Chapter Twenty-Two: The Universe Ring

With the golden dragon supporting him in midair, the corpse of the water wyrm descended steadily, carrying Yang Nan safely to the ground. Once his feet touched solid earth, Yang Nan patted his chest in relief, grateful to feel his soul finally returned to his body.

He let out a long breath and glanced toward the fierce woman who had, astride a divine dragon and with a single sword stroke, slain the wyrm. She was strikingly ordinary—her face tanned and plain, her clothing that of a simple village girl.

“So this is the Immortal Lady Bu Xu from the Hot Springs Pass?” Yang Nan wondered. “What is she doing here?” Hesitating only a moment, he stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Thank you, immortal sister, for saving my life.”

The village girl had already recognized Yang Nan, but her face remained cold and severe. She said coolly, “It’s you? What is a child like you doing riding atop a water wyrm? Are you in league with that old monster of the lake?”

Her words carried a palpable threat. Clearly, if Yang Nan answered poorly, her sword would not hesitate.

Yang Nan’s heart skipped a beat at the murderous aura she exuded. “This woman is truly ruthless!” he thought, knowing better than to provoke her. Forcing a smile, he replied, “You must be joking, immortal sister. I was fighting this wicked wyrm beneath the waters of Dejiang Prefecture and was dragged here. What exactly is that old monster in the lake?”

Her gaze swept over him, and Yang Nan felt as if he’d plunged into an icy abyss, a chill seeping into his very soul. He could only marvel at the woman’s power, though he kept his expression earnest.

After a brief scrutiny, the village girl withdrew her gaze. The golden dragon reached out a claw to the wyrm’s corpse and plucked out a green demon core, presenting it to her. With a flick of her wrist, a ring of intermingled blue and red shot forth, capturing the demon core in an instant.

Yang Nan was impressed by her skill—and the golden dragon’s power went without saying. Even the colored ring was extraordinary. He recalled hearing from Chiyang about magical storage artifacts used by cultivators, such as the Cosmos Ring or the Mountains-and-Rivers Seal. These were legendary tools in the ancient era, said to contain entire worlds within them. The true Cosmos Ring, unlike the one from myth, was capable of holding a universe; the Mountains-and-Rivers Seal could form its own world, both revered as miraculous artifacts among cultivators.

Although the genuine rings from antiquity had long since vanished, the branch of the Weapon Sect, the Artificers, had managed to craft lesser artifacts capable of storing objects or even people. While not as mighty as the originals, they were still rare treasures.

The ring on the village girl’s wrist glowed with a distinct light, clearly no common item. Yang Nan could not help but eye it with envy. She put away the demon core and said flatly, “The demon core is mine. The wyrm’s body, though inferior, will yield a few decent artifacts. It’s yours.”

Yang Nan looked glumly at the massive corpse, still several yards long even in its true form. The skin, horns, and tendons were all valuable, but how was he supposed to move such a huge thing?

“You must be joking, immortal sister. My cultivation is shallow, I’ve only just entered the path, and possess no such treasure as a Cosmos Ring. You’d better take the wyrm’s body yourself.” Yang Nan was not greedy; what use was a treasure if he couldn’t carry it away? Gold and silver mountains were pointless if they could not be moved.

The village girl smiled faintly, seemingly amused by his troubled expression. “If I said it’s yours, then it’s yours. Why all this nonsense? I have a low-grade ring you can borrow for now.” With that, she slipped another ring—this one a plain blue—from her wrist and tossed it to him.

This ring was clearly of much lower quality, and Yang Nan turned it over in his hands, at a loss for how to use it. “Do I need to recite some incantation? Open sesame?” he muttered to himself.

Observing his fumbling, the village girl raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you even know this? What has your master been teaching you? Listen up!” Her voice was like a thread, transmitting the method of using the Cosmos Ring directly to him.

Yang Nan realized it was quite simple: as long as one had spiritual power, infusing the ring with energy from the dantian would open its internal space. Of course, superior rings had many restrictions, but this was a basic artifact and easy to command.

Upon activating the ring, a blue glow bloomed before his eyes. Through his spiritual sight, he glimpsed a space inside about the size of a room—plenty to store the wyrm’s body. He circulated the Clear Water Method, and with a thought, the corpse was drawn inside, settling neatly in the ring’s pocket dimension.

Delighted by this treasure, Yang Nan could not stop grinning. “Thank you, immortal sister! I never imagined the ring would be so useful—a true marvel!” After all, such a ring was indispensable for robbers and treasure hunters; no wonder he was overjoyed.

The village girl’s frosty countenance softened as she watched his delighted antics, a trace of a smile playing on her lips. “It’s only a loan, not a gift. Even the outer disciples of Kunlun don’t have their own Cosmos Rings. Don’t get too happy.”

“Ah, so it’s not mine after all?” Yang Nan’s excitement faded, but he understood. They had only just met. Lending him the ring was already a great favor. She might seem stern, but her heart was not without kindness; otherwise, she would never lend such an artifact so casually.

And as for returning it—there was no need to worry. With her status, who would dare keep her ring? It would be suicide to try! The village girl’s methods were not to be trifled with.

Having thought it through, Yang Nan smiled cheerfully. “No matter what, I must thank you, immortal sister. Gaining the wyrm’s body is fortune enough—I dare not ask for more.” If not for her miraculous abilities, he might still be drifting in the sky, so he knew to be grateful.

The village girl’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. That a child of only twelve could already show such restraint was rare indeed. She said, “This is Heavenly Lake, several hundred miles from Dejiang Prefecture. As a disciple of the Dharma Sect, it will be a difficult journey home but not impossible. You should leave—this is no place for you.”

Yang Nan was about to protest that he wasn’t a Dharma Sect disciple when suddenly a thunderous explosion erupted from the lake. A great white dragon burst from the depths, circling above and roaring, “Bu Xu! I have tolerated you out of respect for Kunlun, but do not push me too far! Anger me, and I’ll swallow you whole no matter who you are, and you’ll regret it too late!”

The white dragon was majestic, its aura far surpassing that of the slain wyrm. It spanned dozens of yards, its white scales shimmering with divine light—a true king of water dragons.

The dragon’s presence weighed on the heavens, its oppressive might nearly suffocating Yang Nan. He had no choice but to draw the Scroll of the Sages, reciting the Golden Light Mantra to shield himself. His scholarly energy was weak, and the scroll could only barely protect him.

Noticing the scholarly aura shimmering around Yang Nan, the village girl looked at him with surprise, then laughed coldly at the dragon, “Wicked dragon, I won’t quibble over your swallowing the Dragon Palace’s Illuminating Pearl, but now you have stolen Kunlun’s Ice Crystal Divine Iron and dare act arrogant here? I’ll drag you back, hang you on the Dr