"Alright," I said finally. "I agree to the deal."

Inwardly, though, my plan was quite different from what I was presenting. There was still a long time before Ke Jun would expect me to directly confront the Masked One. My real intention was to let others, preferably Heaven's Mandate, deal with that problem.

If that were to happen, it was likely the Main Body would also be destroyed or subjected to whatever horror Heaven's Mandate could inflict on practitioners of forbidden arts, whatever its fate, it would mean I wouldn’t have to worry about my ancestor coming for my body again.

I pushed down the twinge of guilt I felt at this deception. I didn’t enjoy breaking my word, but while the blood statue might seem harmless now, I knew better than to trust it. If I acted like the naïve protagonist putting my faith in the wise old senior, I'd end up devoured by it or the original.

After all, in many "grandpa in the ring" scenarios, the ancient spirit eventually attempts to take over the protagonist's body. It typically ends badly for the grandpa because of the protagonist's plot armor, but I couldn't depend on such narrative convenience. I had to rely solely on my own wits and caution.

If anyone was going to get the better of this partnership, I was determined it would be me.

Still, I had to admit it felt like making a deal with the devil. But if there's one thing I'd learned since arriving in this world, it was that sometimes you needed to dance with demons to advance your cultivation.

A smile spread across Ke Jun's face, his blood-red eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "A wise choice, descendant."

I wasn't about to let him get too comfortable. With a subtle gesture, I called to the Genesis Seed. Its roots responded immediately, surging forward to completely envelop the blood statue, wrapping around its limbs and torso in a complex network of living restraints. I left only the head exposed, giving the impression of a man buried up to his neck in writhing wooden tendrils.

Ke Jun raised a blood-colored eyebrow, the only part of his expression that could convey his displeasure. "Is this really necessary?"

"Just taking precautions," I replied evenly. "I believe there's a saying about keeping friends close and enemies closer. Since you’re still in the latter category, I'd prefer to err on the side of caution."

The blood statue let out a dry chuckle. "Had I not been on the receiving end of these... precautions, I might have felt a hint of pride. Not all of my descendants are completely useless, it seems."

I chose to ignore the backhanded compliment. Despite having already learned about the universal coordinates and Ethereal Link technique from Astralis, I decided to test the blood statue's sincerity and knowledge.

"So, how exactly does one connect to this Celestial Trade Nexus?" I asked, assuming an expression of ignorant curiosity.

Ke Jun's eyes narrowed slightly, perhaps wondering if I was testing him. After a moment's consideration, he began explaining. "The Nexus exists at a fixed point in the multidimensional space between realms. To access it, you need two things: the universal coordinates and the Ethereal Link technique."

To my surprise and mild relief, he actually transmitted both to me, the knowledge flowing from his consciousness to mine in a stream of impressions and technical details. The coordinates appeared in my mind as a complex geometric pattern, a multidimensional address that couldn't be described in simple spatial terms. The Ethereal Link technique followed, a sophisticated method for projecting one's consciousness safely across realms.

I carefully compared this information to what Astralis had reluctantly shared. They matched perfectly. There were no subtle differences, no hidden traps or modifications that might give the blood statue control over the connection. If Ke Jun was trying to steal my body or subjugate my consciousness, he was playing a much longer game than I had anticipated.

"What's next?" I asked, maintaining my mask of ignorance.

Ke Jun's expression shifted to that of a patient teacher. "Next, we delve into the basics of blood cultivation, as you'll need it to establish a connection through me." He paused, perhaps gauging my reaction. "There are several different types of blood cultivators. The most powerful are those who use all available sources, their own blood, the blood of enemies, spiritual beasts, demons, even innocent mortals if necessary."

His tone was disturbingly matter-of-fact, as if discussing different types of tea rather than techniques that violated fundamental moral and cosmological principles.

"Then there are those who never use their own blood," he continued. "They exclusively rely on the blood of others, such as cultivators, beasts, and mortals. This approach is considered... cleaner, in certain respects."

"If the first method is more powerful and convenient, why would anyone choose the second?" I asked, genuinely curious despite my distaste for the subject.

