Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 23 Abandoned Mine!

Lin Xia was jolted awake by Lou Gao's series of questions, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.

Lin Xia was indeed blinded by the possibilities brought by the digging skill, ignoring the unknown and terrifying complexity underground.

Thinking of this, Lin Xia lowered her head with a hint of lingering fear.

"Teacher is right to reprimand me. I was rash and did not think things through."

Seeing Lin Xia's sincere attitude in admitting her mistake, Lou Gao's serious expression softened, and his tone became gentler.

"However, to test the actual effectiveness and feasibility of this ability, I... grant your request!"

Lou Gao stroked his beard, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"Your strength is currently too weak to venture into unknown and dangerous mines for the time being, but you can conduct experiments in an absolutely safe and completely controllable environment. This might be a good preparation for the future, since what you said does make some sense!"

"Such a good soul skill cannot be wasted!"

Lou Gao didn't immediately rule it out; instead, after a moment of contemplation, he continued:

"I know an abandoned mine. I know its geological structure like the back of my hand. There are absolutely no dangers below, and there are some ores inside that are difficult to extract!"

"After you finish eating, I'll personally take you there! I'll let you little monsters and Younggiras dig to your heart's content right under my nose! Let's see just how much skill you really have!"

"Let me broaden my horizons and see just how amazing this soul skill, which doesn't require soul rings, really is!"

"Thank you teacher!"

"Yoji!"

Young Gilas seemed to understand that it could start digging, and it excitedly barked, hugging the Star Cold Iron and rubbing against the foot of the building.

Lou Gao looked down at the unconventional little guy at his feet, and then at the disciple with monstrous talent in front of him. The lingering heartache in his heart completely turned into pride and anticipation.

He sat down again and waved his hand dismissively.

"Eat! You need to be full to have the strength to dig stones!"

Lin Xia nodded, her excitement beyond words.

Meanwhile, while Lou Gao and Lin Xia were talking, the young Gilas quickly reached out its little paws towards the storage pouch that Lou Gao had placed next to the stone bench—it smelled the Star Cold Iron inside!
Lou Gao caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, feeling both annoyed and amused, and gently patted its little paw.

"You little glutton! You'll get your fill! If you dig well, you can eat your fill!"

"Yo-ji~!"

After lunch, a spacious carriage pulled by two strong horned horses drove out of the heavy city gate of Gengjin City.

The wheels rolled over the slightly bumpy dirt road, raising a fine cloud of dust.

Lin Xia sat in the carriage, feeling the slight swaying of the vehicle, her gaze occasionally drifting to the lush green scenery outside the window.

Young Gilas lay on his lap, its little paws gripping the windowsill, curiously peeking out its head. Its gray-green scales shimmered in the sunlight, and its little nose twitched as if greedily capturing the increasingly rich scent of minerals and earth carried on the wind.

About half an hour later, the carriage left the main road and turned into a narrower path with deep ruts from the wheels.

The view ahead suddenly opened up—a huge valley, as if it had been gnawed by a giant beast, appeared before us.

The mountain was brutally cut open, exposing large areas of gray-white, yellowish-brown, and even rust-red rock layers, with rubble everywhere and weeds growing tenaciously in the cracks between the rocks.

Several collapsed mine entrances resemble gaping black maws, with rotten wooden supports and rusty iron remnants scattered around, silently telling the story of past bustle and present desolation.

"Yoji—!!!"

Young Gilas suddenly sprang up from Lin Xia's lap, its two little paws excitedly pounding on the car window, its scarlet eyes wide open, staring intently at the exposed rocky mine.

The rich, earthy scent in the air was like the most tempting aroma of food, instantly igniting its instincts as a darling of the earth. It excitedly let out a trembling cry that it couldn't suppress, its tail slapping loudly, as if it wanted to rush out immediately and plunge headlong into that sea of ​​rocks.

The carriage stopped at a relatively flat open space on the edge of the mine.

Lou Gao got off the car first. His tall figure stood in front of the desolate mine. His gaze swept over the abandoned mine shafts and exposed rock walls, and his eyes revealed a complex and indescribable sense of reminiscence and emotion.

"arrive!"

The sound of the tall building carried a heavy, weighty quality.

"This is it, Xia. Do you see this mine?"

"Back then, it was the livelihood of many ordinary people in Gengjin City, supporting countless families. At that time, the place was constantly bustling with activity, with convoys of ore trucks coming and going..."

Lin Xia got out of the car carrying the still excited baby Gilas. Hearing the sigh in Lou Gao's voice, she couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Teacher, this mine... is there some special story behind it?"

Lou Gao turned his head and looked at Lin Xia's young and inquisitive face. A somewhat complicated smile appeared on his face, a smile that seemed to contain a hint of bitterness.

Lou Gao didn't answer directly, but patted Lin Xia on the shoulder and pointedly looked towards the deep and dark entrance to the mine.

"Story? You'll understand once you've finished the experiment with this little guy and seen it for yourself. Now, let's get down to business."

Lin Xia's curiosity was piqued by the teacher's vague answer, but she knew that now was not the time to press for answers.

After nodding, he suppressed his doubts and refocused his attention on the experiment that was about to begin.

Lou Gao had clearly made preparations in advance.

He took out a package from his storage soul tool, and inside were several finely crafted torches soaked in grease.

Lou Gao skillfully took out the flint, and with two soft "snap" sounds, sparks flew, quickly igniting two of the torches.

The leaping orange flames dispelled the gloom at the edge of the mine, emitting a warm light and a faint smell of pine resin.

He handed one of the torches to Lin Xia.

"Take this and use it to light your way. Once you're inside the cave, your eyesight won't be as good."

Lin Xia took the somewhat heavy torch, which was warm to the touch.

Young Gilas curiously approached the flames and sniffed, but was immediately sneezed by the heat and retreated to Lin Xia's feet in disgust.

"follow me."

Lou Gao, holding a torch, led the way to one of the largest mine entrances, which also showed the most obvious signs of collapse.

The entrance to the cave was piled with many fallen rocks, barely allowing one person to squeeze through sideways.

The moment you step into the mine, the feeling is immediately different.

The afternoon sun and noise outside were instantly shut out, and a cool breeze carrying the scent of damp earth and rocks rushed in, causing Lin Xia's exposed skin to break out in small goosebumps.

The torchlight appeared exceptionally weak in the deep darkness, illuminating only a few meters in front of him. The surrounding rock walls cast huge, distorted, and swaying shadows in the flickering firelight, like silent behemoths.

The road beneath our feet was uneven and littered with gravel.

As they ventured deeper, Lin Xia clearly felt the surrounding temperature continuously dropping, and the chilling aura grew stronger, as if seeping into his bones. Even the heat emanating from the torches seemed to be mostly absorbed by the coldness of the earth.

The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the rustling sound of their footsteps on the gravel and the crackling of their torches echoing in the empty tunnel, sounding exceptionally clear and even somewhat eerie.

　Please keep reading, guys! The book got cut off on short video platforms, so I'm getting no traffic! Waaaaah!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)