192: Chapter 191 Master is back! A Void Atlas, a Capsule Spaceship, and a Lifesaving Pouch

It was already dark by the time the taxi pulled up at the entrance of the old street alley.

One of the streetlights in the alley was broken, leaving only the one at the end glowing. Its dim, yellowish light cast dappled shadows across the stone-paved road.

Lin Feng pushed open the car door and stepped out, carrying his backpack.

The orange cat at the alley entrance was still sprawled on the rattan chair, its tail flicking back and forth. It didn't even bother to lift an eyelid when it saw him.

Xiao Guang poked his head out from his jacket pocket, his golden face shimmering under the streetlight. "Lin Feng, we're at your Master's house. Why is he on the roof?"

Lin Feng looked up and saw a figure standing under the moonlight on the roof of Zhao Ritian's three-story building.

It was Zhao Ritian.

He wasn't sitting in his wheelchair; he was standing.

He wore a deep gray training suit with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a faint, old scar on his arm that glinted silver-white in the moonlight.

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment.

He had never seen his Master standing on the roof before.

Usually, Zhao Ritian was either sitting in his wheelchair or pacing slowly through the house. On the rare occasions he did stand up, his movements were very light, like someone unaccustomed to being on their feet.

But at this moment, standing on the roof, his back was as straight as an arrow, like an old pine tree rooted to the tiles.

The night wind blew, ruffling his gray hair into a bit of a mess, but he remained motionless, looking down at something in his hand.

It was a metal box, about the size of a palm, reflecting a cold light under the moon.

Zhao Ritian snapped the box shut, tucked it into his robe, and with a slight blur of movement, he flew down from the roof.

He descended as light as a falling leaf spiraling through the air, his toes touching down on the alley's stone pavement with almost no sound at all.

"You're here?"

Zhao Ritian glanced at him. His tone was still that same lazy drawl, but Lin Feng noticed his eyes were slightly bloodshot, as if he had just rushed back from somewhere and hadn't had time to rest.

"Master, what were you looking at just now?"

Lin Feng asked.

"Nothing. Just an old friend's memento. I took it out to let it soak in some moonlight."

Zhao Ritian waved his hand, signaling him not to ask further, and turned to push open the door to the small building.

Lin Feng followed him inside.

The house was the same as ever: a wooden table with peeling paint, a few bamboo chairs, and that old-fashioned radio sitting quietly on the cabinet.

But there was something new on the table.

A black metal box, palm-sized, identical to the one Lin Feng had just seen on the roof.

Zhao Ritian walked to the table and pushed the box toward Lin Feng.

"Open it and take a look."

Lin Feng opened the box.

Inside lay a ring.

It was silver and simple in design. An extremely fine pattern was etched onto the face of the ring, shimmering with a faint, ghostly blue light under the lamp, looking like a miniature bolt of lightning frozen in place.

This was no ordinary Storage Ring.

The material of this ring was different from any storage equipment Lin Feng had seen before—it felt ice-cold to the touch, but after holding it for a while, it emitted a faint warmth, like something between metal and jade.

"The void mithril ring. It has an internal space of one hundred thousand cubic meters and comes with automatic categorization and item retrieval functions."

Zhao Ritian leaned back in his wheelchair and took a swig from his purple clay teapot.

"It's much larger than that ring on your hand, and much smarter. Any Materials, equipment, or loot you pick up in the Void Corridor, no matter how much, it can hold it all and help you categorize it automatically. If you want to find something, just search with your consciousness; there's no need to rummage through it for ages."

Lin Feng slipped the ring onto his finger. It automatically adjusted its size to fit his index finger perfectly.

The ghostly blue pattern on the ring's face flashed once, then returned to calm.

"Thank you, Master."

Lin Feng said.

"Don't be so quick to thank me, there's more."

Zhao Ritian pulled another object from his robe and placed it on the table.

It was a palm-sized capsule, entirely silver-white. Its surface had no visible seams, with only a single button at the base.

Lin Feng picked it up to examine it. The capsule felt very light, as if it were hollow, but when he shook it, he could feel something moving inside.

"A Capsule Ship. It's a specialized Void transport vehicle developed by the National Space Institute in collaboration with the Explorer Association, codenamed 'Star Shuttle.' Don't let its palm-sized appearance fool you; once activated, it transforms into a small spacecraft capable of navigating the Void Interlayer."

As Zhao Ritian spoke, he pointed to the button at the bottom of the capsule.

"Press once to activate, press again to retract. Operation is simple, entirely voice-controlled, no manual piloting required. The ship's hull can withstand the tearing force of a Void Storm, and a protective shield can be activated in areas with dense spatial cracks. It's not as fast as a transportation Formation, but there are no Formations available in the Void Corridor, so you'll have to rely on this to travel. The ship has a built-in navigation System that will automatically plan a route based on your parents' journals."

