The Second Elder of Artifact Repair

The forging room.

"Second Elder, my cultivation has reached the third level. These Deep Steel Ink Spears are no longer suitable for me. I'll leave them here for you."

Ye Wangchuan spoke as he tossed the Deep Steel Ink Spears into the pile of weapons.

The Second Elder, who was forging a weapon, was shocked upon hearing Ye Wangchuan's words.

"Third level? How did your cultivation improve so quickly! You didn't secretly practice demonic techniques, did you? Hmm~ Tell me the truth!"

"Of course not. I just happened to come across some opportunities in the cave."

As he spoke, Ye Wangchuan placed the Frostbone Sword, Daybreak Bow, and Nightfall Arrow on the table.

At the same time, he addressed the spear in his hand: "Transform into human form."

As soon as he finished speaking, the spear reverted to its loli-form puppet.

"What the heck?"

The Second Elder, who had been forging a weapon, stopped what she was doing and walked over.

She first examined the Frostbone Sword, Daybreak Bow, and Nightfall Arrow.

After inspecting them, she pinched the puppet's small face and observed it carefully.

The puppet immediately closed its eyes and struggled.

Later, Ye Wangchuan had the puppet demonstrate its abilities to the Second Elder, including transformation, restoration, and mastery of the eighteen martial arts.

"Wow, these are truly remarkable treasures!"

After confirming their value, the Second Elder began to explain them to Ye Wangchuan in detail.

She first picked up the Frostbone Sword and said, "This ice sword, if I'm not mistaken, was forged from the bones of a century-old serpent, and the creator infused it with their benevolent thoughts."

"If that were all, it would still be just an ordinary sword. I could forge something similar, perhaps even better."

"But the remarkable thing about this sword is that, despite its mediocre quality, a small spirit has been born within it over time!"

"This spirit has a unique personality—it only allows pure and righteous individuals to wield it."

Next, the Second Elder picked up the Daybreak Bow and Nightfall Arrow and said, "This bow and arrow were likely forged by a couple."

"This bow and arrow are far more extraordinary. To forge such a weapon, not only does the blacksmith need exceptional skill, but the couple must also share a genuine bond."

"Moreover, since it was forged as a legacy before their death, its power has only grown stronger over time."

"Sigh~ I've never been in a relationship in my life, so I definitely can't forge something like this. If someone were willing to be with me, maybe I could try upgrading this weapon."

As she spoke, the Second Elder winked at Ye Wangchuan a few times.

"Alright, let's move on to the puppet's functions."

Ye Wangchuan ignored the Second Elder's wink and turned his attention to the puppet.

The Second Elder sighed and patted the puppet's shoulder, continuing, "This puppet was likely also forged by that couple. However..."

"It was upgraded by someone at some point!"

As soon as the Second Elder said this, Ye Wangchuan's expression turned puzzled.

The puppet... was upgraded by someone?

What's going on?

In that tomb, there was only the legacy of that couple of artifact cultivators.

Could someone have entered, upgraded the puppet, and then left without touching the couple's legacy?

What a waste of time!

Seeing Ye Wangchuan's confusion, the Second Elder explained, "Originally, the puppet was probably just a sturdy, emotionless guardian that patrolled the tomb without question."

"The abilities of transformation, restoration, mastery of the eighteen martial arts, and even its enhanced self-awareness and computational abilities were all added by someone. The purpose was likely to better protect the tomb."

After finishing, the Second Elder turned to the puppet and asked, "Do you remember who upgraded you?"

The puppet shook its head.

"Well, it's not a big deal anyway. Here, give me your heart."

The Second Elder reached out and took the puppet's wooden heart.

She then sliced it open and began to explain.

"The function of this heart is simple—it absorbs spiritual energy. However, the inside of the heart can be inscribed with absolute rules that the puppet must follow."

"Look, for example, here. The puppet's basic rule is to prioritize its own survival, followed by protecting the tomb. Since she no longer needs to guard the tomb, I'll erase this rule."

"At the same time, I'll add a rule: 'Do not actively harm Ye Wangchuan in any way.'"

As she spoke, the Second Elder held the heart up to Ye Wangchuan.

Then, examining a specific spot on the heart, she said with surprise, "Huh, the owner's name hasn't been inscribed here. She was previously ownerless, brand new. Let me carve your name here."

Seeing this, Ye Wangchuan asked, "What happens if you carve my name? Will she obey my commands absolutely?"

The Second Elder shook her head. "It just proves she has an owner, and once the name is inscribed, it cannot be erased or changed. Beyond that, it doesn't do much."

After hearing this, Ye Wangchuan turned to the puppet and asked, "Do you have any objections?"

The puppet replied, "I have no objections."

Seeing that neither of them objected, the Second Elder began carving.

As she carved, she suddenly suggested, "By the way, Ye Wangchuan, why don't you give the puppet a name? Calling her 'puppet' all the time feels a bit cold."

Ye Wangchuan thought for a moment and said, "Then let's call her 'Grey Eggplant.'"

The Second Elder: "Uh... that's a bit casual, isn't it?"

Ye Wangchuan turned to the puppet and asked, "Do you have any objections?"

The puppet, now named Grey Eggplant, replied, "I have no objections."

The Second Elder's mouth twitched, and she began carving the name "Grey Eggplant" into the puppet's heart.

Meanwhile, Ye Wangchuan looked at the Frostbone Sword.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Second Elder, you mentioned that the sword's spirit only allows pure and righteous individuals to wield it. Is there a way to remove this restriction?"

The Second Elder shook her head. "No, the only way to remove it is to destroy the spirit. But without the spirit, the sword would become ordinary again."

Ye Wangchuan continued, "Does Grey Eggplant's self-awareness count as a kind of spirit?"

The Second Elder thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, but Grey Eggplant's spirit has the ability to simulate personality and perform rapid calculations."

Ye Wangchuan nodded. "Then melt the Frostbone Sword and use it as nourishment for Grey Eggplant."

The Second Elder's mouth twitched again. "Uh, isn't that a bit extravagant? That's a spirit we're talking about."

Ye Wangchuan said, "A weapon I can't use is useless to me, spirit or not. It's better to use it to strengthen Grey Eggplant."

"Alright then."

The Second Elder immediately tossed the Frostbone Sword into the furnace, melting it down.

A spirit with so many restrictions wouldn't fetch much at an auction anyway.

Might as well use it to power up Ye Wangchuan's Grey Eggplant.

The fire in the furnace was a special flame used for melting artifacts.

In no time, a wisp of soul fire and some white stones were extracted.

The Second Elder directly placed the soul fire onto Grey Eggplant, and it merged into her.

"There, Grey Eggplant's mental strength and intelligence should be a bit higher now."

The Second Elder clapped her hands and patted Grey Eggplant's head.

To be honest, Grey Eggplant's loli form was quite adorable...

"Wait a minute?"

The Second Elder suddenly realized something and looked at Grey Eggplant in confusion.

"You can transform into various forms, so why do you maintain a small, delicate form as your default? Doesn't that hinder your combat abilities?"

Grey Eggplant replied, "Because Ye Wangchuan likes it."

The Second Elder: "???"