Chapter 89


    During his time away, Anton had forgotten just how much of a difference there was between the quantity and quality of the energy on the Orders grounds and that elsewhere. The boost was just what he needed to push through to thepletion of the twelfth star. That was all there was to it, the majority of the real work having already been done. The part of cultivation where he gathered energy was just more of the same.


    He looked up the mountain towards the peaks. The energy there had been much stronger to the point he could barely handle it. Now, he wanted to test how it affected him differently. But though he fully intended to go and talk to Grand Elder Vandale, he wasnt quite ready and there were so many other things that needed doing.


    Hed only been separated from Catarina a short time, though he supposed several months was quite meaningful to those who were young. It <em>had</em> been more than half of a year since hed seen Timothy. The young man was at the ninth star, only a small portion short of the peak of Body Tempering. His cultivation progress was fine, but there was something Anton shook his head. One thing at a time.


    The opportunities to enter the Order were held monthly. Anton knew he might be able to push for those he knew to be tested earlier, but he didnt want to show any favoritism. That wouldnt help them in the long run. Besides, he had full confidence in Pete and Oskar. Some of the others were on track to third star and nned to join the Order as well, but those two were the most skilled in cultivation. Patricia, Oskars wife, was somewhat behind since she didnt have a chance to cultivate untilter. It seemed likely she would reach third star soon enough, but she wasnt sure if she wanted to join the Order. She would be able to stay with Oskar regardless- the Order allowed family and even a number of permanent guests.


    Anton had considered bringing some of the others to train, but being able to reach the third star without relying on sheer quantity of energy was sort of the point of the tests. There was probably more to it, but Anton hadnt actually participated. He would observe this time. He was certain the entrance qualifications had not changed in decades or centuries, like most other things. Though he had hisints with the Order, he didnt find that they were <em>bad</em> in how they handled things. He just thought they could be better. He might change his mind once hed had more exposure to cultivators but he was not going to just assume those who were older knew better. They might, or they might not.


    First he was going to find Elder Hond. He should be able to answer some of Antons questions, or at least point him in the right direction. The man wasnt hard to find. He was always around somewhere, it just depended on which farming plot he was working with that day.


    It had been nearly half a year since Anton had seen the man. During that time, hed grown fromte Body Tempering all the way to the twelfth star, significantly closing the gap between himself and the Elder. Elder Hond was only at the fifteenth star, so his status as an Elder clearly wasnt for his cultivation prowess but his other usefulness. Not that Anton intended to mention that.


    -----


    Charlton Hond was in a good mood. Hoyt had returned, in Spirit Building no less. Yet he still came to tend to the fields. Not just the more troublesome nts either, but some of the mundane ones. He could certainly earn more contribution points elsewhere, and havingpleted Body Tempering it wasnt even really good training. Sure, he didnte by every day anymore, but he only needed toe by weekly to do as much as hed been doing before he set off on his journey.


    He nearly didnt recognize Anton when he showed up. Trusting Hoyts word that Anton had reached the eleventh star was easy. Hoyt saw it and ryed the information. But the prediction that he would reach twelfth star in the next few months before he returned to the Order had seemed somewhat unbelievable. Then again, it seemed likely barely a few months before that Anton had first joined the Order. What was another star or two when hed gone from four to eleven in that time?


    Of course, Hond hadnt advanced a single star in that time. He was stuck waffling between training Voice and Spiritual Connection. That had been the case for quite some time, but he really didnt need to advance any further toplete his duties. Managing the fields required more knowledge than cultivation, though some of the more troublesome nts required proper cultivation as well. The Order just didnt keep anything <em>too</em> dangerous. Of course there were some herbs that could be misused as poisons, but they were carefully regted. Other than that, the northern creepers were one of the more extreme examples of nts that fought those tending them.


    But his own cultivation was not important. He was quite content with his own abilities. At the same time, he could praise the advancements of others. Anton! Its good to see you back. Here to work thend?


    That was not my intention today, disappointment must have shown on Honds face, But I would be quite content to do so while we talk. The man wielded a hoe like a fine spear, and he plucked weeds out from the rows like they were enemies he had to y. It took a moment for Hond to find his voice and ask what important things he wished to speak about. Oh, its just a few questions really, Anton assuaged his worries. Probably important, in the grand scheme of things, but not urgent. Where does natural energye from?


    The ground, nts, living creatures, and sometimes special features.


    I see, Anton sounded disappointed. I was wondering how a ce like the Ordersnd here develops, with such abundant energy. Or ces like the forest.


    Hond shrugged, The answer is the same. Was he unclear somewhere? Cultivators and magic beasts make thergest difference in the short term, though certain special nts are good for longer term development and stability.


    At that Antons eyes flickered in thought. Dont cultivators and magical beasts drain the area of energy?


    They can and do, Hond confirmed. Sometimes that leads to damaging the area. But thats true of anything. Overeager boars root up thend, destroying it on a more mundane level. But humans are living creatures. They produce natural energy that can umte in an area. If managed properly, both cultivators and thend they live on grow together.


    I had not considered that. I only thought of the animals and nts. They had moved between several fields by this point. Some werent scheduled for work until weekster, but that didnt matter. Anton left alone the areas where others were working and focused on anywhere unattended. Hond worked along with him, but he didnt feel he could keep up with Antons pace despite his higher cultivation level. Why does the Order not do this elsewhere, then?


    What do you mean? Hond asked.


    Theres just this one location, shoved up almost against the western border of Graotan. Its quite extraordinary, to be sure, but the rest of the country has but tolerable amounts of natural energy avable.


    Does it matter? Hond wondered, The smaller sects within Graotan maintain their own areas, and the rest is not popted by cultivators.


    It could be, though. Anton shook his head. Why not expand the area?


    The Order doesnt have need of morend, Hond exined. Our numbers rise and fall as time passes, but we have an entire mountain and the forests for just a few thousand at any time. The area we control is already quite expansive.


    Thats true, Anton agreed. But think of the border. The formation keeps intruders in and out, understandably. But it also keeps the natural energy controlled.


    The Order is not entirely selfless. The benefits to the surrounding farmers would be negligiblepared to our losses. We put in the work and reap the rewards.


    I fully understand that. However, couldnt the surrounding area instead benefit the Order? If thend adjacent grows more, it would contribute back to the Ordersnd.


    s, Hond said, Its not quite so efficient. The maximum growth that would have on the surrounding area would not be enough to recoup the losses given any amount of time. If our numbers swelled and we had several times as many disciples, perhaps expanding would be prudent. But we can barely manage the area we have now.


    It just needs to be tended to by cultivators, right? Anton asked.


    Right.


    Let me tell you about some thoughts Ive been having. I think imagining ourselves as cultivators and the rest of the country as non-cultivators is perhaps merely limiting the Order.


    They talked for some time. Hond thought Antons ideas of how easy it was to teach everyone to cultivate were a bit exaggerated, but he had to admit that Anton had significant sess in the area already. Hond couldnt say it was impossible, either. Anton had much more understanding of non-cultivator activities and the benefits even small amounts of cultivation would provide them. Unknowingly at the time, some buried thoughts in Honds head slipped into ce. He wanted more people to care about thend and not just think of it as something low level cultivators did for contribution points. He hadnt even considered those outside the Order in regards to that. From that point on, his cultivation would creep forward from its formerly stagnant status.