Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

The turmoil caused by the Star Tower did not immediately subside. The news that Lin Xuan had "refused the invitation from the five major powers and insisted on going it alone" spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Chenxi Ancient City. In no time, he became the most popular topic of conversation among the cultivators of the ancient city.

Some praised his unwavering Dao heart, unmoved by external things; others mocked him for being ungrateful and ruining his own future; while many more watched in secret, curious about how this genius who triggered the alignment of the nine stars would survive in this dog-eat-dog world of star cultivation after rejecting all offers.

Lin Xuan ignored all the disturbances. Holding the purple-gold Grade A token, he chose a secluded cave dwelling in the "Star Source Zone," the area within the ancient city with the most abundant spiritual energy. The cave dwelling was equipped with a protective array, the environment was tranquil, and the star power was rich enough to meet his current cultivation needs.

After settling in, he did not rush into seclusion, but decided to first gain a deeper understanding of this star region called "Tianfeng". Although his Star Compass could provide direction, he needed more specialized channels to obtain detailed information about the distribution of forces, resource production, dangerous forbidden areas, and local customs in the star region.

In Chenxi Ancient City, the place with the best information and the most diverse goods is undoubtedly Wanbaolou.

Wanbaolou is located on the most bustling central street of the ancient city. It is a giant tower with seven stories high, featuring flying eaves, bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters, and an imposing presence. The entrance is bustling with traffic, and cultivators come and go in an endless stream, demonstrating its formidable strength and prosperous business.

Lin Xuan stepped into the main hall of Wanbaolou. The interior space was extremely spacious, decorated with warm-toned spirit wood. Soft, bright light streamed in from the dome, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with spiritual herbs. Hundreds of crystal counters were arranged in a circle, displaying all kinds of magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans, and materials—a dazzling array that was hard to look away from. Attendants in uniform moved among the items, introducing them to the customers.

He didn't linger on the first floor; these mass-market goods weren't what he needed. He headed straight for the staircase leading to the second floor, where guards checked identities and wealth. Lin Xuan merely released a slight aura of his Class A token, and the guards respectfully made way for him.

The second floor is much quieter than the first floor, and the layout is more elegant, divided into several areas. There is the "Scripture Pavilion" which sells cultivation techniques and jade slips, the "Fragrance Garden" which displays high-level elixirs, and the "Divine Weapon Workshop" which displays exquisite magical artifacts.

Lin Xuan headed directly to the area marked "Starry Sky and Myriad Phenomena". Here, many jade slips, animal skin scrolls, and even some ancient star charts were displayed, and various knowledge-based products such as star maps, regional chronicles, records of exotic beasts, and catalogs of spiritual materials were sold.

A beautiful female attendant, whose cultivation was at the late stage of Qi Refining, approached. Sensing Lin Xuan's unfathomable aura (Lin Xuan habitually activated the "Gathering Star Technique"), her attitude became even more respectful: "Senior, what would you like? This establishment has the latest surveyed and drawn 'Detailed Map of the Heavenly Wind Star Region,' which includes 360 main stars, 1,200 secret realms, and major star routes; as well as the 'Genealogy of Myriad Races in the Star Region,' 'Records of Strange Things,' 'Guide to Avoiding Dangerous Places,' and so on."

"Get me the most detailed map of the Tianfeng Star Region, as well as a comprehensive jade slip about the distribution of forces and resources in the surrounding star regions," Lin Xuan said succinctly.

"Alright, please wait a moment, senior." The waitress quickly brought over two jade slips that emitted a shimmering, precious light. "These are the 'Complete Record of Celestial Winds and Stars' and 'An Initial Explanation of the Customs of the Myriad Realms,' both meticulously compiled by Master Lou. The former is priced at 800 low-grade spirit stones, and the latter at 500 low-grade spirit stones."

The price was considerable, but for Lin Xuan, who possessed a "huge sum" (the proceeds from killing multiple cultivators) and held a Class A privilege, it was still within his means. He readily paid the spirit stones and put away the two jade slips. He briefly scanned them with his divine sense; the contents were indeed detailed, far exceeding the basic information in the Star Compass.

The transaction was complete, and he was about to leave when his gaze inadvertently swept over an inconspicuous corner. There was a small counter there, with a sign above it that read "Rare and Broken Items, Highest Bidder Wins." The items displayed on the counter were indeed "damaged goods": a rusty broken sword, a damaged jade talisman devoid of any spiritual energy, dark-colored unknown minerals, and some oddly shaped metal or wooden fragments.

Most of these items were salvaged from ancient sites, secret realms, or battlefield ruins. Their specific uses and values ​​could not be determined. They were all placed here by Wanbaolou with a not-so-low price, hoping to find someone who knew their value or a cultivator with the intention of finding a bargain.

Most ordinary cultivators would just laugh it off, since truly valuable antiques rarely end up in such places.

However, just as Lin Xuan's gaze swept over a piece of material in the counter that was about the size of a palm, completely black, with irregular edges, and looked like a fragment of some broken object, his "Projection of All Heavens" ability, which had been dormant deep in his dantian, suddenly and slightly throbbed without warning!

The throbbing was extremely faint, like a heartstring being plucked silently, yet it was crystal clear!

