I placed the final stroke on Ke Jun's cracked blood statue, my finger leaving a trail of glowing energy that quickly sank into the crimson surface. The character for "sleep" pulsed once before settling into a steady, subdued glow.

"Better safe than sorry," I murmured, stepping back to examine my work.

The blood statue remained motionless, its normally intimidating presence diminished by the numerous cracks spreading across its surface. Using Ke Jun as a medium for the Celestial Trade Nexus had exacted a heavy toll. Part of me felt a little guilty, I hadn't anticipated such severe damage, but another part remained wary. Ke Jun was, after all, a blood cultivator at the Civilisation Realm who had once attempted to possess me.

"The binding should hold," Azure commented beside me. "Though I doubt he has the strength to cause trouble anyway."

"How long do you think it will take for him to recover?" I asked.

"Difficult to say. Blood essence regenerates at variable rates depending on numerous factors. Without access to fresh blood..." Azure paused, giving me a meaningful look. "Months, perhaps. Possibly longer."

I nodded, satisfied. I didn’t expect to require access to the Celestial Trade Nexus before then, and if I did, then we could tackle that issue when it arose.

"Let's examine our winnings, then. I want to see what we've gained from our little trip."

Moving away from Ke Jun's dormant form, I directed my attention to the storage area of my inner world where the treasures from the Celestial Trade Nexus had been deposited. Four distinct energies pulsed there, each unique in its resonance and presence.

The Primordial Wellspring was the first I approached. It was a perfect cube of water somehow maintaining its shape without any container. As I drew closer, the water inside shifted in mesmerizing patterns, creating formations that resembled ancient scripts before dissolving back into pure liquid.

"This is remarkable," I said, reaching out to touch the cube. The moment my spiritual finger made contact, a pleasurable coolness spread up my arm, carrying with it an essence so pure it made ordinary spiritual water feel like mud in comparison.

"I can sense its potential. This isn't just water; it's the fundamental concept of water given form."

"Indeed," Azure agreed. "The Primordial Wellspring contains the purest water essence in existence. It will establish foundational Water Law within your inner world, creating a self-perpetuating source that adapts to your world's needs."

Next, I turned my attention to the Minor Spirit Vein, which appeared as a crystalline formation resembling the root structure of a plant, except it pulsed with concentrated spiritual energy rather than life force. Golden motes of light traveled through its transparent branches, collecting at various nodes before dispersing again in an endless cycle.

"This is exactly what I needed," I murmured. "A self-contained qi generator that operates independently of the ambient energy of any particular world."

Unlike typical cultivation resources that merely stored energy, the Minor Spirit Vein actually produced its own qi through a continuous cycle of refinement. The implications for a world walker like myself were profound. During my time in the Starhaven Realm, I'd struggled with the diluted rouqi, forced to convert it inefficiently into usable cultivation energy.

While the spirit vein wouldn't be exactly the same as drawing qi directly from the cultivation world, there would still be limitations in output and regeneration rate, having any reliable access to my cultivation techniques while world walking would be an immeasurable advantage. No more being stranded without my full capabilities, no more relying solely on whatever energy system existed in the world I visited.

The third treasure, the Temporal Hourglass, was perhaps the most visually striking. No larger than my palm, it consisted of two glass bulbs connected by a slender neck, but rather than sand, what flowed between them was pure time essence, a sparkling silver substance that seemed both liquid and gas simultaneously. What made it truly remarkable was how it flowed both up and down at the same time, defying the very concept of direction.

"The applications of this are..." I trailed off, my mind racing with possibilities as I turned the hourglass over in my hands.

This treasure represented perhaps the most significant advantage any cultivator could possess - control over time itself within their inner world. While most would immediately think of doubling cultivation practice time, the true value lay far deeper.

"With this, my entire inner world will develop twice as fast as the outside world," I smiled, watching the time essence flow in its impossible pattern. "Plants that would take a decade to mature will do so in five years. Spiritual beasts that require centuries to evolve could do so in mere decades."

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This was how Civilization Realm cultivators created their own societies and armies, by accelerating time within their inner worlds, they could raise generations of loyal followers while only a fraction of that time passed in the outside world. A child born within such an accelerated inner world might live twenty years while only ten passed externally, growing, learning, and cultivating at twice the rate of their outer world counterparts.

Finally, I approached the small crystal vial containing the Dawn Ripple, a tiny, translucent fish with traces of crimson in its delicate fins. It swam in lazy circles, seemingly unbothered by its transfer to a new realm. As I watched, it produced a minuscule orb of refined spiritual essence that dissolved into the water around it.

"A living being," I said softly, fascinated by its simple beauty. "The second of many that will inhabit my inner world, hopefully."

