6: Insight

After reaching a small village near the coast, I learned a little something of why no one seems to know much about the sea: There be monsters. I’m pretty sure they are really just spirit beasts, however, my senses are good enough to tell: They are massive. It is said that it takes twenty thousand years for a human to ascend. These beasts are likely older than that. Even in my ignorance, I can tell from the feel of the water: They don’t want anyone to disturb their territories. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just… my instincts tell me: Do not go there! 

Maybe, if I were dying, I might try, just to get a glimpse of these monstrosities before I die. I’m not dying though, and have no intention of dying any time soon. From the stories I hear, everyone that goes out to sea does not return. The few times anyone saw an attack, it either involved a massive tentacle reaching out to grab someone with a speed that was hard to follow (blink and you’d miss it), or a jet of water would be fired with enough force to kill flying cultivators.

This sea: It is considered the end of the world, as none can travel it.

…

Travelling along the sea, I did find a place that became an inspiration. Though it wasn’t where I expected. I though that a glimpse of the might of the sea, even if it was in the form of beasts living within, might be what I needed. Instead, it was observing the river delta, and then talking to the farmers in the area.

This river, it floods every year. This location is known as a great place to farm. While other places have risen and fallen over the centuries, this small village has existed for longer than some sects. At least, that’s if their old legends can be believed. They are rather proud of themselves for such ordinary mortals. Proud to be living well near the ocean that even the cultivators fear.

Inspiration came to me here. Studying the river, the wetlands it fed into, and remembering lessons I’d learned back in my previous life. The river brings life to the land, not simply because it provides water, but because it provides minerals and other nutrients needed by plants. Impurities aren’t just a toxic thing, they can provide aid too. Instead of just taking everything in, I should filter and sort it. Figure out what is good, what is bad, and how to use it all. 

So, I began to cultivate at the riverside. I slowly refined my ki, and formed my foundation. The end result is probably not something anyone else would expect. An ocean of black water. A dirty ocean filled with everything needed for life to grow, and rot. Rot is life too, after all. It is a little strange though. If my foundation is like the water of a swamp, what sort of cultivation am I going to build here?