search for high-value spirits to sell to the sect
>>
>>6052034
>Search for high-value spirits to sell to the sect
Let's not get soul eaten by a kaiju
>>
>>6052034
Damn I always pictured Ryota as an older guy and not fucking jacked.

Also guess I forgot Ai has rainbow hair.

>Prioritize "easy" catches. The more the better.
Bathias said we'd get injured so maybe start easy
>>
>>6052119
Ryota is canonically looking around 25-30. Also I'm trying to consistently depict him as short and buffed.
>>
>>6052120
He is the boar man. Of course short and buff fits him. Assuming properties and characteristics about other cultivators by their mere physical appearance alone is a quick way to court death in wuxia, isn't it? Imagine a fat fuck that turns out to be some hyper-flexible spirit beast tamer, or somebody insanely ugly that's a cultivator of a completely unexpected path and specialization
>>
>>6052034
>Search for high-value spirits to sell to the sect
Uber-kino artistry. I only deep into this Quest every few hundred posts, maybe three or four times per thread, but this one is a favourite of mine.
>>
>>6052349
The secret is drawing with the laptop's touchpad.
I HAVE a graphical pad. One day I will get it out of the box and install it for this laptop. It will wait for me to become landed gentry though.
>>
I'll take 1d100 to see how much you put yourself in trouble.
Roll high.
>>
Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>6052359
>>
And that's a clean clear of DC 70. Writing.
>>
The giant animals are emerging from the ocean.
No. Seeming to emerge. Your enhanced sight let you gaze just under the waves; those monster are not from the depths but from somewhere else.
Like a Transplanhumance? Explain the flaming monsters you're seeing. They seem pissed by being in the middle of the ocean by the way.
A deep breath. Untangling the skein of sent, all sharing the distinctive, monstrous odor you register as "Giant"
Here's something. A braid of four sents, but only second-level spirit. Several smell you're familiar with.
The animal is most likely a Goose. Sent of medicinal herbs, and something you've registered as the "balance" half of the Stable Lotus mix.
A Steady Giant Alchemist Goose? Uncle Medicine Master Soulgaze could pay a good price for this.
"Alright. I think I have found a target... Kyo Kyo, do you have any scouting skill?
- Wait, you still haven't learned that Bathias Skill?
- Thought you might had a better option..."
You send the Ascendant Shrewd Golden Flame Hawk spirit, and cast the Eyes from Above skill. Get it to take some height. There it is - but not alone.
On your Hawk's right, a Giant camel, chewing like camel does, spits pointy shafty projectile. Your Hawk Spirit dispels instantly.
"Damn... Sin Din, there's like a walking ballista camel near our target. We can't face the two of them. Do you feel like you could drag it away?"
She's the fastest.
"Alright. Come forth, Unstopable Mist Stallion; I'll Ride like Blown Fleeting Mist!
- I'll go with her. Extract her in case of trouble. The Camel is third stage, we won't face it easily."
That leaves Man Din, Yi Norm and you, sneaking closer to the prize.
"What's our strategy?
- I'll say go all together, send all we've got, right?
- The goose is akin to a clueless lucky merchant. It lucks out of the wolf or the marten predatory malevolence, but the fox outcuns it easily.
The goose is fat, enough to choke the starving dog or cat, but succumb to the shark's appetite.
The goose is surprisingly nimble, her neck slithering around the clumsy elephant or tortoise, but can't keep up with the snake...
Ok I got this.
"
You haven't perceived that Man Din was so wise in the way of the 33 beasts. It makes sense with her Shapeshifter Spirit - that you've only seen echoes of.
You take her insight to your mind and heart, and summon your Golden Cosmic Snake Spear spirit while Yi Norm gets the Jade Wise Monkey ready, mirroring his stance with his Bo Staff.
The three of you deploy, circling around the target, waiting for the Camel to take the bait...
>>
>Never trained Squad Tactics
What follows is a clumsy mess of uncoordinated attacks despite your closeness. You rush the beast with your Wolf-based Spear style, but it hear the gallop of the camel, turning its whole body and leading to your strike missing.
The fortunate Goose faces Yi and his Monkey, steps back, almost trampling you - thanks the Heaven for your Unlimited Rising Star Kick.
You'd be perfectly placed to lay a devastating shot...
>Never trained Bow technique
If you had your Feathered Twirling Bo(w) Staff ready, that is. You can just watch...
>Investing time and Energy in Man Din + her build...
Man Din progressing unseen, the blue ethereal outline of a Fox around her. She pounces, the Fox turns into a shark, her Chain coils to form its teeth, embedding into the strange, scaly-feather of the monster.
It yelps. Turns on one leg smoothly and attempt a wingbeat. Man Din have already skittered away, with her Snake aura.
A perfectly synchronise double-strike in the drumstick, the monster spins again and kick hard at the audacious attacker.
>Yi Norm's spirit dispelled.
Luckily, the strike was aimed at the human-looking monkey, not the monkey-looking human. Legit confusion, dire mistake.
You use the opportunity to embed your Snake-spear in the place where the sun does not shine. It honks surprisingly.
"Hawk's Double Talon!"
A well placed kick burrows the snake further into the unspeakable place, triggering a more offended honk. Yi Norm and Man Din are staring at you weirdly though.
Not as weird as the Goose spirit, that somehow coil into a ball, pecking at your Snake Spirit, which dispels in turn.
However, the nimble but weird position let Man Din shift her aura into the armored and clawed Pangolin, striking at a mad rate, each hit powering a chain-slash.
Here's your chance : you slam the bid on the spirit.
It resist. Harder than all the fairly easy capture you made.
You spin your Qi, channeling it in the sphere while your two friends keep hitting and hitting the monster, weathering away its aura while your treasure bead slowly and steadily binds the Giant monster.
Until it cease its struggle, captured.
That is a success. You suffered from three dispelled spirits, a few scratches, and your group is split. But you have something valuable to sell. And one bead left.

>Take this win, go back into the sect's compound.
>No cultivator left behind. Regroup with Sin Din and Kyo Kyo.
>You have a second bead, you will get every crumb of benefit from this opportunity. Press on [easy? High-value? Self target? Fren Target?]

You have in your dear, ornated medicine bottle that you received at the main sect's tournament one pill :
the Spiritual Energy Pill can help restore a dispelled spirit back into shape in minutes instead of days.
>Use Spiritual Energy Pill to restore a spirit [Snake? Horse? Yi's Monkey?]
>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
>>6052417
>No cultivator left behind.
Might even nab another.

>Restore snake.
>>
>>6052357
That's some exciting news.

>>6052417
>No cultivator left behind. Regroup with Sin Din and Kyo Kyo.
>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
It is done, all that's left is exfiltration.
>>
>>6052447
+1, clutch the Max Revive
>>
where is HE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnnhZ8BD0u4
I bet he's like 6th or 7th realm, a true Lizard King spirit
>>
>>6052417
>Never trained Squad Tactics
>Never trained Bow technique
We NEED to do these, this experience has shown us what we lack
>You use the opportunity to embed your Snake-spear in the place where the sun does not shine. It honks surprisingly.
>"Hawk's Double Talon!"
>A well placed kick burrows the snake further into the unspeakable place, triggering a more offended honk. Yi Norm and Man Din are staring at you weirdly though.
An unexpected funny moment in-between the kaiju assault action
>>
>>605241
>Regroup
>Save pill
>Remember to ask Man Din for help shapeshifting later.
>>
>>6052417
>No cultivator left behind. Regroup with Sin Din and Kyo Kyo.

>>6052467
There's just too much stuff to train :(
>>
>>6052467
>>6052574
To be fair, we are a very young child. There'll be time to train once we're an adult and have stabilized our foundation for the future.
>>
>>6052417
>No cultivator left behind. Regroup with Sin Din and Kyo Kyo.
>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
>>6052417

>No cultivator left behind. Regroup with Sin Din and Kyo Kyo.

>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
>>6052417
>No cultivator left behind. Regroup with Sin Din and Kyo Kyo.
Use Spiritual Energy Pill to restore a spirit Horse

More options to leave in case of danger are always good
>>
>>6052635
I"m retarded, Horse is safe Hawk is dispelled.
>>
I'll take another roll of 1d100 for regrouping.
DC is 40. The use of the Hawk and its Eyes from Above skill would have lowered it to a low 30
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>6052681
AAAAAAA
>>
Rolled 3 (1d4)

>>6052712
Alright. Which kid is getting it?
>>
"First thing first, we go find the girls. Then, we can consider going home.
- Works for me.
- Same."

You need a better sight. Nothing an Unlimited Rising Star Kick can't propel you diagonally toward a high, but solid, branch, granted you a nice vision on the ambient chaos.
Monster. Giant monster as far as the eye can see. It takes you a bit of time amidst the various pyrotechnical effects of the mashup of materials and element to discern the target.
The Siege Weapon Camel is far on the West, away from the sea - and the sect.

"Alright, let's go."
You mount Yi Norm behind you on the horse; Man Din using her own spirit in the shape of a prancer with sharp, lithe feature - perfect for speed.
The first few minutes are quiet. Maybe the monster avoid getting to close to each other? That could explain the respite around your first prey.
However, your though are interrupted with the short-lived tranquility when trouble walks in the form of... A Dark Rock Giant Pangolin monster?

And it's between you and the girls - between you and Sin Din, but your guts tells you Kyo Ko is nearby.
Relief flashes on Sin Din face.
"Wait! on your left! Danger!"
Surprise. The monster emits a blast of rock - with enough spiritual energy to crush to a bloody pulp any of you. The projectile and its energy husk misses your friend by a couple hair, impacting a crater in the ground.
But the explosion send shards.
"Down! Turtle's Shell!"
Man Din pull both of you to the ground - you dispel your spirit by reflex. The three of you are in the Turtle's spiritual projection, which protects you from the rocky shrapnel and the dirt cloud.
You here a crash, and steps away. Getting up, you see that the Camel is hurling bolt at the titanic Pangolin, retaliating with a volley of rocks.
Kyo Ko is closing the distance, with Sin Din running at her side, clutching a severely mangled arm.
"You're lucky this thing is still attached to your body. Even luckier you didn't took that in that pretty head of yours.
I think it went well for you? Right. Let's not risk it and head back.

- Come on! I can still walk. I can still be useful. We have to get at least one more!"

>Kyo Ko's right. Enough gains, rush to the compound.
>Respect Sin Din's choice. More gains are to be gained.

Also,
>Use Spiritual Energy Pill to restore a spirit [Snake? Hawk? Yi's Monkey? Sin Din's Horse?]
>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
>>6052747
>Kyo Ko's right. Enough gains, rush to the compound.
Let's not lose limbs or heads. That's enough Kaiju action for one decade. Maybe when Quiet Word is stronger, he can go hunt spirit kaijus for a short time
>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
Clutch the damn Max Revive, all the dispelled spirit beasts will recover in a week or so
>>
>>6052747
Weve got a 3rd tier beast, its got a lot of value to it. And given who we plan to sell it to, and the low value of the items for mouth/nose apature, we should be good enough to sell it.

>Gains have been gotten, GTFO to the sect
>Dont use the pill
Get our injured onto our mount.
>>
>>6052747
>Kyo Ko's right. Enough gains, rush to the compound.
Too young to be losing any limbs here.

>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
>>6052747
>>Kyo Ko's right. Enough gains, rush to the compound.
>>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
>>6052747
>Respect Sin Din's choice. More gains are to be gained.
Still got plenty of sacrifices we can make, and plenty more to win by doing so.
>>
>>6052747
>Kyo Ko's right. Enough gains, rush to the compound.
>Don't use Spiritual Energy Pill
>>
I'll take 1d100.
DC is 5/50/70 with of course extra niceties in case of crit.
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>6054189
HIYAAAAAAAAAAAH!
>>
>>6054207
Just clearing the DC to go home without problem by 1. Looks like you anons made the right choice with safety.
>>
"Alright. Heading home it is. Let's move."
You want to take Sin Din with you on your Horse, but change your mind as her sister seems to have things under control.
All of you lay low and head back to the compound amidst the monster-based chaos.
That is, until meteors start to fall.
"What is that?
- Other cultivators taking the opportunity."
You focus your gaze : those are... Martial artist? The black kimono and green sash is familiar - a handful members of the Fist of the Green Dragon.

Wait, is that martial artist jumping at the head of the 6th stage Reptilian colossus? Is he courting death?
Oh. He obliterated the thing's head in one punch. And your group felt the shockwave. Better keep moving and avoid being pinched to death by collateral effect.
A third of the distance remains. Everything's well... Oh no. The camel's back there. He's looking mad angry. He coils his neck back, and get ready to spit at you...
Is this the end?

You're hearing tumbles on your immediate left, and a guy with a silk blue Kimono decorated with White Tigers, wearing glasses teinted in black, trip and fall between you and the Monster. He's followed by a pouncing giant hare made of Crystal...
>6 : success by 1!
Which trajectory happens to exactly line with the shot of the other monster, exploding the Crystal Hare
"Paper Blade Swarm!"
There's no way those weak smelling origami swords could hurt the third stage Camel
Oh. You're wrong. It's a red mist paste now.

You don't get to complain at a gifted spirit's attribute. The whole of you goes back running again to the sect.

There. Safe. Man Din brings her sister to get her arm looked immediately. Your group heads toward a relieved Ryota.
"Good to see you safe
- We were succesful. Sin Din suffered a hit, but here's our spoil. I think we could get a good price by binding it to Medicine Master Soulgaze of Stable Lotus Sect.
- This was a group effort. We all deserve a fair share of the reward
- I see... I'll arrange something if that's so."

Ai, Dhundan and Gro Ta are back empty-handed. Spiritual blow strong enough to make the sect's defensive formations flicker keep going while the Great Sect's member clean the invasion.

Once the last titan is defeated, your sect is honored by the visit of the two Great Sect member you know recognize as spectators of last year's turnament :
the Fist of the Green Dragon martial artist and the Paper Tiger cultivator that was pursued by the Crystal Hare.
Illuminated, you identify them as Ryota's comrades of his younger days. And look like they'll stay a couple days.
>>
It's been a while you haven't worked in an "unharmed" state. You can't wait to cultivate again.

Chose 3

Special choice :
>Interract with one of the Great Sect's member [Who? What for?]
Potential
>Study the Martial Technique scroll
>Improve your Potential Estimation Contraption with Gold/Sun lodestone [You'll need other cultivator to go under test for calibration]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Train Squad Tactics!
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>Bathias return's means twice the work at the Hawk's Aviary
>Go talk to the kids you beat up, almost killed, and saved [What tell?]
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Discuss with Inborn Tanuki Lantern about the Loose Cultivator life
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6054224
>Interact with fist of the green Dragon

>FOUNDATION!
>Help the trio with their cultivation.

Aftger our guests leave, we can start training our archery
>>
>>6054224
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow
>Study the Martial Technique scroll
>Work on your Foundation
>>
>>6054224
>>6054255
I'll agree with this. We shouldn't hold ourselves back to help less talented juniors who can't help themselves.
>>
>>6054372
Will you at least consider interacting with the one time people who leave in a few days, when our strat is based on having good connections to powerful people?
>>
>>6054376
What is there to learn from extremely powerful cultivators visiting our Sect? At best, they'll teach us a new technique, at worst, they'll see our wolf spirit with their superior senses and steal it from us. We have to remember, our concealment of it still isn't flawless and these cultivators are many stages beyond us.
>>
>>6054255
+1
>>
>>6054224
>Interract with one of the Great Sect's member [Who? What for?]
How do we explode the head of a 6th stage expert in wan ponch

>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>>
>>6054381
Good relationship? So they actually know and recognise us? Network? Seek a potential ally in our allied sects?
That thing we recognise as important to have and do?

Its not about immediate pay off.

Also no, hes not going to detect our pendants because he presently looks like a steel and pain wolf spirit, which we arent taking out, and they have no interest in checking.

This is a set up and prerequisite for future independence and sect politics both.
>>
>>6054230
As for what to interact with him about.

Mostly try and get a good impression of us for him. Maybe ask about how the hell he blew up a 6th stage beast in a single punch as a cover and icebreaker.
>>
>>6054224
>>Work on your Foundation
>>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>>Bathias return's means twice the work at the Hawk's Aviary
>>
How much you think we can get for the goose I assume enough pills to reach the 2nd stage for the group. And we ask what they want.
>>
This is 4 votes. Which one would you drop?
>>
>>6054958
>>6054416
Obvious backlink fail.

Also
>Tally status
Will try to update in the next 5/6 hours. No promises.
>>
>>6054960
Oh whoops, I thought the special choice was free
Drop that one then since it seems controversial
>>
>Be me
>Huge procrastinating faggot
>Decide to start working on promise update
>Realise I have to wake in 7 hours for driving 2hours for work.

So yeah, no update tonight. Feel free to use the window to ask questions; I might or might not answer.
>>
>>6055247
Sweet dreams, QM.
>>
>>6055247
Why not write the update then realize you have to be up in 5 hours to drive 2 hours to work?
>>
>>6055393
Because I know myself and it would be a good way for me to have an unfortunated fated meeting with a wall at 88mph and postpone next update indefinitely.
>>
>>6055247
What is your present realm, and specialisation?

>404pps
Captcha what the fuck
>>
>>6055644
3rd Dan, Embedded system custom OS compilation and cybersecurity.
>>
>>6055800
Bah it all makes sense now, Senior is obviously missing the Payment Protection Service, it is your fortune that captcha has smiled on even a dao of Cyberware.
>>
Won't finish the update tonight either.
Please forgive my homosexuality.
At least, looks like the pill-enhanced Bow training is going well.
>>
>>6055987
I wounder if doubles has a special effect.

Wither way, We're getting a new trump card boys!
>>
Your body is fine for the first time since you don't know when. Your spirit are recovering in due time. Back to the fundamental
The Fiery Hawk Dance is harder without your spirit. You haven't much success with your meditation, still adapting to the incorporation of Fighting Spirit in the technique.
Nevertheless, your body generates Qi and Blood threads. They're spinned around the frames ericted by your fortuitous previous encounter.
You estimate that your Ear Aperture is around half-full. Once again, due to the acceleration of cultivation speed, it means the harder part of this minor realm cultivation is now behind you.

