"The Zhu Clan? The Netherworld Hellcat Zhu Clan of the Star Luo Empire?"
Lou Gao's crimson-gold eyes instantly focused on Zhu Zhuqing.
His gaze burned like molten lava, as though it could pierce through her appearance and look directly into her soul.
Even though he had deliberately restrained it, the invisible pressure belonging to a peak powerhouse still caused the surrounding air to grow noticeably heavier.
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
Her petite body instantly tensed like a kitten being stared down by a ferocious beast.
Instinctively, she wanted to take a step backward.
But Lin Xia firmly grasped her hand.
A gentle stream of stellar power quietly flowed into her, instantly dispelling the suffocating pressure.
Lou Gao's brows furrowed slightly, as though he had encountered a rare metal that refused to melt in the forge.
He carefully sized Zhu Zhuqing up from head to toe.
Her cool, delicate features...
Her graceful, upright posture...
And the trace of nervousness and stubborn determination hidden deep within her eyes something even her best efforts to conceal could not escape his divine senses.
Everything confirmed that she came from an extraordinary background.
She's been with Lin Xia for five years?
Lou Gao quickly calculated the timeline.
Wouldn't that mean this brat had "abducted" the Second Young Lady of one of the Star Luo Empire's most prestigious noble families shortly after joining the Blacksmith Association at the age of seven?!
The thought made the corner of Lou Gao's eye twitch involuntarily.
He knew his disciple far too well.
Lin Xia possessed unparalleled intelligence and meticulous judgment.
He was definitely not some foolish youth who would lose his head over a pretty face.
Seven years old?
At that age, Lin Xia had devoted all his thoughts to blacksmithing, Soul Tools, and finding a future for the Blacksmith Association.
How could he possibly have had the leisure to involve himself in such enormous trouble?
The daughter of the Zhu Clan, especially the direct-line Second Young Lady.
What did that represent?
It meant one of the most powerful noble families in the Star Luo Empire.
It meant the deeply intertwined marriage traditions connecting the Zhu Clan and the Star Luo Imperial Family.
Hidden away in Gengxin City, far from the political center, for five entire years.
Lou Gao could almost imagine the turmoil the Zhu Clan and the Imperial Family must have stirred up behind the scenes during all that time.
A sharp gleam flashed through Lou Gao's blazing golden eyes, filled with scrutiny and contemplation.
"The Second Young Lady of the Zhu Clan?"
He repeated the words slowly, his deep voice carrying the metallic resonance of steel grinding against steel.
"Then tell me, what is Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul?
"And what Level is her Soul Power?"
He needed more information.
Only then could he judge just how deep these waters truly were, and what kind of vortex his audacious disciple had become entangled in.
The moment the words "Netherworld Hellcat" clearly left Lin Xia's mouth, the last trace of hope in Lou Gao's heart disappeared.
As expected it was that martial soul renowned for its incredible speed, assassination abilities, and its inseparable connection to the Imperial Family.
The instant Lin Xia finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened uncontrollably once again, as though countless invisible needles of ice had pierced her.
That name, that identity.
It was the shackles she had desperately tried to escape.
It was also the source of a disaster that could potentially bring catastrophe upon Lin Xia and all of Gengxin City.
She didn't even dare raise her head to meet Lou Gao's divine gaze that seemed capable of seeing through everything.
Her long eyelashes trembled violently, betraying the fear hidden deep within her heart.
Lin Xia immediately noticed how cold and rigid the small hand in his own had become.
Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped sideways.
His body completely blocked Lou Gao's line of sight toward Zhu Zhuqing.
His broad hand, carrying a reassuring warmth, gently rested atop her slightly trembling head.
With practiced familiarity, his fingertips lightly rubbed the pair of small cat-ear hair ornaments nestled in her hair in a comforting gesture.
The tiny movement seemed to possess a strange kind of magic.
The tension in Zhu Zhuqing's body eased slightly as warmth flowed down from the top of her head.
