Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

A very soft gasp escaped from Lin Xia's throat uncontrollably.

He was truly dumbfounded.

What lay before me was not the vulgar treasure trove filled with mountains of gold and silver that I had imagined, but a vast "starry palace" shrouded in soft starlight.

The dome is extremely high, seemingly without end. It is not a solid structure, but a real galaxy simulated by countless tiny, self-illuminating star stones, flowing and rotating slowly, casting down cool and pure starlight.

The floor is made of dark star-patterned steel that has been polished to a mirror-like smoothness, reflecting the star map on the dome, making the entire space seem to float in the universe.

But beneath this "starry sky" lies not nothingness.

Display stands, crystal cabinets, and metal shelves, each made of different materials and with an antique style, yet exuding powerful soul energy fluctuations, are arranged in an orderly fashion, like stars scattered across the sky.

On the left side, the glittering jewels almost materialized into a torrent.

The mountain of top-grade soul coins shimmered with an alluring golden-red luster.

Crowns, necklaces, and scepters of various shapes and sizes, inlaid with huge gemstones, refracted rainbow colors under the starlight.

A single, flawless piece of mutton-fat white jade was carved into an exquisite work of art.

There are also countless dazzling mithril and fine gold ornaments, each containing considerable value and artistic merit.

The air was filled with an indescribable luxurious aroma, a blend of precious metals, gemstones, fine woods, and top-grade spices, enough to dazzle and overwhelm anyone who entered for the first time.

The right side, on the other hand, exudes a completely different aura of "power".

The ancient scrolls and jade slips were placed inside a specially made energy crystal shield, faintly emanating ancient and powerful soul energy fluctuations. They were clearly objects that recorded the inheritance of high-level soul skills, techniques, and even secret manuals.

Next to it are soul tools of various shapes and sizes.

There are exquisitely designed offensive bracelets covered with runes; and thick, heavy arm shields that exude an aura of indestructibility.

There is a staff inlaid with huge crystals, which is obviously a powerful ranged weapon.

There were even several miniature, sleek "humanoid" soul guides covered in unknown metal plates, standing quietly in the corner like sleeping guardians.

The air here carries a faint fluctuation of soul power and the unique, cold smell of paper and metal.

Directly ahead lies the area of ​​rare medicinal herbs and rare treasures. The Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Mysterious Ice Marrow exudes a chilling aura, freezing the surrounding air into frost flowers.

The Crimson Flame Ganoderma resembles a burning flame, with a flowing red light.

Various unknown exotic flowers and herbs thrive in the specially made ecological soul guide box, emitting either rich or delicate fragrances.

Several pieces of emerald green mineral stones, exuding a strong sense of life, were carefully placed.

The energy attributes here are the most complex, with life, fire, frost, and poison intertwined to form a unique "spiritual" field.

However, Lin Xia's gaze lingered on these areas, which were enough to drive countless soul masters mad, for less than three breaths.

The shock deep in his eyes was quickly replaced by a burning light, almost greedy, like a hunter discovering his ultimate prey!

His gaze, like a precise probe, instantly pierced through the glittering jewels and the fluctuations of soul power, firmly locking onto the deepest part of the treasure vault, the area with the relatively dim light and the most concentrated and heavy aura—the ore storage area!

There were no ornate display cases, only rows of huge shelves carved from single blocks of obsidian.

On the shelf, pieces of ore of varying sizes and shapes, radiating energy fluctuations that are sometimes dazzling, sometimes restrained, sometimes violent, and sometimes strange, lie there quietly like fragments of the most primitive stars, telling the secrets and powers deep within the earth.

Ore! That was Lin Xia's ultimate goal for this trip!

"Young Gilas!"

Lin Xia's voice carried a hint of barely suppressed excitement as she called out in a low, urgent tone.

"Yoji!"

Young Giras, who had been lying obediently at Lin Xia's feet and was also somewhat dazzled by the treasure trove, instantly sensed the throbbing originating from the depths of his bloodline!

Its scarlet eyes shone with unprecedented light, and its little nose sniffed the various mineral scents in the air, its mouth practically watering.

