To Walk The Mist

"There are special sections within the astral roots. These majorly allow spirit picking juniors in. No one is sure where these sections are, but most of the greatest treasures brought out of the roots were inheritances gotten by spirit picking juniors." Ku Nam said and Ed turned solemn.

"So, elders hope to rope in as much spirit picking cultivators as possible."

"But this also does not help, it is a matter of talent." Ku Nam said and Ed raised a brow.

"Few, but a significant number of cultivators above the spirit merging stages have entered these special sections before. They too have been pulled in." he explained.

"If it is a thing of innate talent, why are all spirit picking juniors dragged into this section?" Ed asked.

"My master once told me that an ordinary spirit picking junior can be molded into what ever the master wishes. After the spirit picking stage, many have burned potential bridges to pursue one martial path." Ku Nam explained.

"The potential. Then the treasures in those special sections are inheritance treasures then."

"Yes. That means that the other sections are good as well. Even better, it has nothing to do with luck. It has more to do with strength. If one is powerful enough, he can take anything away. And none of the treasure there are to be looked down on." Ku Nam said and Ed nodded at his words.

"How do people leave?" Ed asked and Ku Nam broke into a laughter.

"You are probably the only person who can see the full picture." Ku Nam said.

"It is not that hard to enter as it is hard to leave, is it?" Ed asked.

"Yes, and this is not mostly the work of the roots." Ku Nam agreed.

"How?" Ed frowned.

"Sure, people are tested in the roots. There are dangerous things in there, people are bound to die. Only the worthy can leave with what they have taken, but...." he said and Ed's frown deepened.

"When everyone leaves the sections they return to a central region."

"Everyone in the same place, many will loose their treasures. Many would loose their lives." Ed said. He recognized that the law of the jungle was the only recognized here.

"Taking inheritance treasures is harder than getting a normal treasure, but people still try. Most inheritance, when the host is dead, it would return to the astral roots special sections, but some can be taken out. But a majority of those taken out are demon treasures."

"Demon treasures?"

"It is as though the treasures hoped to be let loose on the world. These treasures pass from hand to hand, land to land, leaving a trail of blood in it's path. They bring down empires and cause deaths, when they are done, they just disappear." Ku Nam explained.

"Even with this kind of reputation many still try to take it out?" Ed asked.

"Greed. This is a fatal human flaw. Besides, there is not much to show that a treasure is a demon treasure."

"I see."

"Nevertheless, other hosts are killed just for killing sake. How can they allow such potential geniuses to step out into the world and step on their heads?"

"Jealousy. This seems more like the astral roots have no intention of letting these treasures out into the world." Ed commented.

"You are right. Disciples turn on each other and blood of promising geniuses are spilled. Normal treasures aside, do you know how many great treasures come out of the great spill every five years?" Ku Nam asked.

"None." Ed answered solemnly and Ku Nam laughed.

"Yes. All those variables mean that, in the past hundred years, only two known special treasures leave the astral roots and every five years, more than ten thousand cultivators die inside."