Lu Haotian's room had quietly changed.
Nothing obvious at first glance.
The same table.
The same bed.
The same still air.
But if one looked closer—
Small objects had been moved.
Pebbles near the corners.
A chipped cup placed slightly off-center.
Even a broken wooden fragment near the wall.
They were not random.
They were anchors.
Lu Haotian sat cross-legged.
In front of him lay three small pebbles.
He picked one up.
Placed it down carefully.
Then—
He guided a thin strand of qi into it.
The pebble trembled slightly.
A faint fluctuation formed—
Then collapsed.
"…Still not holding."
He wasn't forming nodes in empty air anymore.
That had been his mistake.
Without a base—
Qi had nothing to stabilize against.
He picked up another pebble.
Placed it a short distance away.
This time—
He slowed down.
Instead of forcing qi into it—
He let it seep in.
Wrap around it.
Settle.
The pebble grew faintly warm.
A tiny point formed within it.
A node.
Lu Haotian didn't move.
He observed it carefully.
"…Better."
He reached for the second pebble.
Repeated the process.
Slower.
More controlled.
The second node formed—
But weaker.
He frowned slightly.
"…Uneven."
He let it collapse.
Then tried again.
Later that day—
He returned to the Array Hall.
More disciples were present.
The atmosphere was quieter than usual.
Focused.
Lu Haotian stepped in and sat near the back.
Not long after—
The elder arrived.
Simple robes.
Calm steps.
A few disciples straightened slightly.
"Elder Shen…"
Lu Haotian glanced up briefly.
Shen Yuan.
An external elder.
A retainer.
Not of the Lu bloodline—
But trusted to teach.
Shen Yuan stepped onto the platform.
Looked at the gathered disciples once.
Then spoke.
"Show me your nodes."
No introduction.
No explanation.
Several disciples immediately raised their hands.
Some formed nodes in the air—
Only for them to flicker and collapse.
Shen Yuan watched silently.
Then shook his head.
"Wrong."
He lifted his hand.
From his sleeve—
A small metal disk fell into his palm.
He placed it on the platform.
Then—
He guided a thin strand of qi into it.
The disk gave a faint hum.
A node formed.
Stable.
Unmoving.
"This…"
He said calmly.
"…is a node."
He tapped the disk lightly.
"Arrays are not built in empty space."
"They require anchors."
He looked at the disciples.
"Stone. Metal. Wood. Talismans."
"Anything that can hold qi."
Lu Haotian's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…So that's the difference."
Shen Yuan placed a second disk down.
Another node formed.
Then—
A line connected them.
Smooth.
Balanced.
"No anchor…"
He released the qi.
The structure collapsed instantly.
"…no stability."
He stepped back slightly.
"Most of you fail before you begin."
No anger.
No pressure.
Just truth.
"You try to control qi."
"You do not give it something to hold."
The lecture continued.
Shen Yuan demonstrated different anchor materials.
• Stone — stable, but slow to respond
• Metal — sharper, easier for connections
• Wood — flexible, but less durable
Each had strengths.
Each had weaknesses.
"Choose based on purpose."
Lu Haotian listened quietly.
His previous attempts replayed in his mind.
Floating nodes.
Unstable structures.
Wasted effort.
Now—
It made sense.
When the lecture ended—
He did not linger.
He returned immediately to his courtyard.
This time—
He prepared properly.
Several pebbles.
A small metal fragment.
A piece of broken wood.
He placed them carefully on the ground.
Not randomly.
Measured.
Then—
He began.
First pebble.
Qi flowed in.
It resisted slightly—
Then accepted it.
A node formed.
Stable.
Second—
Slightly weaker—
But held.
He connected them.
The line flickered—
Then stabilized.
Lu Haotian's eyes sharpened.
"…This works."
He didn't rush.
He added a third anchor.
Carefully.
The structure expanded—
Then trembled.
He adjusted the flow.
Reduced output.
Slowly—
It stabilized.
For the first time—
He wasn't forcing qi into shape.
He was building on something real.
The formation only lasted a short while.
Then—
Collapsed.
But this time—
Lu Haotian didn't feel like he failed.
He understood why.
He looked at the anchors on the ground.
"…So this is the foundation."
Not power.
Not speed.
But support.
He picked up another stone.
Placed it down.
And began again.
Node.
Anchor.
Line.
Not in the air.
But in the world.