In your free time, you carefully studied the Martial scroll.
At first, the writing make no sense, despite your literacy training.
That is until you have the bright idea to circulate your Qi in the treasure scroll. Now, upon seeing the scroll, you hear the words of advice of a wise master.
One sentence at a time. One sentence a day.
"Hold the stance. Half an hour every day."
"Feet shall look at the same direction."
"Down. Lower. You should hold glasses of water full to the rim without them spilling."
"Straighten your back."
"Your thighs burn? That mean the training is working."
"Now, circulate your True Qi following... You don't have True Qi? Come back later."
"..."
After that block, the scroll became pristine. You don't feel you gained much from it as is.
>>
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But your most impressive progress are obtained while working on your Bow martial art.
This art is insanely deep. The book start with basic mounted marksmanship exercise, coupled with metaphorical explanations of movement (Phoenix metaphore, obviously).
There are also a fair amount of deep explanation on how to circulate your true Qi while working the technique. Said True Qi that you still lack.
>97 : Understanding what "myths" bring to a technique
You feel, however, that working this technique brings much more than you would have thought.
In addition to spiritual energy related to "Horse", "Wind", "Bow" and (somehow) "Distance" - same element than the "Wide" keyword of your body tempering technique, you feel the technique allows you to work on the channels related to "Hawk", "Fire" and "Gold".
The book text is clear, although fragmented :
"What is or isn't the Phoenix belong to the Daoist of the Phoenix path.
To each practitionner his path. Are you wise enough in your art to judge what is or isn't your art?"
This is unequivocally a sign that "Phoenix" is not a single concept.
In your understanding, such a powerful word could hold books of meaning by itself. For you, it's the aforementionned Gold, Fire and Hawk element.
Probably because of your confusion of the Ascendant Golden Flame Hawk Spirit for a Phoenix almost two years ago.
A convenient tool. Increasing the width coming from training a single skill. Not the depth though - your energy can only increase so much in a single session.
>Double-97
You feel that "Phoenix" skills are indescribably well suited to you.
What would it take to capitalize on that newfound progress?
Of course, working your "Phoenix" skills will be rewarding by itself.
Going even further, you might turn your Body Tempering technique into something like "Phoenix's Wide Ballet". You'll need 2 breakthrough for that : a first one to bring "gold" to the technique, a second one to merge the concepts of the Phoenix in the mythical word.
A lucid thought cross your mind. A daring one. One you're intimately convinced is an Heaven-sent truth.
You might fuse your Hawk Spirit with a Phoenix spirit. Any Phoenix spirit.
Last, you might deepen your Phoenix understanding : there is a way to extend what the word encompass for you.
The enlightment fade just before you grasp said way.


Ryota indeed sold the Goose spirit to Medicine Master Soulgaze. The gains are enough for the five of you to get a minor realm-improving treasure, akin to the Echo Root or Purple Bamboo Shoot, in addition to tailor-made pills to claim on a (later) visit to Stable Lotus sect.
>Take the prize now. More opportunities in the future will grant more treasures.
>Wait. Your breakthrough might be two or three months away, and a Mouth-stage consumable treasure just at breakthrough will be an insanely valuable option.
>>
Chose 3

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Train Squad Tactics!
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>Bathias return's means twice the work at the Hawk's Aviary
>Go talk to the kids you beat up, almost killed, and saved [What tell?]
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6056629
>>Wait. Your breakthrough might be two or three months away, and a Mouth-stage consumable treasure just at breakthrough will be an insanely valuable option.

>Train Squad Tactics!
>Work on your Foundation
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>>
>>6056635
I'll agree with this, sure. Discovering that we have an incredible synergy with the Dao of the Phoenix is awesome, but we need to take care of our fundamentals first.
>>
>>6056629
>Wait, get the treasure later.
HELL YEAH.

>Foundation
MUST. BEAT. OUT. TIME LIMIT.

>Snake pits.
Should keep up the good work. And if we get the chance, then while reporting to Ryota we can offer the potential estimation machine. We should be RIGHT up against the time of bringing in new initaites, so offering it now could yield us some good favour. It's all about the timing.

>Mounted Archery

And hey, I get that. Distance and Wide both relate to space, a realisation we had a while ago! I do want to get the archery up to an acceptable level as fast as possible. But we should get back to spear soon.

Keeping that near our foundation limit is pretty good and one of our current best benefits.
>>
>>6055987
All is redeemed and then some, but you were never in need of forgiveness in the first place. Thanks for the update DrDragonfag.

>>6056640
I agree with your insights concerning our Mounted Archery but I think our squad tactics need a lot of work more urgently. If we were a Loose Cultivator I would back this completely but we're a member of a sect, so we need to train to fight like part of a sect. Of course, at our age we won't be doing any real fighting but it could be a lot of help for competitions and improving relations with our friends.
>>
>>6056635
+1
>>
>>6056644
Squad tactics is better had when we are supporting our friends.

If we supported them now to get them nearer to the edge of mouth apature, we wont completely elicpse them later
>>
>>6056640
>Timing

Forgot to write but...

It's been one year and 11 month since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.
>>
>>6056661
I rest my point.

Is the option of handing in the contraption need to be a seperate action? Or does it align with our duties to take care of the snake pits.
>>
>>6056659
They're also cultivating themselves and progressing along. If they can't keep up by themselves, they aren't worth weakening ourselves to hold them up. Now, if we were a prodigy I would support helping them out more often, but we're only above average, and only that due to our careful planning and luck. Besides, training squad tactics now will help us get a better feel for working in teams later on. I think we should work on Mounted Archery after this but our attempt during the beast hunting was a poor showing. This is just shoring up one of our most serious weaknesses.

>>6056661
Interesting.
>>
>>6056631
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>>
>>6056635
+1 to the zombie survivalist
>>
>>6056629
>Wait. Your breakthrough might be two or three months away, and a Mouth-stage consumable treasure just at breakthrough will be an insanely valuable option.
>Train Squad Tactics!
>Snake Mistress absence means twice the work at the Snake Pits
>Read stories about phoenixes
>>
>>6056670
You calibrated it already, although crudely. Going to see Ryota won't take a significant amount of time, so I can submit that as a free action next turn (for or against)
>>
>>6056834
>>6056743
>>6056794
>>6056635
Gentlemen, A free action presented, at the best time for us to sell the device for sect credit!

Observe>>6056837

So would you support me in my endevour to sell our machine!
>>
>>6056834 (You)
>>6056837
Well if we're being offered a free action I see no reason not to take it. This is a vote for
>>
>>6056884
Sure
>>
>>6056837
>>6056884
I'm >>6056676 and agree that we should sell it. It would please our sect and might help with screening the newcomers, even before the profits are accounted for.
>>
>>6056635
I'm this doood and I vote to sell that thing.
>>
>>6056837
I'm for, hopefully we can get some credit for it too.
>>
>>6056794
I was going to invit you to join but then I saw your timestamp and realize.
"Oh, it's him :D"
>>
Alright, we have a consensus.
>>
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Time flies when you cultivate.
>Proficient in Astral Self + Qi Sight
The addition of "Fiery" in your Hawk Dance cultivation opened up new channels in your body.
Channels widened and fueled by your "Phoenix" bow technique, bringing your "Fire" Affinity to the level of the rest of your cultivation already.
However, this success is matched by the Fighting Intent Meditation lack of aforementionned success.

A fair bit of this week is devoted to training with your other friends - barring Sin Din, still hurt and thus listening but unable to participate, and Ai, straight up not interrested.
"Alright. Let's iterate on what we had for the tournament and our fight against giants..."
Based on your intuitive and learned knowledge of group fighting, some things are easy to find out.
Dhundan is the perfect Frontliner. A sturdy and menacing melee fighter, catching the attention of ennemies and fighting of the ones trying to go to your backlines.
Sin Din is the textbook Scout. An extemely-high mobility fighter able to capitalize on positionning errors of foes to pick up valuable targets, or harass from dead angles colossal opponent.
Yi Norm... is simply a Fighter. Straightforward. The less strategically-usefull part of your squad.
Two of you, however, doesn't fit simply in a box : Man Din and her unique bounded beast spirit (with a mastery that left a deep impression) have a boundless versatility. Then, there's your case.
Mounted on your Horse Spirit, you are technically Heavy Cavalry - a wrecking ball made human. However, you lack the training in your mounted halberd style to play the part completely. You might fill the role of Mounted Marksman, but again you lack training.
Remains your Spear Style. Your level in said style is good - too good to be a simple Fighter. However, you don't feel you can be a direct match for a Frontliner in terms of raw battle prowess. And the Blood-Shadow wolf, amazing to overwhelm an opponent in a duel, lose on potential when said opponent have allies able to burst your summons. Then, there's the matter of the Meteor Hammer. That you don't master at all.
Not that you divulgate that secret technique to your friends for now.
Speaking of secret, this opens questions. You could most certainly empower them with the secret of Fusion. You have no worries for Dhundan and Ai. The pressing ones are Yi first, and Sin Din second. To be completely honest, your current squad level is weighted down by Yi first, YOU second and Sin Din third.
To alleviate this, you should personnally train a Mounted style.
>>
But a good amount of your waking hours are spent in the Snake Pits.
The lack of work from (still wounded) disciples shows. Nothing insurmontable, but your time set appart for resolving the various little work accumulated pay off :
The state of the pens is satisfactory in your eye.
"I wasn't eagered to see the pile of work once back home. Looks like I worried for nothing.
- Snake Mistress! You're back!
- Kyo Ko told me you organized work for first stage. Diligent work requires diligent reward.
You see, with a thorough rework, the techniques of Golden Skystone Snake style are not half bad.
It will greatly benefit our next disciples. The rework was most effective : Golden Skystone Patriarch broke through a third stage minor realm already.
"

>Learned Body Tempering technique : Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake (Gold, Snake, Space, Physical Resistance)

Learning a new body tempering is a great news : with the amount of time necessary to work on foundation, having separate techniques mean improving even more of your spiritual channels. This unexpected reward have been reaped at the perfect moment.

Speaking of plucking opportunities, you also take a bit of time and go talk with Ryota.

"Yes, Quiet Word?
- Master. I created something. An invention that evaluate the potential of a cultivator. With the upcoming recruitment for the sect... Maybe this can be of some use.
- Tells you what. Bring your device. Help out sorting the kids next week. I'll double your reward : one consumable treasure for your Ear Aperture, and one for your Mouth."

Chose 3

Special :
>Accept Ryota's offer of treasure
Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Will let him know you have the secret of fusion]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Go talk to the kids you beat up, almost killed, and saved [What tell?]
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
>>
>>6058277
>Accept offer of Treasure.

>Foundation
>Mounted archery style
Hell yeah. it will take a bit of time but we can get all of our martial skills up to par.
>>
>>6058277
>Accept Ryota's offer of treasure
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
>>
>>6058282
+1 rush the ears so the treasure is enough to breakthrough
>>
>>6058277
Noice, thanks snake mistress

>Accept Ryota's offer of treasure
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
>>
>>6058277
>Accept Ryota's offer of treasure

>Work on Your Foundation
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>>
>>6058282
I am >>6056676 again, and I agree with this. We need to get our Mounted Archery up to par and, as always, improve our Foundation.
>>
>>6058560
We have a SINGLE year to fill up half the ear apature and all of the mouth apature.

Hitting that point is a sign of a genius. We need all the pills and all the treasures we can get and NO INJURIES.
>>
>>6058533
Oops, took one too many. Remove archery training.
>>
>>6058277
>Accept Ryota's offer of treasure
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Use Pills]
>>
So got another idea for AI and Dhun.

Simple and most classical technique for friendship.
Give each one a task that is wildly unsuited to them, and very suited to the other. They both need to have it completed.

We do lack the authority for this. . so. . . Hmm, maybe ask ryota? Or make it a simple task that they wouldn't mind doing for us.

maybe something about music at a sect function for Dhun? and. . . negotiating with a hard customer for supplies/resources for Ai
>>
>>6059000
Smart idea. You might ask Ryota about organizing something for newcomers as you'll spend time with them - selling him the idea that newcomers will feel honored with a welcome feast or something

I'll allow this against time spent for this year's newcomers.
>>
>>6059018
Akin to the Snake Pits - to have a payoff you'll have to work several time on that.
Congratulation btw, you worked exactly the bare minimum for said Snake Pit payoff. Taking the Beating would have prevented you to work one more time there though.
>>
>>6059018
So much to doooooooooooooooooo.

But this action can work out to a double bird with single stone if it gets them closer together.

I guess the question is mostly on "do we focus on our friends with their lagging potential" or "try and get some people with decent potential like ryota did for us".

I dunno. I want to keep helping our own people but. . . so much to do.
We also "need" to get that spear skill back up to peak within 6 months for the tourniment. which is just more and more time spent.
>>
>So much to doooooooooooooooooo
I am trying to let you guys play in a sandbox by design. Everything is achievable independently, but I want to make you feel your choices matter.

Each time one of you complain, it means you are engaged in the quest and I'm doing a good job putting you under pressure
>>
>>6059037
Yes, you are.
Do not take my complaint to be one of angry frustration, think of it more like. . . a student in the finals. Got a lot of important shit to juggle and oh boy it;d be nice if there were 72 hours in a day.


the fictional stress of balancing time slots is engaging. Good job.
>>
>>6059039
I was not taking this as a complaint. It's always rewarding and motivating for QM to see player being so engaged.
>>
Also,

>Tally status : consensual
>>
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You keep pushing your basic cultivation - after all, you're on a timer for success, aren't you?
Indeed, the technique provided by Snake Mistress is a godsend : you had no proper way to work on Snake affinity, and the Qi pattern of the namesake golden scales on your skin feels hard and sturdy. You're pretty sure you'll be harder to wound by lower level cultivators thanks to the new body tempering technique.
Your meditation, however, still struggles. You feel deeply unlucky. Have the Heavens cursed you? The addition of Fighting Intent to your meditation technique, resulting from the flash of insight of your won fight, have been frustratingly unrewarding.

Which was not the case of your choice of working your bow technique. Is it the pills? Or maybe the channels already developped by overlapping techniques?
Your marksmanship inches forward, alongside your Horse and Wind affinity. Plus, your pill consumption have been more than reasonable for obtaining those results.

But the really marking event is the new crop of disciples. Crop which you are in charge in terms of separate the wheat from the chaff.
Where you so small just two years ago? So little? So lost?
Most probably. The memory seal seems to scramble them really bad.
It's a good thing you brought the contraption along. At first, you feel the kids are really really bad. Until you realize your device have been calibrated with cultivators at least halfway through first stage, not kids that never circulated a technique.
"Ryota? A hand? I need to cut my calibration rocks in eight?
- Give me that..."

Did he ripped it three time into almost perfectly square pieces? Inhumane. But your calibration device is more tunable to the power levels of kids. That's way better.
In the end, you spend the day making kid grasp a few beads holding spiritual beast captured - some close to the sect's teached technique, like a Jade Wolf and a Water Snake.
This let your sect gaze more precisely which disciples are promising, and which aren't.
You feel like most aren't though. The few really good ones chose to go with other sects.
"Don't worry too much. You can't compare those kids to your generation. A Yi Norm would be the shining jewel of the lot.
For your group, he's the least good gifted one. Thanks for spending the time. As promised...
"
>Obtained Bronze-Petal Bellflower
"This thing work as infusions. Don't forget to share it.
Also, don't be surprised : when a treasure brings roughly one fifth of a level worth of cultivation, the second brings one eight, the third one tenth.
In the end, deep pockets aren't doing all the work.
"

The sorting event is also an opportunity to discuss with Medicine Master Soulgaze.
"Hello child. I owe you a special reward for the prize your sect sold me.
Come and visit with those friends of yours. I'll fine-tune some more pills.
"
>>
It's been two years since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.
Chose 3 :

Special : Tea-Sharing (Free action, valid targets are Dhundan, Ai, LienWen YanEr, Ping Jun.)
Special2 : Visit Medicine Master Soulgaze with your friends for custom-made pills [Which technique?]

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Will let him know you have the secret of fusion]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Go talk to the kids you beat up, almost killed, and saved [What tell?]
>Take a special care in the training of the new crop.
Strengthening the Jar
>Push yourself hard (can double-chose one thing, at the cost of mental health)
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6060068
>Tea-Sharing with Dhundan
We need to be on his good side.
>Visit Medicine Master Soulgaze with your friends for custom-made pills [Unlimited Rising Star Kick]
This has been a staple of ours and is worth improving on.
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
We need to improve our meditation technique, that much is abundantly clear. We're on a ticking clock here and don't want to miss out on future opportunities.
>>
>>6060068
>Tea-Sharing with Ai
A bribe to start practicing with us, she gets a lot less screentime than Dhundan

>Visit Medicine Master Soulgaze with your friends for custom-made pills [Which technique?]
Kick

>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>>
>>6060219
+1
>>
>>6060219
+1
>>
>>6060068
>Tea share Ai.

Free action get. Maybe we should ask her for her eye skill/nose skill in exchange?

>Foundation [Push Hard]
>Improve things between Ai and Dhun with >>6059000
>Wolf spear.

I think we ought to take this month to polish up our spear to our maximum again in time for the tourniment.
Next month, we can get our medicines, which I recommend the new body tempering technique.
>>
>>6060068
>Special : Tea-Sharing -Ai . Ask her about managing stress.
>Special2 : Visit Medicine Master Soulgaze with your friends for custom-made pills - Unlimited Rising Star Kick

>Foundation
>Gar Ruk Book meditation
>Consider what we'll eventually need as a free cultivator
>>
>>6060068
>Tea-Sharing with Dhundan and Ai
>Visit Medicine Master Soulgaze with your friends for custom-made pills [Unlimited Rising Star Kick]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>>
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Goose DESTROYS Tiger
>>
>>6060624
I like how he's parading with open winged after the fight.
>>
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>>6060703
Another one
Note how this one rewinds time briefly. Truly a high stage zoo animal
>>
>>6060704
Clearly a Full-offense Time Goose spirit.

New affinity chart relationship developped : Goose somehow molests Tiger.
>>
>>6060454
Special2 is not a free action.

>>6060464
Sharing with Ai and Dhundan means no tea for yourself.
>>
>>6060219
I'm >>6060128, and will switch my vote to this as that's the clear consensus.
>>
>>6060707
Changing my vote >>6060464
>Tea-Sharing with Dhundan
>Visit Medicine Master Soulgaze with your friends for custom-made pills [Unlimited Rising Star Kick]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>>
It needs be said that any efforts directed to our trio of friends now yeilds much more benefits than any later, when they have bottlenecks to contest with.
>>
Sorry guys, no update tonight.
Will tally and (try to) write in the weekend.
>>
As promised,

>Tally status
>>
>>6062456
Least we are cohesive.

I'm thinking next month
Foundation
push foundation twice
Help the trio.

Since we can fit the downtime we had to spend in healing here.
I'm of the opinion that we should value our friends over our skills until we hit the 8 year deadline. Because that's the point where any training becomes much harder for less reward. At least until they get to mouth apature.

Going half assed on multiple things isnt going to get us anywhere, so I believe that it is in our benefit to pick some solid goals to work towards.

My perogative is
"2nd rank before 8"

"Get fellow kids up to mouth apature minimum before 8"

And
"Keep our spear skills up to maximum so we can win the 6 month tourniment, due in 5 months"

Any disagreements or alternative suggestions?
>>
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>Go visit Medicine Master Soulgaze
First thing first, you request a day off for you and your friends to Ryota.
"Oh, for the pills? Go. "
The next day, four 7 year old kids lead by the 5th stage 12 year old Kyo Ko adresses the guards of the Stable Lotus compound.
"Hey, it's the kid from the other day... You're hitting on the young mistress hoping to get adopted into the family?
- How mentally challenged are you? Either the girl like him, and you're courting death, or she doesn't and you're still courting death!
Anyway, we were instructed to let you in.
"
You only see LienWen YanEr from afar. She makes a small wave as refined as discrete coupled with an enigmatic half smile.
You don't see her displeasant cousin though. You're fine with that.

