Chapter 493: A Pact Sealed, Loyalties Redefined

With the new confidentiality agreement settled, Song Chi once again used the Isometric Shrink Module to reduce the sixth-tier Long-Finned Void Whale’s corpse by 350 times. Even then, the shrunken whale, still over two thousand meters long, was hauled into the Heavenly Ruin.

Staring at the massive carcass taking up much of the hangar, Song Chi frowned.

Even after the Isometric Shrink Module had been upgraded to orange quality by a Fifth-Tier Silver Apple and pushed to level 50, its maximum shrink capacity was only 350 times. Clearly, that just wouldn’t cut it anymore.

Song Chi wasn’t being picky, he simply had no choice. Forget everything else—just the thousand Hellfire Mechs and hundreds of Doomstar Race corpses already filled up half the space. Now, with a nearly three-thousand-meter-long Long-Finned Void Whale added to the mix, cramped quarters were inevitable.

He walked over to the No.004 Cultivation Secret Realm of Chicang module and let part of his consciousness seep inside.

By the time he turned around again, he muttered under his breath:

“The next round of five sixth-tier Silver Apples is about to ripen. Looks like I’ll need to use one on the Isometric Shrink Module… Plus—”

His gaze shifted to the silvery Voidlock Skyseal Sigil module on the other side. Song Chi couldn’t help but covet that spatial lock.

The Heavenly Ruin was in serious need of a high-quality lock-down module.

“Sir, if there’s nothing else, should we head back to the relay base?”

Pan Ying’s sudden question pulled Song Chi from his thoughts.

Three days later, guided by the transfer battleship, the two returned to Qingluan Floating-land.

High above the Floating-land, Pan Ying spoke softly:

“Next, I’ll attempt to upgrade the flagship. Sir, please rest here on Qingluan Floating-land for a while. Whether I succeed or fail, the Pan Family will surely reward you handsomely for your support!”

Song Chi shook his head.

“It was a fair deal, no need for a grand reward. There’s still two months left of our year-long agreement. I won’t leave in that time. Besides, there’s something else I’d like to discuss.”

“Please, go ahead!”

After witnessing the Heavenly Ruin’s wild firepower firsthand, Pan Ying had long since set aside all pride, wearing her humility as naturally as a second skin.

“About that Voidlock Skyseal Sigil module—does your Pan Clan intend to part with it? If so, I’ll trade a wisp of Red Advancement Fire Source for it.”

The mention of Red Advancement Fire Source made Pan Ying’s eyes light up, but after a moment of thought, she answered tactfully:

“That would require discussing with our clan elders. I promise you’ll have an answer within two months!”

Their conversation ended there. Before they separated, a streak of silver light slid out from Pan Ying’s flagship nearby.

“Thank you again, sir. Here’s the Timepiece Chess module I’d promised you before.”

Song Chi was in high spirits. It had been over a decade since he’d discovered the coordinates of this second Timepiece Chess piece. Now, at last, his wish was fulfilled and the prize was his.

He guided the second Timepiece Chess module into the bay. Not long after, the two ships parted ways.

Pan Ying headed for the Pan Family’s hidden estate to begin her flagship’s promotion. Song Chi returned to the residence arranged for him by the Pan Family.

Inside the Heavenly Ruin, Song Chi couldn’t keep his eyes off the two Timepiece Chess pieces, his gaze drifting between them again and again.

“Exactly the same… but where’s this so-called set bonus?”

He grumbled a bit, though truthfully, he’d been prepared for this outcome all along.

How many pieces does one full chess set have? Three hundred sixty-one! If there really is a set effect, you probably need at least several dozen, even a hundred or more, for it to kick in. Two pieces alone wouldn’t cut it.

Still, his interest didn’t wane one bit.

He fiddled with the pieces for a while, running a series of experiments.

He tried loading both Timepiece Chess modules together, and even set the second one directly on the Destiny Compass module… and more.

After tinkering back and forth, Song Chi pinpointed a few things.

