Those were the very words he had spoken to Lin Xia five years ago.
Now, however, he possessed the confidence to look down upon everything beneath the heavens.
If his disciple liked her, then he would protect her!
Who dared to take her away?
Who dared to come looking for trouble?
They would first have to ask whether his Phoenix God's flames agreed!
And then ask whether his disciple, a twelve-year-old Soul King, along with the steel torrent represented by the future mecha agreed!
With that thought, Lou Gao felt completely enlightened.
Every trace of doubt and worry vanished, replaced by boundless confidence and heroic resolve.
On his face, tempered by the divine flames until it was as resolute and imposing as if carved by blade and chisel, an incomparably brilliant and satisfied smile suddenly bloomed.
There was even a hint of, "As expected of my disciple, he truly takes after me."
Like the blazing sun breaking through storm clouds, that smile instantly swept away all the heaviness and tension brought about by Zhu Zhuqing's revealed identity.
"Hahaha! Good! Good boy!"
Lou Gao's booming laughter erupted once again.
This time, it was even heartier and more unrestrained than before, echoing throughout the volcano until even the surrounding volcanic rocks seemed to resonate.
He strode forward.
This time, instead of slapping Lin Xia's back, his enormous fan-like hand landed heavily on Lin Xia's shoulder with the admiration of someone who had found a kindred spirit.
The force nearly made Lin Xia stumble, yet it only widened the smile on his face.
Lou Gao's gaze moved past Lin Xia and settled on Zhu Zhuqing once more.
This time, however, his molten-lava eyes no longer held scrutiny or authority.
Instead, they were filled with appreciation and approval, like an elder looking upon an outstanding junior.
There was even the slightest trace of teasing.
"Your taste really isn't bad, kid."
"Excellent judgment!"
Lou Gao praised loudly, every word ringing with conviction.
"The Netherworld Hellcat! An eleven-year-old Level 33 Soul Elder! Young lady, your talent ranks among the very best on the entire continent! Excellent! Truly excellent! You're worthy of my disciple!"
He deliberately used the words "worthy of."
The deeper meaning and approval behind them needed no explanation.
Zhu Zhuqing froze.
The anger...
The interrogation...
Even being driven away...
None of what she had expected happened.
That elder, whose majesty rivaled that of a deity. After learning her identity and martial soul. Actually laughed and praised her?
He even said. She was worthy of Lin Xia.
A tremendous warmth suddenly surged through her heart, completely washing away the last barrier of fear within her.
Without warning, tears welled up in her eyes.
She hurriedly lowered her head, unwilling to let anyone see.
Yet her trembling shoulders and flushed ears betrayed the overwhelming emotions raging inside her.
Feeling the change in Zhu Zhuqing's emotions, Lin Xia finally let out a sigh of relief.
He looked toward Lou Gao.
Their eyes met.
No words were needed.
Lin Xia's gaze conveyed gratitude.
A silent understanding of, "Teacher understands me."
Lou Gao's eyes answered with an equally silent promise.
"Go do what you have to do. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up."
"Hahaha! Let's go!"
With a wave of his hand, the golden Flames of Nirvana surrounding Lou Gao withdrew, leaving behind only a warm halo enveloping the three of them.
"Let's return to Gengxin City!
"I want to see just what kind of state you two little monsters have turned our home into over the past five years!
"And while we're at it..."
He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, his smile growing even brighter.
"...I'll properly get to know one of our Blacksmith Association's own people!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "our own people," as though branding them permanently upon her, formally placing Zhu Zhuqing beneath the protection of his wings.
"Teacher, you want to see what we've turned our home into?"
Lin Xia's voice echoed through the still-heated air surrounding the mecha development workshop, carrying the crisp resonance of forged steel.
"Just looking isn't enough."
"You have to experience it yourself."
Before his words had even finished. The storage Soul Tool on Lin Xia's wrist suddenly erupted with dazzling azure light!
