[NR] What Is Talent? - Chapter 544 (Patreon)

Courtney frowns for a moment longer before sighing. “This was all inevitable, wasn’t it?”

Jason laughs, “You already had the various powers floating around. It was just a matter of time before one group or another figured out how to use it. And to be honest? I wouldn’t put it past the various large groups to already have a rudimentary cultivation technique figured out. Likely only the very first level of opening a dantian.

“To move onto the meridians requires a more developed system. I would guess that you need at least a few generations of people cultivating their dantian before someone shows up with meridians obvious enough for someone to figure them out.”

Courtney gestures at herself and Rosha, “Then how are we supposed to do it? How are you doing it?”

Jason shrugs, “For me, the answer is simple enough. Meridians and such are part of the metaphysical body. So, since my soul retained its memories, my body was already set up for it.

“As for the both of you and, honestly, everyone else? We don’t actually change a thing. I said it requires a more developed system and I feel you might have misunderstood me. By that, I don’t mean a more developed meridian system, though that would help. No, I meant you need a more developed system of cultivation. You know, like someone who grew up in an ancient cultivation based society might know?”

Rosha laughs, “Yeah, I thought you meant better meridians as well. Though I have to ask, why does a better cultivation technique matter?”

Jason, “Well, it has to do with the concept of ‘talent’ and how people see it depending on how well developed their cultivation system is. Oh, and whatever cultivation resources are common in a place. After all, if you’re swimming in herbs that make excavating meridians, who cares how obvious they are?

“Anyway, resources aside, you tend to see talent defined as elements of a person that makes it easier to break through from your cultures known and into the unknown. Meridians are actually a really good example as they are the first true bottleneck a society tends to face in cultivation. Without proper methods of finding the meridians, people see those with more obvious meridians as being talented.

“However, once the society develops the methods needed to find meridians, suddenly that no longer is seen as talent. In fact, sometimes the pendulum swings in the opposite direction if the technique they find first helps less obvious meridians develop ahead of more obvious ones. And of course there is the point where a society can almost guarantee someone can find and excavate their meridians”

Courtney raises an eyebrow, “Not everyone?”

Jason shrugs, “There is a saying I like, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’

“I would like to claim to be able to get anyone past excavating their meridians, but what about someone without meridians? Or whose meridians reject all available powers? Sure, if you throw enough resources at a person or find just the right technique you can manage it. However, the more accepted path is to find another method. Cultivation is the broadest road, but it isn’t the only.”

Courtney, “Then why insist on it for us? And what about all those stories that go on about spirit roots or intangible talents?”

Jason, “If either of you proves incapable, I’ll help you find your own way. The reason cultivation became the mainstay in my last life is how broad it is and the life extension. It isn’t the path with the greatest increase to lifespan mind you, but has the best balance of power and lifespan.

“As for talent, whether that is referring to spirit roots or the kind that just is? Talent represents something out of the ordinary about a person that boosts their chances of reaching something hard to manage. All spirit roots are, is the metaphysical network that attaches you to the universe.

“While many like to judge them by purity and having fewer, I’m sure you’ve found just as many stories that go the opposite direction. A pure fire root simply means that when it comes to absorbing fire aligned power and understanding fire aligned things, you have a massive lead over someone without, with a less pure root, or with multiple roots. Except the idea of ‘multiple’ roots is a little misleading.

“What that actually represents is how much you align with the elements. While some people will have more or less roots, the roots referred to in talent are actually about how the roots you have are divided up. Why they’re considered talent is because part of what they do is improve the efficiency of cultivation drugs.

“A person with pure fire roots will be able to take a fire aligned herb and extract so much more value out of it. They’ll be able to learn a fire technique and take it so much farther. So, when dealing with a culture focused around lacking supplies and knowledge, such things are not only important, but the key to reaching the higher ranks of power.”

Jason gathers his thoughts. Then he gets on to the one last thing she had asked. “Now, intangible talents? Those are a different kettle of fish entirely. See, there is the soul and then there is the true soul. All the other forms of talent are either in the body, mind, or soul and how people view them depend on culture, resources, and cultivation of knowledge.

“The intangible talents? Those are in the true soul and can’t be detected, only observed. Also, you can never take them away and they will always be useful no matter how strong you get. Both are quite powerful effects.

“As an example, someone with a special physique for using the sword? You cut off their arms and chances are you ruined them. If instead it was a true talent, they’d learn to use a sword with their feet, mouth, or mind and be able to take it to the top. Even beyond that, if they were born in a primitive world that hasn’t developed swords yet? They’d be the first sword smith. No metal? They use stone, wood, or the teeth of a giant beast.

“We don’t have intangible talents. Trust me, I’ve seen what one can do. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t reach the top.”