Ke Jun's smile thinned. "Using your own blood for cultivation distorts its essence. The more distorted your blood essence becomes, the easier it is for Heaven's Mandate to detect and hunt you down. Some blood cultivators have managed to evade detection for centuries by never using their own essence, thus maintaining a certain... purity that makes them difficult to distinguish from conventional cultivators."

The mere thought of being hunted down by Heaven's Mandate sent a chill down my spine.

"Then there is absolutely no way I'm using blood cultivation," I stated firmly, my voice harder than I intended. "I have no interest in being hunted by Heaven's Mandate."

"Such caution is commendable, descendant, but perhaps excessive in this particular case," Ke Jun's crimson eyes gleamed with amusement. "Most cultivators dabble in some form of blood arts throughout their journey, whether they recognize it as such or not. The chances of being discovered are minimal." His gaze fixed on mine. "Even in the extremely unlikely event that Heaven's Mandate detected your activities, they would almost certainly turn a blind eye to using demonic blood for such a limited purpose, provided you don't fully commit to the blood cultivation path."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I narrowed my eyes. "And why would they make that exception?"

"Because you're a world walker," he replied simply. "The World Tree Sutra cultivators and other world walkers exist in a special category. Heaven's Mandate tends to... overlook certain transgressions when it comes to your kind."

"That makes no sense," I said, genuinely confused. "Heaven's Mandate enforces cosmic laws. Why would they ignore violations just because of my cultivation method?"

Ke Jun's expression grew thoughtful, almost philosophical. "One of Heaven's Mandate's primary goals is the continued development of the cultivation world. World walkers like you serve that purpose admirably whether you want to or not. You bring energies, treasures, and resources from other worlds, enriching this one. You accelerate cultivation progress in ways that would take millennia to occur naturally."

I considered his words carefully. It sounded plausible, but also self-serving. "So, Heaven's Mandate only cares about what ultimately benefits the cultivation world?"

"Precisely," Ke Jun nodded. "Think of it as a cosmic cost-benefit analysis. The minor violation of using demonic blood for a specific ritual is outweighed by the potential contributions a World Tree Sutra cultivator might make after visiting another world."

Something about this explanation bothered me. "It almost sounds like..." I hesitated, then voiced the unsettling thought, "like the development of inner worlds. Is the cultivation world itself just some powerful being's inner world?"

Ke Jun's blood-red eyes widened slightly, then he laughed. "Perhaps it is. No one knows for certain. Many great sages have contemplated the same question. If we are within some cosmic entity's inner world, then no cultivator has ever seen this inner world spirit or creator. Not even those who have ascended beyond the known realms."

The implications were staggering. I had entered the Starhaven Realm and experienced firsthand what it meant to exist within someone else's inner world. I had walked among people like Han Renyi who lived entire lives, formed families, built societies, all within what was effectively the spiritual garden of the Celestial Sovereign. To them, their world was everything, until I revealed the truth.

Was our reality any different?

Did some unfathomable being look upon our Five Continents? Were all our struggles for power, our breakthrough revelations, our grand sects merely amusing developments within a greater consciousness? Perhaps our understanding of cultivation itself, the growth of inner worlds, was simply us unconsciously mirroring the very process that created us.

"That's... disturbing," I admitted, feeling a strange vertigo at the thought. "It would mean everything we understand about reality is fundamentally incomplete."

"Regardless of cosmic philosophy, the practical reality remains,” Ke Jun continued. “You need demonic blood of your current cultivation realm, specifically, a Qi Condensation Stage 8 demonic beast or cultivator, to establish a connection to the Nexus through me."

I frowned deeply. This wasn't just complicated; it was dangerous. Leaving the sect to hunt demonic beasts was risky enough on its own, but demonic creatures at my cultivation level would be formidable opponents. Unlike spiritual beasts, which generally avoided human settlements and only attacked when threatened, demonic beasts actively hunted cultivators, drawn to their spiritual energy like moths to flame.

"Even if what you say about Heaven's Mandate is true," I said carefully, "using demonic blood to access the Nexus sounds like a perfect way to get banned from there instead."

Ke Jun shook his head. "For thousands of years, cultivators have tried to unravel the mysteries of the Nexus. Some have been banned for various transgressions. But cultivators are nothing if not resourceful. A select few discovered ways to subjugate others and use them as mediums to enter the Nexus under false identities, just as I'm suggesting you do with me."

