What is Karma?
Karma, simply put, is a concept often associated with worlds centered on the cultivation of immortality. It rarely appears in narratives dominated by mages and knights due to fundamental incompatibilities with these settings. In cultivation-based worlds, karma serves as a powerful tool used by the world's will, or its inherent governing force, to regulate the actions and behaviors of its inhabitants. Though specific karmic rules may vary from world to world, they generally revolve around one core principle: repaying kindness with kindness and cruelty with cruelty.
For example, in a typical karmic world, if someone benefits from the kindness of others, they are expected to repay it. Failing to do so could result in "karmic backlash"—a form of punishment or misfortune brought on by karmic forces. If someone goes so far as to repay kindness with cruelty, the backlash becomes even more severe. For this reason, in karmic worlds, people must exercise great caution when accepting favors from strangers, as these favors come with an obligation to reciprocate.
Similarly, acts of cruelty in karmic worlds often incur karmic consequences. For instance, if someone commits murder against an innocent person, the karmic backlash could ruin their luck, increasing the likelihood of negative events befalling the perpetrator. Positive behavior, on the other hand, such as showing respect and care toward parents, teachers, or other mentors, is often rewarded with golden luck. Loyalty to one’s sect, dynasty, or similar groups also holds significant importance.
While some karmic worlds may allow for loopholes or provide ways to lessen or make up for karmic violations, these options are highly specific to each world. Some worlds may allow ways to undo karmic repercussions, while others may impose inflexible rules with no exceptions.
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After founding his sect, Leo has been diligently studying the intricate karmic rules governing the world of cultivation. Interestingly, the karmic principles in his world closely resemble those found in the immortal worlds. Therefore, Leo's understanding of karma here will likely aid him when he eventually ascends to more advanced worlds.
As part of establishing the sect, Leo began recruiting disciples. The majority of his disciples are women, though a few men have joined as well, undergoing alterations to their appearance before they were accepted. Wang Xuanwei's mastery of transfiguration magic allows him to modify appearances at will. His spell, though not specifically a gender-changing magic, is a highly advanced form of body transformation, allowing him to alter any aspect of an individual's appearance.
As the sect grew to several thousand disciples, Leo's understanding of karma began to deepen. He started to notice and study the subtle fluctuations in karmic force, observing their meanings and impacts on the sect’s collective luck, its karmic bounds, and the overall stability of his organization.
Being the sect leader gives Leo a unique level of influence over the sect’s collective luck. He can channel this luck for various purposes, such as refining cultivation pills or aiding disciples in breaking through to higher realms. However, based on his study of karma, Leo believes that using the sect’s luck to assist with breakthroughs is a poor long-term strategy. Luck, especially in cultivation-based worlds, is a highly valuable resource and difficult to accumulate. The more luck a sect possesses, the safer its standing within the world becomes. In times of crisis, a sect’s luck can even serve as a form of protection, shielding it from enemies with stronger cultivation bases.
The concept of luck is not unique to cultivation-based worlds; it also appears in worlds where power is derived from magic and knighthood. However, the way luck operates differs between cultivation-based systems and image-based systems.
In this cultivation world, "luck" signifies the overall balance of one’s karmic accumulation. A person with "golden luck" has a positive karmic balance, while someone with "red luck" has accrued negative karma. Golden luck provides a buffer against karmic backlash; if someone with golden luck faces negative karmic, they can better withstand the consequences. Conversely, red luck intensifies karmic repercussions, making any backlash even more severe.
Golden luck has numerous valuable applications. It essentially grants access to the world’s goodwill, allowing the individual to channel this force to achieve a wide range of goals. Someone with golden luck can significantly improve their chances of success in various pursuits—creating new formations, developing potent cultivation pills, inventing advanced techniques, and even curing rare diseases. This luck serves as an all-encompassing support, enhancing the power of spells, fortifying defenses against stronger opponents, and creating golden defensive barriers capable of deterring attacks from enemies.
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Most sects strive to accumulate golden luck without spending it unnecessarily. A primary reason for this is the added protection it provides against external threats. If a sect possesses great golden luck, any force that dares to attack it would risk incurring massive karmic backlash. Those favored by the world’s will are safeguarded by karma, and those who threaten them without similar levels of protection will often find themselves punished by the world.
