Chapter 331
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Chapter 331
Million Sword Vaults location wasnt exactly a secret but it was far from a convenient location to undergo any sort of concerted effort between sects. As such the body of the Ascension cultivator had been moved to another location- specifically what remained of the Whispering Watchers main headquarters. It was a neutral area where everyone was invited to donate their efforts to learning whatever they could about the woman.
At first great care was taken to preserve the structural integrity of the body, but as the studies continued the efforts widened to anything not directly intended to destroy it. The body was uncomfortably durable, even by the standards of the Life Transformation cultivators present.
Anton himself wasnt present for most of the studies, but he kept himself apprised of what was being learned. Most of what ultimately proved useful had been speculated immediately, but confirming certain things was useful if they were going to be combating Ascension cultivators. This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.
The first was that while the body seemed attuned to ascension energy it was less reactive to natural energy. It wasnt that it was necessarily resistant to attacks, but even in death ascension energy clung to it, while natural energy did not. Across the continent of Aicenith there were more who practiced Fleeting Youth than Anton, so he wasnt needed for all of the studies.
To compare to more familiar cultivators, while natural energy certainly faded from them after death they would still generally retain higher than the ambient level of natural energy. That effect could last as long as any parts of the body were relatively whole and was stronger with higher cultivation. Thus it wasnt unexpected for the Ascension cultivator to react the same with ascension energy, but it was odd that natural energy seemed to not react the same.
Unfortunately, with only one body to compare to it couldnt be certain if they would expect the same to hold true for all Ascension cultivators. Even so, along with the other information they generally agreed that Ascension cultivators shouldnt be able to easily replenish their stores of energy. That explained the Chain Harmony Sects setup to some extent.
The body itself didnt have to answer all of the questions. Some of them were answered by the contents of the storage bag. The texts contained therein were preserved as well as could be expected when in an area without natural energy for centuries. There was nothing so convenient as a journal outlining the weaknesses of the woman nor her motivations for participating in the invasion. However, they did learn that she was from the Fearless Mountain Sect, which had no counterpart on either continent. She also possessed two separate manuals for the sects cultivation technique. One for pre-ascension, and one for post-ascension. The latter was highly coveted by many but it was soon found to be basically useless. Neither covered how one might ascend, and knowing how to train after ascension was not the biggest hurdle on any Life Transformation cultivators mind.
That information did back up a certain idea. One that the ascension realm didnt contain those who just ascended naturally, but those who were born there and had to train to reach that level of strength. The possibility that they might be deficient in the less powerful natural energy seemed a reasonable enough assumption- and everyone pretty much agreed that cultivation from the beginning with just ascension energy would be impossible. At least for the vast majority of people. If there were exceptions, it hardly changed the basic idea. The energy was much too powerful to control initially without any experience or tempering of the body. The dantian would be undeveloped and unsuited for it as well.
If the invasions were happening so that sects could train up new recruits of some sort, it at least made some amount of sense. It might not be the sole reason, but knowing the motivations really didnt matter. The more important part was how they might stop the invaders.
It wasnt terribly surprising that the answer was to fight them, but of course it wasnt quite that straightforward. Everhearts final tomb had revealed information on anti-ascension techniques- or rather forced it into the heads of some of those seeking ascension. The point was, they were especially good at disrupting the energy. If it was difficult for the cultivators to recover, they could be worn down assuming there was even a chance for that. It seemed that they had previously made use of direct assaults, smashing through what the sects had prepared. There was no guarantee that this time would be any different but perhaps people would be able to prepare better, with knowledge of the previous time.
Anton certainly hoped so. It was possible that they were in an inescapable cycle but no cultivator would just sit down and accept that as the case. They would fight. The entire world was not united on anything else, but except for what was hoped to be a small minority- one that included the Twin Soul Sect and similar groups they were in the process of exterminating- they were agreed that an invasion could not be allowed. They would fight. Anton just hoped they would fight together. Even if it meant abandoning certain locations or making sacrifices of people, combining forces would improve their effectiveness.
But he would be best served making those arguments to sects he had a longer history with, back on Brogora. The Order had an alliance with several powerful sects, but it would be better if it extended further. For that, he would return home- with the information he had gained. He just wasnt sure how much it would actually help.
