Chapter 447: Trading Favors and Boundaries

“That kid…”

As Song Xingru took the Silver Apple, her eyes lit up. She instantly sensed the tremendous energy housed inside this compact fruit—no doubt, it was a tier-six Silver Apple.

Before long, Song Dingbang, Song Tianhao, and the others were quickly summoned by her.

“It truly is a tier-six Silver Apple. Not bad at all. That brat has quite a few treasures up his sleeve. This won’t do—I’ve got a few top-tier orange components on my warship that could use an upgrade. Looks like I’ll have to have a proper chat with young Chi later.”

“But now that we have the tier-six Silver Apple, there’s no time to waste. Let’s use it right away on the Origin Core Siphon component. Sky-Star Floating Continent should be our first target for extraction. The sooner we act, the sooner Dragon-Spine Continent can strive for an upgrade to a Grade‑7 Floating-land.”

“Agreed!”

“Count me in!”

……

While the family elders discussed the plan, Song Chi was already firing up the warship for a hyperspace jump high above the heavens.

Doomsea Floating-land spanned over seventy light-years across. With every Family’s base in different locations, space jumps were a must when searching for someone.

Inside the warship, Song Chi held a strand of orange-glowing Fireseed Artifact in his left hand and a second Silver Apple in his right.

The orange Advancement Fire Source had come from the fire elementals over the years. Now was the perfect time to convert it into a red Advancement Fire Source.

As he brought both hands together, the tier-six Silver Apple and the ordinary orange Advancement Fire Source made contact and began to fuse.

A blinding orange light filled the warship’s control room. As time passed, that glow shifted ever deeper, turning red until at last it became a true red Advancement Fire Source.

Once the evolution was complete and Song Chi confirmed the Fireseed Artifact had truly reached red quality, he piloted the Heavenly Ruin downward.

Doomsea Floating-land, Cangxuan Mountain.

Though the Peidong Duan Family was just a humble tier-four lineage in the eastern expanse of Yaohan Kingdom, they still boasted multiple tier-four Zhulu‑class Cruiser commanders. Teaming up with neighboring powers, they’d assembled a Joint Fleet. Their efforts in the decades-long expansion war had gained them no small rewards.

Even as a modest tier-four family, the logistics division set aside a separate base for them.

That day, a Zhulu‑class Cruiser, measuring over four thousand meters, descended from the sky. The Duan family fleet assigned to patrol around Cangxuan Mountain moved swiftly to meet the Heavenly Ruin head-on.

“Unknown Zhulu Cruiser commander, this is the Peidong Duan Family’s territory. We’ll need to see your credentials…”

“Let Duan Mei know her old buyer from a few years ago has dropped by.”

Upon hearing Song Chi’s reply, the Duan family escort cruiser did an about-face without hesitation.

To the Duan Family, Duan Mei had become a household name among their newly promoted elders. Many looked up to her as an example. So when they learned Song Chi had come to see Duan Mei, none dared to keep him waiting.

It didn’t take long before another massive Zhulu‑class Cruiser soared in from Cangxuan Mountain.

Once the communication link opened, Song Chi got straight to the point.

“Does the Timepiece Chess still exist?”

He tried to sound casual, but beneath that calm exterior, he worried Duan Mei might give an unpleasant answer.

Fortunately, his concerns turned out to be unnecessary.

“We have it. But, Your Highness Song Qi, did you bring the red Advancement Fire—”

Before she finished, Song Chi’s projection in the comm feed revealed a strand of red-glowing Fireseed Artifact already in his hand.

“I’ll need to verify it first!”

Duan Mei, wary that Song Chi might only be offering a regular Fireseed Artifact, insisted on seeing the red Advancement Fire Source up close.

Since this was an under-the-table deal, her caution was only natural.

Song Chi was far more direct, though. Without a second thought, he tossed the red Advancement Fire Source out of his warship.

It wasn’t bravado. He simply knew this Duan Family inside out—a family with just five Zhulu Cruisers. If they tried any tricks, the Heavenly Ruin alone could suppress them all.

Even if someone from the upper-level Dongli Xiao Family stepped in later, Song Chi wasn’t worried—with the Qiongtian AI recording everything, he held all the cards.

