[NR] History Tells Me So - Chapter 562

Rosha quips, “And so you decided introducing it irl was a good idea?”

Courtney rolls her eyes, “If only it was him introducing it. Then we might have been able to keep a handle on it. No, that cat has been out of the bag for quite some time.”

Rosha, “But we didn’t exactly know what to do with it?”

Courtney shrugged, “We certainly know how to mess with it. Just from what I could find showed potential and I certainly don’t have the resources to look up what the government and various groups are doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if there aren’t regiments of wizards or some other nonsense secreted away.”

Jason nods, “Literally the first step I taught you is how to feel for the energy in the air and how to drag it in. Sure, my breathing technique is somewhat unique, but someone will have figured something like that already. After all, it isn’t like cultivation is some impossible mystery at the low levels. I wouldn’t be surprised if a decent percentage of sports focused people who train irl have gotten to the first step, even if they haven’t figured out how to actually sense the power. I’m just giving you a shortcut.

“Plus, we already have a powerful tech base to keep things orderly. Cultivators don’t start becoming immune to mortal dangers until quite late. Sure, if we depended on swords and bows, it wouldn’t take that long to be above such things. Guns? Missiles? People will likely become able to dodge them quicker than they become immune to them. And dodging? Well, snipers and assassins work quite well against such concerns.”

Rosha sighs, “Things are going to get chaotic once things go public. We will make it public, right?”

Jason shrugs, “No reason not to. At least, once we are far enough ahead. I’d rather they get access to a time-tested method instead of stumbling upon some sort of demonic technique. Well, I guess I shouldn’t call them demonic, since that has different connotations here.”

Rosha, “What makes a technique demonic or whatever you decide to call it?”

Jason, “Honestly? It is more of a catch-all term for techniques that you really shouldn’t practice. Though some ‘righteous’ sorts also like to apply it to things like all duel cultivation techniques and anything that uses ‘dark’ methods such as sneak attacks and poison.”

Rosha, “Then what does count in your book?”

Jason pauses, “I think I’m going to go with orthodox and unorthodox. While those terms do have certain religious connotations, it is closer to the truth. Plus, it lets me split out actual demonic techniques, which technically don’t have to be ‘demonic’. Though they do tend to be, that is just how demons are and not anything inherent to their techniques.”

Rosha claps her hands. “Jason! What makes an unorthodox technique?”

Jason coughs, “Oh, right. I guess the chief characteristic is that the negatives outweigh the positives or that the negatives cause permanent harm. The most common style technique you find among the demons is basically a payday loan style set up that draws out more power now at the expense of later. This can work if you manage to advance fast enough. After all, each additional step has so much more power that even a heavy debt from the last step is paid off in moments.

“Of course, there are multiple problems with this. For instance, doing so tends to cause mental demons to develop and it will tend to increase the difficulty of any tribulation you might suffer. Whether it is from advancing your cultivation or some other event. Oh, and if you can’t advance fast enough? Eventually, you have to pay it off. Worse, such techniques tend to require it when you stop using the technique.”

Rosha, “Power over stability, makes sense. What about some of the other sorts of unorthodox techniques?”

Jason shrugs, “Well, there are always things like a technique that will burn your lifespan for some massive boost. A common version of this, that even ‘orthodox’ sects spread widely, is the emergency escape technique. Whether it is burning your blood, life, or power; you use some resource in a manner that doesn’t allow it to easily recover, if it ever can, to escape. Lifespan is just the most common because cultivators can end up with a very laissez faire attitude about it as they keep gaining more lifespan with each new step.

“Another is. Well. Extractive methods of a darker sort. Stuff like using human sacrifice. Of course, there are always people that use similar methods that don’t target sapients and so get overlooked. You have to be careful because a method that can drain a worm of power will generally also work on more complex beings with a little bit of effort.

“There are also dangers with those that drain nature beyond what is reasonable. While cultivation is about absorbing power from the world around you, that is the free floating power. When you move to extracting it from the land directly? That’s how you get dead wastelands and blight.”

Rosha, “It sounds like everything is simply a matter of degrees?”

Jason nods, “That generally is the case. Just look at our own history. So many countries got messed up by trying to follow one method to the extreme. However, it isn’t the end all, be all. An example of this not being the case is sword cultivators. They are focused purely on the sword and yet it is considered an orthodox path.

“What is important in the end, is whether the method’s harm outweighs the good. This can either be about the personal, the community, or the ecosystem. Not all unorthodox methods are taboo, but they all cause harm that isn’t easily fixed.”

Rosha, “And why would people be able to discover these methods over more orthodox methods?”

Jason raises an eyebrow, “Historical precedents? Even without magic, multiple nations have tried to figure out mind control over the years. Hell, people used to end up using manipulative payday loan services all the time. Then there is the fact that cultivation tends to become most viable during puberty. Just imagine hormones fueled teens realizing they aren’t advancing as fast as their peers and what they might do to beat them. Even in the most orthodox of sects, it was a constant fight to keep the new initiates from thinking they can beat the odds and make such a technique work for them.”