Chương 337: Blood and Bargains

The morning sun entered through the windows of our small courtyard rooms, casting warm patterns across the simple wooden table where we shared breakfast. Wei Lin was practically glowing, not just from the sunlight, but from the unmistakable radiance of a successful breakthrough.

"Pass the congee, would you?" Lin Mei asked, her eyes never leaving Wei Lin as if he might vanish if she looked away. The events of last night had clearly left her shaken, though relief had replaced most of her earlier anger. I slid the earthenware pot toward her, watching as Wei Lin casually floated a spoon through the air with a flick of his finger. Show-off.

"So," I said, breaking the comfortable silence, "how does it feel to be looking down at us lowly peasants from your lofty Ninth Stage heights?" Wei Lin grinned, popping a slice of pickled radish into his mouth.

"Honestly? Strange. I've spent so long planning each step of my cultivation that suddenly skipping ahead feels... unearned, somehow." He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if testing their reality.

"I keep expecting to wake up and find it was just a dream."

"Nothing unearned about it," I countered.

"You left the safety of the sect in search for the breakthrough; you nearly died for it."

"Ke Yin's right," Lin Mei added, her stern expression softening.

"Though I still think you were reckless." She poked his arm with her chopsticks for emphasis. Wei Lin caught her hand, his expression growing serious.

"I know. And I'm sorry for worrying you. But I don't regret the outcome." His gaze shifted to me.

"Both of us having Beyond Heaven-rank methods means our paths are bound to be... unconventional." I nodded, we shared something that set us apart from other disciples, cultivation methods that defied normal progression, that stretched the boundaries of what was possible.

"It's nice," I admitted, "having someone who won't get left behind." The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how arrogant they sounded.

"That came out wrong. I just meant—""No, I understand," Wei Lin laughed.

"Most Beyond Heaven-rank cultivators end up isolated. Their peers can't keep up, and their seniors see them as threats." He raised his tea cup in a mock toast.

"To abnormal cultivation paths and the friends who walk them." Lin Mei rolled her eyes but smiled.

"You two and your secret society of weird cultivation methods."

"Says the woman who combines herbalism and formation arts like nobody else," I replied.

"Don't pretend you're normal either." We continued breakfast, discussing the upcoming tournament at the sect and Wei Lin's plans for his ninth marketplace stall. The comfortable banter felt alien yet comforting, a slice of normality in the chaos of cultivation.

"What are your plans for today, Ke Yin?" Lin Mei asked, gathering the empty dishes.

"We should head back to the sect by tomorrow at the latest. The tournament prelims start in a few days." I nodded, having already decided my course of action.

"I have some meditation to catch up on."

"We'll be in town gathering supplies," Wei Lin said.

"Lin Mei wants to stock up on some rare herbs they sell here in the mountain markets."

"Perfect," I replied.

"I'll meet you for dinner, then?" We agreed on a time, and after helping clear the table, I retreated to my room. As soon as the sliding door closed behind me, I activated a more comprehensive privacy formation than the one I'd used the previous night. This one would not only prevent sound from escaping but would also mask any spiritual fluctuations that might occur during the ritual I was about to attempt.

Taking a deep breath, I settled into a cross-legged position on the sleeping mat and closed my eyes, focusing my awareness inward to enter my inner world. The Genesis Seed stood proud at the center, its roots spreading outward into the four distinct quadrants I'd so carefully constructed. And there, wrapped in those roots, was Ke Jun's blood statue, crimson and motionless, still under the influence of my Blue Sun calligraphy. I approached cautiously, studying the statue's features.

Even frozen, there was something unsettling about the blood-red sculpture of my supposed ancestor. Perhaps it was the knowledge of what he'd attempted to do to me, or perhaps it was simply the unnatural stillness of something I knew to be animate. With a gesture, I summoned a small portion of Blue Sun energy, forming it into a counter-symbol to the sleep character I'd inscribed on Ke Jun's forehead.

The azure glyph hovered between my fingers for a moment before I sent it floating forward to merge with the original character. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. There was a flash of blue light, and the sleep symbol dissolved. For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the blood-red eyes of the statue opened, focusing immediately on me with unnerving intensity.

"That was unnecessary," Ke Jun said, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance.

"And frankly, discourteous."

"Forgive me for not extending the highest courtesies to someone who tried to possess my body," I replied dryly.

"Consider it a reasonable precaution." Ke Jun's expression shifted to one of mild amusement.

"Fair enough, descendant. I see you've returned promptly. I take that to mean you've secured what we need for the ritual?" I nodded, producing the vial of Zhao Xun's blood, though only in spiritual form, a projection of the real vial I'd prepared in the physical world.

"Demonic blood from a Stage Eight cultivator, as requested. Fresh enough that it still carries his spiritual essence." Ke Jun's eyes widened slightly.

