Walking a Tightrope Blindfolded Over a Bottomless Abyss!

Lou Gao suddenly raised a hand to interrupt Lin Xia. The ease on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by unbelievable shock.

Lou Gao's Sharp Gaze locked onto Lin Xia, and his voice rose with intense disbelief, carrying an urgency that was almost accusatory.

"Xiao Xia! Did you just say... this 'Dig' was an ability Larvitar comprehended on its own? Just yesterday? Before obtaining any Soul Rings?!"

Lin Xia's heart tightened under Lou Gao's suddenly stern tone and shocked stare, but he quickly realized the crucial point his teacher had seized upon.

After thinking it over, Lin Xia realized that Pokemon moves did resemble Soul Skills in their manifestation; fundamentally, both were applications of energy. He nodded frankly and answered with certainty:

"Yes, Teacher. This isn't a Soul Skill granted by a Soul Ring. Larvitar... seems to be somewhat different."

"As it consumes mineral ore, accumulates energy, and continues growing, certain... well... innate abilities, or perhaps Martial Soul instincts, sleeping within it will awaken on their own."

"This Dig is one of them. It wasn't bestowed by an outside force, but stems from the growth of its own bloodline and origin."

Lin Xia did his best to explain using concepts this world could understand.

"Martial Soul instincts? Innate abilities?"

Lou Gao murmured the words, while the shock in his eyes churned like a tangible storm.

Lou Gao sharply drew in a breath, as though he wanted to suck in all the air in the courtyard. His voice trembled with disbelief.

"You mean... your Martial Soul, Larvitar, it... it was born with... Soul Skills?! And without any Soul Rings?!"

Even Lou Gao's breathing grew heavy. This completely overturned everything he knew about Martial Souls!

Soul Masters could only possess Soul Skills after obtaining Soul Rings, unless they were people of Extraordinary Talent who could create their own Soul Skills!

But even so, Lou Gao had never heard of a Martial Soul itself possessing abilities akin to Soul Skills before obtaining a Soul Ring!

And it did not require a flash of inspiration or painstaking study. It could gain them just by eating!

Seeing his teacher so shocked that he had nearly lost his composure, Lin Xia understood the impact this had on him.

Lin Xia decided to make things clearer, both to reassure his teacher and to avoid further questions later.

"Yes, Teacher. And... this 'Dig' is not the only one."

Lin Xia paused, then continued beneath Lou Gao's nearly frozen gaze:

"As far as I currently know, Larvitar... already has eight moves."

"Ei... eight?!"

Lou Gao's voice abruptly shot up an octave, like a piece of dull iron struck to its limit by a Heavy Hammer, full of hoarse cracking.

As if struck by lightning, he sprang up from the Stone Stool. The chair legs scraped against the Stone Slab with a piercing creak.

He was a dignified Soul Saint, a seven-ring Strong Person. After enduring countless hardships and taking innumerable risks to hunt Soul Beasts, he had only gained seven Soul Skills!

Yet this six-year-old child before him, whose Martial Soul... had not even obtained its first Soul Ring, already possessed eight!

Eight Innate Skills!

An indescribable sense of bitterness, mixed with immense absurdity and a trace of... envy?

It instantly flooded Lou Gao's heart.

Lou Gao felt as if his entire worldview were buzzing, as though even the ground beneath his feet were swaying.

Having lived to such an age, he had considered himself well-traveled and knowledgeable. Yet at this moment, he felt like a bewildered child entering a blacksmith shop for the first time, standing before a Divine Weapon he could not understand at all.

Looking at Lin Xia's young face, so full of earnestness, then at Larvitar on the ground clutching Star Cold Iron with a blank, innocent look, seemingly completely unaware of the enormous mental bomb it had just dropped, the corners of Lou Gao's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"Eight... eight Innate Skills... Heh heh... good... very good..."

Lou Gao's voice drifted somewhat, carrying the hollow sensation of someone forcibly recovering his senses after a tremendous shock.

He raised a hand and vigorously wiped his face. His rough palm scraped over his stubble with a rustling sound, as he tried to suppress the stifling feeling in his chest.

He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. The exhalation was long, as though he intended to empty every bit of shock and bitterness from his chest cavity.

The resilience and open-mindedness of a Divine Craftsman quickly gained the upper hand.

"Damn it... comparing people really can kill you; comparing goods really can make you throw them away!"

Lou Gao suddenly cursed, but his face wore a smile that was almost self-mocking yet relieved.

"This Old Man worked his ass off for most of his life just to save up seven tools to make a living, while you, you Little Monster, haven't even gone out to hunt Soul Beasts yet, and you've already got eight treasures hidden at home! Hahaha!"

Lou Gao forcefully patted Lin Xia's shoulder, hard enough to make him sway, but his tone was full of boldness and consolation.

"However! Of my seven Soul Skills, six were chosen for forging. Being able to hammer out Divine Weapons is what truly counts!"

"The path you Little Guy are taking is completely different from this Old Man's! It's another world entirely! Good! Very good! It proves this Old Man's judgment was right! I took in an unprecedented Monster of a disciple!"

Lou Gao's gaze became firm and bright again. That brief stifling feeling was thoroughly replaced by pride in his disciple's talent and a desire to explore the unknown. Looking at Lin Xia, he said solemnly:

"Xiao Xia, I understand your idea! You want to use Larvitar's talent and this ability, 'Dig,' to Prospect for underground mineral deposits. This approach... is bold! Novel! Unprecedented! In terms of efficiency and potential alone, it's simply a genius idea!"

Lou Gao's tone suddenly became extremely stern, carrying unquestionable authority.

"But! Prospecting? Absolutely not!"

"Huh?"

Although Lin Xia had expected his teacher to be cautious, he had not expected such a firm refusal.

"What do you think lies underground?"

Lou Gao's voice suddenly rose, forceful and resonant.

"It is a perilous forbidden land, more dangerous than certain regions of the Star Dou Great Forest! High-temperature magma rivers, poisonous miasma, complex and fragile geological structures, terrifying collapses that could happen at any moment, and perhaps even unknown powerful Soul Beasts lurking deep beneath the ground!"

"Not to mention naturally formed energy traps, labyrinthine caves, and illusory realms!"

"No matter how miraculous your Little Guy's 'Dig' is, it is only a newly awakened ability!"

"You know practically nothing about the underground! No matter how well Larvitar can sense mineral ore, can it instantly tell whether there is a rich deposit ahead or deadly flaming toxic magma?"

"Can it know which rock layer is crucial for support, and that digging through it will trigger a collapse spanning a thousand meters? Can it protect you from suddenly surging poisonous gas or underground currents?"

"And most importantly, there isn't enough oxygen underground for you to breathe."

Lou Gao stared intensely at Lin Xia. Every question was like a basin of cold water poured over Lin Xia's heated thoughts.

"Prospecting is a field that requires highly specialized knowledge, extensive experience, great strength, and thorough preparation before one can even set foot in it!"

"If you do it now, it would be no different from walking a tightrope blindfolded over a bottomless abyss! Calling it a nine-in-ten chance of death would be putting it mildly!"