"The angle of the first cut is crucial," Azure advised as I positioned the dark blade over my chest. "The trunk spiral needs to be deep enough to hold the energy, but not so deep that it damages the muscle beneath."

I took a deep breath. This was going to be very different from using Elder Molric's specialized tools. No practice runs, no safety measures, just cold steel and determination.

"I don't suppose you could just magically know the exact depth needed?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Unfortunately not, Master. But I can guide you based on what we learned in the Two Suns world."

"Right then." I pressed the blade to my skin, angling it carefully. "Here goes nothing."

The first cut hurt more than I expected. The knife was incredibly sharp, but without the specialized resonance ink to guide the energy flow, I had to rely purely on physical precision. Blood welled up immediately, threatening to obscure the lines.

"Slightly too deep," Azure observed. "Adjust your angle by about fifteen degrees for the curve."

I wiped away the blood with a cloth torn from my inner robe, then continued the spiral.

Each cut had to be perfect – this wasn't like drawing on the Meridian Lotus where if I made a mistake, I could just start over with a new plant.

"The curve is drifting," Azure warned. "Remember how the growth patterns flow in nature."

I paused, studying what I'd done so far. The beginning of the spiral was decent, but Azure was right – I was starting to lose the natural flow. The next section needed to follow the Fibonacci sequence exactly, or the whole pattern would be thrown off.

"Maybe we should have practiced with regular tattoos first," I muttered, wiping away more blood.

"I believe that would have defeated the purpose of saving time, Master."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"I'm merely stating facts, Master."

I smiled despite the pain. "Let's focus on getting this right. The main trunk needs to be finished before the blood loss becomes an issue."

The next series of cuts went better. I'd found the right rhythm – cut, wipe, pause to ensure the angle was correct, then continue. The spiral gradually took shape, each curve flowing naturally into the next.

"Now for the first major branch," Azure said. "This junction is critical – it needs to split from the trunk without disrupting the energy flow."

I nodded, adjusting my grip on the knife. This was the part that had given us trouble even with the specialized tools. Without them, it would be even trickier.

The branch began well enough, but halfway through I realized my hand was shaking slightly from the continuous precision work. The line wavered.

"Stop," Azure commanded. "Take a moment to steady yourself."

I took a deep breath, aware of the blood running down my chest. The room's privacy formations would prevent anyone from sensing what I was doing, but they did nothing to help with the actual task.

"The pattern is still salvageable," Azure assured me. "The natural variation might actually help with the energy distribution."

"Silver linings," I said dryly, then continued the cut.

The next hour was a study in focused precision. Each branch had to be exactly the right length and angle, each leaf pattern had to flow perfectly into the overall design. The floor around me was littered with bloody cloths as I repeatedly wiped away the evidence of my work to check the lines.

Finally, the last leaf pattern was complete. I sat back, feeling light-headed from the sustained concentration.

"Well?" I asked Azure. "How does it look?"

There was a moment of silence as Azure analyzed the pattern. "The execution is different from our practice versions, but the fundamental structure is sound. The variations actually create interesting resonance points that might enhance energy flow."

I studied the bloody pattern carved into my chest. It was beautiful in a primal sort of way – a tree of life drawn in blood and pain. The main trunk spiraled out from just above my heart, with branches sweeping up and out in elegant curves. Each branch ended in a delicate leaf pattern that somehow looked natural despite being carved into flesh.

"Time for the moment of truth," I said, reaching for my inner world.

The miniature red sun seemed to perk up with interest as I drew on its energy. I was careful to only take a small amount – while the room's formations would mask most of the energy signature, I didn't want to risk anyone sensing the almost demonic nature of the red sun's power.

I channeled the energy into the carved pattern. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the cuts began to glow with a deep crimson light. The blood still seeping from the wounds seemed to catch fire, burning away as the energy suffused the pattern.

The glow intensified, becoming almost blinding. I felt the red sun's energy surging through the rune, testing every line and curve, seeking any flaws that would cause it to fail.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the light faded. Where bloody cuts had been, there was now a silvery pattern that seemed to live just beneath my skin. The tree design looked almost like it was growing there naturally, its lines precise yet organic.

My status flickered before my eyes:

Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 4

Inner World: 135 cubic meters

Soul Essence: 800/800

Spiritual Essence: 750/750

Physical Essence: 800/800

Skybound Cultivation: Rank 1

Fundamental Rune:

Type: Wood-Based Fibonacci Spiral Tree Pattern

Core: Red Sun

Resonance Location: Heart

Red Sun Energy: 300 units

"Congratulations, Master," Azure smiled. "Your Physical Essence has now broken through to what is equivalent to a 5th Stage Qi Condensation cultivator."

I nodded, then shook my head. "I've just entered the lower part of the 5th stage for physical essence, I expect Chen Wu to be a bit higher."

Looking at my Skybound cultivation status, I couldn't help but smile. "But now that I've unlocked skybound cultivation in this world, I can start adding my physical and elemental runes. With all of them combined with my immortal cultivation..." I let out a small laugh. "It would be more surprising for me to not win."

Before I could continue, exhaustion hit me like a physical blow. My vision swam, and I nearly collapsed onto the bloody meditation mat.

"Master!" Azure's voice seemed to come from very far away. "The transformation of your physical body has exhausted you, just like in the Two Suns world. Your body needs to rest."

As consciousness started to fade, I reached desperately for the blue sun in my inner world. This time, the tiny celestial orb responded immediately, sending its energy coursing through my body. My eyes flashed azure, and the exhaustion vanished within a few seconds.

