Chapter 167: Chapter 164: They’re Here to Die, Let the Feast Begin

The Jade Scroll was too tough to crack for now, so Han Feng didn’t waste any more time on it.

A meal is eaten one bite at a time, and a path is walked one step at a time.

Once he obtained a Spiritual Secret Technique and condensed a true Divine Sense, this so-called restriction would be as fragile as a sheet of paper.

He casually tucked the pale green Jade Scroll inside his shirt, securing it against his body.

His gaze returned to the crooked stone table before him.

In the secret chamber of an old Cultivator like this, the most important items were either hidden in the deepest recess or left in the most obvious spot.

Other than the Jade Scroll, the table was covered in a layer of dust thick enough to bury a mouse.

’Is that really it?’

Han Feng narrowed his eyes, and deep within his pupils, a hint of deep blue light flickered.

’Spiritual Vision, on.’

The entire stone chamber was instantly reconfigured in his sight.

The motes of Spiritual Qi floating in the air, the lines of the residual magnetic field from the Array in the corner—everything dissolved into vibrant colors.

His gaze swept over the stone table.

Suddenly, his hand stopped in mid-air.

To the naked eye, there was nothing there.

But under his Spiritual Vision, a square area in the center of the tabletop, roughly thirty centimeters to a side, appeared as an absolute, all-devouring "pure black."

It wasn’t a color.

It was a vacuum of Energy.

When the surrounding motes of Spiritual Qi drifted near it, they parted like a stream flowing around an unseen reef, silently sliding to either side, not daring to cross the boundary.

"Interesting."

Han Feng reached out, slowly extending his hand toward that patch of nothingness.

He felt a cold, hard texture under his fingertips.

’There really is something here.’

Applying slight pressure with his fingers, he wiped away the thick layer of dust.

The dust fell away, revealing... nothing but air.

’This thing... it’s completely transparent!’

Light passed through it without the slightest hint of refraction, making it look as though his hand were suspended in mid-air, stroking a patch of empty space.

If it weren’t for the damn sensation of touch, Han Feng might have thought he was dealing with a ghost.

’An ore with Space properties?’

A term from the basic knowledge base provided by his system popped into his mind.

Void Stone.

A peculiar ore that naturally contained its own Subspace, it was considered Hard Currency in the Cultivation Immortality Realm.

Unlike Storage Pouches, which required refinement, its internal space was completely natural. It also had one incredibly troublesome Trait: it couldn’t be bound to an owner, nor could it be stored inside other spatial equipment.

It was like a physical safe you’d keep at home.

Whoever had the key could open it.

The Cultivator who had been here before had obviously used it as a final supply cache.

Because Time was almost static within the stone’s internal space, its preservation effect was better than even the top laboratories on Blue Star.

Han Feng focused his Spiritual Power, forming an invisible probe to explore the surface of the unseen stone.

Unlike with the Jade Scroll, he encountered no firm resistance.

With just a slight push, his Spiritual Power passed through the stone’s barrier without any resistance and probed inside.

A space of about five cubic meters.

It wasn’t large—about the size of a small truck’s cargo bed.

Full of anticipation, Han Feng "looked" inside.

In the next moment, he felt his bubble of anticipation pop.

Empty.

Well, not completely empty.

In the corner were a few sacks, shriveled like mummies, which appeared to have once held Spirit Valley.

Beside them lay a few shattered Jade Bottles.

Clearly, the previous Cultivator had consumed every last edible or drinkable item in here during his final days.

This Void Stone was nothing more than a lunchbox that had been licked clean.

’Just a pauper, in the end...’

Han Feng sighed, withdrawing his Spiritual Power with some disappointment.

But on second thought, he felt at ease.

’It was a case of keeping the box and returning the pearls.’

The junk inside was gone, but the "box" itself was a true, priceless Treasure.

A fist-sized piece of this natural Space Stone, capable of long-term preservation and Energy isolation, would cause a feeding frenzy on the Black Market—let alone this massive five-cubic-meter beast.

Han Feng tried to move it.

It didn’t budge an inch.

It wasn’t its weight. The thing felt as if it were welded to the surrounding Space.

He had no choice but to channel the precious wisp of Sword Essence from his Dantian, envelop his hands with it, and heave with all his might!

HUM!

A faint tremor ran through the air.

He finally "tore" the transparent stone from the surface of the table.

It wasn’t heavy, weighing only twenty or thirty pounds.

First, Han Feng tossed in the Jade Scroll he couldn’t open. Then, he stuffed all the bulky Tier Two Demon Beast hides and bones from his backpack inside.

His backpack, which had been bulging as if pregnant, instantly deflated.

’Much better.’

Han Feng stuffed the invisible stone into the bottom of his backpack and wrapped it securely in a few spare items of clothing.

’A physical backpack. Who would ever guess he was carrying a mountain of gold inside?’

"BURP—"

In the corner, Wang Meng suddenly let out a loud snore, turned over, and smacked his lips, mumbling, "This Golden Axe... hehe... mine..."

Han Feng glanced at his teammate, who was sleeping like a dead pig, and shook his head in resignation.

’The aftereffects of that Illusion Array really pack a punch.’

Just then.

Han Feng’s hand, busy arranging his backpack, froze.

He lifted his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the heavy stone door and the long corridor toward the entrance.

His Perception Field had clearly picked up five unfamiliar presences.

They were the Qi Blood fluctuations of human Martial Artists—five of them in total.

Though they were deliberately suppressing their breathing and footsteps, in Han Feng’s Spiritual Vision they were like five great torches blazing in the dark.

’So it’s them...’

Han Feng’s gaze instantly turned cold.

It was those five "porters."

’Looks like those leeches finally couldn’t hold back. They’ve followed the scent right to my doorstep.’

...

「At that moment, above the stone steps.」

Beside the displaced boulder, five heads popped out furtively.

It was none other than the men of the Blazing Fire Mercenary Corps.

The brawny man in the lead was breathing heavily, his bloodshot eyes locked onto the pitch-black opening. Greed practically spilled from his gaze.

They had been following from a distance, watching the two brats wander around a field of boulders.

They never expected that when they came closer to look, they’d find an open, hidden entrance!

"Boss... this... this is..."

The "skinny monkey" beside him was trembling, his voice shaking not with fear, but with excitement.

"Shut up!"

The brawny man barked, smacking the skinny monkey on the back of the head.

But his own hand, the one gripping his blade, was also trembling uncontrollably.

Ruins!

An unrecorded, newly discovered, untouched ruin!

In East Sea Fortress City, what was the most valuable thing?

It wasn’t Demon Beast Materials, nor was it Spirit Plant Ore.

It was the legacy of lost civilizations!

To encourage exploration, the Council offered astronomical bounties for any information on ancient ruins.

If they could bring out even one or two complete ancient runic artifacts, or a lost Cultivation Technique...

Then it wouldn’t just be about getting fucking rich!

That was a leap over the Dragon Gate! A jump to a whole new class!