Chapter 802: Drawing Clear Boundaries

The maid gently closed the cultivation chamber door, a barely perceptible strange hue flickering in her lowered eyes; she pressed a sigil with her fingertip inside her sleeve, and an invisible seal silently enveloped the entire room.

"Miss, today's spiritual tea." The maid lifted a jade‑green tea cup and stepped forward two paces, the amber liquid within shimmering with an odd halo.

Yun Qing was about to receive it, but a sudden heat flared at her forehead. The half‑jade pendant hidden in her collar emitted a bone‑chilling cold, and the hand she extended froze mid‑air.

"This tea…" Yun Qing's pupils narrowed as she realized the maid's position blocked every escape route. Even more frightening, the other's body faintly radiated a spiritual energy wave only a Nascent Soul could wield.

The maid's respectful expression suddenly twisted into a strange smile: "As expected of someone with Holy Fetus aptitude, truly alert. What a pity…"

Before the words finished, the tea cup exploded with a roar, countless blood‑colored threads writhing like living things toward Yun Qing. At that hair‑raising moment, intricate array markings suddenly surfaced on the cultivation chamber floor, and a golden pillar of light enveloped Yun Qing entirely.

"The Soul‑Eating Blood Threads of the Holy Heart Alliance?" an aged voice echoed from all directions, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

The maid's complexion changed abruptly, and as she lunged back she slammed into a transparent barrier. She ripped off her human‑skin mask, revealing a face covered in tattoos: "The Nine Turns Universe Array of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Your Great Business Association is colluding with those charlatans?"

Ripples spread across the void as the gray‑robed elder leaning on a coiled‑dragon staff walked out slowly. With each step he took, the ground array glowed a bit more, and the tattoos on the maid's body began to writhe and peel off strangely.

"Ah!" the maid let out a scream that was not human, her body suddenly melting like wax. Yet before she vanished completely, she glared at Yun Qing with venomous hatred: "The Alliance Leader already knows the Source Origin Child is in you…"

The elder flicked his sleeve, and the lingering black mist dissipated entirely. He turned to the still‑shaken Yun Qing, a sharp glint flashing in his murky eyes: "Girl, the seal your father left can hold for at most three more months."

Yun Qing clasped her hands, looking bewildered at the elder: "Master, I…"

"No need to say more; many have already set their sights on you. Blessing or curse, it will come eventually," the elder said helplessly.

Yun Qing fell silent; the maid's sudden betrayal made Yun Qing instantly realize that the Source Origin Child, which has been the talk of Zhong Tian City these days, was actually within themselves?

Was it something their father left for them?

"Master, how is my father?"

The elder frowned, replying, "Your father is fine, no need to worry."

"Yes."

Meanwhile.

Yan Buji summoned Ye Lin to Zhong Tian City, and as soon as they met, Yan Buji noticed Ye Lin's expression was off.

"What's wrong, Ye Lin? Did something happen?"

"Well… sigh, Hall Master, my master told me to keep my interactions with you to a minimum," Ye Lin sighed.

Yan Buji smiled lightly: "There's no choice; even Elder Pang would have to keep his distance from the enemies I've attracted, so it's normal that you're told not to associate with me."

"But…" Ye Lin began, but Yan Buji waved his hand to stop him.

"This matter originated because of me; it has nothing to do with you. I called you here solely for some affairs of the Demon Race Business Association."

Yan Buji explained some of his sect's decisions to Ye Lin, mainly commercial layouts; Ye Lin only needed to hear them and convey them to the Paolong Sacred Land side.

"Oh, I see."

"Ye Lin, don't tell anyone about my affairs. When you arrived, Elder Yuan told me to keep secret my past feud with Yun Hua; no matter what, nothing may be disclosed, lest others find out, which would endanger me," Yan Buji casually reminded.

"I understand… Hall Master Yan, rest assured, I'm not a chatterbox," Ye Lin said.

"Alright, that's that. I'll be going now. These are some pills I prepared for you earlier; from now on I'll have someone deliver them, so we won't need to meet often," Yan Buji sighed.

Ye Lin felt a bit down, realizing that despite having no grudges with Yan Buji—indeed being good companions and even fellow sect brothers—now Yan Buji had to proactively draw a line to protect himself, which was…

"Sorry, Hall Master Yan, if my cultivation had progressed enough to have any say within the Sacred Land, I wouldn't have caused this," Ye Lin said apologetically.

Yan Buji chuckled: "You're using my words; if I were powerful, why would I care about this? In the end, it's just that my cultivation is too weak."

With that, Yan Buji turned and left; Ye Lin watched his solitary silhouette disappear, suddenly feeling that cultivation was not as beautiful as imagined, and that harsh reality, like the calm before a raging storm, never truly reveals itself before him.

After returning to the Sect Mining Area.

Yan Buji saw some newcomers arriving, heading straight for Yuan Zhen's residence, and couldn't help asking, "Who are those people?"

"Oh, they're just from the sect, people under Elder Yuan," the Elder beside him explained.

Huh?

It seems Yuan Zhen has also started making moves; indeed, he was provoked by Pang Mingde.

Yan Buji sneered inwardly, yet his face showed puzzlement: "Is Elder Yuan planning something? Are we short on manpower here?"

"Who knows?"

Though he asked out of curiosity, no one would overthink it.

After all, Yuan Zhen has no reason to explain anything to them, but for Yan Buji, knowing their purpose makes it easy to guess their next moves.

Whether it's Yuan Zhen or Pang Mingde, they will eventually clash.

However, with the Holy Heart Alliance's presence, it's unlikely these two will make a move for now; after all, even if they vie for the Source Origin Child, they can't start killing each other before even seeing a trace—they are certainly biding their time.

Yuan Zhen and Pang Mingde's intentions are easy to guess: they expect the Holy Heart Alliance to strike first, yet the Alliance also hesitates because Zhong Tian City harbors so many external cultivators; once they act, someone will surely deduce their motives.

At that point, the entire Zhong Tian Zhi Yu would likely descend into chaos.

But what does any of this matter to Yan Buji?

"Even if I have to abandon everything I now possess, I have never lacked the chance to seize the Source Origin Child. If all goes well, I might even retain my current status and position."

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, his thoughts gradually clarifying—it was nothing more than waiting for the right moment.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

At the Luohuang Zhou outpost of the Paolong Sacred Land, Pang Mingde saw Ye Lin return and asked him a few questions.

"You went to see Yan Buji today, right? He didn't tell you anything else?"

Ye Lin sounded a bit despondent, saying, "Hall Master Yan has already drawn a line with me, Master."

Pang Mingde squinted, seeming to understand that Yan Buji still gets it; Ye Lin possesses celestial talent, so he should focus on peaceful cultivation, with no need to get entangled in his feud with the Great Business Association.

"What about the rest?"

"Also, he said Elder Yuan instructed him to keep it secret, and from now on not to let others know about Hall Master Yan's feud with Yun Hua, so as to better protect him."

Huh?

Yuan Zhen?