-----
It wasnt necessarily surprising to find that some cultivators were a superstitious lot. Cultivation was difficult enough to undergo for those not from a large sect, and it seemed that good fortune was required to continue advancement. So when the ship happened to draw close to Paradise, the captain chose to stop. The giant turtle was not something that could be met on every traversal- though the first journey had skewed that idea somewhat. Regardless, encountering the Paradise of Thirteen Hills was taken as a good omen. Not stopping would be a travesty.
Perhaps youre right, Anton admitted. I am just keenly interested in seeing younger generations grow strong. Since you live here have you learned anything interesting about Paradise himself?
Its quite difficult to gauge his intentions in any way. He seems to eat when he is hungry, though he has never attacked a ship of cultivators. Other than eating, he just drifts along on the ocean currents.
Hmm. I wonder how he would feel about invading cultivators
Its hard to say, she admitted.
It would be great if we could recruit him to fight for us, though given his normal speed I dont know if he would actually reach any battles. It might just be a vain hope, Anton admitted. I just cant help but think about how everything will relate to the coming invasion.
It is hard to ignore the impending crisis. Those of us here are training just as hard as everyone else, though with less conflict than the mainlands. Unless things have changed?
I suppose that depends on what you mean. I would personally say that conflicts have gone down in my over twenty years of cultivation experience. There are still squabbles and the like, but except for dealing with certain groups, large scale wars have been minimal. I hope it can stay that way.
Agreed, Erin nodded. What sect are you a part of?
The Order of Ninety-Nine Stars. From Brogora, Anton clarified. It was unlikely anyone at her level wouldnt have at least heard of them but that was only on the same continent. Any sect that had multiple Life Transformation cultivators quickly came into public view, and the Order was well established. Based on her accent, Anton thought she was probably from Aicenith.
Youre a fortunate one. It can be quite difficult to advance without joining a large sect. They tend to monopolize the places with abundant natural energy. Except here, so far.
I dont know if that will ever really change, Anton said. However, there have been great efforts to teach more people to cultivate- and how to improve the quality of the natural energy in the area through long-term efforts. A sect might still have the best but the difference might not be as large.
Oh, interesting. Can the quality of an areas natural energy really be improved?
Of course. Large sects do it all the time. It is quite possible that much of what they have wasnt originally much better than the surroundings. I doubt much could be done with a place like this, however. Anton shook his head, But this is actually an example of it working. These plants here seem to be fed natural energy by Paradise himself while in turn providing him with something like extra stores of energy. Its just usually not mobile.
I suppose I already knew it worked something like that, Erin admitted. I just havent had real opportunity to spend time changing the world on a more permanent basis.
Itll happen. Just make sure its for the better, Anton commented.
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Chapter 331
Million Sword Vaults location wasnt exactly a secret but it was far from a convenient location to undergo any sort of concerted effort between sects. As such the body of the Ascension cultivator had been moved to another location- specifically what remained of the Whispering Watchers main headquarters. It was a neutral area where everyone was invited to donate their efforts to learning whatever they could about the woman.
At first great care was taken to preserve the structural integrity of the body, but as the studies continued the efforts widened to anything not directly intended to destroy it. The body was uncomfortably durable, even by the standards of the Life Transformation cultivators present.
Anton himself wasnt present for most of the studies, but he kept himself apprised of what was being learned. Most of what ultimately proved useful had been speculated immediately, but confirming certain things was useful if they were going to be combating Ascension cultivators. This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.
The first was that while the body seemed attuned to ascension energy it was less reactive to natural energy. It wasnt that it was necessarily resistant to attacks, but even in death ascension energy clung to it, while natural energy did not. Across the continent of Aicenith there were more who practiced Fleeting Youth than Anton, so he wasnt needed for all of the studies.
To compare to more familiar cultivators, while natural energy certainly faded from them after death they would still generally retain higher than the ambient level of natural energy. That effect could last as long as any parts of the body were relatively whole and was stronger with higher cultivation. Thus it wasnt unexpected for the Ascension cultivator to react the same with ascension energy, but it was odd that natural energy seemed to not react the same.
