>>4483733
We are smart man
>Scholar that seeks out knowledge of the natural world.

>>4483733
>Opportunistic thief that gets whatever he can.
Think about it. Dickass thief shenanigans will likely keep QM from burnout.

>>4483733
>Scholar that seeks out knowledge of the natural world.

The QM's name is giving me PTSD from fate quest reincarnate quest autsim

>>4483741
>>4483744
>>4483748

Majority wins! We shall be big brain, writing now!

>>4483741
>>4483744
>>4483748
>>4483754

You’ve been wandering the lands of the Xia Dynasty for a few years, in search of knowledge of the divine Dao, and of the mythical existence of immortals. Things almost all ordinary mortals would never know about in their lifetime.

A small village appears in your view as you put away a sheepskin map into your satchel.

You enter hoping to enquire about local landmarks and information that would be useful to your cause.

At the entrance reads “Tianye (天叶) Village”

You first approach...

>The tavern

>The merchant district

>A villager (male)

>A villager (female)

>A guard

>No one, you wander about first.

>write in

>>4483781
>No one, you wander about first.

We have to be mysterious of course.

>>4483781
>No one, you wander about first.
We must always be wary, lest we run afoul of a mighty young master.

>>4483781
>an Old man by a pond, counting stones

also glad to see some xianxia on this board, love this shit

>>4483783
>>4483786
>>4483787

I like both! Writing now.

>>4483783
>>4483786
>>4483787
>>4483789

You decide to walk around first and observe. At first glance, it looks like your standard village, with a decently small population living in ordinary houses similar to those in villages you’ve visited before.

As you walk around, curious faces from the locals seem to be drawn to you. A little too curious, but nothing out of the ordinary. People get uneasy around strangers after all.

After walking aimlessly for some time, you stumble upon an old man by a pond who looks to be counting stones.

Unlike the other villagers, he pays no mind to your presence and simply continues with what he’s doing.

You…

>Approach him and strike up a conversation

>Ignore him and continue on your way

>write in

>>4483807
>Approach him and strike up a conversation

"Pray tell, why is one with so little time left, such as yourself, grandfather, spending that time counting stones by the water?"

>>4483814
This

>>4483814
>>4483817

Writing now, this will probably be the last post for about 2 hours? Its 0620 rn and I have to wake up for school in 2 hours haha.

>>4483814
>>4483817
>>4483822

You walk up beside the old man and cup your fists. "Junior greets this senior. Pray tell, why is one with so little time left, such as yourself, grandfather, spending that time counting stones by the water?"

The old man continues his stone counting for a moment, completely disregarding your presence.

[Even if he is my senior, isn’t this a little too unreasonable?] You think to yourself.

Finally, the old man turns his head to you and lets out a slight chuckle. “Forgive this senior for his lack of respect, I was simply too engrossed.” He lets out another laugh before continuing, “Though I may appear frail, I have plenty of time left. Junior need not worry about this old one.”

You feel a little embarrassed for disturbing this strange old man and can’t help but look at him with a wistful smile as he utters those words.


You…

>Politely apologise and walk away.

>Ask about what he means.

>write in

>>4483840
"A venerable elder such as yourself must have learned many things in your days. This junior is a traveling scholar seeking to find the secrets of the world and come closer to understanding the Dao. Could my elder teach a curious youth a lesson of what he has learned?"

>>4483853
+1

>>4483840
>simply sit down and watch him count the stones,

We still have our youth still, a little time spent is a small cost in the face of potential wisdom and maybe even a hint towards understanding of the dao

>>4483853
+1
OP are you the same one that did a xianxa quest a few months ago ?

>>4483874
Let's not mess up his count
>sit and observe the pond

>>4483840
Push him in.

>>4483874
supporting

>>4483967
support

>>4483853
>>4483855
>>4483876

Vs.

>>4483937
>>4483874
>>4483981

dice+1d2

Writing now!

>OP are you the same one that did a xianxa quest a few months ago ?

Nope, this is my first ever quest.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4484101

Oops..

>>4484101

>write in
>simply sit down and watch him count the stones,
>sit and observe the pond

You sit down beside the old man where he’s standing and observe the tranquil pond, the subtle movement of the water, the small periodic ripples, and the aquatic fauna all interwoven together to present this scene in front of you.

The old man glances down with a slight grin and stares at all the stones at once as opposed to counting them one by one as he previously did.

“Observe the pond well boy, it is not unlike these bunch of stones around it. One can view the individual stones, or the individual elements of the pond just as one can view all the stones at once, like viewing the elements of the pond as a single whole. It is both and neither at the same time, such is the nature of all.”

You stare back at the man with a deep look of contemplation, a familiar feeling of confusion gripping you. His words indeed struck you as profound as you barely begin to understand the depths of their meaning.

In the next moment, the senior turned his gaze westward without the slightest hesitation, an action that startled you in your state of contemplation. “This senior must get going. I wish you good fortune on your travels.” he said solemnly.

Standing up and cupping your fists, you bow as he walks towards the west. “Junior thanks this senior for sharing his wisdom, I will be sure to remember your words as I continue my journey!”

You turn to look in the direction the senior walked off, it was clear he was leaving the village seeing that the pond was situated on the village outskirts but the only notable thing of note was a single tall mountain.

You…

>Follow after him (discreetly) to that strange mountain.

>Continue walking around the village.

>Stay by the pond to ponder the words of the old man.

>write in

>>4484165
>Stay by the pond to ponder the words of the old man.

>>4484165
>Stay by the pond to ponder the words of the old man.
Meditate on the Dao

>>4484165
>Stay by the pond to ponder the words of the old man.

there is wisdom in his words, rushing off to chase the speaker when he has presented to you a gift of knowledge would be foolhardy. Even if it takes a hundred years, we will find the meaning to grandfather's words

>>4484167
>>4484169
>>4484170

Indeed we must ponder the words of the old man. Writing now!

>>4484167
>>4484169
>>4484170
>>4484188

>Stay by the pond to ponder the words of the old man.

You continue sitting beside the pond, continue to ponder upon the words of the old man. Just what was it about these words that were so profound?

Like the pond, you stay calm and tranquil, meditating for some time.

Hours later, the sun starts to set and something “clicks”. Just like the pond and stones, your organs exist as individual parts and together as a single body! Upon this fully comprehending this implication, your mind feels refreshed and you feel a mild warmth in your body spreading from your lower abdomen.

Truly a strange phenomenon!

As you get up though, two guards surround you. “Halt, you are required to report to the village head’s manor to state your business.”

It strikes you as strange that you weren’t approached immediately when you first arrived but you think nothing of it.
You respond…

>”Why wasn’t I asked to do this when I first arrived? Why the sudden change?”

>”Did I do something to draw the attention of your village head?.”

>”Unreasonable! Why now must I report to your village head when I’ve been here for almost a day?!”

>write in

>>4484298
>”Did I do something to draw the attention of your village head?.”

>>4484298
>”Did I do something to draw the attention of your village head?.”

>>4484298
>Write in

"Ah, was I perhaps, causing a disturbance? My apologizes, good fellows"

>>4484298
>>4484308
>>4484317
Backing both

>>4484308
>>4484314
>>4484317
>>4484380

Kinda liking both as well. Writing now!

>>4484408

(Sorry for the very late reply, last minute stuff came up and had to deal with it. This'll be the last post for the night, will post more when I wake up in a few hours)

-----

>”Did I do something to draw the attention of your village head?.”
>Write in. "Ah, was I perhaps, causing a disturbance? My apologizes, good fellows"

“Did I do something to draw the attention of your village head?” you ask in a semi-serious tone.

One guard scoffs and replies curtly. “That is not of your concern. You’re only required to follow us.”

You take on a dignified expression upon hearing this. “Was I perhaps causing a disturbance? If so, I apologize, good fellows.”

“Again! That is none of your concern! You either come with us peacefully or we’ll have to drag you there by force, I’ll give you ten breaths to make your decision.”

You…

>Choose to resist. Even though you may be a scholar, you are not a small persimmon to be pinched!

>Comply and follow the guards peacefully.

>Run away to (write in).

>write in

>>4484730
>Comply and follow the guards peacefully.

>>4484730
>Comply and follow the guards peacefully.

>>4484730
>>Choose to resist. Even though you may be a scholar, you are not a small persimmon to be pinched!

>>4484730
>Comply and follow the guards peacefully.

>>4484730
>Comply and follow the guards peacefully.

"As the reed bends in the wind, I too shall bend before your demands, good fellows"

>>4484733
>>4484739
>>4485010
>>4485268

Majority has spoken! Will write one post before going to school then continue when I'm back.

>>4484730

If it was just one guard, you might have had some confidence in resisting or stalling for time to escape, but in front of you were two. As you’ve learnt in your travels, information is power.

“I’ll come with you.” You say looking indifferently at your two captors.

The guards grunt and tie your wrists at your back with a rope.

They start walking you through the footpath towards the direction of the village head’s manor. The sky was now a dark shade of blue, illuminated only by the stars and moon. However, there was not a soul to be seen wandering outside.

[How strange…]
Even though it was night time, there should still be villagers going about their business, to the tavern or for other “pursuits”.

[There’s something amiss here…]


--A few minutes later---


You arrive at the front of the manor and are promptly brought in by the two guards. There was a middle-aged man with long black hair who looked to be in his 40s standing on a large central staircase leading up to a second level. Beside this man was a younger looking man a little shorter, this person gave off an ominous aura which made you feel a sense of discomfort.

The taller man looked to his companion, “Is he the one?”

You feel like the man’s eyes were piercing you as they peered at you sharply.

“No… he’s too weak, but he may have a connection to the person we’re looking for...” The shorter man said with a sour expression.

The two men begin whispering to each other. Whatever the contents of their short conversation was, the older man seemed to be filled with fright.

An instant later, a loud “hong” noise seemed to come from outside the manor catching everyone’s attention.

“It seems that we’re too late… But, we might be able to turn this situation around.” The short man turns his sharp gaze at you once more.

You…

>Attempt to sneak out, whatever he’s thinking of, you’re not taking it.

>Do nothing and observe, from the contents of their conversation, you seem to be of value so they wouldn’t hurt you.

>Ask about what you’ve done and what in the world is happening.

>write in

>>4485381
>write in

"I implore you, masters, that I may be allowed to return to my contemplations, I am but a mere scholar in search of heavenly knowledge" Bow deeply to show your respect.