Bzzz—!!!
Space violently distorted.
An overwhelming aura, as heavy as a mountain yet containing explosive pressure, instantly filled the edge of the volcanic crater.
The scorching smell of sulfur seemed to be forced aside by an invisible barrier.
Replacing it was the icy scent of metal intertwined with surging stellar power.
Under Lou Gao's nearly frozen gaze of astonishment, a colossal object appeared out of thin air before crashing heavily onto the black volcanic rock.
BOOM!!
The earth trembled violently.
Shattered rocks flew in every direction.
It was a gigantic steel humanoid standing over fifteen meters tall.
Its entire body was covered in crimson armor the color of fresh blood, resembling solidified magma.
Beneath the dim volcanic sky, the armor reflected an icy metallic sheen.
Between the gaps in the armor flowed deep azure streams of light, like starlight coursing through veins.
A deep, continuous hum Bzzz... Bzzz, echoed from within, like the heartbeat of a slumbering giant beast.
Its streamlined torso radiated overwhelming power.
Its massive alloy limbs possessed perfectly balanced proportions.
Every joint was protected by layers upon layers of composite armor, clearly the result of meticulous engineering that balanced defense with agility.
Its enormous metallic feet sank deep into the volcanic rock, as immovable as mountains rooted into the earth.
Yet the most intimidating feature was its head.
Gone was the crude observation window of earlier designs.
In its place stood a fierce yet majestic metal helmet.
Its eyes were formed from two enormous screens composed entirely of concentrated stellar energy.
At this moment, they burned like twin blue flames, coldly staring ahead.
An invisible pressure, a fusion of the boundless vastness of the stars, the indomitable will of steel, and the precision of Soul Tool engineering, surged outward like an invisible tide.
It slammed directly into Lou Gao's divine senses.
That aura a ctually caused even this newly ascended quasi-deity.
To feel a faint sense of danger arising from the very essence of its power.
"W-What is this...?!"
Lou Gao's crimson-gold pupils contracted violently.
Even the divine flames burning within his eyes seemed to freeze for an instant.
He recognized the aura at its core, the Tear of the Star Core!
But the level of completion and overwhelming presence of this steel creation far surpassed the blueprints and skeletal framework he had left behind five years ago.
It was no longer a cold machine.
It was a colossal god of war forged from steel, possessing a majesty that seemed almost alive.
At the very moment Lou Gao's mind was shaken to its core, Lin Xia's figure blurred into a gray streak.
He lightly tapped an inconspicuous square platform on the mecha's chest armor.
As his Soul Power flowed into the identification array..
Hiss—
A soft burst of compressed air sounded.
The heavy alloy hatch unfolded like blooming petals, revealing a sophisticated cockpit bathed in flowing azure light.
Lin Xia's figure instantly disappeared inside.
The hatch silently sealed shut.
BZZZZZ—!!!!
In the next instant the blue flames within the mecha's eyes flared brilliantly, as though an ancient beast that had slumbered for ten thousand years had finally awakened.
An even more violent surge of energy erupted from the mecha's core.
Starlight burst through the gaps in its crimson armor, illuminating the surroundings like a battlefield beneath the sea of stars.
Lin Xia's voice echoed through the external amplification system.
Resonating with metallic vibrations and the confidence of one in complete control, it rang across the mountaintop.
"Teacher, didn't you want to see it?"
"Now is the perfect opportunity!"
"Experience it for yourself."
"See just how powerful the Blacksmith Association's future source of confidence truly is in battle."
"Use your Phoenix Vajra Chisel and test its quality."
Looking at the steel beast before him, which had transformed from silent stillness into a terrifying war machine in an instant.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from it, so powerful that it even caused the divine flames within his body to stir slightly.
The astonishment on Lou Gao's face was swiftly replaced by indescribable exhilaration and surging fighting spirit.
"Good! Good! Good!"
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