First, loading both Timepiece Chess pieces offered barely any extra effect—their “Cooldown Reduction” traits wouldn’t stack. Plus, Trait 3 and Trait 4 were currently sealed, so there was little reason to load both.

However, placing the second Timepiece Chess directly onto the Destiny Compass made the “Compass · Trace to Source” ability work much better. If you only bind the installed first piece, the trace radius is one hundred million light years—bind the second piece and keep it close, and suddenly the range doubles to two hundred million!

Considering everything, Song Chi ultimately bound the second Timepiece Chess module directly onto the Destiny Compass.

Time flowed by. A month and a half passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, the Receiving Courtyard where Song Chi stayed filled with Pan family members.

Judging by the undisguised joy on the faces of these core clan members, Song Chi could guess why they’d come.

“So, the upgrade worked?”

As soon as he asked, the Pan Clan Patriarch at the lead stepped up with a beaming cupped-fist salute:

“Your blessing brought us luck! The Qingying Sky Luan has reached battleship status. On behalf of the Pan Family, thank you—it’s no exaggeration to say you’ve given the clan a new lease on life. None of us will forget this favor…”

Before he could finish, Song Chi held up a hand, cutting him off.

“I’ve told you—it’s just a transaction. There’s no need.”

To Song Chi, this effusive display of gratitude felt anything but genuine.

Sure, Pan Ying’s flagship Qingying Sky Luan had been upgraded to a battleship, but that hardly meant the Pan Family’s problems were over.

On the contrary, as soon as the Qingying Sky Luan crossed into battleship-ranking territory, it fell under the rules’ restrictions. From now on, it couldn’t strike at will. The Pan Family simply didn’t have enough reserves for Pan Ying to break through Guiding Technique to the fifth tier any time soon—they’d need decades, at least.

And that’s the sticking point. For Zhulu‑class Cruiser Captains and battleship commanders, a few decades pass in a flash. For the Pan Family, teetering on the edge of collapse, those decades are a mountain too tall to climb.

With the Qingying Sky Luan unable to act, their manpower would only shrink further. The Annan Consortium wouldn’t wait; they’d push their advantage for sure.

From what Song Chi knew, if the Annan Consortium went all in, the Pan Family likely wouldn’t stand a chance.

That said, the consortium probably wouldn’t go for a kill shot. Most likely, the Pan Family would be forced to give up Qingluan Floating-land and migrate to some lesser Floating-land instead.

After all, with Pan Ying nearly a full battleship commander already—even at not quite seven centuries old—her eventual promotion is a sure thing. The Annan Consortium has every reason to tread carefully.

Otherwise, if you really force one battleship commander into a corner, it’s not just a matter of headaches anymore.

Battleship commanders can’t act openly within the Torch Human Civilization’s domain, but what about the Outer Domain? The consortium has hundreds of colonial outposts out there. If a battleship commander went wild, all their order would fall into chaos.

Which is to say, the Pan Family’s troubles were far from over. Their performance today seemed calculated to make Song Chi stay on a while longer—ideally until Pan Ying advanced in her Guiding Technique.

But Song Chi saw right through it and wasn’t about to play along.

A few sharp words were enough to shut down any further overtures.

The Pan Clan Patriarch’s smile froze for a second, then quickly shifted as he changed tack.

“Sir, didn’t you have your eye on the Voidlock Skyseal Sigil? If—”

“Enough!”

A sudden cold rebuke swept through the Receiving Courtyard, making the faces of every Pan clan member turn ashen. Song Chi’s brows rose; his gaze flickered sideways.

He hadn’t spoken—it was Pan Ying, striding quickly into view.

Once at the front, she bowed formally to Song Chi, then glared, cold as frost, at her own patriarch and the elders beside him.

Her feelings toward her elders were tangled. She was angry they couldn’t see the situation clearly, even now. Yet, they’d given what they could for the Pan Family all their lives, and had always treated her well.

“Ying’er, you—”

The patriarch started to speak, but Pan Ying beat him to it:

“Uncle, you’ve spoken out of turn!”