A soft rustling sound caught my attention, and I turned to see Yggy materializing beside me, extending a tendril toward the vial.

"Curious about our new friend?" I asked, smiling at Yggy's eager nods. "This is a Dawn Ripple. Once I release it into the waters of our inner world, it will help make our home stronger."

Yggy's tendrils twisted in what I'd come to recognize as excitement. A small flower bud at the end of one vine opened and closed repeatedly.

"You want to play with it?" I interpreted, chuckling. "You can, but you must be gentle. Unlike you, this creature isn't created from red and blue sun energy. And right now, it’s much more fragile, almost like a baby compared to you."

Yggy's tendrils drooped slightly in what seemed like disappointment.

"Don't worry," I assured the plant being. "You'll have plenty of time to interact once it's established. And who knows? Perhaps you could help protect it and its offspring as they spread throughout our world."

This seemed to cheer Yggy up, its vines perking up and weaving excited patterns in the air.

Watching Yggy's fascination with the Dawn Ripple, I found myself contemplating the nature of created beings. Both Yggy and the Dawn Ripple were entities created by others, Yggy by Elder Molric, the Dawn Ripple by the life forces within Xue Mochen's transitioning inner world. Neither were my own creations.

"You know, Azure," I said thoughtfully, "watching these two, I can't help but think about the future of my inner world."

"What specifically comes to mind, Master?" Azure asked, floating closer.

"Creation," I replied. "True creation. While the inhabitants of the Starhaven Realm will eventually enter my inner world when the annexation process is complete, which will undoubtedly boost my cultivation significantly, the ideal scenario would involve beings I create myself, entities born from my understanding of the Dao, evolving and cultivating on their own."

Azure nodded. "The creation of life is indeed one of the hallmarks of advanced cultivation.”

I sighed, watching as Yggy made shapes with its vines, seemingly trying to entertain the fish. "A feat I'm far from achieving at the moment. Even with the World Tree Sutra's advantages, there are no shortcuts to true comprehension."

"Patient cultivation is the foundation of lasting power," Azure reminded me. "Though your methods may be unorthodox, the fundamental principles remain."

I studied my inner world thoughtfully, analyzing the best locations for each treasure. The Genesis Seed had created a pattern of deep valleys radiating outward from the center, forming natural divisions between the four quadrants. These valleys would be perfect channels for water flow, which meant...

"The Primordial Wellspring needs to go at the convergence of the four valleys," I decided. "From there, it can distribute water equally throughout the entire inner world."

I turned my attention to the Minor Spirit Vein next. The southwest quadrant, dedicated to meditation and practice, featured several plateaus at varying heights. Beneath the main meditation plateau, I noticed a subtle ripple in the spiritual energy, a natural cavity forming in the rock.

"The Spirit Vein belongs there," I pointed. "This plateau will one day become the foundation for the first sect in my inner world."

I could already envision it, disciples in robes bearing the emblem of the World Tree, cultivating atop this very plateau, drawing on the Spirit Vein's energy to advance their understanding of the Dao.

For the Temporal Hourglass, I carefully studied the flow of energy around the Genesis Seed. Time manipulation was delicate, incorrect placement could create disruptive temporal eddies or zones of accelerated decay.

"The Hourglass needs to align with the Genesis Seed's growth pattern," I determined. "Its axis should parallel the Seed's central trunk to ensure harmonious time dilation throughout the entire world."

Finally, I turned my attention to finding the ideal home for the Dawn Ripple.

"Where do you think our little aquatic friend would thrive best?" I asked Azure.

"We have quite a few options”, Azure began. “The central lake would provide the most space for expansion, but..."

"But might be too overwhelming for a single fish," I finished his thought. "Especially one from such a controlled environment."

"Yes." Azure nodded. "There's also the stream network in the mountain quadrant. The flowing water would be rich in minerals from the stone."

I shook my head. "Too turbulent for now. The Dawn Ripple needs time to adjust before facing currents. What about the marsh area near the eastern boundary?"

"High in nutrients," Azure agreed, "but perhaps too stagnant for optimal spiritual essence production. The Dawn Ripple thrives on gentle circulation."

I surveyed the garden quadrant, where a small pond had formed naturally among the spiritual plants.

"This pond," I pointed. "It's protected, nutrient-rich thanks to the surrounding plant life, and has just enough circulation from that underground spring."

Azure studied the pond thoughtfully. "An excellent choice. The proximity to spiritual plants will likely enhance the Dawn Ripple's essence production, creating a beneficial cycle for both the fish and the garden."

"And as it reproduces, the offspring can naturally migrate to larger water bodies through the connecting streams," I added. "Perfect for starting a sustainable ecosystem."

"The garden pond it is, then," Azure agreed with a smile.

With the decisions made, we began the careful process of integrating each treasure into my inner world.