"If my ponderings and observations upon this material realm we dwell upon has disturbed the peace of this fine city of yours, I will take my leave, if I am allowed to"

>>4485381
>Ask about what you’ve done and what in the world is happening.

>>4485381
>Ask about what you’ve done and what in the world is happening.

>>4485395
>>4485559
>>4485622

Just got back from class, writing now.

>>4485788
(I'll be writing one last post later tonight after I've finished some work. How's the Quest so far? Is the pacing good? Any thoughts or questions you have on the story? Thank you guys for playing so far!)

----

You interject at, politely bowing. “I humbly ask two seniors what exactly I have done to draw your attention and to enlighten this junior on what’s happening. I am but a mere scholar in search of heavenly knowledge of the great Dao. If my ponderings and observations upon this material realm we dwell upon has disturbed the peace of this fine city of yours, I will take my leave, if I am allowed to.”
The shorter man smirks and the room is filled with a sinister laughter. “You? A mere mortal wishes to comprehend the heavenly Dao? Preposterous! And as for leaving, don’t even think about it. You’re coming with us!”

A grave sense of danger grips you as he rushes at you. Before the guards could even react, he appeared before you and struck a series of points on your back, your four limbs going limp shortly after.

Carrying you on his shoulders, you feel a strong find hit your face.

[Just how fast are we travelling?!?!]

In what feels like a few minutes, you arrive at the entrance of a cave at the foot of the mountain.

Inside, strange wisps of blue light float about and two figures can be seen, one of them being extremely familiar to you. The old man at the pond!

On the other side was another man wearing similar robes to the person carrying you, clearly they were related to the same organisation. He looked to be many decades older, but younger than the old man, his skin slightly wrinkled and his hair a dark shade of grey.

The man drops you back-first on the floor before you can speak, kneels down, and cups his fist. “Elder Cui (崔), I believe this person to have some relation to our adversary before us.”

A sly grin breaks out on this Elder Cui’s face. “Is that so? Good job, you will be rewarded generously when we rebuild our great sect!”

The old man turns to look at you, his eyes widen slightly, indicating to Elder Cui that his subordinate’s guess was likely correct. Turning away, he strokes his long well-trimmed beard, seemingly lost in thought.

At this sight, the proud sect master couldn’t help but feel annoyed. “Old man, give up, mere Core Formation Stage cultivator is no match for this Cui! And we’ve caught your junior over there. If you surrender now, I’ll let you both die a painless death, else don’t blame this master for being ruthless!”

The old man is unshaken at this performance, while you feel a sense of dread.

[Core-what cultivator? Cultivation? What on earth is going on???]

You…

>State that you have no connections to the old man

>Try to find something to undo your shackled hands.

>Tell the old man to run and not worry about you.

>write in

>>4485807

Apologies for the typo on the first line.

"You interject at this moment, ..."

>>4485807
>Tell the old man to run and not worry about you.

I think grandpa is capable of taking out these guys. If we behave we night become his student.

>>4485807
>Tell the old man to run and not worry about you.

>>4485807
>Tell the old man to run and not worry about you

A short life is no where near as valuable as a old one. A student may be lost, but a wise man is a treasure to world

>>4485807
Also, the quest is really fun, like the pace it seems nice and calm at the moment. And I do have one question.

Does our character have a name?

>>4485807
>Tell the old man to run and not worry about you.

>>4486223
>>4486225
>>4486248

We shall see ;) Writing now!

>>4486393
Glad you're enjoying the quest so far! Yes, our character indeed has a name which you guys will choose/suggest soon.

>>4486223
>>4486225
>>4486248
>>4486393
>>4486841

Quickly coming to your senses you look up at the old man. “Old man, do not worry about this junior! Please escape from here!”

Hearing this, the old man shuffled his gaze between you and his adversary, and grinned, letting out a laugh like the one you heard at the pond. “Truly a man of character, young one! But remember my words, though I may look frail and weak, I have plenty of time left!”

You feel the air around you become heavy as the whole mountain begins to shake. A faint white aura lined with streaks of gold begins to cover the old man, causing the expression of Elder Cui to go pale.

“I-...Initial Ascension Stage! Y-You were hiding your cultivation!?!?” Elder Cui trembled as he uttered those words.

Without so much as a warning, the old man’s figure flickered and reappeared before the terrified elder, and in some amount of time too small for you to perceive, slices off the elder’s head.

Both you and your captor gasp in shock, never would you have thought that the old man was such a terrifying existence but this shock was quickly overwhelmed by other emotions. By some stroke of luck and divine fortune, you might have seen something that ordinary mortals could only dream of. A real immortal cultivator!

Great excitement and fear rush through you as you stare at the old man in a daze, only to be brought back to your senses when the man beside you met the same fate as his master.

The old man examines you further with a slight sense of surprise. “Impressive, you’ve reached a high level of comprehension of the words I left you.”

He then cuts the ropes binding your hands and turns you on your back, placing both his palms on your chest. You feel pulsations emanating from where his hands were, followed by the feeling in your four limbs returning.

“Don’t worry, I just restored your movement, you’ll be fine. I am Luo Yang (罗阳), Elder of Divine Autumn Sect (皇春宗), who might you be?”

You get up and bow politely. “I am...

>Surname: Wen (文), Feng (风), Yu (于), (write in)
>Name, 1st character: Nan (南), Kai (恺), Ling (灵), (write in)
>Name, 2nd character (optional): (write in)

>>4486934
文山意 (Wen Shanyi)

>>4486955

Wow, quite fitting for the current situation our MC is in. If there are no objections to this name, I'll write the next post in a few hours.

>>4486955
I like it!

>>4486955
Noice

>>4486955
>>4487004
>>4487008

“...Wen Shan Yi (文山意)! This junior greets Elder Luo.” You say confidently, though on the inside, you were highly anxious.

“En, it must be fate that we’ve met here.” Elder Luo walks up to you once more, tilting his head slightly to meet you at eye level.

“You seem to have some aptitude for comprehending the heavenly Dao… It’d typically take a cultivator at least a day to reach your level of comprehension for the words I left you.” he says while stroking his beard.

You are shocked by Elder Luo’s words, did you truly unravel divine knowledge? That would certainly explain the strange sensation in your lower abdomen upon your understanding.

Just a single verse could bring about great benefits! So what about masters who’ve immersed themselves in their comprehension for decades? You cannot begin to imagine their profound strength and wisdom.

“Senior is too flattering, I am but a humble scholar wandering the mortal plane in search of heavenly knowledge, not worthy of receiving such praise from this great one.”

Elder Luo nodded. “En, a scholar your age seeking heavenly knowledge, not a common sight among the younger generation. Most people your age just want to seek out strength and disregard their understanding of natural Dao. It is unfortunate you weren’t born somewhere else, there is little knowledge to be gained here.”

You feel a little disheartened at the senior’s words. He was right. In your years of travel you’ve barely learnt anything of value, the only things in you picked up and put in your satchel being pages from a few old books and scrolls which you’ve read through numerous times.

It could be said the most valuable thing you’ve learnt thus far on your journey was from Elder Luo.

He sighs and looks at you with a serious expression “Though this old man cannot guarantee that you will find what you’re looking for, would you like to become a disciple of my Divine Autumn Sect?”

Your jaws drop as you hear this.

“But I must first warn you, if you come with me, the path ahead will truly be hard.”

You…

>Decline, the martial path is not for you.

>Stand there in shock, this is too much to take in at once.

>Eagerly accept, “Elder Luo does not have to worry about me, in my travels I have experienced countless setbacks and become well-acquainted with hardship.”

>write in

>>4487314
“ I am flattered by the elder’s esteem and offer. Might I ask a question, if the honored elder is willing, would he explain what he meant by hard? “

>>4487314
Supporting >>4487352

>>4487314
>Eagerly accept, “Elder Luo does not have to worry about me, in my travels I have experienced countless setbacks and become well-acquainted with hardship.”

>>4487352
This, we should definitely accept but it'd be out of character to immediately dive on it.

>>4487314
bow down silently

>>4487352
supporting

>>4487352
>>4487403
>>4487459
>>4487992

“I am flattered by senior’s esteem and offer. Might I ask a question, if this honored senior is willing, could he explain to this junior what he meant by hard?“ You ask with the utmost respect.

“It is like this. The lands of the great Xia Dynasty stretch far and wide, wider than you can imagine. You mortals reside on the outer fringes of the realm, known as the Mortal Plane, occupying only a few thousand kilometers of land. Those that you call ‘Immortals’ reside in the inner regions of the continent, which we call the Heavenly Domain. These two are separated by the Bewildering Mist which only cultivators can traverse.”

Elder Luo pauses and walks towards the entrance of the cave, signalling you to do the same.

You comply and he continues, gazing at the starry sky as he does so.

“Many cultivators within the Heavenly Domain treat it as a holy land which no mortal should ever cross. They believe that mortals do not have the right to cultivate the divine Dao. There will be people who get in your way, people who’ll want nothing more than to see you dead, solely due to your origins. I’m afraid if you come with me, you will bear the full brunt of this stigma. Knowing this, do you still wish to accept my offer?”

You ponder for a bit and…

>Agree, “Junior understands, the path ahead will truly be difficult, but I am no stranger to pain and hardship. I accept!”

>Ask more questions (write in; I will include multiple responses)

>write in

>>4488636
>Agree, “Junior understands, the path ahead will truly be difficult, but I am no stranger to pain and hardship. I accept!”

>>4488636
>Agree, “Junior understands, the path ahead will truly be difficult, but I am no stranger to pain and hardship. I accept!”
We can take on all obstacles if we believe in ourselves!

>>4488660
>>4488668

Writing now!

>>4488660
>>4488668
>>4488677

You stare at Elder Luo with determined eyes. “Junior understands, the path ahead will truly be difficult, but I am no stranger to pain and hardship. I accept!”

“Well said! This old one did not make a mistake in choosing you.” Elder Luo smiles and you step outside the cave with him. With a few hand-seals, a strange yellow cloud appears in front of you.

“This is the Sacred Golden Cloud, a transportation artifact. If you have any worldly affairs to attend to before we make our way back to the sect, I can bring you to sort them out now.”


>”I am an orphan with no strong ties to the Mortal Plane, we can leave now.”

>”My parents passed away a long time ago, I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off.”

>”I would like to return to my village of birth and see my friends and family before we set off.”

