Cultivation is Creation

The abandoned storage facility turned out to be exactly what we needed – a three-story building of weathered stone and rusted metal, tucked away in what must have once been a thriving industrial district.

Now it stood like a forgotten sentinel among its equally neglected neighbors, windows dark and loading docks empty.

Perfect for someone looking to avoid unwanted attention.

"The foundation's reinforced with jade-infused stone," Han Renyi explained as we made our way through a cleverly concealed side entrance. "Father says it was standard practice back when the Han family first built these warehouses. The jade helps maintain a stable rouqi field, which..." he trailed off as I nodded in understanding.

"Which makes it harder for others to detect any cultivation activities inside," I finished. "Smart. Your ancestors knew what they were doing."

The interior was surprisingly well-preserved, all things considered. Dust covered everything, yes, and there were signs of water damage in some corners, but the basic structure remained solid. More importantly, I could feel the faint hum of residual energy in the walls – not much by my standards, but probably impressive for this qi-starved world.

We settled in what had probably been some kind of office space on the second floor. The room was windowless but dry, with enough space for what I had planned. Most importantly, the jade in the walls was strongest here, creating a natural barrier against any spiritual sensing from outside.

"So," Han Renyi's voice echoed in our shared consciousness as I began unpacking the formation equipment we'd acquired on our way here. "Are you going to tell me why we needed these? Are you some kind of formation master?"

I had to smile at that. If he only knew about the nine levels of formation mastery and where I actually stood on that scale. "I wouldn't say I'm a master," I replied. "But I'm not too bad."