Chapter 413: Shadow and Light at the Chenxu Exchange

At the southern edge of the Chaos Sector, the Grand Duchy Main Fleet was stationed at the starport.

A lone figure glanced around before clenching his teeth and stepping into the renowned Chenxu Exchange.

“Welcome to the Chenxu Exchange. If you wish to sell a rare Oddity, please register first. Designated special resources can be appraised directly at the right-hand window!”

No sooner had he entered than the fair-faced woman behind the reception desk greeted him sweetly.

Yet the sudden greeting made the man tense up instinctively; only after a moment did he relax.

“I need to sell a rare relic—top quality. If I don’t meet your boss within five minutes, I’m taking it elsewhere!”

His tone was brisk, and he showed no intent to produce this supposedly “top-quality” relic, leaving the receptionist uncomfortably at a loss.

However, sensing his Tier-3 life aura, she used her special comms bracelet to alert her superiors.

Soon, a scar-faced man—also a Tier-3 Torch Captain—descended from the second floor of the exchange hall.

“Friend, what grade of relic are you looking to trade?”

Detecting the aura on his counterpart, the man at the entrance stiffened, strands of Umbral Energy flickering across his skin.

“Are you the owner of this Chenxu Exchange?”

The scar-faced man shook his head with a smile.

“Do you really think a Tier-3 Torch Captain is qualified to buy large quantities of Sea of Stars relics for an Expedition Fleet?”

At the denial, the newcomer’s face darkened, his tone turning cold:

“I told you this relic is top quality—and you’re still not qualified!”

“If your exchange lacks sincerity, forget it.”

With that, he turned and strode away, leaving no room for argument.

“Wait, friend!”

The scar-faced man quickly called after him; seeing his wariness deepen, he hurriedly explained:

“Rest assured, I mean no harm. I’m sure you’ve checked—our Chenxu Exchange has the highest credibility in the fleet, and our offers prove it. The others are backed by the Grand Duchy’s powerhouses, and they often resort to force. If your relic is truly as high-grade as you claim…”

At that, the man at the door froze.

As the scar-faced man had said, he’d done his homework: the Chenxu Exchange indeed had the best reputation, which was why he came here first.

“All right. Just answer one question. If it’s a yes, I’ll alert the boss right away!”

He turned and fixed his gaze on the scar-faced captain, waiting for the question.

The scar-faced captain didn’t hesitate and said:

“Is the relic in your possession Silver Legend tier or above?”

Seeing the man nod without hesitation, the scar-faced captain’s breath caught as he said:

“Good. I’ll notify the boss immediately. Please wait here!”

With that, the scar-faced captain quickly departed, while the still-vigilant newcomer remained at the entrance, his tension undiminished.

What neither man noticed was the dark figure lingering in a corner outside the exchange; the moment the words “Silver Legend” were spoken, the shadow vanished.

Strangely, even these two Tier-3 Torch Captains—renowned for their keen hearing—had no clue the figure was there.

Wang Zhen arrived swiftly. He knew how much Silver Legend relics meant to Song Chi and had always made them a priority.

…

Chenxu Exchange, second-floor private chamber.

The man who had been on high alert now knelt respectfully before Wang Zhen, who sat opposite.

Although Wang Zhen gave off no unusual aura, his instincts told him that the owner of the exchange must be a formidable figure above Tier 4.

“Show it now!”

Wang Zhen waved lightly, adding another layer of Umbral Energy isolation to the chamber.

The man’s breathing grew heavier, but he still channeled his Umbral Energy. The Torch Origin Gate at his brow slowly opened.

The next instant, a faint beam of golden light shot from his Origin Gate.

Wang Zhen’s eyes narrowed.

“Is it truly a golden Sanctum relic?”

The man nodded firmly, yet still hesitated to present the relic, which did not surprise Wang Zhen.

Anyone holding such a relic—despite its inability to convert into ship modules—would never let their guard down.

As long as it remained within his Origin Gate, no outsider with ill intent could extract it.

“What do you want in return?”

