"Interesting… With such terms, does anyone even come here to trade?"
Yi Tianxing's eyes lingered on Tianbao Pavilion, thoughtful.This place reminded him of a certain legendary establishment: Pawnshop No. 8—a mysterious place said to accept anything as collateral in exchange for fulfilling your deepest wishes.Some called it heaven, others called it hell.
But just visiting wouldn't hurt.
"Let's go have a look."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing stepped into Tianbao Pavilion.
The moment he entered, he was greeted by an ancient, elegant atmosphere. The surroundings exuded a calming energy that made people instinctively relax. The interior design was clearly extraordinary.
The space was filled with tall display shelves.
Upon them, one could see transparent crystal cases, each holding a different rare treasure or exotic artifact.
"These are treasure boxes. Each box contains its own internal space—a mustard seed hiding Mount Sumeru.No matter how large the item, it is fully displayed in its complete form."
A middle-aged man in a black robe walked over and spoke with a calm smile.He clearly recognized Qian Mian, but today's guest was obviously Yi Tianxing.Whether the visitor would actually make a purchase, however, was uncertain—and not something the man seemed too concerned about.
After all, in Tianbao Pavilion, many came to look, but very few ever bought.
Because the price was not measured in gold or coin—but in life, Luck, virtue, soul, or emotion.
Few could part with such things.
Still, none could deny that Tianbao Pavilion had the greatest concentration of treasures in Nightmare Holy City.Its inventory was unsurpassed.
"Quite the bold claim," Yi Tianxing said with a smile."Since your shop boasts of housing the world's treasures, I wonder... do you happen to have the celestial artifact known as the Celestial Mechanism Compass?"
There was a subtle edge to his words—he was testing.
But the shopkeeper, Tianbao Zhenren, didn't seem annoyed at all. He simply smiled.
"The Celestial Mechanism Compass? That's indeed a rare artifact—almost impossible to find elsewhere.But it just so happens... I do have one here. Please, follow me."
He led Yi Tianxing to a shelf and pointed at one of the crystal boxes.
Inside, lay a strange and exquisite artifact.
It was round in shape, resembling a particle collider.Dozens of celestial tracks interwove and spun within, constantly shifting.On its surface, one could see representations of the Five Elements, stellar constellations, and cosmic patterns—as if it truly displayed the mechanisms of fate and destiny.
At the center floated a glowing white orb, radiating divine light.Countless profound runes danced inside, linking the artifact to destiny itself.
Every slight motion of the celestial tracks seemed to ripple the threads of fate.
"This is the Celestial Mechanism Compass," Tianbao Zhenren confirmed.
Yi Tianxing's heart stirred.
This artifact was almost impossible to find.Even with Da Yi's vast reach and Yi Tianxing's divine merit on the battlefield, they had never managed to uncover even a trace of this item.
And yet here it was—in this shop.
This truly proves the power and mystery of Tianbao Pavilion.
"The Celestial Mechanism Compass reveals the patterns of fate, the changing of stars, the flow of time," Tianbao Zhenren explained."Its counterpart, the Seismograph, detects movements of earth and mountain.Together, they form the Heaven-Earth Sensing Pair—capable of tracking all changes in heaven and earth."
"What's more," he added, "when combined, they can shroud a Destiny Dynasty's heavenly fate.No movement, no plot, no omen can escape their veil.For any imperial dynasty, this is an unparalleled supporting treasure."
Yi Tianxing nodded in silent approval.
It was, indeed, an ultimate treasure for any fate-based regime.
"The item is excellent," he said."But now the question—how is it priced?"
This was the core issue.
If it were money, no matter how much, he could easily afford it.But Tianbao Pavilion didn't take money.
Here, trades were made with:
Lifespan
Luck
Merit
Emotion
Soul
And these things… were not lightly parted with.
Each person's value varied immensely.
"As you've heard," said Tianbao Zhenren with a calm look,"I only accept those five items.But no two people are equal.A beggar's lifespan is not worth the same as an emperor's.A soldier's soul is not the same as a commoner's."
"If we divide your five traits into ten portions, I will require one portion—ten percent. You may choose any one of the five."
Hiss!
Qian Mian sucked in a breath. Even Yi Tianxing's heart jolted.
He was at the Dao Platform Realm. His lifespan was already an astounding 810,000 years.
Ten percent would be 81,000 years.
That was an enormous cost.
Even worse, if he were to trade luck, it would cost ten percent of the entire Da Yi Dynasty's fortune—as his fate was linked with the empire.
The price of this compass was almost unbearably high.
Yi Tianxing shook his head.
"The compass I want, yes.But I won't trade my lifespan, fate, or emotions."
Tianbao Zhenren remained calm.
"Our shop has fixed rules. If you're unwilling, the door is to the left. You may leave at any time."
Business was business. Harmony came first.
Yi Tianxing smiled.
"However, I do have something I believe you might be interested in.Perhaps we can trade item for item."
He would never agree to those five options. But barter? That he could accept.
True trade was built on mutual need. Perhaps no one had ever offered the right thing.
Tianbao Zhenren raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? I'm listening."
He had seen it all—what item could possibly move him?
Yi Tianxing spoke slowly and clearly:
"In the God-Demon Battlefield, I once exchanged merit for a special treasure.It is called the Eternal Heaven Ark—a relic that functioned as a cosmic pawnshop."
"In its prime, it connected to all realms and welcomed guests from myriad worlds.It could sail the skies and dive into the underworld.If fate allows, it can even reach Eternity—the Other Shore."
Tianbao Zhenren's face changed the moment he heard those words.
"You possess the Eternal Heaven Ark?"
"Legend says it was the supreme Dao artifact of the last era.A shortcut to Eternity itself.It could create trade hubs and welcome beings across the cosmos.But after the last epoch ended, it vanished. No trace remained."
"And now you claim you hold it?"
Yi Tianxing clarified:
"Not a complete ark. Only a damaged fragment.Its Eternal Lotus Core is missing.But otherwise, most of it is intact.The core modules are still operable.Its value remains beyond estimation."
"The materials are divine-grade, tempered by the Eternal Lotus countless times.It still carries a portion of its original power.Whether reforged or repurposed, it is priceless."
Tianbao Zhenren fell silent.Yi Tianxing said no more, simply waited.
He was certain—no one could stay indifferent to the Eternal Ark.
Either Tianbao Zhenren would trade…Or he would try to seize it.
If it came to that, Yi Tianxing was more than ready.
After a long moment, Tianbao Zhenren slowly exhaled.
"...Deal. We can trade."
His voice trembled slightly, betraying his inner excitement.
Even a broken Eternal Ark was enough to tempt any cultivator of fate and treasure.
With it, he might unlock the secrets of the ancient pawnshop.
Yi Tianxing, however, remained calm.
"The values aren't equal.The Ark far exceeds this compass.This is an unfair trade."
Tianbao Zhenren's expression darkened slightly.
"Is that a form of price manipulation?"
Yi Tianxing smiled faintly.
"You have this compass.But others may also possess one—just harder to find.But the Eternal Ark?
Only I have it.
Miss this chance… and you may never see another."