Calculating Cultivation

“Port Farsight,” Captain Li Meifeng gestured across the bow of his damaged ship at the city. I had developed expectations that the place would be some sort of hovel of dirt and sticks. Instead I was greeted with a city made of concrete that had buildings five stories tall, massive docks, a ten story lighthouse, and around twenty wooden ships in and around the docks themselves.

“I was expecting something a bit less impressive,” I replied while looking at the city and the see through skin people with too large eyes moving about. I was really going to stand out once I arrived.

“Well it is the main link to the Saphire Ocean for exploration and hunting. You can follow the Lifeward road out of the city to the capital, but the governor will be your best option in order to get a letter of introduction,” Captain Li Meifeng explained.

I needed to go from the Governor to the King and then to the Sect in the Empire of Flame. Working my way up the ladder of people to get answers. “Thank you for agreeing to introduce me to the governor,” I said.

“I was going to anyway. And after you helped save the ship, it is the least I could do. It will take a couple of days to sell everything we have collected. You can collect your money any time. It will take a while before repairs are complete and we set off again,” Captain Li Meifeng said with a heavy sigh. Voyager was limping into port with the damage it had taken from the leviathan. “Perhaps one day we will reach the edge of the Great World.”

“Perhaps. It would be a long and hard journey. Even with a way to travel quickly,” I replied.

“A man needs a dream.” The Captain then walked off to oversee us docking in at the port. I was stared at quite heavily by the people going about their business. Once I left the city, I might wear a disguise or something. I also noticed that most of the clothing was linen cloth and there were no martial robes. Even the guards wore a type of linen cloth with wood armor.

Coming into the port, I had noted there were attempts at farming and growing trees outside the city, but they looked quite sad in terms of size and vitality. The climate was quite poor to grow crops and other plants. It wasn’t as bad as the previous parts of land I had crossed, since crops and trees were able to grow, but they were clearly struggling.

Looking up at the white star, or Life Light as the people called the singular source of light, it made me wonder why everything wasn’t overheating. A star focused on a specific section of land should overheat things. That was a good reason for the Great Desert and the greater angle made it difficult for plants to grow.

There were a lot of amazing things a civilization could do with just wood, but without large sources of metal, they were incredibly handicapped from any kind of technological growth. The people here were heavily trapped in a ring of sustainability.

At least they didn’t make wooden swords. A sword was a useful weapon since the metal was able to hold an edge. While they had come a long way with wood, there was no way they would be able to have wood cut as easily metal. Hence the bone and teeth that were used.

While following Captain Li Meifeng to the governor’s building, I thought about what the purpose of this place could be. If I had showed up on my continent after learning everything I knew, it wouldn’t be clear that it was a resource production location. That kind of macro-engineering made the purpose of structures incredibly unclear.

There was also the issue that this Great World was much, much smaller than the ring Yang Heng and I had encountered. While there was a gap between the ring and the location of this place, there was a lot of unknown space. Glancing up at the sky, there were probably a lot of hidden systems and construction to make a bubble of reality work in the Mechanical Layer. You couldn’t cheat as much with energy, like in the Firmament, which was what the Continent I had grown up on had done.

Most of the buildings were grayish block structures with wood signs out front. Looking closely, it appeared the buildings used wood frames for the interior and floors while they used concrete for the outside and foundation. Even the streets were paved with concrete blocks and there was a sewer system. I also noted many buildings had a type of sail structure at the top that was slowly turning around in a circle.

Again, I was reminded of the fact that a lack of technology or energy did not mean these people were stupid. While individual people might have various degrees and bouts of stupidity, any kind of civilization would have a much greater level of intelligence. There was also the genius factorization for such a large group of people.

If one out of every million people was a genius, and humans could share information, larger civilizations would naturally have more geniuses. If you took 8 billion people on Earth, you might have 8,000 geniuses. If you took this place, which could easily have 8 trillion people due to the sheer size, then having 8 million geniuses was possible.

While there would be difficulties gathering such large groups togeather and other logistical and informational challenges, over time a larger civilization would progress more rapidly. It was also why the Heavenly Alliance had places like the Continents. People were resources as well. While I had assumed the goal had been innovation in cultivation, it was far larger than I had initially thought.