Unfortunately, with only one body to compare to it couldnt be certain if they would expect the same to hold true for all Ascension cultivators. Even so, along with the other information they generally agreed that Ascension cultivators shouldnt be able to easily replenish their stores of energy. That explained the Chain Harmony Sects setup to some extent.
The body itself didnt have to answer all of the questions. Some of them were answered by the contents of the storage bag. The texts contained therein were preserved as well as could be expected when in an area without natural energy for centuries. There was nothing so convenient as a journal outlining the weaknesses of the woman nor her motivations for participating in the invasion. However, they did learn that she was from the Fearless Mountain Sect, which had no counterpart on either continent. She also possessed two separate manuals for the sects cultivation technique. One for pre-ascension, and one for post-ascension. The latter was highly coveted by many but it was soon found to be basically useless. Neither covered how one might ascend, and knowing how to train after ascension was not the biggest hurdle on any Life Transformation cultivators mind.
That information did back up a certain idea. One that the ascension realm didnt contain those who just ascended naturally, but those who were born there and had to train to reach that level of strength. The possibility that they might be deficient in the less powerful natural energy seemed a reasonable enough assumption- and everyone pretty much agreed that cultivation from the beginning with just ascension energy would be impossible. At least for the vast majority of people. If there were exceptions, it hardly changed the basic idea. The energy was much too powerful to control initially without any experience or tempering of the body. The dantian would be undeveloped and unsuited for it as well.
If the invasions were happening so that sects could train up new recruits of some sort, it at least made some amount of sense. It might not be the sole reason, but knowing the motivations really didnt matter. The more important part was how they might stop the invaders.
It wasnt terribly surprising that the answer was to fight them, but of course it wasnt quite that straightforward. Everhearts final tomb had revealed information on anti-ascension techniques- or rather forced it into the heads of some of those seeking ascension. The point was, they were especially good at disrupting the energy. If it was difficult for the cultivators to recover, they could be worn down assuming there was even a chance for that. It seemed that they had previously made use of direct assaults, smashing through what the sects had prepared. There was no guarantee that this time would be any different but perhaps people would be able to prepare better, with knowledge of the previous time.
Anton certainly hoped so. It was possible that they were in an inescapable cycle but no cultivator would just sit down and accept that as the case. They would fight. The entire world was not united on anything else, but except for what was hoped to be a small minority- one that included the Twin Soul Sect and similar groups they were in the process of exterminating- they were agreed that an invasion could not be allowed. They would fight. Anton just hoped they would fight together. Even if it meant abandoning certain locations or making sacrifices of people, combining forces would improve their effectiveness.
But he would be best served making those arguments to sects he had a longer history with, back on Brogora. The Order had an alliance with several powerful sects, but it would be better if it extended further. For that, he would return home- with the information he had gained. He just wasnt sure how much it would actually help.
-----
It wasnt necessarily surprising to find that some cultivators were a superstitious lot. Cultivation was difficult enough to undergo for those not from a large sect, and it seemed that good fortune was required to continue advancement. So when the ship happened to draw close to Paradise, the captain chose to stop. The giant turtle was not something that could be met on every traversal- though the first journey had skewed that idea somewhat. Regardless, encountering the Paradise of Thirteen Hills was taken as a good omen. Not stopping would be a travesty.
Perhaps youre right, Anton admitted. I am just keenly interested in seeing younger generations grow strong. Since you live here have you learned anything interesting about Paradise himself?
Its quite difficult to gauge his intentions in any way. He seems to eat when he is hungry, though he has never attacked a ship of cultivators. Other than eating, he just drifts along on the ocean currents.
Hmm. I wonder how he would feel about invading cultivators
Its hard to say, she admitted.
It would be great if we could recruit him to fight for us, though given his normal speed I dont know if he would actually reach any battles. It might just be a vain hope, Anton admitted. I just cant help but think about how everything will relate to the coming invasion.
It is hard to ignore the impending crisis. Those of us here are training just as hard as everyone else, though with less conflict than the mainlands. Unless things have changed?
