Inside the Storage Ring

-HEI AN'S STORAGE RING-

Ugh... Man, I'm hungry... I haven't eaten anything yet today. Master? You there?

He must still be resting. I should probably explore this place since I still have half a year to fool around. I haven't been outside of this mansion. If I'm not wrong, my master said it should be as big as an island.

I opened the bigger door as I thought it was the door outside but instead, I found the main hall. Shit, I didn't expect that he enjoy luxury. This main hall is extravagant and filled with expensive decorations. There's a round table with a couple of chairs. This should be the place where he meets guests.

There's one door ahead. It should lead me outside this time.

Wow! This place is awesomely weird! It's really an island but it's floating in an endless dark space. Though, the only light I can see is from the twinkling little orbs of lights far away from this place.

"Those are stars." Master, you're finally awake.

"We are currently in another dimension away from the other worlds. This is like a haven but it's also a place where you can't escape when you're trapped unless you're the owner of the storage ring." While he's explaining, I found a monster ranch and a wide garden. Man, this place is legit! Everything you need is here.

"Of course, I've lived for hundreds of years and since I like to collect, I've learned how to do alchemy, blacksmith, taming, and rune making. One of the reasons as well as I'm just bored that I taught myself some life skills." Who wouldn't get bored when they reach that kind of age anyway.

"For now, let's go to the treasure room. I'll show you some things that might be useful to you." That would be great!

-HEI AN'S TREASURE ROOM-

"Your eyes are twinkling more than the stars. I can tell this is your first time seeing treasures." Woah! Magic-grade weapons?! Spirit-grade Armors?! Holy shit! I heard that the highest quality in our sect's treasure room is spirit-grade and you've got lots of those!

"I also have another epic-grade weapon called the Soul Slicer here but right now, it's only a common weapon. Unfortunately, I haven't used it as its power is based on its owner's soul power. Right now, you are back to Early Shapeless Form so it would be as strong as magic-grade when you use it. Once you reached Middle Shapeless Form again, it would be as strong as a spirit-grade. I suggest you use it as your main weapon for now." Really?! If you give me all of these, you won't have anything left when you get a new body!

"Don't mind me. After all, you gave me hope and I gave you the storage ring, that means everything inside the ring is yours to have." I don't think I deserve all of this but... I have to survive for all of us.

"That's the spirit. You should have this spirit-grade armor as well. I made it myself and it's from the scales of a 2500-year-old Fire Dragon. That dragon is equivalent to a 5th Layer Sea Realm. This armor will greatly reduce the damage you take from fire and ice elemental attacks. This skin is also so sturdy that it can withstand attacks from below void realm. Though, still better be careful from being hit since the armor can withstand it but you won't be able to withstand the force." I got it, master. Since it's not an epic grade, I don't need to make a pact with it.

After making a pact with the weapon, it shined to me and it changed form! From a normal sword, it became a thin long sword!

"This is its first form, it can penetrate magic-grade armor without any problems. Once you reach its second form, the blade will become ethereal that it can pass right through magic-grade armors and penetrate spirit grade armors with good swordsmanship. So you better practice using it as well." Nice! But since we're talking about swordsmanship when you were alive, what's your specialty?

"I'm a master of illusion arts. It's true what Bei said that I'm the only one capable of killing our sect leader as my arts are based on assassinations. With runes, I can hide my presence from others, I can make my moves or even my breath soundless, I can also change my appearance to trick others. Though, I will never use it against my people." No wonder, it's an art mainly for betrayal but I believe you, master. Ever since I saw what master did to those bullies, I want to learn those skills too!

"Well, unlike the arts that I've thought you, you can use the illusion runes yourself since I've thought you those. Though, before that, you should learn the basics of martial arts. There are martial arts, energy arts, and soul arts. Martial arts are those you learn from Peaks. those arts relies on one's body. The stronger the body is, the more powerful martial arts become. While energy arts rely on energy realms. Higher energy realms have higher effectiveness. And lastly, soul arts attacks the opponent's soul, it could hurt or break someone's soul and make a person's body soulless. This is the cruelest art to use against an opponent." Well, I've read those from books but I haven't heard of soul arts.

"There are not much soul arts, to be honest. Even those from the higher realms don't know much about soul arts. The most common one is called Soul Thorn. This soul art attacks the soul of the opponent leaving the body defenseless for a couple of seconds and it only works once and might take a while before you can use it against the same opponent. Even our sect leader only managed to reach the Late Shapeless Form and he was at the peak of Earth Realm. Enough with soul arts, I'll teach you the Endless Arts from the Endless Peak where I came from." Endless arts huh, I haven't heard of it yet but we also practice Flow Arts. If we have the same concept, the power and effectiveness of our arts have different stages we call steps. Like the 7th Layer Innate Realm we fought before, he used the Wave Arts Second Step.

"Yes, I've seen that. Based on that guy's movements, I can tell that wave arts rely on powerful attacks. It uses the body of an individual's prowess to deliver a powerful blow. But Endless Art is without any technique and all, it's just art that goes straight for the kill before your opponent makes a move. This is good when chasing or ending the fight as fast as possible." Damn... so you were trained to kill.

"It's true. Higher realms are crueler than here. People with power show no mercy against weaker people. Slavery is common and killing is a normal thing. That's why people tend to put more effort to get stronger." I think every world is cruel in different ways.

