"It's all right, just remember what you promised me. After I rest a bit and adjust my condition, I can help you with the engraving and spirit infusion," said the Third Cave Master as she handed over the Green Fish Sword.

Yuan Ming immediately received it with both hands respectfully, feeling the icy coolness as if holding a piece of solid ice. Through his perception, he felt wisps of chill seeping into his body. He weighed the sword lightly and felt that it was slightly heavier than before, though the change was minimal.

The Fire Mink climbed along his arm, wrinkled its nose, and sniffed the sword, immediately showing a look of disgust before turning around and climbing back onto Yuan Ming's shoulder.

It only liked intense heat, the hotter, the better.

"Currently, it hasn't been inscribed with runes yet, so it cannot contain the chilling aura. After the engraving and spirit implanting, there won't be any overflowing chill without mana activation," the Third Cave Master added.

As soon as her voice faded, the shouting of that disciple once again came from outside the door.

Without waiting for her instructions, Yuan Ming quickly trotted to the front yard to open the door and brought the disciple over.

"The Great Cave Master has summoned you; did he mention what it's about?" the Third Cave Master asked directly.

"No, I only know that besides you, the Second Cave Master and Elder Mengshan have also been invited," the disciple replied hastily.

Upon hearing this, the Third Cave Master's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

After a moment of hesitation, she waved her hand, and a metallic case over three feet long appeared in her palm.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming felt a sudden premonition of unease.

"This is the Yunling Sword Box, it can ensure that the spiritual power within the sword doesn't grow dormant. For now, place the Green Fish Sword inside it. Come find me early tomorrow, and I will help you with the engraving and spirit infusion," the Third Cave Master instructed.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming naturally had no objections and could only nod in agreement.

"Let Fire Mink stay with you for now," the Third Cave Master said, glancing at the mink on Yuan Ming's shoulder.

Upon hearing this, its bean-like eyes shone brightly, clearly delighted.

"Yes," Yuan Ming immediately responded.

Returning to his dwelling, Yuan Ming's excitement took a long time to subside. He really wanted to open the sword box to take a look, but worrying about possible taboos, he refrained and simply placed it by his bedside.

He then took out Master Hei Mu's notebook and started to carefully go over the recorded runes, wondering which ones the Third Cave Master might choose to inscribe?

It wasn't until late at night that Yuan Ming settled his somewhat uneasy feelings, closed his eyes, and sat cross-legged, intending to practice the Moonlight Technique.

The Fire Mink also snuggled up happily and decided to curl up beside Yuan Ming.

At that moment, it suddenly raised its neck to look out the window, its small beady eyes rolling around.

Seeing its reaction, Yuan Ming knew that the silver cat was nearby.

"Xi Ying, hurry in," Yuan Ming said aloud.

There was no response from outside, but after a short wait, a graceful figure slowly walked in.

"I went to the workshop and bought a gift for you," Yuan Ming began.

At these words, Silver Cat Xi Ying clearly paused, not expecting Yuan Ming to say such a thing.

"Unwarranted cordiality," it transmitted back, keeping its tone calm as if it wasn't too concerned, "What good thing could you possibly have? I don't want anything cheap."

Yuan Ming's wrist flipped, and a black wooden box instantaneously appeared in his palm, housing the gold-plated gauze.

He then opened the box, lifted the gauze, and with a flick of the wrist, the golden gauze floated, unraveling in front of Xi Ying with each thread shimmering with golden light, creating an almost dreamlike scene.

With another flick, the gold-plated gauze suddenly extended several times in length, spiraling up in front of Xi Ying, layers of golden gauze flying up and down like a gigantic, golden ribbon.

"So beautiful, and it's a mid-grade magical artifact? Did you strike it rich?" Silver Cat Xi Ying exclaimed in surprise.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming flipped his wrist again, and the golden gauze swiftly retracted back into the black box.

"I went to the workshop and unexpectedly came into a windfall. I've been thinking of you, so I specifically bought this for you," Yuan Ming explained.

"I don't want it. Are you trying to bribe me with this to ask for my help again?" replied Silver Cat Xi Ying.

"I truly have no such matter," Yuan Ming countered.

"Hmph, tell me, how did you come by this windfall?" Xi Ying tilted its chin, gestured with its paw, and the golden gauze that floated in front of it touched its paw and vanished.

Yuan Ming recounted his encounter with the jester who attempted to assassinate someone from White Dragon Island in the workshop and how a woman with bare feet and clad in white rescued the jester before Yuan Ming used vines to steal a storage bag.

Throughout the story, Xi Ying asked this and that, humming at the mention of the jester and asking a few more questions about the tall, barefooted woman in white with the strange escape technique that helped the jester flee, causing Xi Ying's eyes to brighten.

Xi Ying's mood seemed to improve after listening to the story.

"Would you like me to give you some pointers on the Moonlight Technique?" Silver Cat Xi Ying offered as its mood brightened, showing concern for Yuan Ming's cultivation.

"So far, it's been smooth, but the sporadic memory fragments in the Sea of Consciousness are somewhat chaotic, often leaving me feeling somewhat befuddled," Yuan Ming replied.

"Your memory loss was caused by damage to your divine soul. Cultivating the Moonlight Technique can help you heal, but it also takes time. Perhaps when you reach the third layer, you'll be able to remember everything," said Xi Ying. "If you take me as your master, I'll consider immediately helping you recover your memories."

"No," Yuan Ming refused decisively; given his current pace of cultivation, he would eventually recover all his memories, and it didn't make sense to owe Xi Ying any form of submission.

"Always concerned about face," Xi Ying remarked before leaving.

