I studied the spirit stone arrangement, impressed by the insight. She'd created a secondary array within the primary formation, a cycling pattern that would capture overflow energy from the eighth stall completion and redirect it to catalyze the ninth. It was an elegant solution that showed real formation talent.

"The pattern is perfect for energy recycling," I commented. "Advanced concept for self-taught formation work."

Lin Mei smiled slightly at the compliment. "I adapted it from one of the water circulation diagrams in the sect library. Formation principles and water movement follow similar patterns."

It was an ambitious plan. Most cultivators would stabilize a new energy structure before attempting to build another, but Wei Lin's Merchant's Path operated differently from conventional methods. The marketplace model of his inner world allowed for more fluid energy conversion and exchange.

"The demonic qi has catalyzed something already," Wei Lin explained, excitement clear in his voice despite his attempt at scholarly detachment. "Not just the eighth stall, but also my Black Market stall."

Lin Mei frowned slightly at the name. "It still sounds ominous."

"But accurate," Wei Lin countered with a grin. "It will handle the shadowy transactions that the regular marketplace can't accommodate. Energy conversions that would normally be considered... problematic."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds dangerously close to demonic cultivation."

"It's not," Wei Lin assured me. "The Merchant's Path isn't about the energy types themselves but about the principles of exchange. The Black Market simply allows for exchanges with higher risk and higher reward."

Lin Mei finished her preparations and stepped back, surveying her work with critical eyes. "Everything's ready," she announced. "We should give Wei Lin space now. The breakthrough could release significant energy."

We retreated to the edge of the courtyard, positioning ourselves beneath one of the pine trees. Lin Mei's hands were clasped tightly together, her knuckles white with tension. Despite her earlier anger, her concern for Wei Lin was evident.

"He'll succeed," I told her quietly. "His method is unorthodox, but effective. And he has excellent formation support." I nodded toward her work appreciatively. "Your integration of herbalism principles with traditional formation structures creates something unique. Elder Chen Yong would be impressed."

She smiled faintly. "Thank you. That means a lot. I've been researching demonic energy purification techniques ever before he told me his plan. It's fascinating from a theoretical perspective, even if the practical applications are... morally complex."

Wei Lin closed his eyes and began the breakthrough process. He made a specific hand gesture, then touched the jade container. Immediately, the demonic qi inside responded, coiling like a live thing sensing its master's call. The dark energy flowed upward in a controlled stream, entering Wei Lin's palm and traveling up his arm, leaving a visible trail of black veins beneath his skin.

Lin Mei gasped, but didn't intervene. The purification formations activated automatically, glowing blue sigils rising to intercept the corrupting influence that leaked from the main energy stream. Where blue light touched black energy, there was a soft hissing sound, like water on hot stone. The pressure-release subsystem Lin Mei had added began functioning exactly as intended, venting excess corruption safely while maintaining the integrity of the main process.

Wei Lin's face contorted with concentration, perhaps even pain, but he maintained the flow. Minutes passed, the demonic qi gradually emptying from the container until nothing remained. When the last trace disappeared into Wei Lin's body, he closed his eyes tighter, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid.

"He's integrating it into his inner marketplace," Lin Mei whispered. "This is the dangerous part."

I nodded, watching closely. While I couldn't see into Wei Lin's inner world, I could sense the fluctuations in his spiritual energy as he worked. The carefully controlled rhythm of his cultivation suddenly spiked, spiritual pressure radiating outward in a wave that made the lanterns flicker and the pine needles rustle.

Lin Mei took an involuntary step forward, but I placed a restraining hand on her arm. "Wait," I advised. "This is normal for a breakthrough."

She bit her lip but stayed in place, her gaze never leaving Wei Lin's seated form. The spirit stones arranged around him began to glow, responding to the surge of energy. One by one, they shattered, their essence flowing into Wei Lin's cultivation base.

Then, with a final pulse of energy that momentarily illuminated the entire courtyard, Wei Lin's aura stabilized at a new level, unmistakably Ninth Stage Qi Condensation. He opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face as he met Lin Mei's anxious gaze.

"It worked," he said. "The Black Market is ready for business."

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Lin Mei rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside him to check his condition. Her hands glowed with water-attribute energy as she pressed them to various points on his body.

"Your meridians are strained but intact," she reported, relief evident in her voice. "No signs of corruption or qi deviation. You actually did it, you crazy merchant."

Wei Lin laughed, the sound tired but genuinely happy. "Of course I did. I had excellent support." He caught her hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank you, Lin Mei. I couldn't have done this without you."

The intimate moment made me feel like an intruder. I cleared my throat. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Wei Lin. This puts you in an excellent position for the tournament."

Wei Lin nodded, still holding Lin Mei's hand. "Thanks to you as well, Ke Yin. If you hadn't arrived when you did..."

"Let's not dwell on what might have been," I said, waving away his gratitude. "You should rest now. Two breakthroughs in rapid succession will require time to stabilize."

Lin Mei helped Wei Lin to his feet. He leaned on her slightly, the exertion of the breakthrough clearly having drained him despite its success. "We'll retire for the night," she said, supporting him toward one of the rooms. "Will you be joining us for breakfast tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Of course. We have much to discuss before returning to the sect."