"Isn't that my benefactors? As agreed with your sect's master, as a reward for your deed, let me examinate each of you."
The day proceed slowly, with the pill master altening between examining in greater details each and every of your friends and busywork with the furnace, knives, grinder and stirring pots.
Your turn comes, last.
"So, do you want me to redo some of your pills? or something else?
- Could you do some for my movement technique?
- Show it to me... A most peculiar one. Unique. It's not often I'm witnessing that unfamiliar and eldritch taint... but I can work around that."
>Obtained 10 pills
"And for your good treatment of my beloved niece, and the initiative of catching the beast for my sake, you can take this"
He placed a round object in your hand. You open you hand on... [chose one]
>"A Spiritual Energy pill able to restore a dispelled spiritual beast"
>"A Vital Energy pill, able to mend the flesh and regenerate the blood, alleviating a Wound even grievous"
>"An Inborn True Qi pill. Will boost your foundation's progress for a couple month, but under its effect failure will backlash on your channels"
>>
The following days are spent solely focusing on your foundation.
First, you drag Ai your Immortal cave, where you bring her a cup of the metallic and bitter-almond aftertaste of the Bronze-petal Bellflower tea.
"Do you hear how the liquid tingle when it splashes on the cup's rim?"
You haven't. But now it's pointed out, you find it's true. You gulp your own cup, overcoming the awful taste.
You can feel the Qi and Blood threads of your Ear Aperture, lose and not already extended and tense as amplificating threads, spin themself into empty half-bowl, shaped like the titular bells of the flowers.
You can already feel them pick up the ambient sounds and propagate it through the strings created by the Echo vines.
"This should help our cultivation... Could you explain me your eye skill?
- I'm afraid not. Masters talked about how it was an unique innate skill of the highest level, and were unable to pierce the patterns"

Unfortune-carrying Rats.

You spend the rest of the time outside your duties, mainly supervising the nothing-to-talk-about kids focusing on your foundation.
You felt finally that your Fighting Intent have been growing. It's not much, barely enough to make the new members flinch when you raise your voice after they mess up.
This success after a couple month of struggle brings a smile on your face. However, your best effort regarding incorporating the hindsight brought by the Gar Ruk fable book still eludes you.

After all your efforts, your Ear Aperture is three fourth full.

Chose 3

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Will let him know you have the secret of fusion]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Go talk to the kids you beat up, almost killed, and saved [What tell?]
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6062569
>True inborn.

FULL SPEED AHEAD.

>Foundation
>Spear skills
>Train the trio
>>
>>6062580
YES, WE'LL DO IT!
>>
My reasoning is that the Spiritual Energy and Vital Energy pills are both temporary benefit, while the Inborn True Qi pill provides a permanent boost if we're lucky enough to make use of it. I'd prefer we focus on the Gar Ruk storybook but helping our friends is good as well. The Spear is fine, we need better melee if we're going to survive. Foundation at this early stage is absolutely critical and cannot under any circumstances be ignored.
>>
>>6062580
+1
We WILL hit stage 2 before 8 years old
We WILL be known as genius
>>
Author's recommendation :
IF you take the Inborn True Pill, the Soulgaze master will tell you to focus solely on foundation and push it (and only it) as hard as you can to avoid backlash.
>>
>>6062600
That's a good call. I think we shouldn't take the Inborn True Qi pill this turn, but next turn, we'll throw everything we have into building our Foundation.
>>
>>6062569
>"An Inborn True Qi pill. Will boost your foundation's progress for a couple month, but under its effect failure will backlash on your channels"
>>6062571
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>>
>>6062569
>"An Inborn True Qi pill. Will boost your foundation's progress for a couple month, but under its effect failure will backlash on your channels"

>>6062571
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>>
>>6062600
With this recommendation, change >>6062580 spear akills into storÿ book
>>
>>6062600
This has me thinking. Do we need to take the Inborn True Qi pill immediately, or can we save it for the next turn?
>>
>>6062739
You can save it for later. Will it be most efficient at low amount of cultivation or high amount, however, is a mystery.
>>
>>6062772
Hmm... I think we should save it for next time, then. It's True Qi, which we have more of the younger that we are, but it's designed for someone of around our age so it would be mostly useless to a higher stage cultivator. The sooner we use it, the better off we'll be, I think.
>>
>>6062644
>>6062629
Send it however tell friends we're going closed door meditation. For at least a month or 2
>>
>>6062571
>"An Inborn True Qi pill. Will boost your foundation's progress for a couple month, but under its effect failure will backlash on your channels"
>Work on your Foundation
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake Body Tempering technique
Max foundation
>>
>>6063241
We are better served with our hawk ballet. Two breakthroughs with that and we can become pheonix.

The 4 keyword snake method is already pretty decent.
>>
>>6063243
My logic is that we don't know how the pill will affect us, and having all forms of foundationing going will be a good test to see what works best.
>>
>>6062569
>"An Inborn True Qi pill. Will boost your foundation's progress for a couple month, but under its effect failure will backlash on your channels"

>>6062571
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Foundation

Kek do it.
>>
>>6063259
Whilr I agree, I believe you chose the less profitable body tempering to focus on.
>>
>>6062571
Changing vote from >>6062598 to
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Work on your Foundation
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
Clutch that True Qi pill
>>
>>6062890
Actually switch my vote to this
>>6063353
>>
Precision for the
>Foundation
>Foundation
>Foundation
Gang

This is valid. Here's the different ways to word it :

>Work on your Foundation
>Push yourself hard [Foundation]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]

Additionally, I'd appreciate the Foundation gang to pick among Snake body and Hawk body techniques
>>
>>6063403
>Snake body
>>
And if people wonder why pushing hard when alternatives are available, here's a glimpse over the madness of the abstracted crunch...
Foundation is 2 rolls of 1d100 of DC Redacted and Redacted. Adding Gar Ruk mean +1 d100 to the second roll, and lowering the threshold for breakthrough down from 95 to Redacted Chosing one specific technique is lowering the DC of breakthrough but don't grant an additional roll.
>>
>>6062580
I can see when the wind wont blow.

Changing to
>>6063403
Hawk gang. Gotta make the pheonex technique.

But also guys, when picking a pheonix beast, we should want to get it as utterly different as possible. Since ANY beast will fuse.
>>
>>6063403
Changing to
>HAWK GANG
>>
>>6063474
>Hawk Gang
>And yah we'll do what you suggested.
>>
>>6063403
HAWK GANG to my vote in >>6063353
>>
>>6063403
I will agree with Hawk Gang anons.
>>
>>6063520
I'm >>6062597, also.
>>
>>6062644
>>6063403
Hawk body technique

You still need to update the google doc btw. It just says the hawk's wide ballet
>>
>>6063817
That's because I'm a lazy fuck that update the pastebin only on new threads.
>>
>Tally status

I think this was the hardest vote to tally of my qming career.

I think we have a tie between Foundation Foundation Triohelping and FOUNDATION FOUNDATION FOUNDATION
>>
>>6063403
Change activity votes from >>6063241 to:
>Work on your Foundation
>Push yourself hard [Foundation]
>Use your Gar Ruk storybook to improve your Meditation Technique [Works best by also picking Foundation]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
+ Hawk Body
>>
>>6064413
Thx for tiebreak.

Locked. Writing.
>>
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You take the Inborn True Qi pill.
Back to the sect, you show your prize to Ryota. Unfortunately, he's not immediately available, thus the delay in your conversation.
Drawn-looking skin. He talks a tad faster than his usual calm demeanor. Something's wrong.
"Master Soulgaze advised that I should solely focus on foundation under the pill's effect. Do you have advice?
- Time for your first Seclusion. Do you have a suitable place? Or should I book a room for you?
- I have my own...
- Perfect. Take those Fasting Pills. And here is the treasure the sect promised you for capturing the fat prize : Sonic Crystal Honey. Couldn't find anything brewable."
He hands you a jar filled with a strange golden thing, halfway between sand and liquid.
"Master... You sound concerned...
- Emperor died. So I changed plan regarding Copper Frost Turtle town. My good friends of the Dragon Fist, Paper Tiger, Inborn Tanuki's Lantern and I will strike their town preemptively.
I hope to be there and back for the time you get out of seclusion. If I made it alive. Else, take care as the sect might be smoldering ruins after your seclusion.
"

You gulp. You weren't ready for this.
However, this is the harsh reality of this world. You gather your belongings, and head toward your Immortal Cave.
There, you set up the stockpile of fasting pills - Three month worth, "Just in case so that you won't starve if the worst happens"

You stare at the eldritch cyan-glowing pill in your hand. The treacherous fox of anxiety bites in your stomach.
But you're too weak to act on events in motion. You gulp down the pill, and focus on your Foundation, 18 hours per day, for the following weeks.
>>
>Turn 1/4 of seclusion.

Despite the constant worry on how are things outside, the closed-door, focused practice does wonder for your progress.
Focusing on the Hawk body-cultivation technique, you use your experience with Gold to add more complexity and circulate the technique in already-widen channels of your body.
>Breathrough! Evolved body cultivation technique into Golden Hawk's Wide Fiery Ballet
The addition of Gar Ruk insights into your meditation keeps eluding you. Still, your Fighting Intent improves drastically.

You start to feel the Bottleneck in your Ear aperture : in the middle of the tube between the two half-spheres filled with sound-catching bells triggering resonating strings, a wall.
Wall that you can start focusing Qi-empowered soundwaves on. It shudders under the attempt, but you still lack a bit of raw power to break through.

It's been two years and one month since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.
>>
For realism sake (and a crude lack of time on my side), your update is segmented.
Thank you for your forbearance.
>>
>>6064652
NEXT BREAK THROUGH IS PHEONIX WIDE BALLET HELL YEAAAH!

I wonder if that is the way of advancement. 6 mega word techniques, properly suited to the cultivator.

Massive powerful words like "Sun" and "metèor-Hammer" all balanced against Quiet words affinity for such things, letting him unleash the most energy for him/powerful effects for the same energy cost.
>>
>Turn 2/4 of seclusion.

At long last, you felt like you understood the "Travel steam for the spark" part of Gar Ruk's writings.
You weren't searching for the right place by attempting to circulate energy differently in your meridian. Instead, you gazed lower, at your Dantian.
A node of energy located in the low part of the Abdomen. The place where Qi and Blood threads are generated, just under your lungs and in front of your kidneys.
The place where second stage cultivator transform their Qi and Blood into True Qi. The place plugged to your Heart Aperture, which is plugged to your Eye Aperture, which is plugged to the Nose, which is plugged to the Ears.
There lies the realm of a cultivator's soul. And indeed, you can discern a peculiar, brighter formation, telltale of your already numerous extraplanar journeys.
This must look more like a spark. Like a star. Carefully, you alter the formation.
>Improved Meditation technique into Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer
Effect : Better odds for Quiet Word to travel to other realms. Difficulty of the technique unchanged.
This little trouble sorted out, you resume your methodical practice and gathering of energy.
The fact you're not feeling drawn out after such an extensive practice is a mystery you pierced : that sly Ryota gave you more than fasting pills - those are Seclusion Pills, acting as both Fasting and Qi and Blood pills.
However, this might not be only benevolence and care from master to student. You don't know the details, but you're pretty sure growing a True Genius disciple might reap a reward worth the investment.
>>
This week, you break through. Energy surge, shatter the weak point in the middle of your ears, letting your energy channels connect to your Mouth Aperture.
Your hearing is instantly way better. You feel like you could count how many leaves are rattled by the wind above you. Estimate the amont of sand sweeped by the badger digging its den. And you could swear this far noise is made by a butterfly's wingbeat.

It feels terribly good. You're panting and shivering from the overwhelming pleasure of progress. No innate skill this time. Not that it really matter to you, engulfed in the examination of your next step on the cultivation road.

A curved and conic-like structure spanning from your lips to your throat.
First, you'll have to stabilize.
You feel stressed - will you lose precious time of the Inborn True Pill?
>Seclusion effect: auto-stabilizing
Turns out, you worried for nothing. The sheer amount of time spent and the quality of your foundation is more than stable. Only one day and a half are spent strengthening your channels. You wake up neer the end of the week and feel ready to proceed.
It is time to consume the Sonic Crystal Honey. It tastes sweet, with a half-smooth, half-sandy texture. When you bite the crystals, the sound is akin to shattering glass, in a pleasant way.
The first threads you pull in your Mouth aperture follow the outside structure of the aperture and coil upon themself to turn into small beads of Qi. The next threads joining the aperture extand tendrils, resulting in a half-textile, half-crystaline lattice in your aperture.
You keep dancing and meditating thanks to the pills.
>>
>26% chances of crits due to your choice
>Third turn in a raw with a crit


Looks like
>Foundation
>Foundation
>Foundation
Gang keeps winning and winning.
>>
>>6064739
We WILL break through in 10 months.

Foundation EVERY MONTH FOR ALL MONTHS.

When we get out of seclusion, we have 2 months to train before the mid year tourniment.
My vote is on spear skills honestly, Keep our strongest skill up to par, we will already have one of the biggest realms present.
4th level of 1st stage. In 2 years and a month.
We've done tremendously well.
>>
>>6064757
>>6064757
>When we get out of seclusion, we have 2 months to train before the mid year tourniment.

Assuming the sect is still standing.
>>
>>6064760
An unproductive thinking.
Stable harbour wouldn't have been wiped out. We can take refuge there.

And if thats gone, well we are kinda fucked anyway, so more chnaces to practice our spear skills.
>>
>>6064739
One disciple
>FOUNDATION FOUNDATION FOUNDATION
Another disciple
>We have resources at the sect.
Yet another disciple
>(Visits another sect, purchases a single pill, then leaves)
>>
Do we know the next step of cultivation?
I also assume we'd get revenge for the sects destruction. As we become a loose cultivator l. Hmmm. Wonder who will survive?

Second should we improve our cultivation method while in seclusion?

I forget if I remember wong but do we need spirits to upgrade our spirits every minor or major realm.
>>
>>6064798
Dhundan will survive almost certainly. Dude LIVES for battle and has a paranoid complex.

We are improving our cult method. Meditation as well as body tempeting, which we managed previously on the update.
And the update prior.
And apparently we got a third crit.
>>
>>6064804
Hmm. With foundation of cultivation all around improving can we continue to push it or better learn battle techniques as our spear and create our own meteor hammer battle technique? We just hit last stage of this realm.

Though. We could improve our snake body style and try to include poison in it. To acquire poison immunity/ usage.
>>
>>6064814
Or we can add Light to the mix, if I can remember correctly that's one of the types we're weak, and we knew because of our first visit to the Snake realm where we got hurt
>>
>>6064814
We dont need to learn our own hammer style.
We have a hammer style with some REALLY specialised stuff in it that we just haven't gotten around to training.

I'm of the opinion that our wepaon skills should raise in step with our cultivation, but given our focus on raising our realms thats gonna be a hard ask and only get harder as we go up. Still we have a very decent focus with the spear already so we should be good for a little while.

That idea for snake body is also fantastic. After we get the next hawk upgrade to Pheonix dao, then that seems like a great idea.
We are strong in poison.

And I just realised. The techniques training is capped at our cultivation level, because thats the level our affinities can reach
>>
Shouldn't we try to go for a role? Our spear style is good, but I doubt we'll get to a high enough proficiency to fulfill a fighter role. I think we should keep training our Bow skills to be a mounted marksman or our halberd skills to be heavy cavalry.
>>
>>6064827
My prèsent concern was achieving a worthwhile level of proficiency for the tourniment.

Ignoring that, the bow style for an archetype is good. Mongolian style hit and runs are fun.
And the training should go really quickly with our affinity.
>>
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>Turn 3/4 of seclusion.

The day blend together. Your sense of time rely essentially on the stockpile of Seclusion Pills you set appart.
With your stabilized foundation, time to advance as much as possible your cultivation.
>Body Tempering Breakthrough
Once again, the seclusion proves its worth with yet another Breakthrough.
You feel like your vast amount of experiences where just waiting for the right time to crystallize into the huge progress you're currently living.
You found the key to merge your Body Tempering Technique into something worthy of tale : a First-stage cultivator creating a Mythical technique.
Granted, the Phoenix Feather you own, allowing you to examine its complex pattern way above your theoretical understanding, helped. So did the technique book offered by Old Jiang. In the end, the result is there. An outside eye might not see much difference in your practice. But you know you merged impossibly hard concepts together into something almost second-nature to you. This might be an as important milestone for your development on the path of cultivation as the obtention of your Treasured Teapot.

You won't benefit much more from training this Body Tempering technique. You resolve to end your seclusion working on your Snake-style Body Tempering.
Similarly, the amount of progress of your Meditation technique brought up your affinity with Fighting Intent. Not that you know much more than flaring it for now.
You feel that the lack of a second meditation technique is a bit of a missed opportunity.

Thanks to your seclusion, the fantastic pill offered by Medicine Master Soulgaze and your boundless luck, your Mouth Aperture is already one-third filled - the hardest third.
Seclusion is truly a fantastical matter.
>>
>A fourth crit for your 4th turn of seclusion

Really.
>>
>>6064842
When an arrow is loosened, it shall not stop until it stills a heart!

Or some other suitable chinese saying. Anyway. Think its too late to get another meditation technic? Meh, Not that torn up about it.
We are all doing very well friends. Be proud.
>>
>>6064842
Look at these MASSIVE GAINS gaining a mythical body cultivation is a nice snag.
Might get a second one which would put us low monster level tier.
If not already the only shame is we have is not learning how to survive on our lonesome.
Might need to tutor under a hunter or something to get survival down. Lastly learning some first aid medical skills and finish reading. And if we can acquire some healing pills would be nice.
>>
>>6064853
>>6064848
>>6064816
>>6064827
Fellow anon disciples, please remember to incorporate weak words too. Check back at our Quiet Word's recorded weak elements and affinities and figure out what to incorporate where
>>
>>6064866
Let's add water/flowing to the Starhammer. My logic is that the reflective property of the water can have some kind of dynamic with the technique we learned (Like a mirror. that you can see the movement you make but it's like moving the opposite way. The technique can show us what the enemy will do, but maybe we can bait a move from the enemy if we extend this reflective/mimic property and make them think we're going to attack the opposite way)
>>
>>6064866
Does it increase affinity? If so illusion is on the table. Since are boy is so bad it our bad our boy could be swayed probably a Meditation would work for that. Does anyone have our affinity list saved and updated? Currently studying for an exam but on one of the old threads we had a list. If someone would be kind to grab it that would be cool. Search by affinity.
>>
>>6064883
You've HEARD it's part of the secret to strength.
But is it the only component of the secret? Is that a red herring sent to newbs to prevents them rising to power and rival the sects? I'll just say this is a legit advice.
>>
>Turn 4/4 of seclusion.