"Teacher."
Lin Xia's voice remained steady and resolute.
Without the slightest hesitation, he met Lou Gao's burning gaze directly.
"Zhuqing's martial soul is the Netherworld Hellcat.
"As for her Soul Power..."
He paused briefly.
A trace of pride entered his voice.
"She's already reached Level 33."
"Level 33?!"
Lou Gao's pupils contracted sharply.
For the first time, a look of unmistakable astonishment appeared on his dignified face a complicated expression blending shock with a sense of so that's how it is.
He looked once more at the young girl standing behind Lin Xia's protection.
This time, his gaze was completely different.
Eleven years old.
A Soul Elder with Level 33 Soul Power.
The number exploded in his mind like a thunderclap.
Even after completing the Phoenix God's Trial and elevating his state of mind to an entirely new realm, he found it impossible to remain completely composed.
He had seen countless so-called geniuses.
But an eleven-year-old Soul Elder was an exceedingly rare existence in the entire history of the Douluo Continent.
Especially one who had grown up within the Zhu Clan.
A family with rigid hierarchy and relentless internal struggles.
What did that signify?
It meant she possessed not only a top-tier martial soul, but also extraordinary determination and perseverance far beyond that of ordinary people.
In such an oppressive environment...
And after fleeing her family, during these five years...
She had actually achieved such astonishing progress.
Lou Gao's impression of Zhu Zhuqing was instantly overturned.
She was by no means some pampered noble young lady who would only bring trouble.
She was an unpolished jade of the highest quality. A true genius who had shone brilliantly in the face of adversity.
In the span of a heartbeat, countless thoughts raced through Lou Gao's mind.
Why had Lin Xia taken her away?
Simply because she was talented?
No.
It certainly wasn't that simple.
Lou Gao knew Lin Xia's character all too well.
He always planned carefully before taking action and never acted without confidence in the outcome.
He must have seen something much deeper within Zhu Zhuqing.
Perhaps it was her cool, unyielding nature that stood completely at odds with the Zhu Clan.
Perhaps it was her determination to survive even in the depths of despair.
Or perhaps...
It was the heart that still longed for the light despite being surrounded by darkness, a heart worthy of protection.
What Lin Xia truly valued was probably her as a person.
He valued the part of her that had not been twisted by her family, and the resilient soul that matched her extraordinary talent.
An indescribably complicated emotion surged through Lou Gao's heart.
Should he blame Lin Xia for being reckless in his youth and inviting an overwhelming disaster?
No.
Looking at the pair before him.
Looking at the way Lin Xia protected her without the slightest hesitation.
Looking at the fleeting vulnerability and dependence Zhu Zhuqing revealed only while under Lin Xia's protection.
Every trace of concern born from the "trouble" she represented instantly vanished.
In its place rose a far bolder, far more domineering emotion.
Excellent, my boy!
Just as expected of my disciple!
What incredible judgment!
What astonishing courage!
At only twelve years old, he had dared to snatch someone from the jaws of the Star Luo Empire's Zhu Clan.
And the one he chose was such an exceptionally gifted young woman!
Such courage.
Such responsibility.
Such keen insight into people's character.
He had truly surpassed his master.
As for trouble?
Lou Gao let out a disdainful snort inwardly.
The golden flames of Nirvana flowing around his body seemed to sense their master's emotions.
They suddenly flared higher, radiating an even hotter and more majestic aura.
Trouble?
So what?
The Zhu Clan?
So what?
The Star Luo Imperial Family?
So what?
The current Lou Gao was no longer the man he used to be.
He was now a quasi-deity who had inherited the Phoenix God's divine flames and crossed the boundary between life and death.
His disciple a twelve-year-old peak Soul King was destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent.
And his Blacksmith Association was no longer the insignificant "blacksmith shop" that others had once looked down upon.
Even if the sky were to collapse they blacksmiths would hold it up.
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