Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 34 I want to obtain the Millennium Soul Ring!

After hearing the news, Lin Xia paused for a moment, then said directly to Lou Gao:

"Teacher, I wish to obtain a thousand-year-old soul ring. I hope you will agree!"

Upon hearing Lin Xia's words, Lou Gao immediately fell silent.

To be honest, Lou Gao considered himself well-informed, but he was still somewhat shocked after hearing Lin Xia's words. He didn't directly reject Lin Xia, but instead asked inquiringly:

"Xia, you must have studied some basic theories of Soul Masters during this time. You should know that a thousand-year Soul Ring can only be absorbed when you break through to the 30th level of Soul Master. Isn't doing this a bit reckless?"

"Teacher, I understand your concerns, but I need to become stronger."

Lou Gao frowned slightly as he looked at Lin Xia and said:
"Your talent is already unparalleled, and Young Gilas is even more extraordinary. Just follow the steps..."

"Following the steps is too slow, teacher."

Lin Xia interrupted, her tone carrying a sense of urgency beyond her years.

"I need power, power that can shift the situation more quickly."

As she spoke, Lin Xia silently extended her right hand, flipped her wrist, and took out a gleaming dagger from the dark silver spatial soul tool on the ring finger of her left hand.

It was a masterpiece crafted by the association's blacksmiths. Although it was not a soul tool, its blade was sharp enough to easily cut through ordinary leather and even iron ore.

"Teacher, theories are static, but people are dynamic."

Lin Xia's voice was very soft, yet exceptionally clear.

Under the watchful and uncertain gaze of Lou Gao, he stretched out his left hand and gripped the dagger tightly in his right. Without any fancy moves or fluctuations of soul power, he simply mobilized the strength of all his muscles, raised the dagger high, and then slashed it down fiercely at the outside of his bare left forearm!

"when--!!!"

A sharp, short, and completely different sound from the clash of metal against flesh suddenly rang out, sounding particularly startling in the quiet backyard!
Lou Gao's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened like saucers!

The sharp blade of the dagger, upon contact with Lin Xia's arm skin, did not cut into her skin, but rather seemed to strike an incredibly tough alloy!
A tiny spark even flew out from the point of contact!

The blade of the dagger had a visible chip the size of a grain of rice!

On Lin Xia's arm, where she was slashed, the skin was slightly sunken before recovering, leaving only a clear, whitish indentation, like the mark left by a blunt object, without even breaking the skin!
The white mark even reflected a metallic sheen in the torchlight, before slowly fading away after a few breaths.

The air seemed to freeze.

Young Gilas was also startled by the sudden noise. He dropped the ore and darted to Lin Xia's feet with a "Yo-yo!" looking warily at the dagger.

Lou Gao stared intently at the rapidly disappearing white mark on Lin Xia's arm, then at the glaring notch on the dagger. His expression shifted from fury and worry to utter shock and bewilderment.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out, as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat.

The cold glint of the dagger and the white marks on his arm were branded into his mind like a brand.

After a long while, Lou Gao seemed to have all his strength drained away, and let out a long, long sigh.

That sigh contained so many complex emotions—disbelief, utter absurdity, sudden realization, and a trace of weariness from a shattered sense of reality.

"Xia...you...you..."

Lou Gao pointed at Lin Xia's arm, his fingers trembling slightly, his voice dry and hoarse.

"Your body... it's practically... practically a humanoid soul beast!"

Lin Xia put down the dagger, moved her undamaged arm, feeling the surging power beneath her skin and the faint electric current, and said frankly:

“Teacher, the fact that you didn’t directly refuse my request just now means that you know that the most critical limitation for a Soul Master absorbing a Soul Ring is never the level of Soul Power, but the body’s ability to withstand it.”

“Only when you absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring will it involve soul vibration. What I’m about to absorb is just a thousand-year soul ring.” Lin Xia clenched his fist, his knuckles making a slight cracking sound.

"After this period of... well, with the special 'feeding' and tempering, I'm confident that my physical strength is no weaker than any newly broken Soul Master! It might even be stronger!"

Lou Gao looked at Lin Xia's matter-of-fact attitude, then at the young Giras at his feet, still curiously rummaging through the dagger's notch, and then at the sight of the little monster munching on the purple electric iron like chewing candy... A huge sense of powerlessness and a feeling that he was really getting old welled up in his heart.

"Monsters...you two are both monsters!"

Lou Gao rubbed his temples hard, as if trying to crush all the shocks of the day.

"Alright! Alright! I've figured it out. Trying to reason with you is just asking for trouble!"

Lou Gao finally gave up arguing completely. He waved his hand, signaling Lin Xia to follow, and then turned and strode towards the door leading from the backyard to the front hall of the association. His broad back carried a resolute air of "accepting his fate."

"Since you're so confident, I'll go crazy with you! Let's go! Let's go now! While it's still early, let's try to get that thousand-year soul ring for you before sunset!"

The sound from Lou Gao came from ahead, swift and decisive.

"Driving around too much is more likely to cause trouble!"

Lin Xia watched her teacher's hurried figure disappear into the distance, and finally a relieved yet expectant smile appeared on her face.

He bent down and scooped up the young Gilas, who was still studying the dagger.

"Young Gillas, stop looking! Come on, I'll help you get stronger!"

"Yoji!"

Upon hearing the words "become stronger," Young Gilas's scarlet eyes immediately lit up, and it excitedly patted Lin Xia's arm with its little paws.

Without much delay, Lou Gao was clearly prepared, and a sturdy carriage pulled by a thick-skinned camel kept by the association was already waiting at the side gate.

The wheels rolled on, crushing through the streets of Gengjin City, which were unique to the city and mixed with iron filings and dust, heading west towards the vast and desolate Gobi Desert region on the outskirts of the city.

Inside the carriage, Lou Gao closed his eyes to rest, but his tightly pursed lips and the occasional twitching of his eyebrows revealed his inner turmoil.

Lin Xia held the baby Gilas in her arms, observing the rapidly changing scenery through the car window.

The once bustling forging district was gradually replaced by low-rise workshops and scattered residences, and the metallic smell that permeated the air was gradually replaced by a dry and desolate atmosphere.

In the distance, the yellow sand dunes gleamed dazzlingly in the afternoon sun.

About an hour later, the carriage stopped at the edge of a huge, seemingly endless expanse of yellowish-brown sand dunes.

A wave of heat hit me, the air was so dry it felt like it could suck the moisture out of my skin, and all around was the faint rustling of sand being blown by the wind, a deathly silence.

"We're here, get out of the car, kid."

Lou Gao was the first to jump off the carriage. His boots sank into the soft sand.

Lin Xia followed closely behind, carrying the young Gilas.

Stepping on the scorching sand, a burning sensation came through the soles of my shoes.

Looking out, the endless sand dunes resembled solidified waves, steaming with distorted heat under the scorching sun.

Lin Xia immediately focused his mind and held his breath, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding sand dunes and low-lying areas like a hawk, trying to find traces of the target.

"Stop looking, you can't see it!"

(End of this chapter)