Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Lin Xia snapped out of her daze, looked at the little guy's expectant face, and couldn't help but chuckle.

He composed himself and began to "divide the spoils".

"Don't worry, I won't forget you."

With a thought, he precisely sorted through the storage space using his mental energy.

First, he separated a large pile of all the ores containing pure, gentle stellar energy—these were the core resources for his own cultivation and future forging.

Then, those with special energy properties, such as extremely cold star marrow iron, blazing earth core fiery crystal core, flexible deep-sea sunken silver mother, or ores containing rare elements, or those with many impurities but large size, were all moved to Young Gilas's "exclusive snack area".

"Here, these are yours."

Lin Xia moved the mountain of "snacks" directly from the soul tool and piled them in front of Young Giras.

Eat slowly, don't overeat.

"Yo-ji yo-ji!"

Young Gilas let out a joyful cry and immediately pounced on it, embracing a piece of Star Marrow Cold Iron that was even larger than itself.

With a "crunch," it exhaled a burst of cold air and starlight simultaneously. It squinted its eyes, looking quite pleased, and the luster of its carapace flowed, as if it were efficiently converting this complex and enormous energy.

Its growth itself is a most incredible kind of "forging".

Watching Young Gilas devour his food, Lin Xia felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment.

But he did not forget that small figure living in the cold West Garden.

He got up, walked to an inconspicuous cabinet in the corner of the room, and took out an oil paper package from it.

He deliberately took a detour during the day to buy these from a well-known pastry shop in Xingluo City. They included several exquisite snacks, such as soft and glutinous osmanthus cake, crispy almond shortbread, and two custard buns shaped like little rabbits.

The warm aroma of the pastries wafted through the oil paper, carrying a sweet fragrance.

Lin Xia, holding the snacks, paused for a moment before pushing open the door and walking out.

Night had fallen, and the Zhu residence was quiet, with only the occasional sound of footsteps from the night patrolling guards.

He navigated the winding corridors with practiced ease and headed towards the West Garden.

Zhu Zhuqing's room was in the most secluded corner, with a faint light shining through the window.

Lin Xia walked to the door, but instead of knocking, she gently pushed it open a crack.

The room was furnished very simply, even somewhat cold and austere.

Zhu Zhuqing's small figure was sitting cross-legged on a hard futon, facing the open window.

The cool moonlight shone on her, outlining her slender yet upright figure.

Her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, her small face tense as she focused intently on her soul power meditation.

She diligently drew in the sparse soul energy in the air, channeling it into her young body, strand by strand.

That focused expression, that lingering stubbornness between his brows, and that sense of heaviness so incongruous with his age, made Lin Xia's heart clench slightly.

She lacked a good cultivation environment, guidance from renowned teachers, and might even have lacked basic nutrition, but she did not give up.

She was like a small grass that grew tenaciously in the cracks of rocks, trying her best to grasp any glimmer of light.

Lin Xia's gaze lingered on her for a moment, but she didn't say anything to disturb her.

He quietly walked to the only small table in the room, placed the still-warm oil paper package on the table, making a slight sound.

The sound seemed to startle Zhu Zhuqing, who was immersed in her cultivation. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Those deep black eyes shone like two cold stars in the night, instantly locking onto the source of the sound.

When she saw that it was Lin Xia and the oil paper package on the table, the wariness in her eyes turned into a fleeting surprise, and then she returned to her usual calm. However, beneath that calm, something seemed to ripple slightly.

She didn't speak, but just quietly looked at Lin Xia.

Lin Xia looked at her, also without saying anything more. He pointed to the pastries on the table, then to her, and nodded slightly.

The meaning is clear: This is for you, eat it while it's hot.

After doing all this, he didn't linger, turned around and left, gently closing the door behind him.

Young Gilas peeked out from outside the door, gave Zhu Zhuqing a soft "yo-ji" as a greeting, and quickly followed Lin Xia's footsteps.

Silence returned to the room. The moonlight continued to fall, cold and clear.

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze shifted from the closed door to the oil paper package on the table, which was emitting a warm and sweet fragrance.

She remained seated in meditation, motionless for a long time.

Only the slight rise and fall of his chest and the barely perceptible ripples in the depths of his dark eyes revealed the owner's unsettled state of mind.

In the end, she did not get up, but simply closed her eyes again and continued to draw upon the meager soul power, as if the package of pastries had never appeared.

But the sweet fragrance in the air stubbornly reminded people of its presence.

Lin Xia returned to her room, closed the door, and set up the barrier again.

He didn't care about Zhu Zhuqing's reaction; all he could do was offer her a small amount of warmth and a choice. Breaking free from that fate ultimately depended on her becoming stronger, and he needed to provide the opportunity and support.

"Alright, little one, you've eaten and drunk your fill, time to get back to work!"

Lin Xia looked at Young Giras, who had already devoured nearly a third of the mountain of "snacks".

The little guy's belly was rounder, but he was full of energy, and the dragon and phoenix patterns on his shell shone brightly, clearly indicating his amazing digestive ability.

"Yoji!"

Young Kiras jumped to Lin Xia's side with high spirits.

Lin Xia sat down cross-legged and first took out the real "Tear of the Star Core".

A dark blue sapphire the size of a pigeon egg floated in his palm, its interior sparkling with starlight, slowly swirling. Vast and pure stellar energy spread out like a tide, instantly filling the entire room and sweeping away the previous impurities of the mineral.

He took a deep breath, greedily absorbing this power, while simultaneously circulating his soul power. His bones emitted a faint hum, and his flesh and blood seemed to be infused with endless vitality. His spiritual power also became more refined and sharp under the starlight.

Although he did not acquire any new soul skills, this kind of tempering at the source level made his foundation become more solid and robust at a visible speed.

Then, he took out several pieces of carefully selected Star Essence Gold Ore.

Holding the Star Core Tear in one hand, drawing upon the power of the stars, while the other hand slowly covered the ore.

The faint glow of the Phoenix Divine Fire emanated from the palm of his hand, no longer an explosive force that incinerated all things, but rather a divine radiance that melted all things.

hum!
The flames, a deep white with pale gold divine patterns, gently enveloped the ore.

Under the precise control of the Phoenix Divine Fire, the incomparably hard Star Gold began to soften and melt like hot butter. The impurities within were silently burned away by the divine fire, leaving only the purest droplets of molten metal, sparkling with starlight.

At the same time, the stellar power drawn by the Star Core Tear flows like a clear spring, continuously pouring into the molten metal, perfectly merging with and strengthening it from its source!
Lin Xia's gaze was incredibly focused, his mental energy highly concentrated. He was attempting an unprecedented form of "forging"—using the Phoenix Divine Fire as a furnace and the power of the stars as a hammer, directly refining, fusing, and purifying ores in his palm!
This is far more efficient and pure than any forging table and hammer! (End of Chapter)