After a grand feast, Kai meticulously inspected their efforts, evaluating the diverse collection of spirit beasts alongside the handpicked candidate. Ensuring every detail was as expected, he excused himself, accompanied by an elder to his lodgings for the night - the Frost Haven villa.

Tomorrow, the ritual awaited, and the town was abuzz with anticipation of the event. Already, he envisioned a performance, a spectacle to amplify the procedure's perceived magnitude, thereby increasing his demanded price when the news spread. Dismissing his elder escort with a goodnight nod, he swung the villa door closed behind him.

Venturing into the compact, private courtyard, Kai inhaled deeply, sampling the brisk mountain air. The scent it held was a complex bouquet - notes of pungent incense and acrid smoke intertwining with the gentle fragrances of flowers and sunlight. Beneath it all, however, was an unmistakable, tantalizingly subtle undercurrent: a woman's distinctive scent.

His gaze scanned the courtyard, roving from the trickling fountain to the meticulously maintained foliage, and finding nothing, cleared his throat.

The grand double doors eased open, revealing two stunning women who deftly pulled them aside before aligning themselves by the doorway in a courteous bow.

"Master Ahja Kai, we warmly welcome you to Frost Haven," the petite woman, in a dress that gracefully descended into a dramatic plunging neckline that perfectly highlighted her assets, began. "It will be our pleasure to attend to your needs during your stay."

Once more, Kai inhaled, drinking in their fragrant aroma. Though their cultivation was modest, they radiated an undeniable allure. Young and attractive, these women were presented to him by the Iceheart clan as gifts. The taller among the two boasted glossy black tresses that cascaded down her back, and her complexion was a fair canvas flush with the vivid brushstrokes of youth.

Each woman was a unique portrait of perfection, one embodying a dignified elegance, the other exhibiting a gentler, more vivacious charm that pulsed with life. They stirred within him an undeniable reaction, and for the second time that day, he felt his body respond in ways he hadn’t had to concern himself with lately.

Hormones. Being a typical teenager is hard enough, but this body is nearly perfect and filled with enough power and vitality to power a continent.

The allure of these young women was undeniable, each flawlessly beautiful in a manner far surpassing Tuli's humble appeal. Yet, as he regarded them, his thoughts returned unbidden to the plain-looking mother he had encountered earlier. Physically, Tuli couldn't hold a candle to these radiant figures before him, yet in one crucial aspect, she reigned superior. Her path had crossed with his by pure luck, devoid of ulterior motives or expectations.

With Tuli, their exchange had been genuine and organic, starkly contrasting with the women before him who were strategically placed in his vicinity, tasked to cater to his needs. Their every move, he knew, was calculated, aiming to reap some gain. The simple authenticity he found in Tuli was something these picture-perfect women could not offer, and that reality left a sour taste in his mouth.

Drawing a breath, he moved closer, acknowledging their service, "Thank you for your kind attention. I'll be in your care." He took a stride towards the manor's entrance, "However, I need to center myself for tomorrow's ritual. Can you show me to my quarters?"

They led the way eagerly, the seductive sway of their hips betraying a practiced art as they navigated him to a grand chamber. Inside, an expansive bed took center stage, promising rest or leisure. Lanterns strategically placed across the room spilled forth their gentle luminescence – the air perfumed with an intoxicating blend of spiced oil and woodsy undertones. The fragrance had a dual effect, grounding him and rekindling his energy.

"Rest assured, if you desire anything, we will be close at hand, eager to assist," the more petite of the two offered, her tone a casual purr hinting at deeper intimacy.

"You should get some rest," Kai advised, moving to secure the doors behind him, "I'll be busy with preparations through the night." He caught the fleeting exchange of glances between the two before the door closed, cloaking him in the room's solitude.

With swift strides, he reached the adjoining courtyard, away from the intoxicating aura of the women, to let the invigorating chill of the mountain air fill his lungs. He sagged into a nearby chair, his body seeking the comfort of the plush cushioning.

"I wondered when you would be alone," Relay, materializing in a radiant golden ferrox form, stationed comfortably on the courtyard's stone rail.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Next time, remind me to keep a low profile," Kai suggested, wearied by the constant attention. The banquet was a sight to behold where he, unfortunately, had to serve as the main attraction. The Iceheart clan had pulled out all the stops, tantalizing every sense with their sumptuous spread. His every reaction was observed keenly, every uttered word intercepted and interpreted.