Of course, none of that backup was actually needed. Once Duan Mei confirmed the red Advancement Fire Source was authentic, she soon sent over the silvery Timepiece Chess.

The entire deal went off without a hitch.

……

Back at the Song Family base, Song Chi could barely wait to strengthen the Timepiece Chess.

[Consume 30 wisps of zero-rank Floating-land Origin + 3,000 Psionic Points + 1 drop of Time Essence Liquid to upgrade Timepiece Chess from lvl 0 to lvl 1?]

“Do it!”

Upgrading again and again, helped by the extra Time Essence Liquid he’d gathered in recent years, he at last powered the component to level 30.

Timepiece Chess, lvl 30

Quality: Silver

Trait 1: Cooldown reduction for all warship components: 30%

Trait 2: Time Resistance +3200

Trait 3: Timepiece · Pawn (inactive, sealed)

Trait 4: Timepiece · Gambit (inactive, sealed)

……

Unfortunately, leveling the part didn’t unlock traits 3 and 4. Song Chi felt a bit disappointed.

Still, seeing the cooldown reduction jump from 15% to 30% was a real cause for celebration.

That might not sound like much, but in practice, it made a huge difference.

For example, the Samsara Time Domain trait originally cooled down in one year. Even with the Zen Seal · Internal · Time Acceleration, it still took seventy-four days to recover.

But with Timepiece Chess equipped, cooldown dropped to just nine months (the actual effect varied based on component quality and strengthen level). Applying Zen Seal · Internal · Time Acceleration again, it only took fifty-four days—cutting twenty whole days off.

Don’t underestimate those twenty days. In crunch time, twenty days might mean the difference between life and death—more times than you can count.

And that’s just level 30. Once it’s powered up to level 70, cooldowns could be halved.

With Timepiece Chess upgraded, Song Chi shifted his gaze to another onboard module—an orange-quality Master‑Servant Pact. The third tier-six Silver Apple followed shortly.

After orange light mingled with red, the component finally reached red quality.

Master‑Servant Pact, lvl 50

Quality: Red

Trait 1: Contract minion slots +1

Trait 2: Contract binding strength increased by one rank

Trait 3: Double the contract capacity

Cost: 300/s (Psionic Points)

Master: Song Chi

Servant: Wang Zhen (1/4)

Effect: Establishes a master‑servant pact between specified parties. Once linked, the master wields absolute life and death authority over the servant. The servant harbors not a trace of ill will—absolute loyalty guaranteed.

……

Trait three came from a purple pact component Song Chi had purchased years ago. The moment he completed the upgrade, he swapped it in. With this new trait, the Master‑Servant Pact’s maximum number of contracts climbed to four—dramatically expanding his future options.

Once the upgrade finished, Song Chi immediately raised the red component to level 60 and then turned his attention back to the Imperial Ruin Source Stone.

In the Free Stall Area of the Market, a massive Imperial Ruin Source Stone stood on the ground, not far from where the Heavenly Ruin was docked. In the main control room, Song Chi gathered his Dominion Power.

Countless blades of Law of Space condensed above the Imperial Ruin Source Stone. Under Song Chi’s precision, they began slicing slowly through the stone.

For ordinary lifeforms, the Imperial Ruin Source Stone was unbelievably tough. Yet now it was soft as tofu—easily cut apart.

Soon, a creature with red and black skin and a spiraling horn atop its head emerged before Song Chi’s eyes.

As the outer layer of the Imperial Ruin Source Stone was carved away and exposed to the Market’s thick energies, the Abyssal Devil’s tier-six body drank them up like drought-stricken earth touched by spring rain. Endless energy rushed in, refilling its nearly lifeless form.

The Abyssal Devil’s body wasn’t large—just two or three meters at most—but it was like a bottomless abyss, constantly devouring energy and never seeming to fill up.

Song Chi barely batted an eye. From the moment the Imperial Ruin Source Stone split open, he’d already activated the Enslave Medal and the Parent‑Child Spirit Control Rings. Twin beams of red light shot from the warship, one after another, plunging into the rejuvenating body of the Abyssal Devil.