>write in

>>4488680
>”I am an orphan with no strong ties to the Mortal Plane, we can leave now.”
Gib Mystery Box backstory

>>4488680
>I am an orphan with no strong ties to the Mortal Plane, we can leave now.”

>>4488680
>”My parents passed away a long time ago, I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off.”

this is the proper filial response here.

>”My parents passed away a long time ago, I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off.”
filial piety is REALLY important in chinese culture if i remeber well, so it makes sense to choose this option.

>>4488680
>”My parents passed away a long time ago, I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off.”

>>4488680
>”My parents passed away a long time ago, I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off.”

>>4488680
>>”My parents passed away a long time ago, I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off.”

>>4488883
Filial piety is the most important Confucian duty. This quest is set in the half-mythical Xia-Dinasty, which makes it Pre-confucian, or pretty much pre-everything for that matter.
However it is said that the great sage-kings of the past possessed all the knowledge of later masters as innate wisdom.

>>4488745
>>4488883
>>4488884
>>4488934
>>4488946
>>4489023

Majority has spoken, writing now!

>>4489023
This is certainly an interesting point! Something I hadn't considered when choosing the setting, let's see what I cool stuff can work with now haha.

>>4488745
>>4488883
>>4488884
>>4488934
>>4488946
>>4489023
>>4489030

(This'll be a pretty long post and it's getting late, so I'll post the first part of it first. The second post will be up in a few hours. In the meantime, feel free to ask questions and clarify any doubts you have about the story so far!)

“My parents passed away a long time ago… I’d like to visit their graves once more before we set off...” You say solemnly.

Elder Luo takes out a yellowish-brown leather map and opens it in front of you. “I’m sorry for your loss, mark on this map where their graves are and we’ll arrive shortly. They are truly blessed to have such a filial son.”

On the map you see numerous clouds that seemed to move about on the leather, only to spread apart to reveal detailed paths and landmarks. The entire thousands of kilometers of the Mortal Plane was visible to you through this paper, made possible by principles beyond your comprehension. You scan across the parchment and point towards the patch of land occupied by your village.

Elder Luo nods. “We should arrive in about an hour's time, take a seat on the Sacred Golden Cloud and we’ll start moving.”

You hop onto the cloud. Despite its cotton like appearance, sitting on it was more akin to sitting on a firm couch.

“Elder Luo, will we actually only take an hour to arrive?” You ask sceptically. It had taken you a few years of travelling on foot to get to where you were, surely an hour wasn’t enough to traverse such a great distance.

The Elder smiles and once again lets out his familiar chuckle. “Perhaps.”

Following that, he begins levitating. At this point, was being able to fly such a huge surprise? Both of you set off in the direction of your village at inhuman speed. Along the way, you tell Elder Luo about your parents.

In truth, it was from your father that you developed your thirst for knowledge. He always told you stories of mythical immortals and their grand exploits, and always showing reverence for the Dao. Though no one else in your village ever believed his tales, he always had this strange look of longing in his eyes whenever he told them.

Your mother was the village tailor and made a small fortune weaving fine garments for the villagers. In fact, the clothes you’re wearing now were stitched by her.

Both of them passed away at around the same time.

After an hour, a familiar sight comes into view, accompanied by a wave of nostalgia. Both you and Elder Luo descend some distance away from the village, you didn’t want to alert the whole village in the middle of the night. Upon reaching the graves of both your parents, you kneel down and place your palms together in front of you.

“Father’s tales were true after all…” you whisper to yourself.

(1/2)

>>4489134
Wheres part 2 op, you're making me hungry.

>>4490063

It's coming, just had a long day today at school and last minute assignments, part 2 will be up soon.

>>4489134
>>4490063
>>4490148

--Hours Later--


The morning sun dyed the sky a deep shade of orange amongst the dark blues and purples. You hadn’t slept at all on your journey towards the Heavenly Domain.

A while ago, both you and Elder Luo passed the Bewildering Mist. Along the way, Elder Luo spoke to you about the affairs of the Heavenly Domain and cultivation.

The Heavenly Domain is dominated by four sects among a sea of other sects and forces, Divine Autumn Sect being one of them. The other three are Radiant Sword Temple (光剑庙), Beast Path Sect (兽道宗), and Blood Moon Hall (血月堂), each one possessing a rich heritage and a foundation stretching thousands of years into the distant past. Relations between these sects have always been one of neutrality, and they would occasionally cooperate when the involved parties stand to benefit. It is also an unspoken rule that elders of the sects also take a hands-off approach when dealing with minor disputes between disciples. As long as no one of importance, like a core disciple, was killed, they would not intervene in the affairs of the younger generation.

Moving on, you listen intently to Elder Luo’s insights into beginning your cultivation. The first two stages of one’s cultivation are the Body Tempering Realm and Qi Condensing Realm and each major realm is subdivided into four minor realms that one must break through before progressing to the next major realm. Offspring of cultivators are born with much stronger physiques than offspring of regular mortals. With this stronger physique, they are able to easily break through to the Qi Condensing Realm at a young age on their own, or in some cases even be born at the Qi Condensing Realm.

Beyond the Qi Condensing Realm was the Foundation Establishment Realm followed by the Core Formation Realm, Soul Transformation Realm, Initial Ascension Realm, and finally the Immortal Ascension Realm. Any person who could cultivate to the Initial Ascension Realm was considered a strong existence, likely to be the leader of a decently powerful force or an elder within some large sect, and any person who could reach the Immortal Ascension Realm was a heaven defying and earth shaking existence, standing at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Domain. It just so happens that Elder Luo was at the Initial Ascension Realm, so he was no minor character.

It has been centuries since any person in the Heavenly Domain needed to start cultivating from scratch. Though many sects have thrown away their ancient manuals for Body Tempering Cultivators, there were just as many that kept these old texts for posterity and to honour their ancestors. Fortunately, Divine Autumn Sect was one of the sects that kept their ancient training manuals.

(1.5/2)

>>4489134
>>4490063
>>4490148
>>4490246

Soon enough, you arrive at a magnificent mountain valley with buildings and paths built on the sides of the mountains and their peaks. This was nothing you’ve ever seen before, the sheer splendour and majesty of the architecture interwoven into the mountains was simply breathtaking. Lush ochre trees lined the countless peaks and foot of the mountains, painting the land a warm red.

“Welcome to Autumn's Rest, the headquarters of Divine Autumn Sect.” Elder Luo says as two cultivators rush towards the both of you.

Cupping their fists and bowing, one of them steps forward to speak. “Disciples greet Elder Luo! Welcome back to the sect and congratulations on eliminating that evil sect. The Sect Master has summoned you along with the other elders to his mountain peak.”

“Thank you for relaying the Sect Master’s words, I’ll make my way to see that old-fogy shortly. In the meantime, take this young man behind me to my residence and bring him the ancient body tempering manuals.”

It was only now that the two disciples acknowledged your presence, their eyes filled with shock and repulsion as they did so.

“Esteemed Elder, with all due respect, might I know who this person is?” The person who greeted Elder Luo said.

You…

>Stay silent

>Introduce yourself

>write in

(2/2)

>>4490249
>Introduce yourself

>>4490249
>Introduce yourself

>>4490249
>introduce yourself
Make sure to mark in your words that it was the elder that offered, rather than us begging.
Something among the lines of "I'm most honored to meet my seniors. My name is Wen Shan Yi and, before I met Elder Luo, I wandered the land seeking the truths of the world. The most honored elder offered me to join the sect, and I respectfully accepted."
Wording is not definitive, but I think the meaning is clear enough.

>>4490417
Supporting

Also I love the description of Autumn's Rest, when we get some time for leisure we should attempt to put its beauty to a painting or poem, and gift it to Elder Luo as a symbol of our eternal gratitude towards grandfather

>>4490249
I think staying silent for Elder Luo would be wiser for keeping face but we're a mortal with no experience at all. It is a very small slight and I doubt it will do anything but lower our initial reputation in the temple.

>>4490991
That sounds about right, but even if we went with the correct etiquette they would probably find something else to take issue with. Something something "coward hides behind the elder like a little kid to his mother's gowns".

>>4490262
>>4490272
>>4490417
>>4490866
>>4490991
>>4491226

Sorry for the late update, writing the latest post now. I'll be posting less frequently in the next few days due to upcoming exams.

>>4491285

Though you can tell that the two disciples are not too fond of your presence, you bow politely and introduce yourself. “I am Wen Shan Yi, a wandering scholar. Through a twist of fate, I met Elder Luo who offered me to join Divine Autumn Sect.”

The shock of the two disciples clearly deepened upon hearing this.

“It is as junior says. He is your new junior martial brother.” Elder Luo added.

“Naturally, us two disciples dare not doubt the Elder’s words. It is just that… It is just that his cultivation is close to non-existent! For a person of his age, he is no better than the mortals in the Mortal Plane! His aptitude must be extremely low, so how is it that he joined our supreme sect?!?!”

Elder Luo sighed, as if he knew that this was going to happen. “I have my own reasons, this is something I will also discuss with the Sect Master. You two disciples should tend to your new junior brother, I must get going.”

With that, Elder Luo’s figure vanished, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake that threw the leaves around you into the air.

“Hmph, I don’t know what you did to deceive Elder Luo, but a piece of trash like you has no place in Divine Autumn Sect! Wu Xiang (吴乡), you go take those manuals from the sect library, I’ll bring our junior here to Elder Luo’s residence.”

After the disciple named Wu Xiang separated from the both of you, the remaining disciple began walking towards one of the mountain peaks in the distance, refraining to acknowledge your existence every step of the way. You follow promptly. As annoying as this was, you know it was not your place to speak out about this.

(1/2)

>>4491538

Along the way, your presence catches the eyes of many cultivators. Some throw the same looks of disgust as the disciple leading you, while others show curious expressions, not knowing why a person of such low cultivation was currently in the headquarters of one of the four great sects of the world. Fortunately, all of them were aware of Elder Luo’s return and guessed that your arrival was probably related to the honoured elder, so no one dared to stir trouble.

An hour later, both of you arrive at the Elder’s residence on foot. The time of the journey alone was enough to tell you about the sheer scale of Autumn’s Rest. You scale the long staircase leading up to the peak and eventually reach the top.

The building in front of you was like a small palace, truly fit for an Elder of a great sect. The jade white porcelain walls and ochre tiled roof made it fit into the atmosphere of the mountain.

