Chapter 38: Life Marches On

Chapter 38: Life Marches On

I watched as my fathers corpse was burned on the funeral pyre. My mother was weeping, and there were actual tears, along with the rest of his wives. Other family members were weeping as well. May the immortals watch over Yuan Chen as he journeys through the cycle of heaven and earth. His spirit rising up to the heavens and his ashes scattered to the ground.

There was not enough room for millennia of tombs. If people really did have crypts it would be far too much. Instead it was customary that people were burned on funeral pyres. A stack of oil soaked wood. For my father this wood was well cut, pine I believe, so there was a pleasant scent. The pyre was also covered with a large cloak with the Yuan family name stitched upon it. As his soul goes forth, we shall pray to the immortals he finds as much or more success in his next life as this one, the funerary priest called out.

It was more of a job than an actual religious role, funerary priest. The religion revolved around the immortals. I didnt want to say one of those six known immortals was a beast, but I thought that was a bit funny. Cultivation was the religion at the end of the day.

I had managed to shut the entire city down for the day, or my brother did for the funeral procession from the family estate to the city center. It was my name and the rank 2 spirit coin I had given my brother that paid for all of this. It wasnt just a question of wealth to have such a large funeral, but also a question of connections.

Let us all The funerary priest trailed off as everyone looked where he was staring. I turned and saw the Sect Leader approaching, two sect members behind him.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Carry on, he said and he came to stand next to me. I looked up at him in surprise.

Ah, yes, of course. Let us all remember the many accomplishments of Yuan Chen. The funerary priest began to list them off.

The Sect Leader gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder. Thank you Master, I said quietly since he had given me quite a bit of face by showing up.

Think nothing of it, my disciple, he replied quietly back as the funerary priest kept talking about my fathers accomplishments.

Yao Chuntao, the ninth daughter of Yuan Chen for her heaven gifted talent of portrait drawing. Finally, the seventh son of Yuan Zhou, a cultivator of the Cloudy Moon Sect and personal disciple of Sect Leader Jiang Fengge, the funerary priest appeared nervous enough that he might actually soil himself. Thankfully he kept steady and didnt squeak out anything he was trying to say. Also, by listing my name last, he was saying I was the greatest accomplishment of my father.

Yuan Chen, an honored man under the heavens, the funerary priest said and then turned back to the pyre and bowed quite deeply. I bowed slightly. The Sect Leader and two cultivators with him did not bow. Everyone else bowed very deeply towards the pyre. That concludes the service, the funerary priest said.

Anyone who had wanted to speak, already had a chance to do so before the procession and the burning. I had politely declined. While I appreciated all he had done for me, I didnt feel like speaking with how heavy my heart currently was.

I will be returning to the sect, disciple. I will await you there to take the Pill of Peace, the Sect Leader said.

Yes Master. Safe travels, I replied. He gave me a slight smile and then quickly departed. Him showing up for just the last few minutes was an immense honor. I honestly hadnt been expecting him or for him to know about my fathers passing. While he might have called me a pig, he wasnt a bad guy.

He quickly departed, everyone bowing and making their way for him. He paused briefly and said something to my sister before departing. She had a look of shock on her face and then smiled at me, but her eyes had fire in them.

She walked over to me as other people began to talk and disperse. Brother, she greeted me.

Sister, I replied.

Brother, she replied.

So, what did the Sect Leader say to you? I asked with a grin.

Just that he appreciated my art. That I, Yao Chuntao, have a gift given by the heavens and it was appropriate for me to be listed under our fathers accomplishments due to the first portrait I drew, she replied.

Indeed, it is a priceless treasure, I said with a smile as she glared at me with her eyes.

Thank you, brother. Now the rumors will never stop. Everyone asks me to recreate the legendary drawing, she said.

When I become an immortal, it will truly deserve a place above my head, I said, which was the biggest compliment I could give. There were several people listening in wide eyed, since we werent exactly being quiet. This would confirm all the rumors.

My children, come here, my mother said and opened up her arms as she approached. We both went over and gave her a hug. While not entirely appropriate, for a funeral like this, it was okay to show some emotions and give hugs. Crying too much was not appropriate, but some family hugs were fine. My mother let us go.

Uncle, my niece, and daughter of my sister, Yao Lan greeted me with a slight bow. Giving her a look, she had already collected quite a few motes.

