The Terminus Station was a city-sized satellite made of neutronium, floating in the neutral zone between three star clusters. As Fang Yuan stepped onto the docking bay, his Null-Field suppressed to a minimum, he felt the presence of thousands of entities.
He approached a Data-Broker, a multi-dimensional being made of shifting light.
"Information," Yuan's voice was a low hum. "I seek the hierarchy of this universe. Who dictates the Laws?"
The Broker vibrated, its colors turning a cautious amber. "A newcomer from the fringes? Listen well, Traveler. In this sector, we follow the Council of Order (المحكمة النظامية). They are the supreme authority of the Five Star Systems. Their judges are entities of Rank 5: Law Origin. To them, stars are mere fuel, and planets are chess pieces."
Yuan's binary hearts pulsed. Rank 5. The level where a cultivator becomes a Legislator of reality. He realized that even as a Galactic Overlord, he was still just a "Soldier" in the eyes of the Council.
"And what of the power beyond Rank 5?" Yuan asked.
"Rank 6 and above are myths, legends of the Reality Erasers," the Broker whispered. "But the Council of Order ensures no one reaches that level. They maintain 'Balance' by culling any Star-System that grows too powerful. They call it The Great Pruning."
Yuan looked at the holographic map of the Council's territory. His eyes, burning with indigo fire, narrowed. They weren't just a government; they were a prison warden for the entire galaxy.
"Balance," Yuan sneered, his shadow stretching across the metal floor, warping the gravity around him. "Is just another word for stagnation. If the Council is the Law... then I shall become the Law-Breaker."