Still Learning To Live As A Cultivator

Chapter Forty Nine - I meet the new Mage in the team

There are many types of arrogance or rather there are many ways to express it and many more ways to misinterpret it.  For example, self-confidence could sometimes be interpreted as arrogance, but actually it was that self-confidence that could become arrogance when ego was kept unchecked or was fuelled by outside influence.  Leon had self-confidence in his ability to make certain pills, but did not have arrogance for he felt he lacked in other ways.  Jin Li had both self-confidence and arrogance; however one was due to his ability and the other was due to his background; he was well aware of his strengths and weaknesses as a martial artist.

Each school suffered from some sort of arrogance.  Martial artists tended to be arrogant in the face of danger, laughing at the survivability of fellow Cultivators, pitying the commoners who might become trampled underfoot should they be lazy in raising their weapons and becoming their shields.  Beast Tamers were as arrogant as the beast beside them, often flaunting the size, the agility, the offensive ability of their partners as if to say; if their partner was wild, then meeting it could easily mean death.  Laozi tamed this beast!  However, in the face of huge appetites of said beasts and the later results of that, their arrogance usually fizzled in private.

Scholars tended to look down upon both of the above, believing highly in the old phrase that the pen is mightier than the sword until that sword is pointed at their hearts, but even then, they'd curse such 'uneducated brutes' in the corner's of their brains.  Alchemists were quieter, their arrogance simmered beneath the surface, only coming to full effect once they reached the peak of their career; you want my pills?  Down on your knees and beg!

Mages' arrogance was formed upon a different line; the superiority of their existences!  If an equivalent school was developed upon a small blue world, third from the sun and whose people loved lists and labels, there would be a checkbox entry requirement, three ticks out of four requirements in order to enrol.  One; thick meridians (thus the ability to circulate spiritual energy was improved).  Two; an abundant innersea (do not believe that all dantian's are the same, one unable to store much spiritual energy would definitely have more difficulties forming their core and using any abilities requiring spiritual energy.  Such would be encouraged towards beast taming or becoming a scholar or worse, accepting the fate of an ordinary person).  Three; A primary root (the only exception would be having a lightning root, not that other secondary roots couldn't make a Mage, but that they'd have to pass the other requirements).  Four; Having a single root (exceptions could be made, for dual roots, but never for more).  It was also important to having excellent learning ability and mental endurance, but such could be trained. 

If one could tick three of these boxes, already, they could be considered excellent, those ticking all four boxes were the cream of the crop.  This school's outerschool was also the only one where all students were considered provisional and could be dismissed at any point.  Thus a Mage of the inner school felt that having met all of the stringent conditions necessary gave them every right to be arrogant.

Hence why Luchus was as he was, not only had he met these requirements, he came from the background filled with mages, plus he'd been accepted by one of the best Mage teachers in the school.  His arrogance knew no actual bounds, even not being within the top twenty of the Standings could temper it, let alone being rejected by Pike as a team member in the end.

And he really was not the only one, for his replacement, Caelus, wasn't really any better.

Leon first met the round, squishy Mage the evening before Pike and his team were due to enter the gates leading to the Empyrean Shattered Isles.  His small, midnight sapphire eyes glinted within the large frame of his face, but even then anyone could sense Caelus' disdain.  It caused a slight note of discord within the team, but it couldn't be helped; even if the scholar Roman hadn't nominated Caelus, the best or rather, the most amicable mages had already been stolen by other teams already.