Lin Xia looked at the ring resting in his palm, feeling its solid weight and the unmistakable trust it carried.
He did not offer any false refusals—survival and becoming stronger were the foremost priorities in this world, and his teacher's gift was exactly what he needed most at the moment.
Clutching the ring tightly, Lin Xia bowed deeply to Lou Gao, his voice sincere and clear.
"Disciple Lin Xia thanks Teacher for your generous gift!"
"Mm."
Lou Gao nodded in satisfaction. His gaze then shifted to Larvitar, who was staring at him eagerly, its tiny claws unconsciously rubbing together. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but lift into a smile.
Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled out the remaining pieces of Starry Gold and Starry Refined Gold the very two ores Lin Xia had bitten earlier and directly handed them to Larvitar.
"Here, little one. These are yours."
"Larvitar——!!!"
Larvitar let out an excited cry, and where would it still bother with restraint? Its short little arms shot forward like lightning, instantly scooping both ores—radiating alluring waves of energy into its embrace!
The very next second.
"CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRUNCH CRUNCH——!"
A scalp-tingling barrage of rapid chewing sounds, dense like exploding beans, instantly filled the entire forging room.
Larvitar's small head shook wildly, its cheeks bulging like they were stuffed with two huge walnuts. Its eyes squinted into blissful slits, while its throat released extremely satisfied "mm-mm" sounds, as if it had entered some kind of "ore-induced nirvana."
That ferocious eating manner was a hundred times more savage than a glutton who had starved for centuries, as though afraid someone might snatch it away.
Lin Xia looked at his Martial Soul's utterly undignified appearance and covered his forehead, finding it unbearable to watch—both annoyed and amused as he muttered:
"Slow down! No one's fighting you for it!"
His tone was full of helplessness.
Yet after hearing Lin Xia's words, Larvitar's eyes were filled with disbelief. Others might not steal it but you were different!
That expression nearly made Lin Xia's mental defenses collapse on the spot.
Was he really that greedy?
Lou Gao, meanwhile, was completely entertained by the little fellow's behavior. He clapped his hands and burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good! Interesting—truly interesting! This little one's bite force is even stronger than the hardest quenched steel I've ever seen!"
Lou Gao looked at Larvitar with astonishment and intense interest.
"Being able to eat is a blessing! If it can eat, that's good! Old man here lacks many things, but the one thing I don't lack is piles of rocks like these! From now on, it'll have as much as it wants!"
His hearty laughter echoed through the forging room, brimming with the joy of gaining a beloved new disciple.
But Lou Gao was, after all, the President of the Blacksmith Association and one of the top forging masters of the age.
After the brief laughter, his expression quickly turned serious. The pure curiosity in his eyes regarding Larvitar's eating shifted into something deeper—more probing.
He walked over to Lin Xia, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce through Lin Xia's body straight to the core.
Lou Gao's voice grew heavy as he asked each word carefully:
"Xia, what you said downstairs earlier that you and your Martial Soul, Larvitar, can grow stronger by devouring ores… Is that true? Absolutely no jest?"
Faced with such a solemn question from his teacher, Lin Xia had no intention of hiding anything. Meeting Lou Gao's scrutinizing gaze, he nodded seriously, his tone resolute.
"Yes, Teacher. It is absolutely true! Both Larvitar and I can cultivate by consuming ores that contain metallic energy. The efficiency of this method far surpasses ordinary meditation-based cultivation—several times faster, at least!"
"It also strengthens the physical body."
Hearing this, a sharp gleam flashed through Lou Gao's eyes, though he did not immediately press for details.
After a brief moment of silence—during which countless thoughts collided within his mind—he asked.
"Xia, what exactly was your innate Soul power Level?"
Lin Xia immediately took out the slightly wrinkled certificate issued by the Spirit Hall of Notting City from his pack and respectfully handed it to Lou Gao with both hands.
Lou Gao accepted it, his eyes sweeping across the paper like lightning. After reading it, a trace of delight flashed across his face.
When he had accepted Lin Xia as a disciple earlier, he had not cared about Lin Xia's Soul Master talent at all. Even without Soul power, as long as he had that ability, Lin Xia's value would still be extraordinary.
But if he had Soul power and was a genius at that, it would naturally be even better.
"Innate Soul power… Level Eight…"
Awakened just over a month ago, innate Level Eight excellent talent, though not unparalleled.
However, in the very next moment, Lou Gao's perception expanded like an ultra-precise probe, instantly enveloping Lin Xia's entire body.
His vast Soul power carefully examined the fluctuations and intensity of Lin Xia's internal Soul power both instinct and habit for a top-tier powerhouse assessing a disciple's foundation.
And this examination was fine at first…
But the instant he truly sensed it
"Buzz!"
Lou Gao felt as though an invisible giant hammer had smashed into him. His body shook violently!
Those eyes, weathered by countless years yet still sharp, widened to their absolute limit. His pupils contracted violently, as if he had just witnessed something utterly inconceivable!
He stared fiercely at the words "Innate Soul Power: Level Eight" on the certificate, then abruptly looked up at the disciple before him—only six years old, slender in build, yet firm in gaze. The muscles on his face twitched slightly under the overwhelming shock.
"Ten… Level Ten?!!"
For the first time, Lou Gao's voice trembled visibly, hoarse to the point of nearly losing sound, filled with sheer disbelief and horror.
"Y-your… your Soul power… has actually already reached Level Ten?! Th-this… how is that possible?!"
Lou Gao sucked in a sharp breath, as if trying to steady the heart that felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. His voice rose uncontrollably from agitation, carrying both interrogation and the shudder of witnessing a reality-shattering truth.
"Lin Xia! From the moment you awakened your Martial Soul until now… even counting generously, it's only been a little over one month!!"
"A little over one month!!"
"You went from a freshly awakened Soul Scholar with innate Level Eight Soul power…"
"Crossed the threshold of Level Nine…"
"And directly charged into Level Ten?!!!!"
Every word Lou Gao spoke was like a heavy hammer striking an anvil—clangorous and resounding—echoing through the forging room thick with the scent of metal.
His gaze locked tightly onto Lin Xia, as though he were staring at a monster that had shattered ironclad laws and overturned common sense itself!
Innate Level Eight. One month. Level Ten Soul power!
This could no longer be described as merely "fast." This was a direct path to the heavens!
A Soul power advancement route achieved through eating!
This shock was even a hundred times greater than Lin Xia's ability to distinguish Starry Refined Gold with his mouth, or Larvitar's ability to gnaw on ores.
Because it struck straight at the very core—the most fundamental issue of Soul Master cultivation speed!
Lin Xia nodded lightly, affirming Lou Gao's perception. His tone was calm, yet carried a trace of youthful certainty.
"Teacher's perception is correct. This disciple's Soul power has indeed reached Level Ten and there is still some surplus."
"But it wasn't cultivated over more than a month."
"It has only been half a month."
----
For additional chapter's
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu