Lou Gao pointed at Larvitar, who was listlessly pushing mineral ore around with his small claws.
Seeing his teacher clearly wanting to go but too embarrassed to say it outright, even dragging Larvitar out as an excuse, Lin Xia could not help but find it amusing when he recalled Lou Gao's earlier stern warning that "going down into the mines is dangerous."
Lin Xia deliberately drew out his tone, a teasing smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Oh? prospecting? teacher~ Didn't you say before that going down into the mines was dangerous? Especially those unexploited rare mineral deposits—unstable geology, complex ore tunnels, and possibly powerful Earth Attribute Soul Beasts lurking there? This disciple remembers it perfectly well."
Lin Xia's words left Lou Gao choking, his old face turning even redder, like a boiled shrimp.
He craned his neck and waved his muscular arm, forcing himself to remain composed as he tried to recover the dignity of a Divine Craftsman.
"Ahem! That... that was for the old you! Back then, your Soul Power was weak and you had no experience. Of course it was dangerous for you to go into the mines alone! But things are different now!"
"With this old man personally accompanying you, could I possibly let anything happen to you? Did I grow this body for nothing?"
"Is my Soul Sage cultivation just for show? Don't worry! With your teacher here, I'll make sure you can walk sideways... Er, no, I mean you'll be perfectly safe!"
Lou Gao slapped his chest, shaking dust loose from his forging clothes.
Seeing his teacher's adorably embarrassed yet unreasonable behavior, the last of Lin Xia's teasing vanished.
Lin Xia understood that Lou Gao's passion for researching Soul Tools had been thoroughly ignited. This prospecting trip was unavoidable, and it truly