The excitement and sense of accomplishment from successfully drawing his first Peace Talisman didn't last long in the face of the overwhelming exhaustion surging from deep within his mind.
Shin leaned against the edge of the bed, his head spinning and his eyelids heavy as lead—the direct result of excessive depletion of his Vital Essence.
He didn't even have the strength to climb back onto the bed. Sitting on the floor, his consciousness quickly sank into a deep, dreamless darkness.
He slept soundly until the next morning, when gentle sunlight filtered through the window and brushed across his face, finally waking him.
Shin slowly opened his eyes, stretching his stiff neck and limbs.
Although the place he slept was uncomfortable, after a full night's rest, the Mental Energy he had consumed the day before had largely recovered.
More importantly, due to his first successful circulation of the Heavenly Cycle and the completion of a Spirit Talisman, his Spiritual Platform felt clearer than ever, and his perception of the surrounding environment had noticeably sharpened.
He stood up and looked around the temporary apartment the System had arranged for him.
It was clean and tidy—perfect as a short-term stop—but it lacked the most crucial thing.
A sense of security.
After personally encountering the supernatural side of this world yesterday, successfully introducing Qi into his body, and completing a talisman, Shin understood clearly that his future path was one he could never fully hide from ordinary people.
Cultivation required absorbing Spiritual Qi.
Drawing Talismans or refining Medicinal Pills produced energy fluctuations.
And if he advanced further, his personal aura would inevitably leak.
This apartment building had few neighbors, but they still existed, and the soundproofing was only average.
Any cultivation or experimentation—even on a small scale—could easily attract attention.
Especially from Sona Sitri, the Student Council President, who was notoriously sensitive to abnormal movements among Kuoh Academy students, along with the members of the Student Council under her command.
Shin had no doubt that the weak energy fluctuations he created yesterday might have already drawn the attention of certain entities.
"I can't stay here any longer."
He muttered softly, his tone firm.
He needed a truly private and secluded space—one where he could set up proper protective measures.
The System's starting capital was clearly meant for moments like this.
Without hesitation, he quickly washed up and headed out again.
This time, his objective was clear.
A real estate agent.
Kuoh Town wasn't a bustling metropolis, and real estate agencies were mainly clustered around a few main commercial streets.
Shin visited several agencies in succession, clearly stating his requirements:
A standalone house, preferably with a courtyard.
Located in a secluded area with as few surrounding residents as possible.
The age of the building and level of renovation were secondary concerns.
The first few agencies only offered apartments in busy neighborhoods or townhouses with tiny courtyards—none of which met his needs.
That was, until he entered a smaller agency with an old-fashioned exterior.
The middle-aged agent who received him listened carefully to his unusual request. After pondering for a moment, he pulled out a slightly dusty file from deep within the cabinet.
"Properties that meet your requirements are indeed very rare," the agent said, adjusting his glasses.
"However, there is an old residence you might be interested in."
"It's located on the outskirts of town, near the mountains and forest. Extremely quiet."
"It's a traditional Japanese-style house with a fairly large courtyard."
"But…" the agent hesitated, "the house is quite old, the interior needs repairs, and because of its remote location, it hasn't sold."
Shin's heart stirred.
"Can you take me to see it?"
Naturally, the agent had no objection.
They drove toward the edge of Kuoh Town. The farther they went, the fewer pedestrians and vehicles appeared.
Eventually, the car stopped in a desolate area.
What greeted Shin was a circle of slightly lowered, weathered stone walls, with lush tree branches extending over the top.
Pushing open the slightly rusted iron gate, a gravel path led straight to the main house.
Just as described, it was a Japanese-style residence that had endured many years.
The wooden structure bore the marks of age. The tiled roof looked like it might leak, and the paper sliding doors clearly needed replacement.
Yet the overall structure remained intact, carrying a quiet dignity born from years of exposure to wind and rain.
What pleased Shin the most was the courtyard.
It was far larger than he had expected.
Although long neglected and overgrown with weeds, its original layout remained intact. In one corner stood a dried-up pond and a broken stone lantern.
