The Wang Clan's formation archive occupied the eastern wing of the ancestral hall, a chamber that smelled of ancient paper and preservation talismans. Wang Ben had walked past its doors a hundred times growing up, but this was the first time he'd entered with genuine purpose.
Patriarch Wang Tiexin looked up from the scroll he was examining, his weathered face showing surprise that quickly shifted to something warmer. At seven hundred and twenty years old, the clan leader had seen generations of Wang children grow, struggle, and sometimes succeed. His core formation cultivation gave him centuries more to watch the family's slow decline.
"Ben'er." The patriarch set down his brush, gesturing to a cushion across from his work table. "Your father mentioned you've been working on formations. I wondered when you might visit."
Wang Ben settled onto the cushion, taking in the room's contents with fresh eyes. Shelves lined every wall, filled with scrolls and bound texts that represented the Wang Clan's accumulated knowledge. Some were clearly ancient, their cases marked with preservation formations that glowed faintly in the morning light. Others were newer, practical manuals for the defensive arrays that had once been the clan's primary source of income.
"I'm working on a project," Wang Ben said carefully. "A breakthrough protection array. More advanced than what I've studied before."
"Breakthrough protection." The patriarch's interest sharpened. "At qi condensation, you shouldn't need such things for decades yet. Unless..." He paused, studying Wang Ben with the penetrating gaze of an experienced formation master. "You're not building this for yourself."
"No, Grandfather."
The title came naturally. Wang Tiexin was his grandfather, his father's father, though the centuries between their ages made the relationship feel more distant than the word implied. Still, the old man had always shown Wang Ben kindness, even during the years when his father's crippling had made the family somewhat peripheral to clan affairs.
"A commission, then. From someone important enough to need advanced protection." The patriarch nodded slowly. "You have the right to keep your client's identity private. But I'll need to understand what you're trying to accomplish before I can help."
Wang Ben had prepared for this. The truth, carefully edited.
"The target is a mortal shedding cultivator preparing for nascent soul breakthrough. Standard protection arrays have failed for others in similar situations. I believe... I believe there may be threats that traditional formations don't account for."
The silence that followed was heavy with implications. Wang Tiexin rose from his cushion, moving to one of the older shelf sections with the careful movements of someone who had learned patience over centuries.
"You propose that something beyond inner demons threatens cultivators during breakthrough." His voice was neutral, neither accepting nor dismissing. "An interesting hypothesis. What led you to it?"
"Pattern analysis." Wang Ben kept his voice level. "The client shared observations from multiple failed breakthrough attempts. The failures occur at specific moments during soul projection, not random points of psychological vulnerability. That suggests an external factor."
"External." The patriarch pulled a scroll from the shelf, its case marked with characters Wang Ben didn't recognize. "You're not the first to wonder about this, Ben'er. The question of what truly kills cultivators during breakthrough has occupied formation masters for millennia."
He returned to the work table, spreading the scroll between them. The diagram it contained was complex, a breakthrough formation that incorporated layers Wang Ben recognized and others he didn't.
"This is the Wang Clan's ancestral breakthrough array. Generations of successful advancements have occurred within it, including my own advancement to core formation two centuries ago. Do you know what it protects against?"
Wang Ben studied the formation, letting the System's analysis run beneath his conscious attention.
[OBSERVATION: Traditional formation architecture detected]
[Analysis: Primary components include qi stabilization matrix, meridian harmonization field, and psychological reinforcement layers]
[Note: No countermeasures for external entity approach, reality distortion, or spiritual signature concealment. Estimated Youming attack vector coverage: 23%]
"Inner demons," Wang Ben answered. "Psychological manifestations of the cultivator's fears and doubts."
"Precisely." The patriarch traced one of the formation lines with a weathered finger. "The breakthrough itself is a moment of profound vulnerability. The cultivator's consciousness expands beyond its normal boundaries, touching something larger than the self. In that expansion, every unresolved conflict, every hidden fear, every secret shame can manifest as resistance."
"And the formation helps them overcome that resistance."
"It provides structure. Stability. A reminder of who they are while they reach for what they might become." Wang Tiexin looked up, his ancient eyes holding something that might have been concern. "But you're not asking about inner demons, are you? You're asking about something else."
