Lou Gao felt as though even his consciousness was trembling.
He had only obtained his current Soul Douluo-level strength after surviving a near-death ordeal and enduring the ultimate tempering of the Phoenix Divine Flame!
Yet even he, looking back at himself at the age of twelve.
He would probably still have been struggling to break through to the Soul Elder level.
"Teacher..."
Lin Xia was left somewhat bewildered by Lou Gao's intense reaction.
He had even forgotten to wipe away the tears on his face.
He could feel his teacher's hands gripping his shoulders trembling slightly. The force was so great that, had his own physique not become exceptionally powerful, his bones might already have been crushed.
He understood why his teacher was so shocked.
It truly was beyond belief.
"Y-Yes, Teacher. I'm currently a Level 59 peak Soul King."
Lin Xia took a deep breath, calming the excitement of their reunion.
He did his best to make his voice sound composed, though the confidence and strength within it could not be concealed.
"F-Fifty-nine?!"
Lou Gao drew in a sharp breath filled with the scorching scent of sulfur.
He felt as though the heart of a newly ascended god had skipped a beat.
His blazing gaze swept over Lin Xia from head to toe once more, examining him as though he were an unparalleled treasure.
His eyes burned so intensely that they almost seemed capable of setting Lin Xia ablaze.
"How is this possible?! How can this be possible?!
"Even if you possess that special 'Gluttonous Stomach' capable of devouring the essence of ores...
"Even if your talent is unparalleled...
"This rate of growth..."
Lou Gao's voice remained filled with utter disbelief.
"Just how much ore have you consumed? No that's not right!
"No matter how much ore you consumed, it couldn't possibly produce a twelve-year-old peak Soul King in only five years!
This completely violates the natural laws governing the growth of Soul Power!
"There has to be another reason!"
After all, Lou Gao had already stepped into the realm of gods.
Once the initial shock subsided, his divine consciousness spread out like a vast tide, carefully scanning Lin Xia's body once more.
This time, he sensed not only the incomparably dense Soul Power of a Soul King, but also several extraordinarily unique auras hidden within it.
One was an immense, profound power that seemed to encompass the very origin of the stars throughout the universe, serving as the unshakable foundation of Lin Xia's cultivation.
It was the power of the Tear of the Star Core.
Lou Gao immediately recognized it.
Yet Lin Xia's degree of integration and mastery over it had already far surpassed what it had been five years earlier, before Lou Gao had entered the divine trial.
Another was a scorching, sacred flame carrying the aura of Nirvana and rebirth.
Although faint, it was incomparably pure and subtly resonated with Lou Gao's own Phoenix Divine Flame.
Without question, it was the trace of the Phoenix Divine Flame that the Phoenix God had once left for Lin Xia.
Now, Lin Xia had nurtured and strengthened it considerably.
And then...
There was yet another presence.
It was incredibly faint and deeply concealed, yet it carried an aura that instinctively repelled even the power of the Phoenix.
It had seamlessly merged into every circulation of Lin Xia's Soul Power and every inch of his body.
The power of the Dragon Clan?!
Lou Gao's brows drew tighter and tighter together.
Rather than diminishing, the shock in his eyes only intensified.
The secrets hidden within his disciple seemed to be far greater than he had ever imagined.
Any one of these powers alone would have been enough to create a peerless genius.
Yet all of them had fused together perfectly within the body of a twelve-year-old boy, pushing him all the way to the peak of the Soul King level.
This could no longer be explained by simply "eating ore."
Just what kind of heaven-defying fortune, indomitable will, and extraordinary control would be required to achieve something like this?
"Teacher."
Seeing the constantly changing expressions on Lou Gao's face his astonishment bordering on complete stupefaction, Lin Xia knew he needed to offer at least some sort of explanation.
A slightly helpless smile appeared on his face, mixed with the pride of youth.
"A lot has happened over these five years.
"My fusion with the Tear of the Star Core went very smoothly. I've also continued nurturing the Phoenix Divine Flame that the Phoenix God left behind."
