Space rings were not able to store just anything. Items that were too large or too heavy sometimes simply couldn't be placed inside a space ring, and certain special treasures were likewise impossible—for instance, the Solar True Essence that Yang Kai and Yang Yan had previously obtained from the Corpse Den.
It couldn't be stored in a space ring because the scorching heat it radiated far exceeded what a space ring could withstand. Forcing it in would inevitably destroy the ring.
That was why Yang Yan had gone to such lengths to specially refine a storage ring.
Strictly speaking, the puppet before them wasn't all that large, yet it still couldn't be put into a space ring. The only explanation was that its weight far surpassed Yang Kai's imagination.
At that thought, a flicker of surprise and intrigue passed through Yang Kai's eyes.
Just as he was deliberating, Cai He and Du Sisi walked over from nearby. The battle was done—it was time to claim the spoils. Everyone could tell the puppet was extraordinary, and the two formation masters naturally weren't about to let Yang Kai take all the spoils for himself. They hurriedly finished their recovery and regrouped with Yang Kai.
"Brother Yang, this puppet is most likely a relic from the ancient era—quite the valuable find," Cai He said with a chuckle, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
"Indeed. If we can figure out how to drive it, it would become a tremendous asset," Du Sisi added, her beautiful eyes gleaming with excitement.
Yang Kai stroked his chin and looked at the two of them, choosing not to call out their ulterior motives. He smiled evenly. "You two have your eye on it?"
Cai He let out an awkward laugh, but Du Sisi was blunt about it. "Of course—who would pass up something this good? Even if we can't figure out the activation method, we might be able to glean ancient puppet-forging techniques from studying it. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm sure Lian Guan would be very interested."
She spoke the truth. A puppet like this—regardless of its intrinsic value alone—its research potential was immeasurable. The Lian family, famous for their mastery of puppet creation, would certainly not let such an opportunity slip by.
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded lightly. Though Du Sisi had something of a young miss's temper, after fighting alongside the two of them, his impression of her had improved somewhat. After a moment's consideration, he said, "All three of us contributed greatly to this battle. But there's only one puppet—how should we divide it?"
Cai He and Du Sisi exchanged glances, neither able to come up with a satisfactory arrangement.
Seeing their troubled expressions, Yang Kai chuckled and spoke up. "Tell you what—I'll give up the puppet. I just want that pitch-black giant club. You two can sort out between yourselves who gets the puppet. And of course, there's also that elder's space ring left behind after her death."
After the old woman had been crushed, her space ring had fallen at the puppet's feet. Yang Kai hadn't had a chance to retrieve it until now, but it worked out perfectly—between the puppet, the giant club, and the space ring, there were exactly three items for the three of them to divide.
No one knew what was inside her space ring. But that bottle of Life Nectar was the real deal.
"Just the club?" Du Sisi glanced at the pitch-black giant club beside the puppet, and a hint of reluctance flashed in her pretty eyes. Honestly, she could tell the club's value was probably no less than the puppet itself, and simply handing it over to Yang Kai felt somewhat wasteful. But when she thought of the old woman's space ring, she felt a renewed interest.
Cai He, however, agreed immediately. "Done. Brother Yang was the main force in this battle and nearly died several times over. I have no objections to this division."
Since he'd said that, what could Du Sisi do?
Yang Kai thanked them for their concession and walked over to the pitch-black giant club. After a moment's thought, he placed his hand on it and extended his divine sense, probing it carefully.
A moment later, his expression shifted, and Saint Yuan surged forth, pouring into the club.
An incredible scene unfolded. As the Saint Yuan flowed in, the enormous club—over ten zhang long and thick as a barrel—rapidly shrank at astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, it was reduced to roughly the height of a man.
Cai He and Du Sisi, who had been discussing the allocation of the puppet and space ring nearby, were struck dumb at the sight.
Yang Kai's expression said *just as I expected*. The first time he'd seen the puppet, he hadn't noticed this giant club at all. But after the puppet had crushed the old woman, it had suddenly produced the weapon. Yang Kai had suspected then that the club could freely change its size, and now his hypothesis was confirmed.
He reached for the pitch-black club, and his expression hardened—then brightened with delight.
He found that the club was actually somewhat too heavy for him to lift easily. His choice had been the right one. This club was clearly forged from some incredibly rare material.
As for the puppet, it had already been damaged, and with the methods available on the Dark Star, repair was unlikely—making it useless. At best, he could trade it to the Lian family for some Saint Crystals and treasures. And the Life Nectar in the old woman's space ring… it was merely a diluted product, not worth taking. Yang Kai was fairly confident that somewhere inside that rockery, purer Life Nectar awaited.
His heart was elated, but his expression remained composed. He channeled wave after wave of Saint Yuan into the club, then extended his vast divine sense, enveloped the weapon, and stored it in the ring that Yang Yan had refined.
That ring could hold even the Solar True Essence and the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Platform, so storing one impossibly heavy club was hardly a challenge.
By the time Yang Kai finished, Cai He and Du Sisi had reached their own agreement. Cai He walked to where the puppet had originally stood and picked up the old woman's space ring. Du Sisi, meanwhile, produced an artifact resembling a bracelet, her pretty face lit with joy. She tossed the bracelet into the air, and it immediately expanded into a large ring that hovered over the puppet. From the ring, thin energy threads like weeping willow tendrils descended.