It was exhausting.

Straightening up, Kai centered himself and focused his gaze on his companion. "Give me some good news. What's your progress?"

At their last encounter, Relay had been fully engrossed in probing the secrets of the spatial storage device, and the array disc he had nabbed from the Lou family. On top of that, he had also been tasked with creating a new avatar, one that could resist network disruptions.

"Sadly, I got nothing to report but roadblocks," was his disheartening confession. "We need to secure access to a library to gather as much information as possible for a thorough analysis." The mysterious operations of the array disc and spatial ring remained elusive, and their comprehension seemed only possible with a solid data framework.

Kai frowned. It was too much to ask to be able to deconstruct and retrieve every secret from the limited samples they had - with no basic knowledge of the runic inscription system or the array technology. It was an impossible task.

“That’s not why I’m here, though,” Relay began, “I’m going to try forging a soul space and become a proper cultivator. You once mentioned I might be able to do that. I want to know how.”

Kai became more alert, getting up and walking toward the rail. “That’s great, Relay!” He thought about what he knew of creating a soul space. One of the memories Master Odash had retrieved for him had been the ritual leading up to the creation of his soul space. Kai began pacing, recalling the event with perfect clarity.

“First let me recount exactly what was said to Sun Kai,” Kai began recounting the scene. “First, they gave him some neutral energy to cultivate with and had him pull it into his mind,” he turned to say something else, but thought better of it before continuing, “once he had moved the neutral energy to his mind, the master said this:”

“Think of who you are. You are a son, a cultivator, a member of Sun Mai village, and a citizen of the Thousand Isles. Think of all these aspects of your identity, holding them in your mind. Now add to that all that you know about yourself.”

“What are your core values and beliefs, and why do you hold them? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are the accomplishments that you’re most proud of? What are your most significant failures, and what lessons have you learned from them? What motivates and drives you? What are your passions and interests? How do you react under pressure or during conflicts? What are your short-term and long-term goals? How do you handle criticism and compliments? What are the things you would regret not doing in your life? What makes you genuinely happy?”

“What are the fears and insecurities that hold you back? How do you want to be remembered? How do you treat others and why? What changes would you like to make in yourself? Are you satisfied with the life you’re leading right now? If not, what can you do to improve it? What does success look like to you? How do you cope with stress and difficult situations? What would you like to learn or what skills do you want to develop?”

“Do not shy away from these questions, even if you feel the answer paints you negatively. The most important aspect of creating a strong soul space is ruthless, brutal honesty. You must be true to yourself. Answer every question as honestly as possible, holding all these truths about yourself in your mind.”

“Only then do you start pairing down unimportant aspects, removing everything that doesn’t truly belong to who you are from that cluster of thoughts and feelings.”

Kai stopped, “At this point the master allowed Sun Kai ample time to complete the exercise. He took half a day to form a picture of who he truly was. Once he had an image the Master began again:”

“Now change some aspect of yourself, and see does it still fit who you are. If one aspect is your love for calligraphy, can you change that to a love for writing or poetry? If you can, and it still applies, then you must rethink that aspect, revising it until it fully expresses that aspect of your nature. Do this with each important aspect. When this is done, you can move on to the final step.”

“Once you are sure you have stripped any unimportant aspects, everything that isn’t a part of your core being – once all that remains is the most honest expression of your true self. Impress that image upon the energy in your mind and send it out into the world.”

Kai started pacing again. The process was taxing and required a person that could be honest about themselves and accept who they were and could separate that from other's expectations of them. Kai felt this last part was the hardest for the people of Long Yuan. With such a strong sense of community and connection, it was challenging to remove those influences.

“Then you wait,” Kai said, “If your image is powerful and true and finds a suitable place to settle, you are drawn there in a vision and finalize the first form of your soul space. According to Sun Kai's instructor, that’s how you form a soul space.”

“Doesn’t seem too hard,” Relay said. “I’ll have to figure out how to hold spiritual energy in my mind. You think we can create a cultivator’s body in your soul space that would work?”

“I think so; you can also use my primordial spiritual energy. That’s as neutral as you can get.”

The pair worked long into the night, figuring out how to bring Relay to life on Long Yuan.