The Spirit of the Xianhong Ring

In just half a day, Yang Fan had already begun refining the Iron Armor Puppet, a speed that left him quite satisfied, far exceeding what was described in the jade slip. 

Standing in the lush green expanse of the Xianhong Space, Yang Fan gave a mental command. With a swift "whoosh," the Iron Armor Puppet shot forward, like a gust of wind, standing before him like a towering shield. 

The puppet stood a full ten feet tall, with power close to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. For Yang Fan, it was akin to a human-shaped bulwark, a last-resort life-saving card. 

In truth, the puppet's defensive and offensive capabilities were not inferior to those of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In terms of defense, it was even stronger than the protective barriers most Foundation Establishment cultivators could summon. 

The reason it was described as "close" to Foundation Establishment rather than equivalent was that the puppet lacked the ability to cast spells or fly, and its speed was also inferior to that of a cultivator in the same realm. Thus, in a head-to-head confrontation, it likely wouldn't be able to defeat a Foundation Establishment opponent. 

The puppet's energy consumption came from the spirit stones embedded within its intricate internal formations. 

The Iron Armor Puppet Yang Fan now owned had four mid-grade spirit stones embedded within it, which were equivalent to over four hundred ordinary spirit stones. To Yang Fan, that was a staggering amount—practically astronomical. 

Yang Fan resolved that unless absolutely necessary, he would avoid deploying the puppet, as just the thought of the spirit stone consumption made his heart ache. 

Aside from this Iron Armor Puppet, Yang Fan had also obtained a Silver Armor Puppet of a higher grade from the grand hall. 

He had tried inserting the four mid-grade spirit stones from the Iron Armor Puppet into the Silver Armor Puppet, but found that they weren't enough to activate it. 

"Perhaps it needs higher-grade spirit stones to function," Yang Fan mused. 

Upper-grade spirit stones? 

Yang Fan quickly dismissed the thought. From what he knew, such spirit stones were exceedingly rare in the cultivation world. 

Moreover, a single upper-grade spirit stone was worth as much as ten thousand ordinary ones! 

At the moment, Yang Fan only had a few hundred spirit stones in total—barely enough to scratch the surface. 

Beside him, the small dog stood watching the puppet curiously, its eyes blinking, as if lost in thought. 

"Store it in the warehouse," Yang Fan ordered. 

"But it's so big..." The little dog whined, looking aggrieved. 

"Less talking, more doing. And be careful not to damage the rare herbs and treasures I've planted," Yang Fan said impatiently. 

Reluctantly, the little dog let out a soft whimper but had no choice, as Yang Fan was its master. The small dog approached the puppet and, with just a light touch, the towering Iron Armor giant toppled onto its back. 

Effortlessly, the dog moved toward the warehouse, deftly avoiding the precious herbs and treasures growing on the green land. 

Yang Fan watched in astonishment, his face betraying his surprise. He hadn't expected the little dog to manage it—it must weigh at least four or five hundred pounds, yet it seemed weightless on the dog's back. 

"Could this dog truly be a legendary divine beast?" Yang Fan began to suspect, casting a more thoughtful gaze at the small creature. 

Sensing Yang Fan's scrutinizing stare, the dog shivered slightly as it carried the puppet toward the warehouse. 

"Little dog, come here. I have some questions for you," Yang Fan called out, suddenly adopting a gentle and friendly tone. 

"Ah!" The dog, just returning from the warehouse, shuddered when it heard Yang Fan's kind voice, its guard immediately up. 

"What is it, Master?" the dog asked warily. 

"I've noticed that you must get pretty lonely staying here in the Xianhong Space all the time. Why don't you come with me to the outside world sometime, get some fresh air, broaden your horizons?" Yang Fan asked, testing the waters. 

"Well… Master, the level of the Xianhong ring isn't high enough for you to take my true form out. Even if it were, the material world you inhabit might not…"

"Not what?" Yang Fan pressed. 

"It might not be able to accommodate my presence..." The little dog blinked, its tone pitiful. 

"Alright… let's pretend I didn't ask," Yang Fan sighed, feeling exasperated. "Then let me ask you something else: what's the purpose of your existence?" 

"My purpose?" The dog paused, its expression turning oddly cryptic. "Master, don't tell me you don't know that!" 

