Chapter 399
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Chapter 399
Among other information Anton learned that those from the Exalted Archipelago- and anyone in the upper realms- would call the planet Ceretos. There were already other names in use, of course, but knowing how outsiders referred to it was important. And Anton couldnt help but think of those from the Exalted Archipelago as outsiders regardless of them dwelling in the same world for their entire lives. And the sentiment seemed to be shared to some extent. People who hoped they would leave the world behind never really considered themselves a part of the world, and the Exalted Archipelago had a greater portion of their cultivators ascend.
Not that the numbers were particularly high. They were quite satisfied if it happened every few years. At least, if he could trust the words of Naamah. There was certainly truth among them, and things she wanted him- and thus the rest of the continents- to believe. Those werent necessarily the same, but Anton had determined at least some of their motives. As previously noted the Exalted Archipelago was much less unified than it put on- the two distinct continents were more united in certain matters- and some information was slipped in that would potentially be useful against some rivals of the Hardened Crown Sect.
Ultimately, Anton was glad for the information he received, and he believed most of it to be reliable. And the Hardened Crown Sect seemed to be open to further communications, which helped open up their options in the Exalted Archipelago.
The most important piece of information hadnt directly been said, but Anton was certain that the current cycle of the tides of the world was shorter than normal. There was no confirmation if the approximately six hundred years of the previous time was standard, but it was at least closer to the norm. Comparing what he and others felt- though they were certainly new to paying attention to such things and thus could be in error- they had become more confident in the two hundred year timeframe measured from the invasion. They could be off by a few decades in either direction, but when the time got close it would likely become obvious again.
-----
There was a sort of curse that came with a very wide range of senses. It wasnt that Anton would get overwhelmed by the feedback- that would only happen if he pushed himself beyond his limits. Instead, sometimes being aware of things was the problem. Private conversations of those he had no connection to were of little concern, and those of real importance were usually done indoors which he generally avoided intruding upon.
The biggest issue was when he noticed a conflict of some sort. There was always the desire to get involved, but he couldnt necessarily judge which side was right. And then there was the fact that adversity allowed cultivators to grow. He had to think about the line between what was his responsibility because of his power and what he should let others deal with.
But sometimes he could determine a clear right and wrong, and assisting a losing righteous battle with an arrow or two certainly felt appropriate sometimes. He was often tempted to go further, but he restrained himself.
He couldnt- and shouldnt- try to influence everything himself. Even if he was on some level responsible for those weaker than himself, hed learned many lessons from his time with generations of family. He certainly wasnt a perfect father, grandfather, and so on, but he knew that sometimes people needed to face some consequences for their actions even if they had some justification. Most people believed everything they did was justified regardless, but he could safely set certain boundaries. Killing people simply to take what was theirs was the most common among cultivators, followed by the slightly more justified conflict over resources neither had a true claim to.
Anton certainly didnt distance himself from the little things of the world. He just preferred to influence them through ways other than simply a high cultivation and violence. He wasnt sure what the advice of a passing old man would do for people long term, but some immediate goals were easily accomplished. Making up after a fight as soon as possible was frequent advice, though it depended on whether certain individuals were still in a heightened state of emotion. Anton wasnt sure he always gave the right advice, but Insight wasnt perfect even at higher cultivations. nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.
Sometimes he would take time to do small things like help someone harvest their fields. He had great compassion for places he passed by where someone was sick and unable to work. While the rise of cultivation meant farmers had somewhat wider margins, hiring an extra person to help could also be significantly more costly. So helping even with a few hours work- which was honestly more than most people could do in a day even with some level of cultivation- reminded him of the basic good things in the world. There wasnt just war, even if that was the biggest looming threat at all times.
Working at many different scales put Anton in the right state for advancing his cultivation. It wasnt necessarily as rapid as it could have been, but continuous forward advancement was more than some could even wish for. With no roadblocks before the peak of Life Transformation, Anton imagined he could reach the ninety-ninth star in something like three decades. Hed be a bit over two hundred then- which would mean he would have spent more time as a cultivator than not. For most cultivators, that tipping point came much more quickly since they started young.
