After hearing the news, Lin Xia fell silent for a moment before looking straight at Lou Gao.
"Teacher, I want to obtain a millennium spirit ring. I hope you'll agree."
The moment the words left his mouth, Lou Gao also went quiet.
He considered himself well-informed, yet even so, Lin Xia's request startled him. Still, he didn't reject it outright. Instead, he looked at Lin Xia and asked solemnly,
"Little Xia, you've been studying the basic theories of Spirit Masters these days. You should know that a millennium spirit ring is normally absorbed only after reaching Rank 30 and becoming a Spirit Elder. Isn't this… far too reckless?"
"I understand your concern, Teacher," Lin Xia replied calmly. "But I need to grow stronger."
Lou Gao frowned slightly. "Your talent is already exceptional, and Larvitar is even more so. If you progress step by step—"
"Step by step is too slow," Lin Xia interrupted, his voice carrying an urgency that didn't match his age.
"I need power—power that can change the situation sooner."
As he spoke, Lin Xia silently extended his right hand. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a cold, gleaming dagger from the dark-silver spatial spirit tool on the ring finger of his left hand.
It was a finely crafted weapon made by the Association's blacksmiths. Though not a spirit tool, it was sharp enough to slice through leather—and even iron ore—with ease.
"Theories are rigid," Lin Xia said softly, his voice steady and clear. "But people aren't."
Under Lou Gao's uncertain gaze, Lin Xia spread his left hand flat, gripped the dagger firmly in his right, and—without any flourish or trace of spirit power—gathered all the strength in his body. He raised the blade high, then slashed down hard toward the exposed outer side of his left forearm!
"Clang—!"
A harsh, metallic crash rang out, completely unlike the sound of flesh being cut. In the quiet backyard, it was shockingly loud.
Lou Gao's breath stopped. His eyes widened in disbelief.
The dagger's blade hadn't cut into Lin Xia's skin at all. Instead, it looked as though it had struck an incredibly tough alloy. A tiny spark even burst from the point of impact.
A visible notch—no bigger than a grain of rice—had been chipped out of the blade.
As for Lin Xia's arm, the skin dented slightly, then rebounded, leaving behind only a pale pressure mark, like the imprint of a heavy blunt strike. There wasn't even a drop of blood.
Under the torchlight, that pale mark carried a faint metallic sheen, slowly fading only after several breaths.
The air froze.
Startled by the sound, Larvitar dropped the ore it was holding, let out a startled "you ji," and scurried to Lin Xia's feet, eyeing the dagger warily.
Lou Gao stared at the fading mark on Lin Xia's arm, then at the damaged blade on the ground. The worry and anger on his face were instantly replaced by pure shock and confusion.
His mouth opened, as if he wanted to speak, but no words came out—his throat felt seized by an invisible hand.
The image of the chipped dagger and the unbroken arm burned itself into his mind.
After a long while, Lou Gao finally let out a deep, heavy sigh, as though all his strength had been drained.
That sigh carried disbelief, absurdity, sudden realization, and the exhaustion of having his long-held understanding shattered in an instant.
"Little Xia… you… you…"
He pointed at Lin Xia's arm, his fingers trembling, his voice dry and hoarse.
"This body of yours… it's practically a humanoid Spirit Beast!"
Lin Xia sheathed the dagger, flexed his uninjured arm, and felt the surging strength and faint current flowing beneath his skin.
"Teacher, you didn't immediately refuse me just now. That means you already know the truth," he said calmly.
"The real limitation on absorbing a spirit ring has never been rank—it's the body's ability to endure."
"Only ten-thousand-year spirit rings cause soul shock. What I want is merely a millennium ring."
Lin Xia clenched his fist, his knuckles giving a soft crack.
"After this period of… special 'feeding' and tempering, I'm confident my physical body isn't weaker than that of a newly advanced Spirit Elder. If anything, it's stronger."
Lou Gao looked at Lin Xia's composed expression, then at Larvitar—now crouched by his feet, curiously pawing at the chipped dagger—and recalled the sight of this little monster chewing Purple Lightning Iron like candy.
A profound sense of helplessness rose in his chest, along with the realization that perhaps… he really was getting old.
"Monsters… both of you are monsters," Lou Gao muttered, rubbing his temples hard.
"Fine. Fine!" he said at last, waving his hand in exasperation.
"I finally get it. Trying to reason with you is just asking for trouble."
He turned and strode toward the passage leading from the backyard to the front hall, his broad back carrying a sense of resigned determination.
"Since you're this confident, I'll go mad with you! Let's go—now! While there's still time, we'll get you that millennium spirit ring before sunset!"
His voice echoed ahead, sharp and decisive.
"Dragging this out will only invite trouble!"
Watching his teacher's hurried retreat, Lin Xia finally allowed himself a smile—relieved and full of anticipation.
He bent down and scooped up Larvitar, which was still staring intently at the dagger.
"Larvitar, stop looking. Let's go—I'm taking you to get stronger."
"You ji!"
At the words "get stronger," Larvitar's crimson eyes lit up. It excitedly patted Lin Xia's arm with its little claws.
Lou Gao moved quickly. A sturdy carriage—pulled by a thick-skinned camel beast raised by the Association for its incredible endurance—was already waiting by the side gate.
The wheels rolled forward, crushing over the iron-dust-laced streets of Gengjin City, heading west toward the vast, desolate Gobi beyond the outskirts.
Inside the carriage, Lou Gao closed his eyes to rest, though his tightly pressed lips and occasional twitch of his brows betrayed his unrest.
Lin Xia held Larvitar and gazed out the window, watching the scenery race past.
The bustling forging districts gradually gave way to low workshops and scattered homes. The metallic scent in the air faded, replaced by a dry, barren wind.
In the distance, rolling sand dunes shimmered under the afternoon sun.
About an hour later, the carriage came to a stop at the edge of an enormous, seemingly endless stretch of yellow-brown dunes.
A wave of heat washed over them. The air was so dry it felt as though it could draw the moisture from one's skin. Aside from the faint hiss of wind stirring sand and gravel, there was nothing—dead silence.
"We're here. Get down, kid."
Lou Gao was the first to jump off, his boots sinking slightly into the soft sand.
Lin Xia followed, Larvitar in his arms.
The scorching ground sent heat straight through the soles of his shoes.
Ahead, endless dunes rose and fell like frozen waves, shimmering beneath the blazing sun.
Lin Xia immediately sharpened his focus, holding his breath as his gaze swept across the dunes and low valleys, searching for any sign of their prey.
"Stop looking," Lou Gao said flatly.
"You won't see it."