Could something similar be occurring here? Yang Heng had explained the end goal of super-organizations. To gather more energy, techniques, knowledge, and strength to their side over time. That period of time was incredibly long, but the primary goals still remained the same.

The question I had to ask, was how did this place contribute to those goals? Since there were cultivators, my main guess was that it was to develop techniques with as little energy use as possible. Efficiency, where techniques would be refined over countless generations.

The lack of metal, cut off any path towards technology. The no energy environment and the possibly limited energy would create an environment where cultivators had to squeeze out every possible use of energy. If the cultivators had some kind of crystals, where energy was rationed that would all but confirm my guess.

I had made improvements myself in the efficient use of energy. The main difference was that I was able to generate my own energy to a very limited degree, unlike the people of this place. There was no way a connection could be established between their soul and the Astral Plane to draw up energy to assist their cultivation.

It was a fundamental facet of reality, that they were just too far from the source of energy in the lower layers of reality to draw it up or create a connection without one already being present. And if they advanced their cultivation further and became energy based lifeforms, this suppressive environment would crush them like it had Yang Heng, incapacitating them.

Leaving this place would become even more difficult if that were the case. The biggest danger was some kind of large technological force interfering from the outside, but the answer was obvious now that I had confirmed there were cultivators and humans.

The large ring around this bubble of reality might intercept and destroy all non-cultivators. Whoever set this up was clearly a cultivator. That was without question, since super-organizations were defined by how they used energy. There was no point for non-cultivator super-organizations to set up a place where there were cultivators. The knowledge gained versus the effort spent wasn’t useful.

If there were groups fighting against the cultivators, then that might be understandable, but even the demons Captain Li Meifeng had mentioned, were just a myth about the outer edges of the Great World. There had been no actual confirmations of actual demons, just ancient fairy tales. It was possible, however remote, that another type of super-organization set this place up, but the humans and cultivators placed here, overwhelmed the demons, wiping them out and the super-organization never came back to check for whatever reason.

That second explanation seemed off. Too many coincidences had to perfectly happen for that to be the case. It seemed more and more likely that this entire place was meant to force cultivators to use energy more efficiently. That meant there should be a way that information was collected, and a way for me to leave this place.

Since it was most likely built by a super-organization, it was highly likely they had a way back to the Firmament. While there would be greater risks, there would be energy. Also, Yang Heng could be rescued as well.

The governor’s building was painted in a yellow color, which was the main color for the Kingdom of Wu. Thankfully there was a lot of color coordination in terms of the Kingdoms. Normally an Empire picked red, green, or blue, with the lesser Kingdoms picking related colors.

The guards stared at me intently as I followed Captain Li Meifeng into the building. “Explorer Captain Li Meifeng to introduce Cultivator Yuan Zhou to the Governor,” he introduced us to the receptionist. She looked at me, then at the sword on my waist.

The female receptionist quickly bowed. “Of course honored guests. Please, follow me to the receiving room where there will be refreshments. I will inform Governor Chuanli,” she said. We went to a side sitting room, where servants quickly brought in various finger foods and drink. I sampled a couple of them but did not indulge myself deeply. The Captain did the same while we waited.

After about a quarter of one of my hours the governor showed up. The two different time systems were confusing. I planned to stick with mine, unless there was a reason to do otherwise.

The governor was an older man, who was dressed in robes with various shades of yellow and the symbol of the Wu Kingdom sewn onto the breast. “Governor Chuanli, these are your guests, Explorer Captain Li Meifeng and Cultivator Yuan Zhou.”

He stared intently at me. “Truly you are a cultivator?” he asked with a bit of surprise.

“Indeed. Captain Li Meifeng can testify how I took down a leviathan,” I said. The governor turned to look at the Captain.

“It is the truth, even if I would not have believed it with my own eyes. Two sword strikes and the beast had perished. If not for Cultivator Yuan Zhou, I would not be standing here,” he replied. The governor then bowed to me, deep enough to indicate he was being respectful, but not subservient. One of the many things that was similar to the cultivation culture of the Heavenly Alliance that I had confirmed with the Captain during our language lessons.