-----
Lev shrugged, It was just a suggestion. It was the only thing along the same lines I could think of.
I appreciate it, Anton said. Ive had certain ideas in the past, but theyre likewise a bit extravagant. But about yourself, how certain are you that your plans might work?
Well, its a bit early to judge for sure. I still have to reach the peak of Life Transformation, after all. Otherwise, Id definitely not be able to handle the process. Could easily find myself drained of energy in return if I mess up. Or maybe if I do everything right.
Yes, attempting to skip steps in cultivation rarely goes well for anyone. The Orders technique makes that basically impossible since it involves forming stars. Just calling a star a different number doesnt make a difference. Though I heard of people trying to skip prime temperings.
And? Lev asked.
... It technically worked. In short, they continued advancing at a marginal rate of power increase without ever accelerating. No advancing between stages even if they had the right number of stars. Then they eventually hit a wall anyway, as they could only manage so many stars even with lesser power. I dont think anyone has tried that since I joined the Order, though its possible.
I hadnt expected much different. If you could skip steps and have the same power, then it would actually be the correct method instead, and those steps were simply extraneous and mistaken to consider all along.
After that they discussed other insights into cultivation, some quite technical while others were simple yet sometimes profound. Perhaps neither of them would find the others insights of use, but the knowledge might find its way to the right person at the right time if they had it available to share.
-----
With ascensions suddenly more commonplace on the continent- that is, more than one every few decades- the number of individuals reaching their limits in Life Transformation or before also increased. In a way this was good for the various factions. They were steadily growing in strength, and even those who could advance no further were valuable. It was also the case that with more people cultivating, there was an explosion in the lower ranks of cultivation- Body Tempering and Spirit Building.
At the current time it was expected for people to reach Spirit Building at some point in their lives, though some found themselves limited by talent, free time, or simply desire. Some were content with reaching a certain level that allowed them to work as efficiently as they wished, allowing them some amount of free time.
There was still a disparity between people, even with free access to certain basic knowledge. Those who had wealth had more time to cultivate, pulling them further ahead. But the methods of cultivating while performing labor gave those lower on the ladder some chance.
Much of the world had adopted the policy of allowing energy to flow freely as well. Long term growth of a whole region worked best that way, even though an individual sect might see better payoff in the short term by gathering energy within their borders. In the long term, however, it would take more resources to improve every step, and better formations to resist an imbalance of energy. Some found it worthwhile anyway, but energy flowed freely through the wilderness in most places, promoting growth of all kinds.
That also came with some dangers, but having beasts that might attack people was also a benefit in a way. It allowed people a way to gain combat experience not against other humans, and to focus violence away from each other. And hunting beasts became another job, one for which hunters were paid to then spend their money in nearby cities where the money returned to the same hands once more. A prosperous cycle.
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Chapter 399
Among other information Anton learned that those from the Exalted Archipelago- and anyone in the upper realms- would call the planet Ceretos. There were already other names in use, of course, but knowing how outsiders referred to it was important. And Anton couldnt help but think of those from the Exalted Archipelago as outsiders regardless of them dwelling in the same world for their entire lives. And the sentiment seemed to be shared to some extent. People who hoped they would leave the world behind never really considered themselves a part of the world, and the Exalted Archipelago had a greater portion of their cultivators ascend.
Not that the numbers were particularly high. They were quite satisfied if it happened every few years. At least, if he could trust the words of Naamah. There was certainly truth among them, and things she wanted him- and thus the rest of the continents- to believe. Those werent necessarily the same, but Anton had determined at least some of their motives. As previously noted the Exalted Archipelago was much less unified than it put on- the two distinct continents were more united in certain matters- and some information was slipped in that would potentially be useful against some rivals of the Hardened Crown Sect.
Ultimately, Anton was glad for the information he received, and he believed most of it to be reliable. And the Hardened Crown Sect seemed to be open to further communications, which helped open up their options in the Exalted Archipelago.
