Chapter 30: The Spatial Ring (With thanks to "Celestial Motion" for the generous reward)

"As expected, it's a spatial pouch. With this, the dragon corpse is completely mine!"

Utilizing the Bone-Shrinking Technique to roam within the dragon's belly and using merit to restore his body from the corrosive slime, Lu Sheng recalled the information obtained from the Golden-Spiked Dragon, quickly locating the Flying Dragon Horse figurine and a pouch within.

Infusing it with mystic energy, Lu Sheng instantly sensed the space within the pouch, confirming it to be a spatial pouch.

"In this world, spatial equipment is mostly crafted by grandmasters capable of refining the void, who fix fragments of space extracted from the void onto spatial materials, ultimately creating such items."

"To use spatial equipment, one not only needs mystic energy to supply power but also a certain amount of mental strength to manipulate the items inside!"

"Besides being able to recognize an owner, the entrance to spatial equipment is always sealed with mystic patterns—requiring specific methods to unlock!"

"Yet, for me, it's not so troublesome!"

'Ruyi, break it for me!'

Spending three points of merit, Lu Sheng instantly dissolved the seal on the pouch. Injecting mystic energy, he quickly sensed the stored food, clean water, clothes, some medicines, ores, and several weapons within.

"There are even mystic weapons!"

Drawing out a dagger, Lu Sheng couldn't help but feel delighted. No matter the grade, the sharpness of mystic weapons far surpasses ordinary ones, and for him now, it would certainly bolster his strength!

He hastily scanned the contents, unable to examine everything, and quickly pondered the situation with the spatial pouch:

"This spatial pouch is only three zhang in diameter—not the lowest grade but hardly excellent."

"To fit the entire dragon corpse inside is nearly impossible!"

The Golden-Spiked Dragon's body, transformed from a sea dragon ginseng, was round and covered in spikes. By Lu Sheng's estimation, it was about one zhang thick and seven or eight zhang long, and difficult to coil.

"If I disassemble the dragon, empty the pouch, perhaps it could fit..."

"But the Golden-Spiked Dragon is a fourth-tier beast, with a layer of scales on the outside. I don't have a fourth-tier mystic weapon to break it down!"

"Moreover, the two people outside won't give me the time—"

"So, the only option is to expand the pouch's capacity!"

Increasing the capacity of a spatial pouch that's already formed is no easy feat, even for grandmasters. But for Lu Sheng, as long as merit is sufficient, anything is possible!

---

"In this world, spatial equipment is limited by spatial materials and typically cannot utilize all of the refined spatial fragments—only part of them."

"Now, it's down to the size of the spatial fragment used in this pouch!"

With that thought, Lu Sheng immediately commanded in his mind:

"Ruyi, measure the spatial fragment's limit in this pouch for me!"

Instantly, an image appeared before Lu Sheng: a spatial fragment about thirty-two zhang long, five zhang wide and tall.

"Excellent!"

Without time to marvel at the creator's wastefulness, Lu Sheng praised and continued:

"How much merit is needed to expand the pouch to its limit?"

"Seventy-nine thousand, six hundred and twenty-six merit points," Ruyi replied.

"Nearly eighty thousand—much more precious than repairing the Heavenly Spirit Annihilation Array. Thankfully, I can still afford it now!"

With that in mind, Lu Sheng continued:

"Are there any materials nearby that could help reduce merit consumption?"

"There are!"

Several materials placed in the pouch by Ma Bu Ting, and the Golden-Spiked Dragon's newly-formed stomach sac, were marked by Ruyi and appeared in Lu Sheng's spiritual sea.

"Ma Bu Ting once visited the Divine Ruins; it's not surprising he found some spatial materials there."

"Unexpectedly, this Golden-Spiked Dragon's newly-formed stomach sac possesses spatial attributes."

---

"And judging from the mystic patterns on it, it's part of its innate abilities—likely used to store food."

"I wonder, after I comprehend the mystic art from its innate ability, will my own stomach gain spatial attributes—"

"Become a bottomless eater?"

Thinking thus, Lu Sheng moved closer to the stomach sac.

Just as he swung his dagger to cut it free, a disturbance within his spiritual sea caused him to pause.

---

"The Heart-Control Gu—Wan Gu Xiao wants to retrieve the Heart-Control Gu!"

"Seems Wan Gu Xiao has noticed something!"

Within his spiritual sea, the Heart-Control Gu that had always surrounded Lu Sheng's mind suddenly dissipated, reforming into the shape of a Gu worm, abandoning its control over him.

Clearly, Lu Sheng's actions had aroused Wan Gu Xiao's suspicion, prompting him to withdraw the Gu.

Its destination was certainly the Blue-Line Coral Snake—

As a demonic serpent with incomplete intelligence, the Heart-Control Gu could exert total control, and Wan Gu Xiao could share its sensations at any time, obtaining exact information about the Golden-Spiked Dragon.

"To come and go as you please—it's not that easy!"

Lu Sheng sneered.

