Chapter 344: Treasures Acquired, Essence Drained

The transaction proceeded with the formal procedures of the Celestial Trade Nexus.

The blood cultivator presented his offerings first, placing them on a floating disc of Ethereal Light. The golden radiance flared around each item, verifying their nature and authenticity. The Temporal Hourglass, a delicate construct of crystal and what appeared to be solidified time essence, glowed with particular intensity as the light confirmed its genuine time-manipulation properties.

Once all three were verified, I extended my spiritual sense toward them, accepting their transfer to my inner world's storage area. As before, reality seemed to fold between us, and the items vanished from the Nexus, transported directly to my domain.

Next came my part of the exchange.

I carefully extracted the Blood Shadow Clone Method from my knowledge, forming it into a coherent transmission that the blood cultivator could receive. As I prepared to send it, the golden Ethereal Light surrounded the information stream, examining every detail of the technique.

The Life Realm cultivator watched with obvious tension, perhaps fearing that I might be attempting to transmit a false or incomplete version. The moment of truth came when the Ethereal Light's golden glow shifted, turning a brilliant azure blue.

The relief in the cultivator’s posture was palpable. His crimson silhouette seemed to release a tension I hadn't fully appreciated until that moment. The blue light enveloped him as he received the technique, his spiritual projection absorbing the knowledge directly.

"This technique..." he whispered as the transmission completed. "It's perfect. Absolutely perfect."

His reaction struck me as extreme, even considering the value of the technique. There was something in his tone that went beyond mere appreciation for a useful cultivation method. The gratitude radiating from him felt almost... desperate.

"Senior cultivator, you cannot know what you have done for me today," he continued, bowing so deeply that his projection seemed to fold in half. "This technique will save not just my life, but..." He trailed off, seemingly unwilling to share more details, then straightened. "My eternal gratitude is yours."

I shifted uncomfortably at this excessive display. The transaction had been fair, beneficial to both parties. Such emotional gratitude seemed out of place in the pragmatic world of cultivation exchanges. Whatever situation this cultivator was trying to flee must be truly desperate.

"Use it well," I replied tersely, unsure how else to respond.

"If the esteemed senior ever requires anything from this humble cultivator, speak the name Xue Mochen," he declared with solemnity that bordered on the theatrical.

I nodded awkwardly, wondering if all blood cultivators were this eccentric or if it was just this particular one. Perhaps it made sense, only those with peculiar psychological makeup would dare corrupt their essence with blood arts in the first place. The practice was notorious for distorting one's personality over time, creating cultivators who were either maniacally cruel or strangely obsessive.

Xue Mochen continued to surprise me, he transmitted a spiritual connection sequence to me, essentially the cultivation world's equivalent of contact information. The sequence would allow his inner world spirit to recognize and accept communications from mine, establishing a connection across vast distances.

The Nexus allowed such information exchange as long as it wasn't forced, maintaining its neutral position on all transactions conducted within its boundaries. For high-level cultivators, this network of connections was invaluable, allowing them to maintain relationships with partners and allies throughout the Five Continents.

I nodded in acknowledgment but did not return the favor. As a Qi Condensation cultivator, I wasn't capable of using my inner world spirit for long-distance communication without revealing my true cultivation realm, though theoretically, I might be able to use Ke Jun as a medium for such interactions.

More importantly, I didn't trust this blood cultivator, regardless of his apparent gratitude. If he discovered my true identity as a mere Qi Condensation disciple who had tricked him, that gratitude would likely transform into murderous rage.

Xue Mochen didn't seem bothered by my lack of reciprocation. If anything, he seemed to expect it. A Civilization Realm blood cultivator sharing contact information with a Life Realm junior would be unusual unless they were planning to exploit them in some way.

"This junior has taken enough of senior's valuable time," he said, bowing one final time before backing away respectfully.

As he retreated, I couldn't help but notice again the occasional flickers of clear energy within his crimson aura. His dao truly was changing, evolving from pure blood cultivation toward something else. The fact that he would trust another blood cultivator with both his identity and a means of contact suggested either profound naivety or a mind so distracted by his circumstances that he wasn't thinking clearly.

