Chapter 81: The Difference Between People Is Even Greater Than That Between People and Dogs

Ye Qingming nodded without hesitation, indicating his mind was made up. At this moment,

Ye Xiuxiu's bright, lively eyes flicked swiftly,

suddenly thinking of something, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly,

"Then, that means the mountain‑piled refining materials in the courtyard are useless, right?"

Ye Qingming didn't even think and replied cheerfully:

"Of course they're useless! These things provide no help for cultivation at all."

Ye Xiuxiu wore a cunning, proud smile,

and let out a burst of hee‑hee laughter:

"Since these things are useless to you, I'll take them without apology!"

Saying that, she, like performing a magic trick,

pulled a gigantic storage bag from her bosom.

Ye Xiuxiu moved as nimbly as a monkey,

and in the blink of an eye, item after item flew into the bag as if sprouted wings.

In no time,

the courtyard, once piled with all sorts of junk, became completely empty,

not even a single fallen leaf remained.

Moreover,

Ye Xiuxiu didn't even spare the ground,

as time passed, she forcefully dug out a thick layer of earth,

so that the foundations of the house and the adjacent wall were clearly visible.

This scene made Ye Qingming, who had been watching from the side, twitch the corner of his mouth and think to himself in amazement:

"That's just absurd!"

But he quickly readjusted his mindset and managed to convince himself.

"Never mind, consider it an advance apprenticeship fee for her,"

"as long as I can achieve success later, this loss is worth it."

Soon after,

the crowd saw Ye Xiuxiu leading Ye Qingming slowly into view.

At that moment, Ye Songzhi, who had been standing among the crowd, suddenly widened his eyes,

his face full of disbelief as he looked at Ye Qingming.

Because he could never have imagined,

that Ye Qingming would appear at this very moment!

Thus, Ye Songzhi could no longer contain his puzzlement,

and asked, "Qingming, why don't you stay in the house and keep studying your refining art?"

"Why did you suddenly come out,

you never came out before, why did you dare to come out today,

no longer studying refining techniques?"

Facing Ye Songzhi's question,

Ye Qingming first gently shook his head,

then nodded again, speaking softly:

"Of course I still intend to continue studying refining techniques, but not at this moment."

Having said that, Ye Qingming paused briefly,

then turned his head toward Ye Xiuxiu beside him, his face showing an indescribable expression,

and continued:

"Xiuxiu told me that if I can catch up to my elder brother in cultivation and successfully breakthrough to the Body Integration Stage,

then she would be willing to take me as a disciple and teach me the refining art she has mastered."

When Ye Qingming said that,

it rang like a thunderclap on the spot, and in an instant,

everyone present was stunned, their mouths gaping wide,

as if they could fit an egg inside.

They looked at Ye Xiuxiu in disbelief,

then glanced at Ye Qingming,

all thinking the same thought—this guy must be talking nonsense, right?

After all, having five‑year‑old Xiuxiu teach Ye Qingming, who has been studying refining techniques for years,

is nothing short of a fairy‑tale!

At this point, Li Dongxia finally couldn't help but interject:

"Qingming, did you say it backwards?"

"Logically, you should be the one teaching Xiuxiu the refining art!"

"All of our family know that your study of refining techniques hasn't been just a day or two."

Hearing this, Ye Qingming let out a heavy sigh,

his face full of shame.

He slowly shook his head, muttering to himself: "Alas, compared with Xiuxiu, I'm like clouds and mud!"

"She, on her first attempt at refining a tool, could be so outstanding, and what about me?" At this point, Ye Qingming's voice lowered slightly,

as if carrying endless frustration.

"The skill Xiuxiu displayed on her first refinement far surpasses me. The things she casually refines, even though I taught her carefully, after countless hardships I could only produce a defective piece."

"The gap between us truly leaves one speechless!"

Ye Qingming sighed while helplessly spreading his hands.

"All my painstaking study—what good is it? I'd rather devote myself to learning from Xiuxiu in the future."

"Just a few casual pointers from her would likely outweigh the results of my decades of research."

As soon as the words fell,

Ye Qingming carefully pulled from his bosom the defective piece he had painstakingly refined.

At that moment, Bai Qingxia, standing nearby, hurried forward to examine it closely.

After a short while, she smiled and praised: "This thing is actually quite good!"

"Although it still has flaws, it can already withstand the full‑force strike of a Golden Core Stage Great Perfection cultivator."

"Given your current Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, just a bit more refinement,"

"to raise its performance to match the Nascent Soul Stage level is not difficult."

Hearing this, Ye Qingming couldn't help letting out a deep sigh,

his lips parting, yet as if something was caught in his throat,

he ultimately could not speak.

He slowly extended his hand,

silently retrieving from his bosom the palm‑sized Round Shield that Ye Xiuxiu had meticulously refined.

"The shield I present first was taught to me by Xiuxiu over ten relentless lessons; only then could I finally succeed in refining it!"

Ye Qingming said while gently stroking the slightly rough surface of the shield,

a faint, barely perceptible pride and emotion flashing in his eyes.

Then, he carefully took out another palm‑sized round shield and placed it beside the first one.

"And this one I brought out later is a piece Xiuxiu casually refined."

Ye Qingming's voice was soft,

as if afraid to disturb these two seemingly ordinary yet extraordinary shields.

The people around originally paid little attention to Ye Qingming's actions, however,

when their gazes inadvertently swept over the two shields, everyone froze instantly.

Especially when they saw the palm shield displaying perfect quality, shimmering with an enchanting sapphire glow,

they were so startled they forgot to breathe.

For a moment, the scene fell into a death‑like silence.

In everyone's mind there was only one thought: the gap is just too huge!

A five‑year‑old child could, after refinement, withstand a Nascent Soul Stage Great Perfection's full‑force strike?

After a long while, Ye Qingming broke the silence, murmuring: "Is this what they call talent?"

(End of chapter)