“I would thank you Cultivator Yuan Zhou. The Captain here is one of our more daring explorers. Not many captains and crews will risk crossing the ocean to chart untamed lands. His loss would be felt by the Kingdom.”

“He was kind enough to give me a lift to your city of Port Farsight. It is more impressive than I would have initially thought it to be,” I replied. The governor straightened up with a smile. The bigger eyes and the almost translucent skin still unnerved me. It would take me a long time to get used to seeing such people.

“It is rare that a cultivator wishes to speak with one such as myself. Please, sit, and tell me how I can be of service,” the governor said. We all sat back down.

“I have gone on a long journey and have recently come back to civilization. I am hoping to learn many things. Specifically any knowledge of the Great Desert, the cultivators of this area, and an introduction to the local sect,” I explained.

“The Captain would know as much as any scholar. The Great Desert is more than a lifetime of travel away. Even by fast courier ship, one’s distant might arrive if they did nothing but travel. All there are is legends. Everyone knows the Life Light is directly above the Great Desert, and there are great beasts in the desert, but beyond that there are just tall tales.” I nodded at this.

It wasn’t a surprise. If I kept traveling at my current pace, it would be a couple hundred years to reach the Great Desert. The name probably wasn’t an exaggeration with how far it was. “As for cultivators in the area and an introduction, I can write a letter of introduction to the King, who in turn could write such a letter of introduction on your behalf.”

“I would greatly appreciate such a letter,” I replied.

“The problem is, I am out of favor with the court,” Governor Chuanli said. “That is why I have been banished to help manage this city at the most distant point from the capital.”

“What about your family?” Captain Li Meifeng asked.

“Out of favor as well. My niece eloped with a merchant and did not marry the third Prince. While they were not engaged, talks had been ongoing. Now we are out here.”

“Forgive my bluntness, but will you be able to help me and what would be the price?” I asked.

“You wish to go to the capital, and I have been arranging for a large caravan to head that direction. The problem is the value of what is being transported. Various ores that have been recovered during explorations. The value represents a decade worth of output from this city and will cover the taxes that are owed. The problem comes from the neighboring kingdoms.”

“They will attempt to rob the caravan?” I asked.

“Indeed. There are various port cities that have been built along the coast from the Kingdoms that are Lifewards. Each of us is in competition and act like a small miniature Kingdom. We need to get the ores across land to the port city of Nearsight, and from there they can be shipped across the Emerald Ocean to the capital.”

“And you want me to accompany such a caravan?” I asked.

“Exactly. With a cultivator protecting such a caravan, there will be no need to worry. And with the arrival of the caravan, my position in court will be much better for having turned a profit from this forsaken city.”

“Why not send soldiers?” I asked.

“That would have been the plan, but we are effectively under siege.” Captain Li Meifeng looked alarmed at that statement.

“How?” he asked. I was not sure of his exact relationship with the governor, but it clearly was quite good. Probably due to the fact he went looking for and brought back metal ore. It would be all too easy for the Captain to go to another port or Kingdom to trade there. Loyalty and trust were big factors as well as wealth.

Being a ship Captain meant being quite rich, or at least upper middle class in this culture. The city being under siege was a huge threat.

“There are several bandit groups that are coordinating, and support from the capital has been cut off due to the mistakes made by my niece. They know we have a large quantity of ore waiting to be refined. So, while I can have the soldiers repel any attack on the nearby farms, and sweep the surrounding areas, once a caravan is more than three days travel away from the city, they will swarm it. I can’t be sure my messengers have gotten through.”

“And if you send soldiers, the city and surrounding areas will be under defended,” Captain Li Meifeng replied.

“Excuse me, but how can they afford to wait around for so long. This has been going on for a while?” I asked.

“Lives are cheap due to the overpopulation of settled territory. It is common for neighboring kingdoms to put togeather forces of bandits to attack their neighbors. If they destabilize things enough an actual army will be sent. The civilians will fight back, which makes it hard for bandits to attack, but sending or receiving supplies is very difficult, since they can intercept all the land routes,” Captain Li Meifeng explained for me.