Wang Ben chose his next words carefully. "What if the expansion also attracts attention? What if there are... things in that larger space? Things that notice when a soul ventures too close?"
The patriarch was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was quieter than before.
"There are theories. Old theories, from before the great sects standardized breakthrough methodology. Some cultivation lineages believed that advancement attracted entities from beyond the normal world. Predators that hunted projecting souls the way beasts hunt prey."
"What happened to those lineages?"
"Most died out. Their practices were deemed ineffective, their theories unsupported by evidence." A slight smile crossed the patriarch's face, weary and knowing. "But here's the thing about cultivation history, Ben'er. The cultivation world tends to remember successes and forget failures. If a protective methodology worked, it spread. If it failed, those who practiced it died, and their knowledge died with them."
"So the fact that current methods are standard might just mean they fail less often. Not that they address the real threats."
"A possibility." Wang Tiexin rolled the ancestral formation scroll, setting it aside. "One I've considered myself, in quiet moments. When a cultivator with perfect psychological preparation, with resolved conflicts and clear purpose, still fails during breakthrough... it makes you wonder."
[OBSERVATION: Subject Wang Tiexin's openness exceeds expected parameters]
[Analysis: Patriarch has encountered unexplained breakthrough failures within personal experience. Cognitive dissonance creating receptivity to alternative explanations.]
[Note: Approach validated. Proceed with integration of traditional and advanced concepts.]
"I've designed something different," Wang Ben said. "A formation that incorporates traditional protections but adds new elements. Reality anchors to prevent disorientation. Boundary definitions to protect the projecting soul. Signature concealment to hide it from... anything that might be watching."
He produced his own scroll from his sleeve, spreading it on the table. The Youming Sanctuary Array in miniature, its three overlapping circles annotated with explanations that framed ancient countermeasures as innovative extensions of traditional theory.
The patriarch studied the design in silence, his expression unreadable. Minutes passed as his eyes traced the formation lines, following the logic of Wang Ben's architecture.
"This is..." He paused, searching for words. "This is beyond what I expected from a seventeen-year-old qi condensation cultivator. Beyond what I would expect from most core formation practitioners."
"I had unusual resources to work from."
"Clearly." Wang Tiexin looked up, something complicated in his gaze. "The reality anchor concept is sound. The boundary definitions are elegant. The signature concealment..." He shook his head slowly. "I don't fully understand how it would work. But the underlying logic is consistent."
"Would it integrate with traditional protection?"
"It should. These elements don't conflict with inner demon wards. If anything, they would complement each other." The patriarch rolled Wang Ben's scroll carefully, handling it with the respect due a serious work. "Where did you learn to think like this?"
Wang Ben met his grandfather's eyes steadily. "I read extensively. I observe patterns others miss. And I had access to observations from someone who has witnessed more breakthrough attempts than most cultivators see in a lifetime."
"Shen Wuyan." The name came quietly, without accusation. "The Phantom Gate's presence in our city hasn't gone unnoticed, Ben'er. Nor has your connection to it."
"You know?"
"I'm old, not blind. A nascent soul cultivator appears in Redstone City, takes an interest in my youngest grandson, and suddenly that grandson is designing formations that exceed anything in our clan archives." Wang Tiexin smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I've been waiting to see how this would unfold."
"And?"
"And I'm relieved that you came to me." The patriarch's expression softened. "Whatever arrangement you have with the Phantom Gate, you're still Wang Clan. Still family. The knowledge in this archive is yours by right, and if your innovations prove successful, they become part of our legacy."
He rose, moving to a different section of shelves. "Let me show you our traditional breakthrough protection in detail. If your new approach works, we'll want to understand how to integrate it. And if it doesn't..." He glanced back, his smile turning rueful. "Well. Then at least you'll have a foundation to build on."
The afternoon passed in a blur of formation diagrams and theoretical discussion.
Wang Tiexin proved to be a patient teacher, walking Wang Ben through the subtleties of breakthrough protection that he'd never fully appreciated. The qi stabilization matrices weren't just about preventing energy fluctuations. They created a resonance pattern that reinforced the cultivator's sense of self during the vulnerable moments of expansion.
"Think of it as a tether," the patriarch explained, pointing to a series of interlocking formation nodes. "When consciousness expands during breakthrough, it can lose connection to its origin point. The stabilization matrix maintains that connection, preventing the soul from drifting too far from its anchor."
