The cockpit hatch slid open silently.
Lin Xia stepped out onto the hatchway. Though he looked somewhat fatigued, his eyes remained as bright as ever. A satisfied, proud smile rested on his face as he looked down at his teacher, who was as excited as a child.
"Teacher, are you satisfied with this 'surprise'?"
"Satisfied? It's far more than that!"
Lou Gao's voice trembled with excitement.
He looked up at the towering steel giant, now covered in battle scars that only made it appear even more imposing and ferocious. Then he turned to his unbelievably young disciple.
The boundless pride swelling in his chest finally condensed into a declaration that shook the heavens.
"With a mecha like this and a disciple like you, why should our Blacksmith Association ever fear standing tall and looking down upon the entire Douluo Continent?!"
The blue flames burning within Chixiao's eyes and the golden Flames of Nirvana flowing around Lou Gao illuminated one another.
Together, they lit up the steel-clad future awaiting Gengxin City.
Off to one side, Zhu Zhuqing had long since become completely captivated by what she had witnessed, her small fists clenched tightly.
"Teacher," Lin Xia said with a smile, his voice ringing with absolute confidence, "this 'surprise' isn't limited to the Chixiao standing before you."
Lou Gao was still immersed in the overwhelming shock and limitless hope the mecha had inspired.
Hearing those words, he froze.
His crimson-gold eyes turned toward Lin Xia with curiosity.
"Oh? You've still been hiding things from me? Go on then, what other treasures have you prepared?"
Meeting his teacher's blazing gaze, Lin Xia answered clearly,
"Over these past five years i haven't built just one mecha."
He paused.
The light in Lou Gao's eyes instantly grew even brighter.
"I've built an entire legion."
"A legion?!"
Lou Gao's voice abruptly rose several octaves.
The ecstasy on his face was instantly replaced by utter disbelief.
He unconsciously repeated the word, as though he needed time to comprehend the terrifying implications behind it.
He imagined the Chixiao mecha that had just exchanged blows with him.
A single unit was already astonishing beyond belief.
An entire legion?
What kind of overwhelming tide of steel would that be?
What kind of world-changing power would it possess?!
"However..."
Lin Xia continued calmly,
"I haven't distributed them yet. The mechas possess immense power. They're difficult to operate and require absolute loyalty."
"I've been carefully selecting and training the Blacksmith Association's most loyal core members, those with unwavering character and exceptional talent."
"They've undergone rigorous training to ensure that, in the future, they'll truly be capable of wielding this power and becoming the Association's backbone."
"I've kept this entire batch of mechas sealed away, waiting for the day of your return."
"I wanted you to inspect them personally."
"And I wanted you to decide their future... along with the mission they will carry."
"A legion, a legion of mechas..."
Lou Gao murmured to himself.
The sheer amount of information struck him like a tidal wave.
He suddenly looked back at Lin Xia.
His crimson-gold pupils were filled with overwhelming astonishment and curiosity.
"Xia! H-How many resources would something like that consume?!"
"Just building a single Chixiao requires enormous quantities of top-grade metals, Soul Tool cores, and materials for its energy circuits. Those alone are worth a fortune!"
"And you're telling me you've built an entire legion?!"
"And what about energy?!"
"Keeping a single Chixiao fighting at full intensity would consume enough energy to bankrupt a small Soul Master clan!"
"How did you possibly solve the energy supply problem for an entire mecha legion?!"
Lou Gao's questions poured out one after another, every one of them striking directly at the heart of the matter.
As the President of the Blacksmith Association, no one understood better than he did that resources and energy were the greatest bottlenecks restricting development.
He simply couldn't imagine how Lin Xia had managed, within only five years, to maintain Gengxin City's operations, support his own cultivation, complete Chixiao, and still accumulate enough resources to build and sustain an entire legion of mechas.
Seeing the astonishment in his teacher's eyes, so wide they nearly seemed ready to pop out, Lin Xia smiled knowingly, as though he had expected this very question.
"Teacher, regarding resources, this wasn't something your disciple accomplished alone."
Lin Xia explained calmly, his tone carrying the confidence of someone who had planned everything well in advance.
"First of all, Spirit Hall has supported us far more generously than ever over the past few years."
"Her Holiness the Pope seems to be quite receptive to our vision of reviving Soul Tools."
"In particular, the civilian Soul Tools and specialized metal-smelting techniques we've provided have greatly assisted Spirit Hall's infrastructure development."
"In return and as an investment, they've supplied us with substantial quotas of rare metals, along with extensive technical documentation."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"Secondly, on the Star Luo Empire's side, Crown Prince Davis has maintained an excellent relationship with us."
"The Empire requires powerful military equipment, and he fully understands my potential."
"Combined with our continued cooperation following the restoration of the Heart of Star Luo, as well as several joint mining agreements, the Empire has also provided us with tremendous support in both resources and policy."
"Of course, all of this has been built upon mutual benefit and the steady growth of our own strength."
"As for the most critical issue, mineral exploration..."
"Teacher, you know this already. Both Little Guy and I possess an innate talent unlike anyone else's."
"Little Guy?"
Lou Gao immediately caught the familiar nickname.
At once, the image of that tiny, adorable green figure from years ago appeared in his mind, Larvitar.
The little fellow had looked harmless enough, yet possessed an astonishing ability to devour almost anything.
"That's right."
Lin Xia nodded confidently, his eyes shining.
"The greatest contributors to our resource gathering, aside from Spirit Hall and the Empire's supply channels have been Tyranitar and me ourselves."
"After my spiritual power fused with the Tear of the Star Core, both the range and precision of my perception of ley-line energy and mineral deposits increased dramatically."
"And as for Tyranitar..."
The moment he spoke the name, his voice became filled with affection and pride.
"Wait!"
Lou Gao immediately caught the key word.
His voice trembled slightly with excitement and anticipation.
"Tyranitar? Xia, the Tyranitar you're talking about is it Larvitar's evolved form?!"
"Your martial soul evolved again?!"
He remembered it perfectly.
When he had left five years ago, Lin Xia's second martial soul had still been Pupitar.
That form, encased within its hard shell and filled with unstable explosive power.
And now it had evolved once more?
Seeing the blazing excitement in his teacher's eyes, like a master blacksmith who had just discovered the richest ore vein in the world Lin Xia smiled and nodded firmly.
"Yes, Teacher."
"My martial soul has completed its second evolution."
"From the original Larvitar, it evolved into Pupitar, and now to Tyranitar."
He enunciated every word clearly, as though making a solemn declaration.
"Tyranitar..."
Lou Gao repeated the powerful-sounding name over and over.
His curiosity and anticipation instantly reached their peak.
No one understood the growth potential of this extraordinary martial soul better than he did.
Back when it was still Larvitar, its terrifying devouring ability and overwhelming physical strength had already left him deeply astonished.
After evolving into Pupitar, it had displayed incredible defensive capabilities and the remarkable ability to accumulate immense amounts of energy.
Now it had evolved once again?
What kind of form had it become?
What terrifying power did it now possess?
He could hardly wait to witness with his own eyes the current appearance of the miraculous martial soul that had accompanied his disciple's entire journey of growth.
"Quick! Hurry and let me see it!"
Lou Gao's eagerness was impossible to conceal.
Like a child who had just discovered a fascinating new toy, he had completely lost the majestic dignity of the divine figure who had wielded the Phoenix Divine Flame and dominated the battlefield only moments before.
"Tyranitar! What does it look like now?!"
"Hurry and summon it!"
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