Either way, it wasn't my concern. I'd explored enough for one visit, and maintaining the disguise was becoming mentally taxing. Besides, I had no idea how much strain I was putting on Ke Jun's blood statue by using it as a medium.

It was time to leave the Nexus.

I found a quiet corner away from other traders and began the process of disconnecting from the Nexus. Focusing on the gossamer thread that connected my projected form to my inner world, I followed it back, retracing the path I'd taken to arrive here.

The transition was smoother than I expected, one moment I was in the boundless expanse of the Celestial Trade Nexus, the next I was standing in my inner world beside the blood statue of Ke Jun.

The return journey had none of the disorientation that marked my arrival.

As my spiritual awareness settled back fully into my inner world, I immediately noticed something wrong with Ke Jun's blood statue.

The crimson form, once vibrant and imposing, now appeared dull and brittle. Cracks had formed across its surface, and what had been solid, flowing blood essence now seemed dry and flaking. Its eyes, previously gleaming with intelligence and arrogance, were dim, barely maintaining their characteristic glow.

"Ke Jun?" I asked, approaching cautiously.

The blood statue's head turned toward me with painful slowness, as if the simple movement required enormous effort. "Descendant," it rasped, its voice a fraction of its former strength. "You... returned."

"What's happening to you?" I asked, genuinely concerned despite our contentious relationship. "You look like you're dying."

A dry chuckle escaped the cracked lips, sending small flakes of dried blood essence floating into the air. "Being used as a medium... has its costs," Ke Jun explained. "Especially when the connection involves... the Nexus."

Azure materialized beside me. "The energy requirements of maintaining your disguise and connection seems to have drained significant portions of his blood essence. It's as if the technique consumed him as fuel."

"Can you recover?" I asked Ke Jun directly.

The blood statue managed a slight shrug, more flakes falling from its shoulders with the movement. "Perhaps... with time. Blood essence... can regenerate. But this weakened state... will persist for... some time."

I felt a twinge of guilt. While I hadn't particularly liked Ke Jun or trusted his motives, I hadn't intended to cause this level of deterioration. The blood statue was still a sentient being, regardless of its origins or past attempts to possess me.

Ke Jun's cracked face formed what might have been a smile. "If... you would provide... some blood essence... recovery would be... much faster," he rasped, his voice barely audible. "Just a small amount... from your palm... would suffice."

I immediately shook my head, knowing how dangerous it was to give away blood essence, especially to a blood cultivator. "I'm not providing blood essence or helping you collect any."

"Didn't think... you would," Ke Jun replied, his tone surprisingly lacking bitterness. "Worth asking... though."

At least I wouldn't need access to the Nexus again anytime soon. With the treasures I'd acquired today, I had more than enough resources to focus on reaching the ninth stage of Qi Condensation and preparing for the tournament. By the time I needed to visit the marketplace again, Ke Jun's blood essence would hopefully have recovered.

Azure floated closer to the statue to examine the cracks. "The Genesis Seed appears to be supplying minimal energy to maintain his existence," he observed. "Like a plant providing just enough water to keep another barely alive."

That made sense. The Genesis Seed had shown protective instincts toward me from the beginning. It would maintain Ke Jun's existence since he was currently useful, but wouldn't expend significant energy to help him recover.

"We got what we needed," I told Ke Jun, switching topics. "The Primordial Wellspring should help stabilize the water element in my inner world, and the other acquisitions will accelerate my cultivation significantly."

"Good," Ke Jun managed. "Inner world... development... critical."

The blood statue's eyes began to close, its form becoming more rigid as it prepared to enter a dormant state. "Remember our agreement, descendant," it murmured, its voice fading. "The Masked One... the Main Body... our bargain..."

With that, the glow in his eyes faded completely, leaving them dull and lifeless.

The blood statue didn't disappear or crumble, but it was clear that Ke Jun's consciousness had retreated deep within whatever remained of his essence, attempting to recover from the strain of serving as my gateway to the Nexus.