My dao to eternity

The Formation Guild occupied a long, low building on one of the inner district's quieter streets, its entrance marked by nothing more elaborate than a carved wooden sign and a pair of stone lanterns that had clearly stood there for decades. Li Fan found it on his second morning of deliberate exploring, walked past it twice to gauge the traffic moving in and out, and entered on the third pass without hesitation.

Inside, the front hall smelled faintly of ink and heated stone, shelves along both walls holding scrolls and slate tablets etched with array diagrams too dense to read at a glance. A handful of cultivators moved between the shelves and a long counter at the rear, some in guild robes, others clearly visitors like himself. He approached the counter and gave his name plainly. "Lin Fan," he said. "A mid-grade formation master, recently arrived from the northern provinces. I'd like to register."