You keep pushing, while the pile of Seclusion pills is growing thinner and thinner.
You rotated your body tempering technique, developping your Snake and Physical Resistance affinity, lagging behind the other elements of the technique.
However, something unexpected happens : connected to the ignited spark of your soul, you feel in a particularly good session of meditation your soul expanding, reaching further and further, the familiar four doors in front of you.
The Inborn True Qi pill energy still linger in your body. Meaning any failed technique will backlash.
You luckily avoided such backlashes for now...
>That mean you'll better play it safe. Let the opportunity of realm wandering go.
>That mean you're on a roll. Keep pressing on, enter a realm [Which one among Snake/Wolf/Hawk/Horse ?]
>>
>>6065012
>Press on

Just avoid backlashes Lmao.

Can we see the growth realm? If not
>Snake
Try and bring our affinity up
>>
>>6065012
>That mean you'll better play it safe. Let the opportunity of realm wandering go.
We can wander realms letter. Let's take our winnings and go. So much good luck surely cannot hold forever.
>>
>>6065018
growth is not on the table.
>>
>>6065021
Later, not letter, kek. I'm frankly bamboozled that we did this well. At this rate we'll be generating True Qi ourselves in no time.
>>
>>6065012
(Found in thread 2 search genius)
for all those here this was the old list(don't have time to comb through the thread for the new stuff eveyone else full in)
I made a rough list of our strengths and weaknesses. (prob missed a few)

Strengths
Fire, Gold, Shadow, Spiritual, Beasts, Spear Halbard, Snake, Wolf, Hawk, Horse, Meteor Hammer
??? Bonus (From Horse)
??? Bonus (From Snake + Hawk Wide Ballet Combo)
??? Bonus Wolf(No idea what it does)

Natural - Mental?(From training with bf), Bow, Saber

Weakness
Sword, Water, Darkness, Sun, Swimming, Blood, Pain, Illusion, Plant?

---
>>5940004
(Qm's side note being informed)
Let me help you with that. Your character is aware of...
>Genius Tier potential :
Wolf, Horse, Meteor-Hammer
>Greater skills and affinities:
Hawk, Snake, Spiritual Strength, Astral Self, Social, Strategy, Unarmed fighting, Spear, Halberd, Shadow, Gold
>>
>>6065012
I choose to gamble it fuck it.
Wolf or Hopse and try to snag a mental or Body cultivation style.
>>
>>6065012
Backing >>6065018
We can crit 5x in a row easy
>>
>>6065018
+1
>>
>>6065025
We have that one edgy technique that's Blood and Pain, right? But there's Spear and Wolf that balance it? What else can we do? Are weaknesses even worth it or is the implication in >>6064992 a trap?
>>
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>>6065018
>>6065051
>>6065059

Color me entertained tonight.
>>
>>6065059
Well we now have a simple way to test strengthening an affinity. Using our contraption to figure if we've advanced in affinity by learning a technique. Take readings before and after advancing in it. We could also test after fusing our beast spirits.
>>
>>6065012
>hat mean you're on a roll. Keep pressing on, enter a realm
Fuck it, we ball
I say Wolf or Snake. If we find a technique or artifact for Wolf it would be awesome, if Snake wins, we need more for our foundation or some treasure imo
>>
Well. The seeuctive fox elder who likes blood says our affinity for it is still shit.
So. . Maybe?

But we can also test this shit by finding a lodestone keyed to blood, train a bit more then test it again.
>>
>>6065018
>changing vote from >>6065021 to support Snake
You know what? Fuck it. We're a daoist cultivator, not a buddhist monk. Double or nothing, let's throw the knucklebones.
>>
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Fuck it we ball
>>
>>6065012
>That mean you're on a roll. Keep pressing on, enter a realm [Which one among Snake/Wolf/Hawk/Horse ?]
Snaaaaaaaaaake!
>>
>>6065012
>That means you're on a roll. Keep pressing on, enter the snake realm
>>
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You know what they say.
Cultivating is standing proudly and defy the heavens.


I'll take 1 roll of 1d100
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>6065395
I accept responsibility
>>
>>6065411
Good enough i guess.
>>
>>6065421
Snake affinity improved!
>>
What choices are there outside of pressing on, really? You stand proud and steps onward, in the Snake Realm.
However, you're not courting death. You're aware of the threat posed by the realm - the scar of the fang passing completely through your left thigh, shining faintly, is a daily reminder.
The snakes spirit in the corridor you emerge hiss warningly. You circumvent them, and reach a cross in the subterranean bowels. You take the first left - a green glow light a pond in the dark.
The air is full of a ioded sent. You drip a finger in the pond, and lick it. Seawater. Icely cold. You push your hand toward the glow, trying not to think of a mighty snake spirit latching on your fingers and pulling you in the dark and cold waters.
Your finger grasp a smooth and long object. You pull it...
"T̶̄͜a̸͉͌k̸̭̐ḛ̶͆ ̸͈̿c̵͙͆a̶͉͂ŗ̵̊ȇ̶̪ ̷̋h̶͙̓à̴̝ť̷͉ć̷͚h̶̺͂l̶̤̈i̶̫̐n̶̜̈́g̵̡̏.̷͔̇ ̸̝̈́S̸͎͝ṯ̵͗a̷̖͐y̴̋ͅî̴̪n̶̖̿g̴̻̈ ̸̼̈́m̶̯̀o̶̘̕r̵͚̀ȩ̵͋ ̷̼́w̸̟̓o̷̧̐u̸͙̓l̵̔d̶͑ͅ ̵͙͌b̴̡́ȇ̶̪ ̷͖͌p̷͂͜u̶̠͒s̶̥̾h̶̖̄î̵̦n̸̥̆g̸̫͒ ̸̫̂y̷̰͒o̴̗͊u̴̫͗r̸̬͑ ̸̜͒l̶̐͜ụ̵c̶̦̈́k̵̞"
And are back in the immortal cave. Your sleeve is soaked - proof that your travel was not purely astral. You take a good look at your loot.

A collection of jade needle sculpted in the semblance of sea snakes.
>Obtained Sea-snake Jade Needles

You keep your foundation work diligent for the next couple of days, until you are unable to feel the Seclusion Pill effect.
A quick assertion of your cultivation let you know that your mouth Aperture is a tad under half-full.
You have three months and a half before the yearly tournament.

>Took a mentally-pressuring road, sweeped harder than probability should have allowed : NO CONSEQUENCES
You step on the way of the sect light-hearted.
>>
Now, for one of the most important roll in term of impact so far...
>2 anons give me 1d100 for Ryota's effort and consequences.
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>6065524
WATCH THIS SUCCESS CRIT ON THE RYOTA'S EFFORT, LOOK, LOOK!!!
>>
Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>6065524
Casting
>>
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Also, I hope you guys liked the format of the Seclusion event.

Wanted to write something a bit different.

>>6065534
...
What kind of sacrifices have you guys made recently?

I think it's time to post.
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>6065524
>>
>>6065535
>>6065537
If I was only a few minutes earlier
>>
So does that mean
>>6065534
MAX EFFORT
>>6065535
But shit consequences?

>>6065537
Sorry about that 32 I rolled before you

>>6065536
Seclusion event was interesting. You kept it flowing steady without dragging at all
>>
>>6065537
Don't worry guys.
It was Bo2 because Ryota was helped by his level 99 pals in consequence of Bathias's sweep and i'm too weak-hearted to potentially kill that guy in a BO1 roll.
>>
>>6065534
DAMN, I WAS JOKING BUT OKAY I TAKE IT

>>6065536
>What kind of sacrifices have you guys made recently?
Honestly I don't think i've made one, so that means misfortune is going to come my way at the prize of such a good roll, wish me luck
>>
Alternatively, the guys at
>>>6037069
Are getting thoroughly railed by bad luck recently. Drop by and apologize to them, that should settle karma.
>>
>>6065534
Shouldnt have courted death. Copper frost turtle town is now bloody turtle meat soup

And I hope they looted it for all it's worth, we could do with those back payments and some new skills.
>>
>>6065536
I did actually. It was nice, peaceful and a pleasant absence of distraction. I see why old masters enjoy it.

And we still have 3 and a half months.
Can train up a lot of skills in that time.
>>
>>6065555
We have to rush mouth aperture ASAP and reach 2nd Stage
>>
>>6065560
Friend, we have 3 actions.

One of those actions is always going to be foundation.
The other two? We have 3 and a half months till the tourniment. And winning there we can get another quality of life fruit.
Or a meditation technic? Eh whatever, the point is we should probably put our efforts into training mpunted archery and spears for the next 3 turns.

Though part of me says we should ask about worthwhile innate skills, maybe bother senior sister kyo kyo about getting her to teach us her vanishing skill.
>>
>>6065563
I say we should spend 1 action on foundation, another one to ask Ryota if there something like a meditation, body, or anything worth for us from his raid to the Copper Turtle Sect, and another one practicing with put Bo(w) we got. I feel that the weapons and artifacts we have, we haven't really taken advantage of the Bo(w) as we should have, specially after we finally got a archery technique

So yeah, I feel that these 3 month we should spend it to figure out how to use the Bo(w), and maybe see if Snake Mistress or the guy from the shop has some acupuncture book that we can use the Jade Snake Needles (with the instructions of the Snake Mistress, of course)
>>
>>6065583
Maybe figure out how to use those needles.

But yeah all is going really well.
Another thing someone brought up wàs hunting. A little bit of practical lessons to survive on our own.

The bo[w], since the tourney is "fisrt hit wins" it should be very compatible with out spear style. But worst come to worstz just keep a few spear heads in our pocket and attatch them when we swap from bow to Bo
>>
Nothing much seems to have changed. The sect is still at the same place, with the building and the disciples identical as two months ago.

Upon reaching your dormitory, you are greated by the twins and Yi Norm.
"Quiet Word! You're back!
- Wasn't seclusion too boring?
- Did you broke through?
- Hello fellow daoists. I indeed opened Ear Aperture. And I can see you three opened your Nose aperture?
- We just stabilized. Thanks to the pills given in reward.
- Now we'll ask Ryota for the treasure to boost our Ear Aperture. We won't catch up to you genius, but you won't just let us in the dirt that way!
- Anything happened?
- Same old. Caught one of the new kid trying to bite into a Horse dung. I heard you filtered for the best of them? Try to do your work properly next time.
- Where are Dhundan? And Ai?
- Dhundan is heavens know where to train. He'll be pissed - he's racing Ai to see which will open Ear aperture first.
- And Ai want to sleep outside for stargazing. She say she doesn't care but is working hard to not let Dhundan overtake her.


Chose 3

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Will let him know you have the secret of fusion]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation [Hawk]
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Ask Ryota about his actions on Frost Copper Town
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Way of the Genius
>Ask the sect for new techniques [What?]
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6065854
>Ask ryota what the hell went on
>Foundation [Snake]
>Spear technique

Again i wanna be the best for the tourniment.
>>
>>6065866
+1
I hope we get mouth aperture done and fish leaps the waterfall
Great to hear Ai and Dhundan are competing in that friendly way
>>
>>6065854
>Ask ryota what the hell went on
>Foundation [Hawk]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow


Mounted-archer chads rise up
>>
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Now is time for an ad break

Do you like cultivation story? Do you feel I'm not pushing out enough updates? Fear not, as a promising new writer started an enjoyable cultivation story. Now go check it and provide the QM a trickle of (You) at
>>6062878
>>
>>6065866
I agree with this.
>>
>>6065854
>- Dhundan is heavens know where to train. He'll be pissed - he's racing Ai to see which will open Ear aperture first.
>- And Ai want to sleep outside for stargazing. She say she doesn't care but is working hard to not let Dhundan overtake her.
Ha! Get overtaken, losers.

>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Ask Ryota about his actions on Frost Copper Town
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>>
>>6065854
>Foundation [Hawk]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow (with pills!)
>Ask Ryota about his actions on Frost Copper Town
>>6065898
Will be checking this out! Thanks QM.
>>
>>6065889
Support
>>
>>6065854
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault [Pills available]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>>
>>6065854
>Windy Halberd
>Improve Windy halberd - modify for use with spear
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
>>
>>6065854
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>>
>>6066416
Mad respects for the creative combination.

Also,
>Tally status
>>
>>6065854
>Foundation [Dragon]
>Train mental agility with Ai
>Train Shapeshifting

>>6065854
>Foundation [Dragon]
>Train Shapeshifting
>Train mental agility with Ai

The phoenix called. The immortal golden fire bird of renewal. However, knew of another mystical beast. Once which also flew and often breathed fire and wore a suit of scales. The Dragon. Take the shed skin of the snake soul, imbue it with the wings and fire of Hawk and the legs and claws of wolf. Thus does Quiet Word work to transform the spirit. Dragons were known to often carry pearls. Perhaps circulating his energy to harden it into a dense mass of pearlescent power like a Dantian node would catalyze the dragon within.

To go along with this spiritual transmutation, Quiet Word also returned to his goal of altering his physical form. Claws of the wolf to dig, talons of the hawk to grasp, tongue of the snake to taste other's emotions on the air, scaly skin to deflect blows, digestion of the horse to more efficiently break down consumed matter. Hawk-like eyes to see further. Quiet word tested to achieve even a minor change to prove the possibility.

A cultivator was composed of three parts: spirit, body, and mind. To achieve balance in his transmutational training, Quiet Word decided to spend some time honing his mental flexibility with Ai. He lay stargazing with her, coming up with constellations to imagine patterns in the stars. Then he squinted or put a hand over one eye to see how that changed his perception of the heavens. Did it show him new patterns and constellations to which two eyes were blind? Ai was seeking to break through her Ears. It was said that some Cultivators developed a third eye to see what others could not. If Ai tried closing one ear, or maybe opening a third, how did her perception of the world change? If she was afraid to try, Quiet Word asked her to play some music while he put shells, leaves, his hands, and other things over his ears to distort the sounds and see if he could find a secret melody in the distortions.

Also, he tried to discuss the ways of the world with Ai and thus expand their minds. The world they lived in was a violent one. To maintain one's freedom, a person had to find a way to avoid being controlled by the violence of others. How could one do so without using violence themselves? Dhundan could scare others into submission. Quiet Word could talk with people and convince them that cooperation was better than violence. Kyo Ko could disappear from view and hide from enemies. How did Ai plan on overcoming the violent tendancies of others?
>>
>Ryota discussion
You manage to quickly secure some time with Ryota.
"What was that about smoldering ruins? I was worried sick! You owe me explications old man!
- Ah, the fervor of the youthful... First of, congratulations. Your seclusion looked most profitable.
Then, the success is partially thanks to you. Let me explain.
" Ryota raises a hand, stopping your dumbfounded complaint before it even leaves your mouth.
So the branch is doing moderately well thanks to the secured supply of Golden Skystone village and Waterbush cove village. Mistrock lake village is under new management, but I expect them to fall in line soon enough. Using the treasures and spiritual beast in reserve - dare I say, emptying our coffers - I made a tactical move.
I wrote to the council and ask for every Crane Spirits of 3rd realm and higher with Fire, Lightning, Steel or Silver attribute.
I laid my plan to go to Frost Copper Turtle town for a diplomatical visit to our Northern branch, get invited by Patriarch Frost Copper Turtle - which would jump on the occasion to poison me or worst on the pretense of hospitality. And I let all hell loose.
The thing is I was backed by my friend of the Fist of the Green Dragon, which interced on my behalf to his seniors, and the Paper Tiger daoist you met a couple month ago. And thanks to your shared discovery about spirit fusion, I was most certain that Fairy Wise Crane will come to "help" me - in truth, gather the Crane spirit for her and her pupils. She landed the finishing blow on True Monarch Frost Copper Turtle.

- Does that mean it's Wise Crane city now?
- We were more likely thinking of something along the line of "Frost Beast Town". Wise Crane is dealing with the city matriarch roll - to her greater displeasure.
In the next few years, the sect will most likely groom a steward with a good Ice affinity

- And about the empty coffers?
- Filled to the brim with my share of the loot... May I look to this thing you have?
- Those Sea-snake Jade Needles? Found them in Snake Realm last week.
- You know, if you don't have a need for them you can give it to the sect. Or a friend. Also, you broke through, right?
Your special tea. Do you want to sell it to me personnally? If so, can I resell my right to a good friend?
"

>You will sell the Needle for... [Write-in]
>You actually like those needle and wish to keep them.

You feel there's something fundamentally wrong with you not taking a cup of the now-shining teapot. So one cup must be for you.
>You will take the special tea for yourself and a friend.
>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota for... [Write-in]
>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota's friend for... [Write-in]
>>
You pop the last pill, and wipe sweat with your forearm. You have still catching-up to do with the spear style of yours, but this week's training as proven most profitable as you learn how to pull more energy from your enhanced physic, mystic and mentalic into the martial art. No ground-shattering breakthrough. Just the muscular aches of steady progress.
This is good to your mental health, as out of seclusion, without the effect of the Inborn True Qi pill, your cultivation speed seemingly grinded to an halt.
You're still pulling a fair share of energy, and accumulating it in your mouth Aperture, but you're unable to quantify the progress made.
This change of pace was expected, but still disapointing.
However, you are still making progress : your Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake are reinforcing nicely your body. You don't feel anymore pain if hit when sparing with your friends or bumping accidentally in furniture. You even tested getting kicked by a mundane horse, which didn't even left a mark.

It's been 2 years and 3 month since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.

Chose 3

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Will let him know you have the secret of fusion]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation [Hawk]
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[How?]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Ask Ryota about his actions on Frost Copper Town
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6067093
RUSH MOUTH APERTURE NOW!
>>
>>6067100
I get behind the feeling. I really do. This is your goal. What is your strategy to reach it? Some say winning the tournament. Each turn is a tactical choice to fuel a strategy to achieve objectives.
>>
>>6067092
>our special tea. Do you want to sell it to me personnally? If so, can I resell my right to a good friend?"
I have a question QM, or anyone who can answer me. Is our teapot useless to us at this level of cultivation? Or why is Ryota putting the option? I feel I'm a little lost with this, tho seeing the second option I guess I didn't understand what he meant

>You actually like those needle and wish to keep them.
>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota's friend for... Some acupuncture book, or maybe one that talks more specifically about using special needles for cultivation
I really don't wanna leave the Needles gathering dust like our archery Skill, so better if we find something to use these, specially after seeing such good results from the Snake Body Tempering of the golden skytones

>>6067093
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Go to the animal pens and try to watch how they interact between them, and maybe then trying to communicate how the animals do it but with our spiritual beast, a mix of physical communication that the animals do and also talking]

My idea is like trying to mimic and talk so our spiritual animals understand our words. And if our bounded animals already understand us, maybe find a way to get in contact with unbounded spirits
>>
>>6067117
> Is our teapot useless to us at this level of cultivation?
Yes. Quiet Word knows the once-in-a-realm opportunity is a weaker effect than being under 8 regarding bottlenecks.
>Why Ryota is putting the option
He can benefit himself. But he have a friend that can benefit harder. However, this might divulgate your secret to that person and you might not be ok with that.
Needles are a weapon by itself by the way. Like a sword, or a whip, just happen to be what I rolled on the table.
>>
>>6067092
>Sell needles for Custom pills for our foundation.