"I also found the legendary Dragon Tomb and received some gifts there. And the Empire's mines certainly helped a great deal. But more importantly..."
He paused for a moment.
"...while exploring the imperial treasury of the Star Luo Empire, and during my later expeditions, I obtained several other... fortunate opportunities."
"As for the details, I'll explain everything to you after we return.
"In any case, my Soul Power advanced rather quickly. But my foundation should be solid."
"Solid?!"
Lou Gao finally recovered a sliver of his senses from his overwhelming shock.
"What do you mean, 'solid'?!
"It's far beyond merely solid!"
Suddenly, he pulled Lin Xia back into another embrace.
This time, however, it was no gentle hug.
His powerful arms wrapped tightly around his disciple with almost frenzied excitement and overwhelming joy.
"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!!"
The same three words—"Good! Good! Good!", but this time, they carried a completely different meaning from before!
Earlier, they had proclaimed his own triumphant return.
Now, they expressed the ultimate joy and pride in his disciple's heaven-defying accomplishments!
"A twelve-year-old peak Soul King! Hahaha! My disciple! The future pillar of the Blacksmith Association! Excellent! It couldn't possibly be any better!!"
Lou Gao's laughter rolled like thunder, causing the entire volcanic crater to hum and tremble.
The golden flames of Nirvana surrounding him surged once again with his emotions, illuminating half the sky in magnificent brilliance.
Releasing Lin Xia, he repeatedly patted his shoulders with tremendous force, his blazing eyes filled with excitement.
"A solid foundation? Far beyond solid!
"I can clearly feel it! Your Soul Power has been tempered like divine metal forged through countless hammer strikes!
"It's over a hundred times stronger than mine was at your age!
"Excellent, my boy!
"You've truly given your teacher the greatest surprise imaginable!
"No!
"The greatest shock imaginable! Hahaha!"
Lou Gao's delight erupted like a volcano, completely washing away the faint sorrow of their reunion.
At that moment, all the worry and longing he had carried for five long years transformed into incomparable pride and exhilaration.
With a disciple like this, what more could one possibly ask for?
Turning his head, his gaze fell upon Zhu Zhuqing, who had been quietly waiting on a distant rocky outcrop. Her eyes were equally filled with shock and heartfelt joy.
Laughing loudly, he called out,
"Little girl! Did you see that?
"This is my outstanding disciple!
"A twelve-year-old Soul King!
"Hahaha!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded vigorously.
A radiant smile bloomed across her usually cool and composed face as she looked at Lin Xia, her eyes overflowing with undisguised admiration and heartfelt pride, as though sharing in his glory.
She had personally witnessed his inhuman efforts over the past five years and every unbelievable breakthrough he had achieved.
Now, seeing even the newly ascended divine Lou Gao so shocked that he had completely lost his composure, the pride in her heart became even greater.
Lou Gao withdrew his gaze and once again gave Lin Xia's shoulder a heavy pat, his expression glowing with confidence and high spirits.
"Come, Xiaoxia!
"Take your teacher back!
"Back to Gengxin City!
"I want to see exactly what earth-shattering changes you've brought to our Blacksmith Association over these five years, besides turning yourself into such a little monster!"
"Hahaha!
"A twelve-year-old Soul King...
"My divine trial was worth it!
"Absolutely worth it!"
He grabbed Lin Xia's wrist.
Within those crimson-gold eyes burned an anticipation even fiercer than the golden flames of Nirvana themselves.
If his disciple had become such an astonishing prodigy..
Then just how far had the epoch-making creation they had conceived together, the Mecha, advanced?
"Teacher!"
With a gentle smile on his face, Lin Xia lightly guided the young girl beside him one step forward.
"This is Zhu Zhuqing, the Second Young Lady of the Zhu Clan of the Star Luo Empire.
"She's been living with me in Gengxin City for the past five years and is one of the people I trust the most."
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