The most important piece of information hadnt directly been said, but Anton was certain that the current cycle of the tides of the world was shorter than normal. There was no confirmation if the approximately six hundred years of the previous time was standard, but it was at least closer to the norm. Comparing what he and others felt- though they were certainly new to paying attention to such things and thus could be in error- they had become more confident in the two hundred year timeframe measured from the invasion. They could be off by a few decades in either direction, but when the time got close it would likely become obvious again.
-----
There was a sort of curse that came with a very wide range of senses. It wasnt that Anton would get overwhelmed by the feedback- that would only happen if he pushed himself beyond his limits. Instead, sometimes being aware of things was the problem. Private conversations of those he had no connection to were of little concern, and those of real importance were usually done indoors which he generally avoided intruding upon.
The biggest issue was when he noticed a conflict of some sort. There was always the desire to get involved, but he couldnt necessarily judge which side was right. And then there was the fact that adversity allowed cultivators to grow. He had to think about the line between what was his responsibility because of his power and what he should let others deal with.
But sometimes he could determine a clear right and wrong, and assisting a losing righteous battle with an arrow or two certainly felt appropriate sometimes. He was often tempted to go further, but he restrained himself.
He couldnt- and shouldnt- try to influence everything himself. Even if he was on some level responsible for those weaker than himself, hed learned many lessons from his time with generations of family. He certainly wasnt a perfect father, grandfather, and so on, but he knew that sometimes people needed to face some consequences for their actions even if they had some justification. Most people believed everything they did was justified regardless, but he could safely set certain boundaries. Killing people simply to take what was theirs was the most common among cultivators, followed by the slightly more justified conflict over resources neither had a true claim to.
Anton certainly didnt distance himself from the little things of the world. He just preferred to influence them through ways other than simply a high cultivation and violence. He wasnt sure what the advice of a passing old man would do for people long term, but some immediate goals were easily accomplished. Making up after a fight as soon as possible was frequent advice, though it depended on whether certain individuals were still in a heightened state of emotion. Anton wasnt sure he always gave the right advice, but Insight wasnt perfect even at higher cultivations. nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.
Sometimes he would take time to do small things like help someone harvest their fields. He had great compassion for places he passed by where someone was sick and unable to work. While the rise of cultivation meant farmers had somewhat wider margins, hiring an extra person to help could also be significantly more costly. So helping even with a few hours work- which was honestly more than most people could do in a day even with some level of cultivation- reminded him of the basic good things in the world. There wasnt just war, even if that was the biggest looming threat at all times.
Working at many different scales put Anton in the right state for advancing his cultivation. It wasnt necessarily as rapid as it could have been, but continuous forward advancement was more than some could even wish for. With no roadblocks before the peak of Life Transformation, Anton imagined he could reach the ninety-ninth star in something like three decades. Hed be a bit over two hundred then- which would mean he would have spent more time as a cultivator than not. For most cultivators, that tipping point came much more quickly since they started young.
-----
Lev shrugged, It was just a suggestion. It was the only thing along the same lines I could think of.
I appreciate it, Anton said. Ive had certain ideas in the past, but theyre likewise a bit extravagant. But about yourself, how certain are you that your plans might work?
Well, its a bit early to judge for sure. I still have to reach the peak of Life Transformation, after all. Otherwise, Id definitely not be able to handle the process. Could easily find myself drained of energy in return if I mess up. Or maybe if I do everything right.
Yes, attempting to skip steps in cultivation rarely goes well for anyone. The Orders technique makes that basically impossible since it involves forming stars. Just calling a star a different number doesnt make a difference. Though I heard of people trying to skip prime temperings.
And? Lev asked.
... It technically worked. In short, they continued advancing at a marginal rate of power increase without ever accelerating. No advancing between stages even if they had the right number of stars. Then they eventually hit a wall anyway, as they could only manage so many stars even with lesser power. I dont think anyone has tried that since I joined the Order, though its possible.
I hadnt expected much different. If you could skip steps and have the same power, then it would actually be the correct method instead, and those steps were simply extraneous and mistaken to consider all along.
After that they discussed other insights into cultivation, some quite technical while others were simple yet sometimes profound. Perhaps neither of them would find the others insights of use, but the knowledge might find its way to the right person at the right time if they had it available to share.