Greetings niece, I gave her a nod back.

Come, let us walk back to the estate, my mother said.

Mother, may I go with uncle to speak with him? Yao Lan asked my sister, who gave her permission. We began walking towards the family estate, people keeping away from us. There was silence for the first half of the trip. I knew she wanted to say something and I would not help her. A cultivator needed to have confidence in themselves. If they didnt they would never succeed climbing up the stages of cultivation.

Uncle, I have 100,000 motes already, she said. Oh, that was surprising. She was only 13 years old. She clearly had been working hard for the last 7 years. That showed she was focused and determined, both very good traits.

You are thinking about joining the next intake? I asked.

Yes. You have mentioned that it is important to plan my cultivation out and get started, she replied, and I nodded at this.

Hmm, I would say you should get more motes first. I cannot take on a disciple myself, I replied. Once you enter, you will have to work for sect points, which will not be easy or simple.

I can do it uncle, she replied, and I just smiled at what she was saying. I considered her request. I would have to pay a bribe to one of the elders to take her under their wing and make her a core disciple. Elder Li Fu came to mind. He was normally open to such things.

The next intake would be in two months. Only elders could invite guests into the sect. Still, she was technically a future disciple. I didnt want to make waves, or give up more spirit coins. While I was rich, you only stayed rich by not spending money constantly.

Keep collecting motes for the next couple of years. While I started young, rushing with so few motes will not be good. I will speak to one of the elders about taking you on as a disciple, I replied.

Thank you, uncle, she gave me a big hug. She was as tall as me, so it felt weird. I had started young but had collected far more motes by her age. She could only use a candle or a sensing rod to see motes. The sheer difference was already there. In a couple of years she would show her temperament by focusing on collecting motes, and get more.

Having around 200,000 motes would not be a bad thing in my mind. While it was on the high side, it would allow her more variations for her cultivation plan. I would arrange things for her in about 5 years, when she was 18. That would give her a couple of years to come up with a solid cultivation plan ahead of time.

Stay seated, I want to inspect you, he replied. I nodded as he came over and put two hands on my head and closed his eyes. I could feel ripples in my cultivation from where his hands were placed. Or I should say my soul. It was a weird feeling and I had never felt something like this before.

The ripples he released bounced around in my head, and the position of Aoyins Fang lit up. After a couple of minutes, he let go of me and sat back down. It is a decent idea, but there are two major issues disciple. The first, such a structure would need to be built using all three cultivation methods intertwined, on a much deeper level.

The second issue is that you wont be able to deal with Aoyins fang as easily later on. It would create an imbalance within you and your physical body to isolate it so. You dont isolate the astral soul stabilizer, which is acting as a counterpoint for what he did, the Sect Leader let out a short sigh.

The astral soul stabilizer was next to Aoyins fang, then it would be worthwhile, to lock them togeather. The effects unleashed by what he has done to you would be contained and absorbed.

Can you move the astral soul stabilizer? I asked and the Sect Leader shook his head.

I cannot. Your best option is cultivate like it isnt there. I know that is disturbing, but attempting to alter your cultivation could produce problems. I have given the issue some more thought. It might be possible to impact in the third stage and remove it, he replied.

Remove?! How? I asked with quite a bit of hope and excitement in my voice despite the Pill of Peace constantly giving me a calming mental effect. I wanted to remove any trace Aoyin had within me.

For that we have to consider polarity cultivation. It is a subset of soul cultivation that fell out of practice millennia ago. The principle behind it, would be to create two units of opposing cultivation in a cultivators body, to then draw in more energy. Since we know what Dao is based within Aoyins fang there is a chance, however slight you can keep moving forward while countering it.

There are downsides, I said, while trying to think of them.

Getting opposites isnt simple. What are the opposites of blood, power, and consume? the Sect Leader asked me. I frowned at that question.

There arent clear opposites, I finally said after thinking about the issue and the Sect Leader nodded at this.

That is precisely the problem. Finding the resources needed to create the opposite pulls in cultivation. Right now the astral soul stabilizer is erasing quite a bit of influence of Aoyins fang. But it isnt a counter. Like a waterfall and a hole, the Sect Leader said and I nodded at this.

We would need to change that hole into another strip of land, and the waters collide and still, this is how polarity cultivation works. A passive method to obtaining drops within ones cores. The problem is, the greater the pressure in the cores, the more balance needed. For your cultivation you would need perfect opposites, the Sect Leader said.