For the first time since the past hour, the disciple turns to look at you. “If not for the Elder’s orders, father here would have already reduced you to ash! Brother Wu Xiang should have arrived here before us. Be sure to study the texts well, not that you’d understand it in your lifetime.”

Like Elder Luo earlier, the disciple’s figure disappeared, leaving you alone on this grand mountain peak.

[Simply outrageous!]

You enter the building. The interior was no less inferior to what you saw outside. The walls were decorated with grand paintings and works of calligraphy and various ornate furniture was elegantly placed around the floor. At the centre of the room was a small table with four tomes on it. They are the…

-Four Seasons Tempering Art (四季淬诀)

-Iron Dragon Tempering Art (铁笼淬诀)

-Unyielding Mountain Body (刚山体)

-Blazing Sun Tempering Art (火阳淬诀)

[These must be the Body Tempering Training Manuals]

You...

>Skim through all the books.

>Choose one book and begin reading in depth.

>Wait for Elder Luo to return and work on finishing comprehending the words Elder Luo left you at the pond.

>write in.

(2/2)

>>4491539
>Wait for Elder Luo to return and work on finishing comprehending the words Elder Luo left you at the pond.

>Wait for Elder Luo to return and work on finishing comprehending the words Elder Luo left you at the pond.

>>4491539
>wait and meditate on the words
We need to get our head out of the mindset the other disciples are forcing us in. Ruminating on knowledge we already metabolized is not going to give us a particular push, but it can prevent us from making mistakes or social slips.

Perhaps we could try to put our last experiences in perspective with the metaphor of the pond? On how in order to see the bottom of a cloudy pond sometimes a ripple must be made, but on the other hand water too shaken is as murky as mud: finding your own center is fundamental to have a clear vision.

>>4492106
Supporting

>>4492106
This

Also just asking my fellow anons something, what do you imagine our boy Wen Shan Yi to look like?

>>4491539
>>4492106
This

>>4492344
I've been picturing him as a wiry teenager with a shaved head, a short beard, and almost leathery skin from his time on the road. A cultivator could immediately look at him and tell he's low-class but he doesn't care. He knows that enlightenment in the Dao is more important than any other pursuit or person, though he gives his respects for honored elders and knows his place as a humbled junior who knows nothing except how little he does know.

>>4492523
Ooh I like that, its a welcome change from the usual Xianxia/ cultivator protag with flawless jade skin and long flowing black hair. I'm gonna imagine that until we get an official description if we do

>>4491539
>Wait for Elder Luo to return and work on finishing comprehending the words Elder Luo left you at the pond.

>>4492535
I think since he's a wandering scholar he probably wouldn't care for appearances and spent of the time under the sun without any Xianxia cultivation preventing sun damage.

>>4492552
That's why I like it, it makes sense, and makes him a clear outsider among the other cultivators.

I also wonder what demeaning titles our seniors in the divine autumn sect will lay upon our heads. really excited we're getting into cultivation society and stuff now

>>4492106
this

by the way, what's the difference between wuxia and xianxia? I'm kind of new to this

File: Wuxia rules.jpg (2.5 MB, 1400x4914)

2.5 MB JPG

>>4492599
Wuxia means martial heroes, and while it can include fantastical Elements like gu, demons, spirits, qi powers and magical swords and such, it is more grounded and more often has to do with martial artists having adventures, righting wrongs and being heroic, thought its an expansive genre
think of it like action movies or low level fantasy

Xianxia is chinese fantasy more or less, but also includes martial arts, but it has a more heavy fantastical element, more often includes magic and folklore and gods, immortals, demons, devils, ghosts, monsters, magical treasures, immortal items, medicinal pills, and the like.
its a younger genre than wuxia (which records date back to over 2 thousand years) first showing up in the 30s
cultivation is a sub genre which has become more or less the primary form of Xianxia, think of it like isekai in light novels, and sometimes its isekai.


TLDR: Wuxia is Witcher/ game of thrones, Xianxia is elder scrolls/ Warhammer.

or just look at this helpful picture that describes it in better detail than I ever could

>>4492621
thanks a lot

>>4491640
>>4491981
>>4492106
>>4492184
>>4492338
>>4492402
>>4492548

The majority has once again spoken, big brain time. Writing now!

>>4492344
>>4492523

I'll provide a detailed description of our boi when the opportunity presents itself (I already have some ideas for this), but you guy's idea of what he looks like isn't that far off the mark.

----

Lastly I'd like to say thank you to all of you who've been playing so far. I never thought this quest would pick up so much traction!

>>4492674
its unique, fun, and you're doing cultivation in a way that isn't the usual power wank guy comes in and stomps all the young masters and grandfathers showing them to be but frogs in a well.

and Instead of saying the MC is wise and respectful when he acts like an asshole, Wen is actually as wise and respectful as he's supposed to be. Which is refreshing in cultivation, having an MC who doesn't come in, woo everyone and know everything instantly or damn near, or be so prideful they kill anyone who disrespects them.

Wen is instead a humble scholar of the dao, respectful and quite wise and understanding. And that's why I am having a blast!

Great work Fate

>>4492674
In the words of the great masters before: "It's good shit"

>>4492678
>>4492733

Thanks guys!

>>4492674

On each of these ancient tomes was a fine layer of grime. You brush your hands across the leather covers of each book, gathering the dust on your fingertips before promptly rubbing it off.

[Since I’m gonna be immersed in these books, might as well clean them up first.]

You pick up each manual gently and dust off all the centuries of collected dirt, dust, and grime, not daring to damage any of part of the covers and bindings, remaining focused as you complete the task. This mundane task also had the nice effect of taking your mind off what transpired earlier.

Afterwards, you place them back on the table neatly and decide to wait for Elder Luo’s return to consult him on these esoteric texts. It wouldn’t be good to rush into your cultivation, lest you run into some unforeseen problem and damage your foundation. From Elder Luo’s insights so far, you knew the importance of a cultivator’s foundation. It was the basis for their future achievements and from it, you could tell the effectiveness of one’s training methods.

Seeing as you had time, you sit in front of a window which pointed to the west. It was now early in the evening and the sky was lined with streaks of faint orange as the Sun continued its westward journey. Rays of light illuminated the mountain paths and countless peaks, blocked only by clouds which ebbed and flowed according to the wind’s command.

You remember back in the cave Elder Luo mentioned that you managed to obtain a high level of comprehension of the words he uttered back at the pond. However, a high level of comprehension did not mean full understanding, there was likely still something left to learn. Acknowledging this, you close your eyes and begin to meditate.

You visualise the scene and whisper the words to yourself.

“One can view the individual stones, or the individual elements of the pond just as one can view all the stones at once, like viewing the elements of the pond as a single whole. It is both and neither at the same time, such is the nature of all.”

But just ruminating on metabolised knowledge would not lead anywhere, where else could you draw knowledge from?

This wasn’t immediately clear to you…

>>4492924

An unknown amount of time passes, maybe a few minutes, maybe a few hours, but you know you’ve been wracking your brain for a while.

You take a deep breath, trying to suppress your hunger and thirst, and then... It hits you.

The parts and the whole are arbitrary constructs!

Everything was a part of some whole, like how the disciples here are part of the sect, but the sect is also just a part of another whole, the Heavenly Domain. The duality of parts and wholes extend infinitely in both directions, ultimately making it arbitrary and yet, it is both meaningless and profoundly meaningful.

From this, you understand that a cultivator’s strength is not just a whole that comprises his secret arts, talent, or artifacts. A cultivator’s strength is also not just another part of himself. A cultivator’s strength is boundless! Bounded only by the constraints one had yet to break and could extend far beyond one’s self.

A soothing warmth flowed from your lower abdomen, exactly like what happened previously, only this time it was much more intense. You feel it envelope your entire body, washing away the hunger and thirst that just a moment ago plagued you. As you open your eyes you see that around you was a faint golden glow that seemed to radiate like a flame.

The sound of a pair of hands clapping suddenly rang out from behind, startling you. You turn around to see Elder Luo with another old man. This old man looked a little more aged than Elder Luo, his skin slightly wrinkled and his hair a graceful shade of grey.

“Simply impressive young one, Elder Luo’s vision was indeed profound when he offered you to join my Divine Autumn Sect.” This new elder said calmly.

“Of course, much better than yours ever was.” Elder Luo replied before letting out his signature laugh, the other elder laughing along.

“Elder Luo, please save me some face in front of the junior.”

The scene in front was like that of two good friends having some friendly banter which made you feel at ease.

You cup your fists and bow…

>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>”Junior seeks forgiveness for his lack of manners. How can this Wen help honoured elders?”

>write in

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”
The difference in tone is subtle, but I think this is the better response.

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>>4492927
>“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

>>4493005
>>4493050
>>4493060
>>4493123
>>4493433
>>4493651
>>4494030

Just got back from school, writing now!

>>4494066

“Junior was meditating and has been negligent in his manners. This Wen greets honoured elders.”

The two elders seem pleased with your response, the older one gesturing with his hand. "A minor matter."

Elder Luo responds in turn. "En, don't think too much of it. Shan Yi, I'd like you to meet our Sect Master, Liu Wu Rong (刘武荣)."

Your expression changes dramatically to one of surprise upon hearing this. It was the Sect Master of Divine Autumn Sect! Sure to be a peak existence in the Heavenly Domain. Usually the Sect Master would be dealing with the affairs of the sect or be in secluded retreat for long periods at a time, so disciples would rarely be able to see him, or so you've heard from Elder Luo. But now you were the one being visited by the Sect Master. This was indeed a great honour.

However, what surprised you even more was that Sect Master Liu showed no hostility toward you. He must have surely learnt of your origins from Elder Luo during their way here. Was it the scene you displayed just now? Perhaps Elder Luo put in a good word for you. Whatever the case, you don't dare ask.

"So it is Sect Master Liu. Though this Wen has only been in the Heavenly Domain for a short time, I've heard of your great strength. Junior is honoured by your presence!"

Sect Master Liu smiles and looks to be pleased by your response. "Junior Wen is too formal, this Liu has come to inform you that tomorrow you will begin your training as an outer disciple of the sect”

Your heart begins to race with excitement but you keep your composure in front of the two elders.

Elder Luo walks over to the table with the ancient manuals. “Disciple Wen, have you decided on a Body Tempering secret art?”.

The change in address from junior to disciple felt a bit weird at first, but you’ll get used to it.