After it left, Yuan Ming resumed his seated meditation, continuing his cultivation.

...

Silver Cat Xi Ying returned to its cozy tree hollow.

It waved a paw lightly, and the gold-plated gauze that resembled a golden ribbon floated out, laying like a bedspread upon the thick furs and silks below.

The Silver Cat Xi Ying lightly touched a claw tip to the golden gauze, effortlessly refining it.

Then, a bit of Mana flowed from its paw into the gauze, causing the gold-plated gauze to flicker faintly with light, casting specks of golden stars in the somewhat dim tree hollow.

The silver cat lay on the couch, feeling the silky coolness beneath it and instantly felt as if it was suspended in the clouds, incomparably comfortable and content, unable to resist stretching lazily.

"Such admirable filial piety, haha..." It recalled the way Yuan Ming had presented the gift earlier and couldn't help but laugh heartily.

After that thought, it seemed to remember something, raising a front paw to produce a blue book from nowhere, browsing through it nonchalantly until it reached the last page, where its expression dimmed.

The page depicted a group of hamsters happily eating together.

At the bottom it was written, "Jin, by Yuan Ming."

One of its front paws gently caressed the book, and a complex emotion flickered in its heterochromatic eyes, followed by a soft sigh after a long pause:

"Father..."

No words were exchanged that night, and Yuan Ming had gone to the Three Cave Masters' courtyard early, cradling the Sword Box.

However, after calling out for a long time outside the door, he received no response.

After letting Huo Chan'er in for a look around, Yuan Ming realized in surprise that the Three Cave Master wasn't in the courtyard at all.

"She wouldn't have stood me up, would she?"

Yuan Ming guessed it was probably due to the meeting convened by the Great Cave Master the day before, so he went to seek confirmation from his senior brother Fang Ge.

"What do you need the Master for?" Fang Ge asked with a frown.

Yuan Ming then shared the matter of seeking the Three Cave Master's help for sword refining.

"Junior Brother Yuan, I really didn't expect that you could actually get the Three Cave Master to personally refine a sword for you," Fang Ge said, his serious face showing an exaggerated expression of surprise.

"It's all thanks to Huo Chan'er's face," Yuan Ming explained with a smile.

In fact, he understood in his heart that besides valuing Huo Chan'er's face and the request it had mentioned, the Three Cave Master was likely impressed by the Green Fish Sword itself and therefore had agreed to personally help him with the refinement.

"The Master didn't leave a message, so there must be some urgent matter. But since she promised to help you with the sword, she will definitely do it," Fang Ge reasoned, his gaze landing on the Sword Box Yuan Ming held.

"That's a Yunling Sword Box, isn't it?" he asked.

Yuan Ming nodded in confirmation.

"Then there's no problem. The Master will definitely return within three days," Fang Ge said confidently.

"Why is that?" Yuan Ming asked, puzzled.

"The Yunling Sword Box can maintain the Spirit Sword's Spiritual Power from going dormant, but it only works for three days. That's why the Master will certainly return within that time," Fang Ge explained.

"But what if she can't come back?" Yuan Ming asked, frowning.

"If she really can't return, and the sword's Spiritual Power goes dormant, there's no way to continue with the Engraving and Spirit Implanting. Before, when crucial spiritual materials hadn't been added, it was possible to refine it a second time. Now that it cannot be refined again, it's essentially ruined," Fang Ge replied with an embarrassed expression, explaining the situation.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming's heart sank, and his foreboding feeling from the previous day was confirmed.

"Don't worry, since the Master promised, she will definitely return within three days," Fang Ge quickly reassured him upon seeing his reaction.

Yuan Ming, however, felt even more uneasy. It was precisely because the Three Cave Master was a person of her word that today's absence seemed unusual.

"This won't do, I should go and find a way with Brother Mu He..." he said before taking the Sword Box and heading towards the Artifact House at the back.

Clutching the Sword Box, Yuan Ming hurried to the Artifact House and went straight to Mu He's room.

"Knock knock,"

After knocking urgently, the door creaked open from the inside. Mu He, bleary-eyed and exhausted, greeted Yuan Ming with a weary voice:

"Junior Brother Yuan, what is it?"

"Brother, help me," Yuan Ming said as he squeezed into Mu He's room.

"A Yunling Sword Box? What's inside?" Mu He didn't seem too concerned, and after closing the door, his gaze settled on the Sword Box in Yuan Ming's hands, and he frowned slightly.

"My sword, being refined by the Three Cave Master, but there's been a problem..."

Yuan Ming quickly relayed the situation to him.

"I think the Master must have some urgent matter and probably can't get away temporarily," Mu He said after listening, scratching his messy hair.

"Brother, you have to help me," Yuan Ming pleaded with a bitter look on his face.

"Er... it's not that I don't want to help you, but you know, Enriching is a task only Artifact Refiners above the Foundation Establishment Stage can undertake. I mean, I could help with the engraving, but I can't do the Enriching," Mu He said helplessly.

"I understand that. Could you please approach the Fire Refining Hall's elder on my behalf? I'm willing to pay for the assistance, and we can negotiate the price," Yuan Ming quickly suggested.

"Heh, that's quite bold. Do you really think you, a Registered Disciple, can afford the elders' fees for refining a Magic Artifact? I'll go ask, but don't get your hopes up," Mu He evidently didn't believe him, but still agreed to help.

"Thank you, Brother," Yuan Ming said, bowing with his fists in thanks.

Mu He waved his hand dismissively, asking Yuan Ming to wait there while he himself turned and left the room.

"Wait here," Mu He said before departing.

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