>>6067093
>Sell our second cup to his friend for A new meditation technic [Specialised on enhanced senses if he can] and ask ryota to keep an eye out for a Pheonex spirit [ideally 3rd stage or higher]

>Work on Archery style
>Foundation [snake]
>Improve specific technique [Golden scale of snake]

I do want to ask Kyo Kyo about her vanishing skill but that can wait to second stage.
I'd like to add "poison" to the body temp technique, make it all fit nicely.
Hmm, how'd we feel about learning some basic healing?
>>
>>6067119
>Needles are a weapon by itself by the way. Like a sword, or a whip, just happen to be what I rolled on the table.
OOOOOOH I see, i'm dumb sorry, I just really liked the idea of acupuncture and somehow getting it rolling and making it easier for the anons who want shapeshifting
>>
>>6067140
for shapeshifting, why wouldn't you just ask Dhun who's already got a knack for it?

Anyway, I think our skills naturally lend us towards weapon master.
>>
>>6067092
>You will sell the Needle for custom pills
>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota's friend for Echo Root
>>6067093
Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved?
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>>
>>6067148
Which specific technique?
>>
>>6067093
>>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>>
>>6067149
My second choice Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault or did I misunderstand how improvement works?
>>
>>6067156
Just need to be clear of it, since the option reads like
"Improvement [Option unselected]"
"Spear stuff"
"Foundation: snake"

Writing "improve specific technique: spear" makes that much clearer for talling purpose.
>>
>>6067148
Why Echo Root I'm guessing Echo vines, but whatever? To give to the twin and Yi Norm?
>>
>>6067161
Thanks beancounter anon.
>>
>>6067092
I'm >>6067100, voting
>Sell needles for custom pills for foundation
>Take 1 cup special tea yourself, sell second cup for Echo Vines to give to Yi Norm and the twins
And
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
I want Mouth open and fish over waterfall ASAP and realm stabilized before the big tournament
>>
Reworded my vote>>6067148 to be clearer
>>6067092
>You will sell the Needle for custom pills
>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota's friend for Echo Root
>>6067093
Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>>6067162
Because it makes it easier to open apertures and makes half the threads produce twice the results. Unless I missed something it doesn't say it only works for the ear aperture, though the echo part does kinda kind of imply it
>>
Are you anons sure we should spread more about our treasure? Yeah, it won't start a war, but it's better if we keep it for ourselves instead of spreading the word
>>
>>6067243
Just ask ryota to say nothing about whère he got it or how.
>>
>>6067245
HEY JUST HAD AN IDEA.

The empowered brew helps break past a bottle neck.
Drinking it while trying to improve our techniques might boost the odds of it working
>>
>>6067243
Who says Ryota will tell his contact about us? He can be simply tight-lipped about his source, as many cultivators do to protect their treasures and secret sect techniques. He's got a stronger experience with opsec than an 8 year old kid does
>>
>>6067092
>You actually like those needle and wish to keep them.

>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota's friend for... [Write-in]
Custom pills

>>6067093
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
Brag about how we've passed them both
They'll unite against a common enemy
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]

>>6067248
>>6067248
Don't we need to brew it on the spot? I don't think we can give a cup to Ryota and be anonymous, otherwise QM wouldn't have framed it the way he did.
>>
>>6067266
I'd like QM to clarify anonymity potential. If not able to do it anon, I want to change my vote in >>6067227 to not sell the tea

>>6067093
Changing my vote in >>6067227 to remove
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
And instead do
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
As >>6067266 said
But I want to hide the mental pressure from Dhundan until we end up dueling him, if he doesn't know at all already. I want to surprise the edgelord rival by revealing that we copied his ability for our own use. Even more kino if he reveals he also copied something from Quiet Word
>>
>>6067228
>Because it makes it easier to open apertures and makes half the threads produce twice the results.
>Unless I missed something it doesn't say it only works for the ear aperture, though the echo part does kinda kind of imply it
Sorry anon, but the Echo Vine and Bronze Bellflower, despite having other properties, are materials suited to the Ear aperture, not the Mouth
>>
>>6067245
>Just ask ryota to say nothing about whère he got it or how.
Indeed. But that would still make one person know that Ryota have a way to get some bottleneck-smashing tea.
>>
>>6067093
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Go to the animal pens and try to watch how they interact between them, and maybe then trying to communicate how the animals do it but with our spiritual beast, a mix of physical communication that the animals do and also talking]
>>
>>6067266
>I don't think we can give a cup to Ryota and be anonymous
Good thing you know about a certain merchant and can secure a couple rooms for a blind transaction
>>
>>6067299
Which is a fine trade in my opinion.
Ryota can handle the issue himself, and unless they cross paths with us then. . Well. They may have suspicion but not much else to go on.
>>
>>6067127
Support we need a new meditation
>However we ask master if they are trustworthy enough to befriend or not if no use merchant trading private. If yes make connections with someone strong as a backer.
I remember from I shall seal the havens the reliance sect. And the idea of relying on others.

I figure also the gold town is happy with this. Improved cultivation style and profiting.
>>
>>6067164
As one Dao of accounting says "Everything must add up or YOU will be subtracted"
>>
>>6067093
>>6067092
>Give the Needles to Snake Mistress. I'd give them to Martin Mistress since she seems more needle-drive, but I'm not sure if she's in our sect. Does Snake Mistress know the skin shedding technique? Among other uses (for me the long term use of using it as and inspiration to shed into a new form) it would allow those of use with the golden skin foundation to harden ourselves and step out of our armored skin, leaving good armor behind as a minor treasure for the sect.
>Sell tea to Ryota's Friend for books/information on legendary beasts such as Phoenix, Dragon, Qilin, Qianlima, and others.
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Investigate talking with spiritual beasts: Gather a bowl of water and take it to the Cave. In the dim and shadowy cave, project the mind threads but not the body threads into our reflection. The spirit beasts are aspects of our soul, so this is projecting the spirit animal into our reflection. Then talk with the reflection. It's basically a trick to help us connect with our spirit subconscious (or our cultivator instincts if your prefer thinking about it that way). Plus, once we know how to talk to our spirit selves maybe they can grant us greater insights.
>>
>>6067092
>You will sell the Needle for... [Write-in]
Trade to snake mistress for help improving our cosmic snake spear
>You will take the special tea for yourself and sell the second cup to Ryota's friend for... [Write-in]
Information, materials or artifacts relating to phoenix

>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available](Use pills)
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>>
Complex tally is complex.

I'll lock selling both the items (grouping sellingt to snake mistress as sell for my own sanity sake), the Foundation and the bow skill.
I'll lock selling needles for pills.
Now, please settle on what to sell the teacup for.
You are also allowed strategic voting/regrouping for the 3rd action. Talking Spiritual beast investigation have a narrow lead but it would feel dishonest to lock as is.
>>
Having voted for both Phoenix Lore and Talking to Beasts I will keep my votes as is.
>>
>>6067992
I say we should sell the tea cup for Information, materials or artifacts relating to phoenix or if that is asking for too much fruits to help us open our mouth aperture
>>
>>6067992
I wanted to buy a meditation technic but you did miss out the support vote here >>6067302

So its 2 all.
>>
>>6068076
I think you messed up the backlink
>>
>>6068076
Included your vote in the tally. Figured it out
>>
>>6068123
>>6068123
I did. It was

>>6067343


Anyway
>>6068166
I await to be subtracted, this beancounter has failed his dao.

Also, idea for trchnic is "illusory peircing earthen [or poison] Pheonix"
>>
>>6068186
>"illusory peircing earthen [or poison] Pheonix"
Valid technique name. Could definitely get rolled on the tables at one point or another.
>>
Since we plan on leaving the sect eventually.
I suggest we start getting ready after breaking through the 2nd stage.
1. We need medical, survival, and to be able to read. The three main core subjects matter.
2. The second thing would be supplies such as healing pills, money, and maybe a storage ring.
3. A map of the surrounding realm and details.
4. A list of items to make tea into and the details of the next three stages.
5. Lastly and most importantly a life saving treasure or three.
6. Optional would be getting some mental and cultivation techniques. I'm thinking something with recovery

At this point the sect can only give us resources as we know the secret of beast fusion, binding, and spirit beasts. We will dive into planes to acquire, so healing pills are a must.

The question then becomes if we're going solo or in a crew of loose cultivators. I'd strongly recommend a group as we'd need someone to bail us out in case we nat 1.

Kinda wish we had a character pastebin dump to better plan improvement but I digress.
>>
>>6068307
Fire Starting Technique
Heat/Cold Resistance Folded into our Body Technique
GOOD Backpack
Spare Set of Clothes
GOOD Shoes (maybe even magic)
Arrows
Text of Literacy Building
Text on Foraging (I bet we'd be good at this)
Soap
Journal +Writing Tool
Rice
Water Storage + Metal Pot

I'm sure we'll miss out on some good setting specific stuff if we don't talk to that Tanuki guy or at least give it some thought.
Map and Compass
>>
>>6068307
>>6068324
Looks good from a cursory skim. I will say that even on the path of loose cultivator, we can still have our friends and affiliations remain somewhat. Inborn Tanuki's Lantern helped out Ryota against Frost Copper Turtle town, and he really didn't need to do that after he saved Bathias' life and escorted him back to the sect.
>>
>Still tied among Technique Improvement and Talking Spiritual Beasts

Phoenix Lore got a 1-vote winning margin.
>>
>>6068493
Changing >>6067228 to Talking Spiritual Beasts
>>
>>6068520
Locked. Writing.

Not sure I'll update soon though
>>
Doing my best to provide an update tonight.
It WILL be an healthy one. I already have 2 Updates worth of PHOENIX GETS
>>
Despite being a bit reluctant, you elected to give the needles to Ryota against pills for working on your foundation.
Said pills are delivered soon enough, the Medicine Master having evaluated you not too long ago. Just in time for your work of Foundation.
A better step forward. Still poor regarding to the progress made in seclusion, but at least noticeable this week.

You also decide to take some time of the week to investigate something on your mind since a long, long time : spiritual beasts with the gift of voice.
You know they exist - Primordial Wolf have, after all, talked to you quite a few time. So did the Shrub Hawk - although it said it was not a Spirit Hawk with shrub affinity but a Spirit Shrub with hawk affinity.
Despite your young age, you've already met your fair share of spirit beasts. The talking one are more exception than rule. Why?
However, you've never seen a spiritual beast out of a bead. You're pretty sure the sect have some, and it would be the perfect point to start your investigation.
Time to ask Kyo Ko.
"Elder sister Kyo Kyo, I have a few question regarding Spiritual Beasts.
- We don't discuss Spiritual beast related matter with first stages.
- Come on! Don't you owe me that after Golden Skystone Village? After we catched that giant spirit?
- Alright I'll tell you. Come closer."
She squats, her chin on your shoulder and her mouth a mere inch to your ear.
"We don't discuss Spiritual beast related matter with first stages.
- That's mean!
- That's how it is. And serves you right for keeping calling me Kyo Kyo. Beside, your second stage is merely months away; don't act so dramatic."
You spend an ample amount of time this week to pester Bathias, the various masters, then her again. Their answers are invariable.
In the end, you keep badgering Kyo Ko. Mainly because you're annoyed at her lack of answer, so you elected to offset the frustration by messing with her as a fair trade.

Later in the week, Ryota brings you to Marketer Golden Eye, Silver Tongue. A room is arranged, where you brew a cup of mundane tea for yourself and a mysterious guest.
Worthy enough for Ryota to act as the guest servant.
You stay idle in your isolated room, until Ryota cames back.
"Looks like he was pleased with the drink's effect. Here for you."
Ryota hands you a scroll. Scroll which holds a rather long poem.
>>
Phoenix Ascendancy

High atop the crimson peak, where heavens meet the earth,
A phoenix rises from the flames, proclaiming its rebirth.
Gilded feathers touch the sky, igniting dawn's first light,
Eyes of wisdom, ancient lore, reflecting endless night.

Below, the beasts of forest bow, in awe of fiery grace,
Tigers, lions, serpents coil, each in their sacred place.
In the shadow of the mountain, where most fear to tread,
The dragon stirs in silent might, its emerald scales widespread.

From the phoenix’s lofty perch, it surveys the realm below,
With a gaze that pierces through the veil, where secrets ebb and flow.
To the dragon, it nods in kin, both guardians of old,
One of fire, one of sea, in legends long foretold.

The phoenix sees the bear's brute strength, the cunning of the fox,
The wisdom in the turtle’s eyes, the wolf’s unyielding flocks.
Yet none can match its burning soul, its flight through time and space,
A beacon of undying hope, a testament to grace.

As flames entwine around its form, it soars beyond the mist,
To realms where only dreams reside, and ancient vows persist.
The dragon roars a thunderous cheer, as the phoenix takes its throne,
For in the sky, where legends dwell, the phoenix reigns alone.

Amidst the tranquil lotus pond, where moonlight softly gleams,
The phoenix descends from fiery skies, wrapped in golden dreams.
Feathers bright as molten sun, alight with heaven’s grace,
It gazes on the flower bloom, serene in sacred space.

The phoenix bows its head in awe, to this kindred soul,
For in the lotus’s gentle form, it sees a spirit whole.
No lesser than its burning flight, the lotus shines with pride,
Together they reflect the world, as equals side by side.

In whispered winds and rustling leaves, their meeting sings a song,
Of balance in the universe, where both belong.
The phoenix soars with newfound grace, the lotus blossoms wide,
Each echoing the other’s strength, in harmony they bide.

Beneath the sky where the great roc soars, in boundless azure height,
The phoenix glides on wings of flame, a marvel in the light.
Not as high as the haughty roc, that touches heaven’s dome,
Yet in its flight, a strength unseen, a power of its own.

It flies beneath the blazing sun, not reaching solar might,
Yet shines with radiance pure and true, a beacon in the night.
Smaller than the vast army’s march, that shakes the earth and sky,
Yet in its grace and fiery dance, all warriors testify.

Not as vast as Leviathan, that roams the ocean deep,
Yet in the phoenix’s gentle song, the seas themselves do weep.
Not as benevolent as Buddha’s smile, that calms the weariest soul,
Nor as malevolent as demons dark, who thrive in shadows cold.
>>
Yet in the balance of the world, where legends come to play,
The phoenix holds a secret might, that none can take away.
For in its heart a flame of life, rebirth in every breath,
A cycle unbroken by time’s march, undimmed by touch of death.

The roc may fly in skies untamed, the sun may blaze above,
Armies clash and monsters thrash, in battles they both love.
Buddha’s grace and demon’s wrath, may sway the hearts of men,
Yet the phoenix, in its silent grace, transcends beyond their ken.

For in each death it rises new, from ashes pure and bright,
A testament to endless hope, a flame that conquers night.
Through ages long and trials vast, its spirit never wanes,
The phoenix triumphs quietly, where fleeting power drains.

Legends come and legends go, in tales of old and new,
But the phoenix, ever burning bright, remains forever true.
A symbol of enduring strength, of beauty, and of might,
In every dawn, it rises up, a victor in the fight.

In the realm where mountains rise, and rivers carve the land,
The qilin strides with gentle grace, in fields so green and grand.
A creature of celestial birth, with wisdom in its eyes,
It lords over the fertile earth, beneath the endless skies.

The phoenix, from its fiery perch, descends with wings aglow,
A being of immortal flame, where ancient breezes blow.
With feathers bright as morning sun, and songs that touch the stars,
It meets the qilin on the plain, where heaven’s gate unbars.

Together they stand side by side, in harmony profound,
The qilin’s steps make flowers bloom, where peace and love abound.
The phoenix sings of life reborn, from ashes pure and bright,
Both beings shine with equal strength, in day and darkest night.

They share a bond of balance true, of earth and sky combined,
In each the other sees a light, where fates and paths aligned.
The qilin roams the verdant fields, the phoenix rules the skies,
Each knowing they are matched in power, in wisdom, and in ties.

Yet as the phoenix spreads its wings, to journey once again,
It ponders on its Daoist path, and muses in the rain:
“Who shall be my partner true, in quest for Dao’s embrace?
The dragon fierce, with scales like jade, who soars in boundless space?”

“The lotus, pure and serene, that blooms in quiet ponds,
A symbol of enlightenment, of peace that always bonds?
Or qilin, lord of all the land, with whom I share this flight,
An equal in both strength and grace, a beacon in the night?”

In twilight’s glow, the phoenix thinks, and sings its song anew,
For in the choice of partners three, it seeks the purest view.
With wings aflame and heart alight, it ponders destiny,
And in the dawning light it flies, to find its harmony.

shoutout to my General Poetry Tedious helper Assistant from Internet

You feel there's more to it
>>
Your remaining time is devoted to train your Bow skill.
You make progress in great stride.
And the day following your first read of the poem, you even have Enlightenment coursing through your Meridians.
>Phoenix Arrow : Breakthrough
You envision your arrow turning into a phoenix themself. But you lack the key of True Qi for that technique.
Then, you see yourself mounted on your horse hitting the heart of a target although your eye can barely discern it. You also lack the key of True Qi for that technique.
Finally, you envision yourself performing a wide arm motions, motion generating a fan of arrow-shaped phoenix feathers that burst in motion, able to hit an ample number of foes.
Sadly, you feel something prevents you from achieving this skill right now. What lacks eludes you - at least you know it's not True Qi related, a poor solace.
Your only option is...
>Technique Advancement : create a new technique based on this one. You can add, remove or replace one keyword in the technique name.

Chose 3

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Will let him know you have the secret of fusion]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Foundation
>Guess what secrets the poem holds [requires Write-in, count as 1 action. One guess per anon, if any guess is correct you'll get benefits]
>Work on your Foundation [Hawk]
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Locked until you have acces to the sect's Spirit Beast Pens]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6069608
>Add key word poison to the technique.

>Foundation [Hawk]
>Figure out whatever the poem says.
>Train spear.

Ill have another read and get back with you.
Not my guess, But i find it funny how it describes lotus. If i was a supersticious man, It would almost sound like a love destiny between us and Stable lotus heir
>>
>>6069664
+1 I want that mouth open NOW
>>
>>6069664
Okay reading it properly.

I think the title is an obvious ploy on the bird being able to fly, The phoenix being reborn then regaining its power and knowledge.
As an allegorical tale though, its a reborn cultivator returning to a previous level with new insights to try and go further.

A few repeated motiefs are that the fire bird is a source of light in the dark and hope, So we can bear that in mind for future investigations. The Pheonix is a being of hope.

Unmatched in the air. .
I cant help but feel like the answer we want is hidden within "The phoenix holds a secret might, that none can take away.
For in its heart a flame of life, rebirth in every breath, A cycle unbroken by time’s march, undimmed by touch of death."

Whatever that flame of life is, It is complimented by ferocity, serenity and strength/grace. . . I'm drawn back to it being allagorical, since this just describes a cultivators dao heart.