A natural, desolate atmosphere permeated the space.
More importantly, Shin closed his eyes and subtly activated the Essence Refining to Qi method.
He could clearly feel that the concentration of Spiritual Qi here was noticeably higher than in the town center.
Though still wild, it lacked the chaotic mixture of energies found in the city, feeling far closer to nature.
This environment would be immensely beneficial for cultivation.
"This is the place."
He made his decision almost instantly.
The house's age and remoteness were advantages in his eyes.
The agent was surprised, then delighted—this property had been sitting unsold for far too long.
Because the owner was eager to sell and the house was in poor condition, the final price was far lower than Shin had expected.
The procedures—payment, transfer of ownership, keys, and property documents—went astonishingly smoothly under the identity arranged by the System.
When Shin used the Magic Bank Card, the agent showed no surprise at all, proving that this world's magical financial system was already well-established.
In just one day, the secluded residence officially belonged to Shin.
After sending the agent away, he stood alone in the empty courtyard, the setting sun casting long shadows across both himself and the old house.
An unprecedented sense of stability and belonging welled up inside him.
This would be his true starting point in this foreign world.
The foundation of his Dao Path.
He didn't immediately clean the interior.
Instead, he took out another batch of materials he had purchased earlier from his bag: several pieces of low-quality jade containing weak Spiritual Qi, and a small packet of finely ground Mithril Powder.
They weren't cheap—but compared to safety, their cost was insignificant.
He planned to set up two of the most basic protective formations around the entire residence:
The Purity Formation and the Breath Concealment Formation.
The Purity Formation could cleanse filth and weak Evil Qi, creating a clean environment. Long-term residence within it would calm the mind, aid cultivation, and resist minor negative influences.
The Breath Concealment Formation was even more important.
It would suppress and conceal energy fluctuations, preventing them from leaking outward and being detected.
For someone who needed to cultivate, draw talismans, and refine pills in secrecy, it was an invisible protective wall.
Based on the orientation of the house and courtyard, Shin carefully calculated the flow of Earth Vein Qi and located the key nodes.
He dipped his finger into the Mithril Powder and meticulously traced small, mysterious runes at those nodes—on the ground and along the base of the walls.
With every stroke, he infused a faint strand of True Qi, linking the rune to the surrounding Earth Qi.
The process was mentally exhausting and demanded precise control.
Every rune had to be exact.
Every Qi connection had to interlock into a complete circulation.
Sweat soaked his hair, but his eyes remained steady, his movements unwavering.
When the final rune was completed, he placed the jade pieces—serving as the formation cores—onto several key nodes.
Stepping back into the center of the courtyard, he formed a simple hand seal and spoke softly:
"Formation, rise."
The faint wisp of True Qi in his body was instantly drained by more than half, injected into the invisible network beneath the ground.
A barely perceptible hum seemed to rise from deep underground.
Moments later, an invisible energy field spread outward, forming an inverted, bowl-shaped barrier that quietly enveloped the entire residence.
Shin immediately felt the world grow quiet.
Not silent—but isolated.
The Spiritual Qi in the courtyard became noticeably gentler. The air felt exceptionally fresh, invigorating with every breath.
And his personal aura was completely locked within the formation, without the slightest leak.
Success.
Although it was only a basic dual-formation, and wouldn't withstand the deliberate probing of true experts, it was more than enough to block ordinary perception.
More importantly—
It was a perfect beginning.
A safe cultivation space that belonged solely to him.
Exhaustion washed over him once more, but Shin smiled with genuine satisfaction.
He looked up.
The sun had fully sunk below the horizon, and scattered stars dotted the deep blue sky.
The silhouette of the old residence stood quietly beneath the twilight.
He took out the Peace Talisman he had personally drawn and carefully affixed it to the inside of the main door's lintel.
A faint, calming aura spread outward, subtly resonating with the formations in the courtyard.
From this moment on, the wanderer in a foreign world finally had a home.
This was his home.
And also—
His Dao Field.