Lin Xia looked at Larvitar as it tilted its little head, its eyes innocent and slightly silly. Unable to resist, he rubbed the small blunt horn on top of its head and laughed sincerely.
"Larvitar, why is the horn on your head so pointy?"
Larvitar, which had been waving its little arms, immediately froze.
For some reason, it sensed a hint of teasing from Lin Xia. Although it didn't understand the words, it instinctively felt they weren't anything nice. Instantly, it puffed up in anger, planted its claws on its hips, and turned its head away.
"Larvi!!"
Seeing that this little fellow actually had a temper, Lin Xia laughed and took out a piece of ore from his pack, holding it out in front of Larvitar.
"Larvitar, I was praising you for being handsome. Don't be mad, okay?"
As soon as it caught the scent of the ore, Larvitar glanced at it with its red eyes, then quickly turned around and chomped down on it, crunching away enthusiastically. There wasn't a trace of anger left!
Watching this scene, Lin Xia couldn't help but sigh. Who could have imagined that this adorable little creature would one day grow up to be known as a walking natural disaster?
Now that he had confirmed the moves Larvitar had mastered and its terrifying potential, Lin Xia added a new, unwavering task to their journey—move training.
The objective was crystal clear: improve move proficiency, shorten casting time, and increase power.
Thus, the journey toward Gengxin City underwent a drastic change in tone.
What was once a dull trek turned into a series of small-scale geological disasters unfolding along the way.
"Larvitar, Rock Throw! Aim for that crack in the cliff!" Lin Xia pointed with his finger.
"Larvitari!"
Larvitar swung its short arms. Under the pull of invisible force, several basin-sized rocks rumbled into the air and smashed heavily into the designated spot. Stone fragments flew everywhere as the cliff visibly caved inward, a web of cracks spreading across it.
"Beautiful! Focus on Soul Power control! Again! This time, use Bite on that dead tree trunk!"
Lin Xia patiently corrected every detail.
"Crunch—"
A dull tearing sound rang out. The withered trunk, as thick as a bowl, was pierced clean through by Larvitar's small mouth glowing with dark energy, as if it were nothing more than a brittle cracker. Wood chips scattered in all directions.
After becoming familiar with the basic moves, it was time for the main event—Ancient Power and Dragon Dance.
Boom!!!
Dark-red, ancient energy mixed with sharp stones and dust surged forward like a primordial beast awakening from slumber, smashing violently into a low earthen mound.
In an instant, the upper half of the mound collapsed like a sandcastle struck by a giant hammer. Rocks and clods of earth exploded outward in all directions as smoke and dust billowed, leaving behind a ferocious crater and scattered debris.
"Dragon Dance!"
Larvitar let out a low roar. Its small body began to twist and spin clumsily yet rhythmically. Its short claws cut through the air, stirring currents and drawing in the lingering fragments of Ancient Power energy, forming a continuously compressing dark-red vortex.
When the energy vortex was completely absorbed into its body, red light burst forth!
Boom!
An invisible shockwave exploded outward from Larvitar as the center. The already-loosened ground beneath its feet was overturned once again, as if plowed by an unseen force, forming a clearly defined circular area several meters wide. The soil was violently lifted, revealing darker, moist earth and tangled grass roots beneath—like an ugly scar freshly carved into the land.
High-intensity move training consumed an astonishing amount of Soul Power.
After every use of Ancient Power or Dragon Dance, Lin Xia could clearly feel the exhaustion in both himself and Larvitar—as though a large portion of their energy had been instantly scooped out. It wasn't just physical fatigue, but the deep emptiness unique to rapid Soul Power depletion, as if every cell were screaming in hunger and burning from within.
Larvitar, accustomed to living alongside the earth, had a simple and brutal solution—use local resources.
With a plop, the little fellow sat down in the loose soil it had overturned with Ancient Power or Dragon Dance. Its short claws grabbed a large handful of dirt mixed with gravel and grass roots.
With a plff, it stuffed the dirt into its mouth and began chewing loudly.
The faint metallic minerals and earth-element energy within the soil were rapidly broken down and converted by its efficient digestive system, turning into gentle streams that flowed throughout its body, gradually replenishing the gaps in its Soul Power.
Watching Larvitar eat so happily, Lin Xia's own stomach let out an even louder growl, accompanied by waves of intense weakness.
He looked at the last remaining piece of iron ore in his hand, then at the freshly turned, damp, dark soil beside Larvitar. A fierce internal struggle raged within him.
The ore was gone. The little savings he had scraped together were completely exhausted along the journey.
For the sake of survival, Lin Xia let out a heavy breath, as if making a momentous decision.
If Larvitar can eat it… why can't I?
The Martial Soul's feedback to its master had also granted Lin Xia the ability to eat soil and ore. The only reason he hadn't eaten dirt before was that he couldn't get past the psychological barrier.
"Damn it, I'm going all in! It's better than fainting from hunger halfway down the road!"
Lin Xia squatted down and, imitating Larvitar, held his breath. He carefully pinched up a small handful of relatively clean, dark soil from the freshly loosened ground and hesitantly brought it to his mouth.
A damp, earthy stench mixed with a faint smell of humus rushed straight into his nose, making Lin Xia—who had grown accustomed to the metallic taste of ore—instinctively want to frown.
But the intense hunger and the hollow emptiness of depleted Soul Power ultimately overwhelmed that discomfort.
Lin Xia shut his eyes, steeled his heart, and stuffed the soil into his mouth.
"Mm…!"
The strong wave of nausea he had expected didn't immediately arrive.
At first, there was a gritty texture and the astringent taste unique to soil. But as he chewed forcefully, the graininess gradually faded, replaced by a flavor… a muddy taste mixed with a faint hint of minerals. It wasn't good, but it wasn't unbearable either.
There was no imagined bitterness or revulsion—more a rough, heavy mouthfeel.
After getting used to it, Lin Xia could even sense a faint trace of sweetness!
Most importantly, after swallowing a few mouthfuls, a weak yet unmistakable warm current slowly spread from his stomach to his limbs and bones.
It felt different from the bodily strengthening brought by eating ore—this sensation was more focused on replenishing Soul Power and giving his spirit a slight boost.
Lin Xia's eyes immediately lit up.
Although it couldn't compare to ore, this soil… could actually be eaten!
It really could restore stamina and Soul Power!
Did Larvitar somehow change my sense of taste too?
Thinking of this, Lin Xia couldn't help tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Larvi?"
Larvitar tilted its head, watching its master start eating. There seemed to be a hint of satisfied amusement in its red eyes, as if saying: See? I told you this stuff isn't bad!
Having discovered a whole new world, Lin Xia completely let go.
Who cared about dignity or appearances? Being able to fill his stomach, restore Soul Power, and keep moving was what really mattered!
With that thought, Lin Xia stopped hesitating and immediately entered "buffet mode" together with Larvitar.
One big and one small figure sat amid the clearing that had been ravaged by their own moves until it resembled a post-battle wasteland, each grabbing handful after handful, happily devouring the freshly turned soil.
And so, along both sides of this desolate road, every so often, a shocking field of craters was left behind.