Im sorry if this is rambling, I'm putting out the thoughts I have to see if anyone gets a lead.
>>
>>6069608

>Add Lotus to the technique. The poem includes dancing with flowers, and Lotus is the closest to what we know.

>Foundation [Snake] - mostly because we seem bottlenecked on Hawk until we advance. Or was that bottleneck pre-breakthrough?

>Interpret Poem - [strike]dragon is water aspected while Phoenix is fire aspected[/strike] <- too obvious. I want to hunt for a bigger bonus. I think that the Phoenix dance goes: Rising Fire, Circulate Phoenix High, Descending Fire, Bowed head while producing Lotus (or another life substitute), Rising Lotus & Phoenix in balance, Circulate Phoenix and Fire as Fire devours Lotus (wood) in Middle Glide, Breathe Quietly (likely fire & life, so I guess breathing in the charcoal Qi we just made by feeding Lotus into Fire) while Phoenix remains, Rise and allow Charcoal Breath to diffuse into Pheonix. Repeat cycle, we've already risen in fire and charcoal breath, so this step is circulating Phoenix (presumably by feeding it charcoal) prior to descending back into Lotus/Life/Balance phase. It's a cycle with a favorable interaction of drawing in Lotus Qi to feed to Fire which is then fed to Phoenix.

>Train Horseback Riding to be a better Horse Archer / Heavy Cavalry.

Notes of Color:

Phoenix - Crimson, Fire, (burning soul, flight through time and space, hope and grace)

Dragon - Emerald, Water,

Roc - Azure, Sky?/Heaven?

Qilin - ?green? (not a strong affiliation, the grass is green, the Qilin is undefined), Celestial/Life?,


Phoenix Motion (a ballet) - From flames rise high (rising flame). In the height, circulate Phoenix alone. From Amidst lotus and moon, fire decends. Bow head towards 'Lotus'. Soar up with Lotus wide. Since they are in balance, Phoenix must be wide as well, interlaced with Lotus. Glide on wings of Phoenix flame (so let Lotus burn away to fuel the flame. Don't cry for Lotus, she'll be reborn through us). Since we started in balance and are below Roc, this is likely a 'middle' glide as opposed to the high single Phoenix glide that we did earlier. Next stanza continues medium flight, so hold that stance longer than the previous stances.

Ballet Part 2 - Breathe fire, ideally tinged with a life element. No yelling or practicing shouts, so this is quiet steady breath. Rise higher (so adopt high stance) and allow the gathered breathe Qi to slowly flow out (fleeting power drains). Rise higher. Decend. (this is decending on green again, so we may have restarted the cycle). There's a line about standing side by side with flowers in balance, so a repeat of the previous lotus cycle. Spread wings (already done during flower stage?)
>>
>>6069743
To simplify, the dance is channeling Life/Lotus Qi through Fire into our Phoenix soul. It's like refining raw Qi to second phase Metal Qi in No-Talent Cultivator, which QM popped in to.
>>
>>6069608
>>6069743
+1
>>
>>6069743
Eh fuck it +1 this madman
As long as we finally reach stage 2 before the deadline, I'll be content
>>
>>6069608
>Technique Advancement : Phoenix lotus arrow
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuality.
>>6069743
I think the qilin is earth/wood as well
>>
>>6069664
>If i was a supersticious man, It would almost sound like a love destiny between us and Stable lotus heir
Partial credits for side-objective

>>6069743
>Add Lotus to the technique. The poem includes dancing with flowers, and Lotus is the closest to what we know.
Your affinity with Lotus is quite low, and this is a Mythical keyword - you won't add it by just snapping your fingers. Thus, I'll have to reject this.

>Interpret the Poem as a Ballet technique
Really interesting take. Absolutely not what I had in mind.
But insight is insight, and you might get something unexpected from that. The "Main Benefit", however, is not tied to a dance.
>>
>>6069886
If lotus isn't an option I'm changing my technique advancement >>6069885
to Golden Phoenix arrow.
I'm also changing body shifting to >Interpret Poem - [strike]dragon is water aspected while Phoenix is fire aspected[/strike] <- too obvious. I want to hunt for a bigger bonus. I think that the Phoenix dance goes: Rising Fire, Circulate Phoenix High, Descending Fire, Bowed head while producing Lotus (or another life substitute), Rising Lotus & Phoenix in balance, Circulate Phoenix and Fire as Fire devours Lotus (wood) in Middle Glide, Breathe Quietly (likely fire & life, so I guess breathing in the charcoal Qi we just made by feeding Lotus into Fire) while Phoenix remains, Rise and allow Charcoal Breath to diffuse into Pheonix. Repeat cycle, we've already risen in fire and charcoal breath, so this step is circulating Phoenix (presumably by feeding it charcoal) prior to descending back into Lotus/Life/Balance phase. It's a cycle with a favorable interaction of drawing in Lotus Qi to feed to Fire which is then fed to Phoenix.
Also if
I'm suggesting we at some point add something like
Ballet part 3: Channel light, enough that our entire body shines, curl up to make ourselves small, switch to channeling fire and pirouette before dancing in a widening spiral, stretching our arms to 'fly'.
part 4: keep channeling fire and walk in an infinity symbol
>>
>>6069901
>Golden Phoenix Arrow
Gold is already included into Phoenix.
So I'm afraid this is invalid.
>>
>>6069901
>>6069908 I'll just back poison then.

I keep changing things, sorry for the extra work QM
>>
>>>>6069608
>>6069664
Support
High atop the crimson peak, where heavens meet the earth
Volcano I assume
dragon, it nods in kin, both guardians of old,
One of fire, one of sea, in legends long foretold.
A volcano near a sea
sees the bear's brute strength, the cunning of the fox,
A volcano near the sea with a forest below. The volcano reaches above the clouds. And within it's gaze a lotus pond that shines in the night equal I assume meaning equal distance apart.
It's an active volcano that causes the sea to weep aka lava to fall into the sea. The ashes cover a grassland where the krin uses it to grow lush lands.

My take on this poem with meaning describes a place. But what is considered equal to a volcanos might? That would be the sea dragon. It's beauty the lotus pond. Now the qilin is tricky but the best I can consider is it's energy. Now the purest view? My take is the lotus pond they compliment one another in grace and push each other to new heights. Heights to see the purest view.
>>
>>6070077
It's OK.
I wrote myself in a corner by giving you a technique which critical GETS are out of your level + you're still figuring out the rulings of Mythical technique; how DARE you not understand every nuance of the half-on-the-fly stupid system of mine?
>>
Vote is still open.

I like you guys creative interpretations so much that I'll grant at least an extra bonus d100 roll to >>6069901 and >>6070113 upon closing the tally.
Other nice interpretations will get a right to roll too.
Please DO NOT ROLL YET
>>
I no loger have a guess this tound, >>6069712
This being me

But t just occured to me that the poems latter half could dictate elements that the pheonex has in common with the other elements.

Lotus is peace while pheonix is Hope.
We could use this realisation to try and expand our understanding of Pheonix word by looking at traits the other two have, dragon and Quillin
>>
If some sort of wisdom or mind aspect is addable, I vote for that instead of Lotus.

If mind and spirit are also mythical aspects, then I suppose a decent element to add to the Mounted Archer's Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow is Sun. It's fire adjacent, gold adjacent, and touches on one of the local sects as well as our meteor hammer. That's a long technique already.
>>
>>6070313

>Wisdom/Mind

A cultivator's training is split among three pillars. Body, Mind, Spirit.
Each of this pillars hold a vast realm of things.
Quiet Word have techniques allowing to develop his Fighting Intent and Inflict Pain mental abilities and trained his Mental Resistance with Dhundan.
Spiritual ability are harder to grasp at first stage, but your meditation technique is based on the Astral Self and Spiritual Energy also fuel Movement techniques.

Sun is mythical
>>
No update today. Maybe tomorrow but nothing set in stone.
>>
>Tally status

locking adding "Poison" to the Arrow technique.
There's a tie between spear and horseback training.
The best way to train horseback is either Arrow skill or Halberd skill.

As promised, I'll also take 2 rolls of 1d100 as rewards for >>6069901 and >>6070113
>>
>Tally status (for real)
>>
>Roll result on my side for figuring out the intended Poem secret

Looks like our boy Quiet Word have more insights than you guys.
>>
>>6071663
Duh, he has the "word" key word
>>
Can I get 2 anons to roll me 1d100?
>>
Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>6071840
Oh boy please be best of 2
>>
Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>6071840
>>
>>6071842
>>6071841
Well shit... I can't complain
>>
Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>6071663
One of the anons hope my id didn't change.
>>
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508 KB
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>>6071872
>>
File: PhoenixSecret.jpg (1.39 MB, 2048x1536)
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The beginning of the week is dedicated to the study of the Phoenix's poem.
You feel several secrets are hidden in those words.

First, you try to turn the text into a dance, akin to your Phoenix's wide ballet.
>41
On one hand, this works. You can dance this routine instead of the more familiar one, the sect's technique you modified and tune for yourself.
On the other, this does not feel different in any way.
Surely, you can use the poem to improve your body tempering technique. The how is not clear

You re-read the poem. Something flusters you.
That part with the lotus... Is that a prophecy about a love destiny or something? In that case, the lotus might be LienWen YanEr. Weird. And you really hope the lotus is not LienWen JiaLin.
Could it be a enigmatic map, leading to a place with a reward reap to the taking?
Let's see... Most probably a Volcano, near the sea. Close to Grasslands and a lotus marsh?
You take the time to see Ryota.
"Master, I'd like to see the card you showed me a couple years ago..."
>48
It takes you a bit of time. If the location exists, if it belong to the known world, its more probable location would be there.
West of Stormhearth city, in the mountain range bordering the sea.
This lead appears frail and thin to you. Something to keep in mind just in case, but are you confident enough to spend your precious time on an exploration trip there?
>>
>Poem secret : 96!
You requested a brush and ink to lay your thoughts on paper. And you felt something strange.
Thus, you took more paper and copied the whole poem. There it is. The feeling of energy. There is a technique hidden in the text. The technique is the text.
But it's incomplete. You instinctly know you have to focus on a few characters, having the other support your key words, to complete the technique.
This word must be in the text, for sure. And it looks like it's under your control to pick them.
Of course, the other myths are too strong to be picked so carelessly. You have to seize the opportunity as is, before your insight vanish.
A sly grin emerged on your face. You found the perfect word, hidden in plain sight in the title.
A word close to you, carried by the teapot of yours, branded in your soul with your Spiritual Hawk, inscripted in your unique movement technique.
You test your theory, and focus your energy on writing a copy of the precious scroll.
This is it. A Mind-tempering technique, letting you enter a meditation-like trance. A technique with three components.
You Caligraphied the Phoenix Ascendancy. Needless to say, this is your go-to foundation technique on the meditation side for this week.

Your work on the poem grants you one last flash of insight : you have a last opportunity you can seize before your second stage.
Reaching again the realm of Growth. You don't know why, but you feel it's important, and the doors will close after your Qi and Blood improves into True Qi.
The only way you can see to do so is using your insight about realm wandering merged difficultly in your meditation.
However, this won't be an easy feat.


Speaking of Foundation, your work is paying of. Your aperture is an hair below three fifth full, and your body have almost reached the limit of the first stage in terms of Physical resistance.
With much hesitation, you dedicated the rest of you non-wolf-brushing time to train your spear style. Your understanding of the spear is now at the top of the Ear-aperture level. A bit of work remains to push it to the level allowed by your Body and Mind.

This week is also marked by the end of Dhundan and Ai competition. On a tie - both of them broke out the same day while working on their own alone, so they reluctantly agreed on each-other unreliability of the aperture's opening timing, especially with the feeling of time stopping while several hours pass by every cultivator experience while breaking through.
>>
At the end of a training session, you feel the big and strong hand of Ryota grasping your shoulder.
"Quiet Word. A request. Let's say your dear master chanced upon an unique opportunity suited for a young cultivator of his sect.
Said opportunity relies on your assistance as you must conduct the ritual you have the secret for said pupil. Would you accept?"
>Accept unconditionnally.
>Accept against payment [what?]
>Refuse categorically

It's been 2 years and 4 month since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.

Combine your Foundation work (pick 1 body and 1 meditation):
>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Poem of the Phoenix Ascendancy]

Chose 2

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be worked on? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends and your poem
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until you or Yi improve]
Other
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Locked until you have acces to the sect's Spirit Beast Pens]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6071929
>Accept unconditionally.

>Way of spirit beast
>Golden snake.
>Write in, Drink tea from our tea pot as we meditate.
We havent used our once per foundation infusion yet. Lets try that while we meditate. Try and use it to feel for something similar in our danitan.
>>
>>6071932
Forgot the rest of the fucking vote in my excitement.

>Work on Spear
>Investigate Pheonix dao using legends.
>>
>>6071932
>We havent used our once per foundation infusion yet.
You did when selling the cup.

Also, I changed a bit the tally. Foundation is always winning, so it's locked as 1 of the 3 choice.
The choice consist of a body tempering + a meditation.

That mean you have 2 remaining choices available
>>
>>6071885
>>6071872
what that other nigger anon took my roll :/ (on computer now.)
>>
>>6071929
>Accept unconditionnally.
Hell yeah bro

>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]

>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>>
>>6071929
>Accept against payment [what?]
>Help with the growth realm as a dao protector something calls to me there before I reach the second stage. If not outright help a life-saving treasure to use in the realm.
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available]
>Meditation [Poem of the Phoenix Ascendancy]
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
(if we have one more action then)

>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>(Write-in) How? Take them to the realm of growth if we can
>>
>>6071938
It was this one>>6071933

Spear and investigate.

But hmm. What other growth do we have?
A plant?
>>
>>6071940
Explicitely called for rolls for a chance to update due to my chaotic schedule.
>>
>>6071949
Valid vote.
>>
>>6071929
So does "apex reached" means it cannot be advanced/have more secrets uncovered? Or that usingnit offers no more benefits
>>
>>6071929
backing >>6071949
I want mouth aperture opened and the fish over the waterfall ASAP
>>
>>6072071
Anon.
We get it.

You want the mouth apature opened. Like everyone else. Before 8 months pass. Like everyone else. Please, say something different than "I want mouth aperture opened"
>>
>>6071929
>Golden Scales + Phoenix Ascendancy. Flying Flaming Golden Sneko.

>Accept against Payment - something growth aspected and and something teleportation aspected. Let Ryota know my soul is tugging me to the Growth and I'd like to open a door so my body will be able to go with it, rather than be a wandering ghost in Growth Realm.

>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
>Go into Growth Realm.

(alternatively, >>6071949 is also good).
>>
>>6071929
>Accept unconditionally.

>>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]

>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be worked on? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough] (I really want to replace "Halberd" with "Spear")
>>
>>6072080
Okay. I'm curious why Vengeful Spear isn't something we can actively train here unlike the others. Maybe it's already a basic technique like Hawk's Double Talon and has nothing deeper to develop or glean like all these other wuxia techniques do?
>>
>>6072204
Huh. . I'm pretty sure vengeful spear is move like double hawk strike, but you just gave me an idea.

We could practice unlimited rising star kick. Which has growth element. Which can increase our affinity for it, and might overlap with our meditations ability to planes walk.

Its a slim shot, but practicing the movemrnt technique to get to a place makes a certain amount of sense.

>>6071933
>>6071932
>Change investigate to "rising infinity kick"
>>
>>6072041
The number associated with it on my crunch side won't advance more.
Secrets can still be discovered.
>>
>>6072204
It's indeed a skill and not a training method.
>>
>Tally status
Tie among accepting unconditionnally/against growth reach gets
Tie among meditation techniques.
Narrow win for Halberd + pull trio with you in growthland if you make it to growthland
>>
>>6072764
>>
>>6072764
Ill change from unconditional to Growth gets

Its nice to be a reliable disciple but im not gonna delay the vote over it
>>6071933
>>6071932

But I think people are fools to not use the planes walking meditation to planes walk

How is our mental energy looking anyway?
>>
>>6072801
Really good as Fighting Intent is a kind of Mental energy
>>
I think I'll lock and write.
>>6072801 is indeed right and Quiet Words knows he need to practice this meditation to planeswalk despite Phoenix Poem being a growth aligned technique.
As the voter of Phoenix Poem wants to go to Growth realm too, this is what your character would do.
>>
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966 KB PNG
"Sure things. But I'll need something for my effort.
- You're growing bolder by the day. Entertain me.
- My Dao calls me to the Growth realm. This is where I found the Teapot. And I must go back. Before breaking through to second stage.
- Then just delay your breakthrough? Don't gaze at me with spears in your eyes, I'm kidding. This is an expensive investment.
- Would that offset the costs if I bring along Yi and the Din sisters?
- Pull that out, and I'll double, triple down on your investment on them. And here's the down payment."
Ryota lead you to one of the underground secret room, where Yi Norm is waiting in deep meditation.
In front of him : a spirit bead, a piece of jade, an ancient scroll, a banner embroidered with unknown heraldry.
"What did you told him?
- He's close to a breakthrough. I saw in his aura the telltale sign of genius-level insight, and it's only up to him to seize it.
- ... Did you ever sent Kyo Ko sneakily on my meditation to push me on the right way of a breakthrough?
- I can not confirm neither deny. Now I'll arrange your payment."

You get to work, drawing the formation on the floor while Ryota leaves the room.
Energy rise and surges, pearls of sweat and a tense frown are drawn on Yi Norm's face while his soul suffers from the backlash of the merge.

You are not sure of his state at the end of the ritual - you never conducted it for someone else - but it seems like it's a success.
You cleanse the charcoal etchings on the ground. Then, you go back to your Halberd practice.
It's been a long time. It feels good. Your Halberd mastery jumps onward.
As this technique shares similarities with your Bow skill, it looks like training the Halberd skill after your bow skill yields great results.
Not great enough to convert it into a Spear skill. You rationalize : there's still a bit of time before the tournament, right?

Ryota held his part of the bargain. An expert in green and blue robes comes to the sect a day, drawing formations and leaving with a satisfied smile.
Looks like the sect master spared no expense. You spend the first half of the month working on your foundation, and meditating with the three other kids on the same room you merged Yi Norm spirit, now covered with expensive-looking caligraphy supposedly facilitating your bold attempt.
On one hand, it turns out your work ethic is better than their, pulling them up while raking some more precious energy for your foundation.
On the same hand, your Snake Body technic reached its apex. However, you haven't realized the techniques hidden underneath.
On the other hand, you didn't made it to the secret realm.
>>
The choices "Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer" and "Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation" are mandatory for holding your word with Ryota.


Combine your Foundation work (pick 1 body and 1 meditation):
>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Poem of the Phoenix Ascendancy]

Chose 2

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Locked until tournament ends]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until tournament ends]
Foundation
>Work on your Foundation [Hawk]
>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Locked until you have acces to the sect's Spirit Beast Pens]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off [This will be good for the trio's mental health]
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6073592
So we heading to growth realm this turn?
>>
>>6073606
Only if we achieve a big number.

>>6073592
>Way of the wanderer
>Pheonix wide ballet.