Several seconds passed. The Abyssal Devil and both modules stayed silent. Song Chi knew—enslaving it had failed.

He didn’t give up. He tried again, but failed once more.

Instead of rushing a third time, he shifted his focus, activating Master‑Servant Pact on the other side.

He held out hope, but once again, disappointment. The Master‑Servant Pact had failed too.

Song Chi frowned deeply, saying nothing for the moment.

He activated Enslave Medal, Parent‑Child Spirit Control Rings, and Master‑Servant Pact all over again.

Failure, failure, failure!

Huff!

Steadying his breath, Song Chi forced himself to stay calm. He shifted his attention away from those three modules and instead peered through the ship’s panoramic view at the Market sky.

That single glance somehow halted the entire energy flow within the Omniverse Market. Instantaneously, the process of the Abyssal Devil devouring energy came to an abrupt halt.

But he wasn’t done. Song Chi focused again.

All at once, the energy within the Market bent and began flowing in reverse.

What did reverse mean?

It meant the freshly absorbed energy inside the Abyssal Devil started pouring out, along with more of its remaining flesh and blood essence fading away.

Sensing danger, the Abyssal Devil began sealing itself shut, desperate to prevent even more energy escaping.

But Song Chi had no intention of letting it succeed.

As the Master of the Omniverse Market and holder of Dominion Power, he was like a god within this hidden realm. No matter how the Abyssal Devil closed its body, it couldn’t stop the process—only slow the outward flow a little.

For Song Chi, the reason was simple. If the Abyssal Devil couldn’t be enslaved in its current state, he’d just keep it weak. If that didn’t work, he’d try at the brink of death.

If it still failed, so be it. Wasting one tier-six lifeform meant nothing—he could afford the loss with the Market and Spirit Beast Secret Realm in his control.

Sitting on the wealth of both the Omniverse Market and Spirit Beast Secret Realm, a single tier-six beast was a loss he could shrug off.

Once the Abyssal Devil’s life force dropped another level, Song Chi made the three modules attempt enslavement and contract again.

But this Abyssal Devil was uncanny—even like this, it still resisted.

“So this is the innate gift of a hegemon-tier civilization’s creature. Incredible…”

Even as he muttered, Song Chi couldn’t quite let it go.

The Abyssal Devil’s value was enormous—it alone could serve as an entire legion. This opportunity was too rare. He had to try one last time.

“Let’s see if you can still resist at death’s door!”

With that thought, the energy drain sped up further. Life poured from the Abyssal Devil’s body at a terrifying rate.

After dozens of seconds, its life aura was almost gone—but through Song Chi’s Dual Pupils, he saw more. The flow of life force within hadn’t stopped.

Thanks to the Dual Pupils, he saw the life-fire in the Abyssal Devil’s head still burning bright. He chose to trust his eyes.

Finally, after more energy kept seeping away, the life-fire in its mind began to dim.

At that instant, Song Chi’s gaze grew sharp.

“Now’s the time!”

He had Enslave Medal, Parent‑Child Spirit Control Rings, and Master‑Servant Pact activate all at once. Three red lights shot into the Abyssal Devil’s feeble body.

Every second crawled by, each moment drawn-out.

At last, Song Chi snapped open his eyes, joy sparkling in their depths. The modules finally responded.

Splitting a portion of his consciousness, he confirmed it—the Abyssal Devil had finally been enslaved.

With that settled, he immediately lifted the energy lockdown on the Market. But now, the Abyssal Devil seemed completely unable to absorb any external energy to heal itself.

In a rush, Song Chi summoned the Flamewrath Giant to gently carry the Abyssal Devil back to the warship. Without delay, he put it inside the Life-System Medical Repair Pod.

Since the creature was so near death from depleted life force, the Life-System Medical Repair Pod was just what it needed. As long as the Abyssal Devil didn’t outright die, there was a good chance it might recover.

He couldn’t be absolutely certain, though, and could only hope for the best.

With the Abyssal Devil’s value so high, Song Chi truly wished for its survival.

Shifting his gaze, his eyes fell on the Master‑Servant Pact—it was this module that had finally captured the Abyssal Devil.