The Verdant Snow Sect hunted numerous spirit beasts over the years, and even now, there are core and inner disciples that made regular trips to the various glades and valleys within their informal territories to hunt for more, in exchange for merit points.
Most of that is stored in spatial pouches, and processed once they are brought back. Not all disciples are not master hunters, so some instead devoted themselves to the business of processing the flesh and corpses of spirit beasts. From every haul, there are still some that are stored in a storage facility with various stasis formations to preserve them.
They would last a few hundred years, if the stasis formations preventing their decay remained functional.
Their blood isn’t fresh, but Tundra realized quite quickly going through the new bloodline techniques that it isn’t the blood that is important.
It is the spirit beast’s marrow. The blood could be all dried up, but so long as the beast’s marrow is still in good condition, there is a decent chance of restarting the marrow’s blood producing abilities, which would then facilitate the creation of a bloodline.
He then linked this to the bone marrow of a cultivator, and realized where he could work.
The next time he met Azin again, he would need to work on thickening and reconditioning the marrow. That would help improve the long term density of the spiritual bloodline within Azin’s body, and facilitate the eventual awakening of his bloodline.
As he went through the various spirit beasts, he thought about the likelihood of these spirit beasts containing bloodlines that would be compatible with the people within his family and sect.
The inherent bloodline compatibilities of any individual, against the bloodlines available.
According to the scriptures, it is entirely possible that some individuals are not compatible with the 72 elemental forms, but this is an extreme rarity, and instead point them towards those outside the 72.
Then, once a person’s compatibility is known, that compatibility is then compared to that of the spirit beasts.
Even then, there are more factors at play that influence whether the bloodline transfer process is successful or not. These factors are things such as the relative cultivation realms of both the host and the donor, which should be similar, or the process of transferring and inserting the bloodline, and even the other types of cultivation pills and herbs used by the cultivator.
The use of certain pills and herbs may counteract the effects of the bloodline, especially in those crucial early moments.
Given all the variables, and the nature of experimentation on real cultivators, Tundra could understand why it is so likely to fail and progress in bloodline techniques have been so hard to come by.
It may be easy to round up hundreds of thousands of mortals for experiments, as many brutal cultivators have done in the past, but finding that many cultivators for experiments is a task only a Great Sect could pull off, and would not go unnoticed by the wider community..
Most of the spirit beast’s bone marrow were stored in decent shape, though these are 4th to 7th realm spirit beasts and he would also need to do additional processing before they could be used.
After inspecting the stores and his workshops, the regressor sat down in a quiet study somewhere and began to write notes to sum up his thoughts and ideas for the task.
It’s likely he would have to build an entirely new room for the purpose of blood transfusions and marrow implantation. It was a big task, and so he began to list down the tools, formations and herbs he needed to construct his first bloodline transfusion room.
The requirements for this special room extended quite widely into a few fields, such as alchemy, healing, formations and craftings and some of the tools needed wasn’t something he could do inhouse.
First, he needed a space for the process, somewhere that is safe, secure, and properly supplied with spiritual energy. He also didn’t want it to be spied on and interrupted, so it’s likely he would construct it underground with sufficient spiritual protections. This was something he could do himself fairly easily, and shouldn’t take that long, perhaps a few days of work once the tools are ready.
Second, it needed sufficient energy to sustain the various tools and formations for the bloodline transfusion process, and this meant a set of spiritual stones and gems, and a set of energy gathering formations to supply that power to the tools and equipment. He was fairly familiar with energy gathering formations, and he also could do this part himself. But he would have to acquire some of the energy storage stones and gems from merchants and auctions. He made a note to put in an order through merchants. It’s fairly common that this shouldn’t raise eyebrows.
Third, he needed to acquire a set of stasis and preservation jars, pots and equipment, and also a few sets of surgical knives, spoons, and cups in order to properly extract the marrow from the various donor spirit beasts, and also for use on the recipients. Some of these have to be purchased, as he lacked the crafting knowhow to make tools to the level of required quality. It’s likely he would have to visit the Flaming Phoenix once more, as their heat-treated tools are known to be great stuff. This would be a trip of it’s own.
Then, he would also need to create ‘clean’ rooms to properly ‘thicken’ the blood and marrow through external growth and replication methods. Rooms free of all forms of contamination. This wasn’t too hard for him, since alchemy also sometimes required materials of very high purity, and so he can handle the construction and crafting of such clean rooms himself, though he would have to acquire the materials from guilds and trading houses. This could take a little bit longer.