Although he now sensed Wan Gu Xiao's essence, energy, and spirit characteristics through the Heart-Control Gu, Lu Sheng wasn't willing to let it go—

He still had an idea to seize the Heart-Control Gu, yet untested!

"Time is tight, but it's enough!"

"Three Treasures Ruyi Art, transform!"

Instantly, Lu Sheng's essence, energy, and spirit data changed from "Essence 7.26, Energy 7.26, Spirit 7.26" to "Essence 7.36, Energy 7.59, Spirit 6.83."

"This is Wan Gu Xiao's ratio—and his unique traits!"

In the blink of an eye, Lu Sheng's aura was nearly identical to Wan Gu Xiao's!

"Heart-Control Gu, stay where you are!"

Within his spiritual sea, the Heart-Control Gu, manipulated by Wan Gu Xiao to depart, sensed Lu Sheng's transformation and hesitated, freezing—

It obeyed neither Lu Sheng's nor Wan Gu Xiao's command!

"Hmm? What's going on? Mental confusion?"

Lu Sheng pondered, but had no time to investigate:

"Wan Gu Xiao has already realized something—let's see what he intends!"

He decided to release control over the Heart-Control Gu, letting it depart his spiritual sea.

---

"What happened? My Heart-Control Gu was out of control for a moment!"

Beside the pool, as Wan Gu Xiao manipulated the Gu to transfer onto the Blue-Line Coral Snake, he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart and his blood trembled.

This scenario is every cultivator of the Origin Gu Sect's greatest fear—

Loss of control over their life-bound Gu!

"It's that brat!"

"Yes! It must be him!"

"He must have subdued my Heart-Control Gu!"

Though the loss of control was brief and the Gu was again under his command, Wan Gu Xiao's face changed drastically as he deduced the cause:

"If that boy has this ability, how could he be controlled by me?"

---

"Was everything that happened before orchestrated by him?"

Previously, Wan Gu Xiao hadn't considered Lu Sheng might counteract him, but now, recalling everything since his Heart-Control Gu invaded Lu Sheng, he immediately noticed many anomalies.

A sense of humiliation and anger surged within him!

At that moment, the Heart-Control Gu resumed control over the Blue-Line Coral Snake, relaying information from within the dragon's mouth to Wan Gu Xiao.

Confirming the flood dragon's death, Wan Gu Xiao wasted no time and leapt into the pool!

Beside him, Ma Bu Ti continued to observe whether the flood dragon was truly dead. Seeing Wan Gu Xiao leap, he followed without hesitation.

Both figures grabbed the dragon corpse simultaneously!

"Flying Dragon Horse!"

Thinking of the treasure he and his elder brother had concealed for years, Ma Bu Ti instantly realized Lu Sheng had entered the dragon's belly—

He followed the dragon's mouth, diving into the belly!

Wan Gu Xiao, having already sent the Blue-Line Coral Snake inside through his control, didn't enter himself. Instead, he examined the Golden-Spiked Dragon's corpse, considering whether he could disassemble it and store it in his spatial equipment—

His own spatial pouch likewise couldn't fit the whole corpse.

---

Inside the dragon's belly, after releasing the Heart-Control Gu, Lu Sheng sensed the information transmitted by the Blue-Line Coral Snake.

"So, the Heart-Control Gu can share information in real time through a psychic connection!"

"And the Blue-Line Coral Snake survived the Heavenly Spirit Annihilation Array!"

With this realization, Lu Sheng recalled the Heart-Control Gu that had surrounded his mind:

"Yes, the Gu's encirclement not only controls the mind but also offers some defense against psychic attacks."

"Likely, when the Heavenly Spirit Annihilation Array first activated, Wan Gu Xiao used the Gu to protect it."

Just then, information sent from the Blue-Line Coral Snake included Ma Bu Ti's appearance.

"Time to hurry!"

Lu Sheng's heart tightened; he moved even faster, extracting the stomach sac and the materials Ruyi required from the pouch, placing them together with the spatial pouch according to the design in his mind, and commanded:

"Ruyi, modify the spatial pouch accordingly!"

Instantly, seventy-three thousand, six hundred and twenty merit points vanished, and the pouch's capacity expanded to eight hundred cubic zhang—almost thirty times its previous twenty-seven cubic zhang.

The pouch's appearance also changed at Lu Sheng's will, becoming a ring.

---

"Though much of the merit saved with the materials was spent, the appearance is far better—"

"In its current form, Ma Bu Ti probably wouldn't recognize it as his elder brother's pouch!"

Thirty-two zhang long, five zhang high and wide, it was best made circular like a ring. To maximize the space fragment and for convenience, Lu Sheng expended extra merit to reshape the pouch as a ring and fully connect its internal space.

Within the spatial ring, he set several adjustable partitions to separate various items.

Now, Ma Bu Ting's original belongings rested in one compartment—

The space for the dragon corpse was also ready.

"Now, I just need to leave the belly and store the dragon corpse in the spatial ring!"

Sliding the ring onto his finger and stowing the Flying Dragon Horse figurine inside, Lu Sheng began heading toward the dragon's mouth—

At this moment, Ma Bu Ti was already entering the belly!