I took a moment to orient myself, then sighed. "If I didn't have the blue sun, I probably would have been knocked out for three days and missed the battle entirely, now that would have been embarrassing."

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Actually," Azure corrected, "it only took three days for Thomas's body because he was mortal. For your cultivator body, you would probably only be in deep sleep for a day."

"Yes," I agreed, "but that's still a day of training wasted."

"What's next, Master?"

"Now?” I smiled. “Now I'm going to recover my skybound cultivation completely."

Getting to my feet, I looked around at the bloody scene around me. The meditation mat was probably ruined, there were bloodied cloths scattered everywhere, and things were only going to get more messy. The Wei family servants were going to have some interesting questions in the morning.

I gathered up the evidence of my work, making a mental note to dispose of it properly later. For now, though, I had more runes to inscribe. The Fundamental Rune was just the beginning – I needed to rebuild my entire array of combat and utility runes before facing Chen Wu.

The knife felt lighter in my hand now, almost eager. Or maybe that was just the lingering effects of the blue sun's energy making everything seem more alive. Either way, I had work to do.

"The Worldroot Conduit next," I said, studying the silvery tree pattern on my chest. "No point in adding combat runes if we can't power them properly."

"Agreed," Azure replied. "Though connecting it to the Fundamental Rune will be... delicate."

I grimaced at the understatement. The Worldroot Conduit wasn't just another rune – it was the foundation for all elemental manipulation. One mistake in its connection to the Fundamental Rune could destabilize the entire system.

"At least we had plenty of practice in the Two Suns world," I said, positioning the knife at the base of the tree spiral. "Though they did have those nice specialized tools..."

The first cut was different from the Fundamental Rune. Where that pattern had followed natural growth patterns, the Worldroot Conduit was all about flow and interconnection. The knife traced an arc that would form part of the endless knot, blood welling up in its wake.

"Slower on the curves," Azure advised. "These lines need to be perfectly smooth for proper energy flow."

I adjusted my pace, watching as the pattern gradually emerged. Unlike the tree's upward-reaching branches, these lines wove together like roots seeking water, each curve flowing naturally into the next. The overall effect was hypnotic – even half-finished and drawn in blood, it seemed to shift and move as if alive.

"Now comes the tricky part," Azure said as I neared the connection point with the Fundamental Rune. "The patterns need to merge seamlessly."

I wiped away the blood, studying how the silver lines of the tree pattern pulsed softly. The Worldroot Conduit's curves needed to interweave with those existing lines, creating new pathways for elemental energy while maintaining the original flow.

"Like grafting branches," I murmured. "The connection has to be perfect, or it'll fail to take."

The next few cuts required absolute precision. Each line of the endless knot had to connect at exactly the right angle, creating a seamless transition between the two patterns. One wrong move could disrupt the entire energy system.

"Master," Azure warned as I hesitated before a particularly crucial cut, "the blue sun's energy is starting to fade."

I noticed he was right – the divine vitality that had been masking the pain was beginning to ebb. Rather than draw more, though, I let it fade. I needed to feel exactly what I was doing for these final cuts.

The pain returned gradually, sharp and clarifying. Each slice of the knife sent fresh blood trickling down my chest, but I barely noticed. All my focus was on the emerging pattern – the way each new line created subtle resonances with the existing rune.

Finally, the last curve was complete. The Worldroot Conduit spread out below the tree pattern like the roots beneath a great oak, its endless knot design creating paths for energy to flow and transform.

"The connection points are stable," Azure confirmed. "You can now activate it."

I reached for the red sun's energy again, but this time I directed it differently. Instead of filling the entire pattern at once, I let it flow through the Fundamental Rune first, then gradually seep into the new pathways.

The endless knot began to glow, each curve lighting up in sequence as the energy found its way through the pattern. Where the two designs met, the light pulsed and shifted, testing the connections.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen.

Then the entire pattern flared with crimson light as the energy flows synchronized. When it faded, the Worldroot Conduit had transformed into the same silvery lines as the tree above it, the two patterns now perfectly integrated.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Well, that's the hard part done."

"Excellent work, Master," Azure said. "The patterns are fully integrated."

I nodded, already feeling how the new rune changed my energy flow. Where before I could only store pure red sun energy, now I could feel it being converted into wood essence as it passed through the Worldroot Conduit.

"Now we can add the combat runes," I said, picking up the knife again. "Should we start with a physical enhancement or elemental rune?”

"Perhaps the Woodweave Seal first," Azure suggested. "In case something goes wrong with the others."

“Always thinking ahead. Alright then, healing rune first."

As I positioned the knife for the first cut of the Woodweave Seal, I couldn't help but appreciate the irony. Here I was, voluntarily carving mystic patterns into my flesh in a merchant's mansion, all to prepare for a duel that was really just an elaborate test of character.

Wei Ye probably thought he was being clever, setting up this challenge to test both my combat ability and my determination. He couldn't know that compared to being vaporised in likely what was some sort of cursed world, this was practically a vacation.

The knife bit into my flesh again, beginning the complex pattern that would let me weave wood essence into healing seals.

The night stretched on as I worked, and by the time the date for the battle arrived, I would be ready. Chen Wu might be expecting to face a talented but inexperienced sect disciple. Instead, he would find himself fighting someone who had literally died to perfect their art.

Poor man probably wouldn't know what hit him.

But first, I had more runes to carve, and the night wasn't getting any younger. I adjusted my grip on the knife and began the next pattern.

At least this time I had proper painkillers, even if they came in the form of divine energy from a miniature blue sun. The false priests may have been insane, but they certainly knew how to make things hurt less.

Now if only they hadn't been quite so zealous about trying to convert everyone into pure light...