"And the Nexus allows this?" I asked skeptically.

"It's unlikely they truly fooled the Nexus Spirit. More probably, the Nexus simply doesn't care. It has only a few rules that must be strictly observed." He proceeded to list them: Don't cause direct harm to other traders. Don't attempt to damage or subvert the Nexus itself. Don't try to trace others' coordinates. “Beyond these fundamental restrictions, it maintains a strict policy of neutrality. How you access the Nexus seems to be of little concern to it, as long as you conduct yourself properly once inside. After all, the Nexus values commerce above all else.”

His explanation seemed plausible, but I wasn't ready to take the word of a blood statue that had already tried to possess me once. If what Ke Jun was saying had any truth to it, Elder Chen Yong might have heard something about these alternative methods of accessing the Nexus. I didn't want to proceed without at least some verification.

"I'll think about it," I said finally. "But for now, you should rest."

Ke Jun laughed. "For beings like me, sleep is a useless luxury. I exist in a state of perpetual—"

His words cut off abruptly as I traced a glowing symbol in the air between us. Drawing on my recently acquired knowledge of Blue Sun calligraphy, I wrote the character for "sleep" using a thin thread of blue sun energy. The symbol pulsed with azure light as it completed, then shot forward to land on Ke Jun's blood-red face.

His eyes widened in disbelief as the symbol flared brightly against his crimson features. The light spread rapidly across his form, and within moments, the animation drained from his expression. The blood statue returned to its inert state, once again just a sculpted form of solidified blood essence. For good measure, I kept the Genesis Seed's roots wrapped tightly around it.

"Impressive use of Blue Sun techniques," Azure commented. "I didn't know you had progressed that far with calligraphy."

"I haven't, not really," I admitted. "That was a basic symbol, and I channeled far more energy into it than a trained Lightweaver would need. Inefficient but effective."

"The blood statue seems less powerful than its aura would suggest," Azure observed. "For all its Civilization Realm presence, it didn't resist your technique at all."

"Indeed," I agreed. "A small dog with a large bark. It has the aura of a Civilization Realm expert but lacks any real power to back it up."

Inwardly, I considered how that intimidating aura might prove useful someday. If I ever needed to bluff my way through a dangerous situation, having what appeared to be a Civilization Realm expert backing me could make opponents think twice. But for now, it was best if the statue remained dormant, even a weakened Civilization Realm expert was dangerous. I had much to consider before deciding whether to follow Ke Jun's suggested path.

"I've had enough of blood and bargains for one day."

With a final glance at the restrained statue, I shifted my focus outward, gradually transferring my consciousness back to my physical body.

I opened my eyes to find myself still seated on my sleeping mat, the room dark around me. The soft silver light of the moon cast faint shadows through my window.

"How long was I gone?" I asked.

"Just under fifteen minutes," Azure replied softly. "It's well past midnight now."

I nodded, stretching my shoulders to release the tension that had built up. The conversation with Ke Jun had been mentally exhausting, even if my body had remained still.

"We'll need to visit Elder Chen Yong tomorrow," I murmured, settling back down onto my sleeping mat. "I want to verify what Ke Jun told us about alternative methods of accessing the Nexus without revealing anything about our... guest."

"The elder might have heard something about these practices without being directly involved in them," Azure agreed. "But we should be careful how we phrase our questions."

"I'll also need to make a trip to the sect library," I added, pulling my thin blanket up. "There must be some records about blood cultivation and Heaven's Mandate, historical accounts, perhaps, or cautionary tales. Anything that might give us a clearer picture of what we're potentially getting into."

Despite my exhaustion, my mind continued to race with possibilities. If Ke Jun was telling the truth, the Celestial Trade Nexus might be within my reach much sooner than I had anticipated. The resources there could accelerate my cultivation significantly, perhaps even help me break through to the Elemental Realm before the tournament.

But the risks, hunting demonic beasts and dabbling in blood arts, couldn't be dismissed lightly. The more knowledge I could gather about both Heaven's Mandate and blood cultivation before taking any action, the safer I would be.