[Freeform] Lotus Shadows [Xianxia Riot/Communication Quest]

[Hangwind]

For most people, being bor. without spirit roots wasn't a huge issue. Sure, the vast majority of the population had some form of root, but the difference between no root and a trash tier root was minimal at best. Not having a root was actually a form of protection, since demons, evil beasts, and the various kinds of wandering souls couldn't use you as even a snack.

Lai Yongnian was not a normal child. Born the first son of an elder of the Still Pool Sect, having no spirit roots was considered a terrible sign. It actually opened his mother up to accusations of consorting with demons. After all, how could such a talented figure have such a worthless son? It would only make sense if those spirit roots were destroyed as opposed to not being there in the first place. It certainly didn't help that his father was actually a wandering cultivator not truly associated with the sect at all, but being considered a sort of guest elder through his mother.

At first things weren't so bad. Lai Yongnian Could be weak, it wasn't so unusual for the son of an elder to be weak. Many others had children that were lazy and incompetent, spoiled by the position of their parents. However , years with no improvement whatsoever , even given the full resources of an elder meant that the whispers grew louder. Yongnian's Mother tried to protect him. She progressively hit him away more and more, keeping him from the sect politics that swirled around him. Soon enough though, Yongnian learned the truth of his position. His mother would be investigated and their entire family might be cut away from the sect if he were found to be completely void of spirit roots.

Yongnian needed some way to show some form of improvement. None of the obvious ways seem to do anything for him. He tried each of the Lotus Palaces, buy none of the arts blossomed for him. In desperation, he withdrew into the depths of the Purple Lotus Repository, searching for some faint hope. Instead, he found the art of despair: the Sacrifice of Fortune Severing.

This art gave him a single solitary way forward. With an ultimately simple formation that did not require even a single bit of qi to activate, he could cut off his personal fortune and offer it to anything willing to give power in return. This meant giving up more than just luck though: spirit roots, blood essence, bloodline, body, and even the very soul were considered forfeit. It was the art for those that craved power above all else, or that had a task-usually revenge-that they were willing to die to accomplish.

Obviously this was a very forbidden technique.

Just as obviously, Yongnian immediately grabbed onto the technique with both hands. The ritual was simple enough that anyone could do it. A simple gu vessel would be placed in front of a blank tablet. Then he would begin venerating the tablet with genuflection and prayers, effectively inviting anything spiritual to answer your request. That would give whatever answered the authority of an ancestor over you, placing his fate entirely in the entity's hands.

Ordinarily this resulted in possession as some horror took the offer and used the human as a vessel. After all, a possessed human did become more powerful and gain new techniques. It was one of the easiest ways for them to crawl their way into the world. However, there was one case where even the meanest of evil spirits would pass an offering over, and that was when the offering had no spiritual roots. The point of possessing a human was to use their spirit roots to connect with the mortal plane. Weaker roots could only support weaker evil spirits, but weaker roots also meant weaker humans, keeping a favorable balance towards the spirits. If there were no roots, then the spirit would have to build its own connection with the mortal plane in place of the spirit roots, and why bother then? Better to just make your own mortal shell at that point.

However, there were things that preferred no spirit roots. What answered Yongnian was paradoxically a mythical existence and yet incredibly common: the Lotus Petals of Reincarnation, you. Just as the Lotus cast off its petals to continue the greater cycle of reincarnation, so were there traces of those that gathered enough power to transcend the planes. These were not part of the cultivator left behind, but rather something like plaster cast footprints-dim shadows of qi left behind as something weighty passed through the limits of the world. These existences held many mysteries, being intrinsically linked to the cycle of reincarnation and the breaking thereof. If one could find such a spirit and convince or force it to work with them, they Lotus Petal could induce a minor reincarnation, improving one at the most fundamental level.

The problem was that this meant the spirit's dissolution. the process integrated them with the spirit root of whoever they improved, rejoining them with the cycle of reincarnation and fusing them into the host, ending them as a discrete being. Some were willing to do this for one reason or another but most were deeply unwilling to end their own existence in such a way. Yongnian though? he has no spirit roots. Nothing to fuse with, no connection to the greater cycle.

Which made him a perfect host for you. His body, qi, and soul would protect you from the world and from being taken by powerful beings looking for your power, while you could help him improve himself. Thus came the torrent of lotus petals, each different and unique, flowing into his body, filling it but never overstuffed. Many simply rested there, falling into a torpor in the peace of a place with no spirit roots to take them. But some chose to stay active. The first blessing had been given already, he had the barest hint of flowing qi now, but there was so much more that could be done.

