Lou Gao looked as though his face might crack from shock.
Lin Xia's words struck him like an invisible hammer, smashing straight through the mental defenses he had only just rebuilt after barely accepting the idea of "reaching level ten in a month."
"H-Half… half a month?!"
A hoarse sound escaped Lou Gao's throat, as if he had nearly choked on his own breath.
After taking several deep breaths, he looked at Lin Xia with an expression so complex it defied description—numb shock from having his worldview overturned, a visceral horror at witnessing the birth of a true monster, and an odd hollowness that followed the collapse of everything he thought he understood.
Yes. Half a month.
Compared to "level ten in a month," this was even more outrageous, so absurd it left one powerless to react.
A month was already inconceivable.
Half a month?
That wasn't just fast—it was outright trampling on the fundamental laws of spirit master cultivation!
Yet perhaps because the shocks Lin Xia delivered kept escalating—chewing raw ore, manifesting a living spirit, identifying star essence gold by taste—Lou Gao's nerves had long since been tempered into something frighteningly resilient.
The final, heaviest blow instead brought a strange calm.
A numb, hollow acceptance.
A feeling of "Of course it's like this," and "Why would it stop here?"
After a long while, Lou Gao finally let out a deep sigh, his breath heavy, as though it carried a thousand pounds of weight.
When he spoke again, his voice had fully regained the composure of a grandmaster—deeper than before, steady, but now tinged with unmistakable concern.
"Xia… then tell me—"
"Is your foundation still stable?"
He didn't question the speed at all.
Instead, he went straight for the most critical issue for any cultivator: whether such explosive growth had hollowed out the foundation.
This mattered far more to him than rank advancement.
Although Lou Gao could already sense that Lin Xia's spirit power was unusually solid, Lin Xia was an anomaly through and through. If there was even the slightest hidden flaw, it needed to be discovered and corrected immediately.
Lin Xia met his teacher's gaze calmly, his eyes clear and unwavering.
"Please don't worry, Teacher."
"Disciple can clearly sense that this spirit power isn't superficial or bloated. It's more like fine iron—ore that's been repeatedly forged, compressed, and tempered. Dense, solid, and freely controlled."
"Each time I consume ore, the energy doesn't just fill my spirit power—it feels like it's melted directly into my bones and flesh."
Lin Xia clenched his fist. A heavy, grounded sense of strength gathered between his fingers.
"My physical body is also greatly strengthened in the process."
Lou Gao's eyes flashed sharply as he extended his senses once more—this time with far greater precision.
He was no longer just measuring spirit power rank, but closely examining its quality, as well as the condition of Lin Xia's meridians, bones, and flesh.
After a long moment, the tension in his jaw finally eased. A trace of unconcealed astonishment—and relief—passed through his eyes.
"Excellent. Truly excellent."
"This is a perfect method of forging bone, flesh, and blood."
Lou Gao nodded repeatedly, his heart finally settling.
Yet the way he looked at Lin Xia now had changed completely.
It was no longer the gaze of a master looking at a gifted disciple—
—but that of a divine craftsman appraising a once-in-a-lifetime, peerless ore with limitless potential.
After thinking for a moment, Lou Gao seemed to realize something and asked directly:
"So, Xia—are you planning to obtain your first spirit ring next?"
"Yes, Teacher."
Lin Xia answered without hesitation, his eyes burning with anticipation.
"My spirit power has already reached level ten. Acquiring my first spirit ring is urgent."
He paused, a hint of concern appearing on his face.
"But Larvitar is extremely unique. Its requirements for spirit ring attributes will likely be unusual as well. Disciple's knowledge of spirit beasts is far too shallow—I urgently need your guidance."
"Hahaha! That's nothing difficult at all!"
Lou Gao burst out laughing, confidence surging through him. He slapped his broad chest with a heavy thud.
"You're my personal disciple now. Your first spirit ring is my top priority!"
"Tell me—what kind of spirit beast do you want? Strength type? Defense type? Speed type?"
"I've been operating in Gengjin City for decades. I won't claim my connections reach the heavens, but finding you a suitable spirit ring will be effortless!"
Hearing how reliable his teacher was, Lin Xia felt much more at ease.
After pondering briefly—recalling Larvitar's traits and his own plans for its future—Lin Xia spoke in a deep, steady voice:
"Teacher, Larvitar is a darling of earth and rock. It's naturally close to soil, stone, and gravel."
"I envision its first soul skill to be related to sand and rock—ideally something that allows it to manipulate or greatly enhance control over earth-based elements."
"So I'm looking for an earth-element spirit beast capable of sand or rock attacks, or one with powerful sand manipulation and burrowing abilities."
"Preferably… a spirit beast that can control large-scale quicksand or sandstorms."
"Sand… rock… earth attributes… sand manipulation… sandstorms…"
Lou Gao listened intently, his thick white brows knitting together. His fingers unconsciously stroked the stubble on his chin as he fell into deep thought.
The vast forging room grew quiet once more, broken only by his low murmurs—and the faint crunching sounds of Larvitar happily nibbling ore in the corner.
Time passed slowly.
Lin Xia held his breath as he watched Lou Gao's eyes flicker, information colliding and filtering rapidly in his mind.
Suddenly—
Smack!
Lou Gao slapped his thigh hard. His eyes flared with brilliant light, blazing like the white-hot core of a furnace.
"Got it!"
"Yellow Storm Rat!""
"Yellow Storm Rat?"
Lin Xia straightened instantly. Just the name alone sounded promising.
"Good—very good!"
Lou Gao spoke faster now, excitement and satisfaction clear in his voice.
"This creature is an anomaly even among earth-attribute spirit beasts! They inhabit the vast shifting sands southwest of Gengjin City, near the outer edges of the ore veins."
As he spoke, a vivid image formed in Lin Xia's mind—endless golden dunes under a blazing sun, wind whipping sand into a hazy curtain.
"The Yellow Storm Rat is extremely rare and exceptionally skilled at concealment."
"It isn't large, but its yellow-brown fur blends perfectly with sand. Combined with its innate mimicry, when it stays still, it's nearly impossible to distinguish from its surroundings."
"They excel at tunneling beneath the sand and moving at terrifying speed—like fish in water."
"And its abilities are precisely what you're looking for."
"It can manipulate quicksand, generate localized sandstorms, and even create lethal quicksand traps beneath its enemies' feet, silently devouring them."
"When infused with spirit power, its claws condense sand and gravel into hardened sandstone claws—razor-sharp, capable of splitting rock."
"The attributes of its spirit ring are a perfect match for sand control and rock-based abilities!"
Lin Xia's heart surged.
This was exactly the kind of spirit beast he had envisioned.
If Larvitar could obtain such a first spirit ring, its potential would be unlocked to a terrifying degree—and his multi-path design might truly take shape.
Unable to contain himself, Lin Xia asked immediately:
"Teacher… what about the age of this spirit beast?"