I moved away from the center of my inner world, needing some space to process what I'd just witnessed in the blood statue's crimson projection. The ground beneath my spiritual form shifted subtly with each step, responding to my turbulent thoughts.

The dual suns overhead cast overlapping shadows as I found a meditation plateau in the southwestern quadrant of my inner world. I settled into a cross-legged position, letting my gaze drift across the carefully constructed landscape of my inner domain.

From here, I could see the four distinct quadrants: the mountain ranges to the northwest, the garden to the northeast, the empty southeastern platforms awaiting future projects, and the training fields of the southwest where I now sat.

The Masked One. What a troublesome development.

Everything about him screamed "antagonist" rather than any kind of protagonist archetype. The way he spoke about people as if they were characters in some novel, his bizarre collection of "protagonists," and his apparent ability to bend reality itself, he was the type of enemy that appeared in the final act of a cultivation story, not a mere obstacle to overcome.

But who said this had to be my problem?

I wasn't about to think like some foolish, hot-headed young master who'd charge headlong into danger believing destiny would ensure his victory. That kind of thinking got people killed.

No, my primary objective since arriving in this world had always been straightforward: stay alive and improve my cultivation. Getting involved with a being powerful enough to enslave a Civilization Realm cultivator ran counter to both goals.

It would be far better to let someone else handle this problem. Perhaps an elder at the Life Realm or above. Or maybe even one of these supposed "protagonists" the Masked One had collected would eventually rebel against him. If they truly embodied the protagonist archetype, I could only see this ending badly for the Masked One.

Such was the nature of stories, after all.

A cool breeze swept across the plateau, carrying with it the faint scent of the azure bellflowers I'd planted in the garden quadrant. The gentle rustling of leaves provided a calming backdrop to my racing thoughts.

Soul arts.

Just thinking about that discipline made me uncomfortable. In the hierarchy of despicable cultivation methods, there was only one discipline worse than blood arts, those who used soul arts in nefarious ways.

Soul cultivation itself wasn't inherently evil, of course.

Several prominent sects throughout the five continents specialized exclusively in soul techniques. The Ethereal Mist Sect of the Northern Continent was particularly renowned for their soul cultivation methods that allowed practitioners to explore the boundaries between life and death without crossing them. The Star Divination Tower in the Western Lands had developed soul techniques that enabled cultivators to glimpse possible futures.

These were legitimate and respected paths.

But distorting souls, enslaving others, bringing back the dead, these practices crossed the line from cultivation into abomination. They didn't merely bend the natural order; they shattered it completely. Such acts went against the very foundations of the heavens themselves.

And going against the heavens wasn't merely some philosophical transgression. It was extremely dangerous in a very concrete, immediate sense. I didn't know much about it from personal experience, but I remembered clearly how even Ke Jun, a Civilization Realm cultivator, had hesitated during our battle when Heaven's Mandate was mentioned. The fear in his eyes had been real and visceral.

Whoever or whatever enforced Heaven's Will was powerful enough to make even the mightiest cultivators think twice. Perhaps they were cultivators of unimaginable strength, or perhaps they were something else entirely—conceptual enforcers of cosmic law or personified abstractions.

Whatever the case, it would be best if the Masked One attracted their attention instead of me. Let them deal with this reality-bending lunatic rather than risk my own neck in a confrontation I couldn't possibly win.

The red sun in my inner world completed another rotation in its eternal dance with its blue counterpart. As its crimson light intensified over my meditation plateau, I came to a decision. I should inform Elder Chen Yong about this situation.

Obviously, I couldn't reveal how I'd obtained this information, explaining a blood statue made from the essence of a supposedly dead Civilization Realm ancestor would raise far too many questions, but I could lay out some breadcrumbs.

I could mention Li Yuan being killed at the Way Station, only to mysteriously return and behave like a puppet. I could describe how I'd sensed someone hunting for Life Realm energy at the time. These hints should be enough for the elder to launch an investigation without directly implicating me.

Though ideally, Elder Chen Yong wouldn't investigate it himself. While he was undoubtedly powerful as a Life Realm expert, I wasn't certain how the Masked One compared in strength or what underhanded tactics he might employ. It would be best if my master simply relayed the information to whoever these Heaven's Mandate enforcers were and let them handle it.

After all, that's what they existed for, wasn't it? To deal with threats to the cosmic order so the rest of us could continue our cultivation in peace.

The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself this was the wisest course of action. Let those with the power and responsibility handle the Masked One. I would focus on my own cultivation and stay as far from his notice as possible.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

But first, I needed to deal with the blood statue in my inner world.

Rising from my meditation position, I made my way back to the center where Ke Jun's blood statue remained rooted in place by the Genesis Seed. Its blood-red eyes followed my approach.

I stopped a safe distance away, studying the statue carefully. It was still seated in its meditative posture, restrained by the Genesis Seed's roots that had wrapped around its limbs and torso. Despite its confined state, it radiated a quiet confidence that I found unsettling.

"So," I said, breaking the silence, "I guess you want my help in freeing your Main Body?"

The blood statue inclined its head slightly. "Yes."

"I'm just a Qi Condensation cultivator,” I couldn't help but laugh. “How could I possibly do anything against a powerful Stellar Realm cultivator?"

A slow smile spread across the statue's face, transforming its features into something almost predatory. "You're not just a regular Qi Condensation cultivator, are you?"

I didn't respond, keeping my expression neutral. No point confirming what he already seemed to know.

"All World Tree Sutra cultivators have a fast cultivation speed," the blood statue continued. "Probably related to that world-walking ability of theirs."

"So you expect me to challenge the Masked One when I'm strong enough?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

Ke Jun nodded, his crimson eyes never leaving mine.