The thickening and growing process of bone marrow and bloodline was included in the 72 Iterations of Bloodline Components, so he would have to test out a few of these thickening and growing techniques before actually getting there. Some of the herbs and materials used for this thickening process would be acquired, and it seemed that he would have to buy them through the Ancient Titans, since they are a large producer of such types of herbs and materials. On this front, he had no choice but to pay a premium, at least, until he figured out how to substitute the herbs for others with similar effects.
Then, on the patient or recipient front, he would need to construct proper holding platforms with the necessary energy and health sustaining formations. Again, he was quite familiar with all of the techniques, so he would only need to get materials, and acquisition of healing tools is not unusual.
There are some blood mixing components and artifacts covered by the 72 Iterations that he is quite unfamiliar with, and for these, he would need to make some experiments, and buy some of the various metals and tools. These are centrifuges, and rotating mechanisms, mainly to help the blood mix. He wasn’t quite sure why they are needed, since in alchemical processes there are also tools to mix blood, so, he would likely have to conduct some experiments of his own whether he could replace some of these steps with processes he was much more familiar with.
Once he had a list, he sat and just allowed his ideas and thoughts to linger on.
***
A few hours later, satisfied with his plan, he found Celestia quietly cultivating in her own part of the premises.
“Husband.” She stood and greeted him as he entered her cultivation room. As the master of the house he could walk anywhere unimpeded. Tundra walked, and sat next to her.
“I came to talk to you.” Tundra said.
“Ah. Is there anything?”
Tundra closed his eyes briefly, as he recalled the conversation with Elly. It was something he wanted to discuss with her, as his wife. “Elly wants more children, and I thought I saw it appropriate to have your views on this.”
Celestia paused, a little surprised. But it didn’t take long for her to understand why. “I see. I don’t oppose it. I think it is a good idea, but, I think I will say what’s on the minds of your other children.”
“Which is?”
“Don’t neglect the rest of them. Even if you have a new talented son or daughter, the other children that you have are still family, and they deserve some of your attention, even if they are not great cultivators.”
Tundra paused. It was a really tough pill to swallow, and went against quite a bit of how he conducted life in the past. He ran the Sect as a meritocracy, in the sense that the most talented cultivators receive the most attention and resources. But that was no way to run a family. They are a cultivator family, so there are two aspects that contradict each other, and for most cultivator families, excellence trumps familial responsibility. “I will try, and I ask that you help me.” Tundra said, and felt a sense of exhaustion at the thought.
“Then you should also let Elly know that even if you have another child, she should still pay attention to the rest of them. She can’t just dote on and focus on the new children and let the others go.”
He should also find additional dedicated tutors for their children. Someone who could focus on teaching both his disciples and children in a way that would be appropriate for both. There were already tutors for his children, but from the output and state of his children thus far, the tutors he had were not good enough. He needed better ones, or he’d have to do it personally.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He stopped and looked at his sixth wife, and then touched her hands. It felt a little cold. “Those are good points. I will bring it up to her.” Tundra noticed a slight increase in the quality of her spiritual energies. “You’ve been working hard, too.”
Celestia nodded. “I try. I’d like to reach the fifth realm properly.”
“Would you-” Tundra stopped as he remembered his earlier conversation with Celestia about children more than a year ago. “Would you like children too?”
She shook her head, a little more prepared. Since Elly started this subject, maybe she knew Tundra would ask her too. “No. Not yet.”
Tundra hoped she wouldn’t put it off forever, but like Elly, he should help her with a bloodline. A bloodline may not be a perfect counter, but it should help resist a potential total Zuja corruption.
***
After his wives, he turned his attention to the younger members of his family.
Hana and Jihan. The two, being of similar age, played together, and seemed to have gotten quite well along.
“You have an interesting guest, Lord Fox.” Grayne Fallows, the personal elder of the Princess Luharl, and caretaker of little Hana was there with her. The man’s presence was well hidden, clearly Princess Luharl ensured he was well trained and talented.
“It is an unfortunate thing. I had hoped to acquire the bloodline methods of the Ancient Titans, but it seemed they saw it fit to send an elder to keep an eye on me as part of the bargain.” Tundra sighed, as Hana played with some toys with Jihan. There were a few maids minding and picking after them, so the two elders could talk.
