Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 10 That child... he really was eating minerals!

An elderly man, who was not particularly tall but had a broad frame and bulging muscles, walked over.

His hair and beard were all white, yet he was vigorous and his eyes were bright and piercing, as if they could see through metal and stone.

Wearing an old leather apron covered in coal dust and iron filings, and holding a small carving knife that gleamed with an unusual cold light, he seemed to be studying some intricate parts.

Most striking was the badge he wore on his chest—a forging hammer surrounded by starlight, the very symbol of a master craftsman!

When the craftsmen around saw the old man, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully.

"President!"

Tall building!

One of the three great master craftsmen of our time, and the president of the Blacksmiths' Guild!

The steward, known as Old Li, immediately suppressed his impatience, recounted his conversation with Lin Xia, and then respectfully said:
"President, this kid says he wants to join the association, but he seems too young, I'm afraid..."

Lou Gao's gaze fell on Lin Xia.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

Lin Xia immediately felt an invisible pressure, but he forced himself to remain calm and looked back at Lou Gao with neither arrogance nor servility.

"You want to join the association?"

Lou Gao's voice wasn't loud, but it had a metallic quality and clearly reached Lin Xia's ears.

"Yes, President."

Lin Xia answered respectfully.

“I have a special ability with ore and I hope to serve the association and learn forging techniques.”

"Special abilities?"

A flicker of interest flashed in Lou Gao's eyes.

He was obsessed with metals and forging throughout his life, and had a great curiosity about anything new and interesting related to ores and metals.

"Tell me, what makes it special?"

Despite Lou Gao's questions and the undisguised questioning looks from the surrounding crowd, Lin Xia remained unmoved.

He was well aware of the uniqueness and importance of his abilities, and that revealing some of them was a necessary price to pay in order to gain a foothold in the blacksmiths' association and acquire resources.

He needs Lou Gao's approval, but even more so, he needs a stable source of ore.

After a brief moment of thought, Lin Xia made a decision.

Lin Xia raised her hand, not pointing to the pile of ore, but to her own mouth, and said with clear and utterly serious eyes:

"President, my palate can detect all the different components in minerals and distinguish between good and bad ones."

Lin Xia paused, then added:
"It's just that we need to make a comparison, since I don't know much about the specifics of the ores and can't name those metals."

Upon hearing this, the crowd, which was already there to watch the spectacle, erupted into even louder laughter.

"Hahaha! Did you hear that? He said he can taste mineral components in his food!"

"This is hilarious! Is this kid starving and talking nonsense?"

"Eat ore? Does he think he's a spirit beast? Or something made of bronze and iron?"

"Exactly, even if you can actually bite into it, what kind of taste can you get? Rusty or stoney?" The slight interest that had just appeared in Lou Gao's eyes was quickly replaced by deep disappointment.

After shaking his head, he sighed, his tone carrying the helplessness of an elder towards an ignorant child.

"Little kid, do you think you have teeth of bronze and a mouth of iron?"

"Even so, some ores are much harder than you imagine. Without special processing, their shape and properties are extremely stable. How could they be easily bitten and distinguished by teeth? Your idea is... too naive."

The surrounding laughter grew louder, with various comments about it being "out of touch with reality" and "ignorant of its own limitations."

Lin Xia ignored the surrounding noise, her face remaining calm.

He walked straight to the area where ordinary ores were piled up, bent down and picked up two pieces of iron ore that were similar in size but slightly different in color. He took the ore back to the tower and asked loudly:
"President, you are old blacksmiths with rich experience. You should know which of these two ores has a higher iron content, right?"

Lou Gao and the old manager next to him both glanced at it subconsciously. With their eyesight, they could naturally make out the general idea.

But before they could answer, Lin Xia's next action brought everyone's laughter to an abrupt halt, as if someone had been choked!
Without hesitation, Lin Xia brought the iron ore in her right hand to her mouth, opened her mouth, and took a big bite!
"Crack——!"

A crisp, teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out!

Under the horrified gazes of everyone, Lin Xia bit off a piece the size of a baby's fist from the hard iron ore as if she were crushing a crisp biscuit!
Without pausing, Lin Xia bit off another piece of the ore in her left hand!
He stuffed the two pieces of ore he had bitten off into his mouth at the same time, his cheeks puffed out, and he began to chew them vigorously.

The hard ore made a crisp "crunch, crunch" sound in his mouth, like chewing fried beans, which sent chills down one's spine.

The entire hall of the blacksmiths' guild fell into a deathly silence!
Only the whooshing sound of the furnace burning and the crunching sound of Lin Xia chewing ore echoed in the air.

Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped, looking incredulously at the mind-blowing scene before them.

That kid... he really was eating minerals!

And it involves biting and chewing it with your teeth!
What are his teeth made of?
What is his stomach made of?
Is this...is this really something a human can do?

Lou Gao's disappointment had long been replaced by extreme shock. He stared intently at Lin Xia's mouth, as if trying to see if there was some kind of divine weapon hidden inside.

Manager Li was so frightened that he took half a step back, his face turning pale.

Lin Xia chewed as if no one else was around, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was carefully savoring and discerning the flavors.

A moment later, Lin Xia stopped chewing and swallowed the paste mixed with mineral fragments in her mouth.

After savoring it carefully, Lin Xia held up the piece of ore with a bite taken out of it in her left hand, and said to Lou Gao in a calm but clear tone:

"This piece has a relatively high iron content."

Lin Xia paused, seemingly trying to recall and feel.

"And...it seems to be accompanied by another mineral, with a taste that's...somewhat sharp? But I haven't studied it and can't name it."

Dead!

Absolute silence!
Everyone was stunned into a blank mind by this simple, crude, yet unbelievable method of identification.

Looking at Lin Xia's perfectly intact mouth and teeth, without even a trace of blood, and then at the two iron ore stones in his hand with large chunks bitten off, an utterly absurd feeling swept over everyone's hearts.

This world... seems to have suddenly become strange and crazy!
After the initial, petrified shock, Lou Gao's already bright eyes suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented, almost fanatical light!

That look in his eyes was like that of a master craftsman obsessed with forging who had suddenly discovered a legendary metal ore that contained divine power!

"Good! Good! Good!"

　It doesn't follow any group, features its own original storyline, includes Pokémon, and has a slow burn—it's packed with all the essential elements, yet it has absolutely no audience appeal and can't compete with other books published around the same time! So, dear readers, if you like this book, please continue reading. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions in the book review section; I'll read them!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)