"Impressive," he admitted.

"I expected you to take much longer hunting a demonic beast. Where did you find a demonic cultivator?"

"He found us," I said simply.

"He made the mistake of targeting my friend."

"Convenient timing," Ke Jun remarked.

"The World Tree Sutra cultivators have always had remarkable luck. Perhaps it's not coincidence but some innate affinity for finding what you need across worlds." I shrugged.

"I've obtained the blood. Now tell me exactly how this ritual works." Ke Jun's lips curved into a thin smile.

"Eager, aren't we? Very well." He shifted slightly within his restraints, the Genesis Seed's roots adjusting to maintain their grip.

"The ritual requires three components: the physical setup in your external body's world, the spiritual connection to me within your inner world, and the ethereal projection to the Nexus itself." I settled cross-legged on the ground before him, prepared to absorb every detail. This wasn't the kind of technique where approximations would suffice.

"First," Ke Jun began, "you must prepare a space in the physical world, ideally circular, with the demonic blood placed at the center of a three-point formation. Use spirit stones at each of the three points to stabilize the energy flow. The formation doesn't need to be complex, just balanced."

"Simple enough," I nodded.

"What next?"

"Once the physical formation is active, you'll enter meditation and return here, to your inner world. Then guide your spiritual sense to link with the demonic blood through me, essentially using your connection to me and my bloodline's connection to the demonic arts to create a bridge." I frowned.

"That sounds... intimate."

"Worried I'll try to possess you again?" Ke Jun laughed.

"Don't be. The Genesis Seed has me thoroughly contained, and this process creates a one-way channel only. Think of it as borrowing my knowledge rather than my influence." I wasn't entirely convinced, but I nodded for him to continue.

"The final step is the most delicate," he said, his tone growing serious.

"Once the bridge is established, channel the Ethereal Link technique. You'll need to execute it perfectly the first time, there's no room for error when connecting to the Nexus."

"And if I make a mistake?" I asked, already suspecting the answer.

"Best case? Nothing happens, and we try again after you recover. Worst case?" His blood-red eyes gleamed.

"Your consciousness gets lost between realms, leaving your body an empty shell. But don't worry, that is extremely rare, and your technique only needs to be ninety percent correct. I'll handle the rest."

"How comforting," I muttered. Ke Jun continued as if he hadn't heard my sarcasm.

"Once connected, your astral form will manifest within the Nexus. Because you're entering through me, using demonic blood as a medium, you'll appear as a shadow figure, faceless, identityless, but unmistakably carrying the aura of a blood cultivator."

"Which should keep anyone from recognizing me," I nodded.

"Precisely. Even if you encountered someone from your sect, they would never connect the shadowy blood cultivator to the unassuming Ke Yin." I considered this for a moment.

"I'll need something to trade once I'm there. The Nexus operates on exchange, not charity."

"Yes, about that," Ke Jun paused.

"I can provide you with knowledge to trade, techniques and insights from my centuries of cultivation. They won't be my highest arts, mind you, but still valuable enough to secure what you need."

"Blood arts?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Among others," he admitted.

"Some combat techniques that don't rely on blood, some alchemical formulas, perhaps a formation or two. Fragments, mostly, what this splinter of consciousness still retains clearly."

"Very well," I agreed.

"But I choose which techniques to offer. I won't trade anything that might compromise my cultivation path or draw Heaven's Mandate's attention."

"Heaven's Mandate has no jurisdiction in the Nexus, but there's no harm in being safe, I guess," Ke Jun laughed.

"Now, come closer. The transmission of these techniques requires proximity." I approached cautiously until I stood just beyond arm's reach of the restrained statue. Ke Jun closed his eyes in concentration, and a moment later, I felt the familiar sensation of knowledge being imprinted directly into my spiritual sense, not words or images, but complete understanding flowing into me like water into a vessel. The techniques varied widely.

Some were simple combat arts that used blood only as a medium for spiritual energy, while others were more complex rituals that required significant blood sacrifice. There were alchemical formulas that used blood as a catalyst, formations that incorporated blood as a binding agent, and even a few basic techniques for blood refinement that could purify tainted essence. I sorted through them mentally. Techniques from a Civilisation Realm expert, Azure could analyze them later and draw some valuable insights.

One in particular caught my interest, a technique for creating a blood-shadow clone that could operate independently for a limited time.

"These should be enough," I said as the transmission completed.

"Now, before I leave, there's something I've been wondering about." Ke Jun raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused at my audacity in asking questions after he'd held up his end of the bargain.

"Yes?"

"You recognized that I'm a World Tree Sutra cultivator immediately, calling me a 'world walker.' Yet my own master, Elder Chen Yong, a Life Realm expert, has never once mentioned this aspect of my cultivation method. Why is that? Why don't more people seem to know about world walkers?"