Weapon seller in the world of magic-Chapter 748: Lan Yuxuan’s grandson

"To build world gates," Mark replied honestly. "Gates that can connect the mortal plane directly to this world."

Hei Zhenyu shook his head almost immediately. "That won’t work. Traveling between planes without passing through the Null Point is impossible, especially from a higher plane to a lower one. Mortals can ascend upward, but descending directly is forbidden by cosmic law."

Mark’s shoulders dropped slightly. He had already suspected this, but hearing it confirmed still stung. The idea of giving Shen Ling an easy way to commute between worlds was fading fast.

However, Hei Zhenyu continued, "Unless..."

Mark looked up sharply. "Unless?"

"Unless you possess the Orb of Cosmos," Hei Zhenyu said calmly. "That orb governs space itself. With it, the rules change."

Mark frowned deeply. "One of the seven cosmic orbs?"

Hei Zhenyu nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately for you, the Orb of Cosmos is in the Jade Emperor’s hands. He used it long ago to split a single unified plane into nine separate realms. It is the foundation of the current cosmic order."

Silence settled between them.

The Orb of Cosmos was unreachable. Void stones were monopolized by the Empire. Direct world gates were forbidden by cosmic law.

Mark stared at Hei Zhenyu for a long second, then let out a dry breath. Great... just when I thought my hopes were crushed completely.

Hei Zhenyu, however, calmly continued, as if he had been waiting for this reaction.

"However," he said, "you can obtain a fragment of it."

Mark’s eyes sharpened instantly. "A fragment?"

"It won’t give you full control over space," Hei Zhenyu explained, "and you won’t be rewriting cosmic laws. But it will give you enough authority to bypass them. With a fragment of the Orb of Cosmos, you won’t need world gates, void stones, or even the Null Point. You’ll be able to travel between planes directly and create temporary spatial paths at will."

Mark felt his pulse quicken. That was exactly what he needed. No commuting issues. No portals. No risk of trapping Shen Ling or anyone else.

He frowned slightly and asked, "The fragment is with the Imperial Palace?"

Hei Zhenyu shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "No. Not with the Heavenly Ocean Empire."

Mark blinked. "Then where?"

"With the Arcturian Federation."

Mark froze for a moment. "The Arcturian... Empire?"

Hei Zhenyu nodded. "Yes. Once a part of the Heavenly Ocean Empire. They declared independence after the Great War four heavenly decades ago. It was led by the Ancient Murong family, backed by the Emperor’s third brother."

Mark quickly calculated in his head. Four heavenly decades... around ninety Earth years.

Hei Zhenyu continued, "They survived because they gained the support of the Four Dragon Kings. With that backing, His Majesty couldn’t suppress them without suffering unacceptable losses."

Mark frowned deeply. "That sounds... impossible. How am I supposed to get a fragment of a cosmic orb from a hostile empire?"

Hei Zhenyu chuckled lightly. "Who said anything about killing or stealing?"

Mark looked at him. "Then what?"

"You buy it."

"Buy?" Mark repeated, genuinely stunned.

Hei Zhenyu nodded. "A fragment of a cosmic orb is priceless to most, yes. But in terms of hierarchy, it is only equivalent to a Celestial-grade divine treasure. Valuable, but tradable. The Arcturians are pragmatic. If you offer something they desperately need, they will sell."

Mark’s mind immediately went to one thing.

"Weapons," he said slowly.

"Exactly," Hei Zhenyu replied. "Your firearms. If you strike a proper weapons deal, you can obtain the fragment."

Mark’s expression darkened. "Wouldn’t the Emperor be offended if I arm his enemy? Especially with weapons powerful enough to shift the balance?"

Hei Zhenyu nodded calmly. "Yes. You will offend him greatly. That is unavoidable."

He leaned back in his seat, his tone steady and practical. "That is why you must be discreet. No banners, no obvious routes, and absolutely no traces left behind. The Imperial Palace has spies everywhere, especially watching you. If they sense even a hint of large-scale weapon transfers, they will start digging."

Mark listened carefully, his brows knit together.

"At the same time," Hei Zhenyu continued, "His Majesty is not very interested in modern weapons. To him, they look crude compared to divine artifacts. But once he sees their true power, once his people start taking losses from them, he will no longer ignore them. After all, fear sharpens attention."

Then Hei Zhenyu gave a strange smile. "You are from Earth. You should understand this better than anyone. Did companies there not sell weapons to different countries quietly, even illegally, until they landed a massive contract?"

Mark blinked, then let out a breathless laugh. "When you put it like that... yeah. That actually makes perfect sense."

Then his expression turned serious again. "But Elder... you are the Grand Preceptor of the Empire. Isn’t helping me do this considered betrayal?"

Hei Zhenyu shrugged, completely unbothered. "Betrayal is a strong word. I am not raising a blade against the Empire. I am merely... turning a blind eye and offering advice."

He looked at Mark with a faint glint in his eyes. "Besides, I can afford to do this much for a fellow Earthling. Nostalgia is a dangerous thing."

Mark smiled genuinely and clasped his fists. "Thank you, Elder. I won’t forget this."

Hei Zhenyu waved his hand. "Enough. My business here is finished."

He straightened slightly and said, "Now, bring me the one you mentioned earlier. The child. I want to see for myself whether he is qualified to become my disciple."

Mark’s heart skipped a beat, but he nodded firmly. "Understood."

He stood up, already forming plans in his mind. Yichen... let’s see if fate is willing to open a door for you.

*

After a while;

Yuxuan arrived at the sect before noon, holding her grandson’s hand.

The Elder Hall was quiet, with incense smoke curling near the beams. Several grandelders were already seated. Mark stood to the side. A few other elders lingered nearby, pretending to sip tea while their eyes stayed on the child.

This matter was too important to ignore.

If Yichen could become Hei Zhenyu’s disciple, the shadow of the imperial palace would no longer press so close to their throats.

Yuxuan bowed first. "This old woman greets the grandelders."

Yichen followed her lead, bowing clumsily but with care. His small fists trembled inside his sleeves.

Hei Zhenyu sat at the head seat, eyes closed. When he opened them, the hall felt colder.

His gaze fell on Yichen.

"Three-Tier," one elder muttered softly.

"So young," another whispered.

Hei Zhenyu rose from his seat.

Each step he took was slow, steady. The sound of his boots against the stone floor echoed in Yichen’s ears. By the time Hei Zhenyu stopped in front of him, Yichen’s throat was dry.

Hei Zhenyu looked down at him. "Child," he said, voice calm, "I will ask you three questions. Answer honestly."

Yichen nodded at once. "Yes, Senior."

The elders leaned forward without meaning to.

Hei Zhenyu asked, "Tell me. What is more valuable? Strength, knowledge, or authority?"

The hall fell silent.

An elder’s teacup froze halfway to his lips.

"That’s too heavy for a child," someone thought.

Yichen lowered his head. He did not answer right away.

His fingers tightened around his sleeve. He remembered long nights by the oil lamp, his grandmother’s voice slow and patient.

He lifted his head.

"My grandmother says strength and authority are like two sides of one coin," Yichen said.

Hei Zhenyu’s brows moved slightly.

Yichen continued, words coming more smoothly now. "If you show strength without authority, people fear you and call you a rebel. If you show authority without strength, people smile to your face and laugh behind your back."

A few elders exchanged glances.

"So neither is valuable alone," Yichen said. "They only matter when they stand together." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Hei Zhenyu said nothing. He waited.

Yichen took a breath. "But knowledge is different. Even without strength or authority, knowledge can earn respect. It can earn money. It can make you useful to powerful people."

He paused, then added softly, "If someone needs you, they will protect you."

The hall remained quiet.

An elder let out a slow breath. Another nodded without realizing it.

Several elders exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock. That was not an answer they expected from a child, let alone one who had barely reached the third tier.

Yuxuan’s hands tightened slightly inside her sleeves, but her face remained calm. Still, there was a faint tremor in her eyes.

Hei Zhenyu looked at Yichen for a long moment without speaking. Then, slowly, a smile appeared on his face.

"Good," he said. "Very good."

He did not praise loudly, nor did he nod exaggeratedly. But those two words alone carried enough weight to make the elders’ hearts thump.

Hei Zhenyu raised a finger. "Second question."