[ANALYSIS: Traditional stabilization matrix provides partial Hundun countermeasure]
[Mechanism: Self-reinforcement creates resistance to reality distortion]
[Estimated effectiveness against Chaos Embodiments: 15-20%]
Wang Ben absorbed the information, seeing it through the lens of what the System had revealed. The traditional formations weren't wrong. They were incomplete. They addressed symptoms without understanding the underlying disease.
"The psychological reinforcement layers," he said. "They strengthen the cultivator's mental state during breakthrough. Would that make them harder to... influence?"
"That's the theory. A cultivator with clear purpose and resolved conflicts has fewer vulnerabilities for inner demons to exploit." Wang Tiexin paused, considering. "If there were external entities trying to influence a projecting soul, I suppose the same principle would apply. A stronger mind would be harder to manipulate."
[ANALYSIS: Psychological reinforcement provides partial Wangliang countermeasure]
[Mechanism: Mental fortification reduces vulnerability windows]
[Estimated effectiveness against Shadow Stalkers: 10-15%]
By the time evening approached, Wang Ben had a much clearer understanding of how traditional and advanced protection could work together. The ancestral formations weren't adequate on their own, but they weren't useless either. They could serve as the foundation for his enhanced design, providing legitimacy and proven components while the Youming countermeasures addressed the threats that traditional theory never acknowledged.
"You should come back," Wang Tiexin said as Wang Ben prepared to leave. "Whatever happens with your current project, you have a talent for this work. The clan could use a formation master who thinks beyond established boundaries."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
"And Ben'er..." The patriarch's voice dropped, serious in a way it hadn't been during the teaching session. "Be careful with the Phantom Gate. Shen Wuyan is old. Older than anyone in this city except perhaps me, and even then, I suspect he has centuries on my age. That kind of experience creates perspectives we younger cultivators can't easily understand."
"I know."
"I'm not sure you do. Not fully." Wang Tiexin placed a hand on Wang Ben's shoulder, the gesture unexpectedly warm. "But you're wise enough to ask for help when you need it. That will serve you well in the years ahead."
The scroll appeared three days later, left on Wang Ben's desk while he was training in the courtyard.
He noticed it immediately upon returning to his quarters, the unfamiliar case marked with a formation seal he didn't recognize. No note, no explanation, just the scroll itself waiting like a test.
Wang Ben examined the seal carefully before breaking it. The formation work was intricate, designed to preserve the scroll's contents for extended periods. The kind of work that required core formation expertise or higher.
The scroll inside contained advanced formation theory, diagrams and annotations that described layered protection arrays far beyond anything in the Wang Clan archives. The concepts were dense, requiring cultivation knowledge that should have been years beyond his current level.
[OBSERVATION: Formation scroll contains core formation level theory]
[Analysis: Content describes multi-layered breakthrough protection with advanced soul stabilization mechanisms]
[Note: Design philosophy shows influences from Phantom Gate methodology. Probable source: Shen Wuyan]
Wang Ben read the scroll carefully, aware that this was almost certainly a test. Wuyan had left it without announcement, without instruction. He wanted to see how Wang Ben would react. Would he pretend ignorance? Reveal understanding he shouldn't possess? Something in between?
The concepts weren't unfamiliar. The System's knowledge of ancient formation practices included many of the same principles, though expressed in different terminology. Wang Ben could have understood this scroll immediately, recognized every element, and integrated its lessons without difficulty.
But that would reveal too much.
Instead, he took notes, marking sections with questions that showed insight without complete comprehension. Queries that a talented student might ask if they were stretching toward knowledge just beyond their grasp. Not ignorance, which would insult Wuyan's intelligence. Not full understanding, which would expose the System's influence.
A careful middle path.
When he finished, he rolled the scroll and set it aside. If Wuyan wanted to discuss it, he would make himself available. If this was simply an observation of how he handled advanced material, then his response would speak for itself.
The watching sensation that had haunted him for days chose that moment to intensify. Not the ancient, curious attention of Shen Wuyan. Something else. Something that felt like hunger wrapped in patience.
Wang Ben moved to the window, looking out at the compound grounds as darkness settled over the city. Servants moved on evening errands. Guards maintained their posts. Everything appeared normal.
But the feeling didn't fade.
