Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 13 Lin Xia, would you be willing... to become my disciple?
This is beyond just being gifted; it's a miracle that has completely overturned their understanding of minerals!

Thinking back to Lin Xia's astonishing act of chewing iron ore, they suddenly felt... it wasn't so hard to understand after all?
After all, he could even crush the Star Gold treasured by the president in one bite!
Lou Gao looked at his men, who were frozen in shock, and his fanatical smile grew even wider. His burning gaze refocused on Lin Xia, as if he were admiring a rare gem.

Lin Xia felt Lou Gao's gaze, took a deep breath, suppressed the slight excitement brought on by the breakthrough in soul power, forced herself to remain calm, and asked in a clear and earnest voice with clear eyes:

"Guild Master, can I... join the Blacksmiths' Guild now?"

Upon hearing this, Lou Gao shook his head without hesitation, much to everyone's surprise—including Lin Xia's.

The hall fell silent once again.

reject?

Wasn't the master craftsman just admiring him so much?
Lin Xia's heart sank slightly.

However, Lou Gao's next words shocked everyone!
"Little friend, tell me, what's your name?"

Lou Gao's voice was unusually solemn, his sharp gaze filled with unprecedented seriousness and expectation.

"Lin Xia."

Lin Xia answered crisply and decisively.

Lou Gao nodded, his tall frame leaning slightly forward as he gazed into Lin Xia's clear yet stubborn eyes, and asked with utmost seriousness:
"Lin Xia, would you... be willing to become my disciple?"

boom!
These words were like a thunderclap, more shocking than ever before!
Becoming an apprentice?! Lou Gao, one of the three greatest blacksmiths of our time and the president of the Blacksmiths' Association, actually offered to take this child of unknown origin as his apprentice?!

The blacksmiths around were completely stunned, their minds blank.

To be accepted as an apprentice by the master craftsman himself is an opportunity that countless blacksmiths and masters dream of but cannot obtain!

Lou Gao's position in terms of mineral resources and forging techniques is precisely the core objective that led Lin Xia to Gengjin City after traveling thousands of miles!

Joining the association is a means to an end; the real purpose is to acquire resources and learn about forging and ore.

What does it mean to become Lou Gao's disciple?
This means the most stable source of rare minerals!
This means that all the risks he had taken and the "price" of exposing his abilities had now yielded a reward far exceeding his expectations!
Without the slightest hesitation! Without the utterest doubt!
The moment the words fell from the high tower, Lin Xia didn't hesitate or make any pretentious excuses.

Lin Xia took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent emotions, and her eyes became extremely firm and respectful.

He took a step back, straightened his back, and bowed deeply to the master craftsman Lou Gao, whose hair and beard were white and whose eyes were bright. He clasped his hands together and performed a very standard and solemn apprenticeship ceremony.

"Disciple Lin Xia—"

Lin Xia's voice was clear and bright, carrying the unique naiveté of youth, yet it resounded with unparalleled clarity and determination in the silent hall, drowning out the roar of the furnace:

"—Greetings, teacher!"

His movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation, just as decisive as when he crushed the ore before!
Lin Xia poured her utmost sincerity into this deep bow.

The only sounds in the entire blacksmith's guild hall were the roaring sound of the furnace and the boy's clear "Greetings, teacher!"

Lou Gao looked at the deeply bowing boy, and on his weathered and soot-covered face, a smile that was unprecedented and as fiery as the core of a furnace finally bloomed.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"From now on, you will be my fifth disciple, Lou Gao!" After announcing this, Lou Gao did not look at the reactions of others. He immediately grabbed Lin Xia's wrist. His rough and thick palm contained amazing strength. He pulled Lin Xia towards his private studio on the top floor.

"Come on! Come up with me, let's have a good talk!"

Lou Gao's voice was loud and clear, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

However, just as he turned around, a gray-green figure suddenly darted between the two of them.

"Yoji! Yoji yoji!"

Young Gilas was so anxious it was jumping up and down. Its short paws pointed forcefully at the last piece of Star Essence Gold in Lou Gao's arms, which Lin Xia had bitten, and then at its own mouth. Its red eyes were filled with grievance and accusation—"You promised to leave me some!!"

Lin Xia immediately realized what was happening, and quickly and gently tugged at Lou Gao's arm, whispering somewhat embarrassedly:
"Teacher! Wait! My martial spirit, Young Gilas, it... it's like me, it can also grow stronger by eating ores. It's been eyeing your two precious ores for a long time, could you... could it have a taste too? Just a small bite?"

The steps that were leading up the building came to an abrupt halt, as if they had been frozen in place.

He turned around abruptly, his short, stocky body seemingly frozen in that moment. His eyes, which had been bright with excitement, suddenly contracted, and a storm raged within them, even more violent than when he saw Lin Xia bite into the Star Essence Gold!
Can martial spirits consume ores?
Can you really become stronger through this?!
This thought struck like a heavy hammer against the towering barrier of cognition, producing a deafening boom.

He has lived for so many years and has seen countless strange and unusual martial spirits and heard of countless bizarre cultivation methods, but a martial spirit that actively eats minerals and grows by doing so?

This was unheard of, completely overturning his preconceived understanding of martial spirits and cultivation systems!
Lou Gao's sharp, hawk-like gaze was fixed on the roaring little dinosaur on the ground. Young Gilas also looked back at him, his eyes pure and full of longing, without the slightest ferocity of a soul beast. It was indeed the martial soul aura of the same origin as Lin Xia's soul power.

But... can it be eaten?!

Shock surged through his entire body like an electric current, but he was, after all, a master craftsman of his time, and his will was unwavering.

The look of astonishment on his face flashed for only a moment, so fast that it was almost impossible to catch, before he forcibly suppressed it and regained his composure.

"It doesn't matter."

Lou Gao's voice sounded calm and even calm. He nodded, and a curious smile even returned to his face.

"It was my oversight that I forgot about the little fellow. Let's go upstairs and talk about it!"

This time, he didn't pull Lin Xia back. Instead, he gestured for Lin Xia to take Young Gilas with her, then turned around and walked towards the stairs with noticeably more hurried steps than before.

On the top floor, the heavy door to the exclusive forge, towering high up, closed, shutting out the faint sounds of hammering coming from below.

The interior is simply and sturdily furnished, with the walls covered with all sorts of oddly shaped tools and mineral specimens, and the air is filled with a unique smell of metal, fire and grease.

Lou Gao didn't waste time exchanging pleasantries.

He walked straight to a huge anvil and took out a plain-looking, dark silver ring with intricate hammered patterns on its surface from his pocket.

This ring is made of a special material, and there are faint fluctuations of soul power flowing through it.

"Xia, take this."

Lou Gao shoved the ring directly into Lin Xia's hand, who was still somewhat dazed, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"This is a storage soul tool that I obtained in my early years. It has a fairly large space inside, containing some of my collection of mineral specimens of decent quality, as well as some gold soul coins. Consider it a gift from me. Keep it safe, and you can use it whenever you want to study minerals or when you are hungry."

　I'm testing this out today, so I'd really appreciate it if you all could read and support it. Thank you!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)