Eternal Paradox Codex

Xiao Ning stared at the data, his brows knitting together.

"Ordinary System Interface… No signs of hidden inheritance. No anomalies."

That wasn't the first time Xiao Ning had encountered a so-called "system interface."

In the upper realms, such constructs were not rare curiosities—they were tools. Some were left behind by extinct sects, others formed naturally in ancient trial worlds where sentient Dao fragments shaped spiritual space. A few were even deliberately crafted by powerful cultivators, their essence refined into auxiliary souls to guide disciples or automate cultivation protocols.

As for Xiao Ning—he had forged one himself.

Back then, his system had been built upon a pocket dimension spun from void-stone and starfire threads, sustained by his own spiritual will. It could regulate timeflow, condense nascent spirits, and even simulate high-grade battle techniques. Compared to that, this crude interface embedded in Li Feng's soul flame was as primitive as a mortal sundial.

Still, it was no ordinary artifact.

Xiao Ning's gaze deepened. His divine sense sank into the glimmering runic lattice that formed the foundation of the interface. It was simple, yes—but cleanly structured.

"It wasn't made by Li Feng," he murmured. "And it's not native to this realm either…"

Even more intriguing was the lock guarding the deeper layers of the interface. It did not respond to brute force. Instead, it reacted faintly to his soul resonance—as if waiting...

Xiao Ning's brows furrowed.

Even accounting for Li Feng's damaged foundation, this was... disappointingly ordinary. No hidden bloodlines, no cursed seals, not even a trace of the jade book's influence. Had the so-called "new system" abandoned him after the transfer?

As this thought came to him, a burning pain shot through his head. Crimson lightning arced across his vision, etching burning runes into his retinas. When the afterimages cleared, his status panel had transformed.

[WARNING: ENTITY DETECTED BEYOND SYSTEM PARAMETERS] 

[INITIALIZING PARADOX PROTOCOLS...]

The characters bled from gold to void-black, text rearranging itself in jagged, non-Euclidean patterns.

Where standard cultivation panels showed serene azure borders, this one pulsed with the deep crimson of clotting blood. Strange symbols flickered at the edges of perception, their shapes causing a low buzz in his teeth.

[ Eternal Paradox Codex - Primary Interface]

Host Designation: Xiao Ning (Li Feng Shell) 

Soul Integrity: 37% (Fractured Soul) 

System Defiance Level: Initiate (Tier 0)

Paradox Level: 0 (Ascendant) 

Xiao Ning resisted the searing pain in his mind and looked at these unfamiliar words with confusion.

[ALERT: THE HOST IS ABOUT TO BE DISCOVERED BY THE GRAND DAO EYES ]

Suddenly Xiao Ning felt a pressure built in the air, ancient and hungry.

His instincts screamed—this was no cultivator's aura.

This was the universe noticing an error in its code… and preparing to delete him.

[ALERT: THE CODEX RECOMMEND THE HOST TO UNLOCK THE CORE PARADOXES WITH TEN SECONDS]

[YES/NO]

Despite his unfamiliarity with "Core Paradoxes," Xiao Ning instinctively chose "yes." What other choice did he have?

The Codex responded with glacial efficiency.

Crimson chains materialized in Xiao Ning's mindscape, each link etched with blasphemous geometries that hurt to perceive.

A countdown seared itself into his vision—9...8...7...

[Selected: YES]

[Soul Integrity Check: 37% → Critical Threshold]

The Codex's voice fractured into overlapping frequencies, half-command and half-scream: 

"To defy the Grand Dao, you must first break your own existence."

Suddenly in front of Xiao Ning eyes another three pulsating nodes materialized.

[Paradox Meridians (Cost: 8% Soul Integrity)]

"Let your cultivation exist in all states and none."

[Entropy Dividend (Cost: 11% Soul Integrity)]

"Steal time itself from the unworthy."

[Bloodline Paradox [LOCKED - Requires Soul Integrity ≥50%]

Xiao Ning's fractured consciousness recoiled—activating even one paradox risked permanent soul damage.

But the approaching system scan left no choice. 

As the countdown hit 3...2...1..., Xiao Ning focused on the first node. 

Effect:

- Meridians dissolved into quantum foam. 

- Cultivation base split into infinite possibilities. 

- System Detection Evasion: 93% success rate. 

Consequences: 

- Soul Integrity dropped to 29% (Critical). 

- Permanent loss of baseline qi stability. 

Suddenly a beam of golden light humming with heavenly harmonics—passed through Xiao Ning's body but registered nothing. 

[ALERT DEFERRED: HOST NOT FOUND]

Xiao Ning collapsed, many of the blood vessels in his body were ruptured under the pressure.

The Codex interface updated violently: 

[Eternal Paradox Codex - Critical Status]

Host Designation: Xiao Ning (Li Feng Shell) Soul Integrity: 29% (Hemorrhaging)]

Active Paradoxes: 

Paradox Meridians

 - System Masking: Core Formation Realm (False) 

 - True Power: Nascent Soul Realm

 - Quantum Collapse Available: 0/1 (Recharge: 29 days) 

Existential Mass: 1.7 → 2.1(Divine Embodiment Realm entities now 68% likely to detect anomalies) 

Xiao Ning gritted his teeth against the throbbing agony, his vision swimming.

He had just barely scraped through this encounter, his very existence hanging by a thread. But the moment he steadied his gaze, a glimmer of understanding flickered in his mind.

[WARNING: SOUL DISINTEGRATION IMMINENT]

Xiao Ning looked devastated, like he was about to break. Was this it for him? Soul Disintegration, Really?

[CODEX COUNTERMEASURE PROPOSED]

- Paradox Gambit: Reverse Entropy Dividend to steal 3 seconds of your own future time for immediate soul stabilization. 

- Cost:12% of remaining lifespan (≈14 years). 

-YES/NO

Xiao Ning's vision split into different colored pieces, each reflecting a different possible time—his dead body rotting in the cave, a younger self sitting in the sun, an old self coughing up blood onto the Codex interface. The price of the Paradox Gambit was brighter than the disintegration warnings.

Fourteen years. A small time for cultivators who measured life in thousands of years, but for a broken soul counting hours? A very long time stolen.

He chose yes.

[PARADOX GAMBIT ENGAGED]

Three seconds stretched into ages. He felt himself being reborn from death, his skin coming back together from the dirt, his breath being pulled back into his collapsing lungs.

[SOUL STABILIZED] 

[REMAINING LIFESPAN: 102 years]

Xiao Ning's shadow no longer matched his movements, lagging two breaths behind, his already short life span is already declining more.

The Codex flashed with red text again: 

[ENTROPY DEBT INFLICTED] 

- Recommended action: Consume 10 mortal lifespans before next lunar cycle to balance paradox and restore your time.

Xiao Ning almost fainted.

Mortal lives as currency, he didn't expect this coming, A cough wracked his chest.

Cough Cough~

Xiao Ning's vision blurred again. Through the haze, he glimpsed Mei Lin re-entering the chamber.

"What's happening to you?!"

[Betrayal Probability: 79% → 91%]