They bid me goodnight and retreated to their room, sliding the door closed behind them. Alone in the courtyard, I took a moment to appreciate the peace of the evening: the gentle sway of the pine branches, the distant sounds of the town settling into night, the cool mountain air carrying the scent of herbs from Lin Mei's preparations.

Tomorrow I would attempt my own ritual with Zhao Xun's blood, connecting to the Celestial Trade Nexus in search of resources to accelerate my cultivation. The tournament approached, and with it, opportunities and dangers in equal measure.

I returned to my room, closing the door and reactivating the privacy formation. As I settled onto my sleeping mat to meditate before rest, Azure's voice spoke in my mind.

"Master, there's something you should know," he said, his tone unusually solemn. "About the demonic cultivator, Zhao Xun."

"What is it?" I asked, opening my eyes.

"Before he died, when his mind was breaking, he was repeating the same phrase over and over," Azure explained. "I could read the movements of his lips, though no sound emerged."

I felt a chill run down my spine, remembering the blood pouring from Zhao Xun's eyes as he stared through me. "What was he saying?"

Azure's response came after a moment of hesitation:

"The tree sees. The tree knows. The tree remembers."

I stared at the ceiling in disbelief.

"The tree sees. The tree knows. The tree remembers." I repeated slowly, tasting the strange mixture of fear and revelation they carried. "He was talking about the Genesis Seed."

"It appears so, Master. The seed broke his mind when he attempted to observe it."

I closed my eyes, visualizing the centerpiece of my inner world. The Genesis Seed had always been there since I'd begun cultivating the World Tree Sutra, growing from a simple seed to the complex, reality-bending entity it was now. Its roots spread throughout the four quadrants of my inner world, anchoring and stabilizing everything.

"Do you think..." I hesitated, almost afraid to voice the thought, "do you think the Genesis Seed could be dangerous to me? To its own cultivator?"

Azure was quiet for a moment, considering. "I've never observed any behavior that would suggest malevolence toward you, Master. Quite the opposite, in fact."

He was right. I mentally cataloged all the instances where the Genesis Seed had acted on my behalf. When the dual suns threatened to drive me mad with their respective energies, the Genesis Seed had stabilized them. When Ke Jun's blood statue tried to possess me, the Genesis Seed's roots had imprisoned it. And now, when Zhao Xun attempted to peer into my inner world, the Genesis Seed had shattered his mind in retaliation.

"It's always protected me," I acknowledged. "But that doesn't necessarily mean its interests will always align with mine. Many cultivation methods have their own... agendas."

"Indeed," Azure replied. "Some cultivation techniques are protective of what they perceive as their food or energy source. They defend their cultivator not out of benevolence, but because they require the cultivator to survive and grow stronger."

A chill ran down my spine at the implication. "Like a farmer protecting his livestock."

I couldn't help but recall cultivation novels I'd read, tales of practitioners who discovered too late that their miraculous techniques were actually feeding off them, or using them as vessels for reincarnated ancient beings.

The common thread was always the same: immense power offered freely at first, only for the true price to be revealed when the cultivator was too committed to turn back.

"I really hope that's not the case here," I muttered, suppressing a shiver. "The last thing I need is to discover I've been cultivating the equivalent of a cosmic parasite."

“The phrase could have multiple interpretations, Master,” Azure attempted to reassure me. “Consider 'The tree remembers.' This might suggest that the Genesis Seed retains knowledge of worlds it has accessed, perhaps even worlds that other World Tree Sutra cultivators have visited."

"A shared memory across practitioners?" I considered this. "That would explain why seeing it would break a Qi Condensation cultivator's mind.”

“Imagine perceiving thousands of years of accumulated knowledge from countless worlds all at once,” Azure continued. “It would be like a mortal glimpsing the full breadth of the cosmos, overwhelming to the point of madness."

I nodded, finding this interpretation more palatable than the alternative. Still, a lingering doubt remained.

"Whatever the case, all Beyond Heaven cultivation methods have their dangers," I said, more to reassure myself than anything else. "That's expected. That's fine. I just hope I never reach a point where I have to fight my own cultivation method."

The very thought was absurd, yet strangely plausible. If the Genesis Seed were truly sentient in some way, with its own desires and goals... I pushed the thought aside. That was a problem for another day, hopefully a day that would never come.

"For now, let's focus on more immediate concerns," I said, settling back onto my meditation mat. "Tomorrow morning after breakfast, I'll awaken Ke Jun's statue and figure out the next steps for connecting to the Nexus. One crisis at a time."

“Goodnight, Master,” Azure's presence dimmed slightly as he withdrew to allow me to rest.

"Goodnight," I whispered, already feeling sleep tugging at the edges of my consciousness.

As I drifted off, I couldn't shake the image of Zhao Xun's blood-filled eyes, wide with horror as they gazed into realms of understanding no mortal mind was meant to comprehend.

The tree sees. The tree knows. The tree remembers.

And I was its caretaker, for better or worse.