“This Liu is also curious as to what you’ve chosen. It has been centuries if not millennia since a cultivator has started at the Body Tempering Realm. Even this old one has never seen someone cultivate a Body Tempering secret art.”

“Unfortunately, this disciple has not. I wanted to consult with Elder Luo about this before choosing. One must not be rash when building the foundation of his strength.”

Elder Luo nods. “En, disciple is wise in doing so. Since that is the case, perhaps Sect Master Liu and I can provide some assistance. Though none of us have ever cultivated any of these secret arts, we are no strangers to these ancient texts."

>”Disciple doesn’t dare. If possible, I would like to read through them and see which secret art is suitable by myself.”

>”Since Elder Luo and Sect Master Liu have offered, it would be rude to decline.”

>write in

>>4495271
>”Since Elder Luo and Sect Master Liu have offered, it would be rude to decline.”

>>4495271
>”Since Elder Luo and Sect Master Liu have offered, it would be rude to decline.”

>>4495271
>”Since Elder Luo and Sect Master Liu have offered, it would be rude to decline.”

>>4495271
>”Since Elder Luo and Sect Master Liu have offered, it would be rude to decline.”

Also, Luo and Liu are bros and wise grandfathers.

>>4495271
No reason to decline really.
Also did something happen? Did school kill you for one full day?

>>4495386

Yes indeed... Also, I was thinking about how to execute the next series of events so there were a few revisions made to the latest post.

>>4495277
>>4495297
>>4495300
>>4495303
>>4495386

Let's see what insights can be learned this time. Writing now!

“Since Elder Luo and Sect Master Liu have offered, it would be rude to decline.”

The two elders sat down around the table and motioned for you to do so as well. Not daring to delay, you take your seat and the elders begin their descriptions of each of the secret arts in the four manuals. By the end of their hour long lecture, you are left amazed. Each of these secret arts could temper one’s physique to a point where they could crush boulders with a single strike, jump multiple meters in the air, and move as fast as the wind.

Elder Luo gets up first. “Us two old ones must get going now. Tomorrow I’ll bring you to your training grounds- Oh and before I forget...” He stretches out his arm and in the next instant, a black case materialised on the table, something you definitely weren’t expecting.

“Inside are the robes of Divine Autumn Sect, along with some pills to restore your energy.” Elder Luo then picks up a small leather bracer from the box. There was a piece of white jade embedded in the bracer, giving it a refined look. “These are what we use to distinguish between ranks in the sect. The colour of the jade will tell you of one’s standing. White means that the jade has not been bound to someone, yellow for outer disciples, ochre for core disciples, red for the elders, and a multi-coloured one for the Sect Master.”

You take a glance at the bracers on the two elders’ right hands. Indeed, the jade on Elder Luo’s bracer was a deep red and the Sect Masters’ was a vibrant mix of orange, red, and gold.

“Disciple Wen graciously accepts two elders’ generous gifts. I will be sure to train hard and bring honour to the sect!”

Sect Master Liu responds with the same enthusiasm. “Good! We old fogies look forward to your training.”

Both Elders now walk out of the residence and leave you to rest. This was certainly the most eventful day of your life since your conception. Now you needed to pick one of the four manuals then go to sleep. Even though you felt refreshed from the strange warmth earlier, it would be good to get some rest before tomorrow.

(1/2)

>>4496390

You recall the elders’ descriptions.

Four Seasons Tempering Art (四季淬诀) - A secret art inspired by the four seasons. The four stages of the Body Tempering Stage correspond to each season. Spring corresponds to the first stage, summer the second, autumn the third, and the fourth stage corresponds to winter. One must find suitable environments for each stage and utilise the natural forces to temper their body. After cultivating it, one’s physique can change like the seasons, and one’s strikes carry the force of nature itself.

Iron Dragon Tempering Art (铁笼淬诀) - A secret art based on mythical metal attribute True Dragons. This technique emphasises strengthening one’s body to be as hard as steel, one’s strikes to be as fast as lightning, and have the sharpness of a thousand blades. Cultivating this is somewhat unique as it requires large amounts of weapons and/or metal attribute artifacts to be used in the tempering process.

Unyielding Mountain Body (刚山体) - A secret art that tempers one’s body to be like that of a mountain, unmoving. One’s strikes will carry the weight of the earth and mountains after cultivating this technique. Involves the use of hard stone to put extreme physical stress on one’s physique. For example, repeatedly striking the walls of a hard mountain. The harder the stone, the greater the benefits, but one must be careful not to cause irreversible damage to themselves.

Blazing Sun Tempering Art (火阳淬诀) - A secret art that tempers one’s body with intense heat. Just like using heat to mold metal, one uses heat to mold themselves, constantly strengthening their body. Hotter cultivating environments will naturally result in quicker and better results, but only if one’s physique can withstand it. After cultivating this secret art, one’s strikes become imbued with the sun’s heat, and their bodies are able to withstand the hottest flames.

You choose the…

>Four Seasons Tempering Art

>Iron Dragon Tempering Art

>Unyielding Mountain Body

>Blazing Sun Tempering Art

>write in

(2/2)

>>4496392
>Four Seasons Tempering Art

This one honestly fits the most for our scholarly character.

>>4496392
>Four Seasons Tempering Art

>>4496392
>Four Seasons Tempering Art (四季淬诀)

This one sounds the most coolest/ uniquest to me, And it matches what little study we already have upon the heavenly dao, as we have gained our slightest progress by observing nature, and by nature we are a scholar, and this art would give us reason to experience more of this new world we have been trust in, and become one with it in not only body, but spirit and mind as well.

It would also be folly to abandon the wisdom granted to us by Great Elder Luo at our fateful first meeting. The world may be view as a whole or in its portions, no matter how great or small, studying this art would allow us to more deeply meditate on those most wise of words.


Also Fate, you really write Xianxia well, gets me really engrossed into the story of this quest and Wen Shan yi

>>4496392
>Four Seasons Tempering Art (四季淬诀)
There are a myriad changes in a day, and hundreds of days across the seasons. Only by comprehending the world around us and its ever changing state, by understanding the changes that man goes through will we be able to nurture a dao heart as refreshing as the spring rain, as warming as the summer sun, as serene as the autumn breeze and as tenacious as the winter's storms.

Good stuff fellow daoists, I had planned to tell the story of an unknown dao lord these days, but instead will remain in this thread since my interest has been piqued.

>>4496392
While the vote is probably already decided by now in favor of Four Seasons (and that's fine by me) I wanted to make an argument in favor of
>Iron Dragon.

I will start by stating that, yes Four Seasons would grant us more of an insight onto the natural world and its aspects ever-changing; yes, it would allow us to see more of the world while keeping ourselves distant from turmoil of the sect; and yes, the costs of Iron Dragon are way too high for a mere Outer Disciple to shoulder without over-reaching his position.
>However
I believe that, while cultivation is mostly a solitary affair, leaving the custody of the sect so soon to seek a most appropriate land would be unwise. Choosing a different art and staying would be a good opportunity to show ourselves as hard working and build face and connections.
Of the remaining three arts I believe Unyielding Mountain to be a bad fit, for becoming solid and stubborn as rock would be a ill fit for the ever wandering mind of a scholar. Moreover there's an inherent danger in overstressing that, non relevant while under supervision, would pop up while solitary training (expecially considering Wen does not have a martial arts background, and likely does not well his limits). This is doubly relevant in case of leaving for a mountain retreat for harder rock.
A similar argument could be made for Blazing Sun, which would eventually see our days either locked in the forge of the sect or seeking a desertic retreat.
This brings us to Iron Dragon, which could not only be cultivated amidst the sect, but has the least inherent danger of a botched foundation after Four Seasons. The costs are clear: it requires affinity to the Metal element and large wealth, both things we haven't shown yet. But I believe our peculiar position allows us more leeway than we would normally have: after all Body Tempering hasn't been practiced in centuries, so this interests all members of the sect as a learning experience. Naturally, should we hit a wall or sabotage, our reputation would likely become one of over ambitious mortals who thought they could steal resources from the sect and to bar that we would need to socialize HARD before. Still I think that's worth trying, if nothing else for the unique occasion and for the inherent symbolic tie that swords have with the Dao. Not to mention I think it's the coolest.

>>4496702
>my IP changed again
Goddammit, I'm >>4495386. Not that it particularly matters.

>>4496398
>>4496405
>>4496414
>>4496474
>>4496702

Reading you guys' thoughts and opinions on the story always shows me new and interesting perspectives (which is why I like /qst/ threads). Since this is an important vote that'll have a huge impact on the story going forward, I'll let the vote run longer than usual this time and for subsequent important votes.

To comment on >>4496702 , though we may have to leave the sect for a suitable cultivation environment, that may not be the case for all four stages of the Body Tempering Realm.

>>4496392
>Four Seasons Tempering Art
This one seems the most versatile to me except maybe Iron dragon tempering art and while I see >>4496702 I don't see our character as the type to use the sect's resources like that or deny himself the chance to see more of this world we're a wandering scholar after all.

>>4496758
>*while I see >>4496702's point*

>Four Seasons Tempering Art

>Four Seasons Tempering Art

>>4496723
>>4496758
Fair points!
(Four Seasons Tempering Art was actually my second choice anyway and, well, it does make more sense in character)

>>4496392
>Four Seasons Tempering Art
Hmm but i see there's a write in option if that's not a mistake perhaps could we take more than one? Like along with 4 seasons can we take blazing sun or Iron dragon aswell?
If so i would also like
>Blazing sun
If not just stick with 4 seasons

>>4496392
What if the write in is there so we can choose to take none & come up with our own tempering art?
Question once we do take one of the tempering arts we can't switch/ get rid of it correct?

>>4497619
>>4497620

Fate on phone here (if my ID changes), yes, you may choose more to take more than one secret art but doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be cultivating all the secret arts you take. As for creating your own secret art from scratch, that's a bit impossible at this stage.

Furthermore, cultivating a few secret arts is quite common, but not at the first few cultivation realms since cultivators have yet to even master their first secret art. Trying to master too many secret arts at once could lead to a weak foundation if done wrong and some secret arts conflict with each other and cannot be cultivated together.

>>4497692
I think it would be best to focus on Four season tempering art alone for now, as Wen said, One must not be rash when building the foundation of his strength.

Iron and steel can endure all seasons, this is true, but to truly understand Iron's strength, we must first endure the passing heat and cold, the rain and wind as it can. Only after we truly become one with the cycle of the seasons and the passage of time, and have mastered the art of all four seasons, can we think to learn of iron.