“That’s to be expected, you cannot hide your talents forever, Lord Fox. It’s something the Princess noticed. I assure you the Great Sects are just as observant.” Elder Fallows said while watching the children ran after each other.
“True.” The seal within Hana was very well made, and it is likely even good alchemists would not notice unless they really poked into her spiritual realm. Given her young, undeveloped age, it’s likely that Tia Truehaven would not notice at this point. She was too young to exhibit any ripples of spiritual energy that would attract attention.
But once Hana’s spiritual roots and meridians mature in a few years, it will be much harder to hide her special bloodline and inheritance from a healer or an alchemist’s probing energies.
“We have time. For now.”
“I believe she will be gone by then.” Elder Fallows answered. The regressor looked at the two children, and they were privileged. Wooden blocks, handmade dolls, wooden miniature playsets. In the later years when the entire world was torn apart by the fury of war, such toys were rare.
The innovations of the mortal merchants were fascinating, but they are often missed by cultivators who do not care for such playthings.
“Do you have a training plan for Hana?” Tundra asked.
Hana’s caretaker laughed. “A simple one, but I’ve come to believe you can do better. When will you do something for the boy, Jihan? Hana likes to play with him, it would be a shame if he couldn’t keep up with her.”
Tundra chuckled at how casually he referred to Hana’s exceptional gift, as if it is something he could do to make him keep up. “I will try. The window closes, but I will need to run some experimental tests.”
“Start with that boy you picked up from the Eastheart lands. I think he’s showing talent.”
“Oh? You know of him?”
“I keep tabs on everyone in this city, Lord Fox.” Grayne Fallows answered, and Tundra wondered whether it was a threat, or a brag. “I would not be a good elder if I do not know who lives in the same town as me.”
Tundra laughed. He decided to take the statement positively. “Well said, well said. Given your talents, I’ve always wondered why you moved to serve the royal family.”
“I was a wandering cultivator once, but one assignment from the crown led to another, and so here I am. Princess Luharl has been far more generous than she ever needed to be.”
“With her coffers, she can afford to.” The royal family collects various tributes and taxes from the entire empire, and even if the Great Sects and minor sects function largely independently and run their own lands as if they are kings and emperors, they still pay an annual tribute to the Imperial family, on top of a tax on every large piece of land.
“That is so, that is so. But you know, some wealthy folks are so miserly with their wealth.” Elder Fallows said as Hana threw a block at Jihan, Jihan luckily dodged it and the two young children began arguing.
Then, Tundra gave the two a glare, with a wee bit of cultivation presence and the two children immediately quieted down. The regressor’s attention turned back to Elder Fallows. “I’ll see what I can do for Jihan. But it’s a good thing you brought that Eastheart boy up. I should check on that boy, it’s been a while since I’ve spoken to him.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised. He’s making good progress. Your eye for talent is spectacular.”
Tundra shrugged, and arguably it was one of his greatest enablers that led to the success of the Verdant Snow Sect. In honesty, it is also one of his talents that he didn’t fully understand. “It’s instinct. It’s not something I can quite teach or truly understand.”
“In whatever form, an eye for talent is an eye for talent. Use it well.” Grayne Fallows said. “I’ll keep an eye on the kids.”
***
Tundra found Marsh Eastheart, the boy he picked more than a year ago from the Eastheart family, quietly cultivating and absorbing spiritual energy in his room. The boy, as an outer disciple of the Verdant Snow Sect, had a small room, as with all other outer disciples.
There was no real special treatment, and Tundra rarely saw the boy. The last he spoke to him was a few months ago, and barely a few words at that.
Still, for Grayne Fallows to notice him was a surprise.
“Sect Master.” The boy prostrated on the floor the moment he stepped into his room.
“Disciple, I have come to check on your progress.”
“Yes, Sect Master.” He answered, his forehead still touching the wooden floor. “Anything you want.”
“Sit, show me your hands.”
“Yes.” The boy sat, and Tundra held his wrist, one finger firmly pressing on the blood vessels that flowed through it. That same blood vessel was linked to the spiritual meridians for the arm, and through it, Tundra sent a probing speck of energy.
He blinked when he realized the boy was already in the middle stages of the 2nd realm.
The boy formed his cultivation base quickly, and he asked. “When you joined us, you were barely forming the first steps of the 1st realm?”
