Augustus replied, "We do need strong individual strength to elevate the family because the power of the family is not enough to achieve greater things. But when we do get that cultivator at the fourth mortal coil, it will be easier to get than someone working towards that goal on their own."
He buttressed his point by saying, "Note that I said "when," not "if," we get a cultivator at the fourth mortal coil. It is because it is certain that we will eventually reach that goal. As a family, we have many chances to achieve that goal, and we grow stronger with each generation, so it becomes easier and easier for us to achieve it."
The two of them continue to argue. The argument became bigger because the other members of the family joined in too.
Their argument quickly stopped being about Arthur. It became the order of priority between individual power and unity.
But despite how loud the argument became, it didn't become heated. They didn't insult or curse each other. The argument remained lighthearted, just like the intent that they cultivate.
If they were all cultivating the same type of intent, the scene would be more harmonious. But there were some hiccups in their interaction because of differences in intents.
For example, Augustus's intent is related to the durability of earth. This intent enhances the defensive capabilities of his force, but it also makes him stubborn. He is not willing to back down in an argument because of his intent.
Many times in the argument, the others were willing to concede a point, but he would never concede. He was like an immovable rock on a mountain. He was ready to die on that mountain for what he believed in. This made the argument continue for longer than it should have.
The argument didn't stop until Patriarch Calcetti got involved.
The shining patriarch said, "You're both right. Individual strength is important, and so is unity. The problem here is not Arthur. The problem is that there is no significant benefit for him to gain from unity."
"The people around him aren't worth it for him to unite with. That might change in the future, though. As for now, unity is a waste of his time."
The patriarch was looking at the viewing card when he said that. After speaking, he looked up and focused on Augustus.
Then he said, "Don't worry too much. Your son is smart. He understands his strength and those of the people around him. I'm sure he would have made a different decision in different circumstances."
"That aside, I want to say that his progress in the dominating fire intent is astonishing. He has embraced the side effects of the intent instead of trying to resist it. But he hasn't lost himself to it. It is as if he has a clear foundation of his pride. This foundation is so clear that he knows exactly where his limits lie."
"I noticed this the moment I stopped him from beating Brian and the other children. He was angry and intent on beating them up. But he stopped as soon as I told him to. It is clear that he recognizes a higher power. That can only happen when he is clear-headed."
When the patriarch saw that Augustus and the others didn't truly understand what he was saying, he shook his head in pity and said, "Don't you see what I was saying? He is proud, but he hasn't lost his reason yet. He is standing on the edge of it where he hasn't lost himself to pride and where he is not resisting pride and holding himself back."
"If he were at the second mortal coil, his cultivation of his intent would be smooth. It might not be fast, but he won't have any bottlenecks."
Someone chucked and said, "Like father like son, I guess."
This made everyone chuckle. It was funny because what was said was ironic. Augustus doesn't ride the edge of stubbornness. Until he is broken, he won't give up.
If he were not so stubborn, he would have given his bastard son a true name when he realized that the boy was talented. But he didn't and had to be threatened with a public lashing before he felt remorse.
The joke lightened the mood. They talked about a lot of things, but no one mentioned Brian and the beating he took at the hands of Arthur.
First of all, both of them are children of the same family. So it is not a matter of Brian being bullied by someone outside of the family. The matter is a family matter between the younger generation, so it won't be taken seriously.
Secondly, Brian deserved that beating. He shouldn't have stood up against Arthur if he didn't want to be beaten.
Thirdly, Arthur didn't go too far. And finally, Arthur is more talented than Brian. Because of his superior talent, they would have taken Arthur's side even if he was at fault.
At most, Arthur would be punished lightly if he were at fault. But since the fault is Brian's and Arthur is more talented than him, Brian is the one at risk of being punished for trying to make another member of the family fail in the exam.
The best that Brian will get right now is that no one mentions it. That is actually a favor to him because the crime of sabotaging a family member during the test is a serious matter. It is best for him that no one is trying to hold him accountable for it.
As they were talking, they saw that Arthur had finally reached the 15,000 performance milestone. This made someone smack their lips and say, "Shouldn't there be a limit here?"
Patriarch Calcetti smiled and said, "Don't worry. He should reach his limit soon."
Arthur collected arrows from about 100 archers. Each archer provided an average of 15 arrows. This made for a total of 1,500 arrows for him to shoot.