Wang Zhen got straight to the point; a relic of this tier needed securing quickly.

Apparently anticipating this, the man replied at once:

“Five red-tier components—don’t need a full set, but no less than five—and the resources to upgrade them to Tier 5.”

Wang Zhen frowned but remained silent, plunging the chamber into a tense quiet.

It wasn’t that the price was high; for a single golden relic, it was extremely cheap.

Five red components plus all Tier-5 upgrade materials were worth, at most, one or two silver components—far less than the golden relic.

The catch was obtaining five red components at once, which wasn’t easy.

“Wait here. I’ll give you an answer within half an hour!”

With that, Wang Zhen stood.

His movement seemed to spook the man; his voice suddenly rose:

“What are you doing… I have allies outside. If I can’t leave today, they’ll spread the word—and your Exchange’s reputation will be ruined.”

Wang Zhen didn’t stop, only replied softly:

“Don’t worry, I must report to my superiors too. Kid, if you think a Tier-4 Zhulu-class Captain is the real power behind the Chenxu Exchange, you’re gravely mistaken. In the face of the Grand Duchy’s major forces, even a Battleship Captain isn’t significant!”

…

Omniverse Market—Traveler’s Inn.

Hearing Wang Zhen, Song Chi’s eyes lit up. A golden Sanctum relic was an unexpected boon.

As for five red components, that was hardly unreasonable.

He didn’t hesitate; he gave Wang Zhen a single order:

“Make sure we secure this deal!”

“Your Highness, where are we supposed to get five red components…?”

Before he could finish, Song Chi waved dismissively.

“I’ll handle that. Just wait!”

After leaving the inn, Song Chi first took stock of his assets.

In two years of Market trading, he’d acquired several relics, including one red-grade Celestial Origin Shield—but that was all.

In other words, he was still four components short.

He already had a plan.

A dark glow flickered at his brow as the Yaoguang Star Order No.32 in his Origin Gate activated.

If you want red components, where’s better than the Star Tower Mall?

But the next moment, his expression fell.

“What’s this? The Yaoguang Star Order No.32 won’t activate? This is the first time this’s happened.”

His mind raced, and he quickly spotted the difference.

Previously he’d logged into the Star Tower from the Dinghai Sector; today he was in the Red River Sector.

Having realized this, he understood the cause.

“The Yaoguang Star Order can only be activated within the borders of the Torch Human Civilization?”

He murmured and vanished back into the Heavenly Ruin.

Entering the Market, he used the spatial anchor on the Dragon‑Spine Continent to return to the Dinghai Sector, then tried again to activate the order.

This time it worked. Song Chi quickly logged into the Yaoguang Star Tower via projection.

After exchanging fewer than two thousand credits for four red components, he used the anchor inside the Heavenly Ruin to return to the Red River Sector.

Of course, before that, he’d already delivered all five red components—plus the Titanite Crystals, Law Stones, fourth-degree Floating-land Origins, and five strands of fifth-degree Floating-land Origins—to Wang Zhen.

Chenxu Exchange, second-floor private chamber.

When Wang Zhen returned, he found the man fidgeting. Without comment, he tossed over a storage capsule.

The man opened it at once and gasped, his breathing rapid.

“Once it’s confirmed, bring out the golden relic!”

He wasted no time, opening his Origin Gate to retrieve the relic, which glowed richly golden.

Taking the tome-like relic, Wang Zhen swiftly read its detailed stats.

[Relic: Spirit Language Book]

[Quality: Gold]

[Convertible: No]

[Note: A creation left by an ancient stellar spellcaster, awaiting its destined owner.]

Wang Zhen nodded in satisfaction. With the relic secured, his mission was complete.

“The deal’s done. You may go. And remember, if you have other high-tier relics or intel, come to the Chenxu Exchange!”

The man, who’d already stowed the five red components and all Origins in his Origin Gate, nodded eagerly. He knew Wang Zhen was sincere.

Just as he was about to head downstairs, a sharp disturbance rose from the hall below.

