"Make your choice quickly. We're sworn brothers, after all." Nantian Yijian and Jun Laoye shook their heads in unison. "It's precisely because we're brothers that we absolutely cannot take it." They firmly refused the spatial rings Lu Chen offered. Jun Laoye pushed the ring in front of him back toward Lu Chen. "I usually get resources from my Second Uncle anyway. You two don't have the backing of a clan. It's better if you trade this ring for cultivation resources. You'll advance faster that way." Nantian Yijian echoed him, pushing his ring forward. "Yeah, trade it for resources. The stronger you get, the better you can protect us. Besides, you already gave me the Brightlight Armor. I absolutely cannot take this one." Seeing neither of them would choose, Lu Chen quickly urged, "I've got a whole pile of these. If you don't want them, they're just useless items." Both shook their heads again. "Useless or not, they're still your useless items. We don't want them. Just take them back before anyone else sees them." "Ah... if you won't choose, then I'll choose first. I'll leave the rest on the table." With that, Lu Chen slipped the red-striped spatial ring onto his right hand. "Wan'er, I'll pick one for you." Lu Chen deliberately glanced at Nantian Yijian, then picked up the blue ring from the table and walked over to Nantian Wan'er. He took her hand gently and slid the blue ring onto her finger. "This blue one suits you. I'll put it on for you." The red and blue rings corresponded perfectly to the two types of sea of qi within the Heavenly Pool, reflecting a yin-yang balance in their respective attributes. Nantian Wan'er raised her hand, admiring the ring on her finger, and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Lu-gege. It's perfect." "Spatial rings adjust themselves automatically to fit your finger." Lu Chen reached out to touch her hair and smiled. "Does it look good, Wan'er?" "It looks great! Anything you give me looks good." Lu Chen turned to the remaining rings and asked Nantian Yijian, "Little Jian, you really don't want it? If not, I'll put it away." "Ah... such a good item." Seeing Lu Chen's motion, Nantian Yijian felt a strong tug in his heart. "I want it... But it's too precious." Lu Chen could see his hesitation. "Are you going to take it or not? If not, I'll really put it away." Get full chapters from NoveI~Fire.net "I... I..." Nantian Yijian stared at him, struggling to speak. "I want it, but if I take it, it would be a waste." Nantian Wan'er joined Lu Chen in encouraging him, gently pushing the ring forward. "Brother Yijian, just take it. Lu-gege discovered numerous treasures in the secret realm. These spatial rings are meant for you all." Nantian Yijian closed his eyes. "Ah... fine, fine. They are such valuable items! Anyone who refuses them is a fool." He grabbed the remaining two rings and muttered to himself, "I'm the little brother. It's only right for the big brother to take care of me. I'll repay him once I become successful." Lu Chen patted him on the shoulder. "That's more like it. You're my little brother. Since we found plenty of treasures this time, how could we leave you out?" "Thanks, Big Brother." Nantian Yijian studied the two rings in his palm for a long moment before placing the one with white patterns on his hand. "I'm a peerless gentleman. It's only fitting that I choose the white one that matches my robes perfectly." He held the ring up to the light, letting the patterns shine even brighter. "A peerless gentleman, dressed in white. Splendid." "Little Jun, since you like wearing black clothes and armor, this black ring is yours." Jun Laoye recognized the value of the ring. Both Lu Chen and Nantian Yijian had treated him with genuine sincerity. As for him, he harbored many secrets of his own. This made him feel distant. Jun Laoye waved his hand, refusing. Hesitantly, he said, "Little Lu, you may be the big brother, but we've only just met. I... I'll pass." "So what? We're still sworn brothers. Take it." Lu Chen patted Jun Laoye's shoulder with a smile. "When you find something good, you'll share it with us first, right?" "Right..." Jun Laoye answered without hesitation, then quickly changed his tone. "Yes, we're sworn brothers, but that was just for fun. This ring is too precious, and I also—" Lu Chen saw through Jun Laoye's unease and stopped him gently. "Who says it was just for fun? Sworn brothers are true brothers. Everyone has their secrets, and I won't blame you for that. Take it. Besides, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't have entered the secret realm, wouldn't have these treasures, and I wouldn't even have had a chance to avenge the villagers." "Exactly. Little Jun, since when did you get so hesitant?" Nantian Yijian tossed the black ring toward Jun Laoye. "Take it. If you don't, I'll feel like my face is too thick." Jun Laoye sighed. "Ah... maybe I've been overthinking things." He lifted his head. "We're sworn brothers, true brothers. Since we're brothers, I won't stand on ceremony. Between brothers, what's yours is mine, and what's mine is yours." He caught the flying ring and smiled at the two of them. "That's more like it," Lu Chen said, clenching his fist and punching Jun Laoye's chest. "I don't even know what you were thinking." "Hahaha, I tend to be overly dramatic. Alright, let me see what's inside the ring first." Jun Laoye infused spirit qi into the ring. The moment he did, his eyes widened in shock, and he let out a roar that immediately silenced the surrounding