"This last item is called the [Imagine Breaker]."
"Imagine Breaker?" Fu Xuan repeated the name, her tone filled with doubt. "A Curio meant solely for dispelling confusion effects?"
But if it were that simple, how could it possibly be said to alter the future of the Xianzhou?
Sylvester wagged a finger. "Not so."
"To put it plainly, its effect is very simple. Whoever absorbs this Curio—any Path's power that touches their right hand is instantly nullified. No price required, no effort needed. Even if they just lie there and wave lazily, they could still block an Emanator-level strike. Only an Aeon standing at the very apex of a Path could threaten it with Path power."
"Nullified…" Fu Xuan murmured the word several times, before suddenly raising her head to glare at Sylvester.
He could clearly see her pupils contract violently.
"Impossible! Such a thing should not exist in this world."
Fu Xuan felt as though all her understanding of the power of the Paths had been overturned.
It was absurd!
Everyone could only ever wield the strength of their own Path.
At most, two different Path powers might cancel one another out—but that was only because equal forces annihilated each other.
And equal was the key.
But Sylvester was saying this thing required no effort from the user, that any contact with Path power would simply be canceled?
A thing immune to all Paths should never have been born!
"But it was born." Watching Fu Xuan's shock-stricken face, Sylvester spoke slowly. "The essence of the [Imagine Breaker] is the power of negation."
"People always have many wishes, good or bad. To correct the world. To bring the dead back to life. To be number one. To never see tragedy again… These ideals are not wrong in themselves. But once obsession takes root, the means devour the end, and the outcome is ruinous."
At those words, Fu Xuan's heart trembled.
Isn't that exactly what happened in the Imbibitor Lunae Rebellion?
The wish to revive the dead was pure enough. Yet the end was a farce, leaving the once-renowned High-Cloud Quintet either dead, exiled, or disgraced.
Fu Xuan found this explanation plausible, yet something about it felt disturbingly off.
Sylvester offered a hint. "Tell me, when people pursue their ideals and gain power enough to reshape the world, what would you call that process?"
Fu Xuan immediately thought of the answer, though she could hardly believe it. "That… is the Path?"
How could that be?
That would mean this thing was born specifically to oppose the Paths?
But the Paths flow from the Aeons—and the Aeons are the very embodiment of universal law.
How could there be something that stood against universal law itself?
Ssshhk—could it be…?
She arrived at a single explanation—strange and outrageous, yet nothing fit better.
"Pfuu~"
She locked her gaze on Sylvester, seeking confirmation.
If it was as she suspected, then this thing truly could elude even the sight of an Aeon—and that was no exaggeration.
Looking into Fu Xuan's violet eyes, Sylvester saw the flicker of realization within them.
He nodded. "Correct. It is the universe's own restorative ability."
Lifting the transparent box that held the Imagine Breaker, Sylvester tapped it gently with a finger. "It serves as a 'world anchor point' and a 'world repair point.' The cosmos created it as a safeguard against forces that would distort reality too greatly. Even if this one were destroyed, it would eventually reappear in another era, in another form."
Though Fu Xuan had steeled herself, the truth still shook her to the core.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple slowly.
She had only come to investigate disturbances caused by an Aeon's gaze—never had she expected to encounter something like this.
A wry smile tugged at her lips.
She no longer considered using it herself. Its status was far too lofty, its burden far too grave—it had to be debated by the Reignbow Arbiter and the Seven Generals.
"Oh, and another thing."
Seeing Sylvester still had more to say, Fu Xuan opened her eyes and fixed him with her stare again.
"Its existence also prevents its bearer from using Path power."
Fu Xuan frowned faintly. To be unable to wield Path power alongside it was a severe drawback.
That meant whoever became its host would be unable even to fly, let alone perform basic combat techniques.
She wrestled with the thought a moment before letting it go.
Such a mighty Curio was already the Reignbow Arbiter's… no, the universe's mercy. Why demand more?
If so, then its host would most likely have to be chosen from the pilots.
If it were to be someone on the Xianzhou Luofu, who would be most suitable…?
In the briefest span, Fu Xuan had already drafted a rough plan.
Seeing her lost in deep thought, Sylvester had little interest in interfering.
The Curio was hers now. How she used it—or to whom she gave it—was her choice.
Business, after all, demanded fairness.
"Fu Xuan, my dear. A mere 4 million Credits."
"Ah? Oh."
Pulled from her thoughts, Fu Xuan blinked in distraction. She drew out her Jade Abacus, swiping it lightly against the small device Sylvester handed over. In an instant, 4 million Credits transferred to his account.
Watching him pore over his balance with delight, Fu Xuan's doubts only deepened.
"Why not keep this thing for yourself? If you became its host, you could force even the Xianzhou to bow, perhaps even beg to ally with you."
"Why bother?" Sylvester hugged his Jade Abacus tightly, eyeing Fu Xuan with mock suspicion. "No returns after purchase."
"Ugh…" Fu Xuan pressed her forehead and shook her head slightly.
There was just no dealing with this man.
She looked at the three curios Sylvester was packing away, her feelings a storm of contradiction.
This man was utterly strange. Such a priceless treasure, yet he discarded it as though it were trash—while a paltry few million Credits made him beam with joy.
And his unserious way of conducting himself…
In just this short span of time, he had teased and provoked her to no end.
Yet now, watching his antics, Fu Xuan found a faint smile curving her lips.
What a strange man.
May he not become a calamity for the Xianzhou Alliance… and as for me… what am I hoping for?
A faint sense of loss stirred within her heart.
A strange thought rose up—she wished to forge some kind of tie with Sylvester.
Her brow furrowed again. She hadn't even realized how genuine and unguarded her own restlessness had become.
Noticing her expression, Sylvester's eyes gleamed slyly. "Say, Master Diviner. Since childhood I've heard the legends of the High-Cloud Quintet. Their end was truly tragic. If there were a way to change that outcome… would you be interested?"