It wasn't until the council meeting concluded and Ye Feng was preparing to head to the Xuan Ying Temple that he began to formally examine the ring on his hand.
The Ring of the Underworld!
Although it doesn't reach the level of a celestial artifact, in some aspects, its functions are in no way inferior to those of a celestial artifact.
The ring contained its own space, which was dozens of miles in diameter.
However, it can't hold anything...
Because the space is filled with nether energy!
Or rather, this space itself is part of the Netherworld.
Anything from the normal world will rapidly age and decay once it enters this environment.
Even ores cannot withstand these corrosive forces.
Conversely, soul-type life forms thrive in this environment, and can even cultivate...
Moreover, the ring can transform nether energy into the five elements' spiritual energy!
After Ye Feng acknowledged the ring as his master, he put it on, closed his eyes, and briefly familiarized himself with the experiment. A vortex of spiritual energy then appeared in his hand.
"Five Elements Qi Cyclone!"
This vortex was generated entirely from the ring's spiritual energy, without using any of his own energy!
Ye Feng stared at the ring on his hand, lost in thought.
Perhaps it would have shone brightly in Yang Fan's hands...
But now, even in Yang Fan's hands, things probably won't go according to the script.
Even under the cover of the heavens, this ring can still draw energy from the Netherworld.
The value of this gold cannot be measured by ordinary weapon-refining standards.
Such a "divine object" is definitely not something that a second-level Loose Immortal like Star Spirit Immortal Venerable could refine.
Who exactly is orchestrating the "script" of this world...?
Ye Feng increasingly felt that everything was preordained by some unseen force, arranged long ago.
Is it good or bad that I, this strange intruder, have stirred everything up into such a mess?
Can I fulfill this role of "savior"?
......
With a flash of teleportation light, Ye Feng arrived at the Xuan Ying Divine Palace once again.
Xie Yubai was no longer seen outside the main hall.
It seems the other party truly knew that the "collateral" itself was useless; it was simply a matter of "rules" requiring Ye Feng to leave something behind.
Before Ye Feng even stepped inside, the door opened automatically.
Da Qianqian was already standing inside, quietly watching him.
"Ye Feng greets Senior!"
Having reached the fifth level of the Tribulation Transcending Realm and comprehended the laws, Ye Feng was finally able to see even a small part of his opponent's true nature.
This isn't some kind of artifact spirit; it's clearly a real soul!
Da Qianqian shook her head, unsurprised.
"I'm not some senior, just a spirit... Let's redeem your reward first!"
With a wave of his hand, the item Ye Feng left behind reappeared.
However, this time, several more kinds of immortal materials were added.
These are all the materials needed for the Thousand Illusion Sword to be fully upgraded to a Celestial Artifact.
Having advanced to the Immortal Venerable realm, Ye Feng no longer needed Daoist artifacts. Other items, in the system's inventory, were worth only a few dozen immortal stones. Converting them to immortal stones wouldn't be of much use to him in his current situation.
Ye Feng directly selected several other spiritual materials.
After the rewards were redeemed, Da Qianqian waved her hand and took back the remaining items.
"I have many questions, could you please answer them for me, senior?"
Da Qianqian nodded, then stepped out.
The two stepped outside, and another step brought them to the plains...
That was the plain where everyone dug for treasure and searched for spirits when the secret realm opened.
As far as Ye Feng could see, countless spiritual lights danced and frolicked within.
"Within the star field, there are countless races... the Spirit Race is one of them..."
"The Spirit Race? And these?"
Da Qianqian nodded.
"These are all ordinary beings of the Spirit Race! Me too!"
Ye Feng's pupils contracted slightly, but he did not interrupt.
According to the information in the ancient books he saw, 30,000 years ago, before the seventh level of magic weapons, the souls of demonic beasts were used to create a spirit.
Such spirits are fine if they are demonic beasts that you've raised from childhood, but if they are forcibly captured, there's a risk of backlash.
It was only after the Heavenly Mansion Secret Realm descended that a shortcut was added to the weapon-forging process in the entire Lingyu Realm.
Most natal magic treasures at level seven and above are also nurtured by the cultivator's own soul, giving rise to some intrinsic consciousness within them that replaces the function of the artifact spirit... This remains true to this day.
A magical artifact that can upgrade itself, like the Thousand Illusion Sword, is simply one of a kind!
"My spirit race are born as artifact spirits, so once our identities are exposed, we will become the target of everyone's scramble to capture us!"
Ye Feng looked at Da Qianqian's forlorn eyes with some confusion.
"Since these are all members of our elders' clan... then why?"
"Why allow the cultivators from Tiannan to capture them at will?"
Da Qianqian picked up where Ye Feng left off, then shook her head and said,
"They are not yet considered spirits; they are merely evolving spiritual lights, just like the trees and grass you cultivate... Perhaps one day, they will evolve into intelligent spirits, but that will likely take millions upon millions of years! By following humans out and wandering for tens of thousands of years, experiencing countless masters, perhaps they can become true life forms!"
The two strolled casually above the secret realm.
"Once they become true life forms, after their master's death, they will no longer fall into ignorance, but will be able to think for themselves and make choices... The trials a spirit race member must endure to transcend tribulations and become an immortal far exceed your human imagination, and even after becoming an immortal, they may still be captured and become artifact spirits..."
Shock was evident in Ye Feng's eyes.
Such a race...it's just too tragic!
After striving and struggling for millions of years, the final result is to become a spirit of a weapon?
Then, for countless years, it acted according to the rules predetermined by its master.
Da Qianqian looked at the expression on Ye Feng's face and couldn't help but smile.
"Actually, it's quite simple for us to cultivate and advance. We just silently absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth every day, and after hundreds of millions of years, we can directly ascend to the Immortal Realm... Not all spirit races want to have their own identity. In fact, most spirit races enjoy being someone else's spirit... An anomaly like me is probably rare!"
As she spoke, Da Qianqian let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Ye Feng.
"Alright, I've said everything I could..."
Ye Feng: "Actually, I wanted to ask..."
"With your level of cultivation, it's impossible for you to recognize a master. Even if you could forcibly recognize a master, several thousand years would have passed. You've only been cultivating for fifty years. You probably don't have the patience to spend several thousand years recognizing a palace as your master, do you?"
Ye Feng remained silent, initially believing that a solution to the evil god was hidden here...
"This palace originally belonged to my predecessor... Matters of the Immortal Realm cannot be discussed too much in the mortal world. Now, I am the spirit of this palace... But as a Xuanxian artifact, I cannot help you."
So, it seems Yang Fan's ring was ultimately intended for her use...
Just as Ye Feng was about to take out the ring, Da Qianqian suddenly turned around and looked at him.
"I've said everything I needed to say. Now I want to ask you, are you willing to let me become your sword spirit?"
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