Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Zhu Zhuqing felt the warmth and strength emanating from that rough, large hand, and her tension dissipated considerably. She whispered.

"Thank you, Brother Silong."

Si Long grinned, then looked at Lin Xia, his eyes once again gleaming with the same excitement as the blacksmiths in the square.

"Alright, let's get down to business! You said at the door that you brought back more than just that imperial edict? What else is there? Let your senior brother see for himself!"

A glint of light flashed in Lin Xia's eyes, and the caution she had shown when faced with Zhu Zhuqing's background was instantly replaced by the eagerness of a tech fanatic.

He leaned closer to Silong, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Senior brother, the most important thing is here!"

He tapped his storage soul tool.

"Our biggest gain from the trip to the Star Luo Treasure Vault wasn't the mining rights contracts, but rather finding the core material that solved the most critical problem for the mechs!"

"Mech!"
Silong's heart skipped a beat; the name instantly piqued his anticipation.

That was a super war machine that Lin Xia and his master Lou Gao had painstakingly designed, but were stuck on the core energy and soul guidance array, and had to be temporarily shelved!
"You mean..."

Silong's voice trembled slightly.

"Energy core and...magic array materials?"

"That's right!"

Lin Xia nodded emphatically, her eyes seemingly burning with stars.

"I got the Star Core Tear!"

"Tears of the Star Core?!"

Si Long gasped. Although he didn't know exactly what it was, he knew from the name that it was no ordinary thing.

"That thing... can really power mechs?"

"It's not just about driving!"

Lin Xia's tone was resolute.

"The vast stellar primordial power it contains is enough to support the operation of the most complex and energy-consuming core array in the mecha's entire body!"

"The problems that previously plagued us, such as insufficient power, energy dissipation, and inadequate strength of the magic array materials, now all have the foundation for solutions!"

Lin Xia grabbed Si Long's thick arm with astonishing strength.

"Senior brother! Forget about the wine after the banquet! Come with me to the 'Ground Core Furnace' workshop! Let's assemble the mecha's core frame and power unit and test it out! Let's see if our original idea can really come true!"

Silong was completely ignited by Lin Xia's excitement and confidence.

The glory of repairing national treasures and the empire's generous gifts are certainly exhilarating, but for a master craftsman who has devoted his life to forging and soul tools, nothing is more thrilling than personally participating in the transformation of such a historical and epoch-making creation from blueprints to reality!
He gripped Lin Xia's hand tightly in return, his large palm trembling slightly with excitement. His eyes blazed with a light as intense as the hottest core of a furnace, and his voice was loud yet tinged with a hoarse tremor:

"Good! Good! Good! Let's go to the 'Ground Core Furnace'! Damn it, I've been waiting for this day for far too long!"

He gulped down the remaining wine in his cup, then slammed the iron cup down on the ground with a loud clang, drawing the attention of some people nearby.

He didn't care at all; the immense joy and anticipation made his already burly body seem to swell up.

"Xia, you have no idea, every time I see that half-finished mecha skeleton lying in the workshop, my heart aches like it's being scratched by a cat! If my master knew..."

Si Long's voice suddenly stopped, his immense excitement mixed with an indescribable bitterness and regret. He looked up at the brightly lit headquarters building, then towards Xingluo City, as if he could see through space the old man who had devoted himself to the association but was now deeply embroiled in the royal vortex.

"If only Master could come back and see the mecha move with his own eyes..."

Silong's voice lowered, filled with deep longing and regret.

"He'll be so happy! That's the culmination of your hard work!"

Lin Xia also fell silent, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Lou Gao was not only his mentor and guide on his path to mastering soul tools, but also one of the creators of mechs.

The dawn of success is just around the corner, but the most important founder is unable to witness it...

"Senior brother."

Lin Xia's voice became firm, carrying an undeniable power.

"Although our master is temporarily away, his skills and his dreams are in our hands! We will build the mecha and make it the true 'treasure of the association'!"

"When Master returns, we'll fly to pick him up in our mechs! Let him see with his own eyes that his disciples have lived up to his expectations! We've fulfilled his dream!"

Silong was suddenly jolted, and the regret in his eyes was instantly replaced by an even stronger fighting spirit.

He slapped Lin Xia hard on the shoulder, making her stumble, but then burst into laughter. His laughter was hearty and powerful, even drowning out some of the noise in the square.

"Hahaha! That's right! Xia! Let's do it this way! Tonight, let's 'power up' this big guy! Let it come alive and show us! When Master comes back, we'll give him a big surprise!"

Zhu Zhuqing listened from the side, completely bewildered, having no idea what Lin Xia and the others were talking about, but she wisely refrained from asking.

Some even said directly:
"Brother Lin Xia, if you have something to do, go ahead and do it. I'll stay here and eat something!"

After hearing this, Lin Xia and Si Long exchanged a glance, and Lin Xia said directly:
"Zhuqing, you can play here for a while. I'll come find you when I'm done with my work!"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

Seeing this, Lin Xia and Si Long no longer lingered on the celebration square behind them, which was as boiling as a burning furnace. They turned around and strode towards the blacksmiths' association headquarters, towards the tall forging workshop.

There, the long-dormant steel giant is about to experience its first heartbeat.

Lin Xia and Si Long also arrived at the teacher's forging room, looking at the figure covered by a huge canvas in front of them!

My heart is also filled with excitement!
Lin Xia abruptly ripped open the huge canvas, and the dull rustling of the fabric echoed in the spacious yet industrial-sounding core workshop of the "Earth's Core Furnace".

The accumulated dust danced in the bright soul-guiding light, like disturbed metal spirits.

Beneath the canvas, a massive, powerful, and exquisitely mechanical crimson figure stands silently on a specially made alloy base, like a sleeping ancient behemoth.

This is the conceptual creation that Lin Xia, Lou Gao, and their master and apprentice poured countless efforts into—the mecha!
Its main structure is forged and cast from the finest star gold, giving it a heavy and restrained dark red color. Its surface is not smooth as a mirror, but is covered with precisely calculated ridges and grooves that serve both structural reinforcement and soul power guidance functions.

The robust limb joints are covered with multiple layers of composite armor, and the intricate internal transmission structure is faintly visible.

The head design is simple yet powerful, without any elaborate mask, only two deep observation windows, which are now dim and lifeless, like closed eyes.

The back has a huge interface reserved, which is obviously a platform for future weapons. At present, it is empty, but it shows a sense of oppressive power that is ready to be used.

"Gulp." (End of Chapter)