Chapter 77: If you know how to refine artifacts, I

After Ye Xiuxiu successfully completed her refining work here,

Ye Qingming had just finished his in-depth study of Ye Xiuxiu's magic treasure whistle, feeling satisfied.

He repeatedly exclaimed in admiration:

"Wonderful, wonderful, it's truly beyond wonderful!"

"How could this thing be so exquisitely perfect?"

Ye Qingming uttered three "wonderful"s in a row to express his inner astonishment and praise.

However, just then,

He suddenly came to his senses, realizing that this treasure belonged to Ye Xiuxiu.

He then began to look around, searching for Ye Xiuxiu's figure.

After searching around,

Ye Qingming finally discovered that Ye Xiuxiu was standing at the back of the Refining Great Cauldron at that moment,

carefully opening the cauldron lid,

as if preparing to take out the refined item inside.

"Eh!"

Seeing this, Ye Qingming's heart jolted, and he quickly shouted,

"Wait a moment, definitely don't touch my things!"

Before his words even finished, he watched helplessly as Ye Xiuxiu stepped on the ladder,

and took out from the Refining Great Cauldron a shield flashing with sapphire‑blue light.

Ye Qingming froze, his mind going blank.

He racked his brains but could not figure out,

when he had ever placed such an item inside this cauldron. For a moment,

countless questions surged in his heart,

but the most urgent thing now was to ensure Ye Xiuxiu's safety.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Qingming had no time to think further,

he lunged forward in a single stride, extending an arm,

swiftly yet gently encircling Ye Xiuxiu's waist and pulling her into his embrace.

At the same time, he kept muttering:

"You little brat, truly unaware of the immensity of heaven and earth!"

"Don't you know how dangerous this place is?"

"If you accidentally slip and fall into this cauldron, you'll be burnt to ashes in an instant!"

Ye Qingming approached the Refining Great Cauldron with a face full of suspicion,

widening his eyes to peer inside.

However, what shocked him was,

the cauldron's interior was completely empty,

as if it had been looted clean.

Not only did the blazing flames vanish without a trace,

but even that crucial green iron plate disappeared without a trace.

"How did everything just disappear?"

Ye Qingming furrowed his brows, his heart filled with doubt and anxiety.

He abruptly turned his head,

his gaze fell upon the sapphire‑blue palm‑sized round shield tightly gripped in Ye Xiuxiu's hand.

The shield emitted a faint blue glow,

clearly not an ordinary item.

"A defensive magic treasure capable of blocking a full‑force strike from a Nascent Soul Stage Great Perfection cultivator?"

Ye Qingming sucked in a breath of cold air,

and involuntarily exclaimed.

Afterward, he incredulously turned his gaze toward Ye Xiuxiu,

scanning up and down this seemingly frail little girl.

"This couldn't be something you refined, could it?"

Ye Qingming widened his eyes as the doubtful words slipped out.

Faced with Ye Qingming's skepticism,

Ye Xiuxiu merely gave a faint smile,

like a blooming flower, lovely and captivating.

She lightly nodded,

her little head swaying only slightly,

yet full of confidence.

as if saying,

"Indeed, this formidable magic treasure was personally refined by this young lady,"

"hurry up and praise me!"

But Ye Qingming kept shaking his head, his face full of distrust.

He muttered to himself, "How could this be possible? You're just a child, what do you know about the art of refining artifacts?"

"Do we have to place that green iron piece into the great cauldron and fire it continuously for a full 49 days,"

"in order to completely refine the green armor scales and forge such a powerful Magic Treasure?"

Because, when calculated, the great cauldron had been firing for exactly 49 days.

Hearing this, Ye Xiuxiu's eyes suddenly flashed with urgency,

she cooed petulantly, "Second Uncle, I clearly just told you, this is what I forged!"

"Did you even hear what I said?"

Ye Qingming rolled a huge disdainful white eye,

his face full of contempt, he said:

"Hmph, if you truly understand the art of refining artifacts, I'll swallow this great cauldron whole right here!"

He said as he

also pointed his finger at the huge, heavy cauldron beside him,

"You, a still‑wet‑nosed little brat, actually dare claim to know the art of refining artifacts?"

"It's nothing but a fool's dream! Stop messing around with me here."

"By the way,"

"you just said you wanted to learn the art of refining artifacts from me, right,"

"I agree, just use that whistle of yours as the tuition."

Upon hearing that, Ye Xiuxiu instantly became urgent,

Ye Xiuxiu's eyes were swift and hands quick,

she snatched back the Magic Treasure whistle that originally belonged to her in an instant,

and with a speed faster than thunder, she shoved it into the storage pouch she carried.

At the same time she muttered, "Give it to me, you think that's nice!"

You should know, being system‑made, it's definitely a premium product!

Ye Xiuxiu knew very well that a Magic Treasure of this caliber could never be given away lightly.

Unless one day she possesses a better, stronger Magic Treasure, and this whistle becomes completely useless to her, perhaps then she might consider passing it to someone else.

But at least for now, she can't find any Magic Treasure around her that could compare to this whistle.

Moreover, the system had long told her that this Magic Treasure fits her best,

not only that, it also has limitless growth potential, essentially a tailor‑made, once‑in‑a‑generation treasure that can accompany her for life.

Therefore,

no matter what, she will never hand it over.

At this moment, Ye Qingming clearly hadn't expected Ye Xiuxiu to react so quickly,

and instantly hid the whistle. He was stunned for a moment, then helplessly shook his head, and gently placed Ye Xiuxiu on the ground.

Then he began to rub his rough, large hands,

his face showing a malicious grin, as if trying to coax a child into giving up candy.

Ye Qingming asked anxiously:

"Where's that whistle? Bring it out for me to see!"

"What use do you have for that thing?"

"It's completely useless."

Ye Qingming hurriedly coaxed her: "Ah, Xiao Xiuxiu, if you hand that whistle to Second Uncle, Second Uncle will personally teach you refining artifacts!"

"And Second Uncle will give you lots and lots of delicious candy!"

Hearing this, Ye Xiuxiu couldn't help but roll her eyes,

"Second Uncle, I'm already five years old, I'm not a three‑year‑old kid you can easily fool."

"Alright, alright, stop babbling about this and that."

"Now let's talk: if I master the art of refining artifacts, you have to eat that great cauldron right here on the spot!"

Ye Xiuxiu cleared her throat lightly and explained calmly:

"Second Uncle, actually refining those green armor scales isn't hard. You just need to add some earth‑type material during the burn—mountain shell earth will do."

"Then, control the heat a bit, set the temperature slightly lower than when you were burning it earlier."

"That way, you can successfully refine it."

"Finally, we can use the refined material to forge a Round Shield only the size of a palm."

(End of Chapter)