Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 166 Eat...eaten?
Lin Xia's eyes were as serious as iron as she meticulously picked up the Illusion Star Glazed Ore that had been prepared on the side of the workbench.

This was a treasure he and Young Kylas had obtained after a perilous journey through the heart of the Desolate Mountains. Its size and shape had been carefully cut to resemble the crown jewel.

He carefully brought the shimmering, star-like glass close to the original piece on the crown.

At first glance, the two "stones" are almost indistinguishable from the real thing in the dim light, both with a deep dark blue background and countless shimmering lights.

However, when Lin Xia concentrated his mental energy to the extreme and carefully compared the details inch by inch with the help of the soul guide lens, the subtle differences emerged coldly and clearly, like hidden reefs beneath the surface of the water.

The light spots inside a genuine gemstone are not evenly distributed, but rather follow a trajectory that contains the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, eternally pulsating to form a naturally formed, dynamic galaxy painting full of life.

While the light spots of the Illusionary Star Glass also flow, they appear relatively scattered and random, lacking the rhythmic feel of a profound universe. They are more like a frozen, deliberately imitated star map.

This is a fatal chasm!
The energy contained in genuine gemstones is like the core of a sleeping star—vast, pure, and ancient, carrying a majestic aura that overlooks all living beings and a profound sense of space.

Each energy pulse seemed to resonate deep within Lin Xia's soul.

While the energy of the Illusionary Star Glaze is also extremely pure and vast, its "Star Power" is clearly one level lower, leaning more towards the combination of "earth" and "star," carrying a sense of weight and sedimentation like earth veins, lacking the vastness and purity that points directly to the origin of stars.

As for the crucial spatial attribute fluctuations, they are so faint on the Illusionary Star Glaze that they are almost imperceptible!
Lin Xia's heart sank to the bottom.

Illusory Star Glaze is a top-tier material for soul tools, capable of amplifying soul power and stabilizing spatial structures.

However, the core function of the gem on the Starry Crown is to communicate with the power of the stars in the heavens, guide the star power to temper oneself, and may even involve some secret spatial techniques of the Star Luo royal family!

The core functional requirements of the two are completely different!

Replacing it with Illusory Star Glazed Glass is like using a fine wood-chopping knife to impersonate a legendary divine sword. The appearance may fool people for a while, but once Dai Tianxing truly infuses his soul power to try to communicate with the stars or use a secret technique, this clumsy imitation will be exposed in an instant!
Lin Xia slowly put down the Illusionary Star Glass in his hand, his fingertips icy cold. He stared at the gem on the crown that flowed with a real galaxy, his brows furrowing into a deep "川" character.

Only his suppressed breathing and the faint hum of the soul-guiding crystal remained in the workshop.

The air seemed to solidify into a viscous resin, trapping him firmly in the mire of despair.

"Absolutely not..."

His voice was dry, as if it had been sanded on sandpaper.

"The form can be refined and imitated to be nine-tenths similar, but the essence of energy... the core ability to communicate with the stars... the Illusionary Star Glaze cannot even simulate a fraction of it!"

Lin Xia slammed his fist on the edge of the workbench, making a dull thud that rattled the carving knives.

"Damn it! Unless we can find another real 'Tear of the Star Core'! But this thing is a legendary item, and Dai Tianxing's is probably a unique one! Where can we find it? There's simply not enough time!"

Lin Xia could almost see Dai Tianxing's furious face, the cold blade of the Star Luo royal family's expert, and the ruthless gaze Zhu Zhan cast in an attempt to distance himself from the situation... Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, which had just begun to ignite a flame, would probably be completely extinguished in this undeserved disaster.

Just as Lin Xia was completely gripped by despair, his mind frantically racing through extreme plans such as "fleeing to the ends of the earth," "hiding in a mine as a miner," and "surviving until he is invincible before emerging," even his escape route and how to entrust Zhu Zhuqing to the Blacksmith Association and even the Spirit Hall began to vaguely take shape—

"Yo-ji?"

A soft chirp, filled with confusion and concern, broke the deathly silence.

Young Giras, who was happily munching on a scrap of Phantom Star Glass as a snack in the other corner of the workbench, keenly sensed the anxiety and coldness emanating from its master.

It put down its half-eaten "snack" and hopped over to Lin Xia's side in a few moments. It gently rubbed its small head, covered in dark red lava carapace, against Lin Xia's clenched fist, its large, scarlet eyes filled with worry. Lin Xia felt the warm touch on her arm, looked down into Larvitar's pure eyes, and a bittersweet warmth welled up in her heart.

He forced a smile, about to pat the little guy's head and say, "It's okay."

However, the next scene happened so fast that it exceeded the limits of his mental processing ability!

Young Gilas's curious eyes darted to the star-studded gem on the tray, which exuded a deadly allure.

The purest and most refined power of the stars, the ancient spatial rhythms—for a Pokémon that feeds on minerals and energy, the attraction was comparable to a gluttonous beast encountering a Manchu Han Imperial Feast!

Without the slightest hesitation!

It didn't even give Lin Xia a fraction of a second to stop it!

The little guy opened his mouth and, with lightning speed, his tongue shot out!
"Whoosh-!"

Lin Xia only felt a blur before his eyes, and the Starry Gem on the tray, which contained the supreme authority and power of the Star Luo royal family and was the life-sustaining gem for him and Young Gilas, just like that... disappeared!

It was swallowed whole by Larvitar!

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Lin Xia's bitter smile froze instantly, her pupils dilated to the extreme, and her eyes were instantly covered with bloodshot veins of horror.

It felt like he had been hit hard on the back of the head with a heavy hammer. His whole body stiffened abruptly, and all the blood rushed to his head, freezing into ice shards in an instant.

"...Have you...eaten?"

Lin Xia's voice was distorted and deformed, like a broken bellows squeezed from the depths of her throat, trembling with disbelief.

My mind went blank, buzzing as if a million bees were simultaneously exploding inside.

Finished!

It's all over!
Despite all the careful planning, we overlooked this little ancestor's uncontrollable, primal desire to devour top-grade minerals!

This is no ordinary stone; it is the lifeblood of the Star Luo Emperor!
It is a royal heirloom that is enough to enrage the entire empire!

It was swallowed by Larvitar... like a candy?!

"Spit it out! Spit it out now, Eurythmus!"

Lin Xia's voice suddenly rose to a shaky pitch, filled with unprecedented terror and despair.

He practically lunged forward, grabbing Young Gilas's round body covered in dark red lava armor with both hands, shaking it desperately, trying to lift it upside down.

"You greedy little brat! You can't eat this! If you do, we'll all lose our heads! No! We'll be ground to dust! Our souls will be scattered! Quick! Vomit it out! Please!"

Lin Xia was so anxious that she became incoherent, and even tried in vain to pry open Young Gilas's tightly closed mouth with her fingers.

(End of this chapter)