The shock on Lou Gao's face was practically spilling out.
That seemingly light sentence was like an invisible sledgehammer, smashing straight through the mental defenses he had only just managed to build after barely accepting the concept of "reaching Level Ten in one month."
"H–Half… half a month?!"
A hoarse sound escaped Lou Gao's throat, as if he had choked on his own breath.
After taking a deep breath, he looked at Lin Xia, his eyes so complex they were almost impossible to describe—there was numb disbelief born of overwhelming shock, the terror of witnessing the birth of a monster, and an immense sense of emptiness after his understanding of the world had been completely overturned.
Yes, half a month…
The impact carried by that time frame was even more absurdly crushing than the earlier "one month to Level Ten."
One month was already beyond comprehension.
Half a month… that simply trampled the natural laws of heaven and earth underfoot, grinding all common sense of Soul Master cultivation into dust!
However, perhaps because Lin Xia had already delivered shock after shock—chewing raw ore, manifesting his Martial Soul, and identifying Starry Refined Gold by taste alone—Lou Gao's nerves had long since been tempered to an extraordinary toughness.
This final, most violent blow instead brought about an eerie calm, a feeling of "so that's how it is" and "can it get even more outrageous?"
It was the blankness that comes after cognition has been completely shattered, leaving no choice but forced acceptance.
After a long while, Lou Gao finally let out a heavy breath, as if it carried the weight of a thousand catties.
When he spoke again, his voice had fully returned to the steady composure of a grand forging master—no, it was even deeper and more solemn than usual, tinged with concern.
"Xiao Xia… with such speed… is your foundation still stable?"
He did not question the speed itself. Instead, he went straight for the cultivator's most vital weakness—rapidly surging Soul Power and whether the foundation had become unstable.
This mattered far more to him than simple Level advancement.
Although he could sense that Lin Xia's Soul Power was extremely solid, Lin Xia was, after all, an anomaly. If there was something Lou Gao did not understand, it would be better to say it now so it could be remedied or resolved in time.
Lin Xia met Lou Gao's gaze head-on, without the slightest hesitation. His eyes were clear and firm.
"Teacher, please rest assured. I can feel that my Soul Power is not hollow or inflated. Rather, it is like refined iron formed after ore has been repeatedly hammered, compressed, and quenched—condensed, heavy, and flowing smoothly."
"Each time I devour ore, the energy feels as though it is directly smelted into my muscles, bones, and blood, rather than merely filling up my Soul Power."
Lin Xia clenched his fist, a solid sense of strength gathering between his fingers.
"My physical body has also been greatly strengthened in this process."
A sharp light flashed in Lou Gao's eyes. He extended his perception once more, this time far more meticulously. No longer did he merely probe Lin Xia's Soul Power Level; instead, he delved deeply into its quality, as well as the state of his meridians, bones, and flesh.
After a moment, the tension in his jawline eased slightly, and a trace of undisguised amazement and relief passed through his eyes.
"Good! Well said—smelting the muscles, bones, and flesh!"
Lou Gao nodded, the worry in his heart finally easing by more than half.
Yet the way he looked at Lin Xia now was no longer that of a master observing a gifted disciple, but more like he was gazing upon a once-in-a-millennium, miraculous ore embryo, brimming with limitless potential.
After pondering for a moment, Lou Gao seemed to think of something and asked Lin Xia directly.
"Then, Xiao Xia, your next step… is to obtain a Soul Ring, correct?"
"Yes, Teacher!"
Lin Xia answered decisively, a fierce longing igniting in his eyes.
"My Soul Power has reached Level Ten. Obtaining my first Soul Ring is an urgent priority! It's just that…"
A hint of worry appeared on Lin Xia's face.
"My Martial Soul, Larvitar, is extremely special. Its requirements for Soul Ring attributes are likely very different as well. My knowledge of Soul Beasts is truly lacking, so I urgently need Teacher's guidance!"