To try to study and meditate on both now would be the gravest folly, and most prideful. We must show our brothers in the sect our wisdom and usefulness to them, if we are to flourish among them.

As the seed planted in winter blooms into spring, so to shall we find our place in Autumn's rest

>>4496398
>>4496405
>>4496414
>>4496474
>>4496758
>>4496907
>>4496911
>>4497337
>>4497619
>>4497699

Time to begin our first day of cultivating the Four Seasons Tempering Art. Writing now!

>>4498098

The Four Seasons Tempering Art seemed to resonate the most with you. Just like the seasons, one will change with time. As a scholar, you were very familiar with this. When journeying, your surroundings change, the people around you change, the world changes, and with each piece of insight gained, you yourself change. On the knowledge-seeking path, one will inevitably weather ten thousand changes and more.

You lean against a wall beside a window and close your eyes. Tomorrow would be another long day.


--The next morning---


You awake to the sound of birds chirping, a sign that it was morning and time to get up. With a loud yawn, you walk towards the table and open the black case. The items were as Elder Luo left them the night before. Within were a set of elegant red robes and a fine jade embedded bracer which you donned with pride. Upon tightening the bracer to your right wrist, you feel a strange energy flowing through your arms into the piece of white jade which turned yellow in the next instant, signifying that you were officially an outer disciple of Divine Autumn Sect.

There were just the two bottles of pills left in the case which you promptly packed into your satchel together with the clothes you were initially wearing and the manual for the Four Seasons Tempering Art. Those clothes were hand-made by your late mother, so of course you weren’t going to dispose of them.

“Those robes fit you.” A familiar voice sounded from the entrance of the room, it was Elder Luo.

You turn to bow and greet him, “Disciple greets Elder Luo.”

“Have you chosen a secret art?” Elder Luo asks curiously.

“I’ve chosen the Four Seasons Tempering Art.” You say confidently.

“A fine choice. Come, let us depart to your training grounds.”

You follow Elder Luo out of his residence and sit atop the Sacred Golden Cloud. Two streaks of light subsequently flew out of the mountain peak, drawing the attention of disciples nearby.

(1/2)

>>4498241

In a few minutes, you arrive at the foot of a lone mountain. To the east was a lush forest filled with the autumnal trees of Autumn’s Rest. Though the journey was short, you estimate that the distance travelled was at least a few kilometers.

“This is Lone Star Peak, a mostly isolated part of the sect. Disciples rarely come here so there shouldn’t be anyone coming to bother you often.” Elder Luo sighs. “If circumstances were different, this old one would have liked for you to train with the other disciples, but given the current situation, that would be unwise.”

Knowing that training with the other disciples would only bring disaster upon yourself, you nod. “It’s not a problem, disciple thanks Elder Luo for his consideration!”

“Very well! Train hard, I will come check up on your progress occasionally or send someone in my stead to do so. In a few years, you should have no trouble breaking through to the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.”

As you say your goodbyes, Elder Luo’s figure vanishes. A faint sadness lingers in your heart knowing that you won’t see the elder for a few months, but alas, you must press on.

The first thing you need to do is to find a suitable location to mark as a temporary home for when you need to rest, study the ancient text.

After taking a few hours to scour the area surrounding the foot of the mountain, you find a small cave.

You…

>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.

>Proceed to explore the forest.

>write in

>>4498243
>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.

>>4498243
>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.
Cautiously, of course

>>4498243
Time for a Cave Story

>>4498243
>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.

>>4498243
>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.

>>4498243
>>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.

>>4498243
>Explore the cave, perhaps it may serve as a suitable home.
So now that we are in the heavenly domain are the monsters or magical beast we should be careful of
Are there ways to help with cultivation? Like a magical stone or ingredients from plants & if there are beast to make to make into a pill or something?

>>4499075
I feel that roaming around the forest is an incredibly dangerous proposition but Elder Luo wouldn't have dropped us here if he knew it was full of roaming monsters that could extinguish our potential like a candle in the wind before our cultivation truly began. The cave is risky but so is cultivation, and we never would've become a scholar and gotten here if we were afraid to leave our comfort zone and face the unknown.

>>4498247
>>4498254
>>4498615
>>4498678
>>4498684
>>4498838
>>4499075
>>4499078

Let's see how homely this cave is... Writing now!

>>4499623

You peer into the cave and within it was a naturally formed staircase leading into a decently sized space. Taking a few steps in, you feel the cool dry air brush against your skin. The interior wasn’t bad, and even though the cave could be considered somewhat isolated from the outside world, the entrance was large enough for the sun’s rays to illuminate parts of the space.

With a little bit of work, this cave could become quite the comfortable living space!

However, that could come later. You examine the cave further, making sure not to miss anything before clearing out the space in the center. There didn’t seem to be anything of note, so you...

>Take out the Four Seasons Tempering Art manual and begin studying it.

>Take a short break then explore the forest.

>write in

>>4499916
>Take a short break then explore the forest.

>>4499916
>Take out the Four Seasons Tempering Art manual and begin studying it.

>>4499916
>Take out the Four Seasons Tempering Art manual and begin studying it.

Let's give it a read while taking a break then explore the forest.

Don't go too far off the cave.

I suggest we use the cave for rest purposes only and instead look for a good vantage point on the forest like a large tree that can be climbed onto, or a place higher up in the mountain.

Being in the forest will have us closer to nature and make studying the minute changes in small scale easier, while a vantage point in the mountain can give us a better feel of the large scale changes.

>>4499916
>meditate in the cave, try to feel it's essence and attune our spirit with it.

>>4499977
Supporting

>>4499916
>>4499977
this

>>4499977
This

>>4499977
Support

>>4500038
+1

>>4499975
>>4499977
>>4500038
>>4500047
>>4500057
>>4500145
>>4500286
>>4500418

No school today, so I'll try to write more. Writing now!

>>4500588

You sit down at the space you just cleared and take out the Four Seasons Tempering Art. It might take months or years to finish unravelling all the insights within this ancient tome, but you every journey begins with a single step.

The first section, detailing the process of entering the first stage of the Body Tempering Realm, was titled “Spring”. Spring was the successor of Winter, a period of rebirth where the flowers once again bloom, sprouting from the deathly winter cold.

To begin cultivating this secret art, one needed to induce their own rebirth through strengthening their flesh while witnessing the myriad changes of their own body.

After giving the first few pages a detailed read, there was a set of illustrations detailing a single movement technique; the Ever-changing Step, one of the Eight Paths of Rebirth (九道之生), a collection of nine movements specially made to improve one’s physique.

The movements described were elegant beyond words, consisting of many fluid components beautifully drawn on the paper. They were gentle yet fast and decisive, formless yet strictly adhering to profound principles. It was like the spring breeze, unfettered yet bound by the laws of the natural Dao. By mastering these movements, one could break through to the first stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

>Continue to cultivate and attempt the first movements of the Ever-changing Step. Only by carrying out these motions could you decipher their deeper meanings.

>Explore the forest.

>write in

>>4500632
>Continue to cultivate and attempt the first movements of the Ever-changing Step. Only by carrying out these motions could you decipher their deeper meanings.

>>4500632
>Continue to cultivate and attempt the first movements of the Ever-changing Step. Only by carrying out these motions could you decipher their deeper meanings.

>>4500632
>Continue to cultivate and attempt the first movements of the Ever-changing Step. Only by carrying out these motions could you decipher their deeper meanings.

Do we happen to have a notebook or somewhere to write down our insights for future review?

>>4500738
If not we could carve the caves walls, it is also form of work out

Also supporting

>>4500632
>Continue to cultivate and attempt the first movements of the Ever-changing Step. Only by carrying out these motions could you decipher their deeper meanings.

>>4500632
>eight paths of rebirth
>nine movements
Oh, come on.

(you might want to consider some form of time skip once we get in the cultivation proper)

>>4500848

Ah crap, I forgot to change that out, my bad my bad. Yes there'll be a timeskip.

>>4500738

Yes, but we haven't had the chance to use it yet since we've been running around a whole lot.

>>4500638
>>4500687
>>4500738
>>4500834
>>4500838

Writing now!

>>4500848
Clearly mastering the double-jump takes some finesse

>>4501018
So it would seems. Well, at least once we unlock flight (either unaided or some form of artifact surfing) we won't have to put up with such finicky techniques anymore.

>>4500638
>>4500687
>>4500738
>>4500834
>>4500838
>>4500852

Only by carrying out these motions could you decipher their deeper meanings. One could only learn so much from analyzing centuries old drawings, even if they were created by a peerless genius.

The winding footwork along with the various stances felt awkward to carry out. This was understandable given that you didn’t have any sort of martial arts background. But with practice, anything could be achieved, it was only a matter of time.


--Four months later--


You spent most of your days in the cave, only going out to scour for sustenance, mainly berries from bushes on the outskirts of the forest. As a traveler, foraging for food was an essential skill you picked up early on your journey, so you didn’t have difficulty distinguishing the edible from the inedible.

Diligently cultivating the Ever-changing Step over the past few months has yielded noticeable results. The once awkward and difficult movements now felt more natural.

After countless repetitions, you no longer thought about each individual motion and the subsequent movements, it had all been ingrained into muscle memory and was now primarily led by intuition.

However, you begin to notice minute differences in each execution of the technique. The movements were still distinctly those of the Ever-changing Step, but every repetition came with slightly varied alterations.

This was a good sign. These variations could only come about once one reached a certain level of proficiency and studying them was crucial to the initial stages of the Eight Paths of Rebirth.

Moreover, through the constant cycle of practice and rest, you could feel your flesh becoming more resilient, coupled with a vigorous surge in vitality. The more you practiced the Ever-changing Step, the greater these effects were felt.

Good progress was being made, but there was still a long way to go before you could break through to the first stage of the Body Tempering Realm.

Right now, you were at a bottleneck in your cultivation.

You…

>Observe the variations of the Ever-changing Step and attempt to push through the bottleneck.

>Take a step back to consolidate what you’ve learnt so far.

>Take a break and explore the forest.

>Write in

>>4501141
>Take a step back to consolidate what you’ve learnt so far.

>>4501141
>Take a step back to consolidate what you’ve learnt so far.

>>4501141
>Take a step back to consolidate what you’ve learnt so far.
Maybe a walk will help?

>>4501141
>Take a break and explore the forest.

>>4501141

>Take a break and explore the forest.