“Who dares make trouble in my Chenxu Exchange? They must be mad to—”

Before he finished, the scar-faced captain’s expression shifted. Having served Wang Zhen for years, he recognized every big name in the Grand Duchy.

He meant the figure standing at the entrance, surrounded by dozens of Tier-2 and Tier-3 Torch Captains.

“Your Highness Kendall, you’ve come in person! My apologies—what brings you here?”

He tried to keep calm, but dread pounded in his chest; he knew this was no peaceful visit.

Kendall Eagle of the Eagle Family, a Second-Tier heir nearly 150 years old, became a Zhulu-class Captain over thirty years ago. His mastery of the Wind Law had reached minor breakthrough—he was ruthless.

Though silent, his unchecked Tier-4 aura shrouded the entire exchange—and even the starport tracks outside—in oppressive pressure.

Then, a figure swooped down from the second floor, emitting the same Tier-4 aura and quelling most of Kendall’s oppressive force.

At Wang Zhen’s appearance, the staff visibly relaxed; with their boss here, they expected things wouldn’t spiral.

But to Kendall, Wang Zhen’s sub-8% Earth Law mastery paled beside his own near-20% Wind Law.

A light teal flux spread through the building, fully suppressing the Earth Law Wang Zhen radiated.

Hmph!

Wang Zhen grunted, a hint of pallor flashing across his face as he steadied himself. In a low voice, he said:

“Your Highness Kendall, do you intend to start a fight here at the starport?”

Kendall Eagle’s eyes narrowed, his tone icy:

“Bring out that relic from your just-finished deal, and shut down this exchange—or we’ll not let it operate again, and you can’t hide here forever!”

At his words, the Tier-2 and Tier-3 Captains flanking him swarmed the entrance, blocking anyone from trading.

Seeing their blatant intimidation, the last smile vanished from Wang Zhen’s face. He sneered:

“I only called you Highness because of those three Battleship Captains from the Eagle Family. Did you really think you were a sitting duck?”

“You think you can swallow my Chenxu Exchange? On what basis?”

Under Kendall’s darkening glare, Wang Zhen pulled out the Shadow Medallion and activated it without hesitation.

Over five thousand light-years away, in the Red River Sector.

Inside the Heavenly Ruin, Song Chi—meditating with eyes closed—sensed something, opened his eyes, and murmured:

“Southeast… is that Wang Zhen’s location?”

At once, the Heavenly Ruin’s hull flickered with spectral light, and Song Chi felt a second vision overlay his mind—one five thousand light-years away.

Above the fleet’s starport, as boundless energy converged, a 3,800-meter Zhulu-class Cruiser’s phantom silhouette slowly materialized.

“The Five-Colored Light Shield—it’s the Seventh Prince of the Song Family!”

“It’s him? So the Chenxu Exchange’s backer is the Song Family… no wonder!”

…

The Heavenly Ruin’s Five-Colored Light Shield was so distinctive that many recognized it immediately.

Below, Kendall Eagle’s face registered shock; he’d never expected Song Chi to be the true sponsor.

Instantly, remorse welled within him.

He knew of Song Chi—rumors of his crushing the Stark Family’s direct heirs and killing another within a fragment of the Immortal Realm Continent were rampant in the Grand Duchy.

But within a blink, he quelled that regret. With countless eyes watching, he couldn’t show fear; otherwise, both he and the Eagle Family would be disgraced.

Song Chi did not immediately address Kendall below. Instead, a resonant voice came from the warship’s phantom.

“This one, Song Chi, pays respects to the elders!”

The audience’s gazes included not just Torch Captains but also ancient figures of the Grand Duchy’s major powers.

At his salute, a deep, weathered voice responded:

“No brawling in the starport. You can have your fun, but don’t cause any casualties!”

Those words served as hard rules—yet also tacit approval from the Grand Duchy’s top brass.

Only then did Song Chi’s hologram on the Heavenly Ruin turn to look down at Kendall Eagle.

“Your Highness Kendall, please proceed. You started this; surely you won’t back down now?”

With that, the holographic silhouette of the Heavenly Ruin flickered and shot out into the open starry sky.