"Hahaha, how could that be difficult!"
Hearing this, Lou Gao's heroic spirit surged. He forcefully patted his solid chest with a fan-like hand, producing a dull thud.
"You are already my final disciple. Your Soul Ring is my top priority! Speak—what kind of Soul Beast do you need? Power-type? Defense-type? Or speed-type?"
"I've been operating in Gengxin City for many years. I wouldn't dare claim my connections reach the heavens, but finding you a suitable Soul Ring would be as easy as turning over my hand!"
Seeing how decisive and reliable his teacher was, Lin Xia felt completely reassured.
After a brief moment of thought, recalling the characteristics of Larvitar as a Martial Soul and his own plans for its future development, Lin Xia spoke in a deep voice.
"Teacher, since Larvitar is the darling of earth and rock, naturally close to soil, stone, and sand, I believe its first Soul Skill should ideally be related to 'sand' or 'rock,' allowing it to control or strengthen its mastery over earth-element abilities."
"Therefore, I hope to find a Earth/Sand-attribute Soul Beast capable of releasing sand or rock-based attacks, or one that possesses powerful sand control or burrowing abilities! Ideally a Soul Beast that can manipulate large-scale quicksand or even sandstorms!"
"Control sand and rock… soil attribute… sand manipulation… sandstorms…"
As he listened to Lin Xia's description, Lou Gao's thick white brows knitted tightly together. His fingers unconsciously rubbed at the stubble on his chin as he fell into deep thought.
The vast forging chamber grew quiet once more, broken only by Lou Gao's low murmurs and the faint sound of Larvitar gnawing on ore in the corner.
Time passed little by little.
Lin Xia held his breath, watching as sharp light flickered continuously in Lou Gao's eyes, as if countless pieces of information were being filtered and collided within his mind.
Suddenly, Lou Gao slapped his thigh hard. A brilliant light burst forth in his eyes, like the blazing white core of a furnace flaring to life.
"Got it! The Yellow Sandstorm Rat!"
"The Yellow Sandstorm Rat?"
Lin Xia's spirits immediately lifted. Just the name alone sounded closely tied to sandstorms.
"Exactly!"
Lou Gao's speech quickened, filled with excitement and the satisfaction of solving a difficult problem.
"This Soul Beast is a true anomaly among Earth-attribute Soul Beasts! They are naturally cunning and dwell year-round deep within the vast shifting sandfields near the edge of the Red Gold Stone mineral vein, to the southwest of our Gengxin City!"
Lou Gao's description instantly painted a vivid picture in Lin Xia's mind—endless golden sand dunes rising and falling beneath the scorching sun, fierce winds whipping up clouds of sand into a hazy curtain.
"The Yellow Sandstorm Rat is extremely rare and exceptionally skilled at concealment!"
Lou Gao continued, his tone growing more serious.
"They are not particularly large in size, but their yellow-sand-colored fur blends perfectly with the desert. They also possess an innate camouflage ability—when lying still, they are almost indistinguishable from the surrounding grains of sand."
"They excel at burrowing and traveling beneath the sand, moving at astonishing speed, like fish in water!"
"As for their innate Soul Skill, it is the manipulation of quicksand—stirring up small-scale sandstorms, or even instantly creating deadly quicksand traps beneath the desert floor, silently swallowing their prey whole!"
"When imbued with Soul Power, their claws can condense sand and stone into solid 'Sandstone Claws,' incomparably sharp, capable of splitting stone tablets and shattering rock! The attributes of its Soul Ring perfectly match the 'sand control' and 'rock' abilities you require!"
Lin Xia listened with his blood surging. This was precisely the ability direction he had been dreaming of!
If Larvitar could obtain such a Soul Beast as its first Soul Ring, its potential would be greatly unearthed, and his vision of multi-faceted development might truly succeed!
With that thought, Lin Xia could not help but ask eagerly.
"Teacher, then the age of this Soul Beast…"
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