Chapter Thirty-Six: Emerging from Seclusion

Three months—neither long nor short—pass in the blink of an eye for the truly powerful. It is said that those who cultivate spiritual power and reach the rank of Spirit King can live decades longer than ordinary people, and with each advancement in rank, their lifespan stretches even further. Those at the level of Spirit Venerable often live well over five or six centuries, while Spirit Saints may see seven, eight, or even a thousand years. The higher one’s rank, the more they are accused of defying death itself. Yet such people are exceedingly rare; across the entire Shenxia Continent, Spirit Saints are as scarce as phoenix feathers. Many devote their lives to overcoming a single spiritual barrier, only to fail and die in obscurity. Such tragic figures are by no means uncommon on the continent.

Lu Zhe opened his eyes and smiled faintly. The little monkey, Xiao Bai, leapt onto his shoulder with a squeak. Lu Zhe raised his head to the sky, chuckling to himself, “Xiao Bai, today we’re leaving.”

This marked the ninetieth day Lu Zhe had spent in the deep mountains. According to their arrangement, Old Master Ye was supposed to fetch him today. So, Lu Zhe deliberately returned to the spot where he had first arrived, fearing Ye might not find him otherwise.

He sat cheerfully by the stream, playing with Xiao Bai. Time slipped by; the sun had already climbed high, yet there was still no sign of Old Master Ye.

“Where has that old immortal wandered off to?” Lu Zhe muttered to the sky.

Suddenly, a shadow hurtled down toward him from above. Even with his current reflexes and speed, Lu Zhe couldn’t dodge in time and took a heavy blow to the face.

“Who did you just call an old immortal?” came Ye’s voice from behind. A chill ran down Lu Zhe’s spine; he spun around to see Old Master Ye, still clad in his green robe, holding a green staff, which he promptly rapped on Lu Zhe’s head.

Lu Zhe forced a weak smile. “No, Master, I wasn’t talking about you. I meant… that other one…”

“And which one would that be?” Ye asked coldly.

“Uh…” Lu Zhe was momentarily lost for words. Suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly said, “Oh, right, Master, let me show you something.”

Ye gave him a disdainful glance. “Trying to play tricks on me? I’ll let it slide this time. Don’t do it again.”

Lu Zhe stuck out his tongue, then extended his left hand, pointing at the pale purple ring on his little finger, and asked, puzzled, “Master, what is this?”

Ye glanced at the ring and replied indifferently, “It’s nothing—merely a ‘Violet Nether God Ring.’”

Suddenly, Ye stiffened, astonished. “Violet Nether God Ring? How did you come by this?”

Lu Zhe briefly recounted what had happened in the cave that day, then asked, “Master, what exactly is a ‘Violet Nether God Ring’?”

Ye took a deep breath, resting his hands on his bamboo staff behind his back. “To understand the Violet Nether God Ring, you must first learn the basics. Tell me, have you heard of ‘Storage Stones’?”

Lu Zhe shook his head.

Ye explained, “They are peculiar stones—small, yet each contains a space inside, capable of holding various items. No matter how much they hold, the stone’s weight remains unchanged. They are essential for anyone wandering far from home. These ores are crafted by skilled artisans into ring-like objects, called ‘Storage Rings.’ Because they are so convenient, every adventurer across the continent wears one.”

Ye continued, “Everything is graded, and so are these. The most common, with the smallest capacity, are white storage rings. Above white is blue-green, then yellow, followed by red. Above red is the green storage ring—like the one I wear.” He held out his left hand, and Lu Zhe saw a jade-green ring on his pinky, matching his robes perfectly.

“Better than mine is the blue storage ring, known as the ‘Blue Ocean God Ring,’ so named for its supposedly ocean-like capacity—though that’s exaggerated,” Ye said. He then pointed his bamboo staff at the pale purple ring on Lu Zhe’s finger. “Beyond that is the violet storage ring, called the ‘Violet Nether God Ring’—the very one you’re wearing.”

Lu Zhe drew a sharp breath and gazed at the ring on his finger, still dull and unremarkable, though he now stroked it fondly.

“And finally,” Ye paused, “the highest-grade of all, spoken of only in legend: the ‘Black Abyss God Ring.’ According to the Chronicles of Marvelous Objects, the Black Abyss Ring contains a boundless space, large enough to hold the entire Shenxia Continent. But that is only legend.”

“So it’s lost to time? No ore left?” Lu Zhe asked in surprise.

“No,” Ye waved his hand. “The ore still exists. What’s been lost is the technique for crafting the rings. Without the right method, even if you fashion a ring from the ore, it’s useless—no different from any ordinary ring.”

Ye then looked at Lu Zhe, extending his hand. “Take off your storage ring and give it to me.”

“Why?!” Lu Zhe clutched his left hand protectively.

“Do you really think you can safeguard a treasure of such immense value?” Ye said coolly.

Lu Zhe thought for a moment. If the ring was truly as valuable as Ye claimed, he indeed lacked the power to protect it. Reluctantly, he slipped it off his finger and handed it over, unwilling to part with it.

Ye smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I can’t take what’s inside.”

Lu Zhe was puzzled. “Why not?”

Ye gazed at the pale purple ring in his palm. “When you first obtained it, did you touch it?”

Lu Zhe nodded. “It even glowed purple and swept everything into itself.”

Ye laughed. “That explains it. You’ve already marked it with your soul imprint. No one but you can use it now.”

Lu Zhe blinked. “What’s a soul imprint?”

Ye chuckled. “Someone will teach you one day, but that someone isn’t me.”

Not you? Lu Zhe wondered. Do I have another teacher?

Just as he was about to ask, he saw Ye unfurl his broad, emerald wings. Ye glanced at Lu Zhe, grabbed him by the collar, and said, “Time to go.”

Lu Zhe took a deep breath, and in a flash, Ye swept him up into the sky, leaving the forest far behind.

(Fellow readers, three chapters a day are no small feat—please be kind and add this to your collections and recommendations.)