Lin Feng carefully stored the capsule inside the void mithril ring.

This thing was too precious—a ship that could withstand a Void Storm was simply not available on the market. This was a national-level strategic resource. For his Master to obtain one, he must have gone to great lengths.

"And this."

Zhao Ritian picked up a thick booklet from the table and handed it to Lin Feng.

The booklet was hardcover, bound in a type of leather Lin Feng had never seen before. It felt cold to the touch, and printed on it in gold foil were the words: 'Illustrated Guide to Void Creatures - Internal Material of the Federal Explorer Association'.

Lin Feng flipped to the first page.

It featured a hand-drawn anatomical diagram of a Void creature, drawn with extreme precision. Beside it were dense annotations regarding the creature's Rank, attack power, defense, skills, weaknesses, and habitats.

The second page featured another Void creature, equally detailed.

The third page, the fourth, the fifth... the entire atlas cataloged every Void creature the Federation had discovered to date, from the lowest-level Void Rat to the highest-level Void Dragon, each with a detailed introduction.

"This atlas is currently the most complete data on Void creatures in the country. Your parents' journals mentioned many monsters in the Void Corridor; by cross-referencing with this guide, you'll know their specific attributes and weaknesses. When you encounter a monster you don't recognize, don't rush to fight. Check the atlas first, find its weakness, and then strike."

After Zhao Ritian finished speaking, he reached into his robe once more.

This time, what he pulled out made Lin Feng hold his breath.

A Storage Pouch.

Not an ordinary Storage Pouch.

This Storage Pouch was sewn from a dark-gold fabric. A red cord was tied around the opening, and a small jade pendant hung from the cord.

A complex rune was carved into the jade pendant. Lin Feng didn't recognize it, but he could feel an extremely ancient aura emanating from it—it was from the same era as Xiao Guang's Formation runes.

"I obtained this Storage Pouch by chance from a Secret Realm long ago. The storage space inside is much larger than your wanxiang ring, but that's not the point."

Zhao Ritian paused, placed the Storage Pouch on the table, and pushed it toward Lin Feng.

"The point is what's inside. I've placed a few things in there that you might need—some for emergencies, some for saving your life, and one... well, you'll find out when you open it. Remember, if you encounter a problem you can't solve in the Void Realm, open this Storage Pouch. But do not open it early—the items inside will only activate under specific conditions. Opening it prematurely will make them useless."

Lin Feng took the Storage Pouch. It was heavy, much heavier than he had imagined.

He tried to probe inside with his consciousness to see what was there, but as soon as his mind touched the opening of the pouch, it was bounced back by a layer of gentle force.

Seeing his expression, the corner of Zhao Ritian's mouth quirked up. "The Seal hasn't been lifted yet; you won't be able to probe inside. Once you reach the depths of the Void Corridor, the Seal will unlock automatically."

With that, he stood up from his wheelchair, walked to the window, and stood with his back to Lin Feng, looking at the moon hanging over the tips of the sycamore trees.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice a few shades deeper than usual.

"Lin Feng, I'm leaving for a while."

Lin Feng was taken aback.

"Master, where are you going?"

"The frontier."

Zhao Ritian turned around, a very faint smile appearing on his aged face.

"The country needs a few old guys to go back and hold the line. The Panzi Race has been making big moves lately, and the pressure on the frontier is growing. We retired old relics can usually stay out of things, but when it's truly time to put in effort, no one can stay idle. Your Master might not be as nimble on his feet as he used to be, but my mind is still clear, and my fists are still hard."

Lin Feng wanted to say something, but Zhao Ritian waved his hand to cut him off.

"Don't worry about me. How many wars have I fought in my life? One more won't make a difference. As for you—the Void Corridor is no ordinary place. Though you are strong now, the dangers in the Void Realm cannot be measured by Rank alone. Some things are more terrifying than any monster."

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious.

Lin Feng clenched his fists and nodded.

"I will. Master, please be careful yourself. Once I come out of the Void Corridor, I'll go to the frontier to find you."

Zhao Ritian was silent for a heartbeat, then cursed with a laugh. "Alright, enough with the sentimentality. Get lost already. You're wasting my time while I need to pack my things."

Lin Feng secured the Storage Pouch and turned to walk toward the door.

After taking a few steps, he looked back at Zhao Ritian once more.

The moonlight bathed the old man, dyeing his gray hair silver-white.

He stood with his back to the door, placing that purple clay teapot into an old leather suitcase. His movements were slow and meticulous, as if he were organizing something of great importance.

Lin Feng pushed the door and went out.