Cultivation is Creation

The Ancestor and Sect Master shared a quick glance when I mentioned formations. I could practically see their hopes deflating – they'd clearly been expecting some profound insights into breaking through to higher realms, not lessons in what many considered a mere auxiliary art.

"This junior has some basic knowledge of formations," the Ancestor said carefully. "Though naturally, it cannot compare to senior's profound understanding."

The Sect Master nodded quickly in agreement, though I noticed his eyes had narrowed slightly. Unlike the Ancestor, who was clearly disappointed, Li Jie seemed to be actually thinking about the implications.

"You seem disappointed," I said, letting a touch of amusement color my voice. "Were you perhaps hoping for insights into reaching Tier 3? Tier 4? Even Tier 5?"

Their expressions told me everything. Of course that's what they wanted – the dream of advancement was more precious than jade.

"I could share such insights," I continued, watching their faces light up with hope. "But they would be useless to you." And just like that, their expressions fell again. "The fundamental problem isn't your understanding or technique – it's the lack of rouqi in this world."

The Sect Master's shoulders slumped slightly. "Senior speaks true," he admitted. "Even maintaining our current levels becomes more challenging with each passing year. The amount of resources required..."

"Which is precisely why formations are more valuable than any wisdom I could share," I cut in. "A proper formation can gather and concentrate what little energy remains, making it usable in ways that would otherwise be impossible."

I could see the moment understanding dawned in their eyes. The Ancestor straightened, his earlier disappointment replaced by interest.

I gestured at the empty space before us. "Bring out your formation equipment."

The Sect Master reached into his storage ring without hesitation, producing an array of tools that looked significantly better than what I'd been forced to work with earlier. The brushes were finer, the measurement calipers more precise, and the array anchors showed signs of having been enhanced with additional formations of their own.

As I examined the tools, I found myself thinking about the Rouqi Gathering Circle I'd created earlier. It had worked almost too well – the amount of energy it had concentrated had exceeded even my expectations.

While I wanted to give the sect something valuable enough to ensure their continued cooperation, I couldn't risk giving them something that might accelerate their development too quickly. Their progress wouldn’t affect me, but their newfound power could cause issues for Han Renyi when I left.

"Azure," I thought, "what would happen if we removed the compression matrix but kept the resonance chambers?"

"The gathering effect would be reduced by approximately 45%," he replied after a moment of calculation. "Still significantly better than anything they currently have access to, but not enough to trigger immediate breakthroughs."

Perfect. I began laying out the formation tools in their proper positions, taking my time to demonstrate the correct placement. If I was going to teach them this, I might as well do it properly.

"The first principle of energy gathering," I began, picking up the primary scribing brush, "is understanding that rouqi naturally flows in patterns. Most formation masters try to force it into the shapes they want, but that's like trying to redirect a river with your bare hands. Better to work with the natural flow, guide it rather than force it."

I began drawing the basic pattern – nested circles with inward-spiraling lines. The Sect Master leaned forward, his eyes tracking every movement of the brush. Even the Ancestor, who had initially seemed skeptical of this whole exercise, was watching with intense focus.

"Notice how each spiral arm maintains a precise ratio to its neighbors," I continued, adding the first set of resonance chambers. "This isn't just for aesthetic purposes. The spacing creates harmonics in the energy flow, each wave reinforcing the others."

"But wouldn't that make the formation unstable?" the Sect Master asked. "The feedback from multiple resonance points..."

I smiled behind my hood. He wasn't just watching – he was actually thinking about the principles involved. "That would be true in a normal formation," I acknowledged. "Which is why we add these stabilization arrays here and here." I drew two more patterns, linking them to the main spiral arms. "They act as dampers, preventing the resonance from building to dangerous levels."

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The Ancestor stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I recognize elements of the Traditional Gathering Array," he said, "but these modifications..." He trailed off, clearly trying to understand how everything fit together.

"The traditional array was designed for a world rich in energy," I explained. "It's like using a bucket to catch rain during a storm. But what we need now is more like collecting morning dew – we need to gather every drop we can find and hold onto it."

I continued drawing, adding layer after layer of intricately connected patterns. Each stroke was precisely measured, each line flowing naturally into the next. This wasn't just about creating a functional formation – I wanted to show them the proper way to construct it, so they could replicate it later.

"The key," I said as I worked, "is understanding that energy gathering isn't just about pulling in power. It's about creating a space where energy wants to gather naturally. Like how a valley collects water without any effort, or how certain caves seem to naturally accumulate spiritual energy."

