0086 The Nameless Ring

I reposted the chapter that failed to update, and it seems visible now! I simply resubmitted it—why didn’t it work yesterday…? _(:зゝ∠)_

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Five days passed swiftly. With the help of the supplementary wood armor, their group’s strength soared. Every one of them except Teng Zhi leveled up.

Now, both Teng Zhi and Hong Cheng had achieved one chain with five apertures; Ping Luanshan had one chain with four apertures, and Jiang Feng had one chain with two apertures.

Judging solely by their levels, Jiang Feng appeared to be the weakest, but everyone knew that in real combat, he was the most dangerous among them.

Jiang Feng’s authority within the group became increasingly solidified. Besides Hua Su, he was the one who made decisions.

Part of this was due to their gratitude for the wood armor’s assistance; but more than that, it was Jiang Feng’s precocious composure and keen insight—consistently making the most suitable decisions—that repeatedly and subtly established his leadership.

On the morning of June 26th, Jiang Feng calculated that the goods he ordered from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion should have arrived. He could go fetch them.

He asked Hua Su for leave, and Hua Su agreed readily. These days, Jiang Feng had been busy with both cultivation and practicing the crafting of treasured artifacts. While Ping Luanshan and the others already worked hard, he pushed himself doubly so. Hua Su told him, “True cultivation lies in balancing work and rest. Take the day off, relax, and don’t think about training for once!”

Jiang Feng smiled and left the secluded little courtyard.

Last time, he had only knocked out Qin Hu and his four companions without killing them. He hadn’t bothered to ask how the academy officials had dealt with them afterward.

With Jiang Huaiming’s resolve, a single failure was unlikely to make him give up. Yet lately, there had been no further movement from him. Whatever that man was scheming next, Jiang Feng didn’t know… If he did have other plans, then Jiang Feng’s excursion today would be a prime opportunity.

But the journey was uneventful. Soon, Jiang Feng crossed the Changchuan River and arrived at the Mustard Seed Pavilion.

The demon’s head that had once hung at the entrance had been removed, and there were far more visitors than last time. Only then did Jiang Feng recall that Wen Liangji had mentioned there would be an auction today—these must be the guests.

Several attendants greeted visitors at the entrance. One of them spotted Jiang Feng, eyes lighting up, and hurried over. “Young master, how may I assist you?”

He remembered Jiang Feng from before, when Wen Liangji had personally come out to welcome him, and had committed Jiang Feng’s face to memory. Now, he was especially attentive. “Shall I inform Pavilion Master Wen for you?”

Inside, the bustle was even more apparent. Jiang Feng glanced in, then shook his head. “I’m just here to pick something up from the Hundred Treasures Room. No need to trouble Pavilion Master Wen.”

The attendant quickly replied, “Very well, I’ll lead you there.”

Only guests of high status were permitted entry to the Hundred Treasures Room, which was much quieter than the main hall. Jiang Feng swiftly completed the formalities and entered the same private chamber as before.

The door closed behind him, sealing out all sound. At the center of the room stood a transparent box containing a silver case—this was the “item” left by Ye Xiao?

Jiang Feng verified his identity as last time, the box opened, and the case appeared before him.

He opened the case and was momentarily stunned.

The case was two feet long and one foot wide—quite large. Yet inside, there was only a single, tiny ring!

Was this what Ye Xiao had meant to give him?

Jiang Feng hesitated, not reaching for it immediately. Instead, he hovered his palm above and released a probing surge of spiritual energy.

He quickly discovered that both the ring and the case were treasured artifacts—the ring especially so. The energy from the ring was vague and elusive, revealing only a faint sense of power, but nothing of its deeper structure. The case, on the other hand, was of a much lower grade—Jiang Feng could discern several defensive energy patterns upon it.

This meant the ring was of far higher grade than the case—indeed, the large case existed solely to protect the ring.

Jiang Feng took a deep breath, his heart quickening. He reached out and touched the ring.

The moment his fingers brushed it, he felt something inside him struggle to break free. A gentle woman’s sigh echoed in his mind, and then another will, mingling with the one inside him, surged outward together.

A drop of blood welled from the tip of his right middle finger, landed on the ring, and vanished instantly.

Effortlessly, Jiang Feng picked up the ring. At the same time, the case silently disintegrated into countless motes, vanishing into the air.

He quickly understood: the case and the ring were bound together; once the ring recognized its master, the case self-destructed.

The ring had contained a trace of Ye Xiao’s consciousness, as well as a wisp of will she had planted inside him. When the two combined and the ring was claimed with his blood, the process was complete.

Jiang Feng studied the ring with curiosity.

It was entirely silver, shaped from a thin strip with no ornamentation—utterly plain in appearance.

Yet it had been protected by a Grade-X artifact case, designed for single use and self-destruction. The mere fact spoke volumes of the ring’s significance.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Feng slipped the ring onto his finger.

The instant it was on, the ring seemed to melt into his skin and gradually vanished. No matter how he looked, he could not find any trace of it, nor could he feel it at all.

