"The divination results of the matriarch hint to a war approaching Yangoo and the great earth sect as a whole. Considering the time, the details remain unclear, but it will happen sometime in the next 300 years. The reason however that this is a cause of concern is due to its scale. We don't know much, only that a big war is coming. Does anyone here have a suggestion on how to move forward or what approach to take" the speaker said.
A man moved onto the stage as he had the gait of a combat veteran.
"I believe some further action is needed, a firm stance as our position as a business clan and not a warrior clan will help a lot. With the war our clan will have many more chances to make profits during a time of crisis. I believe a solid foundation in many branching sects and close ties to people in power will benefit us the most. We shouldn't be looking to fight in this war... if we can help it. And instead we should be trying to sell war supplies. Purchasing large amounts of war resources and then selling them during the war should make us the richest and strongest - besides political parties - post war."
'Having foresight is really a cheat code. Investing now into a market that will only be profitable 300 years down the line. Truly is the mark of the cultivation world. They can't be judged by normal means'.
Due to cultivators having a significantly longer lifespan their perception of time changes. 300 years to a cultivator could be the equivalent of 30 years to a mortal.
The speaker proposed a vote and they all agreed on taking that man's action.
"With that the meeting is concluded" the speaker said.
Elder Ming then came up to greet him and to take him back to the estate.
"200, years of confinement is rough, I hope you can make it through it. By the way I've heard about the matriarch's divination, it seems like rough times are ahead of us" he said.
"What did the divination say" Gu Zhi said with his eyebrows furrowed.
"Nothing much more than a great war" he responded. "Either way you'll probably miss it being confined to the sect so I wouldn't worry to much about that. What you need to worry about is how Gu Xiao is going to take the news. I can't imagine her reaction would be positive, stuck up in estate for 200 years... is not fun".
"It certainly isn't, however with the cultivation resources provided from the clan, we can probably make significant progress. With Gu Xiao's insane lifespan I doubt she will run into much trouble with cultivation in the future as long as she builds a sufficient foundation" he said.
"Well, foundation isn't everything. Luck, enlightenment, resources, these are all things you will need to have to make it far into cultivation... especially will power. Some people can have deep foundations in cultivation but still hit roadblocks they can't overcome. Not due to a lack of talent or foundation, but a lack of willpower, enlightenment and luck. I wouldn't take cultivation so lightly just to think that a strong foundation can solve all of your cultivation problems" he said with caution.
"Thank you for the advice father, I will try not to grow conceited, and take cultivation seriously."
"That's good to hear. You should make some friends in the sect, and maybe try to rise through the ranks. Your confined to the sect not the estate. Maybe an official position in the sect will benefit you greatly" he advised.
"That sounds like a great idea, however its important to weigh your time. Time spent working is time spent not cultivating."
Elder Ming looked at him again and said "Given your history with secluded cultivation, you should know how dangerous it can be for the mind to not have social interaction. Cutting yourself off from the world, is usually only done by sages, as they are typically the only ones you can do that without going insane. I hope you weigh your choices carefully".
There was a lot of truth in elder Ming's words but he didn't have the full picture. With Gu Zhi's past memories and lifestyle cutting himself off from society was easier for him than for others. Not that he wanted to, but sometimes it was just more practical that way. He was exited to see just how much progress he would make in 200 years of cultivation.
Gu Zhi made it back to the estate as he broke the news to Gu Xiao.
"We'll be confined to the sect for 200 years, but the clan will provide some resources based off of performance".
"Well that's not to bad, hopefully we can make it to core formation at that time, and avoid the war".
Something told Gu Zhi they wouldn't avoid the war, but that was just his intuition.
"Hopefully that's the case... anyway, I'll ask elder Ming for some contribution points so I can trade them in for the talent refinement technique. It's best to start immediately with cultivation and not waste our time".
"Speaking of new techniques, I'll also go look into the library, I want to study some dual cultivation techniques to see if we can have any upgrades" Gu Xiao said.
"It's unlikely but I think it could be worth a shot. Who knows maybe with 200 years we can make our own dual cultivation technique that's a perfect match for us" Gu Zhi said.
'Perfect match for us' Gu Xiao thought. It actually sounded like a really good idea. Many of times techniques were slightly imperfect because someone's physique and personality didn't perfectly fit the technique. This was even worse for dual cultivation techniques due to two people being present. Perhaps if they had a perfectly suited dual cultivation technique to practice they could rise higher and faster than they ever could with the standard technique they were using.
'Yes, I think I might just try that' Gu Xiao thought to herself.