Lin Xia's gaze became exceptionally calm. All hesitation and uncertainty were suppressed, leaving behind only the resolve to stake everything on a single gamble.
"For the mecha, and for truly taking control of my own destiny in the future, for protecting the people I want to protect, I have to take this risk!"
Without any further hesitation, Lin Xia immediately took out the thick, heavily worn copy of the Complete Illustrated Guide to Rare Continental Ores from his soul tool.
The book recorded nearly every known high-grade ore on the Douluo Continent, complete with illustrations and brief descriptions of their energy properties.
Sitting down cross-legged, Lin Xia ignored the lingering pain in his mind, which still felt hollowed out, and forcibly focused the remnants of his spiritual power as he rapidly flipped through the guide.
His eyes moved like a precision scanner, sweeping across page after page filled with diagrams of precious treasures.
"Star Sand the energy is too dispersed. No good!"
"Moonlight Stone its attribute leans too much toward yin softness. It lacks the vastness of starlight…"
"Heavenriver Crystal the energy level is sufficient, but it's too overbearing. Unsuitable for delicate formations…"
"Star Marrow somewhat close, but natural Star Marrow is exceedingly rare and far too small in size. It could never reach this scale…"
Time passed minute by minute. Lin Xia flipped through the pages faster and faster, while his brows furrowed more deeply.
Many of the top-grade gemstones recorded in the guide either had incompatible energy properties, were too small, or were so rare that they were practically impossible to obtain. A gemstone that matched the Star Gem's vast, pure, stable nature while also containing spatial fluctuations simply did not seem to exist!
Larvitar was lying beside him as well, its small head leaning close to the guide. Its crimson eyes stared unblinkingly at the pictures while its tiny claws occasionally pointed at different entries, seemingly helping its master screen them out as it let out little "Larvi, Larvi" cries, as though saying, "This one won't work, that one won't either."
Just as Lin Xia was about to finish the entire guide and disappointment gradually began filling his heart, his gaze suddenly froze on a piece of legendary trivia attached near the final pages.
"…According to fragmented records from the ancient remnant text Records of the Star Vault, a strange celestial stone once fell in the far western lands of the continent. At its core was said to be a 'Star Core Fragment,' deep dark blue in color, containing a swirling galaxy within. Its energy was as vast as the sea and pure beyond compare, while also possessing a trace of the power of spatial origin, seemingly formed from the very essence of the stars themselves However, this object exists only in legend. For thousands of years, no verified appearance has ever been recorded, and it may already have vanished into the river of history…"
"Star Core Fragment?!"
An astonishing light instantly erupted from Lin Xia's eyes!
This description of these properties they were practically identical to the Star Gem! It might even be more fundamental and more powerful!
"Could it be that the core of the Star Crown is actually a 'Star Core Fragment'?!"
The thought exploded in Lin Xia's mind like thunder, making him so excited he nearly leapt to his feet!
If that were true, then the value of this gemstone would be utterly immeasurable!
But after the excitement came an even deeper sense of helplessness.
A Star Core Fragment?
That was nothing more than an illusory legend!
Where was he supposed to find one?
Even if it truly existed, it was definitely not something he could touch in his current state.
Still, this record had given him a clear direction, find a top-tier mineral containing the power of stellar origin!
"I may not be able to find a Star Core Fragment but a high-grade substitute with similar power may still exist!"
Lin Xia's fighting spirit reignited.
He no longer limited himself to the guidebook and instead began frantically searching through all the memories from his previous life, as well as every piece of knowledge regarding star-attributed minerals he had encountered in the Blacksmith Association in this life.
"Starflare Stone Essence? Rumored to be the core essence of Starflare Stone veins. Its energy purity is extremely high and it also contains stellar power, but the size is usually too small…"
"Nine Heavens Profound Iron? Found alongside the cores of celestial meteorite ore, naturally carrying stellar magnetism and spatial fluctuations, but its attribute is too rigid and sharp, while the energy isn't restrained enough…"
One name after another flashed through his mind, only to be rejected. Suddenly, Lin Xia's breathing halted. He remembered a place Grandmaster Lou Gao had casually mentioned once while drunk!
"Seven hundred li southwest of Gengxin City, deep within the Silent Desolation Mountains, lies the abandoned ruins of the ancient sect known as the Starfall Pavilion… It's said that the core of their mountain-protecting formation used a strange stone called 'Illusion Star Glaze'. This stone could draw in faint starlight, create endless illusions, possessed vast yet gentle energy properties, and naturally carried spatial illusion effects Unfortunately, after the destruction of the Starfall Pavilion, the mineral vein was exhausted long ago, and the ruins became a dangerous forbidden land…"
"Illusion Star Glaze!"
Lin Xia suddenly clenched his fist tightly as brilliant light burst from his eyes!
Gentle yet vast energy properties, natural spatial illusion effects, and the ability to draw in starlight!
Although it could not compare to a Star Core Fragment, it was absolutely the closest and most attainable high-grade substitute based on all the information currently available!
And Grandmaster Lou Gao had mentioned that the "mineral vein was exhausted," meaning it had once existed in reality rather than being mere fantasy!
The ruins had become a dangerous land?
It might be dangerous for others, but for him, Lin Xia, that was not necessarily the case!
"This is it!"
Lin Xia suddenly slammed the guidebook shut, his eyes gleaming with the light of a lone wolf.
"The Silent Desolation Mountains. The Starfall Pavilion ruins. I have to make a trip there!"
He quickly took out paper and pen and began carefully recording the structure diagram of the "Stellar Link Matrix" he had forcefully memorized moments ago.
The agony caused by his exhausted spiritual power still churned through his mind like steel needles, but he gritted his teeth, ensuring every stroke was as precise as possible.
Every time he drew one of the intricate circuits, it felt as though his soul were being torn apart once more. Sweat continuously dripped onto the paper.
Larvitar watched anxiously from the side, yet did not dare interrupt him.
This Soul Tool array was the key to his plan and the cornerstone of his future mecha. There could not be the slightest mistake.
At the same time, the plan to search for Illusory Star Glazed Crystal had to be placed on the agenda immediately.
It seemed his "peaceful" days at the Zhu residence were about to come to an end.
Lin Xia sat cross-legged, his face pale as paper. Fine beads of cold sweat covered his forehead, sliding down along his temples before gathering beneath his chin and dripping off.
His spiritual power was like a completely dried-up well. Every tiny circulation of Soul Power brought stabbing pain, while his temples throbbed violently, as if they might explode in the next second.
Yet his dark golden eyes shone with astonishing brilliance as they remained fixed upon the massive three-dimensional Soul Tool array projection floating before him, formed entirely from pure Soul Power.
This was precisely the core he had forcibly imprinted from within the Star Crown, the Stellar Link Matrix!
Countless thread-thin lines formed from refined Soul Power intertwined, twisted, and rotated through the air, constructing an incomprehensibly complex three-dimensional structure.
Each energy node flickered faintly, while innumerable streams of energy flowed according to profound and mysterious rhythms, forming a miniature universe of perfectly functioning energy circulation.
Lin Xia's fingertips trembled. Every slight movement of his hand felt as though he were burning away his own soul.
He had to perfectly reproduce every detail forcibly branded into his mind, every twist, every turn, every rhythm of energy flow without the slightest deviation!
This was no longer merely an output of Soul Power. It was a test of the very limits of his willpower.
"Ugh…"
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