Then, to his astonishment, he saw that his finger—where the ring had been—was fading away!

From his finger to his palm, up his wrist, and, looking down, his entire body vanished in the blink of an eye.

What was happening?

Startled, Jiang Feng took a few steps. He could feel his body’s presence, but he was invisible. He switched to spiritual vision and found that even his energy signature had vanished.

The ring could make him invisible—concealing both his form and his spiritual aura?

This was a remarkably useful ability!

Excited, Jiang Feng experimented further, discovering that the unnamed ring’s functions were comprehensive. It could render him invisible physically or hide only his energy signature. Not only that, it could adjust the intensity of his aura according to his will. In other words, if he wished, he could appear to be any cultivation level he chose.

Downgrading his aura had no restrictions, but simulating a higher level was limited—depending on the level, the duration varied.

At maximum, Jiang Feng could mimic the presence of a Heart-Mind Martial Master, exuding a formidable pressure—but only for ten seconds before it faded.

Quick-witted as ever, Jiang Feng immediately imagined a dozen ways to use the ring.

Though it looked unremarkable, this unnamed ring was truly invaluable!

He silently thanked Ye Xiao, dismissed the ring’s effect, restored his appearance, and left the Hundred Treasures Room.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Wen Liangji waiting for him.

Jiang Feng was a little surprised. “Isn’t there an auction at the Mustard Seed Pavilion today? You must be busy; there’s no need to greet me personally.”

Wen Liangji laughed. “If the pavilion master had to handle everything personally, I’d be worked to death! Your business is more important.”

As they exchanged glances, Jiang Feng noticed that Wen Liangji was even more cordial than before, and the subtle anxiety in his eyes had vanished—as though he had learned something important.

Jiang Feng’s eyes flickered, and he smiled. “Thank you for your care.”

Wen Liangji waved his hand. “No need for such formality. I’m decades older than you—just call me Uncle Wen. Did your item arrive? Is everything in order?”

Jiang Feng nodded. “Yes, everything is as it should be.”

For a boy this young to retrieve something from the Hundred Treasures Room—no matter how one looked at it, this was extraordinary.

Yet Wen Liangji asked nothing further. He led Jiang Feng toward the auction hall. “Come, let me take you to the auction. Young people should work hard, but broadening your horizons is equally important.”

To Wen Liangji’s surprise, Jiang Feng declined with a shake of his head. “There will be plenty of opportunities to broaden my horizons in the future. With only ten days left until the big exam, I should focus on making the most of my time.”

Wen Liangji smiled warmly. He patted Jiang Feng’s shoulder. “Good child, you have ambition! No wonder you took first place in the county exam at your age. Keep it up!”

With the Zhong family’s prestige and power, helping Jiang Feng pass the provincial exam would have been a trivial matter. Yet Wen Liangji had never mentioned it, and Jiang Feng was truly grateful for that.

Wen Liangji escorted him out of the Mustard Seed Pavilion, drawing countless curious glances along the way.

Few people knew Wen Liangji by sight, but not so few as to go unnoticed. For the pavilion master to personally receive and send off this boy—just who was he?

At that moment, three elderly men entered the Pavilion together. Noticing the scene, they exchanged odd looks. Officer Hu muttered, “Isn’t that Old Fang’s apprentice? Just what is that boy’s background?”

Jiang Feng, separated by some distance from the three academy officials of the Mind-Clarifying Society, didn’t notice them.

He bid farewell to Wen Liangji and left the Pavilion.

He had spoken truthfully to Wen Liangji. Besides his regular cultivation and artifact crafting, he had also spent time using the Celestial Cube to try to gradually reconstruct Hua Su’s spiritual energy circulation.

This required immense calculation; every time the Celestial Cube operated, it consumed great quantities of spiritual energy. So Jiang Feng had to devote extra time to absorbing energy through cultivation.

With the exam fast approaching, he could not afford to waste a single moment.

Not long after leaving the Pavilion, he turned into a small alley and suddenly saw a little girl ahead.

She looked about five or six, her clothes threadbare and dirty, her face streaked with tears. She walked along, wiping her face, frightened by the high walls on both sides, utterly lost.

A lost child?

Jiang Feng hurried over. “Little girl, what’s wrong?”

She jumped, eyeing him warily. After a moment, perhaps reassured by his gentle expression, she burst into tears. “I can’t find my way home!”

Between sobs, she managed to explain that the previous day, while playing in the street, a middle-aged man had led her here. She’d escaped when he wasn’t looking, but now she was lost and couldn’t get home.

Jiang Feng asked where her family lived, but her answer was garbled, and he was unfamiliar with the area, unable to make sense of it.

He was about to ask further when, from the far end of the alley, a low, angry voice growled, “You worthless fools! I was only gone for a moment, and you let that little brat escape!”

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Many thanks to fatfox911 for the constant support, and to WhoeverKnows for the zongzi~~