"Of course I don't know! You've never told me!" Yang Fan shot back, irritated, feeling as if the dog was mocking his ignorance. 

"I am the spirit of the Xianhong Ring, born long ago within this Xianhong Space," the little dog replied, its voice tinged with an inexplicable sense of pride. 

"The spirit? Of this broken ring?" Yang Fan scoffed, pulling the ring from his finger and crushing it lightly. The ring shattered, but with a single thought, it reformed in his hand. 

The little dog was enraged, barking furiously, "That's the supreme treasure of the Xianhong Space!" 

"Calm down, calm down," Yang Fan waved dismissively. "For now, it seems like it's just a ring with no other abilities. Step aside, I've advanced a bit in my cultivation and want to expand the green land."

The dog, though still simmering with resentment, dared not disobey and retreated to the small thatched hut, but it reminded him, "Master, though your cultivation has improved, the level of the Xianhong Space hasn't. You won't be able to expand it unless you advance your Xianhong Technique." 

"I understand," Yang Fan replied flatly. Closing his eyes, he stepped onto the patch of green land, feeling its boundless vitality and the sensation of encompassing all life. 

As his cultivation deepened, his understanding of both the green land and the Xianhong Technique also grew. 

At first, he had thought of the Xianhong Technique as merely a wood-based cultivation method. But gradually, he realized that this heaven-defying technique transcended life itself, tapping into the very fabric of nature. 

Life, after all, wasn't just about plants, animals, and creatures. It encompassed the stones, the mountains, the rivers, even the stars and heavens… Though such lofty concepts were still far beyond his current understanding. 

For now, he was most connected with the life aspect—humans, animals, plants, and even demonic beasts. 

After a moment, Yang Fan exhaled softly and opened his eyes. He saw that the green land beneath him had expanded to a radius of about fifteen feet. 

In that instant, he felt as though his "domain" had grown slightly. 

Whenever he entered the Xianhong Space and stepped onto the green land, there was always a blood-deep connection with it. 

At the same time, all the herbs and treasures planted in the soil were under his control. 

The fourfold growth acceleration meant that rare herbs and spiritual plants would mature far faster than they would in the outside world. 

Yang Fan felt a surge of anticipation for what the future might hold once his Xianhong Technique advanced to the Condensing Mind stage. By then, he would likely reach the second level of Xianhong, and the green land's growth acceleration would increase further. 

Before leaving, Yang Fan stood at the boundary between the green land and the warehouse, then withdrew his consciousness from the Xianhong Space. 

Back in the tomb hall, Yang Fan sat cross-legged, his eyes snapping open, brimming with vitality and power. 

After spending half a day in the Xianhong Space, his energy had fully recovered, and even the severe internal injuries he had sustained had begun to heal. At this rate, a few more days of rest would see him fully recovered. 

"You... you've finally... woken up," Hu Fei said with obvious relief, rushing over to Yang Fan. 

"Do you need something?" Yang Fan asked, his tone cold and indifferent. 

"Don't you... want to... get out?" Hu Fei asked. 

"Of course, do you have a way?" Yang Fan asked. 

"You... you're a healer, right? Could you... heal me? That way, we could... work together..." 

"Stop," Yang Fan interrupted. "I understand. You want me to heal you so we can join forces, defeat the zombie outside, and break through this tomb, right?" 

"Yes, yes!" Hu Fei nodded enthusiastically. 

"You have over ten injuries, most of which I can heal in a short time. But some of them... the damage is too severe," Yang Fan observed Hu Fei's wounds as he spoke. 

"No problem..." Hu Fei quickly agreed. 

"But healing you won't come free. Judging by the extent of your injuries, it would take months to recover under normal circumstances. Healing you quickly will consume a significant amount of my energy and mana." 

"How... how much?" Hu Fei asked eagerly. 

Yang Fan's eyes fell on the storage bags hanging from the chubby ghost's waist. "I only want a few mid-grade spirit stones from those storage bags." 

"Deal! I'll give them to you!" Hu Fei immediately handed over the five or six mid-grade spirit stones he had in his bag. 

Yang Fan nodded in satisfaction. "You're

 making the right choice." He then stood up and began chanting the Xianhong Technique, channeling his energy to begin healing Hu Fei.