I suppose that depends on what you mean. I would personally say that conflicts have gone down in my over twenty years of cultivation experience. There are still squabbles and the like, but except for dealing with certain groups, large scale wars have been minimal. I hope it can stay that way.
Agreed, Erin nodded. What sect are you a part of?
The Order of Ninety-Nine Stars. From Brogora, Anton clarified. It was unlikely anyone at her level wouldnt have at least heard of them but that was only on the same continent. Any sect that had multiple Life Transformation cultivators quickly came into public view, and the Order was well established. Based on her accent, Anton thought she was probably from Aicenith.
Youre a fortunate one. It can be quite difficult to advance without joining a large sect. They tend to monopolize the places with abundant natural energy. Except here, so far.
I dont know if that will ever really change, Anton said. However, there have been great efforts to teach more people to cultivate- and how to improve the quality of the natural energy in the area through long-term efforts. A sect might still have the best but the difference might not be as large.
Oh, interesting. Can the quality of an areas natural energy really be improved?
Of course. Large sects do it all the time. It is quite possible that much of what they have wasnt originally much better than the surroundings. I doubt much could be done with a place like this, however. Anton shook his head, But this is actually an example of it working. These plants here seem to be fed natural energy by Paradise himself while in turn providing him with something like extra stores of energy. Its just usually not mobile.
I suppose I already knew it worked something like that, Erin admitted. I just havent had real opportunity to spend time changing the world on a more permanent basis.
Itll happen. Just make sure its for the better, Anton commented.
Chapter 331Million Sword Vaults location wasnt exactly a secret but it was far from a convenient location to undergo any sort of concerted effort between sects. As such the body of the Ascension cultivator had been moved to another location- specifically what remained of the Whispering Watchers main headquarters. It was a neutral area where everyone was invited to donate their efforts to learning whatever they could about the woman. At first great care was taken to preserve the structural integrity of the body, but as the studies continued the efforts widened to anything not directly intended to destroy it. The body was uncomfortably durable, even by the standards of the Life Transformation cultivators present. Anton himself wasnt present for most of the studies, but he kept himself apprised of what was being learned. Most of what ultimately proved useful had been speculated immediately, but confirming certain things was useful if they were going to be combating Ascension cultivators. This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.The first was that while the body seemed attuned to ascension energy it was less reactive to natural energy. It wasnt that it was necessarily resistant to attacks, but even in death ascension energy clung to it, while natural energy did not. Across the continent of Aicenith there were more who practiced Fleeting Youth than Anton, so he wasnt needed for all of the studies.To compare to more familiar cultivators, while natural energy certainly faded from them after death they would still generally retain higher than the ambient level of natural energy. That effect could last as long as any parts of the body were relatively whole and was stronger with higher cultivation. Thus it wasnt unexpected for the Ascension cultivator to react the same with ascension energy, but it was odd that natural energy seemed to not react the same.Unfortunately, with only one body to compare to it couldnt be certain if they would expect the same to hold true for all Ascension cultivators. Even so, along with the other information they generally agreed that Ascension cultivators shouldnt be able to easily replenish their stores of energy. That explained the Chain Harmony Sects setup to some extent.The body itself didnt have to answer all of the questions. Some of them were answered by the contents of the storage bag. The texts contained therein were preserved as well as could be expected when in an area without natural energy for centuries. There was nothing so convenient as a journal outlining the weaknesses of the woman nor her motivations for participating in the invasion. However, they did learn that she was from the Fearless Mountain Sect, which had no counterpart on either continent. She also possessed two separate manuals for the sects cultivation technique. One for pre-ascension, and one for post-ascension. The latter was highly coveted by many but it was soon found to be basically useless. Neither covered how one might ascend, and knowing how to train after ascension was not the biggest hurdle on any Life Transformation cultivators mind.That information did back up a certain idea. One that the ascension realm didnt contain those who just ascended naturally, but those who were born there and had to train to reach that level of strength. The possibility that they might be deficient in the less powerful natural energy seemed a reasonable enough assumption- and everyone pretty much agreed that cultivation from the beginning with just ascension energy would be impossible. At least for the vast majority of people. If there were