It made a weird kind of sense. These Kingdoms had too many people. And while there was a lot of effort to clear new land to grow food and wood, this led to even more people later on. With no birth control and inheritances going to the eldest son, there were a lot of people that needed jobs. It took connections and bribes to become a soldier, that was how many people there were.

The Kingdoms would arrange proxy battles between bandit groups. If one side got enough of an advantage an actual army would be sent in to claim the territory, with the bandits replacing the civilians who were killed in the takeover. That was why the civilians and farmers around the city would fight to the death, to protect what they had.

The more peaceful an area, the more problems that area had with excess population. In addition, with the harshness of the climate, the areas further away from the coast were much more inhospitable. There was no long history of plants decaying and building up soil. The land was still incredibly rocky. The more one traveled Lifeward, the less rocky the soil and the better the climate was to grow crops.

The bandit groups the Governor had sent out, would not return, since there was nothing for them to return to. In addition, the people working around the city needed to spend their time growing food and performing the tasks they were skilled at. There were only so many soldiers the city could support.

If the governor called up the civilians, it would be a huge expense and reflect poorly on his management skills, which was risky with his already precarious position. Which meant he was stuck and could only wait until the capital got annoyed enough to investigate what was going on with Port Farsight, or someone like me came along who could break the stalemate.

“Asking me to protect the caravan is one thing, but you are purposely trying to lure the bandit groups into an attack so I wipe them out for you,” I said. I would not be used without a lot of compensation. “I could travel by myself easily enough. As a cultivator, I could find my own way to the local sect.”

“But looking like you do, without deeds to your name, you will be questioned once you reach the capital. Things will be much more difficult for you. A small bit of effort on your part, and traveling in comfort, will ensure your path forward is made easier,” Governor Chuanli replied.

“If you could provide an introduction to a Sect, then that would be a different matter. I have no need of money.” I didn’t really that much, I was incredibly self-sufficient. They had no sources of energy or any technology that was worthwhile. With the leviathan parts, I would have more than enough local money to pay for things. As for my safety, I wasn’t that concerned either.

Even if there was a powerful cultivator or super-organization running this place, they wouldn’t care about any of these people. It was like the continent. Unless I threatened the underlying principles of this bubble or attacked their interests directly, there was just too much to pay attention to and pointless to try and control everything.

No wonder senior cultivators hated teaching or training others if they didn’t have to, unless they saw some future benefit. I was presented with the same situation, and I didn’t want to waste my time. The silence stretched on as Governor Chuanli considered what he could offer me in exchange for my assistance.

“I have a scroll regarding cultivation that was a gift from a passing cultivator, that he exchanged for some help. I can give you the scroll,” the Governor offered. Now that was interesting.

“That I can accept,” I replied and the tension seemed to leave the room. “When would we depart?” I asked.

“Three days from now. Until then you can be my honored guest,” the Governor said.

“Won’t that alert the bandits that I am here? They must have spies?” I asked.

“Perhaps, but as long as the shipment gets through, it doesn’t matter. The safety of my position and the city will be secured. They will probably suspect that it is a lie, since things are getting more and more desperate for me. What better way to scare bandits off than a cultivator?”

“But they will attack regardless,” the Captain said.

“Like leviathans to fresh meat in the ocean. They will gripped by their instincts and the massive payday of taking the caravan. Even more so, since it won’t be over strength, but have a regular number of soldiers escorting it,” the Governor replied.

“They won’t have a cultivator of their own?” I asked. That was my biggest concern. I didn’t think the cultivators of this Great World would be that dangerous, but I would rather be cautious and gather information before fighting if at all possible.

“Unlikely. These are minor internal matters of cities inside the Empire. If they had a cultivator, they would have attacked directly, instead of being bandits. No cultivator would hide out in the wilderness like that, when there are much better options. If you wanted to remain here, I would offer you anything you wanted. Food, women, the city’s wealth.”