-----
With ascensions suddenly more commonplace on the continent- that is, more than one every few decades- the number of individuals reaching their limits in Life Transformation or before also increased. In a way this was good for the various factions. They were steadily growing in strength, and even those who could advance no further were valuable. It was also the case that with more people cultivating, there was an explosion in the lower ranks of cultivation- Body Tempering and Spirit Building.
At the current time it was expected for people to reach Spirit Building at some point in their lives, though some found themselves limited by talent, free time, or simply desire. Some were content with reaching a certain level that allowed them to work as efficiently as they wished, allowing them some amount of free time.
There was still a disparity between people, even with free access to certain basic knowledge. Those who had wealth had more time to cultivate, pulling them further ahead. But the methods of cultivating while performing labor gave those lower on the ladder some chance.
Much of the world had adopted the policy of allowing energy to flow freely as well. Long term growth of a whole region worked best that way, even though an individual sect might see better payoff in the short term by gathering energy within their borders. In the long term, however, it would take more resources to improve every step, and better formations to resist an imbalance of energy. Some found it worthwhile anyway, but energy flowed freely through the wilderness in most places, promoting growth of all kinds.
That also came with some dangers, but having beasts that might attack people was also a benefit in a way. It allowed people a way to gain combat experience not against other humans, and to focus violence away from each other. And hunting beasts became another job, one for which hunters were paid to then spend their money in nearby cities where the money returned to the same hands once more. A prosperous cycle.
Chapter 399Among other information Anton learned that those from the Exalted Archipelago- and anyone in the upper realms- would call the planet Ceretos. There were already other names in use, of course, but knowing how outsiders referred to it was important. And Anton couldnt help but think of those from the Exalted Archipelago as outsiders regardless of them dwelling in the same world for their entire lives. And the sentiment seemed to be shared to some extent. People who hoped they would leave the world behind never really considered themselves a part of the world, and the Exalted Archipelago had a greater portion of their cultivators ascend.Not that the numbers were particularly high. They were quite satisfied if it happened every few years. At least, if he could trust the words of Naamah. There was certainly truth among them, and things she wanted him- and thus the rest of the continents- to believe. Those werent necessarily the same, but Anton had determined at least some of their motives. As previously noted the Exalted Archipelago was much less unified than it put on- the two distinct continents were more united in certain matters- and some information was slipped in that would potentially be useful against some rivals of the Hardened Crown Sect.Ultimately, Anton was glad for the information he received, and he believed most of it to be reliable. And the Hardened Crown Sect seemed to be open to further communications, which helped open up their options in the Exalted Archipelago.The most important piece of information hadnt directly been said, but Anton was certain that the current cycle of the tides of the world was shorter than normal. There was no confirmation if the approximately six hundred years of the previous time was standard, but it was at least closer to the norm. Comparing what he and others felt- though they were certainly new to paying attention to such things and thus could be in error- they had become more confident in the two hundred year timeframe measured from the invasion. They could be off by a few decades in either direction, but when the time got close it would likely become obvious again.-----There was a sort of curse that came with a very wide range of senses. It wasnt that Anton would get overwhelmed by the feedback- that would only happen if he pushed himself beyond his limits. Instead, sometimes being aware of things was the problem. Private conversations of those he had no connection to were of little concern, and those of real importance were usually done indoors which he generally avoided intruding upon. The biggest issue was when he noticed a conflict of some sort. There was always the desire to get involved, but he couldnt necessarily judge which side was right. And then there was the fact that adversity allowed cultivators to grow. He had to think about the line between what was his responsibility because of his power and what he should let others deal with. But sometimes he could determine a clear right and wrong, and assisting a losing righteous battle with an arrow or two certainly felt appropriate sometimes. He was often tempted to go further, but he restrained himself.He couldnt- and shouldnt- try to influence everything himself. Even if he was on some level responsible for those weaker than himself, hed learned many lessons from his time with generations of family. He certainly wasnt a perfect father, grandfather, and so on, but he knew that sometimes people needed to face some consequences for their actions even if they had some justification. Most people believed everything they did was justified regardless, but he could safely set certain boundaries. Killing people