Elder Cultivator

Chapter 975

When the time was right, and the potential consequences had been properly considered by the Unified Sector- the name those systems freed from the Numerological Compact chose for themselves, Anton bound the final star- the slow way, replacing one of his earlier stars, his basic ranks of cultivation. That was also quite intentional, and not just for Anton’s benefit but also so that the connection to Yoron would grow slowly instead of being introduced all at once.

The moment that he completed the connection, the results were precisely nothing. Well, that wasn’t quite right, but it was on the mild end of anticipated results. The various hiveminds throughout the systems were all quite aware of each other as neighbors, and the Yoron hivemind that incorporated the entire system instead of a single planet like Turilia or individual cities like on Waral was a very obvious and clearly felt neighbor.

But they remained far from the unlikely but still theoretically possible consequences of the hiveminds fusing together unwillingly. The risk had been quite low, especially considering individual cultivators were able to visit between the systems freely, but it had to be considered.

As for why it was deemed worth the risk, it was because the other two systems felt too detached from Yoron without the connection. The hivemind cultivators weren’t exactly concerned about becoming part of a larger whole, should it happen.

On the other side, there were benefits to Yoron directly- with Anton able to encourage plant growth through his connection to the star. This happened approximately five years after they were freed from the Numerological Compact, and was helpful for their early recovery.

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As it always did, time continued to flow. The largest crises were resolved in the Unified Sector. Yet with the resolution of one issue, another would crop up- either there, or somewhere else. For all of the Alliance’s efforts, no governance had reached perfection. Perhaps it never would, but they could always strive for better.

Two decades passing showed the stability of hiveminds, but they also revealed flaws. Nothing damning, but while there seemed to be many benefits to the connection it was not exclusively better. The connection also came with a lack of privacy- and a difficulty achieving certain deeper forms of concentration.

The focus necessary for a breakthrough, either within a certain stage or when advancing to the next, often required isolation. While sharing insights could be valuable, the shared worries during such moments seemed to lead to more than a few incidents of failure.

Ultimately, they developed two methods to temporarily mute the connection to the rest of their group. The first was through formations, isolation chambers that minimized interaction in either direction while active. The second were personal techniques, creating a less complete separation but still dulling the transmission of shared thoughts and feelings.

While not every thought and feeling was projected to all others in the hivemind, techniques to minimize that were met with controversy. Debates happened quickly within hiveminds, as everyone was able to express opinions and worries, and to get a more varied view on things. Individual differences meant there wasn’t always an exact consensus, but at least the ultimate conclusions were efficient and decently well respected.

Some individuals and even groups of certain sizes felt that the very ability to hide something was too dangerous. If people felt they had to hide anything, they should leave the hivemind. That was one extreme end of opinions, however, and was untenable in its most extreme form.

The net result, however, was a critical step for how they interacted with those outside of their connected consciousnesses. In the earliest days, when there was no clear way for there to be any deception, they felt justified in completely self-policing. And while objective investigations of outsiders indicated they had done an excellent job with it, it still provided a negative appearance even if they were doing everything right.

Once it became possible for them to hide anything, they couldn’t be completely certain of how far that would go. If something could be hidden, could someone’s thoughts lie? They had no evidence such a belief was possible, but the mere possibility was challenging for them.

Ultimately, they had to agree to matters of external justice. The laws of the Alliance were applied to them, but there were special rules for them with regards to witnesses. The word of a hivemind would be given significant weight with regard to how events were recalled and the intent in particular situations, but unless they had multiple members present at any incident they still had to be treated as a single witness.

Memories of an incident when viewed from multiple angles could provide clarity, but the interpretation couldn’t necessarily be left to just them. Even incidents that involved primarily hivemind cultivators which were witnessed by others were supposed to involve as many neutral parties as possible.

Even incidents entirely between hivemind cultivators- usually incidents of momentary rage as for the most part the hivemind quickly calmed volatile individuals- had to be taken before a proper judge who could settle the incident according to the law. That said, incidents that lasted longer than a single exchange were exceedingly rare, and most of the time the only real damage was to something nearby, for which they could pay monetary damages.

Despite the relatively poor financial state of the Unified Sector during the early years, it had a surprisingly low incidence of crime. Those not part of the hivemind were more likely to be involved in criminal incidents, but for areas that had been under corrupt rule just a short time before it could still be considered low. There was still more trouble than the well established systems of the Alliance, but they had a long time to build up protective systems and good habits.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

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Information about the novel ways that the Numerological Compact and those they stole from had learned to use formations was spread widely to those who could make proper use of it. Even the morally reprehensible parts were worth study, though such information was available on a limited basis, just like with everything else. Everyone involved was aware that no matter what methods were used to deprive others of their rights as people the punishments still existed, and proper oversight was given to all sorts of projects.

