Chapter 76: Ring of Glory

( ) Chapter 87: Ring of Glory

The divine tree Ehe said: "If one can reach this place after passing the Refining Realm of Water and Fire, then regardless of what kind of person he is, he possesses the requisite qualifications. If Heaven cares only for his ability, where it will lead the living beings—toward the side of light or the side of darkness—is not something you or I can prevent."

Head Wolf frowned and nodded: "Mr. Ehe, he… he has already arrived here; shall we let him in now?"

Ehe closed his eyes, trembled the canopy, and nodded.

Head Wolf immediately instructed the light spirit at the doorway: "Mistress Emma, you may let him in."

Light spirit Emma gestured to Li Bucai, leading him through the gate. The moment he stepped across, everything that had been as still as a statue suddenly came to life. Around the canopy of the divine tree, countless light spirits fluttered their wings on the leaves, producing music‑like sounds; even the flowers, grasses, and trees began to dance, as if this were their blissful realm.

As Li Bucai entered, the seventeen Qingwolf Beasts on both sides all bowed their heads toward him.

Head Wolf stepped forward to welcome him, saying: "Welcome to the Sky Illusion, honored Lord of Flower Pool." He bowed and added: "First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Ti Er, the guard here, responsible for watching over the Sky Illusion and serving the divine tree Mr. Ehe. At Mr. Ehe's behest, I have brought the lord here. I am pleased you have passed our preliminary test."

"So you mean you went near my camp earlier just to lead us here?"

Head Wolf nodded: "This land needs a new master, and the lord considers himself that master, so Mr. Ehe wishes to know whether that is truly the case. Let me show you."

He led Li Bucai across the lawn to the massive tree.

"Mr. Ehe, I have brought him," Head Wolf introduced to Li Bucai: "This is the master of the Sky Illusion, Mr. Ehe."

The Sky Illusion—whether everything here is illusory or truly existent—is indeed a wondrous space.

Ehe slowly opened his heavy lids and said in a hoarse voice: "Greetings, honored lord. I am glad to meet you here."

"Mr. Ehe," Li Bucai clasped his fists in a salute, looking curiously at Ehe and Ti Er, surprised that the wolves and trees here could speak human language.

"You find everything here strange, do you?" Ti Er said: "I should explain. Mr. Ehe is a divine tree cultivated by the heavens at the very beginning of creation, so nothing that occurs in this world escapes his sight and hearing. As for me, my ancestors have guarded this place ever since, guided by Mr. Ehe's instructions, which is why I can converse with you in your language."

These eighteen Qingwolf Beasts are the Spirit Beasts that guard the Sky Illusion; Li Bucai could of course tell they are not ordinary.

After a brief exchange, Ti Er turned to Ehe: "Then, Mr. Ehe, may we begin now?"

Ehe pressed his eyes together to indicate consent.

Ti Er said to Li Bucai: "If you wish to become the true master of this land, you may not realize that, as you stand now, all the races in this world would become your enemies. Apart from the evil spirit forces, even the most peace‑loving holy elves would regard you as foes. Only if you can pass our third trial might you, perhaps, use the Ring of Glory to unite the races of the light side and stand against the evil spirit forces."

"Evil spirit forces?" Li Bucai asked in surprise.

"We know you are interested, but before you pass the third trial, even knowing this would only bring endless terror to you and your followers."

"Then what is the third trial?"

Ti Er nodded to light spirit Emma, who rose to the canopy and waved to the tens of thousands of light spirits on the leaves, guiding them upward. Soon, a massive white glow appeared overhead; the light spirits lifted a stone sarcophagus and gently lowered it onto the center of the lawn. After placing it, they projected a holy beam of light from the sarcophagus to Li Bucai, forming a sanctified path. Accompanied by Ti Er, Li Bucai stepped forward to the sarcophagus.

"You only need to open the sarcophagus, retrieve the Ring of Glory from the one inside, and place it on your finger; then you will truly be the master of this land and be more readily recognized by the races of the light side."

The first two trials had left him exhausted by that Head Wolf and then tormented by the Refining Realm of Ice and Fire and the Refining Realm of Bitter Sea; this third one would surely be even harder.

Li Bucai steadied himself, nodded, and approached the sarcophagus. Before his hand could touch the lid, a "crack" sounded and the sarcophagus spontaneously split a seam; not only Li Bucai but all the light spirits and even Head Wolf Ti Er recoiled in shock, stepping back a few paces, while Li Bucai remained standing before the sarcophagus, his hand still extended.

As the seam opened, a fragrant scent of powdered perfume wafted out. Li Bucai placed his hand on it, applied gentle pressure, and with a "crack‑crack" the lid lifted.

"A member of the undead?" Li Bucai exclaimed.

Inside lay a girl who seemed only seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a pink dress, two ivory‑white horns protruding from her head, pointed ears, a small cherry‑like mouth, eyes half‑closed, looking like a sleeping undead maiden. Her appearance was almost identical to Yue Ji; had Yue Ji not been under his command at the camp, he would have mistaken her for Yue Ji.

In fact, the girl in the coffin was the legendary ancestor of the undead, originally from Sky City, who fled into the wilderness due to a tangled romance, stumbled here, and after drinking the "Forbidden Dew" became undead yet took on this hybrid human‑beast form.

Yet she was a ruler of this world; burdened by deep hatred, after receiving aid from the light forces she did not wait for the evil spirit forces to fully rise before eradicating them, instead first attacked humanity, driving them from the continent. With humanity's massive support gone, the evil spirit forces gradually seized the initiative, splitting and defeating the light forces in all corners, leaving them unable to match the evil spirit forces.

She lay in the coffin, her breath halted for ten thousand years, hands crossed over her abdomen, a golden ring without ornamentation perched on her middle finger, engraved with a few tiny symbols, appearing plain yet weighty.

Li Bucai pinched the ring with his fingers; when his touch met it, it suddenly emitted dazzling golden light, flooding the coffin with brilliance. He lifted it effortlessly, turned, and raised it overhead; the golden ring shone like the sun, unleashing countless beams that bathed every surface in the Sky Illusion with gold.

The divine tree Ehe's eyes, which had been half‑closed, suddenly snapped open, his strange gaze fixed on Li Bucai.