>Help the Trio
>Practice with Spear.
Get our shit up to par. Keep trying
>>
>>6073592
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
Keeping our word

>Work on your Foundation [Snake]
>>
>>6073592
>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
>>
>>6073592
>>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
>>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>>
>>6073640
+1
Mainly for tourney prep
Keen to investigate many of our techniques more deeply now we are getting a good grasp of the fundamentals
>>
>>6073669
+1
>>
Gents, I only have two ways to make this more viable.


The first is we use the "Specific technique breakthrough" option to lower the DC for a planeswalk. This is the most likely answer I can determine.

The second is "Train unlimited kick" because it is growth aligned. And the extra affinity might help.

I wont change my spear vote, because I want to win the tourniment.
But this is a winning strat for taking this oppertunity
>>
>>6073776
AH.
Possible write in to help the others is teach them the story of the realm wanderer.
Which we can do for free, since we are right there with them.

Add
>Use the storybook with them, but sworn to secrecy to >>6073606
>>
>>6071646
But poison wasn't added?
>>
>>6073592
>Phoenix Wide Ballet & Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer w/double-pills.
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivators with their cultivation
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
>>
>>6073592
>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>>
>>6073648
The Foundation [Snake] is a mess-up on my side. Sorry for that.
>>
>>6073780
I updated it in the Character sheet, but have messed up my Votechoices.txt update. Good catch
>>
Tally status.
Tied among Spear style and body shifting

Will lock and start write the rest, including the Gar Ruk book
>>
>>6073721
I'm this anon. I will switch from training our unlimited rising kick to to investigating body shiftong.
>>
>>6074116
>>6073955
Right, forgot Foundation was automatic now
I'll back spear training then
>>
>>6074326
Too late. Sorry, almost finished writing after tiebreak.
>>
Time passes, you keep your tight daily schedule of waking before everybody, work on your foundation, get a breakfast, tend to the Snakes, Wolf, Hawks and Horses, cultivate some more with your friend, tend the beast again, cultivate a tad more on your own before bed.
This month finishes as it starts : your stockpiled energy takes a minor step forward; you estimate you filled seven tenth of your Mouth aperture.
On your lone time, you meditated on the Body Shifting to include your spiritual beasts features as technique, replaying in the theatre of your mind Dhundan's Black Scale again, again, again some more, and again.
You try out all that you can think about, using the Phoenix Wide Ballet and the Hawk's spirit : how good would it be to get some flaming wings?
You almost succeed, bringing to the material world for a couple flaps a glass-like, translucent projection of your Ascendant Golden Flame Shrewd Hawk.
Said projection dispelled quickly, in a severe backlash forcing you to take body tempering slow for a couple of days.
You're able to quickly draw lessons of what happened : the movement of the Fiery Hawk Wide Ballet would had let you pull the move out.
But not anymore : merged as a Phoenix Technique, you lack a bound with a Phoenix spirit.

You feel a bit scammed

In your situation, Dhundan or Ai would had most certainly figured out a secret inheritance embedded in the technique letting them rip twice the reward you failed to grasp. Instead of sulking, you keep thinking. To yield result, the Body Shifting must be tried with a technique linked to a bounded spirit.
It should work with either the Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake (gold, space and snake matches), the Spear Style (Wolf and Pain matches), and the Halberd style (Horse and Warrior matches).

Another notable thing happens : your Phoenix Wide Ballet reaching the Apex of first Stage.
However, Growth realm still eludes you, with your friend getting bored and bored of meditating long hours with nothing to show for it except minor cultivation gains.
You tried to alleviate the boredom by reading them the story of Gar Ruk, telling how it helped you find a secret technique. Yi Norm liked the story but failed to even see a technique was hidden inside even though you try to be as clear as possible on the matter. The girls were indifferent-to-more-bored by it.

Now, the girls threaten to outright leave the meditation practice alltogether. Your word might be harsh to keep.
>>
It's been 2 years and 5 month since you joined the Eastern Province branch of Tamers of Hundred Beasts.
The turnament will be held next month (two turns remaining)

The choices "Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer" and "Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation" are mandatory for holding your word with Ryota.
However, you have to convince them.
>Pick the slack off option will let you spend idle time with them, at the cost of an action
>Swear them you're close of breaking through (and pray you're not bullshiting)
>Denounce their lack of diligent practice to Ryota


Combine your Foundation work (pick 1 body and 1 meditation):
>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Poem of the Phoenix Ascendancy]

Chose 2

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Locked until tournament ends]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until tournament ends]
Other
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix's Venom Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Locked until you have acces to the sect's Spirit Beast Pens]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off [This will be good for the trio's mental health]
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6074360
>Pick the slack off option will let you spend idle time with them, at the cost of an action
>Slack off [This will be good for the trio's mental health]
For the very first time
The slippery slope begins

>Body [Phoenix Wide Ballet]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]

>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>>
>>6074381
+1
>>
>>6074381
How much time we got is the question. Months to the sect meeting and till we lose the true qi.
>>
>>6074398
Seven months.
>>
>>6074360
>Ask them to hold out until the tourniment. We are doing this for their benefit and trying our hardest. Give us 3 months, if nothing else than because its in their best interests.

>Snake body
>Way of beast wanderer

>Specifically train [Beast wanderer]
This is important as it lowers the DC.
>Help the trio improve.

COME ON. JUST DEDICATE YOURSELVES. ALL OF YOURSELVES!
>>
>>6074443
If we cant break through by tourniment, then allow them to depart and inform ryota we failed.
>>
>>6074443
+1

>>6074398
>>6074418
7 months left and we are 7/10s done with Mouth Aperture. We can do this!
>>
>>6074443
The tournament is in 1 Month.
>>
>>6074491
We just did two months meditatiòn.
Next month tourniment.
3 months.
>>
>>6074360
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]
Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Slack off [This will be good for the trio's mental health]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>>
Tally status

Also,
>>6074443 maximize your odds of Growth breakthrough
>>
>>6074952
I knew it would maximise it, But apparently "Mental health" is more important!

On one hand its fine that Quiet word is a good leader who takes care of his people, but on the other hand, they could be more dedicated!
We push ourselves to near breaking point, Why dont other people!
>>
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55 KB
55 KB JPG
>>6074978
Discipline. They lack discipline but secretly crave for it to be imposed upon them so they can reach their true potential.
>>
>>6075035
Quiet word is a cool dude. But heaven's help you if you get him as a training teacher.

He's putting in the WORK, and expects you to match it.
Hmm, if we found a way to ignore the need for sleep. . . I think we could get more out of our days.
Maybe ask them for a way to cultivate no sleep-jutsu at the tourney
>>
>>6075056
Quiet Word the Sleepless

Terrifying.
>>
>>6074360
Supporting >>6074443.
>>
>>6075184
>Old master: "So here you go, you can have this legendery unicorn sut-"
Quiet word: I'd like to tràde this for Sleepless dao.
>Old master: "ah yes yes, an enduring Bull technique for near infinite stami-"
Quiet word: No. Sleepless.
>Old master: "bu-but these other two are of legendery quality, why?"
Quiet word, leaning in, menacingly: "So I can train an extra 4 hours while everyone else sleeps."
>>
>>6075246
Wait. I wonder if magic coffee beans are a thing?
>>
>>6075497
It would fuck with our health to subsist purely on coffee. We need something to just eliminate sleep.
>>
>>6074360
>>6074443
>support

We seek to enter the realm of growth, so do some practice near young animals or young plants to see if youth helps.
>>
>>6075563
Or help some of the new kids...
Wait.. is THAT the key?

Perhaps why we failed so badly in the lotus realm is because we have no chill? Don't slack much, not much prioritizing friendship or art?
>>
Locked. Writing.
>>
"Come on. Time to go in the seclusion room.
- Sigh...
- Again, really? Have some mercy!
- Hold on. Haven't you seen your progress of the last month? You filled around two fifth of your aperture!
I know it's hard work, but it's already paying off and the gains to gain will be insane if we make it before the tournament. One more month. That's all I ask you.
- So that Dhundan can win against you stepping down after I stepped down to you?
- Woe on us. Five beast tamers in the tourney, four of them in half-finals. We look so weak to the other by refusing to fighting each other for petty gains."
- You know what, Quiet Word? I'll trust you.
- Thank you Man Din.
- ... This better be worth it.
- That makes two. Yi, will you stay alone with your Monkey spirit or join us?
- Alright, alright..."

Maybe the little prep talk was all that was needed. Because your four minds align, empowered by the definitely-expensive formation Ryota paid for.
The three astral spirits of other kids are dumbfounded.
"Wait, the Way of the Spiritual Beast Whisperer can do that?
- Yes. It's empowered by that book I told you about. Here's the door... I have some understanding of Growth realm. Growth means change. Just wander in the realm, and seize what you can."

You check your pocket. A bit of earth, a flint and tinder, a few blades of grass, a lotus seed.
Let's see if your plan enabled by your physical transportation can be pulled.
>>
You land in the familiar desert. Yi falls, tumble down a dune, becoming soon a doll carried by a sand wave.
Sin Din steps down, letting some sand rise, rise, rise some more in a mountain. Her sister rushes and jumps in her wake. You already know the rift growing amidst them is not one that can be crossed.


"In the realm where mountains rise, and rivers carve the land,
The qilin strides with gentle grace, in fields so green and grand."
You plant the grass. They turn in a patch, in a lawn, in a field.

"High atop the crimson peak, where heavens meet the earth"
You place the earth in a mound. Tinder in its heart, a spark from the flint... there you go, your own grassland-sided volcano. You step on it

"From the phoenix’s lofty perch, it surveys the realm below,
With a gaze that pierces through the veil, where secrets ebb and flow.
To the dragon, it nods in kin, both guardians of old,
One of fire, one of sea, in legends long foretold."
You whip your sweat, throwing the salty beads forward. Soon, an ocean will hug your volcano

"Amidst the tranquil lotus pond, where moonlight softly gleams,
The phoenix descends from fiery skies, wrapped in golden dreams."
You put the lotus seed in your mouth, and spit it.

You feel the stupid smile on your face as well as you can feel your plan is working. You release your Hawk Spirit.
Together, you dance the Phoenix Wide Ballet. It's working.
The Hawk Spirit is going through a Qualitative change, as well as your meditation technique and your body tempering technique.
>Ascendant Golden Flame Shrewd Hawk evolved into Shrewd Rising Phoenix
>Phoenix Wide Ballet evolved into Rising Phoenix Wide Ballet
>Poem of the Phoenix Ascendancy renamed Poem of the Rising Phoenix

The gains have been taken. You get ready to be pulled back in the main world.
And you don't. Maybe there are more gains to claims?

>Limited Growth Realm event :
4 players can write-in a Growth-related gets and roll 1d100. A good roll could yield something akin to your Unlimited Rising Star Kick or Teapot.
Write in advised : Movement Skill, Weapon, Weapon skill, Foundation techniques, Artifact.
Write-in unadvised : Phoenix-related (won't work)
>>
Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>6075795
There we go.
I'm glad they trusted us.

So we have a movement technique. And I think theres an angle we havent covered. Ear skills might be nice but

>Stealth/concealment technic
>>
>>6075812
. . . Death related?
>Sweating
>>
>>6075812
>>6075813
GETSNT
>>
Hmm. I know I made a joke about it earlier but this might be the place to get a sleepless technique.

Maybe.
>>
Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>6075795
So Flame + Hawk (+ Golden?) merged into Phoenix and Ascendant became Rising. This all goes well with our Unlimited Rising Star Kick. Quiet Word Rising: Revengeance when he's older?

Rolling. My vote is
>Artifact
We have plenty of everything else for this early on when it comes to weapon skills and our foundation techniques. We're good on our way to hitting Second Stage as well. A new artifact would serve us well as a bargaining chip like the teapot or for something else much later.
>>
>>6075812
>>6075813
Something that could go with the Blood and Pain and Wolf perhaps? Death is linked with Change, right? It doesn't always mean a "Growth" kind of Change either, so I doubt it might be here
>>
>>6075861
We could also just practice our rising step here in the growth realm.

But as for death. . . Hmm. Maybe. But wouldnt decay fit better with the theme? As that is a continious change
>>
Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>6075793
>Windy Cavalier's Spear
>>
>>6075869
Weapon technique
>>
Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>6075795
>Artifact
>>
>>6075981
This is a second GETS, by barely enough, first being >>6075859
which is already an Artifact. I'd appreciate if you could switch to another GETS
>>
>>6075987
Sure, I'll change my vote.
>Foundation Technique
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>6075795
>Weapon skill
For spear pls
>>
Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>6075795
Write-in
Body strengthening scroll with detailed steps to forge a strong body. Cost lots of drugs.
>>
>>6076019
>>6076023
I like the spirit, but you guys are late, closed the even with that roll >>6075981

Don't weep yet. Maybe you'll reach Growth Realm a third time in the timespawn between first and second realm.
>>
>>6076028
Kinda doubt I mean. Hmmm I could see it if we win the sect comp. That's next month.
However with the Phoenix Spirit I have to consider quite word low-mid monster tier.
He can't be considered 1 in 100 genius anymore. He's jumped to 1 in 10000 genius with this as two of 4 spirits are nuts. I'm debating on his horse spirit transformation tho the Norse horse Sleipnir or the qilin.
As for snake could transform into a dragon or Imugis first which makes sense.
>>
>>6076032
With the legendery word, and the growth realm. And the amount of techniques hes got.

Id say he is a proper genius on par with Dhun and Ai. But like most MCs, its his bullshit work ethic that got him moving.

The others will weep when we finally turn our entire attentions on them.
>>
You open your eyes. You're back in the main world, after being carried around in the Growth realm.
The experience have been soothing. In the Growth realm, there is no pressure of performance.
No limits to shatter in a stupidly close deadline. No new limits appearing to shatter again in the stupider deadline.
That, and the push on your friend worked. Was it predestination? Or mere luck? Surely this couldn't had backfired tremendously, burning to a crisp through you and your friend, with your future relationship irremediably strained by the inevitable failure.

You blink. Blink twice. As last time, you're not empty-handed.

You open your hands, clutched around a bead. Said bead seems to resonate with your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault - The Blood and Spiritual Art components, at least. It reminds you in a way of the small vial lended by the Marten Mistress last year.

The second reward is immaterial. Like with your Growth movement technique, you just know. And it's just your luck : a technique unusable as is.
The Poisonner's Ultimate Selftrial. Using True Qi to generate Poison in your own body, and countering it, tempering both potency of poison and your ability to fight intruding techniques. But this will have to wait your breakthrough to second stage.

It smell like somthing burned. You finally snap out of the trance, as you see the ink used for the various formations evanescing in black volutes, leaving behind the charred remains of what was once high-quality (fourth realm?) paper.

Yi Norm holds a red jade staff circled in clear steel. Sin Din lookS half puzzled, half as if she has all the insight of the universe. Man Din is deep in thought.

The most beautiful thing : your breakthrough was really early in the week. Meaning there's around 26 days before the Tournament. Enough for efficient preparations.
>>
>Free action
Any special preparation for the incoming tournament?

Combine your Foundation work (pick 1 body and 1 meditation):
>Body [Rising Phoenix Wide Ballet] [Apex reached]
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Way of the Spiritual Beast Boundfighter Wanderer] [Pills available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Poem of the Rising Phoenix]

Chose 2 (I will count them as double-choice, your early breakthrough let you kinda refund the chose two of last turn, meaning twice as many progress.)

Potential
>Maybe one specific technique of yours should be improved? [Choose in addition to said technique. More chances of breakthrough]
>Investigate Phoenix Dao using legends.
Friendship
>Keep improving things between Ai and Dhundan [require write-in on how]
>Help the trio of gifted Cultivator with their cultivation!
>Help Yi Norm developping his Fighter archetype [Locked until tournament ends]
>Train Squad Tactics [Locked until tournament ends]
Other
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan
Weapon skills
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Work on your Mounted Archer’s Wind-Gliding Phoenix's Venom Arrow [Pills available]
>Work on your Meteor Hammer Style : Silk Tiger Sun-Seer [Pills available]
Spiritual Beasts
>Investigate on the talking Spiritual Beasts[Locked until you have acces to the sect's Spirit Beast Pens]
>Investigate Body Shifting with your Spiritual Animals
The sect
>Take care of the new kids.
Strengthening the Jar
>Slack off [This will be good for the trio's mental health]
Road of independence
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
And, as always...
>Write-in allowed!
>>
>>6076111
FUCK YES.

>Snake body
>Poem of Pheonix

>Practice our Spear style
>Specifically practice [Phoniex wide ballet] for breakthrough

>Specific prep, Ask the others if the efforts were worth it. Just to be smug.
>Ask to Borrow the Marten's artifact again.
>Inquire with Ryota if the rules have changed again
>Specifically ask the deer master for pointers with our spear style.

I want to get spear up to top quality so we can conceal the rest of our moves. And I want to see if we have any new techniques hidden in the body tempering technic.

I am kinda torn between Snake and ballet, but I reason that we have a slim chnace of both here.
>>
>>6076111

Free Action - Meditate with the spirit bead to understand its power. Try putting my blood on it too and see if that does anything

>Meditation - Golden Scales & Poem of the Rising Phoenix (chose scale because I believe that we can't take advantage of phoenix level breakthroughs until we have true Qi.
>Double Action 1 - Work on your Spear Style (goes along with studying the bead)
>Double Action 2 - Work on your Mental Energy with Dhundan - got to sharpen our main man for the tourney
>>
>>6076120
+1
Imagine if we hit Second Stage and stabilize in time for the tournament and for once Quiet Word refuses to hold back or throw his tourney fights like he always has until now
>>
>>6076140
I want our boy to have an actual "I'm sorry Master Ryota. I want to go all out... just this once!" moment of blowing everybody out
>>
>>6076140
>>6076141
If we have something to gain from it, any of the positions in 4th place is fine by me.
You still get the prize, and something more by our actions here.

Need I remind you that taking a fall to the young mistress netted us an echo root? And payed off again when we sold Uncle soulgaze that beast.

It would be nice to win. But always keep in mind what benefits we have to gain.
>>
>>6076111

>Any special preparation for the incoming tournament?
Resistance training that doesn't involve Dhundan

>Meditation [Poem of the Rising Phoenix]
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]

>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault

>>6076140
We only threw once though? We gave up genuinely the first time because we couldn't beat Dhundan

Also imagine if we roll a nat 1 first round too.
>>
>>6076111
>Meditation [Poem of the Rising Phoenix]
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]

>Work on Mental Energy with Dhundan
>Think about what you'll need as a loose cultivator eventually.

If we get a prize or prizes we should put them toward loose cultivator stuff.
>>
>>6076355
Ya know, we could just think about what we need. And then spend the action gathering those items. Rather than spending a turn to get a list.
>>
>>6076111
>Body [Golden Scales of the Skystone Snake][Pills Available] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Poem of the Rising Phoenix]

>Work on your Spear style : Blood-Shadow Wolf Painful Assault
>Think of what you might need in the Loose Cultivator eventuallity.
>>
Loose cultivator things.

