Having already left Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, Lin Xia naturally had no idea that he had just sidestepped a potential act of revenge.
At this moment, however, a trace of regret surfaced in his heart. After all, he was rather tempted by the spirit ring and Spirit Bone on Xiao Wu's body.
But the instant he thought of Tang Hao silently watching from the shadows, that thought was extinguished without hesitation.
Who told Tang San to have such an absurdly powerful father?
Shaking off those thoughts, Lin Xia set off on his long journey toward the northern regions of the Star Luo Empire.
That said, he was well aware of his current lack of strength—and the dangers that journey entailed. Nearly half a month had already passed since his Spirit Awakening. It was time to start proper training.
He soon found a relatively open rocky area and sat down.
Holding a freshly excavated, metal-rich chunk of ore in his hand, Lin Xia looked at Larvitar, anticipation shining in his eyes.
"Larvitar, how are you feeling today?"
Larvitar let out a cheerful "Yoji~," hopping happily once before patting its round, bulging belly, clearly in excellent condition.
"Great!"
Lin Xia grinned, snapped the ore in half, gnawed on one piece himself, and tossed the other half to Larvitar.
Crunch, crunch.
The crisp sound of human and Spirit chewing hard ore echoed together, forming a strange yet rhythmic harmony in the desolate wilderness.
"You've been eating well for a while now. Your body must have stored up plenty of strength. You've already passed the initial infant stage. Even though your overall power is still low, having more ways to protect yourself is always a good thing."
"Come on. Tell me—or rather… show me. Have you awakened any special abilities?"
Larvitar tilted its head, the blunt horn atop it catching the light. Its red eyes blinked as if it were seriously processing Lin Xia's words while sensing the energy flowing inside its body.
A few seconds later, as if recalling something, it suddenly lowered its center of gravity and stretched its short arms forward.
"Yo!"
Lin Xia immediately straightened, eyes locked onto it.
A faint glow spread across Larvitar's body as it lunged forward, slamming into a knee-high rock.
Thud.
The rock trembled violently. Larvitar remained steady, clearly not having used its full strength.
Lin Xia nodded inwardly. Just as he'd thought—Pokémon-style moves weren't limited by Spirit Ability slots. They could be comprehended and used independently!
But that wasn't all.
Right after that, Larvitar lifted its head, ruby-red eyes suddenly widening as a fierce glare locked onto movement within a nearby bush.
Glare!
The rustling instantly stopped—the small creature inside had clearly been frightened away.
Standard stuff. Lin Xia nodded calmly, unsurprised.
Rock Fall. Bite. Payback.
As each move was demonstrated, Lin Xia grew more and more satisfied. Larvitar was still young—being able to use this many moves was already impressive.
Just as Lin Xia was about to praise it—
Larvitar's next action froze the smile on his face completely.
His eyes widened in shock, as if he'd just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
Hum—!
Larvitar let out a low growl.
A deep, ancient crimson light suddenly burst from the surface of its gray-green body!
That light carried an overwhelming sense of antiquity, as if it came from the depths of the earth itself—from an age long before history.
Gravel and sand within several meters of Larvitar seemed pulled by an invisible force, lifting into the air before spiraling wildly around it!
Then, in an instant, the light contracted and condensed, gathering onto Larvitar's short forearms and the blunt horn atop its head!
As though brimming with boundless power, it swung its small, rock-armored arm toward a boulder half as tall as a person!
"Roooar!!!"
Crimson energy mixed with shattered stone surged forward like a torrent!
BOOM!!!
Ancient Power!!!
The moment the boulder made contact with that crimson energy, it was as if an ancient giant hammer had smashed into it. Spiderweb-like cracks spread instantly, and the center exploded into countless fragments!
Dust billowed. Crimson energy scattered. Even the ground trembled faintly.
Lin Xia sucked in a sharp breath, his heart pounding wildly.
"Hiss…! Ancient Power?!"
But before he could fully recover from that shock, an even more unbelievable scene unfolded.
After shattering the boulder, before the crimson light had fully dispersed, Larvitar didn't stop.
As if swept up in the rhythm of combat, its once-clumsy movements suddenly gained a strange, powerful cadence.
Its gaze sharpened.
Its short legs bent slightly as its body twisted and spun in a perfectly coordinated motion. Its small claws traced mysterious arcs through the air.
This wasn't the fixed dance pattern from Pokémon games.
It was a dance uniquely suited to its own body—wild, rugged, and overflowing with raw power!
As it moved, the remaining fragments of crimson energy from Ancient Power responded to an unseen call, gathering and swirling rapidly around Larvitar, forming a rotating crimson vortex!
With every spin, the vortex compressed further. When Larvitar completed a full rotation and suddenly planted its feet firmly—
Whoosh!
The crimson vortex was completely absorbed into its body!
In that instant, Larvitar erupted with dazzling red light from within!
The blunt horn on its head and the red scales on its abdomen shone like blazing rubies!
A powerful, ferocious aura exploded outward!
"ROOOAR—!!"
A deeper, more dominant roar echoed as its presence surged to an entirely new level!
Lin Xia stood there, utterly stunned.
His mouth hung open. The half-piece of ore in his hand dropped to the ground with a dull thud, completely unnoticed.
Only one name echoed wildly in his mind.
"Dragon Dance?!"
That crimson energy vortex, the way it circulated power through movement, the instant full-body amplification—
This was Dragon Dance. Without a doubt.
Though it lacked the elegant choreography from the Pokémon games and instead carried a more primal, rock-type ferocity, the core effect was identical—
Condense energy through dance. Strengthen all aspects at once.
Looking at Larvitar now—its glow fading, breathing slightly heavy, eyes sharper than before, its aura clearly elevated as though a hidden seal had been broken—Lin Xia's heart continued to race.
Larvitar tilted its head at Lin Xia's exaggerated expression, clearly confused.
"Yoji?"
(What's wrong? Was the dance not good-looking? Was the power not strong enough?)
Staring at Larvitar's innocent face, then recalling the boulder-shattering Ancient Power and the battlefield-dominating Dragon Dance, Lin Xia suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! It was good-looking—and insanely powerful, Larvitar!"