Lin Xuan stopped abruptly, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his deep eyes. This was the first time since he awakened his projection ability that he had encountered an external object that could trigger its spontaneous response!

He walked calmly to the counter, his gaze seemingly casually scanning the items inside, before finally settling on the black fragment that had triggered his attention.

The fragment was inconspicuous, completely black, without any luster, with a rough surface covered with tiny holes, as if it had been severely eroded by time. Even when the divine sense swept over it, no spiritual energy fluctuations or Daoist rhymes could be detected. It was no different from the other broken pieces next to it.

"Are you interested in these rare items, senior?" The waitress quickly followed up with an introduction when she saw Lin Xuan stop. "These items were collected from various ruins. Although they may seem ordinary, they might contain hidden secrets! The prices range from one hundred to one thousand low-grade spirit stones."

Lin Xuan pointed to the black fragment and asked calmly, "Where did this come from? What is its price?"

The waitress glanced at it, recalled the records, and said, "This item was said to have been discovered from fragments of an ancient battlefield deep within the 'Ancient Road to Bury Stars,' along with many completely destroyed magical artifacts. The owner personally examined it and found nothing unusual about it; the material is also unidentifiable. The price is three hundred low-grade spirit stones."

The Ancient Road to Burial of Stars? The Ancient Battlefield? Lin Xuan's heart stirred; this did indeed match the direction he had come from.

Three hundred low-grade spirit stones are a bit expensive for a piece of "scrap," but it's nothing to him.

"I'll take it." Lin Xuan didn't hesitate and took out the spirit stone directly. He trusted his projection ability; this item was definitely not ordinary.

The waitress was somewhat surprised, not expecting that this profound senior would actually buy such "junk," but she still skillfully took out the fragments and completed the transaction.

The black fragment was in his hand, feeling cold and heavy, much heavier than it looked. The instant his fingers touched the fragment, the projection ability in his dantian pulsated more clearly, as if a hungry baby had smelled the scent of milk, conveying a faint sense of "desire".

Lin Xuan suppressed his urge to investigate immediately, calmly put away the fragment, nodded slightly to the waitress, and then turned and left Wanbaolou.

Back in his cave in the Star Origin District, Lin Xuan activated the protective array, sat down cross-legged, and took out the black fragment.

He held the fragment in both hands, closed his eyes, and focused all his attention on his body, carefully sensing the subtle connection between the mysterious projection ability and the fragment.

This time, the sensation was much clearer. The projection ability seemed to transform into an invisible vortex, slowly and steadily drawing in an extremely subtle, almost non-existent "fluctuation" emanating from the black fragment. This fluctuation was neither spiritual energy nor divine sense; it was more like... the embers of information, or perhaps, a "coordinate imprint" left behind after the shattering of a certain world or a certain law?

As he absorbed this energy, Lin Xuan felt that his projection ability space, which was originally as vast as the starry sky but somewhat "empty," seemed to have been injected with a trace of extremely weak "nutrients." Although it was insignificant, it gave him an indescribable and more "real" feeling in his control over this ability.

At the same time, a fragmented, blurry, and completely incomprehensible stream of information intermittently entered his consciousness. It was not language, not images, but a pure feeling: cold, deathly silent, vast, and a kind of... despair of being "blocked" and "isolated".

"This fragment... was once a 'coordinate'? Or rather, part of a 'token' connecting to a special world?" Lin Xuan realized. "Moreover, that world seems to be in an extremely special state, sealed off, isolated, and perhaps even... dead?"

He tried to actively activate his projection ability to get closer to and refine the fragment.

"Buzz—"

When his pure Foundation Establishment True Essence mixed with a trace of divine thought enveloped the fragment and activated the core of the projection power, an anomaly occurred!

The previously dormant black fragment suddenly revealed extremely subtle, almost imperceptible dark gold patterns within its seemingly natural holes! These patterns were incredibly complex, as if they contained the ultimate truths of the universe!

A suction force a hundred times stronger than before emanated from the fragment, frantically devouring his true essence and divine sense! At the same time, a chaotic, complex fragment of information, filled with an aura of destruction and despair, surged into his sea of ​​consciousness like a flood bursting its banks!

"Hmph!" Lin Xuan grunted, his face turning pale. He immediately cut off the transmission of true essence and forcibly stabilized the tremors in his sea of ​​consciousness.

What a domineering fragment! If his soul hadn't been strong and his Dao heart unwavering, he might have been overwhelmed by that chaotic torrent of information just now!

He looked at the fragment in his hand, which had returned to calm and whose dark gold patterns had disappeared. His eyes became extremely solemn, and at the same time, they were filled with a desire to investigate.

This object is far more than just a coordinate token from a certain world! It seems to contain the "echoes" of a shattered world sealed within it, possessing an extremely special and powerful force that can even nourish his projection abilities!

"It cannot be forcibly refined... We can only use a gradual, painstaking process, slowly assimilating and absorbing it through projection power," Lin Xuan concluded. This was destined to be a long process, but the rewards might exceed expectations.

He carefully put away the black fragment, his gaze seemingly piercing through the cave and looking towards the boundless starry sky.

"The Ancient Road to Burial of Stars... the ancient battlefield... it seems that the secrets hidden in that desolate place are far more numerous than I imagined."

This unexpected fragment may be the key to unlocking more secrets and even transforming his projection abilities once again.