How will you guide him? Not all incarnations are righteous after all, and not all transcensions are on an upward path. You reflect myriad myths and legends and things stranger still. Your knowledge of the mortal worlds is muddy and fractured at best, but maybe, just maybe, with your help, Lai Yongnian's name might echo in this world and beyond.

AN//: Tried to post this last night, but messed it up. Have fun, and feel free to ask questions! Fair warning, some of the answers will be "Try it and find out".

 

[Hangwind]

DA RULES

Lai Yongnian cannot cultivate. He can increase in skill with the ways that you cultivate him though. That is what him training is for.

You can only cultivate known parameters. Your knowledge of anything mortal-including cultivation-is largely theoretical.

You get one message to Yongnian and one action vote per update. You do not have to use both.

You generally cannot take direct control of Yongnian. Not because you lack the power to, but because there are effectively infinite petals inside Yongnian, each with the same authority over him. Talking him into doing something will generally be more effective.

There are many things to discover...

 

[Hangwind]

Known Parameters:
Spirit Root ∞ You are his spirit root. AND YOU ARE LEGION!
Body 1 [2/5] General fitness of the body. You can improve it generally right now, but the specifics are fuzzy.
Soul 1 [0/5] He probably has one. You are certainly tinkering with something anyway.
Qi 1 [1/5] You actually understand qi! How it interacts with humans...not so much. Some slight improvement just for housing you.
-Qi Density 0 [0/2] His qi is actually less dense than the qi in the atmosphere. You aren't sure how this is possible.
-Qi Flow 1 [0/3] Stagnant. Has started to move continentally slowly.
-Qi Sense 1 [0/3] He has awareness of his qi. Inanimate objects have higher average qi sense than this.

 

[Travisplo]

[X] Desperate boy, please amend the book that you found this ritual in, that it is almost entirely safe for those without spirit roots. Now- desperate boy, these lingering spirits greets you, and thank you for your adoption of us as your ancestor. Would you be willing to return to the repository and search for information on Qi Voids and their uses? You are a lesser one at the moment- not a complete absence, but a lower density than the surrounding Qi. Which, we're not sure how such a thing is possible. But we want to learn what we can do with such an unusual circumstance.
[X] Train Qi Sense.
-[X] Or substitute our own Qi Sense for his own- as we can obviously sense Qi better than he can, considering we can sense the ambient Qi and his own.


I think it might be useful if we wait to increase Qi Density or Flow. Within the impossible lay ways to further impossibilities.

 

[Moon-llama]

[X]hmmm ? There is actually someone here? How odd.
Allow us to help you young one .
[X]Body

@Hangwind
Not to be abummer , but if you don want the quest to have nsfw elements doing it in the sfw section on qq would mean you get little to no traffic joining.
I recommend moving it to either the nsfw section , or if you dont want that doing it in either sb or sv instead.

 

[edmantgoog]

[X] IAM, I WAS AND I WILL BE......VESSEL YOU ARE TOO WEAK! WE WILL AMKE YOUBSTRONGER SO THAT YOU ARE NOT SO UNWORTHY

 

[Dumpling]

[X] Oh why hello there, it's beeen a aaaaa long time since I've done any of this. But I'll give it a shot. We should probably get the Qi flowing at least a little bit stagnant qi is a big no no from what I remember. Oh but you should be fine without sensing it for now….. maybe… IDK HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[X] Train Qi Flow - Try to force it to move in a pattern resembling a whirlpool I love water.

 

[Bonnet]

[X] Greetings there. seems as you've gathered all of us into this arrangement. I for once, Appreciate the new change of pace than that boring thing had in place for me. Now, Little one. It seems you're in dire need of help. but I recommend training your body first. A strong foundation will always be good for when you begin putting the building blocks in place. such as Qi and the rest, However, do a thing for us as well. remain watchful of your surroundings, awareness will always come in hand.

[X] Train Body - Starting course of sets. Nothing too big for a first day. so we can see his limits

 

[Jerrylothy]

[x]Rap. Tap. Tap.

[x]Train Qi flow.

 

[GooseElite]

[X] It's easier to see if you open your eyes.

[X] Train Qi Sense.

