Fifth Floor, Heavenly Trade Centre
The silence on the Fifth Floor was heavy, broken only by the hum of ancient preservation arrays.
Fu Gao stared at the translucent blue sword in Shen Xuan's hand. His pupils had shrunk to needle points, his breathing ragged. Even with his cultivation at the peak of the Chaos Lord Realm, he felt a primal urge to kneel.
The sword was cracked. Dull. Incomplete. Yet, it radiated a depth that made the surrounding space warp. It was a Low-Grade Holy Weapon, an artifact that touched upon the Laws of the Universe.
"Young Master..." Fu Gao's voice trembled. "This... is...?"
Shen Xuan's expression remained indifferent. He closed his fingers slightly around the hilt, and the warping pressure vanished instantly, leashed by his will.
"Senior," Shen Xuan said softly. "This should be enough to barter, correct?"
Fu Gao stared at him for a long moment, trying to read the boy's intent. Finally, slowly; very slowly; he nodded.
"...Enough," he rasped. "More than enough."
"Good." Shen Xuan didn't hand it over immediately. He tilted his head. "Then, Senior, may I barter for two additional items? To balance the scales?"
Fu Gao paused. He looked at the rusted metal sphere—a cursed, immovable object—and then back at the Holy Sword that could elevate his entire existence. The calculation took less than a second.
"Agreed," Fu Gao said quickly, fearing the boy might change his mind. "Choose."
Shen Xuan didn't hesitate. He moved with fluid precision, selecting a broken formation plate etched with shattered Holy runes and a withered, blackened root that leaked faint, necrotic energy.
To the untrained eye, he had chosen trash. To Shen Xuan, he had just acquired a damaged Void-Anchor Array and a dormant Star-Heart Root. Combined with the metal sphere, he now possessed the ingredients for a miracle.
"Have you taken everything?" Fu Gao asked, his eyes glued to the sword.
"Yes."
Fu Gao led him to a heavy stone table in the corner. He activated a complex transfer formation embedded in the surface.
"Place the items here," Fu Gao instructed. "Along with your token. The Registry must record the exchange."
"Okay."
Shen Xuan placed the metal sphere, the broken formation, the withered root, and the Holy Sword onto the runic circle. Finally, he placed Xiao Yang's green token in the center.
Hummm.
The formation flared to life.
As the light intensified, Shen Xuan's eyes changed. The grey iris vanished, replaced by a vertical, golden-purple slit. He wasn't just watching; he was dissecting.
He peered into the flow of energy, tracing the connection from the table, through the tower, and into the vast, unseen network of the Heavenly Registry.
What are you? he thought, pushing his perception deeper.
For a moment, he saw it. A web of silver light spanning the cosmos. A colossal eye made of laws, watching everything.
And then, the Eye looked back.
BOOM.
A silent explosion detonated inside Shen Xuan's skull.
"What the hell...?"
Blood seeped from the corners of his eyes, trailing down his cheeks like crimson tears. A dull ache bloomed behind his forehead, slow, heavy, and impossible to ignore. It wasn't an attack. It was the sheer weight of a concept too vast for his current soul to hold.
He forcefully severed his connection. His pupils snapped back to normal, hiding the golden light. He stood there, swaying slightly, his face pale as death.
He had touched the edge of the true Registry. It wasn't just a formation. It was a living law. And it had warned him.
"Young Master?" Fu Gao laughed, oblivious to the boy's internal crisis as he cradled the Holy Sword. "It is done! I never expected the Ji Clan to possess such a treasure. But now... it is mine. Haha!"
Shen Xuan blinked, grounding himself in reality. He looked at the items on the table. Without a word, he swept his purchases into his ring and turned to leave.
He walked out of the hall, his back straight, leaving the ecstatic Fu Gao and the stunned observers behind. He didn't look back. He couldn't. His vision was blurring.
Half an Hour Later, Cloud Rest Inn
Puff!
