By the next morning, Heavenly Peak felt different.
Subtle, but real.
The breeze carried a faint freshness, the kind of air Haoran had never felt in this realm before. The spirit well pulsed with a slightly stronger glow, and even the shattered buildings seemed just a touch less miserable in the morning light.
Ruolan noticed it first. "Master… the qi density is higher."
"Higher?" Haoran asked. "As in… actually usable?"
Zhang Iron-Eater stretched lazily beside the well. "Feels like it. My stomach tingles. That usually means qi."
Haoran stared at him. "Why does everything you say sound vaguely worrying?"
Zhang shrugged. "My body's honest."
The System chimed in.
[Correct. Due to the presence of the Sky Dragon cub, the natural qi within the sect has increased by approximately 12 percent.]
Haoran blinked. "Twelve percent? From that little fluffball?"
The dragon cub—currently rolling around in a pile of Ruolan's neatly folded cleaning cloths—paused and tilted its head as if offended.
Ruolan sighed softly. "Master, please don't insult the guardian beast."
"It stole my robe," Haoran said.
The dragon chirped and puffed a tiny cloud of silver mist.
Zhang leaned closer. "It's asserting dominance."
Haoran looked alarmed. "It's a baby!"
[All babies assert dominance, Host. The dragon is simply better at it.]
Haoran decided he didn't have the spiritual energy to argue.
They spent the morning clearing more rubble. The cub toddled after Haoran everywhere, occasionally tripping over its own feet. Ruolan watched with unconcealed amusement every time Haoran tried to shoo it away and failed miserably.
The System interrupted the peaceful mood with a sudden chime.
[Host. It is time to begin the next phase of sect-building.]
Haoran winced. "Please tell me it's something simple."
[No.]
"Of course."
Ruolan straightened. "System, what is required?"
[A functioning sect must have a basic defensive formation active. Currently, Heavenly Peak lacks one.]
Haoran frowned. "The formation core was destroyed long before I woke up."
[Correct. Which is why you must create a new one.]
Haoran blinked. "I have no idea how to do that."
[Host, your ignorance never ceases to amaze me, but fortunately, a solution exists.]
A small scroll materialized in the air and dropped into his hand. The parchment was old, its surface cracked with age.
Haoran unrolled it. "Beginner Formation Manual… this looks like a children's book."
Ruolan leaned over his shoulder. "Master… this is extremely old. Where did you get something like this?"
[My archives.]
"You have archives?" Haoran asked.
[Host, I am older than your realm.]
Haoran closed the scroll before it gave him an existential crisis.
"Alright. What do we need?"
Ruolan read over the instructions. "A formation this basic only needs three spirit stones, an anchor point, and a stable qi flow."
Zhang raised a hand. "Master, what's an anchor point?"
Haoran's silence was answer enough.
The System chimed again.
[I recommend using the base of the old spirit well. Despite its damage, the foundation remains intact.]
Ruolan nodded. "Then that's perfect."
Haoran frowned. "We still need spirit stones. We don't have any."
The System cleared its metaphorical throat.
[Host, please check your inventory.]
"I have an inventory?"
[You truly know nothing.]
Haoran groaned, but when he willed it, a small translucent window flickered before him. Inside were:
three low-grade spirit stones
one cracked jade tile
some miscellaneous items
and a single biscuit that must've come from somewhere in his Earth life
He blinked. "Why do I have a biscuit?"
[Backup emergency food supply.]
Ruolan looked genuinely impressed. "Master, this changes everything. We can begin immediately."
Zhang grinned. "Let's make a formation!"
They spent the next hour following the steps—Haoran tracing the imperfect lines from the scroll, Ruolan steadying the stone placements, and Zhang occasionally offering to "chew the stones a little" to make them fit.
"No," Haoran said each time. "Absolutely not."
Finally, Ruolan stepped back.
"Master… it should be ready."
Haoran held his breath and activated the formation.
A soft ripple spread across the courtyard. The stones glowed faintly, lines of light connecting them until the entire ground shimmered with an almost invisible barrier.
Ruolan's eyes widened. "It worked."
Zhang whooped. "Master! We have protection!"
The dragon cub chirped loudly, flapping its tiny wings in excitement.
The System chimed, sounding almost impressed.
[Formation successful. Heavenly Peak has regained its basic defense. Sect status has increased.]
Haoran exhaled slowly, a strange warmth flickering in his chest.
Heavenly Peak was still broken.
Still weak.
Still hanging together with luck, stubbornness, and sarcasm.
But it was no longer dead.
For the first time, it felt like a sect again.