simply to take what was theirs was the most common among cultivators, followed by the slightly more justified conflict over resources neither had a true claim to.Anton certainly didnt distance himself from the little things of the world. He just preferred to influence them through ways other than simply a high cultivation and violence. He wasnt sure what the advice of a passing old man would do for people long term, but some immediate goals were easily accomplished. Making up after a fight as soon as possible was frequent advice, though it depended on whether certain individuals were still in a heightened state of emotion. Anton wasnt sure he always gave the right advice, but Insight wasnt perfect even at higher cultivations. novel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.Sometimes he would take time to do small things like help someone harvest their fields. He had great compassion for places he passed by where someone was sick and unable to work. While the rise of cultivation meant farmers had somewhat wider margins, hiring an extra person to help could also be significantly more costly. So helping even with a few hours work- which was honestly more than most people could do in a day even with some level of cultivation- reminded him of the basic good things in the world. There wasnt just war, even if that was the biggest looming threat at all times.Working at many different scales put Anton in the right state for advancing his cultivation. It wasnt necessarily as rapid as it could have been, but continuous forward advancement was more than some could even wish for. With no roadblocks before the peak of Life Transformation, Anton imagined he could reach the ninety-ninth star in something like three decades. Hed be a bit over two hundred then- which would mean he would have spent more time as a cultivator than not. For most cultivators, that tipping point came much more quickly since they started young.-----Lev shrugged, It was just a suggestion. It was the only thing along the same lines I could think of.I appreciate it, Anton said. Ive had certain ideas in the past, but theyre likewise a bit extravagant. But about yourself, how certain are you that your plans might work? Well, its a bit early to judge for sure. I still have to reach the peak of Life Transformation, after all. Otherwise, Id definitely not be able to handle the process. Could easily find myself drained of energy in return if I mess up. Or maybe if I do everything right.Yes, attempting to skip steps in cultivation rarely goes well for anyone. The Orders technique makes that basically impossible since it involves forming stars. Just calling a star a different number doesnt make a difference. Though I heard of people trying to skip prime temperings.And? Lev asked.... It technically worked. In short, they continued advancing at a marginal rate of power increase without ever accelerating. No advancing between stages even if they had the right number of stars. Then they eventually hit a wall anyway, as they could only manage so many stars even with lesser power. I dont think anyone has tried that since I joined the Order, though its possible.I hadnt expected much different. If you could skip steps and have the same power, then it would actually be the correct method instead, and those steps were simply extraneous and mistaken to consider all along.After that they discussed other insights into cultivation, some quite technical while others were simple yet sometimes profound. Perhaps neither of them would find the others insights of use, but the knowledge might find its way to the right person at the right time if they had it available to share.-----With ascensions suddenly more commonplace on the continent- that is, more than one every few decades- the number of individuals reaching their limits in Life Transformation or before also increased. In a way this was good for the various factions. They were steadily growing in strength, and even those who could advance no further were valuable. It was also the case that with more people cultivating, there was an explosion in the lower ranks of cultivation- Body Tempering and Spirit Building. At the current time it was expected for people to reach Spirit Building at some point in their lives, though some found themselves limited by talent, free time, or simply desire. Some were content with reaching a certain level that allowed them to work as efficiently as they wished, allowing them some amount of free time.There was still a disparity between people, even with free access to certain basic knowledge. Those who had wealth had more time to cultivate, pulling them further ahead. But the methods of cultivating while performing labor gave those lower on the ladder some chance. Much of the world had adopted the policy of allowing energy to flow freely as well. Long term growth of a whole region worked best that way, even though an individual sect might see better payoff in the short term by gathering energy within their borders. In the long term, however, it would take more resources to improve every step, and better formations to resist an imbalance of energy. Some found it worthwhile anyway, but energy flowed freely through the wilderness in most places, promoting growth of all kinds. That also came with some dangers, but having beasts that might attack people was also a benefit in a way. It allowed people a way to gain combat experience not against other humans, and to focus violence away from each other. And hunting beasts became another job, one for which hunters were paid to then spend their money in nearby cities where the money returned to the same hands once more. A prosperous cycle.