His breakthrough came ten days later, in the quiet hours before dawn.
Wang Ben sat in the Wang Clan's meditation chamber, the ancestral formation humming gently around him. His father waited outside, ready to intervene if something went wrong. His mother had extracted a promise that he would attempt nothing reckless.
The advancement itself was almost anticlimactic.
Qi condensation stage two was a matter of refinement, not transformation. The spiritual energy that flowed through his meridians grew denser, more potent, as his cultivation compressed and strengthened. There was no dramatic breakthrough wave, no visible phenomena. Just the steady work of improvement that would eventually lead to greater heights.
But in the quiet space between stages, something stirred.
[OBSERVATION: Host breakthrough detected]
[Heart demon manifestation: Moderate intensity]
Wang Ben felt them rise, the fears he'd carried since the System first awakened. The guilt of knowledge he couldn't share. The weight of secrets that separated him from everyone he loved. The constant tension of pretending to be something simpler than he was.
What happens when they discover what you really are?
The thought came unbidden, dressed in his own voice but feeling alien. Wang Ben recognized it for what it was. Heart demon. The psychological manifestation of unresolved conflict that every cultivator faced during advancement.
His conflicts weren't imaginary. He was lying to his family. He was serving an ancient cultivator who held favors over his head. He was designing formations based on knowledge from a dead world, pretending they came from his own insight.
The guilt was real. The fear was real.
But they weren't more real than his purpose.
Wang Ben thought about his father's restored cultivation, about the joy in Wang Tian's eyes when he refined his first post-recovery pill. He thought about his mother's quiet strength, about Wang Chen's innocent laughter, about Zhao Yu's steady friendship. He thought about all the people he was trying to protect, all the futures he was trying to preserve.
The lies were necessary. The secrets served a purpose. And until he found a way to share what he knew without destroying what he loved, he would carry them.
The heart demon didn't fade entirely. It couldn't, not while the conflicts remained unresolved. But it receded, diminished by his acceptance of what he was and why. The breakthrough stabilized. His cultivation settled into its new configuration.
[BREAKTHROUGH COMPLETE: Host now Qi Condensation Stage 2]
[System functionality: 1.82% → 1.85%]
[Minor enhancement to pattern recognition protocols]
Wang Ben opened his eyes to morning light filtering through the meditation chamber's windows. His father was waiting when he emerged, worry giving way to relief as Wang Ben nodded once.
"Successful?"
"Qi condensation two." Wang Ben felt the difference in his spiritual energy, subtle but real. "Smooth, for the most part."
"Heart demons?"
"Some. Nothing I couldn't handle."
Wang Tian's hand found his shoulder, the same gesture his grandfather had used days earlier. "You'll face worse as you advance. The higher you climb, the more your hidden conflicts try to drag you down."
"I know."
"But you also know now that you can face them." His father's smile was warm with pride. "That's the first victory. Everything else is refinement."
Evening found Wang Ben on the compound walls, watching the sun set over Redstone City.
The watching sensation was still there. It had been there for weeks now, growing slowly more intense, more focused. Whatever observed him from the shadows had moved closer since the deadline extension. As if the extra time had given it opportunity to prepare.
Xue Feng. It had to be. The former young master of a destroyed clan, returned with demonic cultivation and a thirst for revenge. Wang Ben had expected something like this ever since the war ended. Had known that the Xue Clan's fall wouldn't simply be accepted by those who survived.
But knowing and facing were different things.
He thought about warning his family, about increasing the compound's defenses, about finding Xue Feng before Xue Feng found him. All reasonable responses. All things he should probably do.
But a year was a long time. Time to build the array. Time to fulfill his first favor. Time to grow strong enough that whatever threat emerged from the shadows could be met with something other than fear.
The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and violet. Somewhere in the city, Shen Wuyan was watching. Somewhere beyond the walls, something hungry was waiting. And somewhere in the space between reality and void, entities that fed on projecting souls continued their patient hunt.
Wang Ben turned from the sunset and walked back toward the family quarters. His mother was preparing dinner. His father was working in his workshop. His brother was learning to crawl across the sitting room floor.
Normal life. Precious life. The kind of life worth protecting, whatever the cost.
The shadows would come for him eventually. But not tonight.
Tonight, he would spend with his family, and let the darkness wait a little longer.
END OF CHAPTER 65