That line caught Song Chi’s interest, while a shadow passed across the Pan crowd’s faces. They wanted to speak, but no words came.

In the end, Pan Ying was the one to offer a way out.

“Uncle, please let me handle this from here!”

The senior Pan members sighed and shook their heads, but kept things courteous. Before leaving, they bowed respectfully to Song Chi. Only after he nodded did they turn and depart.

With the others gone, Pan Ying strode into the courtyard. Just as Song Chi wondered what she’d do next, she took him by surprise.

Inside the living room, with no warning at all, Pan Ying dropped to her knees.

“With the Annan Consortium pressing hard, my uncle lost his composure. Please, forgive him.”

Song Chi waved it off, voice relaxed:

“Get up already. I’m not holding it against you. And really, you’re already halfway to becoming a battleship commander—there’s no need to call me ‘sir’ anymore.”

But Pan Ying stayed kneeling and shook her head firmly.

“Please, let me finish first.”

Since she insisted, Song Chi said nothing more and waited.

Pan Ying composed herself, then quickly continued:

“The Annan Consortium has been infiltrating the Pan Family for years. Now that word’s out about Qingying Sky Luan’s upgrade, the next step for them here is…”

After her explanation, Song Chi had a good sense of what she was asking, but he still stayed silent.

She hadn’t finished yet.

“Please, sir. Save my family!”

Song Chi’s gaze flickered, and after a long silence, he finally answered:

“And why should I?”

“The Annan Consortium’s been around over five thousand years. They even have an extreme-type battleship commander. Why should I go up against them for no reason at all?”

His tone was calm, no hint of emotion, but Pan Ying didn’t seem disappointed. She quickly responded:

“Aside from the Voidlock Skyseal Sigil, you can pick any three items from our clan vault. On top of that, from now on, every year, the Pan Family will give you twenty percent of our profits!”

Amusement danced in Song Chi’s eyes. His interest in Pan Ying only deepened.

She was exactly his type—quick-thinking, decisive at key moments, and, above all, gutsy. This was what made her truly stand out.

Plus, not even seven centuries old and already this capable… If she kept going, ordinary frigate captains wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

After a long, thoughtful pause, Song Chi finally said two short words:

“Not enough.”

Pan Ying’s counteroffer came instantly:

“Twenty-five percent—”

But Song Chi didn’t let her finish.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Their negotiation reached the real crux, and for a second, Pan Ying’s cold gaze snapped up, locking with Song Chi’s, whose eyes now shimmered with the shadow of Dual Pupils.

After several seconds, the woman looked away, her next words taking a new turn.

“Besides handing over a yearly fifth of the family’s income, I, Pan Ying, am willing to serve you for life, follow you wherever you go, and never betray you!”

Song Chi stepped forward, approaching the kneeling woman slowly.

He stopped in front of her, reached out, and lifted her pale chin. The shadow in his eyes now solidified into real Dual Pupils.

“Are you sure that’s what you want? I’ll give you one more chance—think carefully this time.”

With Song Chi’s hand forcing her gaze up, Pan Ying was compelled to meet those Dual Pupils again.

But don’t get it wrong—he didn’t use his ability to sway her, just to catch every flicker of emotion on her face to make sure she meant every word.

No hesitation at all. Given the second chance, Pan Ying repeated:

“I, Pan Ying, swear to serve you for life, follow you always, and never betray you!”

“Very good.”

Song Chi didn’t withdraw his hand just yet. Light shimmered between his brows and, the next instant, the Heavenly Ruin’s Master‑Servant Pact module inside his Torch Ancestral Orifice activated.

A ray of contract light shot from his brow and entered Pan Ying’s orifice without error.

Once she accepted the pact, a faint link was forged between them.

Song Chi lowered his hand and said:

“Stand up.”

“Yes, Master!”

The signing of the Master‑Servant Pact changed how Pan Ying felt toward Song Chi all over again, even her address for him.

She no longer felt just awe—now there was genuine fondness and contentment.

But Song Chi wasn’t exactly a fan of that title; he frowned and said:

“Just call me ‘sir’ instead.”