Ji Xia toyed with the item for a while before Zhao Wu chuckled and remarked, "Although these Xuanfang Bags are not the worst in quality, they are far from the best. The Xuanfang Bags belonging to Lu Yuqi and Pang Shixie hold only as much space as a small room."
"But, Brother, the gourd in your hand is the true treasure of immense value."
Hearing Zhao Wu's words, Ji Xia turned his attention to the small gourd he had retrieved from Zhang Yi's belongings.
This gourd was only the size of a thumb, and on its lower half was engraved a beast's head.
"Some master artifact forgers or powerful practitioners enjoy crafting Xuanfang Stones of high grade into bracelets, rings, gourds, or bottles. These forms are not only more aesthetically pleasing than bags but also contain larger inner spaces, capable of storing more items. Zhang Yi's gourd is such a Xuanfang artifact," Zhao Wu patiently explained, silently wondering, Who exactly is this Qin Ji? Judging by his cultivation and treasures, he's extraordinary, yet he seems completely unfamiliar with Xuanfang artifacts.
Ji Xia nodded and attempted to activate the beast head engraving on the gourd with his spiritual energy, but the gourd remained unresponsive.
Zhao Wu, puzzled at first, soon understood. "This Xuanfang Gourd likely has a restriction inscribed by a strong practitioner of the Yuanling Tribe. Only Zhang Yi can open it."
Hearing this, Ji Xia focused his gaze on the gourd, channeling the Great Sun vision technique. Sure enough, he spotted a complex restriction carved onto it.
After some thought, inspiration struck him. He raised his hand, summoning the treasured Mystic Mirror, and let its spiritual light pass through the Bai Ze engraving on the lens. The mirror emitted a beam of light that shone upon the Xuanfang Gourd.
Instantly, the mirror revealed a series of images: a heavy hammer refining a Xuanfang Stone, spiritual flames tempering it, and runes being meticulously inscribed.
The images then shifted to a middle-aged man in a white robe, engraving complex restrictions onto the gourd.
Next, a series of messages appeared:
Hidden Space Gourd Information 1: Belongs to Zhang Yi, the young lord of the Yuanling Tribe of the Spirit Contracting Nation. Made from Xuanfang Stone, it can store items.Information 2: The gourd has a master-recognition restriction; only Zhang Yi can open it.Information 3: The gourd bears a tracking rune. Every 80 days, the rune activates to reveal its location to the Yuanling Tribe's strong practitioners. The next activation is in 47 days.
Ji Xia's expression darkened. He was fortunate to have used the Mystic Mirror for inspection; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
Ji Xia was unsure how powerful the Yuanling Tribe was, but judging by Zhao Wu's reaction and Zhang Yi's arrogance, the tribe was likely stronger than Da Fu. If a strong practitioner from the tribe discovered the gourd's location and pursued Tai Cang, not only Ji Xia but the 600,000 citizens of Tai Cang would face annihilation. Even Da Fu, located nearby, might not escape unscathed.
After deliberating, Ji Xia decided to store the gourd in Pang Shixie's Xuanfang Bag. With over 40 days until the tracking rune activated, he planned to take it back to Tai Cang and attempt to remove the rune before figuring out how to open the gourd. As the young lord of a powerful tribe, Zhang Yi would have likely stored many treasures within.
To be cautious, Ji Xia also used the Mystic Mirror to inspect the Xuanfang Bags of Pang Shixie and Lu Yuqi. Only after confirming no hidden dangers did he relax.
Xuanfang Bag Information 1: Made from Xuanfang Beast hide and low-grade Xuanfang Stone. It can store items, but its space is minimal.
Watching Ji Xia deftly summon a mysterious mirror to examine his newfound artifacts, Zhao Wu and Fan Zhu were both surprised and confused.
Who is this Qin Ji? Does he possess a different kind of storage artifact, unrelated to Xuanfang treasures? Zhao Wu was deeply astonished.
Fan Zhu was equally taken aback. "That mirror is also a treasure. Its mysterious aura and the divine beast carved into its lens are both extraordinary. Just looking at it fills me with an inexplicable sense of dread."
The two continued to speculate as Ji Xia stored the gourd and one Xuanfang Bag inside Pang Shixie's bag and secured it tightly.
Zhao Wu suddenly spoke with admiration, "According to our elders, crafting such dimension-encompassing treasures from Xuanfang Stone originated in ancient methods passed down from countries like Da Zhao, Chong Shen, and Tian Qi. These techniques have a long history."
Ji Xia listened attentively, feeling a surge of reverence. "Such practitioners are known as Lingfu Masters. In Tai Cang, they are as distant and legendary as myths."
Ji Xia suppressed his admiration, resolving, The path of cultivation is fraught with challenges. I must remain persistent and unwavering if I hope to reach such extraordinary realms.
Suppressing his emotions, Ji Xia retrieved a jade dagger from Pang Shixie's bag and carefully harvested the remaining leaves and core of the precious herb that had sparked the conflict.
Just as he was about to store the items, Fan Zhu handed him a jade box. "Such treasures must be stored in gentle jade to preserve their potency."
Ji Xia expressed his thanks and placed the herb's leaves, core, and roots inside the jade box before storing it in the Xuanfang Bag.
After some thought, he retrieved two of the herb's leaves, previously picked by Ji Xiu and Lu Yuqi, and handed them to Zhao Wu and Fan Zhu. "Brothers, consider these a token of gratitude for enlightening me."
Both Zhao Wu and Fan Zhu declined, but Ji Xia insisted. "These herbs wouldn't have been harvested if not for your righteousness in opposing Zhang Yi. Please accept them as a sign of my respect."
After some hesitation, Zhao Wu finally accepted. Laughing heartily, he said, "In less than half an hour, Da Fu's strong practitioners will arrive at the floating island, and we can leave together. Coincidentally, my family elder's birthday is in half a month. Brother Qin Ji, you must join us and enjoy the festivities!"