exceptions, it hardly changed the basic idea. The energy was much too powerful to control initially without any experience or tempering of the body. The dantian would be undeveloped and unsuited for it as well.If the invasions were happening so that sects could train up new recruits of some sort, it at least made some amount of sense. It might not be the sole reason, but knowing the motivations really didnt matter. The more important part was how they might stop the invaders.It wasnt terribly surprising that the answer was to fight them, but of course it wasnt quite that straightforward. Everhearts final tomb had revealed information on anti-ascension techniques- or rather forced it into the heads of some of those seeking ascension. The point was, they were especially good at disrupting the energy. If it was difficult for the cultivators to recover, they could be worn down assuming there was even a chance for that. It seemed that they had previously made use of direct assaults, smashing through what the sects had prepared. There was no guarantee that this time would be any different but perhaps people would be able to prepare better, with knowledge of the previous time.Anton certainly hoped so. It was possible that they were in an inescapable cycle but no cultivator would just sit down and accept that as the case. They would fight. The entire world was not united on anything else, but except for what was hoped to be a small minority- one that included the Twin Soul Sect and similar groups they were in the process of exterminating- they were agreed that an invasion could not be allowed. They would fight. Anton just hoped they would fight together. Even if it meant abandoning certain locations or making sacrifices of people, combining forces would improve their effectiveness.But he would be best served making those arguments to sects he had a longer history with, back on Brogora. The Order had an alliance with several powerful sects, but it would be better if it extended further. For that, he would return home- with the information he had gained. He just wasnt sure how much it would actually help.-----It wasnt necessarily surprising to find that some cultivators were a superstitious lot. Cultivation was difficult enough to undergo for those not from a large sect, and it seemed that good fortune was required to continue advancement. So when the ship happened to draw close to Paradise, the captain chose to stop. The giant turtle was not something that could be met on every traversal- though the first journey had skewed that idea somewhat. Regardless, encountering the Paradise of Thirteen Hills was taken as a good omen. Not stopping would be a travesty.Perhaps youre right, Anton admitted. I am just keenly interested in seeing younger generations grow strong. Since you live here have you learned anything interesting about Paradise himself?Its quite difficult to gauge his intentions in any way. He seems to eat when he is hungry, though he has never attacked a ship of cultivators. Other than eating, he just drifts along on the ocean currents.Hmm. I wonder how he would feel about invading cultivatorsIts hard to say, she admitted.It would be great if we could recruit him to fight for us, though given his normal speed I dont know if he would actually reach any battles. It might just be a vain hope, Anton admitted. I just cant help but think about how everything will relate to the coming invasion.It is hard to ignore the impending crisis. Those of us here are training just as hard as everyone else, though with less conflict than the mainlands. Unless things have changed?I suppose that depends on what you mean. I would personally say that conflicts have gone down in my over twenty years of cultivation experience. There are still squabbles and the like, but except for dealing with certain groups, large scale wars have been minimal. I hope it can stay that way.Agreed, Erin nodded. What sect are you a part of?The Order of Ninety-Nine Stars. From Brogora, Anton clarified. It was unlikely anyone at her level wouldnt have at least heard of them but that was only on the same continent. Any sect that had multiple Life Transformation cultivators quickly came into public view, and the Order was well established. Based on her accent, Anton thought she was probably from Aicenith.Youre a fortunate one. It can be quite difficult to advance without joining a large sect. They tend to monopolize the places with abundant natural energy. Except here, so far.I dont know if that will ever really change, Anton said. However, there have been great efforts to teach more people to cultivate- and how to improve the quality of the natural energy in the area through long-term efforts. A sect might still have the best but the difference might not be as large.Oh, interesting. Can the quality of an areas natural energy really be improved?Of course. Large sects do it all the time. It is quite possible that much of what they have wasnt originally much better than the surroundings. I doubt much could be done with a place like this, however. Anton shook his head, But this is actually an example of it working. These plants here seem to be fed natural energy by Paradise himself while in turn providing him with something like extra stores of energy. Its just usually not mobile.I suppose I already knew it worked something like that, Erin admitted. I just havent had real opportunity to spend time changing the world on a more permanent basis.Itll happen. Just make sure its for the better, Anton commented.