"For energy arts, I guess you can use your energy to strengthen your martial arts. You need to cultivate first and increase your energy realm before I can teach you advanced energy arts." Got it.

...

After he transferred his memories of Soul Thorn and Endless Arts, I was able to get a grasp of it. I have a weaker soul thorn that can damage souls below Early Shapeless Form which is only formless and fragment souls... and the 1st step of Endless Arts.

I've tried Endless Arts for the very first time and it sure did increase my movements by a lot but trying the second step tends to strain my legs. I shouldn't skip leg day.

Master, since you know alchemy and blacksmith, does that mean you have depth comprehension of law of fire?

"Yes, I've only reached the 1st Layer of the Law of Fire." What?! Do you mean you have reached the perfect comprehension of the first layer of the Law of Fire?

"In our world, people who reached the 1st Layer of the Law of Fire is not very rare. Elders usually has reached the first layer. Unfortunately, the gap between the first and second layers are huge. It takes hundreds of years to reach the first layer while reaching the second layer might take thousands of years. I'm not even exaggerating right now." That means you have to reach a higher cultivation realm as mastering laws require a significant amount of time.

"Not entirely. Geniuses all over the world have a higher comprehension level which they can understand different elemental laws in a shorter amount of time. Higher affinity to elements increases their comprehension level as well." But how can you know if you have a higher affinity to a specific elemental law?

"There are rare stones that can radiate the best elemental affinity of an individual. Usually, before you enter the outer sect, one of the requirements is to have a good affinity with at least one elemental law. Without a glimpse of light from this stone, you won't be able to enter the sect. Since you're interested in the Law of Fire, probably because you want to learn blacksmithing and alchemy, you can buy some few low-grade fire crystals from the market." Don't I have those from my storage ring?

"Those are low-grade... What does a cultivator of Earth Realm suppose to do with that?" Oh... right.

"Since your sect is only a tier 1, try making tier 1 runes. Trying to make tier 1 rune this time would be harder than before since your soul is now back to Early Shapeless Form." It's worth it though, I managed to get my own companion.

"Yeah, yeah. It could be anyone but since fate somehow hates me, it was my mortal enemy." You don't have to go that far and say a mortal enemy... though, I could say the same if that's the person that killed me.

...

Hours have passed inside the storage ring and damn... I used a lot of my soul power that I once again started to feel weak but I only managed to create 5 tier 1 and 1 tier 2 runes. I couldn't even make 2 tier 2 runes...

"Don't worry. It's a good job for a beginner. Your soul is weaker than before, making tier 2 rune with an Early Shapeless Form is more than good enough." Since I was able to create tier 2 before, my soul somehow can create it again with a low chance, still not a bad thing.

I was able to create Tier 1 Ice Elemental Resistance, Tier 1 Ice Elemental Boost, 2 Tier 1 Energy Gathering Enhancement, Tier 1 Body Refining Enhancement, and Tier 2 Energy Gathering Enhancement. I made those into talismans that people could wear as it would be easier to use. I was aiming for a tier 2 Body Refining Enhancement but since my soul couldn't handle the exhaustion of soul power, I stopped. If I'm not mistaken, I might damage my soul when I use it too much.

"It might even destroy your soul completely so better be careful. That Tier 1 energy gathering enhancement was really a good idea. Those might rip some good profit. When used by a lower realm, innate to pristine spirit, it lasts longer up to 5 years while when used by spirit core realm, it would only last for at least 1 year when used every single day. Still, it boosts the cultivation rate by up to 20%. Also, those elemental boosts and resistance really would help others fend off enemies from the same sect. You're really smart and chose the right runes to make." 20% is significantly high! Not to mention, the durability of the rune is pretty long and it's even a tier 1?!

"Since you have Tier 2 Energy Gathering Enhancement, it would increase your cultivation rate by at least 40% and even last longer. It would be better if you use it yourself." I better use it when I cultivate then, the same with the Body Refining Enhancement.

"Since you will go outside, you need to use the Cloak of the Unseen. It's a spirit-grade accessory that blocks your energy aura. This would not only hide your Energy Realm, but this would also make you hard to be detected by other people." Raising hide and seek to the next level.

"And since you chose to make Bei your servant, it would be better if you also make at least tier 1 Energy Aura Suppressing Rune." But isn't her cultivation reset as well? Why does she need that?

"Because of her Energy Core." You still have it?!

"Her energy core is at the level of Earth Realm but energy cores only provide a portion of her original energy level and if I'm right, if she managed to cultivate all the energy within the core, it would make her reach Void Realm since it's her own energy core. Cultivating other cores gives only 1/10 of the energy." Even so, that level is like the level of a Grand Leader!

I better give it to her now! And so, I decided to leave the storage ring.

-FROZEN LAKE SECT'S DUNGEON-

"Little Master, you're finally back. I've been cultivating these past few hours but I can't seem to gather enough energy around here. I would be useless for you for the time being since my cultivation is back to the 1st Layer of Innate Realm." She really wants to be helpful. Since I hold her life, her loyalty is mine.

"Here, take this. This would help you a great deal." I handed her Energy core, it's insanely brighter than any energy cores I've seen, but...

"..." Uhh... upon seeing the energy core... She's definitely crying...