Chapter 72: The Storage Ring

“Heaven-ranked spiritual artifact!” Upon hearing this, Chu Feng’s face was filled with shock; he could hardly believe his own ears. Beside him, Xu Yan’s beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.

“This gift is far too precious. Though the item is excellent, I can’t even use the most ordinary earth-ranked spiritual artifacts—how could I possibly wield a heaven-ranked one?” Chu Feng sighed.

Xiao Yue smiled and said, “I specially requested this for you.”

“For me?!” Chu Feng’s eyes lit up at those words. In his opinion, when it came to knowledge and experience, perhaps no one in the entire newcomers’ camp could compare to Xiao Yue. Xiao Yue’s actions surely had their reasons.

Xiao Yue nodded. “Remember back at Jinyang Mountain a few days ago, I said that upon my return, there would be a treasure even more suited for you.”

Chu Feng’s heart stirred, his eyes grew brighter, and he nodded repeatedly. “Could this be a treasure even better than the storage pouch?”

“Of course. This is a storage ring,” Xiao Yue said, opening the gift box to reveal a silver ring.

As they walked, Xiao Yue explained to Chu Feng and Xu Yan the reasoning behind it.

Heaven-ranked spiritual artifacts and earth-ranked ones are fundamentally different—not only in power. Heaven-ranked artifacts require their master’s recognition before use, whereas earth-ranked artifacts do not.

Earth-ranked artifacts can be used by anyone with spiritual power, just like a storage pouch; if it falls into someone else’s hands, they can unlock it with the proper method.

Heaven-ranked artifacts are different. To use one, you must first refine it with your spiritual will, leaving a mark upon it. This process is called recognizing the master.

Only after recognition can one use spiritual power to unleash the artifact’s true might.

The spiritual mark is difficult to erase; only exceptionally powerful will can remove it in a short time.

Once recognized, as long as the spiritual imprint remains, no one else can use the artifact.

One reason Xiao Yue requested the storage ring for Chu Feng was that, though Chu Feng was not a heavenly spirit warrior, he had already released his spiritual will and could successfully refine the ring.

Moreover, although the storage ring is a heaven-ranked artifact, it is not a weapon for attack or defense, and does not require spiritual power to activate.

The ring contains its own spiritual power and can absorb the energies of heaven and earth to restore itself. The user simply guides it with their spiritual will to store and retrieve items.

Xiao Yue’s explanation opened Chu Feng’s eyes and filled him with joy.

Xu Yan was deeply shaken. She had not expected that Chu Feng had already released his spiritual will. With a sigh, she said, “It seems this storage ring truly suits you best.”

“But Chief Pang is truly generous; he has treasured this storage ring for many years,” Xiao Yue continued. “Such treasures cannot be bought, no matter how much money you spend. Storage rings are rare, far more difficult to craft than other artifacts of the same rank. In the four camps, even a low-grade storage ring costs three or four hundred points to exchange for. Chief Pang had it appraised and it’s mid-grade—it would take at least five or six hundred points.”

The higher the grade of a storage pouch, the larger its space; storage rings are the same.

Chu Feng and Xu Yan were stunned. This was an astronomical price—almost a quarter of the points needed for the Sacred Trial. How many in the Spirit Battle Pavilion could afford such a luxury, or would ever use it, or even have the power to wield it?

Indeed, in the four camps, everything requires points—techniques, secret arts, trials. Nearly ninety percent of people never have enough points, so who would have surplus points to buy a storage ring? And though it's a heaven-ranked artifact, it does nothing to increase one’s strength.

Xiao Yue handed the silver storage ring to Chu Feng. “The spiritual imprint has already been erased. When you return, simply refine it with your spiritual will. When you sense the space within, you’ll know you’ve succeeded.”

Along the way, Xiao Yue shared some tips for refining the ring, though these came from ancient texts rather than personal experience.

According to Xiao Yue, Chu Feng’s spiritual will now extends thirty feet—already the level of a mid-stage first-tier heavenly spirit warrior. Refining this ring would take no more than a day or two.

“By the way, I once heard Long Yue say that when one’s spiritual will reaches a certain level, it can be used for spiritual attacks,” Chu Feng said.

Xiao Yue nodded. “Indeed. As long as the gap between two people’s spiritual will isn’t too large, it’s almost ineffective. But against someone who hasn’t released their spiritual will, it’s utterly devastating.”

At this, Xiao Yue’s face showed some excitement. Heavenly spirit warriors attacking earth spirit warriors with spiritual attacks is unnecessary.