I shook my head firmly. "That's not how I do things. It's too dangerous."

"Even if you don't seek out the Masked One," Ke Jun said, his voice taking on a grave tone, "he will find you himself."

The words landed like a stone in my stomach. I frowned, remembering how Ke Jun had mentioned that his descendant, me, would get revenge for him.

"You might be right," I admitted reluctantly. "But why should I help free your Main Body when it wants my body for itself?"

The blood statue shifted slightly within its restraints. "After the battle, the Main Body had decided to stay away from you," it explained. "It wasn't worth getting mixed in with a World Tree Sutra cultivator."

I couldn't help but smile at the irony. "And yet here you are, a fragment of that same Main Body, getting 'mixed in' with me right now."

"World Tree Sutra cultivators always make history," Ke Jun said, ignoring my comment. "Whether good or bad."

His statement triggered a memory from our battle. "That reminds me," I said, leaning forward slightly. "During our fight, you made a comment about some problem with the World Tree Sutra. What did you mean?"

The blood statue's smile widened, revealing teeth that seemed unnaturally sharp for a human. "I'm only a fragment," it said with false regret. "If you want to know that, you'll have to ask the Main Body." It paused for effect. "Oh wait, the Main Body is enslaved."

I ignored its attempt at obvious manipulation. "What exactly can you offer me in return for my help, if you're only a fragment?"

Ke Jun's gaze swept around my inner world, taking in the carefully constructed landscape, the dual suns, and the spiritual plants in the garden quadrant. "You must be struggling to breakthrough," he observed. "And you probably don't have access to the resources you need." His eyes returned to mine, glittering with a knowing light. "I know of a place where you can get whatever you need."

I recognized the ploy immediately. He was trying to tempt me with the Celestial Trade Nexus.

"There exists a marketplace," he began, his voice taking on a reverent quality, "hidden from all but the most powerful cultivators. A place where treasures beyond imagination can be bought and sold freely, without the restrictions of sects or clans. Spiritual herbs that bloom once in a thousand years, artifacts forged in the primordial chaos, techniques lost to the ages—"

"The Celestial Trade Nexus," I interrupted, growing tired of his salesman routine. "I already know about it."

Ke Jun paused, his eyes widening slightly before he composed himself. "But it's clear you haven't connected to it," he said after a moment. "If you had, you wouldn't be..." He glanced around my inner world again. "Normal."

"No, I haven't connected to it," I admitted.

The blood statue's smile returned, triumphant now. "I have a method that can allow you to safely connect to it without going insane."

"That's what everyone seems to say," I replied dryly. "And then they end up driven insane and locked away."

Ke Jun's smile darkened, becoming something sinister. "That's because most cultivators are afraid to play around with real cultivation."

My eyes widened slightly as I understood his implication. Blood arts. He was suggesting I use blood arts to connect to the Nexus.

"You could use me, this blood statue, to connect to the Nexus," he explained, confirming my suspicion. "It will protect you and your inner world spirit from suffering the adverse effects of connecting to the Nexus prematurely."

"That sounds more like another possession attempt," I said flatly.

Ke Jun shook his head. "If I were to even have a chance of taking control of this inner world, I would need to subjugate this damn tree." He jerked his chin toward the Genesis Seed. "I don't have a chance at that."

I remained skeptical but decided to hear him out. "I don't want to be on Heaven's Mandate's hit list for using blood arts."

"The Nexus hides the identity of those who enter it," Ke Jun clarified. "Usually, others will only see a dark figure shrouded in shadows, and all they'll sense is cultivation stage. If you enter the Nexus through this method, you would appear as a Civilization Realm blood arts cultivator."

"That doesn't sound reassuring," I muttered.

Ke Jun leaned forward as much as his restraints would allow. "Even if Heaven's Mandate were to find anything out, they will believe it is me who is doing this. They'll look for me, not you." A shadow passed over his features. "Which is actually dangerous for myself. Even though the Main Body is enslaved, it is better than what would happen if Heaven's Mandate were to find me."

Inwardly, I was surprised by the depth of Ke Jun's fear of Heaven's Mandate. What could be worse than enslavement to the Masked One? What exactly did Heaven's Mandate do to those who transgressed their laws? I don’t think I wanted to find out.

"The danger is too much for me to risk catching their attention," I said, still reluctant.

Ke Jun sensed my hesitation and decided to sweeten the deal. "I'll provide what information and techniques I have," he offered. "Do you understand how valuable a Civilization Realm cultivator's knowledge is? Even from a fragment like myself?"

I considered his words carefully. It would indeed be beneficial to have access to such techniques, even if I never planned to use blood arts directly. Azure could analyze them, adding the knowledge to his database for future reference.

I had two clear paths before me.

The first option was simple: ignore the blood statue completely. Let it remain as an idle curiosity in my inner world, sealed by the Genesis Seed's roots. This was the safest approach, requiring no interaction with blood arts or dangerous knowledge. I could focus on more traditional cultivation methods and forget about this unexpected visitor.

The second option was more tempting, if riskier: milk the blood statue for everything it was worth. It claimed to have knowledge of Civilization Realm techniques, insight into the Celestial Trade Nexus, and information about the World Tree Sutra that I couldn't get elsewhere.

While I couldn't trust this "grandpa in the ring" trope, especially one who had already tried to steal my body, the blood statue was confined within my inner world, and didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

I gazed at the blood statue, its crimson eyes watching me with ancient patience. A decision waited to be made, one that would irrevocably alter my cultivation path moving forward.

The safe path, or the treacherous one rich with potential?

Sometimes, being a cultivator meant making impossible choices.