It leaped in front of Lin Xia, its little paws pointing towards the ore area, chirping eagerly as if to say something.

"Master! Quick! Over there! It's full of delicious, hearty food!"

Without further hesitation, Lin Xia moved like an arrow, carrying Young Gilas straight towards the ore area!
That speed was nothing like someone coming to "select" materials; it was more like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey!
The two guards who followed them into the vault to "accompany" them throughout the process were also stunned by the sight before them when they entered the vault, but their strong professionalism made them quickly regain their composure and remain vigilant.

However, when their eyes followed Lin Xia and they saw him completely ignoring the priceless jewels, soul tools, and rare treasures, rushing towards those "clumsy stones" as if possessed, the icy expression on his face, which had remained unchanged for thousands of years, finally cracked for the first time.

Confusion? Puzzle? Even... a look of disbelief, like someone looking at a fool?
Especially when they saw Lin Xia rush to the ore rack without any intention of appreciating or appraising it, and directly start the "buying" mode, even their hearts, which were as hard as rocks, couldn't help but twitch.

Lin Xia's movements were incredibly fast, yet they possessed a peculiar sense of rhythm.

He didn't need to carefully distinguish them; his powerful mental strength, combined with Lou Gao's inherited memories and Young Gilas's innate intuitive resonance with top-grade minerals, allowed him to lock onto his target instantly.

"Star-patterned mithril ore! Such a big piece? The purity is amazing! I'll take it!" With a wave of his hand, Lin Xia sent a piece of ore the size of a human head, with natural silver star patterns flowing across its surface and emitting flexible spatial fluctuations, into the light of his storage soul tool.

"Void Gold! I've finally found you! And the weight is just right!"

A strange piece of metal, about the size of a fist, jet black as if it could absorb light, yet as light as a feather, was put away.

"Meteorite cinnabar! No wonder it's a treasure trove, there's so much of it!"

He quickly swept past several crystal jars filled with reddish-gold sand that resembled flowing lava and shimmered with starlight, and without hesitation, he swept them all away.

"Starry Refined Gold? Basic materials? We can never have too much! We'll take it all!"

Lin Xia emptied the entire shelf of metal ingots, which shimmered with pale golden starlight and were incredibly hard.

"Hmm? This is... Star Marrow Cold Iron? A top-tier energy-conducting metal with extreme ice properties? What a pleasant surprise!"

A piece of ore emitting a faint blue light and with an icy, bone-chilling touch was precisely selected.

"And this! The Earth Core Flame Crystal Core! A top-grade item with both fire and earth attributes! Perfect as a snack to strengthen Younggiras!"

Lin Xia tossed a piece of ore, entirely crimson, seemingly with magma flowing inside and radiating astonishing heat, directly to the impatient Young Giras.

"Yo-yo!" Young Gilas excitedly leaped up, its little mouth precisely catching the fire crystal core, which was larger than its head. Without even looking at it, "Crunch, crunch!" A tooth-grinding chewing sound instantly rang out. The incredibly hard, scorching hot ore was like a crisp biscuit in its mouth! After a few bites, the fire crystal core disappeared without a trace. Young Gilas let out a satisfied burp with sparks, its little belly seemed to be a little rounder, and its dark red lava carapace seemed to shine a little brighter, radiating a trace of warmth.

This is not finished!
"Huh? Meteorite Iron Essence? Its density and energy conductivity are even better than meteorite iron! I'll take it!"

"Deep-sea sinking silver mother? A top-grade water-attribute item, better safe than sorry!"

"Mystic Refined Gold? An excellent base material for inscribing soul-guiding arrays! A real gem!"

