Larvitar was clearly no longer able to hold itself back.
It didn't care whether Lin Xia or Lou Gao could understand what was happening.
Relying on its extraordinarily keen senses, the Little Fellow had already pierced through layers of solid rock in its perception and locked onto the long-coveted delicacy hidden within.
Letting out an impatient cry, Larvitar wasted no time. Its short foreclaws and armored head once again blazed with that dense, heavy earth-yellow light. Like a miniature drill, it aimed straight at the chosen section of the rock wall and plunged forward!
"Puchi! Clatter—!"
The familiar dull sound rang out as solid stone was once again softened, decomposed, and forced aside.
But this time, something changed.
Less than a meter in, just as Larvitar brushed away a shattered chunk of rock, a dazzling purple light suddenly burst forth from the opening—like imprisoned thunder released in an instant!
The gloomy mine cave was flooded with brilliance.
The light wasn't static. It surged and danced as if alive, countless fine strands of purple lightning flickering and leaping within the exposed rock.
An overwhelmingly pure and domineering energy wave swept through the cave like an invisible tide, carrying a sharp, tingling sensation.
Lin Xia could clearly feel faint electrical stimulation on his exposed skin, his hair standing on end involuntarily.
The air filled with a strange scent—metallic, sharp, and faintly scorched, like lightning striking iron.
Lin Xia and Lou Gao both sucked in sharp breaths, their eyes widening at the same time.
What Larvitar had uncovered was no longer ordinary stone, but a breathtaking sight—it was an entire ore vein composed almost entirely of purple lightning iron!
The ore glowed with a deep, noble violet hue, its crystalline surface shot through with countless flickering arcs of purple electricity, as if a condensed thundercloud had been sealed inside the rock itself.
Energy surged and flowed within it, sending waves of pressure that made one's heart pound.
"Th-this is…"
Overwhelmed by the sudden, colossal surprise, Lin Xia found himself momentarily at a loss for words. He turned abruptly to Lou Gao, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Teacher! This is the ore vein you said had almost no remaining value?! You call this worthless?!"
Lou Gao's reaction was even more dramatic.
For a brief moment, pure, unfiltered shock mirrored Lin Xia's own. His mouth hung open, wide enough to fit an egg.
Then that shock rapidly transformed into a chaotic mix of ecstasy, disbelief, absurdity—and a trace of awkward embarrassment at having been proven so utterly wrong.
He stared at the purple lightning iron vein, eyes bulging as violet arcs danced across the rock face. The muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably.
"Pur… purple lightning iron?! Damn it! And such a large vein?! With this level of purity?!"
His voice shot up as he stepped forward. His rough, calloused hand trembled as it hovered inches from the glowing ore, eager yet hesitant, as if afraid that touching it would shatter the illusion.
He rubbed his eyes hard, leaned closer, and examined it again. Once he confirmed it beyond all doubt, his face flushed red, his beard quivering with excitement.
"When this mine was first opened, I—I personally led the surveys more than ten times! Every method we had was used!"
"Detection spirit tools, veteran prospectors… all of them concluded this area was a depleted mine. The main vein was exhausted, and the surrounding rock had no value at all! Who could've imagined—who could've imagined this?!"
Lou Gao's voice was filled with frustration and disbelief. He pointed fiercely at the rock wall Larvitar had pierced so effortlessly—the thin barrier that had concealed the treasure—and waved his arms animatedly.
"Just this damn wall! Just one wall separating us from a priceless purple lightning iron ore vein!"
He suddenly turned, his gaze blazing as it locked onto Larvitar. The Little Fellow was still digging with manic enthusiasm, its claws a blur as it unearthed chunks of lightning-infused ore and hugged them tightly, looking blissful to the point of fainting.
Lou Gao's eyes shone with unprecedented intensity, as though he were staring at the greatest treasure of his life.
"It's miraculous! Truly miraculous!"
"Little Xia! Your Spirit—this Larvitar—this ability… it's simply… simply heaven-defying! Is this prospecting?! This is tearing treasures straight out of solid rock! No—this is stealing riches through a wall!"
Hearing Lou Gao's astonished exclamations, Lin Xia's emotions surged as well.
He had placed great expectations on Larvitar from the start, but even he had never imagined its effectiveness would reach such an outrageous level.
As the excitement settled slightly, Lin Xia's gaze returned to the dazzling purple ore vein, lightning dancing within it like living thunder. Curiosity stirred in his heart.
He pointed at the crackling ore and asked Lou Gao, who was still struggling to calm himself.
"Teacher, this purple lightning iron you mentioned—what exactly makes it so special? Why does it excite you this much?"
Lou Gao took a deep breath, forcing his racing heart to settle. The unmistakable gleam of a Divine Craftsman flashed in his eyes as he explained rapidly.
"Purple lightning iron is an extremely rare lightning-attribute ore. Its value is enormous."
"First, weapons forged from it naturally carry thunderous power. Each strike has a chance to paralyze the enemy, disrupting their spirit power flow. Their strength far surpasses weapons made from ordinary refined iron."
"If used to forge armor, not only is its defensive capability outstanding, but the stored lightning energy can automatically discharge when struck, counterattacking or even paralyzing the attacker. It's a top-tier material that combines offense and defense in one."
"Now imagine an entire army equipped with weapons and armor forged from purple lightning iron."
Lin Xia instantly pictured the scene, his eyes lighting up.
But Lou Gao wasn't finished. He paused briefly, his tone growing even more animated.
"That's only part of its value. What truly makes purple lightning iron priceless is the pure, gentle lightning energy contained within the ore itself."
"For Spirit Masters with lightning-attribute Spirits, simply carrying a palm-sized piece allows them to continuously absorb trace lightning elements released from it. Over time, it tempers their spirit power and nourishes the physical body."
"It's almost like carrying a portable mimicry cultivation environment. While it can't compare to a top-tier one, the effect is still significant—enough to noticeably increase cultivation speed. It's a supreme auxiliary treasure that countless lightning-attribute Spirit Masters dream of!"
Lin Xia finally understood.
This ore wasn't just invaluable for forging—it was even more precious as a cultivation aid for lightning-attribute Spirit Masters.
A mobile cultivation accelerator.
Its worth was beyond measure.
Yet Lin Xia's thoughts didn't linger on the ore's value.
He watched Larvitar happily clutching a chunk of purple lightning iron larger than its own head, crunching away with obvious delight. Tiny, nearly imperceptible arcs of purple electricity flickered across its gray-green scales.
At that moment, a far bolder idea—one perfectly suited to Larvitar's future path—suddenly took shape in Lin Xia's mind.
After all, once Larvitar eventually evolved into Tyranitar, it would be capable of mastering powerful Electric-type moves.