The moment the door to his room clicked shut, Shen Xuan collapsed. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, the dark liquid sizzling against the wood.
He coughed violently, his chest heaving. He braced himself against the table, his knuckles white, struggling to force air into his burning lungs.
A thin line of crimson trailed from his lip.
"So..." he murmured hoarsely, wiping his mouth. "Even observing it is forbidden."
The backlash was a reminder. The Heavenly Registry was not a tool; it was a predator. If his soul hadn't retained its Primordial quality, that single glance would have turned his mind to mush.
He sat down cross-legged, popping a healing pill into his mouth. He closed his eyes, meditating to stabilize his chaotic internal energy.
It is a web, he realized, a cold dread settling in his gut. A web that spans dimensions. Once you enter, there is no leaving. Unless you are strong enough to tear it down.
The Next Day
The morning sun filtered through the leaves of the private courtyard. Shen Xuan sat by the pond, feeding the spirit fish. His face was pale, but his aura was calm.
Xiao Ding sat opposite him. He placed a small crystal vial and an orange jade token on the table.
"Young Master," Xiao Ding said quietly. "Here is the Blood Essence from the target I eliminated. And his Identity Token."
Shen Xuan picked up the orange token. He held it next to Xiao Yang's red one.
"The color..." Shen Xuan mused. "Why the difference?"
"Do not be confused by the hue," Xiao Ding explained. "The color represents potential. Status. Destiny."
He pointed to the red token. "Xiao Yang's is red. It signifies the potential to reach the Chaos Lord Realm, backed by a significant force like Lingchuan Hall. It marks him as a future leader."
He pointed to the orange one. "This belonged to a rogue cultivator. His talent was slightly inferior, his backing nonexistent. Thus, orange."
"Is it fixed?" Shen Xuan asked.
"No," Xiao Ding shook his head. "Every fifty years, the Registry re-evaluates. If you encounter a heaven-defying opportunity, your token upgrades. If your foundation crumbles, it downgrades. It is a ruthless meritocracy."
Shen Xuan tapped the table. "How many levels?"
"Nine. Perhaps ten," Xiao Ding said, his voice hushed. "The colors of the Ninth and Tenth levels... I have never seen them. Those belong to the scions of the Supreme Universes. The Monsters of the Central Chaos."
"And red?"
"Red ranks fifth," Xiao Ding sighed. "Top-notch talent in a Middle Plane. Mediocrity in the grand scheme."
Shen Xuan looked at the old man. He saw the melancholy in his eyes.
"Are you not satisfied?" Shen Xuan asked lightly. "Chaos Lord is a realm many would kill to reach."
"Satisfied?" Xiao Ding laughed, a bitter, dry sound. "When I was young, I thought I could conquer the heavens. I thought I was the protagonist of my own story."
He looked at his gnarled hands.
"Then I saw the reality. I saw geniuses who made me look like a cripple. I saw my talent hit a wall that no effort could break. I became an Elder not for glory, but for survival. I pinned my hopes on Xiao Yang, dragging him through ruins, hoping he could go further than I did."
He looked up at Shen Xuan.
"Young Master Shen... sometimes I envy you. Your talent defies logic. Your will is indomitable. But I also fear for you. Your enemies are not men. They are the laws of this world."
Shen Xuan stared at the pond, watching the ripples distort his reflection.
"And you, Young Master?" Xiao Ding asked softly. "Do you have ambition? Or is your path driven only by the ghost of revenge?"
Shen Xuan smiled. He tossed the last of the fish food into the water. The koi swarmed, a chaotic frenzy of gold and orange.
"Haha... Elder Xiao," Shen Xuan said, his voice distant. "Do you know what the true reality of the world is?"
"True... reality?" Xiao Ding blinked, confused.
Shen Xuan turned to him. His golden-purple eyes seemed to hold the weight of a billion years.
"Reality," Shen Xuan whispered, "is that the wall you hit... does not exist. It was built. And I intend to shatter it."