Lin Xia moved at high speed through the ore field like a shrewd shopping machine or a greedy dragon. His storage soul tool flashed incessantly, and top-grade ores and rare metals—items that would cause Soul Douluos and even Title Douluos to fight over in the outside world—disappeared like flowing water. He wasn't "selecting" at all; he was conducting a targeted and highly efficient "resource plunder"!
Young Gilas was even busier. Lin Xia would deliberately pick out some "second-rate" ores with special energy attributes or many impurities but large volumes (second-rate ores in the treasure vault would still be treasures outside) and throw them to it. The little guy accepted them all, opening its little mouth like a bottomless pit:

"Crunch! Crunch! Gulp!" (Sound of gnawing on hard ore)
"Pfft!" (Occasionally, a small amount of insoluble dust or impurities is expelled)
"Yo-ji yo-ji~" (A satisfied and happy humming sound)
Its small belly was like a magical furnace, efficiently decomposing, absorbing, and transforming any ore, regardless of its properties, into nutrients needed for its growth and strengthening. The dark gold dragon and crimson gold phoenix patterns on its carapace flickered with light from time to time as it devoured other ore, and its aura slowly and steadily increased.

The two guards standing nearby were no longer just expressionless; they were completely petrified!
Their eyes were wide open like saucers, their mouths slightly agape, and their jaws almost dropped to their chest armor. Their resolute faces were etched with enormous question marks: "Who am I? Where am I? What am I seeing?" and an indescribable sense of absurdity.

They had seen the people who entered the treasure vault.

There were nobles lingering over jewels and soul tools, soul masters trembling with excitement at secret soul techniques, and pharmacists carefully appraising rare and precious materials... But someone like Master Lin, treating the empire's supreme Starry Sky Treasury like his own backyard market, and with his "pet" (which eats ores?! And eats them with such relish?!), frantically sweeping up ores like bandits descending from the mountains, was absolutely unprecedented!
Watching Lin Xia stuff the top-grade ores, which they usually had to guard carefully and knew were priceless, into his storage soul tools in large quantities like he was collecting junk, or being chewed up and swallowed by that little monster like candy... the two guards felt their worldviews collapsing and being rebuilt.

"What...what are all these things?" Guard A's throat was dry, and he murmured in a faint breath that only his companions could hear, his voice filled with bewilderment and disbelief.

"Is it made like this?" Guard B's lips twitched, his eyes blank as he watched Young Gilas swallow another piece of the valuable "Earth Vein Gold". "Your Majesty... did His Majesty know that his treasury would be 'used' like this?"

They were filled with the urge to complain, but their strong discipline and absolute obedience to the emperor's orders forced them to suppress all thoughts. His Majesty had clearly stated that Lin Xia could take any materials he needed from the treasury, as long as they were available! Ores, obviously, fell into the category of "materials."

Although their hearts were bleeding (for the "ruined" ore), and their worldviews were being shaken like never before, the two guards remained as loyal as statues, silently watching without uttering a sound or making any move to stop them. However, the look in their eyes as they gazed at Lin Xia and Young Gilas's backs had shifted from initial scrutiny and wariness to a deep, monstrous awe and… a touch of numbness.

After an unknown amount of time, when Lin Xia had collected more than 80% of the high-grade rare ores in the mining area, and Young Gilas was patting his noticeably bulging belly and burping contentedly (this time the sparks he spit out even had a bit of starlight on them), Lin Xia finally stopped his sweeping operation that could be described as a "locust swarm".

Looking at the mountain of top-tier materials piled up inside his storage soul tool, and sensing the noticeably enhanced and more refined energy emanating from Young Gilas, an indescribable sense of satisfaction and security welled up within him. These were the foundations upon which he would later leverage destiny, forge mechs, and protect those who held dear!

"Phew..." Lin Xia let out a long sigh of relief, a genuine and radiant smile spreading across his face, as if he had just completed the most important shopping trip of his life. He patted Young Gilas's little head, "Well done, buddy! This was a real haul!"

"Yo-yo~!" Young Kiras rubbed his little head against his palm with a smug look.

Lin Xia glanced one last time at the somewhat empty (relatively speaking) ore area, then looked at the area next to it that was still glittering with jewels and filled with soul tools, his eyes showing no lingering affection. He turned to the two guards, whose expressions were complex and who seemed to have undergone a spiritual baptism, and calmly nodded: "Thank you for waiting. I have collected the necessary materials and can leave now."

