As the Dwarves naturally disliked interference from outsiders, Zhong Shenxiu instructed Yale and Andrew to escort the remaining Dwarves back to their tribe. Simultaneously, he told the pair to return and pack their belongings, giving them a three-day deadline. (There was a deeper implication here: they were to bring back all their mined ore, as there was no telling when they might return again!)

Meanwhile, although Zhong Shengsong and his group made camp on the spot, they were far from idle. This "Shishan Forest" was teeming with countless rare treasures, especially precious ores, an overwhelming sight to behold!

But enough preamble; the three days passed quickly. By the time Yale and Andrew rejoined the group, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were still out, having not yet returned.

With no other choice, the others settled in to cultivate and wait. They waited nearly a full week before Zhong Shenxiu and Robin finally reappeared. It was clear from the triumphant expressions on their faces that they had returned laden with spoils once more.

"Are everything handled?" Zhong Shenxiu asked Yale and Andrew.

The two quickly confirmed that everything was prepared and they were ready to depart at any moment.

However, Zhong Shenxiu uttered a sentence that left everyone utterly speechless: "Rest here for another half a month!"

Ugh! After waiting several days, this was the announcement they received.

The 'rest' was actually Zhong Shenxiu leading the group to begin collecting various ores. Although Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had gathered a great deal in that week, what they had collected was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the treasures in this area, with many locations still unexplored!

Since they had no pressing engagements, it felt almost criminal not to take more of these excellent materials.

Under the profound sky, Angeria and the others were bending down, collecting small, pale yellow pebbles, about the size of a peanut, which Zhong Shenxiu had just assigned to them as a task.

As they gathered these stones, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had vanished again, remaining perpetually mysterious!

"Sister Kaini, look!" Niuniu held up a small handful of stones in her little hands.

"Are you tired, Niuniu?" Kaini gently wiped the sweat from Niuniu's brow, asking with deep concern.

Niuniu was an exceptionally obedient child. For such a long time, she had never thrown a tantrum, cried, or whined, and she was always thoughtful of others. Seeing everyone collecting these stones, she wanted to contribute her effort too!

"Not tired!" Niuniu gave a sweet smile and dropped the stones in her hands into a small pouch—the result of her labor!

"Sister Kaini, what are these stones for?" Niuniu asked curiously. Not far away, Jesus and Andrew perked up their ears upon hearing the question; they were just as puzzled.

"These stones are treasures, Niuniu. We can make many wonderful things with them!" Kaini replied with a smile.

Treasures? These?

Yale and Andrew both looked closely at the stones in their hands. They recognized this kind of rock; it was the absolute dregs of waste rock, possessing no value whatsoever! Why did they think so?

Because these stones couldn't withstand fire—they would shatter upon burning, rendering them useless for artifact forging!

Yet, Kaini called them treasures, which immediately piqued the curiosity of the pair. They both deeply trusted Kaini’s character and knew if she said it, it must be true. Now, they intensely wanted to know how these stones could be used to make anything, and just what could be made.

"Sister Kaini, if these stones are treasures, why didn't anyone else pick them up?" Niuniu tilted her small head, looking eager to learn.

"That's because they don't know these are treasures, and more importantly, they don't know how to utilize these treasures!" Kaini chuckled, then continued, "Niuniu, you must study hard in the future so you can recognize treasures. Look at your Sister Robin; she knows so much!"

"Mm, I definitely will be like Sister Robin in the future!" Niuniu smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed. In her young mind, a goal had been set: to study hard like Sister Robin and grow up to be someone as capable as her!

"Sister is counting on you!" Kaini said, gently pinching Niuniu's cheek.

Niuniu happily went back to collecting stones. Yale and Andrew, standing nearby, exchanged glances, both seeing a mixture of frustration and inner conflict in the other's eyes. They hadn't realized how shallow their own knowledge was; based on Kaini’s words, they were the type of people who "see treasure but don't recognize it!"

There were many of these pale yellow pebbles on the ground. The group worked from morning until dusk and had only managed to collect half of what was needed.

It was then that Zhong Shenxiu and Robin returned.

"How much have you collected?" Zhong Shenxiu asked, a playful smile on his lips.

Everyone eagerly displayed their bounty to Zhong Shenxiu. Niuniu, struggling with her small pouch, waddled over unsteadily, saying in her sweet, milky voice, "Brother Xiu, this is what Niuniu picked up!"

"Niuniu is so good!" Zhong Shenxiu praised her, his sincerity evident, not just rote flattery.