The information was likewise spread to the upper realms, the Scarlet Alliance representing the interests of their allied people and planets. They needed the information more than others, as they might potentially have to deal with the consequences of the Numerological Compact’s discoveries in the upper realms. The Exalted Quadrant wouldn’t necessarily be above enslaving people and using them as batteries, after all.

Conversely, they could use the more cooperative versions to improve their own ships, which would in turn benefit the lower realms. While there was not a one hundred percent compatibility between formation functionality given the available materials and the differences between upper and lower energy, they could still use the basic principles. Having more minds studying certain techniques was quite valuable.

Some of the best minds were in the upper realms. Catarina and Engineer Uzun were the prime examples, and it was hard for them to be eclipsed. They weren’t likely to die anytime soon, and they were unceasing in their cultivation efforts and their studies. The Lower Realms weren't lacking either, though their connected population was still less than what the Scarlet Alliance had access to.

That low population came as a consequence of the repeated culling during the Tides of the World, and even if the various systems of the lower realms had made up for all of their cultivation knowledge, population growth and expansion to new planets took time. Rushing population growth wasn’t likely to do any good, either. The lower realms preferred to let people expand more naturally, as they also had good reason to keep their population focused on a few areas for defensive purposes.

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The number of cultivators formerly part of the actual Numerological Compact sect that survived were extremely few. Those who were captured during the war rapidly lost their value, and were generally executed for their many and obvious crimes. Engaging directly in slavery wasn’t something any of them could get away from, though there were a small few exceptions.

Some of their cultivators had only newly joined the sect. While they shared some responsibility for knowing what the sect promoted, they had mainly been judged by former slaves, and if said individuals found nothing worth convicting them there was little others could say.

Then there were the even rarer individuals like Nindaanis, who had been part of the system yet had treated the individuals on their ship with proper respect. Direct ‘crew members’ were responsible for judging the Confluence cultivators who used their energy, and a situation like hers didn’t come up often.

Those who did have a chance to start a new life tended to change their cultivation method to avoid being associated with the aura everyone was familiar with. Otherwise, they would expect negative reactions from anyone still remaining.

Byron and the others who had been contrary to the Numerological Compact long before the end had some level of notoriety among the people- many had been presumed dead. In a world with hiveminds they didn’t stand out so much as oddities, but many people were more comfortable looking to them for leadership compared to those within the hivemind. However, everyone learned to work together to rebuild a functional society.

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Devon had found himself with an unintentional sect. It had just felt so natural to offer to teach people who had undergone the same troubles as himself. Now that they had time where there wasn’t a war happening, he was able to more smoothly develop techniques the Shattered Chains could use more broadly.

His own abilities were highly specific to his own situations. He could have developed a set of techniques only for the Unified Sector, as everyone there had been enslaved in the same manner, but that seemed too restrictive. It wasn’t likely to be the last time they ever encountered slavery. Finding a common core of freedom that people could grow from would be useful not only for them, but also for Devon’s own insights.

The abstract nature of the teachings would make it more difficult for arbitrary cultivators to use the techniques, and while Devon didn’t mind the idea of others willing to devote themselves to certain principles joining the Shattered Chains, it wasn’t for them. More than just the general anti-slavery sentiment of the Alliance, it was focused on personal experiences.

There was nothing so terrible as feeling helpless while at the same time being used for what you could do. Many slaves were used for labor, but kept weak. Others like Devon had been made to fight- but the goal had been to prevent him from growing too strong. The Numerological Compact had more directly taken away power that was supposed to be used by the people.

As terrible as it had been, once Devon had been freed the exhilaration was far greater. He would never wish those experiences upon anyone, but he would help them learn to overcome the past. At certain points, he’d felt like it had somehow been his own fault. Even if he knew better, sometimes the mind could play tricks, ignoring actual knowledge.

Unsurprisingly, Mental Liberation was a core focus in the Spirit Building stage, and like every cultivation style they came at things from a slightly different angle. Every advancement was geared towards a cultivator of the Shattered Chains being able to use their power precisely as they wanted to. It could be for themselves or for others, but the point was having control to actually do it.

There were a million small flaws Devon found within himself as he was teaching others. It was unsurprising, as he hadn’t had anyone to lead him on the path. He was only glad that he could recognize those flaws, though he found it quite difficult to fix them. Some of his new disciples breezed through without making the same mistakes as him, and for that he could be grateful.

If the Exalted Quadrant thought they would return in a few centuries and punish the United Sector for rebelling, they would find it entirely different than they remembered. They would very much learn to regret it, just like throughout the rest of the Alliance.

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