Guards A and B strained their skin, maintaining the last vestiges of professionalism, and stiffly nodded. One after the other, they escorted (or rather, protected?) these two "treasure trove termins" away from the starry treasure trove they had so thoroughly "plundered." The heavy gate slowly closed behind them, once again isolating them from the vast "starry sky" and countless treasures.

Inside the Star Crown Hall.

The elderly eunuch appeared silently and respectfully presented the treasury guard's detailed report. His voice was flat as he recounted Lin Xia's entire experience upon entering the treasury: how he was shocked, how he ignored the jewels and soul-guided artifacts, how he headed straight for the ore section, how he frantically collected various top-grade ores at an astonishing speed and in large quantities, and how his strange "pet," Young Gilas, crunched away at some of the ores like snacks…

Dai Tianxing sat upright on the Star Throne, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest as he listened to the eunuch's report. When he heard that Lin Xia had shown disdain for those priceless jewels, soul tools, secret manuals, and rare treasures, but displayed an almost fanatical greed for ores, a barely perceptible understanding and... a faint, condescending sneer flashed in his star-like eyes.

“Ore, huh…” Dai Tianxing’s voice was deep and magnetic, with a hint of amusement. “He’s a very practical person. Those things, apart from forging weapons and armor, are ultimately external things for the cultivation of Soul Masters, and are inferior. His obsession with them is consistent with his background in the Blacksmith Association.”

In his view, the value of ore was far less than that of secret manuals and rare treasures that could directly enhance soul power and enable the comprehension of soul skills, let alone those powerful soul tools. Lin Xia's decision to abandon the pearl for the stubborn rock, though excessive and eccentric (especially the soul beast that ate the ore), ultimately revealed his limited vision and limited perspective, still at the level of a "craftsman." This, in turn, dispelled much of Dai Tianxing's doubts about Lin Xia's "ambition"—how much trouble could someone so obsessed with "blacksmithing materials" possibly cause? He was simply trying to gain more benefits for the Blacksmith Association and himself.

As for Young Giras eating ore? Dai Tianxing found it strange, but the world is full of wonders, and it's normal for some soul beasts to have peculiar habits. As long as it didn't affect the gem's repair, he couldn't be bothered to investigate further.

"Let him be." Dai Tianxing waved his hand, his tone carrying the emperor's utter indifference to "trinkets." "It's just ore. The treasure trove is overflowing. What he took is just a drop in the ocean. As long as he can successfully repair the Starry Crown, this loss is insignificant."

He was more concerned with another issue.

"What was his mental state like when he left the treasure vault? Did he mention anything about the progress of the restoration?" Dai Tianxing's gaze sharpened; this was the key question.

The eunuch respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Master Lin left looking extremely satisfied and pleased, seemingly very pleased with his work. As for the progress of the restoration, he did not mention it, but judging from his expression, he seemed full of confidence."

"Satisfied? Pleasant? Full of confidence?" Dai Tianxing's lips curled into a meaningful smile. It seemed the "hard-hitting" items in the treasure vault were indeed to his liking, keeping the little guy highly motivated. As long as the gemstones remained and the repair went smoothly, what harm was there in letting him take a few more ores?
"Okay, I understand. Keep an eye on it, and report immediately if there's any substantial progress in the repairs." Dai Tianxing closed his eyes, his mind sinking back into the vast stellar calculations, as if what he had just heard was merely a trivial matter. The "ore catastrophe" within the Starry Sky Treasury that had made the guards question their existence hadn't even caused a ripple in the heart of this imperial ruler. The trajectory of the stars, the authority of the empire—those were the areas he truly cared about. Ore? Merely stepping stones.

Meanwhile, Lin Xia, laden with his spoils, was leading the satisfied young Gilas, bathed in the afterglow of the evening sun over Star Luo City, heading towards the Zhu residence. His storage soul tool contained enough wealth to drive any soul master on the continent mad; in his heart burned a raging flame to forge the future and shatter destiny. A storm sparked by "ore" had only just begun to gather its initial energy in his hands. (End of Chapter)