 

[Hangwind]

[X] Desperate boy, please amend the book that you found this ritual in, that it is almost entirely safe for those without spirit roots. Now- desperate boy, these lingering spirits greets you, and thank you for your adoption of us as your ancestor. Would you be willing to return to the repository and search for information on Qi Voids and their uses? You are a lesser one at the moment- not a complete absence, but a lower density than the surrounding Qi. Which, we're not sure how such a thing is possible. But we want to learn what we can do with such an unusual circumstance.

Click to shrink...

Er...no offense, but this is really, really, really forbidden. Even my mother is only supposed to use this as a research material for countering evil cultivators. I really don't want to let anyone else know that I had this, much less that I actually used the art inside.

As for Qi voids, that's not my problem. Qi voids are produced by a special kind of spirit root, and have known techniques. Strange ones, but they exist. I'm not a void, I just am basically non-existent for all my effect on qi. As far as qi is concerned, I might as well be a particularly mobile mud puddle!

[X]hmmm ? There is actually someone here? How odd.
Allow us to help you young one

Click to shrink...

I'm here, I'm not so sure about you all! I'm worried this might be me descending into insanity. I'll certainly be grateful for any help you can give though.

[X] IAM, I WAS AND I WILL BE......VESSEL YOU ARE TOO WEAK! WE WILL AMKE YOUBSTRONGER SO THAT YOU ARE NOT SO UNWORTHY

Click to shrink...

Please don't be a demon, please don't be a demon, please don't be a demon...

[X] Oh why hello there, it's beeen a aaaaa long time since I've done any of this. But I'll give it a shot. We should probably get the Qi flowing at least a little bit stagnant qi is a big no no from what I remember. Oh but you should be fine without sensing it for now….. maybe… IDK HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Click to shrink...

Oh...good? Maybe?

[X] Greetings there. seems as you've gathered all of us into this arrangement. I for once, Appreciate the new change of pace than that boring thing had in place for me. Now, Little one. It seems you're in dire need of help. but I recommend training your body first. A strong foundation will always be good for when you begin putting the building blocks in place. such as Qi and the rest, However, do a thing for us as well. remain watchful of your surroundings, awareness will always come in hand.

Click to shrink...

Hey, you sound like some of the instructors here! Hopefully I should be safe here in the sect though...as long as they don't know I used a forbidden technique...

[x]Rap. Tap. Tap.

Click to shrink...

Are you knocking on the inside of my skull?

[X] It's easier to see if you open your eyes.

Click to shrink...

That's true, but what does that have to do with...oh! Oh my god!

Lai Yongnian wasn't certain he wasn't going insane, or already insane before he started. But he knew what he had to do: first, he needed to replace the scroll in the Purple Lotus Repository without being seen anywhere near it. Second, he needed to present himself to his mother. The demons spirits had said that they were doing something after all. And now that something had shifted, well, there was no way he would keep even minor improvement under wraps.

It honestly didn't take long to return the scroll. While most of the Repository was kept neat and clean, the corner with the scriptures captured from various sources ranging from unorthodox to demonic was poorly sorted and a bit chaotic. That was the only reason that Yongnian had felt confident enough to steal the scroll. The lack of organization made it easy to take abn unassuming scroll and just as easy to put it back in a random spot.

That done, Yongnian got to the second part of his plan. It would be very foolish to run straight to his mother after all, he needed something to explain his new "prowess".

So Yongnian turned toward the isolation chamber. It was a treasure of the Lai clan, not one of the sect so he was allowed to use it anytime no one else was. His mother had used her considerabletalent with formations to capture the remnants of qi left behind by her and her students breaking through major stages, filtering it out until only wispy heavenly qi remained. This made it an ideal place to focus on breaking through, supported by the heavens themselves in a way.

When he had purified himself and sealed himself in, he began meditating. It did feel different, there was a buzz that traced through his body in an odd way.

Now if only he had some idea of what to do with the feeling. He could sort of feel the way his qi was moving but doing anything with it was beyond him.

A couple hours later he unsealed the room and walked out. Time to face the judgement of his mother and the sect through her.

He took little time in heading toward the pond pavilion that his mother favored, having ascertained her whereabouts quickly. The bridge was closed, the lotuses spinning lazily in the slight breeze. Many were suprised that the lotuses were all colors instead of only being the purple that their branch of the sect used as a crest, but this was a public facing place for meetings. Putting only purple lotuses in and asking other elders to come there would send a message of sorts. Not a peaceful one, but a message.

Yongnian bowed deeply before the gate guardian statue, a deep purple dragon made to look like it had lotus petals for scales. He expected to wait for some time, perhaps until nightfall. Instead, the gate almost immediately opened.