"Is that why the spacing between the spiral arms is so wide?" the Sect Master asked. "To account for the thinner energy?"

I nodded, pleased that he'd caught that detail. "Exactly. If the world was filled with dense energy, you could pack the lines closer together. But here, we need to cast a wider net, so to speak."

As I added the final touches, I could feel their anticipation building. They might not understand every aspect of what I was doing, but they could tell this was something far beyond their current formations.

"Watch carefully," I said, straightening up. "The activation sequence matters as much as the pattern itself."

I channeled a small amount of energy into the formation's primary activation point. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, starting from the outer edges, the lines began to glow with a soft green light. The light spiraled inward along the pattern I'd drawn, each resonance chamber lighting up as the energy reached it.

The effect was beautiful, really – like watching a flower bloom in reverse, each petal of light folding inward toward the center. But the real show wasn't the light display.

"By the Celestial Sovereign..." the Ancestor whispered, his eyes wide as he felt the change in the air. The rouqi density in the room had increased dramatically, creating a pocket of energy concentration that might not have been impressive in the peak era of their world but was anything greater than they could hope to achieve at these times.

The Sect Master actually stumbled slightly, overwhelmed by the sudden increase in available energy. "This... this is incredible! With this level of energy concentration..."

"I might actually be able to maintain my cultivation," the Ancestor finished, his voice filled with wonder and relief. "Perhaps even make progress again!"

"Tier 3 might no longer be just a dream," the Sect Master whispered, more to himself than to us. His eyes had a distant look, as if already imagining the possibilities this opened up.

I smiled behind my hood, though they couldn't see it. "Are you satisfied with our exchange then?"

The Sect Master laughed – a genuine sound of joy that probably hadn't escaped him in decades. "Satisfied? Senior, I wish I had more techniques I could give away! This formation is worth more than everything in our archives combined."

He wasn't exaggerating. Techniques were ultimately useless if you couldn't gather enough power to use them. This formation wouldn't solve all their problems, but it would at least give them a fighting chance.

"I have more useless descendants," the Ancestor cut in suddenly, his tone entirely too casual for someone offering up his own family members as practice dummies. "In case senior's disciple needs more experience."

I didn't respond immediately, partly because I wasn't sure how to react to someone so casually offering up their family members for potential death, and partly because I was trying to process the logic behind it.

In cultivation worlds, there was a prevailing philosophy that power meant everything – family, morality, even basic human decency were all secondary to the pursuit of advancement.

While I understood the importance of power – you couldn't protect anything without it, after all – the idea of sacrificing family for it seemed... well, pointless. What good was power if you lost everything that made it worth having in the first place?

"Master?" Han Renyi's voice interrupted my philosophical musings. "The sun is beginning to rise. We should return before my family worries."

I glanced toward the window, surprised to see the first hints of dawn coloring the sky. Had we really spent the entire night here? More importantly, did I really want to risk letting Han Zhongwei wake up to find his son missing after everything that had happened?

The thought gave me pause. In both the cultivation world and the Two Suns world, I'd never had anyone waiting up for me or wondering where I was. The idea that someone might actually worry about my absence was... strange. Restrictive, in some ways, but also oddly touching. It reminded me of back home…

"Master," Azure's voice chimed in, "I've completed gathering and analyzing all the relevant data from their archives."

Perfect timing. I turned back to the Ancestor and Sect Master, who were still staring at the active formation like children who'd just discovered sugar. "I must take my leave," I announced. "Expect my disciple to begin his training soon."

Their relief at my imminent departure was almost palpable, though they tried to hide it. I couldn't blame them – having a supposedly Tier 5 cultivator hanging around probably wasn't good for their nerves. Plus, I suspected they were eager to study the formation more closely without having to worry about showing proper respect to a senior.

The Ancestor and Sect Master insisted on escorting me out personally, though I suspected it was as much to ensure I actually left as it was to show respect.

When we passed by the Ancestor's Tree again. Its branches seemed to drop slightly, and one of its roots actually tried to wrap around my ankle like a child tugging at a parent's sleeve.

I reached out and patted the nearest branch, feeling it quiver slightly under my touch.

"Don't worry," I said softly. "I'll be back to learn more about you. There's something very interesting about your existence that I need to understand."

The branches swayed gently in response, and I felt a surge of... something. A resonance that made the Genesis Seed stir with interest. This was no ordinary sacred tree, not by a long shot.

"Master," Han Renyi interrupted my thoughts, "not to rush you, but my father really will send out search parties if I'm not back soon."

I sighed and gave the tree one last pat. "We'll continue this conversation later," I promised, then turned to leave.