"Sister Kaini said these are all treasures, and you can make many good things with them," she mumbled, clearly having put in considerable effort.

Zhong Shenxiu said no more, just smiled at Niuniu before moving on to inspect the results of the others.

"Are you tired, Niuniu? Let Sister take that," Robin said, gently taking the small pouch from Niuniu's hand.

"Sister Robin, I absolutely must become as amazing as you in the future!" Niuniu declared to Robin with great seriousness.

Robin smiled faintly. She had grown increasingly fond of Niuniu, though she was not one for grand expressions.

Meanwhile, Yale and Andrew hesitated for a moment before walking over to Zhong Shenxiu. In a very sincere tone, they requested, "Commander, how do we utilize these stones?"

Through days of proximity, Yale had learned that Zhong Shenxiu practiced artifact forging, though he had never witnessed it firsthand.

"You two wish to know?" Zhong Shenxiu looked at them with knowing eyes.

The pair nodded quickly, fearing Zhong Shenxiu might refuse if they were slow.

Zhong Shenxiu glanced back at the others. Seeing that everyone's attention was focused here, he asked, "Do the rest of you wish to know as well?"

The others’ faces lit up with joy, and they nodded in unison, stepping closer.

Zhong Shenxiu chuckled. He was in a good mood today, so he didn't decline. He reached out and picked up a few of the pebbles.

Everyone's eyes widened, watching with intense concentration. Such an opportunity was rare; they didn't want to miss a single detail.

"Watch closely now!" Zhong Shenxiu's lips curved into a smile.

As his words fell, the few stones in his hands began to float, rising to a height where everyone could clearly see them before stopping.

Then, Zhong Shenxiu’s hands began executing seals—a blur of motion that dazzled the eye!

As the hand seals concluded, a massive influx of spiritual energy suddenly converged upon the area, entirely enveloping the few stones.

In a short while, something uncanny occurred. The stones, previously motionless, began to crack, much like an eggshell hatching.

Could something inside be emerging?

The crowd instantly became deeply interested, their eyes widening even further.

Just then, several sharp cracks echoed—the outer shells of the stones fell away completely, revealing an interior of crystalline, milky white, like peeled lychee fruit.

"What... what is this?" Yale and Andrew were dumbfounded. They had cracked these stones before, and the inside was nothing like this. How could it mutate like this? What was happening?

In truth, this kind of stone was naturally formed from a mixture of spiritual energy, soil, and other impurities. If exposed to fire, the spiritual energy inside would expand and separate, inevitably causing the stone to shatter—this was why ordinary people couldn't use them. However, precisely because the stone was formed from fused spiritual energy and other substances, injecting more spiritual energy into it allowed it to be refined into a "Pure Spirit Body," the milky white substance now visible!

Just as everyone thought the process was over, an even more bizarre scene unfolded: these milky-white spheres began to melt at a visible rate, eventually coalescing into a jade pendant adorned with intricate, strange patterns!

The moment the pendant solidified, Zhong Shenxiu's hands moved again, executing seal after seal, inscribing array patterns into it—seemingly endless.

This was the stone's great advantage: because it was inherently formed from spiritual energy, it could withstand unimaginable spiritual pressure, thus allowing it to house incredibly complex arrays.

Furthermore, it possessed another benefit: unlike other jade, once an array was engraved, it couldn't be changed. This stone had a strong "rewriting" function, like a disc that could be recorded over repeatedly.

After about fifteen minutes, Zhong Shenxiu finally stopped, and the jade pendant settled gently in his palm!

Yale and Andrew were completely stunned. This was the first time they had witnessed such dazzling technique. They never imagined that in such a short time, a few stones they considered useless could transform into such a beautiful pendant—and by its appearance alone, they could tell this object was extraordinary!

"Niuniu, come here!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly called out to Niuniu, who was also looking astonished.

Being a child, Niuniu had a greater capacity to accept the bizarre. She skipped over happily.

"Niuniu, stretch out your hand. Brother will give you something!" Zhong Shenxiu said with a smile. "Mm!" Niuniu was thrilled and obediently held out both little hands.

Zhong Shenxiu placed the pendant he had just refined into Niuniu's hands. The action looked casual, but no one knew that in that split second, Zhong Shenxiu had drawn a drop of Niuniu's blood and infused it into the pendant.

Because the motion was so fast, coupled with Zhong Shenxiu immediately casting a Healing and Restoration spell, even Niuniu herself was unaware of what had transpired.

The instant the blood merged with the pendant, a flash of golden light erupted, followed by another strange vision...