>>4501141
>Take a break and explore the forest
Kowtow before your grandaddy, then maybe next time I won't tie your vote! I'm joking, I just want to see this forest.

>>4501141
>>Take a break and explore the forest.

>>4501141
>Take a break and explore the forest
If we wish to come closer to nature, we must experience it firsthand.

>>4501141
>Explore the forest

To study the wind and how it affects the whole of the forest, to see if we can apply that to the ever changing step

>>4501823
>>4501503
>>4501374
>>4501369
>>4501333
>>4501195

Into the forest we shall go. Writing now!

>>4501857

Even a peerless expert, greatest under heaven, would experience bottlenecks, what more a mere mortal just beginning his cultivation? Bottlenecks usually occurred due to a deficiency in strength or an understanding of one’s strength or both. In your case, it was likely to be the latter.

Rushing your progress with no respite would also not be wise, so you decide to take a break and venture into the forest to the east. Perhaps you could find some inspiration there. With your newfound skills, you had some confidence that you could escape should trouble arise.

The forest soil was covered in falling autumn leaves, colouring the ground a warm yellow. You’ve explored the periphery of the forest to scavenge for food so you were quite familiar with this. Venturing further in, you make sure to mark the trees so that you can find your way back. Just by taking a quick glance, you could identify some of the plants and herbs growing but also many others which you could not identify.

A portion of these unidentified flora grew in clusters, while the others grew as single plants, but all of them had something in common. They all gave off strange auras that relaxed your mind when you approached them.

[Spirit herbs!]

You’ve heard about such things from your father. His tales of Immortals sometimes involved epic quests to find magical herbs to turn into legendary elixirs or pills. This discovery greatly excited you. However, your excitement was short-lived as you remembered that you had no knowledge on how to properly extract and use these spirit herbs.

Sighing, you walk on ahead to see what else this forest had to offer, when suddenly you hear the rustling of bushes nearby. You immediately crouch down, not knowing what was the source of this disturbance. Slowly, you move closer to the noise until you stumble onto a small meadow.

Kneeling at the centre was a lone young man clad in the robes of Divine Autumn Sect who appeared to be extracting an herb. He looked to be not much older than you and had long black hair which was tied into a neat bun. On his wrist was a bracer similar to the one you were wearing, the only difference being the jade embedded on it. His was of a vibrant green colour! Maybe he occupied some kind of special position in the sect.

Behind this man though was something that greatly startled you. A creature that looked like a wild boar was lying in wait behind some trees, staring intently at the man in front of you. It looked to be fiercer than any boar you’ve ever seen before, with large tusks and sharp red eyes. It was clear that the boar was going to charge at any moment.

The young man was completely oblivious to this, too engrossed in his current task.

You…

>Lie in wait and observe

>Quickly inform the young man.

>Rush at the boar and attempt to scare it off.

>Leave the forest, there were likely to be other beasts lurking about.

>write in

>>4502623
>Use ever changing step to have the man's back & warn him,
I feel like if we warn while we have some distance from the man the boar might change target since it may see us as a weaker/easier target

>>4502623
Supporting >>4502676 , although I think using a daoist technique might make him react towards us in an undesirable way.

I suggest making ourselves known to the boar and walking towards our fellow sect member.

>>4502623
>Quickly inform the young man.

>>4502676
Supporting, but try to hide our usage of it, as I feel >>4502861
May be right

>>4502623
>Quickly inform the young man.

>>4502676
This

>>4502623
So basically guys
Inform the fellow daoist about the boar then use ever changing step to have his back maybe?
But surely since this area is within the sect he might not be that wary of us

>>4503779
The idea is to not startle him or the boar into attacking us, his jade has a color we don't know about so he might be a special person within the sect.

>>4502676
>Use ever changing step to have the man's back & warn him,
>>4502861
>>4502885
>>4502996
>>4503064
>>4503371
>>4503779
>>4503873

Got it, let's go help our boi. Writing now!

>>4504326

A fellow member of your sect was about to be attacked, even though you had no ties to this person, decisive action had to be taken. You take a deep breath to calm yourself and swallow your fear before letting your muscle memory do the work. The bushes rustled gently as you quickly closed the gap between you and the man with several graceful steps, each executed differently from the previous one.

The Ever-changing Step! This was no doubt the faster way for you to reach him.

“Brother, behind us lies a ferocious boar.” You say as you land beside the man. He seemed to be slightly alarmed by your arrival but quickly turned around, only to discover that hidden behind some foliage was a tusked beast poised to attack him. The boar was startled by these developments, never expecting the arrival of another person or even being noticed, and launched a last ditch effort to secure its kill, charging towards the both of you.

“Tch… A lowly second order monster beast wishes to attack me?” You hear him mutter under his breath.

You take on a defensive posture, readying yourself to evade the charge but as soon as you did so, the young man dashed forward with such great speed that it was hard to follow with your eyes and a fraction of a second later, a flaming golden radiance covered his fist.

Seeing this, the boar tried to slow its approach but it was already too late. The flaming fist rammed into it with explosive force, launching the boar backwards a few meters. Where the attack landed, a fist-shaped burn mark could be seen.

This terrifying beast which you could not yet hope to best was slain with a single hit! This man’s strength was simply tyrannical, was this the gap between mortals and those of the Heavenly Domain?

(1/2)

>>4506085

“Many thanks, if not for your intervention, I might not be standing here unscathed. I am Wei Nan Ye (卫南夜), what is your name, brother?" Wei Nan Ye asked politely.

"So it is Senior Brother Wei, I am Wen Shan Yi, a new disciple of Divine Autumn Sect." You reply in turn.

"Interesting, you regular disciples typically don't come here. It is usually us disciple alchemists that come to gather spirit herbs, and even then, that number is low since only low grade herbs grow here. Might I ask why junior brother has come to this forest?"

Disciple alchemist! That must be what the green jade represents. Elder Luo didn't tell you much of anything about alchemists apart from their existence, but you knew that a sect's alchemists were one of their greatest assets since they were the sect's internal source for pills.

"I've been assigned by Elder Luo to train alone at Lone Star Peak. I simply came to explore the forest."

"I see, judging from your cultivation, that would be for the best, but daring to show yourself to a monster beast more than twice as strong as you, your courage isn't small."

Wei Nan Ye walks towards the boar and takes out a short knife before cutting out a hole where its heart would be and taking out a white orb.

"Anyway, this Wei is in your debt, so please accept this boar’s monster core. Though its grade isn’t very high, it should be useful for your current cultivation.”

You graciously accept Wei Nan Ye’s gift. “Thank you, Senior Brother Wei, this disciple only did what needed to be done.”

You…

>Bid farewell and continue exploring the forest.

>Bid farewell and return to the cave.

>Ask Wei Nan Ye about the spirit herbs and monster core.

>write in

(2/2)

---

(Really sorry about the late post, got one last exam at the start of November, so after that I'll post more frequently)

>>4506087
>Though it may be impudent for one of his low station, this Wen is curious, Senior brother Wei, about how one may harness the extractions of these spirit herbs, properly. As there is another patch not far from here, and merely seeing them has ignited my curiosity. If this is too bold of a request, Humble Wen will retreat to his training and leave you to your harvest, Wise brother

>>4506117
This, we are a student in search of knowledge.

>>4506117
Support

>>4506117
Supporting >>4506117

>>4506117
This but im also curious if he has any insight in the heavenly dao he is willing to share. We can share elder luo's sentence or something in return.

>>4506087
>>4506117
this

>>4506117
+1
Also ask what to do with the monster core exactly if he's willing to answer

>>4506117
>>4506148
>>4506350
>>4506354
>>4506369
>>4506594

Let's see what response we'll get. Writing now!

>>4506834

“Though it may be impudent for a lowly outer disciple, this Wen wants to ask. Senior Brother Wei, how does one harvest and extract out the medicinal liquid of these spirit herbs and that Monster core? Seeing these things for the first time has ignited my curiosity. If this is too bold of a request, this humble Wen will return to his training and leave you to your harvest, wise brother.”

Wei Nan Ye remained silent for a moment and looked like he was gathering his thoughts.

“This Wei is not unreasonable, it is somewhat unbelievable that this is the case, but if it really is your first encounter with these items, then allow me to enlighten you, Junior Brother Wen. However, though I am willing to share my knowledge, I cannot heed to all your requests. An alchemist’s techniques are his greatest possession! I cannot easily divulge the ways of me and my master in this regard.” He says with a dignified expression.

You are ecstatic at his response, and couldn’t help but put on a slight smile. “That is no problem, everyone has their own secrets. This Wen is grateful to be able to know even a thousandth of your wisdom.”

>>4506902

For the next hour, We Nan Ye talks to you about the spirit herbs, Monster cores, and how they were graded, even going on a few tangents to widen your knowledge.

Alchemists, artifact refiners, spirit herbs and artifacts were separated into six tiers; Earth, Heaven, Spirit, Holy, Divine, Ascendant. Within these tiers, they were further divided into three ranks, Low Rank, Mid Rank, and High Rank. Earth Grade artifacts and spirit herbs were the most common, while those of the Ascendant Grade in the entire Heavenly Domain numbered around only a hundred, owned only by the most powerful sects.

Divine Autumn Sect, being one of the four great sects, owned two Ascendant Grade artifacts! The first was an Ascendant Grade Low Rank artifact and the second was an Ascendant Grade Mid Rank artifact. Both were passed down from ancient times. The other three great sects similarly had their own Ascendant Grade artifacts.

Pills made from spirit herbs were also graded according to this system. Most outer disciples would only have access to Earth Grade and Heaven Grade pills. On the other hand, core disciples could enjoy Spirit Grade or even Holy Grade pills, which no doubt had much more profound effects on the body.

Divine and Ascendant Grade pills were almost unheard of. Only a handful of alchemists in the current age could concoct Divine Grade pills, and even then, they had a low chance of success, and it had been centuries since any Ascendant Grade Alchemist had appeared. The situation was similar for artifact refiners.

As for monster cores, their grade depended on the grade of the monster beast, ranging from First Order Monster Beasts to Seventh Order Monster Beasts. Monster Beasts could cultivate like humans, their cultivation was strongly linked to their Monster cores and each Order was roughly equivalent to the seven cultivation realms of humans. In essence, they were like the golden cores of human cultivators and could store their Qi. Monster cores had myriad uses in artifact refining and pill concoction, but could also be absorbed by cultivators, albeit for lesser benefits.

