Chapter 269: The Phantom Inside the Ring
“Where do we go next?”
Bai Feng balanced atop a pile of rubble, listening to Little Jiu’s excited chatter about how this used to be a herbal medicine storage site—until the recent battles and ancient times turned it into a ghost town of treasure.
“Let’s head to my old place!” Little Jiu cheerfully skipped to the front of the group. “My grandma said she left me some goodies—claimed they were rescued before the Secret Realm collapsed. They’re a bit old, but still gotta be something good!”
“Now I’m really hyped,” Bai Feng rubbed his chin. If the immortals left us stuff, it definitely can’t be worthless, right?
Just then, Yu Yao trotted over and poked Bai Feng’s waist softly. “Where did you catch that fox? Feels like it knows everything!”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Bai Feng casually explained. “Little Jiu’s ancestor was actually an immortal’s servant within this Secret Realm, so she knows quite a lot.”
“Eh? So the things we’re about to retrieve might actually be items used by immortals?” Yu Yao’s eyes widened—the fantasy she had before coming here suddenly turned real!
“Not exactly,” Little Jiu suddenly turned around and said, “They’re just some everyday stuff for us. But I also heard my grandma say that immortals occasionally stay inside the Secret Realm, maybe there’s a room with their belongings!”
“Really…?” Yu Yao’s face fell a little in disappointment, but she quickly perked up. Even if it’s not the immortal’s own things, they’re still probably quite valuable, right?
Meanwhile, Bai Feng subtly looked away, feeling a twinge of guilt. The room Little Jiu mentioned was all too familiar—it was the secret chamber he and Yun Yue Yao had snuck into. Yep, they definitely broke into the immortal’s room… cough cough!
He quickly straightened his expression. “Alright, let’s move out!”
…
“I think we’re right here,” Little Jiu pointed at a cave entrance. She then flicked her tail on a nearby stone, which lit up faintly. The end of the cave suddenly formed a shimmering passage.
Unlike the one Yun Yue Yao opened earlier, Bai Feng could tell this was a trick—probably illusions or other wizardry.
“Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s see what’s inside,” Little Jiu darted forward first.
After walking through a spacious tunnel, they ended up in a rather cramped room. Inside was a table with a tiny box on it, and a few weapons hung on the wall.
Bai Feng reached out and grabbed a long sword. It had lost all spiritual vitality, but the materials used could still be recycled—perfect for resale!
Little Jiu hopped onto the table and clawed at the tiny box. With a sharp tap of her claws, a wave of spiritual energy burst from the box, and its lid slowly opened.
Inside, a plain black ring appeared—probably a Storage Ring?
Bai Feng froze. He remembered Storage Rings weren’t like the typical storage bags—making a proper Storage Ring needed a rare Spirit Stone, one that had vanished from the market ages ago. Many believed the decline in Spirit Stones was due to the weakening spiritual energy.
There was another way—crafted by a master who understood the great Dao of Space. But those masters were extremely few and far between, especially in the current era. Most people just used storage bags unless they had priceless items.
Yu Yao leaned over. “Wow, it’s definitely a Storage Ring. I’ve seen a few in my family’s warehouse. Looks well-preserved, too.”
“Can I check it out?” Bai Feng asked, eyes gleaming.
“Go ahead!” Little Jiu waved her tail. She’d learned about Bai Feng’s relationship with Yun Yue Yao in recent days, so she didn’t mind sharing.
Bai Feng gently grasped the tiny ring and carefully extended his divine consciousness to examine it. It wasn’t sealed, so he easily opened it.
But inside wasn’t any treasure—just a blurry phantom.
That phantom looked oddly familiar, like a portrait from the secret chamber.
Suddenly, the motionless phantom lifted its head, as if watching him.
“It’s not you…”
A cold voice echoed, and Bai Feng felt resistance—like the ring was fighting him.
Next moment, the virtual shadow inside the ring shimmered and vanished—along with the resistance.
“What the heck?” Bai Feng knitted his brow.
Based on his guess, that was probably the virtual image of Fairy Tian Yan. Her “not you” likely meant she was waiting for someone else. Bai Feng guessed it was Yun Yue Yao, who possessed the Tian Yan Sword.
Why did the phantom suddenly disperse? Did someone interfere?
He paused, contemplating, then reached for the system interface—only to see a popup: 【System is undergoing maintenance and upgrade】.
Ah-ha! It was the system messing with him again!
But why was it absorbing Fairy Tian Yan’s phantom? Good or bad?
【After the upgrade, the system will become smarter. Please look forward to it! PS: No snatching, after upgrading, rewards and compensation will be given back to the host.】
Bai Feng rubbed his forehead. He really wanted to suspect conspiracy, but this system’s weirdness was intensifying.
It was so normal at first, then suddenly…?
Did he just devour Yun Yue Yao’s luck by accident?
“Is everything okay? Anything strange inside?” Yu Yao asked curiously.
Bai Feng shook his head. After a brief think, he said, “Nothing. It’s empty.”
“Empty?” Little Jiu looked baffled. She hurriedly placed her paw on the ring to probe, then her face went even more puzzled. “Really empty? Why would Grandma leave me an empty Storage Ring?”
Meanwhile, Yun Yue Yao wasn’t as confused. She lowered her head, furrowing her brow. During Bai Feng’s inspection, the Tian Yan Sword suddenly trembled.
She quietly tiptoed next to Bai Feng. When everyone’s attention was on the ring, she tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “It’s her?”
Bai Feng shot her a glance and understood immediately. He nodded. “Yeah. It’s her. Just a phantom.”