“And cultivators don’t do this?” I asked wanting to know more about the cultivator culture of this place.

“It would slow down their pursuit of power. And the Sect would offer better accommodations than some backwater city that lies Edgeward.” That was the same between where I had grown up and this place. Cultivators desired more power. To be a cultivator was to cultivate power in the quest for immortality. It was good to confirm there were strong similarities to what I already knew.

“Tempting, but I plan to continue my journey only making small detours. I suspect what I seek lies in the center of the Great Desert. Any advice on traveling Lifeward as quickly as possible?” I asked.

“Once you get past the Emerald Ocean and to the next one, there are canals that cut through the land. Hiring a fast ship would be your best option, and going from canal to canal,” Captain Li Meifeng suggested.

“The Captain is right. That would be the best and fastest way to travel. I would caution about the massive expense and time of such a trip, but as a cultivator that is a small concern,” Governor Chuanli replied.

“It is tempting to leave and start such a journey. But I am getting a bit old for such a trip. My children have left home to seek their own fortunes on the oceans,” Captain Li Meifeng said.

“I would find someone to manage your ship once complete your errands in the capital and the Sect.”

“What is the name of the cultivation Sect?” I asked.

“Flame Sect, like the Empire. I can’t speak to their temperament or policies. But my letter will get you to see the King, who can arrange a letter for you to go visit the Sect with an introduction,” the Governor answered. I nodded at this and the conversation wound down.

Afterwards I was shown to a guest room. To my surprise they had running water, made from ceramic pipes and brought to the top of the governor’s building through a well and the use of an Archimedes screw to draw up water and the use of wind power. That was what those sail structures I had seen earlier were doing. Bringing up fresh water from deep underground for various buildings.

Such measures were also used in various farming areas to ensure there was enough water for all the plants. The main issue was light to help them grow, which was why food and wood was a struggle this far Edgewards.

Unlike other strips of land, there were no cities that weren’t on the coast. Fish were needed to supplement people’s diets inside the city, since there wasn’t enough of a surplus of food from the outlying farms. Even with large tracts of farmland, it was still a struggle to produce enough food. That combined with the lack of metal were the biggest visible constraints on these weird looking people.

The Governor himself brought me the scroll while I read in his library, improving my limited reading skills. The scroll was in a nice wooden case. I opened it up and took a look at the scroll, having to spend some time to translate it. While I could speak the local language, Captain Li Meifeng only had so many things available for me to read.

Tiger Leaping Over The Wall Technique

In the tranquil realm where the whispers of ancient spirits echo through the verdant valleys, there exists a profound cultivation technique known as the Tiger Leaping Over the Wall Technique. It is said to be a harmonious dance between the practitioner and the forces of nature, a sublime artistry that transcends mere physicality.

To commence this mystical practice, one must first find a secluded grove where the energies of the earth converge harmoniously. With reverence, the practitioner assumes a meditative stance, grounding themselves deeply into the fertile soil beneath their feet. As the gentle breeze caresses their skin and the song of the birds becomes their melody, they align their breath with the rhythm of the Life Light.

As the connection with the tiger becomes palpable, the practitioner begins to move with fluidity and precision, mimicking the feline's graceful movements. With each step, they leap higher and higher, defying the constraints of the Great World itself. It is as if the practitioner has become one with the very essence of motion, transcending the limitations of the physical realm.

With a heart full of courage and a spirit unbound, the practitioner executes the final leap – the legendary leap over the wall. In this moment of transcendence, they soar through the air with the grace of a falling leaf, breaking through the barriers that once confined them.

As they land gracefully on the other side, a sense of euphoria washes over them, permeating every fiber of their being.

The more I read and translated, the more I wanted to puke. It was a flowery description, not a technical description. No wonder the Governor was willing to give it to me. While I understood the importance of flowery descriptions for higher level techniques, to allow more room for improvement, it didn’t explain anything regarding how this Great World’s cultivation system might work.

It was incredibly aggravating to get such a technique, when I wanted something that said, ‘Move energy to X to get Y result.’ At least it would be a valuable trade good. The remainder of my time in the Governor’s home and office, I spent going through his library, working to improve my reading skills and understanding of this world.