Earth spirit warriors can’t use spiritual attacks against each other, since neither can release spiritual will.

But for Chu Feng, this possibility had become real, and Xiao Yue believed it would not be long.

“When will I be able to use spiritual attacks?” Chu Feng asked.

“At least when you can release your spiritual will at will without closing your eyes,” Xiao Yue replied. “Then, you’ll command your will freely, able to focus or disperse it at will, a level reached by early third-tier heavenly spirit warriors.”

Chu Feng nodded silently, clearly looking forward to this.

“I’ll check your pile of gifts first. Once you successfully refine the storage ring, I’ll give them to you,” Xiao Yue said with a smile.

The three rode together for a while, then Xiao Yue departed.

Xu Yan had taken part in the Grand Competition of the Twenty Camps, but she had already entered the Profound Camp and lived there. Chu Feng escorted her back.

On the way, Xu Yan asked about Chu Feng’s spiritual transformation. She found it hard to believe—he had released his spiritual will, yet still could not summon a spiritual body.

A few days earlier, Xiao Yue had asked the same question but could not understand it either; apparently, no one had ever encountered such a situation.

The next day, Chu Feng received his points. As the first-place winner in the Grand Competition of the Twenty Camps, he was awarded one hundred points; Xu Yan received eighty, with each subsequent place receiving twenty less.

In addition, Chief Instructor Pang Xian gave Chu Feng another reward—one hundred thousand taels of silver.

This was not a personal gift but an official reward from Pang Xian as chief instructor of the Twenty Camps.

Of course, it was all in banknotes; otherwise, Chu Feng could never carry it.

In the training room, Chu Feng wore the silver storage ring on his right middle finger, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, releasing his spiritual will, taking in everything within thirty feet.

But today, his focus was not the entire room, but the storage ring itself, refining it with his spiritual will.

Chu Feng still struggled to control the range of his will; whenever he released it, it extended thirty feet—he couldn’t make it less.

If he could command his will freely, focusing or dispersing at will, refining the ring would take only a short time.

But for now, Chu Feng had to proceed slowly. His spiritual will enveloped the ring, and as he concentrated, the invisible force gradually seeped into it.

As time passed, Chu Feng began to sense a connection between himself and the ring.

He refined the storage ring for a whole day, resting several times. The next morning, after two more hours, he finally succeeded.

At the moment of success, Chu Feng sensed the space inside the ring.

He was astonished—the space was enormous, like a vast room. It could easily contain a small mountain two or three hundred feet tall. Chu Feng’s spiritual will could only extend thirty feet in the outside world, but within the ring’s space, it reached every corner.

Chu Feng took his identification iron token and placed it beside him. In his mind, he commanded, “Store!”

Instantly, the iron token vanished. Sensing the storage ring, he found the token suspended within its space.

He focused on the token and commanded, “Come out!”

The next moment, the token reappeared at his side.

“The storage ring is truly mysterious—worthy of being a heaven-ranked spiritual artifact!” Chu Feng exclaimed, delighted. He promptly stored everything he carried inside the ring.

That day, when Xiao Yue learned Chu Feng had succeeded in refining the ring, he gave him all the gifts from the instructors, including the little box obtained in the Xuan Yue Valley.

According to Xiao Yue, the instructors were exceedingly generous. Knowing Chu Feng could not undergo spiritual transformation, they didn’t give him spiritual artifacts, but instead sent medicines—some healing pills, some salves, and some herbs that had been treasured for decades and still radiated spiritual energy.

These were precious indeed. Chu Feng felt both joy and gratitude, and also reflected on the vast difference in treatment between geniuses and so-called failures.

Day by day, the Grand Competitions in each camp continued. Chu Feng earned the recognition of the twenty chief instructors, received the Sacred Trial qualification, and was considered one of the strongest newcomers. His reputation spread rapidly.

Many regretted not witnessing the Grand Competition of the Twenty Camps firsthand.

Though subsequent competitions drew more people, none matched the fervor of that day.

During these days, Chu Feng did not slacken. Though his sword technique was perfected, he continued to train his body or study the Sword Path, sometimes visiting the Feiyun Battle Arena.

As the competition progressed, the strength of the participants generally increased; more and more students awakened their spiritual bodies, but the battles at Feiyun remained steady, and no astonishing prodigies appeared.

Until the day of the Grand Competition of the Eight Camps, when Feiyun Battle Arena was swept up in a new wave of excitement, and the twenty chief instructors were amazed.

Chu Feng, too, was stirred and went to the arena, where he unexpectedly encountered the legendary Lord of the Sky once more.