cultivators. Everyone froze, setting aside their food and drink, staring at Jun Laoye. Feeling the sudden awkwardness, Jun Laoye laughed and waved them off. "It's nothing, nothing. Carry on, brothers." The atmosphere gradually returned to normal. Jun Laoye repeatedly glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice and said, "Little Lu... did you give the wrong one? The things inside this—" "That's the right one. This is exactly what I'm giving you," Lu Chen said with a mysterious smile. "I suppose you've never seen so many resources before?" Jun Laoye stared at the ring's contents and swallowed hard. "You're giving this to us? You can't be some kind of wealth-scattering child[1], can you? I've never seen this many resources in my life. Little Lu, where exactly did you go in the secret realm to find so many top-tier treasures?" "Top-tier treasures? Let me see." Nantian Yijian quickly infused his spirit qi into the ring. Inside, over four hundred cubic meters of space were packed with spirit stones, pills, beast sinews and bones, formation materials, and even several top-tier enchanted artifacts at the bottom. Upon seeing them, Nantian Yijian shouted in amazement, "So many?" His reaction drew the attention of nearby cultivators once again. He quickly lowered his voice. "Little Lu, where exactly did you go? You can't be from some third-rate sect, right? Or are you really some kind of wealth-scattering child?" "Hehehe, not quite," Lu Chen whispered after taking a sip of wine. "I don't really know why, but I was suddenly transported to a sealed cave. There were countless treasures inside, and what I gave you is just a fraction of it." In truth, Lu Chen had taken the treasures from the small world within the medallion, but he would never reveal that. Instead, he used the secret realm as a convenient excuse, making it seem natural that he could produce such a vast amount of resources. "That must have been a place meant for storing treasures," Jun Laoye said, patting Lu Chen's shoulder. "We've searched for it for ages. Who would have thought that you'd be the one to clean it out? Little Lu, you really have incredible luck. Just be sure to keep this a secret. Otherwise, you'll stir up envy." Lu Chen blinked at Jun Laoye and Nantian Yijian. "I know. That's why I only told you three. You must all keep it to yourselves." "Of course. We'll definitely keep it a secret," Jun Laoye said. His eyes gleamed with greed as he continued, "But now... I think I might regret it. If I'd known you plundered the Green Emperor's treasury, I wouldn't have bothered being polite about just one spatial ring. I'd have demanded everything outright." "Hahaha, I already told you not to be polite," Lu Chen replied, reaching out to pat Nantian Yijian on the shoulder. "Still feeling attached to those spoils of yours?" "No, no." Nantian Yijian carefully tucked away the ring, his expression earnest. "What you've given us is far superior. It'll last me more than ten years." Just then, a gong rang out in the cabin, the deep sound signaling the main event was starting. From the arena, Jun Wudi's voice boomed. "The sole victor tonight is... Lu Chen!" The cultivators in the cabin all rose in unison, bowing to Lu Chen and shouting, "Congratulations! Senior Martial Brother Lu! For claiming first place!" "Thank you!" Lu Chen quickly stood and returned their bows. "Thank you! My brothers, it's only thanks to your courtesy and support that I was able to win." Jun Wudi sent three prizes floating toward him. "Congratulations, Little Lu. These three treasures are all yours now." Lu Chen bowed. "Thank you, Uncle Jun." He then caught the treasures and distributed them without hesitation to Nantian Yijian, Nantian Wan'er, and Jun Laoye. Watching him, Jun Wudi chuckled. "Little Lu, you've won, yet you haven't let it go to your head. You remain humble. With such a temperament, your future is boundless." "Thank you for your praise, Uncle Jun." "Hehehe, now take your seat." Jun Wudi released a gentle wave of spirit qi, patting Lu Chen's shoulder. "Now that you've inherited the position of Chief Disciple of the Serene Void Academy, you must bear the responsibilities that come with it." "I understand, Uncle Jun. I'll train hard and make the Serene Void Academy stand at the top of the six academies." Lu Chen bowed again before slowly sitting back in the wicker chair. Jun Laoye patted Lu Chen and said, "Little Lu, we've left the Demonic Beast Forest." Looking out the window, Lu Chen saw the ship had indeed left the dark forest behind. It sailed steadily northward, and distant villages were gradually coming into view. "I have gained a lot from this trip. I've made new friends... and I avenged the villagers," Lu Chen murmured. He let out a sigh. "The only problem now is... I have once again lost my lead on grandpa. And Grandpa Feng hasn't awakened yet." Sensing his mood, Nantian Wan'er gently took his hand. "Lu-gege, we already have a clue about who kidnapped your grandpa. I'll stay with you until we find him." "Heh, yes. At least we know who's behind it now." Lu Chen lifted his head, a smile spreading across his face, his spirit rekindled. "We'll definitely find him. Everything will be alright." 1. In Chinese folklore and culture, it refers to a childlike figure or immortal who gives away money and wealth freely, almost like a symbol of generosity (or sometimes wastefulness). Sometimes it's used jokingly to describe someone who spends money recklessly, giving it away as if it means nothing ☜