There were several historical accounts, but nothing beyond 1,000 of the local years, which was about 4,500 of my years. There were references to events that happened before then, but there were no books or scrolls available discussing them specifically.

Port Farsight had been built 1,000 years ago, when the Kingdom of Wu and the Empire of Flame were undergoing an expansionist phase into unclaimed territory. This had been a military outpost before then, not a full fledged city, with only limited exploration into the ocean beyond.

The idea at the time had been to change this city into one that would dominate the Sapphire Ocean. The Kingdom of Wu’s neighbors followed suit, with various conflicts, ups and downs, over the years. Apparently, there was a military outpost across the ocean that I had crossed, but hadn’t run into. The goal being to create a path to explore outwards into unclaimed territory for more resources.

There had been success, but it wasn’t cheap or easy to make such cities with how hard it was to grow crops. Even the occasional find of metal ore was not enough for a greater investment at the moment. Captain Li Meifeng charted the coast and rivers, as well as bringing messages back and forth. He would also do the occasional interior exploration if he thought some portion of land might have something valuable.

Again, I was reminded that being stuck in the wood age did not mean these people were stupid. They had running water, sewer system, and a wide range of impressive accomplishments. But without large sources of metal, they were heavily limited in what they could actually accomplish.

Even if the entire Great World had as much metal as Earth, it was to spread out. Where even a scrap of iron was treated like gold. But there was nothing that could be done. No matter how much they bred for specific traits in plants and trees and their woodworking improved, one could only accomplish so much with wood and plants.

There was a technological barrier that couldn’t be easily crossed, if at all. Anything involving electricity just wouldn’t be possible. That meant large scale manufacturing would be limited. Plastics would also be a struggle. There were no natural oil deposits, at least none according to the books I read through. All the oil came from a type of tree sap.

“Cultivator Yuan Zhou,” Captain Li Meifeng greeted me the morning before I left.

“Captain. How are the repairs for the Voyager?” I asked.

“Going well enough. I have collected your share of payment from the leviathan corpse.” I had kept a few samples with me, a large tooth, and several scales. “Two strips and twenty coins.”

The high-level currency of this place was based on metal slips, strips, and bars. There were 100 coins to a strip and 20 strips to a bar. All metal held around the same value. The coins were quite small with a hole in the middle. Kingdoms issued specially carved wooden coins that had lesser values for internal trade, but were rarely accepted beyond the Kingdom’s boarders, and if they were only at a great loss.

Each coin was about the size of a dime, I remembered from Earth, which was about the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Each strip was about the size of my middle finger and had as much metal as 100 coins. A bar was just 20 strips combined togeather. The date, kingdom, metal, and purity were all etched onto each of these items since they were handcrafted individually.

Compared to the amount of material that had been taken from the leviathan and my half of the amount taken, it was a stark difference, and another reminder of how valuable metal actually was here in the Great World.

I didn’t even bother putting the money into my spatial storage. Instead, I kept it in a pouch, I tucked into my martial robes. I had washed my clothing myself, very carefully. While they were incredibly durable even without energy, the self-cleaning wasn’t functioning. I had washed them occasionally, but I was in proper civilization now with actual cleaning products. I only used a small amount, but the diluted sap gave a subtle floral smell to my clothing instead of a musk.

I had gotten several showers as well during my stay and enjoyed meals that weren’t reconstituted paste. Voyager, while a big ship did not have these kinds of luxuries.

“Thank you Captain. I wish you safe and profitable exploration,” I said.

“Thank you, Cultivator Yuan Zhou. May your journey to the Great Desert go quickly and smoothly,” he replied. With our goodbyes completed, I also said goodbye to the Governor as well. The caravan had assembled in front of his building in the small plaza there.

I noted a lot of people had come out to watch our departure. I was wearing a wide brimmed hat with a shawl. That covered the back of my head and the sides, while leaving the front in shadow since the hat was tipped forward. I also had a plain gray cloak that went on top of my martial robe. Even with my disguise I still got a lot of stares and looks at the sword on my hip.