Which is impossible, I replied, and he nodded.

Not impossible, but very hard to do properly. This also touches on Daos, which are in the later stages of cultivation. The procedure is best done in the third stage of your cultivation, before you begin collecting drops. Since the draw must be balanced. But if you succeed, then you will have a slightly easier time in the fourth stage, the Sect Leader said.

I am surprised Elder Liu Chen didnt mention this, I commented.

It is a method of cultivation that is unsuitable. A dead path. What cultivator would give up a piece of their cultivation? The risk of imbalance is massive. It also impacts your Dao in the later stages, since the cultivation is not your own. The issues are endless. But this is the only option to counter Aoyins fang.

But it is not required, I said to confirm.

It is not required, but the path of polarity is the only option that I can think of disciple. In addition, you would need 3 rank 8 treasures to match the level of cultivation of Aoyins fang, consisting of the opposites of blood, power, and consume.

If I dont then I have to accept it? I asked.

Indeed. I was going to bring this up once you reached the third stage and do my own research on possible items for you to use. It is not simple unfortunately to find rank 8 treasures that match exactly what you need. Indeed, any treasures you find are things Aoyin would desire.

Wouldnt they go against his nature? I asked.

He would change their nature. While not as strong as using something in its original form, he would do so. Even I would do so. But there is good news. The astral soul stabilizer being used as a base will help greatly. Rank 6 treasures that are exact opposites would have enough power. Since the whole of his cultivation wasnt used. Only a part of it. There are also techniques that can be used to weaken Aoyins fang when the procedure is done. I mentally let out a sigh of relief at that. The difference between a rank 6 and a rank 8 treasure was massive.

It wasnt just the cost, but also the rarity of the items that needed to be found. I just couldnt imagine what opposites were for blood, power, and consume. With blood, that could be something like a solid? Was the opposite of power, weakness? As for consume, was that barf? I needed to find a barfing treasure, or something more icky?

How are opposites normally worked out? I asked the Sect Leader. He smiled and chuckled slightly at that question.

That is why disciple, polarity cultivation is not done anymore. Even something like fire and water is not perfectly balanced. You need opposites. Somehow. It is a very complex question, involving multiple Daos that I dont fully understand.

Aoyin. I would need to ask Aoyin, I replied quietly.

That would be the fastest answer, since he knows his own cultivation the best. You will also need to discover that answer as well if you make it past the first bottleneck. Many people have pondered over this issue, but there are no good answers, the Sect Leader said.

I could imagine the headache now that the cultivators before me had when they came up with this method. Will we be able to test how close we are in some way? I asked.

To a degree, measuring can be done. But the measuring techniques have not improved much over the millennia, since this cultivation method fell out of practice. I can only tell if you are within a 10% margin of error. But you need to have less than a 1% margin of error for the opposite treasures that are picked. I winced at that.

So, the measurement system wasnt useful, and it came down to a guess. I would be able to tell if I was completely off, but not to an accurate degree. I will keep digging into this method of cultivation, but each situation is unique, yours even more so. That is also why it fell out of favor. It couldnt be easily replicated.

And if it is wrong, or the polarity method is off? I asked and the Sect Leader shook his head.

Your core formation would be unbalanced, and you would perish when trying to cross the threshold of the first bottleneck. It is far more important that you get the opposites correct. I wanted to cry, but it was a solution. A solution that the Sect Leader had spent time researching to save me.

Thank you, Master.

No need to thank me. Your situation is partly my fault due to my history with Aoyin. You will need to conduct research, a lot of research during the third stage, and then need to acquire items that are opposites.

I winced at this. I would have to give the measure a lot of thought. It wasnt simple. The Sect Leader recommended several texts from the elders library to me to read and gave me a list to start off in my research. While he would do his own research, it was a dead cultivation method that was unique to individuals and was not widespread.

There were only a few scattered references that I would have, and the headache of finding actual opposites. That would be even harder, and I had no idea where to start. Thankfully, I wasnt panicking due to the Pill of Peace. I had time. I just needed to research and work at the problem, and not give up. That was the most important thing. I was going to make it through the second stage, no matter what now.

There had been doubt before, but I was going to reach the third stage of cultivation. There were no more roadblocks in my way. It was just a matter of putting in the time and aligning my motes.