For Leo, this concept of karmic backlash is slightly less concerning due to his two powerful summoned cultivators, both at the half-step Celestial Ascension stage. Unless Leo violates a severe karmic rule, such as committing an unforgivable act against his parents, the consequences are manageable with the help of his summoned allies.
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Name: Wu Jian
Age: 15,002,481 years
Cultivation Realm: Peak of Ultimate Convergence (restricted to Half-Step Celestial Ascendance)
Leo examined his new summon, Wu Jian. Having recently used a super summon card, Leo now had this ancient and formidable cultivator at his side. Wu Jian, despite his vast age and power, appeared as a young man with a rugged, muscular physique, a short black beard, and a bare torso. His square-shaped face and somewhat plain features stood in contrast to Leo’s preference for attractive companions.
"Master!" Wu Jian greeted, bowing respectfully.
"Wu Jian," Leo began, "do you know any transfiguration spells?" He was considering having Wu Jian alter his appearance to suit Leo's preferences for a more visually pleasing entourage.
Wu Jian nodded eagerly. "Yes, Master! My specialty lies in barehanded combat, and I also possess a skill called Canglong Shen Gong, which allows me to transform my physique into that of an azure dragon. In my ultimate azure dragon form, my physical prowess rivals that of half-step transcendent beings!"
Leo, however, had a different idea in mind. "That’s impressive," he replied, "but I have a specific request. Can you transform your appearance to that of a beautiful girl?"
Wu Jian hesitated, looking slightly uncomfortable but compliant. "Master, you… wish for me to become a beautiful girl?"
"Yes, exactly!" Leo confirmed. "Quickly, transform into a beautiful girl, wear something striking, and accompany me as my bodyguard."
Leo preferred not to be followed by a giant dragon; a smaller, more visually appealing figure would be better suited for navigating confined spaces and public appearances.
Wu Jian, bound by the absolute loyalty of a summoned being, stood silent for a long moment before replying, “Of course, Master. For you, I am willing to sacrifice anything!” After a brief pause, he added, “Just a small consideration—taking on a weaker physique will reduce my combat effectiveness to that of an early-stage Ultimate Convergence cultivator. I fear I may not be able to protect you adequately if I take the form of a beautiful girl.”
Leo thought for a moment. “Your combat effectiveness is already capped at the half-step Celestial Ascendant stage, so it won’t make a practical difference,” he replied. “Alright, just to ease your worries, I’ll allow you to transform into a muscular girl. That way, you can preserve as much combat strength as possible.”
For Wu Jian, whose cultivation technique depended heavily on physical strength, this compromise was somewhat comforting, though he still felt uneasy. His physical strength was critical to his combat skills, making his martial techniques much more powerful. However, he had no other objections left to raise. Swallowing his discomfort, Wu Jian cast his transformation spell, committing himself to his master’s wishes.
In an instant, the square-jawed, muscular man disappeared, replaced by a strikingly muscular yet oddly beautiful young woman.
“Excellent! I like it,” Leo said approvingly as he examined Wu Jian’s new form. “Now, go put on something nice. From now on, you’ll be my personal bodyguard, accompanying me everywhere.”
Wu Jian, still processing the drastic transformation, bowed respectfully and went off to find more feminine attire. Although her mind was reeling, she remained outwardly composed. Despite his millions of years of life experience, Wu Jian had never imagined he would one day be forced to this level.
Summoned beings retained all of their original memories, desires, and personal preferences. They were fully sentient, with emotions and dreams intact, but the summoning process had altered their souls and minds to make them completely loyal to Leo. Despite this enforced loyalty, Leo’s orders could clash with their own values and preferences, causing them inner distress—even though they had no choice but to obey.
Unaware of the emotional toll his commands might take, Leo saw his summoned beings as nothing more than tools, like highly advanced NPCs, programmed to follow his will.
After a short time, Wu Jian returned, dressed in elegant, feminine clothing, ready to begin her new role as Leo’s bodyguard. She felt awkward but kept her inner turmoil hidden.
“Why are you so silent?” Leo asked, smirking. “Act as if you have a crush on me!” For him, this order was just another way to ensure his personal comfort and amusement, and he was unapologetic about it.
Wu Jian trembled slightly but complied without hesitation, as her loyalty compelled her to do. She adjusted her expression, forcing a warm smile as she looked at Leo with eyes that seemed to shine with admiration. Bowing, she spoke with as much sincerity as she could muster, “Master, I will do anything for you! Please, just say the word.”
Leo nodded, satisfied with her performance.