After hearing the news, Lin Xia fell silent for a moment, then spoke directly to Lou Gao.
"Teacher, I want to obtain a thousand-year Soul Ring. I hope you will agree!"
Upon hearing this, Lou Gao also fell silent.
To be honest, Lou Gao considered himself well-informed, but hearing Lin Xia's words still left him somewhat shocked. He did not immediately refuse, instead asking cautiously.
"Xia, you've probably studied some of the basic theories of Soul Masters during this time. You should know that a thousand-year Soul Ring is generally absorbed when one breaks through to Level 30 Soul Grand Master. Isn't this a bit reckless?"
"Teacher, I understand your concern, but I need to become stronger."
Lou Gao frowned deeply, looking at Lin Xia
"Your talent is already extraordinary, and Larvitar is truly exceptional. If we just follow the proper steps…"
"Following proper steps is too slow, Teacher."
Lin Xia interrupted, his tone carrying a sense of urgency beyond his years.
"I need power—a strength that can shift the situation faster."
Silently, Lin Xia extended his right hand, flipped his wrist, and drew a gleaming dagger from the dark silver spatial Soul Device on the ring finger of his left hand.
It was a finely crafted piece from the association's blacksmiths. While not a Soul Device, the blade was sharp enough to easily cut through ordinary leather or even iron ore.
"Teacher, theory is dead. People are alive."
His voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.
Under Lou Gao's incredulous gaze, Lin Xia stretched out his left hand, gripped the dagger with his right, and, without any flashy moves or Soul Force fluctuations, summoned all the strength of his muscles. He raised the dagger high and brought it down sharply on the outside of his exposed left forearm!
"Clang—!!"
A harsh, short, metallic ringing—completely different from the sound of cutting flesh—suddenly rang out, echoing through the silent backyard with shocking intensity!
Lou Gao's breath froze, his eyes wide as copper bells.
The sharp blade of the dagger, upon contacting Lin Xia's skin, did not pierce, but struck as if hitting an incredibly resilient alloy! A tiny spark even flew from the point of impact!
A visible chip, the size of a grain of rice, appeared on the dagger's edge!
On Lin Xia's arm, the struck area sank slightly and then immediately recovered, leaving only a clear, pale indentation—like the mark of a blunt strike, not a single cut to the skin. Under the torchlight, the white mark even reflected a faint metallic sheen, gradually fading after a few breaths.
The air seemed to freeze.
Larvitar, startled by the sudden sound, dropped its ore with a squeak and dashed to Lin Xia's side, warily eyeing the dagger.
Lou Gao stared at the rapidly vanishing mark on Lin Xia's arm, then at the glaring chip on the dagger. His expression shifted from anger and concern to utter shock and disbelief.
He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but no sound came out—his throat felt as if gripped by an invisible hand.
The dagger's cold gleam and the mark on the arm were etched into his mind like a brand.
After a long while, Lou Gao exhaled a deep, drawn-out sigh, as if all his strength had been drained.
The sigh carried a flood of complex emotions—disbelief, absurdity, enlightenment, and the fatigue from having his long-held perceptions shattered by reality.
"Xia… you… you…"
Lou Gao's hand trembled as he pointed at Lin Xia's arm, his voice hoarse and dry.
"Your body… it's… it's practically a humanoid Soul Beast!"
Lin Xia put down the dagger, flexed his unscathed arm, and felt the surging power and faint electrical currents beneath his skin. Calmly, he said.
"Teacher, the reason you didn't refuse my request outright just now shows that you know the key limitation in a Soul Master absorbing a Soul Ring has never been Soul Power Level, but the body's capacity."
"Only when absorbing a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring does it involve Soul Shock. What I am absorbing now is just a thousand-year Soul Ring."
Lin Xia clenched his fist; his knuckles made faint cracking sounds.
"My physical strength, after this period of… well, special 'feeding' and training, I am confident I am not weaker than any newly promoted Soul Grandmaster! Possibly even stronger!"
Lou Gao looked at Lin Xia's self-assured expression, then down at Larvitar, still curiously pawing at the chip on the dagger, and thought back to the little beast chewing on Purple Lightning Iron like candy… A profound sense of helplessness, and the realization that he really was getting old, welled up inside him.
"Monsters… you two are both monsters!"
Lou Gao massaged his brow vigorously, as if trying to crush all the shocks of today.
"All right! All right! I get it now. Trying to teach you reason is like fighting yourself!"
Finally giving up on arguing, Lou Gao waved for Lin Xia to follow and strode toward the door in the backyard that led to the association's main hall. His broad back carried a sense of "resigned determination."
"Since you're so confident, I'll go crazy with you! Let's go! Let's go! We'll set off now! There's still plenty of daylight, so we'll get that thousand-year Soul Ring done before sunset!"
His voice carried forward, sharp and decisive.
"Dawdling only leads to trouble!"
Lin Xia watched his teacher's energetic back and finally revealed a smile of relief mixed with anticipation.
He bent down and scooped up Larvitar, who was still inspecting the dagger.
"Larvitar, stop looking, let's go! Time to get stronger!"
"Larvitar!"
At the words "get stronger," Larvitar's crimson eyes immediately lit up, excitedly patting Lin Xia's arm with its tiny claw.
Without further delay, Lou Gao had clearly made preparations. A sturdy carriage, pulled by a thick-skinned camel beast raised by the association and known for its endurance, was already waiting at the side gate.
The wheels rolled over Gengxin City's streets, a unique mix of iron dust and dirt, heading west toward the vast and desolate Gobi sand region at the city's outskirts.
Inside the carriage, Lou Gao closed his eyes to rest, but the tight set of his lips and the occasional twitch of his eyebrows revealed his inner unease.
Lin Xia held Larvitar, observing the rapidly changing scenery through the window.
The bustling forging district gradually gave way to low workshops and scattered dwellings. The air's metallic scent slowly faded, replaced by a dry, barren aroma.
In the distance, yellow sand dunes glinted harshly under the afternoon sun.
After more than an hour, the carriage stopped at the edge of a massive, seemingly endless expanse of tan-brown dunes.
A wave of heat hit them. The air was so dry it seemed to suck moisture from the skin. All around, only the faint "shush" of wind-driven sand broke the silence—complete desolation.
"We're here. Get down, kid."
Lou Gao leapt from the carriage first, sinking slightly into the soft sand with each booted step.
Lin Xia followed, holding Larvitar.
The scorching sand radiated heat through the soles of their shoes.
Looking around, the continuous dunes resembled frozen waves, emitting shimmering heat under the relentless sun.
Lin Xia immediately focused, holding his breath. His sharp eyes swept like a hawk over the surrounding dunes and hollows, searching for any sign of their target.
"Stop looking. You won't see it!"
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