I Want to Obtain a Thousand-Year Soul Ring!

After learning this information, Lin Xia fell silent for a moment before speaking directly to Lou Gao:

"Teacher, I want to obtain a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. I hope you'll agree!"

As soon as Lin Xia said this, Lou Gao fell silent as well.

To be honest, Lou Gao considered himself well-informed, but Lin Xia's words still shocked him. He did not reject him outright, instead asking doubtfully:

"Xiao Xia, you must have read some basic Soul Master theory lately. You should know that Thousand-Year Soul Rings can only be absorbed after breaking through to Level 30 Soul Elder. Isn't this a little rash?"

"Teacher, I understand your concern, but I need to grow stronger."

Lou Gao frowned slightly and looked at Lin Xia.

"Your talent is already exceptional, and Larvitar is even more extraordinary. As long as you proceed step by step..."

"Proceeding step by step is too slow, Teacher."

Lin Xia interrupted him, his tone carrying a Sense of Urgency far beyond his years.

"I need strength—strength that can change the situation faster."

As he spoke, Lin Xia silently extended his right hand. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a dagger gleaming with Cold Light from the dark silver Space Soul Tool on the ring finger of his Left Hand.

It was a fine weapon forged by the Association's Blacksmiths. Though it was not a Soul Tool, its blade was sharp enough to easily cut through ordinary leather and even iron ore.

"Teacher, theories are dead. People are alive."

Lin Xia's voice was soft, yet extraordinarily clear.

Under Lou Gao's uncertain and startled gaze, he held out his Left Hand flat and gripped the dagger tightly in his right. Without any flourish or Soul Power Fluctuation, he simply gathered the strength of every muscle in his body, raised the dagger high, and viciously chopped down at the outside of his bare left forearm!

Clang—!!!

A piercing, abrupt metallic clang, utterly unlike the sound of flesh being cut, suddenly rang out, startlingly loud in the silent Backyard!

Lou Gao's breathing stopped instantly, his eyes widening like bronze bells!

The sharp dagger blade did not cut into Lin Xia's skin upon contact. Instead, it was as though it had struck an incomparably tough alloy!

A tiny spark even burst from the point of impact!

A rice-grain-sized chip was visibly knocked out of the dagger's edge!

Meanwhile, where Lin Xia's arm had been struck, his skin sank slightly before recovering, leaving behind only a distinct pale indentation, like the mark left by a blunt weapon. Not even a shred of skin had been broken!

Under the torchlight, the white mark even reflected a faint metallic gleam before slowly fading after several breaths.

The air seemed to freeze.

Larvitar was also startled by the sudden noise. It tossed aside the Mineral Ore, cried "Yoji," and darted to Lin Xia's feet, warily staring at the dagger.

Lou Gao stared fixedly at the rapidly vanishing white mark on Lin Xia's arm, then at the glaring chip in the dagger. The anger and concern on his face instantly turned into utter shock and confusion.

He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but no sound came out, as if an invisible hand had Choked his throat.

The dagger's Cold Light and the white mark on the arm branded themselves into his mind.

Only after a long while did Lou Gao let out a long, long sigh, as though all strength had been drained from him.

That sigh contained too many complicated emotions—disbelief, absurdity, Sudden Realization, and the exhaustion brought by having his ingrained understanding completely shattered by reality.

"Xiao Xia... you... this..."

Lou Gao pointed at Lin Xia's arm, his finger trembling slightly and his voice dry and hoarse.

"Your body... it's simply... simply a humanoid Soul Beast!"

Lin Xia lowered the dagger and flexed his completely uninjured arm, feeling the surging power beneath his skin and that faint electric sensation. He said calmly:

"Teacher, you didn't directly reject my request just now, which means you know that the most important limitation on a Soul Master absorbing a Soul Ring has never been Soul Power Level, but the body's ability to endure it."

"Only when absorbing a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring does Soul Shock become a concern. What I want to absorb now is merely a Thousand-Year Soul Ring."

Lin Xia clenched his fist, and his knuckles gave off a faint series of cracks.

"The strength of my Physical Body, after this period of... well, special 'eating' and Tempering, is something I'm confident would not be inferior to any newly advanced Soul Elder! Perhaps even stronger!"

Lou Gao looked at Lin Xia's matter-of-fact expression, then at Larvitar by his feet, still curiously pawing at the chipped dagger, and recalled the sight of this Little Monster chewing Purple Lightning Iron like candy beans... An immense sense of helplessness and the feeling that he truly had grown old surged into his Inner Heart.

"Monsters... You two are both Monsters!"

Lou Gao vigorously rubbed his brow, as though trying to crush all the shocks of the day into dust.

"Fine! Fine! This Old Man understands now. Trying to reason with you, Kid, is just making trouble for myself!"

Lou Gao finally gave up arguing completely. He waved a hand to signal Lin Xia to follow, then turned and strode toward the door leading from the Backyard to the Association's Front Hall, his broad back carrying the resolute air of someone who had accepted his fate.

"Since you're so confident, this Old Man will go crazy with you! Come on, come on! We're leaving now! While it's still early, we'll strive to get you that Thousand-Year Soul Ring before sunset!"

Lou Gao's Decisive and Vigorous voice came from ahead.

"Dawdling will only make things go wrong!"

Watching his Teacher's hurried figure, Lin Xia finally revealed a smile of relief and anticipation.

He bent down and scooped up Larvitar, which was still studying the dagger.

"Larvitar, stop looking. Come on, I'm taking you to grow stronger!"

"Yoji!"

The moment Larvitar heard the words "grow stronger," its Scarlet Eyes immediately lit up. Excitedly, it patted Lin Xia's arm with its Small Claws.

Without further delay, Lou Gao had clearly prepared in advance. A sturdy carriage pulled by a Thick-skinned Camel Beast raised by the Association, renowned for its endurance, was already waiting at the side gate.

The wheels rumbled over Gengjin City's distinctive streets, mixed with iron filings and dust, heading west toward the vast, desolate Gobi region beyond the city outskirts.

Inside the carriage, Lou Gao sat with his eyes closed, resting, but his tightly pressed Lips and occasionally twitching brows showed that his Inner Heart was far from calm.

Lin Xia held Larvitar and watched the rapidly changing scenery through the Car Window.

The bustling Forging District was gradually replaced by low workshops and scattered homes, while the iron stench in the air slowly gave way to a dry, desolate atmosphere.

In the distance, yellow sand dunes glared beneath the afternoon sun.

Around two hours later, the carriage stopped at the edge of an enormous expanse of yellowish-brown dunes that seemed to stretch endlessly.

A wave of heat hit them head-on. The air was so dry it seemed capable of sucking the moisture from their skin. All around them was only the faint rustling of wind lifting grains of sand, a Deathly Silence.

"We're here. Get down, Kid."

Lou Gao was the first to jump from the carriage. The moment he stepped onto the soft sand, his boots sank in slightly.

Lin Xia followed close behind, holding Larvitar.

As his feet stepped onto the scorching sand, a Burning Sensation seeped through the soles of his shoes.

As far as the eye could see, rolling dunes resembled frozen waves, distorted heat rising from them beneath the blazing sun.

Lin Xia immediately focused and held his breath, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surrounding dunes and low-lying areas like a hawk searching for traces of their target.

"Stop looking. You won't be able to see it!"