Yongnian walked across the bridge with a smile on his face, focusing on keeping the glow of happiness in the forefront of his mind and any nervousness in the back of his mind. He bowed his head as he entered the pavilion, allowing his genuine excitement to suffuse his voice, " Pardon the intrusion Elder!"

"No pardon necessary," his mother said softly. "Raise your head and greet Elder Ying."

Yongnian froze, then clsped his hands in a traditional salute to the unexpected elder, "Junior greets the Elder," he said.

"This Elder greets Junior," the reed like elder said calmly with a casual wave of his hand. "Would you like me to give you some privacy?" he asks.

"No need," Yongnian's mother replied. "Anything that can make my son smile like that should be shared with friends. Joy is so rare in the world."

Yongnian swallowed nervously but smiled. "Elders, this junior comes with small fortune. The heavens have smiled, and I have begun to cultivate!"

Both elders seemed to flicker, their heads turning at inhuman speeds to lock on to him. His mother recovered the quickest, placing her tea cup down and clapping her hands. "How wonderful!" she exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. "Do you know what changed?"

Yongnian shook his head, launching into his story of being in the isolation chamber and feeling something finally shift in his meditation. The entire time though, he could feel two pairs of eyes on him and a suffocating pressure starting to manifest. This had to be what qi and possibly even divine sense felt like.

When he was done, his mother and Elder Ying glanced at each other. Suddenly the doors of the pavilion closed and sealed themselves, the puzzle locks engaging and formations glowing. "How interesting," Elder Ying commented. "What an interesting son you have Elder Lai. I have never seen anything quite like this."

Mother nodded, then smiled at Yongnian. "Come, sit," she said, gesturing toward a meditation mat unrolling itself on the floor. "Show us your meditation, and, if possible, try to cultivate."

Yongnian nodded and swallowed again, not bothering to hide his nervousness. If the voices had lied to him and they were demons, this is where it would be found out. If he could prove that his cultivation was untainted though, he should be clear of any open suspicion.

Please, Yongnian thought desperately, if you can, help me out here!

An: If you build it, they will come! I think I'm going to take a cue from mobile games and have an incentive where you get a bonus to your effectiveness at cultivating Yongnian at certain milestones for voting in every update in a row.

 

[Hangwind]

Travisplo 1/3
Moon-llama 1/3
edmantgoog 1/3
Dumpling 1/3
Bonnet 1/3
Jerrylothy 1/3
GooseElite 1/3

 

[GooseElite]

[X] The blind daoist pitied the young master, whose lamps burned bright while his senses remained dull.

[X] Train Qi Sense.

 

[edmantgoog]

[X] DEMON!!!! YOU DARE!!! BOY I WAS GOING YO GO EASY ON YOU!....BUT NOW YOU PISSED ME OFF TIME TO WORK YOU TO TGE BONE! EUERE YOU WILL BECOME THIS SORKDS STRONGEST OR WE WILL KILL TOU TRYING!!!!

Guan Yu

This article is about the historical figure. For the Kunio-kun character who plays Guan Yu, see Kunio. Guan Yu is a minor character who was first featured in River City Saga: Three Kingdoms that is based off of the real-life historical figure. He is a righteous general who's admired by many and...

kuniokun.fandom.com

(I currently do not have access to a lsptop and amd doing everything via phone)

---

 

[Moon-llama]

[X]A cultivator is only as strong as his weakest part, and your body shall be the foundation you build from .
You may doubt us junior , but this stellar Beast venerable shall show you the truth.
[X]Body

 

[Travisplo]

[X] Brothers, with me! We must stir this Heaven's Breath through the boy! His body should have passively absorbed at least *some* of the Heavenly Qi. And boy- as soon as possible, you should return to the Heavenly Chamber. We will drink deep of Heaven's Will, and allow it to fill you to the brim and beyond. Truly, it will be an amazing sight, and be a good way to defuse any possible suspicions of Demons, as to have such pure Heavenly Qi circulating within you *should* make your soul inhospitable to the spiritual parasites- but not to us non-infernal spiritual symbiotes.

[X] Qi Flow

I want to see what happens if he has more Heavenly Qi than Earthly Qi in him! Please, can we agree to not increase his Qi Density unless we are in the Heavenly Chamber? If I had known that his family possessed such a treasure, I would have asked we made use of it by each and every one of us stimulating his Qi Density until his Meridians were swimming in the Heaven's Breath.

AND REMEMBER FOLKS- Action AND Word Votes.