At first glance, the place where Ke Yin and the ancestor had stood only moments before looked to be a peaceful scene.

  Then, in an instant, the air rippled, the fabric of reality warped and space parted like a curtain.

  A figure stepped out.

  It was the Sect Master.

  Yuan’s right hand blazed with golden light as karmic threads weaved between his fingers in preparation for techniques that could reshape destiny itself.

  For a moment, it looked like he was about to act.

  But then with a sigh, he cancelled the technique, the karmic energy dissipating.

  The meeting between his Shimu and Ke Yin had not gone unnoticed.

  Yuan had been present the entire time, hidden within a carefully concealed dimensional pocket.

  As for whether Xu Romei had been aware of his presence, Yuan wasn’t sure.

  A Civilization Realm expert was difficult to read.

  But he suspected she at least sensed something.

  After all, she was far too experienced and calculated to be completely oblivious to surveillance techniques.

  Especially when she knew that he already had his eyes on the boy.

  But Yuan hadn’t been concerned about being detected.

  What he had been concerned about was whether the ancestor would try to force Ke Yin into accepting her offer.

  Usually, Xu Romei’s methods relied on manipulation to gain consent, followed by gradual corruption to get what she wanted. She had never been the type to outright coerce someone, but Yuan had learned throughout the years that desperate times could drive even the most patient predator to direct action.

  Which was why he had been prepared to intervene if necessary.

  Though, the thought of fighting his Shimu filled him with trepidation.

  Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be entirely confident in his ability to defeat or kill Xu Romei. In fact, it was notoriously difficult to eliminate a Civilization Realm cultivator permanently. After all, any cultivator who was talented enough to reach such heights in cultivation possessed trump cards, life-saving treasures, and escape techniques accumulated over millennia of existence.

  And if all that failed, they could even sacrifice their inner world to give them the opportunity to retreat.

  But fortunately for Yuan, these weren't normal circumstances.

  Ke Yin had accumulated an overwhelming amount of karma throughout the tournament.

  This made the young man a focal point of cosmic significance.

  And while that concentrated karmic weight would draw threats to him like a moth to a flame, it would also work to protect him, but more importantly for karmic cultivator like Yuan, it would power his own techniques to unprecedented levels as long as he was acting to help the boy.

  It was only with the support of the Heavens; would Yuan be able to stand against his Shimu.

  But fortunately for him, Xu Ruomei had chosen restraint.

  The ancestor had made her offer, accepted the refusal, and left without trying to force the issue.

  If Yuan was being honest with himself, he would admit that he was feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment at that outcome.

  Relief because the alternative would have required him to destroy someone who had once been precious to his master, regardless of what she had become. Disappointment because this had likely been his best opportunity to permanently remove a threat that had been growing more dangerous for centuries.

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  But Yuan knew that was an unrealistic outcome.

  A battle between two Civilization Realm experts didn’t just involve the exchange of techniques, reality itself would be reshaped through the sheer force of their conflicting dao comprehensions.

  Such a battle would have resulted in mountains being levelled and hundreds, or even thousands, of innocent disciples being killed in the crossfire.

  That simply wasn’t a risk Yuan would take unless absolutely necessary.

  As the Sect Master thought about his Shimu’s final words, he frowned.

  The promise to return with a “better trade” meant that she wasn’t giving up.

  Whatever great plan she had in mind clearly involved taking Ke Yin as a disciple.

  Unfortunately for Yuan, his dao prevented him from interfering if the boy chose to accept willingly.

  The Dao of Karma included the principle of karmic balance.

  Individuals had to face the consequences of their own choices.

  Even if Yuan believed those choices to be clearly misguided.

  So, if Ke Yin wanted to trade his freedom to save his friend, then Yuan would be bound to respect that decision no matter how he personally felt about that.

  Being limited by his own dao frustrated Yuan more than he cared to admit.

  As the Sect Master, he had watched countless promising disciples make devastating mistakes.

  And Yuan had to respect their right to choose their own path.

  It was one of the heaviest burdens of his cultivation level.

  Sect Master Yuan turned his gaze to follow the trajectory of Ke Yin's spiritual signature as the young man proceeded through the Outer Sect Residential District.

  Ke Yin was dealing admirably with the pressure he was under, all things considered.

  Most cultivators the boy’s age would have been overwhelmed by the attention of a Civilization Realm expert, but Ke Yin had remained composed enough to identify the danger and make a reasonable decision.

  That level of self-composure spoke well of his character and judgement.

  It also suggested that he might be capable of navigating the increasing complexity of the situation that was unfolding around him.

  Though Yuan knew that optimism might be premature considering who he was up against.

  Xu Ruomei's methods were subtle and deliberate. She specialized in identifying the areas of vulnerability in the minds and wills of even wise cultivators that she could exploit to her advantage.

  It was only a matter of time before she got to the boy.

  So, Sect Master Yuan reached a decision.

  After the tournament ended tomorrow, he would meet the boy for another private conversation.

  Ke Yin needed to understand more about what he was facing.

  And Yuan needed to provide as much guidance as he could without crossing the limits set by his Dao.

  Fortunately for Yuan, handing Ke Yin the Realm Stabilizing Tree technique and shielding his tournament spoils from the greedy elders, created a karmic connection with the boy.

  And that bond would allow for more direct assistance, at least in the form of knowledge and preparation.

  The question was, how much should Yuan reveal?

  It was clear that Ke Yin sensed that Xu Ruomei represented a serious danger.

  But he probably didn’t understand the full extent of the destructive potential of her cultivation method. And even if her offer to heal Wei Lin was genuine, the price was greater than forming a simple master-disciple relationship. More importantly, Ke Yin didn’t know of the relationship between Xu Ruomei and the previous Sect Master.

  While their relationship ended in tragedy, it had lasted long enough for his Shimu to learn many of the secrets of the World Tree Sutra. And these secrets could be used to entice a young outer disciple to accept her offer.

  With his decision made, the Sect Master walked slowly through the sect grounds, but he didn’t head toward his quarters. Instead, he headed toward the Celestial Archives where the tournament's inner world selections were kept.

  The night air was cool and carried the familiar scents of spiritual herbs and cultivation energy, which had defined his home for thousands of years. Yet, his mind was fixated on a completely different topic.

  After the tournament concluded, the stage would be set for a new chapter in both Ke Yin and Wu Kangming's respective paths. As for whether those chapters would be written by their own choices or influenced by external pressures remained to be seen. Nonetheless, Yuan had the chance to give both of them the tools to help them as they navigated the labyrinthine landscape that lay before them.

  The original inner world that had been selected for the finals had been chosen for entertainment value and to test the participants' raw combat ability. Given Yuan's understanding of the forces building around both young cultivators, a different world was needed.

  There was a particular realm that had been locked away in the archives for centuries.

  It was too valuable to use for a mere Outer Sect Tournament.

  It was a realm where time moved differently, and experience could be acquired at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world.

  Before Yuan entered the Celestial Archives, he stopped and placed his hand on the formations.

  The karmic ramifications of his decision would be immense.

  By altering the battleground, Yuan would be investing in both young men's future in a manner that went beyond standard tournament protocol. However, the accumulated karmic energy of Ke Yin, combined with Wu Kangming's growing significance, might just justify such an intervention.

  And it wouldn’t matter who won or who lost.

  The experience gained in this realm would serve them well in dealing with whatever came their way next.

  It could mean the difference between falling to manipulation and maintaining their true selves.

  Taking a deep breath, Yuan began to unlock the seal that had protected the particular realm for centuries.

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