Wei Nan Ye carefully explained to you the process for absorbing the monster core in your possession. It came with some dangers, of course, taking in pure Monster Qi into one’s body could have catastrophic effects if not refined properly.

You make sure to write everything down in your notebook.

“Senior Brother Wei is too generous, Junior Brother will be sure to put this knowledge to good use.”

“A minor matter, as long as you have learnt something, then this Wei has done his part. I must return to my harvests. If fate wills it, we shall meet again. Farewell, Brother Wen.”

Both of you bow and salute to each other. You watch from the meadow as Wei Nan Ye takes his leave.

You…

>Continue exploring the forest.

>Go back to the cave to resume your training.

>write in

>>4506903
>Go back to the cave to resume your training.
The boar has shown us that we must hone our skills before venturing further.

>>4506903
>Go back to the cave to resume your training.

>>4506903
Knowledge: acquired
>Back to the grind we go.
The core could probably help us brute force through the bottleneck if we can't do it otherwise via consolidation.

>>4506903


>Go back to the cave to resume your training.

>>4506903
>Go back to the cave to resume your training.

>>4506903
>Go back to the cave to resume your training.

>>4506903
>Go back to the cave to resume your training
Kek so there some beast here, no matter let's train now
We should asorb the core once we are confident of doing with no backlash

>>4506903
>Go back to the cave to resume your training
I wonder, can we gain enlightenment from observing the patch of spirit herbs? I mean, they are herbs that absorbed some kind of Qi, so maybe we can observe how it absorbs them? kek

>>4506912
>>4506987
>>4506996
>>4507081
>>4507254
>>4507261
>>4508175
>>4508418

Time for another training timeskip. Writing now!

>>4508688

You follow the markings on the tree back to where you started. Along the way, you went to forage for some berries. By the time you got back, it was well into the night. The stars and moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the whole of Lone Star Peak with a tranquil silver light. Come to think of it, it was under this same silver light where you met Elder Luo and embarked on this journey.

Putting down your satchel, a great feeling of contentment and excitement fills you as you begin pondering the next stages of your cultivation. Though using the Monster core now would be tantamount to committing suicide, since you couldn’t even refine external Qi, let sense the ambient Qi around you, with it, your chances of breaking through to the Qi Condensing Realm, the next major realm, would greatly increase. Only when you reach the fourth stage of the Body Tempering Realm, when you can begin to sense ambient Qi, would you have any hope of refining this Monster core.

After eating some of the freshly picked berries, you lie down and shut your eyes, waiting eagerly for the next day to come.


--The next day--


You awake to the warm sunlight shining on your complexion, a clear sign that it was time to get up. Immediately, you begin practicing the Ever-changing Step, but this time, observing the myriad changes in each consecutive repetition. The insights contained in the minute differences of the movements were subtle, but together formed a comprehensive increase in your understanding.

(1/3)

>>4512828

--Two months later--


Through constant practice, you were just one small step away from fully breaking through to the first stage of the Body Tempering Realm, your flesh has been refined sufficiently and you could feel a strange ache in your bones, a sign that they were on the cusp on beginning their tempering. All you need now is one final push.

You take a step outside the cave and observe nature in its full glory. You see the trees sway in their different directions, the leaves fall in accordance to the wind, the clouds chasing each other through the sky. Everything was in perpetual change, this was a fact that’s been ingrained into you, together with this scene.

You stay still, simply gazing at the sights before you in a trance-like state. Following your intuition, you wait until the time is right and carry out the familiar motions of the Ever-changing Step. However, this time you feel noticeably lighter, more quick and agile. It was almost like the wind was carrying you on it’s back!

At the end of it, you enter another meditative state. From your abdomen, warmth spread out like wildfire, engulfing every cell in your body - a breakthrough! The scorching heat was almost unbearable, searing every fibre of your being with skull-splitting pain, causing you to recoil on the ground but you couldn’t back down now. This was a critical juncture in your cultivation.

Minutes, which felt like hours, passed. The only thing keeping you going being sheer willpower and determination. Eventually, the pain dissipated, leaving you lying down on the soft grass, in shock, fear, relief, and satisfaction. You were now at the Body Tempering Realm First Stage. This was what the past six months of training were leading up to.

(2/3)

>>4512829

--A few hours later--


You were sitting down and meditating, trying to consolidate your cultivation after your breakthrough when suddenly, you heard movement outside the cave. Looking outside, you couldn’t help but smiling, it was Elder Luo.

Without delaying, you hurriedly make your way outside to greet him. “Disciple Wen greets Elder Luo!” you cup your fists and bow.

“It has been a while, young Wen, I see that you’ve been cultivating diligently. This old one has come to check on you and also to bring you to attend an important event in the sect!” Elder Luo says while stroking his beard.

“An important event?” You reply curiously.

“Indeed. Every few years, newer disciples are brought to the Profound Autumnal Pools. The waters in these pools can help cultivators strengthen their physiques. Once there, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in them. This is one of the many ancient traditions of my Divine Autumn Sect.”

“Disciple understands.”

“Good, then let’s depart, the other disciples are already gathering.”

A while later, you arrive at a pavilion in Autumn’s Rest on the Sacred Golden Cloud. The scene was lively with many cultivators gathered around a single large palace. Most could be seen with a pale yellow jade embedded bracer and there were even some with ochre jades present. They were all eagerly waiting outside the palace, but with the appearance of Elder Luo, the crowd grew quiet, all turning their gaze towards the esteemed Elder and bowing.

Many whispers could be heard from the crowd. You could roughly guess what they were about. An outer disciple was personally escorted by the great Elder. Never before had this happened before in the history of Divine Autumn Sect. For a moment, you were the center of attention.

“Do not mind them. The gates to the Profound Autumnal Pools will be opened soon. Disciples will be let in one by one, so when your name is called, you may step up and enter. This Elder needs to join up with Sect Master Liu and the other elders in the palace now.” Elder Luo’s figure flickered away as you nod, leaving you in front of the sea of cultivators. There were still quite a few disciples staring at you, some with curious looks, some with clear repulsion.

You…

>Join the crowd and move closer to the palace. It would be convenient to be near when your name gets called after all.

>Move to somewhere else in the pavilion. Too much unneeded attention drawn to oneself only leads to trouble.

>write in

(3/3)

>>4512830
>Move to somewhere else in the pavilion. Too much unneeded attention drawn to oneself only leads to trouble.

>>4512830
>Join the crowd and move closer to the palace. It would be convenient to be near when your name gets called after all.

>>4512830
>Move to somewhere else in the pavilion. Too much unneeded attention drawn to oneself only leads to trouble.

>>4512830
>Move to somewhere else in the pavilion. Too much unneeded attention drawn to oneself only leads to trouble.

>>4512830
>Move to somewhere else in the pavilion. Too much unneeded attention drawn to oneself only leads to trouble. Maybe under a tree that's nearby
>Meditate on the words elder luo said to us on the day we first met him
Or just on our cultivation

>>4512830
>Join the crowd and move closer to the palace. It would be convenient to be near when your name gets called after all.

Lets try and make friends!

>>4514101
In fact to expand on that

>write in: Try and approach one of the curious/friendly looking individuals and try to socialize

>>4513891
you have my support

>>4512845
>>4512911
>>4512935
>>4512944
>>4513891
>>4514101
>>4514130
>>4514866

Exploring time. Writing now!

does it usually take this long QM?

Also you might need to make a new thread soon

>>4516821

No, I usually try 1 post every 1/2 days but I have a test on Tuesday. After that, post frequency should go back to normal. Sorry for the long wait times recently.

>>4515081

It would be some time until your name was called, so you pick a random direction and move away from the crowd, trying your best to avoid any direct confrontation with other disciples.

The pavilion was large, stretching at least a few kilometers in each direction. Each building was built in the same style as the large central palace, imbued with a similar extravagance. Such sights were uncommon in the Mortal Plane, especially from where you came from. It was only in moderately large cities would you be able to find such structures, but in Autumn’s Rest, there were plenty of these architectural marvels.

As you pass the myriad buildings and shops, a gentle fragrance fills your sense of smell, bringing with it a soothing and refreshing sensation. You follow this pleasant fragrance and eventually end up in front of a calm teahouse. The number of cultivators present inside could be counted with only one hand. This was expected of course, seeing as most of the disciples were eager to enter the palace. However, there would undoubtedly be a few that preferred to wait patiently for their turn and avoid the ruckus that was the ocean of people.

Among these people was a familiar face. It was Wei Nan Ye! Unlike when you first met him in the forest, he had company. Sitting with him was another disciple who gave off an imposing aura. He was no older or younger than you or brother Wei and wore the same robes as all other disciples, but on his bracer was an ochre jade which signified that he was a genuine core disciple. Becoming a core disciple at such a young age, this man was definitely not simple.

[Brother Wei’s connections are truly impressive...]

“Young man, would you like to stay for a cup of tea?” You hear a calm voice call out. While you were observing the patrons inside the tea house, the shopkeeper walked up to you. He wore a white and blue robe and looked to be in his seventies, though in the Heavenly Domain, such characters could be centuries older.

“Junior greets fellow senior. Since senior has offered, it would be rude of me to decline, but this young one is a person without any wealth, so I have no way to repay you.” You politely respond. It felt a bit embarrassing turning down the kind old man before you, but it would truly be improper to accept something you couldn’t pay back.

Before the old man could say anything, another voice called out from the shop. “It has been quite some time. We meet again Brother Wen!” He walks to the front of the shop beside you and the shopkeeper. “Why not stay for a chat? If money is an issue, don’t worry, brother here can cover for you.”

>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”

>”Due to my low standing in the sect, it would be inappropriate to receive such favors from brother Wei. Perhaps next time when.”

>write in

>>4517204
>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”

again, no reason to refuse.

>>4517204
>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”

We will make sure to pay him back in the future. Not for the cup of tea, that's trivial, but for the companionship offered to someone of such low social stature as us.
On another note, time to possibly connect with a core disciple! In an amicable ambient no less! Not a common opportunity for us!
Even if this may look brash or ambitious to an external witness, it is just sowing the seeds to a peaceful future!

>>4517204
>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”

>>4517204
>>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”

>>4517204
>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honored to share a cup of tea with you.”

>>4517204
>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”

>>4517362
support

>>4517204

>”Brother Wei is truly magnanimous, this Wen would be honoured to share a cup of tea with you.”