Map.
Food.
Money.
Clothes.
Ideally some faster means of travel, Like that flying carriage.
Marketable skill. [Hunting? Healer?] We do have that ability to planeswalk, but its kinda infrequent too rely on.
>>
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When will Quiet Word become a cultivator godlike enough for pic related to happen to him?
>>
>>6076665
Rank 5 I guess.
Or 6.
>>
>>6076665
>>6076759
>QuietWord being an invading army by himself and all his pendants
>>
>>6076775
We do have an arrow technique to thst effect.
>>
>Tally status

Among the four options lagging behind, one is superior in my opinion. Another makes sense, and two are inferior.

But I'm biased.
>>
>>6076798
Vare to make statement on which is which?

I maintain we have more to uncover from the phonix body tempering.
And even if we didnt. NEW WORDS TO ADD
>>
Isn't phoenix basically capped until we tier up?
>>
>>6076111
>Body [Rising Phoenix Wide Ballet] [Apex reached]
>Meditation [Poem of the Rising Phoenix]
>Work on your Unlimited Rising Star Kick [Pills available]
>Work on your Windy Cavalier's Halberd [Pills available]
Use pills on both.
>>
>>6076812
think about what will be good for you on the short-term. Maybe some insight can be gained by re-reading the fight against the other kids
>>
>>6076798
>>6076812
Also, second statement
The spear style was, in my mind, THE optimal choice you'll have not to miss this turn.
>>
>>6077052
Looks like spear style is still ahead. So whoop whoop.
>>
>>6077044
RISING KICK
Thats whay you were mentioning.

That training rising kick also tempers the Legs and can mitigate damage too them.

Ill change from wide ballet >>6076120
To Unlimited rising kick for the leg tempering.
>>
It might be a weekend without update.
>>
>>6077393
Take care, QM.
>>
>>6076398
>>6076355
Instead of loose cultivator, we can accellerate our mouth opening.

Remember when the halberd had a better result after being trained after the archer style?
The same will follow through with Unlimited rising kick and Snake foundation.

They have very similar foundational basis, space and Gold and body strengthening, and by performing one after another, they will benefit henceforth.

So rising kick one. Then foundation for extra gains.
>>
>>6078047
>>6076398

Changing my vote to this
>>
>>6078565
With this, eising has 3 votes and spear style has 5. Oh yeah, we are winning.
>>
>>6076128
>>6076798

I am also fine with switching Mental Energy to Rising Kick.

>Rising Kick
>>
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Time flies. Over the next weeks, you feel like you do a lot and very little at the same time.

First, there is the matter of your Foundation. You benefitted greatly from your trip in Growth realm. You feel your Foundation is on overdrive.

Your Mouth Aperture fills up and up in the upcoming week. You feel it's almost ripe for breaking through before the tournament, and just then it frustatingly grinds to an halt. Oh well. You don't push the matter - you'll need to stabilize after the Breakthrough anyway.
Ryota once came with Dhundan, Ai, Yi, Sin and Man.
"Quiet Word will break out to second stage in at most three months. You know why you might not? Amount of work."
This effectively motivated everyone in your group. Yi, Man and Sin are half a step away to breaking through Ear Aperture. Dhundan and Ai are halfway to breaking open the Mouth Aperture.
Your foundation work also granted you an unexpected insight about the poem.
Thinking of the upcoming tournament, you'll see two girls qualifying as the Lotus. You worry if that mean you'll have to make one of them your Dao partner.
With a more torough read, you understand you have an out : the titular Rising Phoenix seems predestined to match either a Dragon, a Qirin or a Lotus.
That mean you at least won't have to chose imperatively one of those two. That still mean you have to get married. You're not sure how you feel about that.

You made progress working on your spear style. On one hand, your fighting mastery have reached out to someone of the mouth-aperture-filling level.
On the other, you failed to discern hidden techniques, and you're a step away from the Apex of your level.
The blood-related treasure helped you tremendously in your practice : the Hemomancer Profound Bloostore is well-adjusted to your technique, letting you understand more, more easily, akin to a bounded beast. Your curiosity made you draw a drop of blood. It was hungrily sucked up by the treasure, Qi still twirling inside.
Looks like this treasure have the same use as the Marten Mistress' Blood Via0l.

You also focused your practice on the Unlimited Rising Star Kick.
Although you fail to break throuhg, you feel the technique benefit a bit more from your bounded spirit, as well as from the Teapot and the Growth-originated Bloodstore.
It does wonders for your mobility : your speed and overall movement mastery can't be challenged by those weaker than the Ear Aperture-filling level.
Combined with your fighting proficiency, this should make fighting unremarkable oponent a walk in the park.

As last year, Ryota takes a bit of time off his masters to teach his promising disciples. Unluckily, your turn comes up only two days before the tournament.

"So, what could help you?"

>Pointers about your Spear Style!
>Pointers about your Halberd Style!
>Pointers about your Bow Style!
>Pointers about your Movement Technique!
>Write-In
>>
>>6078756
>Pointers about your Movement Technique!

Let's maximize the benefit of our mobility.
>>
>>6078756

>Spear.
FIND THE HIDDEN TECHNIQUE.

Hmm, match does have to mean partner. Could. . Be something else.
>>
>>6078756
>Pointers about your Spear Style!
Let's figure out the hidden technique and reach the apex!
>>6078819
Match could be match as in match in battle? Perhaps we need to fight people related to Lotus, Dragon or Qirin.
>>
>>6078756
>Spear
Delve into the secret art!

>>6078819
>>6078855
Before getting into any questions about marriage or whatever, our 8 year old cultivator should read that part more carefully and make a list of what "match" might mean and then go step by step. Fighting people of those affinities or being equal to them are already two definitions to easily check
>>
>>6069664
I have to say Phoenix + Poison are two elements I never thought could combine in any way. Thinking on it, the first thing that comes to mind is Phoenix is death and rebirth, so perhaps a Poison that hastens a being to death but in a different way? Growth unchecked can easily becone literal cancer. Or it might be the idea of breaking a damaged thing harder so it becomes fixed sooner? A strange blend of concepts
>>
>>6078869
I've got many interesting ideas on what the potent toxin named Phoenix Venom might achieve.
>>
>>6078869
While I agree that a combo like I suggested was a weird one, My rationale isnt "oh, this really fits a pheonix", becauae if it did, it would come under the pheonix word.

I picked it because WE have a poison affinity. And it prepares the channel for second stage.

If it also makes us able to inflict more damage or grow resistant to poisons, why not?

Your idea fits closer to "expand the dao of Pheonex through investigation"

But the idea you probably want for that is the word "medicine". An antidote is just poison by different dosage.
>>
>>6078873
I look forward to them

>>6078894
>WE have a poison affinity
I would like it if our QM could make a full list of what we know about Quiet Word's affinities so far, as an easier base for us to plan around and check occasionally. Speaking of affinities, there's still that question of "does combining strong and weak affinity keywords in techniques and such truly make a cultivator stronger?" Which was back in
>>6064883
>>6064992
>>6065059
>>6065079
Oh and there's this: >>6065025
>"expand the dao of Pheonex through investigation"
That could get unorthodox insights and options to reveal themselves.

I will say we got a lot of shit built up that we still lack the True Qi to start working on
>>
>>6078912
I'm still shocked we're as good with Blood Shadow Wolf Painful Assault as we are, since Quiet Word sucks at Blood and Darkness (Shadow) and Pain, but is great affinity to Wolf and Spear which serves as the strong glue binding the weaker affinities to him
>>
>>6078912
We made a list last thread
>>
>>6078857
It could be a good idea. But its funnier that Quiet word is terrified of getting hitched because of a poem. . That he technically wrote.

Its very funny to me.
>>
>>6078873
Puts the sick into a coma that revitalizes them?

When comes to poision and medicine often the only difference is dose size.
>>
>>6078912
Yah we kinda need a paste bin at this point. To know pill amount what are our affinities, items,tech, known information and relationships. I'd do it yet I got an exam to study in three days. So until then I can't.
>>
>>6078756
Damn I caught up, I was wondering how many threads it would take for our daoist to become a genius and it took longer than I expected, pleasantly surprised.

I'll cast my vote towards Movement technique pointers, but I'd just like to say we might probably be a better archer than Ster Ling by virtue of not being retarded.
>>
>>6079072
Longer because he's not a natural born genius like Ai and Dhundan are. The quest is "Normal Cultivator" for a reason. I personally love how several threads ago Dhundan and Ai were both ahead of Quiet Word on cultivation, but then the seclusion gains shot him up to the furthest of his age group
>>
>>6078912
>I would like it if our QM could make a full list of what we know about Quiet Word's affinities so far

Might do at the beginning of next thread

>>6078964
>That he technically wrote
Not really; he got the scroll containing the poem as a reward from an unknown friend of Ryota. He technically copied it several time as a mind tempering exercice
>>
>>6079072
Welcome/Welcome back.
Glad to fulfill the title's promise.
>>
>>6078756
>Pointers about your Spear Style!
>>
>>6079124
He DID make the active choice to focus on Pheonix. Which counts in my opinion.

Anyway, meanings for match. It has 4 for noun and 3 for verb. Auspicious?

1. To be in contest with another, eother by team or individual.
2. To resemble or corrospond with another thing, make or be in harmony with them.
3. To be equal in strength or Quality.
4.eligability in marriage.

5. To put someone or a team in contest with another.
6.To put or make something together that are the same or harmonise some essential quality.
7.To equal someone or something in strength or Quality

>Looking at all this shit and the line "who shall be my partner true, in search of dao's embrace."
Uh Quiet word. Maybe try alternative means of"Partner" rather than "match">>6078857

Cause Rivals, Compliments or most likely marriage is the clearest reading. Fucking hell "partner to seek the Dao"
Dao partners!
>>
>>6079240
Give him a break he's 8 years old and dealing with ancient Chinese mysticism and obscure techniques. He'll get there eventually
>>
>>6079243
Hes smarter than we are.
He even found a loophole that he can avp8d a lotus by picking a Dragon or a Qillin.

But I am offering other avenues to loophole

Also, anyone find it funny how the book keeper had a perfect technique for us, all using these key words?
>>
>>6079255
>>6079240
Guys guys. You are escaping the real answer of course he gets three wives.
>>
>>6079271
I don't give a fuck if its ancient Chinese autism, I refuse to go harem route
>>
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>>6079277
Heh. You know what they say.
When in Rome do as Romens do.
Heheheheh!
But I'm just joking around.
>>
>>6079277
He's too young for that anyways. We'll see about it when teenage hormones hit.
>>
>>6079433
What's the source?

Also, working on the update
>>
>>6079466
No idea I pulled it off google. Apparently this.
https://manhuatop.org/manhua/become-villain-in-the-game-cultivation/
>>
>Hindsight about spear style
The best and most reasonable thing to seek out is pointers from the Spear-expert dear master and the blood expert Marten Mistress.
[spoil]Rolled 100 on 1d100[/spoil]
"Hold on. You're pulling too much strength on your driving hand, and not enough on your dominant one. Redirect your Qi among your channels this way...
>Apex of First Stage spear style reached
"Let me sample your blood dear. Bitter. Displeasant taste... You improved past a bottleneck thanks to your true Qi.
You will reach at least a second blood-bottleneck in your second stage. Do you have any idea on how to break bottlenecks?

- Fortuitous encounter?" You refrain from talking about your teapot
- That's one way. More precisely, a fortuitous encounter gives you a chance to overcome a bottleneck. A unique in your life.
You seem to have a strong blood artifact with you. This one might help you once. Then, you need a new source of insight.
A good way for that is approaching your bottleneck with another technique. However, the technique must be brought to the overall level of the bottleneck.
So on one hand, your blood artifact might help you become a potent hemomancer. On the other, your low blood affinity means it will take quite the constant investment.
The choice will be yours to make. It is fine to bring one or two low affinity up over time and turning them into strength. More might be asking for trouble.
Especially with how much of your techniques will become obsolete over breaking through 3rd stage and over.
Anyway, show me your blood spiritual art... Nice blood shadow wolf. Dispel it... Wait, there's something there. Can you feel it?
"

Indeed, at the moment the wolf is dispelled, there is something vanishing. Just before it goes completely over, you push your remainging Qi and blood.
You spin it instantly. The blood rushes forward, crashing into a wall, leaving a significant dent.
>Spiritual art learned! Blood Burst : Sacrifice one Blood-Shadow Wolf. Ranged attack of blood element

"Come to me when you'll be second stage. You might not be as helpless as I once thought. I'll groom you into a tasty snack for later, and will teach you a foundation technique.
You're not worried - after all the Marten Mistress is no pure flower, no wise and prosperity inducing Kirin, and have not the sheer destructive power of the dragon.

With your Hemomancer Profound Bloodstore full - meaning, with enough blood to summon a couple Blood-Shadow wolf, you are ready for the sect's walk toward the Stable Lotus Harbor stadium.

You take place, and notice all the other child of all the other sects.
>>
>Watch the younger kids.
>Interract with someone of another sect [LienWen YanEr, LienWen JiaLin, Ster Ling, Xiao Niar, Ping Jun, Meying Youling]
What Quiet Word might have in mind : talking about the lotus wedding prophecy with one of the LienWen cousin, bet with Ster Ling
Feel free to write in what's expected of the interraction.
>>
>>6079510
>Talk to YAN er and Ping.

See how they are both doing. Flaunt iut achievements with our rival/love interest and thank her uncle.

And Ping mgiht be horsing around, see how hes gone.
>>
>>6079510
backing >>6079517
sucks we're at the tourney and WITHOUT second stage reached, fuck
>>
>>6079510
>Talk to YanEr and Ping.
Let's do a bit of catching up, and check if either needs a favor with their match this time around.
I'm not concerned about looking like a jobber, it's just trifling 1st stage competitions.
>>
>>6079577
Dont outright ask man, thats how people overhear and we get caught out for throwing the matches.

Oppertunities will reveal themselves
>>
>>6079585
we don't have to outright ask, all we have to do is listen, they trust us enough to ask things of us already.
>>
Thread archived. Next update will be in the next thread with the tournament itself.

Time for Q and A in the meantime.

>Does Quiet Word still feel like a "Normal" cultivator
>I might have pushed some events I wanted to write. Do you still feel in control of the protag and the story, and that your choices matter?

On the creative side :
>What technique would you like to see at one point of the future?
>What future do you envision for Quiet Word?


It is still a really pleasant experience for me. Especially as I try to leave some votes very open, trying not to be too stubborn with my vision. For example, the Poem was not supposed at all to contain a location but now it does, thus your creation of said location although briefly in Growth realm.

>Freeform question allowed.
>>
>>6080098
Ever since I accepted that I needed to priortise, the press of time has lessened.
This gives me more of a sense of control.

>Normal cultivator.
He is starting to feel like a normal MC.
His luck is turning up, his work ethic is indominable and he isnt depressed.

We cooking now.

>future?
No idea.

>Technique
I wanna get that hammer technic used. Some sort of combo where we slip between weapons like man din does her shape-shifting spirit.

>Question
Does Yaner like flowers or candy? Asking for the future.
>>
>>6080098
>Does Quiet Word still feel like a "Normal" cultivator
I think so. Even with our fortuitous encounters, most of Quiet Word's success is based on hard and unrelenting work. He doesn't really have a heaven-defying innate talent, secret inheritance, bullshit physique, massive resources, or the usual accoutrements of a wuxia protagonist. He's just a determined kid that makes the absolute most of what he has.
>Do you still feel in control of the protag and the story, and that your choices matter?
I don't have any major complains in this regard. You've peeled back the veil enough times to show how close we've come to failure (or success), such as working in the snake-pits (and the associated reward) or the Skystone Village arc that very little has truly come out of nowhere.
>What technique would you like to see at one point of the future?
I want to see more in the vein of Beast Shifting, and how things of that nature affect our fighting style. I figure a whole world of options will open up once we get to second stage, and start talking to our bounded beasts.
>What future do you envision for Quiet Word?
I'm not sure if QW has any real aspirations beyond furthering his own cultivation, so I'm not sure what his future will entail. He has friends he cares about, and some loyalty to his sect and Ryota, but I think it's kind of hard to grasp his Dao Heart at this stage, or get a sense of his ideals beyond an obsessive drive for self-improvement. It has been floated that our boy could try to be a loose cultivator eventually, but that option hasn't garnered much interest from the anons in thread, so I don't know if the story will take that direction unless forced to by some unforeseen disaster striking. That said,the road of cultivation is long, arduous, and full of hidden pitfalls, so I think the question will become more relevant once we're closer to 2nd or 3rd realm, instead of a precocious 7-year-old. Not sure if you plan on running the quest all the way to Immortal levels, but we've got plenty of time until then, I figure.
>>
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>>6080098
>still feel like a "Normal" cultivator
Still achievable natty with a little fortune and a lot of good work, but I think it doesn't "feel" that way because the world is still very vertical slice-ey if that makes any sense. It's the proactiveness Quiet Word has (or the lack from normies) that makes him stand out like a sore thumb.

>Do you still feel in control of the protag and the story, and that your choices matter?
That's cool, I like how you've integrated some write-ins that looked like you didn't expect them at all.

>What technique would you like to see at one point of the future?
I think this depends heavily on how Quiet Word will play like. Will he be the standard summoner who provides support to his spirit beasts and covers for their shortcomings, a Yi Norm who fights along with his beasts or perhaps a more Dhundan approach where he will rely on shifting/manifesting aspects of the beast.

It might be necessary to call a vote to settle on an archetype, or for the sake of not missing out, and depending on the speed of the quest, each stage/minor stage (or even locations) can have bonuses and maluses for each. Just pulling shit out of my ass but maybe something like:
>In this specific stage beasts will be weaker when compared to weapons techniques/mystical arts, so you wouldn't just sic your wolf on Yan'er and instead have it back you up
>In this other stage the Beast Tamer will be weaker due to a dao bottleneck/restriction from heaven/etc. so the beasts will do the heavy lifting, with the tamer playing backup
>Certain breakpoints have a near 50/50 or encourage shifting/manifesting

>What future do you envision?
Leadership, he might take over the eastern branch after the older generations get promoted, or he could leave and have a small elite band, found his own sect or maybe even lead Stable Lotus if anons decide to matchmake him with little Yanyan.

I almost want to run a xianxia quest myself but I've never done it so I might refrain for the time being, thank you for your work and thanks to all the anons that made this quest a thing.
>>
>>6080270
I like what you're saying a lot because it means that the way I made the several Kids (including Kyo Ko, Bathias and Gro Ta) and their techniques actually works and give them a lot of "fighting personnality".
Plus, your analysis is sharper than mine on that aspect, it provides me insight on what I actualy have done.

>Each stage have Bonus/Malus
Ackchually, Martial skills are king in 1st stage - with Beast Tamers bounded beast being an unfair advantage.
They usually fall behind (because not knowing the secret of fusion) around 3rd stage. Second stage is a realm where Spiritual Arts are king. 3rd stage is balanced. 4th stage as a slight Martial advantage
>>
New thread is up >>>6081106



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