“Yes, Sect Master.”
“What resources did you receive?”
“Three 1st realm Herbal Stargrass Pill every two weeks. One 2nd realm Starlight Condensation Pill every month, since three months ago.”
“Nothing else?”
“No, Sect Master.”
Tundra’s speck of energy investigated the boy’s spiritual realm. At 2nd realm, he was defenseless before Tundra’s investigative powers, and he could sense the boy’s well formed spiritual patterns and shapes.
If pure cultivation talent ranked on a scale with Yavin as a 8, and Tundra himself as a 10, at this speed with only the regular supply of cultivation pills would put this boy at a 7, maybe even 7.5.
In terms of numbers as a whole, about 1 in 100 to 200 would have the talent to be a cultivator, though the ratio is significantly higher in cultivator families at about 1 in 2, and in powerful, great families, almost 99 out of 100 children are cultivators.
Most cultivators are mediocre, and that placed them around a talent rating of 4 to 5. Someone like Yavin’s natural talents was one in 3,000 cultivators, while this boy could well be one in 2,000.
For someone like Tundra, likely one in a ten million, if not a hundred million. Odds are flimsy and quite useless when it is related to edge cases like himself. There are some eras where there are multiple geniuses of his level, and some eras where there are none.
“Back when you were in the Eastheart family, did anyone teach you cultivation techniques?” Tundra asked, just to be sure.
“Only grandma Mira, but I was too young and my meridians were not fully formed. So she gave just theoretical explanations.”
“I see.” Marsh was over thirteen years old, closing on fourteen. For a relatively young child, this was exceptional, and when contrasted to the mediocre performance of his own children, it was glaring. “You’re doing well.”
The boy was right at the top of his cohort, and could see why Grayne Fallows noticed the boy. “Thank you, Sect Master.”
At this rate, he should be able to reach the 5th realm within the next few decades, maybe even the 6th if the stars and fates aligned. Marin’s dream of overturning the Eastheart Sect could very much become a reality through the boy. “What do you think of your home, the Eastheart family?”
The boy looked at him, and had to think.
“Speak the truth. What you truly think and do not think of not saying the truth.” Tundra stated.
“I am afraid of them.” The boy answered, though he hesitated with the second sentence. “They are not nice people.”
Tundra never felt that, but that was because he came from a position of power. The Eastheart family had to be nice to him and his entourage, whether they liked to or not. “Would you like to change them?”
The boy shook his head. “I don’t think it can be done.”
“Really? It’s that bad.” Tundra said, a little amused that even a boy of his age had given up on their family. “They are your family?”
“Only grandma Mira and my other half cousins and brothers are my family.” Marsh answered.
“Oh, then who is the Patriarch of the Eastheart family to you?”
“He- he is my superior and master. I must do what he says. That’s what everyone tells me.”
“Do you want to do what he says?” Tundra asked. “What do you want to do, if you have power?”
The boy gulped, unsure how to answer.
“Speak the truth, no harm will come to you. You are far from the Earthspine Mountains, and you are now a disciple of the Verdant Snow. In a few years, you will be an Inner Disciple. There will be nothing they can do to you.”
He nodded. “I don’t want to. The Patriarch is not a good man. I do not admire him, and I do not want to be like him. If I have power, I’d like to rescue the rest of my half cousins and brothers and bring them away from that place where they make us work all day for scraps.”
Tundra nodded. The boy’s younger, formative years was as an errands boy, a servant of the main Eastheart family. There was no love lost. Not for the main family. He touched the boy’s wrists again. The bigger the realm difference, the less ‘exposed’ and ‘direct’ his spiritual access needed to be.
Once the boy reached the 4th realm, he would need to touch his heart and belly which was closer to their inner meridians, similar to what he did with Celestia and Marin. But for now, at the 2nd, the boy’s spiritual realm could hardly stop him from meddling, and so, he sent in a few more shapes into his spirit realm.
“I will now show you a few more shapes and forms of the metal element, and learn them well.”
The boy trembled as the sensation of those shapes appeared in his mind’s eyes. It was overwhelming.
He could not answer. His senses were all turned inwards.
Once Tundra was done, he allowed the shivering boy to recover. He waited. The boy took half an hour to return to his senses, and immediately kowtowed on the floor. “This disciple thanks the sect master for his profound guidance.”
If he could find a strong spiritual bloodline for him, he could go even further.
***
