Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Si Long stood behind Lin Xia. This towering man, who could wield a massive hammer without flinching, swallowed hard, his heavy breathing particularly clear in the silent workshop.

His gaze was fixed on the mecha, his eyes burning with a fiery passion—the excitement and trepidation of a craftsman facing the imminent realization of his life's pursuit.

Lin Xia was equally thrilled. The lines on the blueprints transformed into the steel giant before her eyes, a sight that far exceeded her expectations.

He took a deep breath, the cold air, carrying the distinctive smell of metal and engine oil, filling his lungs and suppressing the slight tremor in his fingertips. Without the slightest hesitation, he lightly leaped up from the edge of the base, his body feeling weightless, landing precisely on an inconspicuous square platform above the mech's chest armor.

That's the entrance to the cockpit.

As he channeled his soul power into the identification array on the edge of the hatch, a slight hissing sound rang out, and the heavy alloy hatch spun upwards and inwards like flower petals, revealing the precise and compact cockpit inside.

A deep blue light emanated from within, illuminating the seat and control panel covered with runes and interfaces.

Lin Xia slipped inside, and the hatch closed silently behind him, isolating him from the outside world.

Inside the cockpit, countless tiny indicator lights shone like stars, their soft glow illuminating his young and focused face.

He skillfully settled into the ergonomically designed pilot's seat, his soul power and mental energy spreading like a spiderweb, instantly attempting to connect with the neural nodes pre-installed inside the mecha. A cold, metallic sensation traveled through his mental energy, carrying the stillness of a slumbering behemoth.

"let's start."

Lin Xia whispered, both to herself and to Si Long, who was waiting breathlessly outside.

With a thought, the seemingly inconspicuous storage soul tool on his finger flashed with a faint light.

Instantly, an indescribable, vast, pure wave, seemingly containing the very essence of the universe and stars, spread out. Even through the thick outer shell of the mecha and the cockpit walls, Si Long outside felt his heart clench, as if he were being swept away by an invisible tide!

A tear of star core the size of a pigeon egg appeared in Lin Xia's palm.

Its entire body is a deep, dark blue, and inside it seems to be a swirling galaxy sealed, with starlight twinkling eternally and radiating a heart-stirring energy ripple.

This is the heart of the mech, the only thing that can drive this steel behemoth!

Lin Xia's eyes were solemn as he gently pushed the Star Core Tear into the energy furnace entrance, located directly in front of the pilot's seat and at the core of the mecha's chest cavity.

There was a groove meticulously constructed from Void Gold and Star-patterned Mithril, with countless fine, hair-like energy-conducting lines extending from the edge of the groove to the mech's limbs and bones.

Om-!
The moment the Star Core Tear embedded itself into the core of the furnace, the entire massive body of the mech shuddered violently!
It wasn't a violent shaking, but a deep, pulsating feeling, as if it came from the very depths of the earth!

A visible blue halo, like a liquid galaxy, burst forth from the core of the furnace and surged along the pre-laid energy pathways!

Wherever the light passed, countless dormant soul-guiding arrays inside the mech were lit up one by one, as if dormant nerves were being awakened, emitting a deep, powerful hum.

Between the crimson gaps in the armor, azure starlight bursts forth, illuminating the entire workshop as if it were deep within a starry sea.

"It's done! The power is connected!"

Si Long watched from outside, his blood boiling with excitement. His fists clenched so tightly his nails almost dug into his palms. This first step, the most crucial one, was a success! The Star Core Tear had perfectly aligned!

But this is just the beginning. The core energy source only provides power; to make this steel body move like an extension of its own arm and unleash its designed terrifying power, it is also necessary to activate and control the soul-guiding array network throughout the body, constructing a neural control system that deeply connects the mecha's consciousness with the pilot's!

Lin Xia did not pause.

He closed his eyes, and his powerful mental energy, like the most precise probe, sank into the core control center of the mecha—a complex three-dimensional magic array base plate made of the purest arcane gold, located above the energy furnace.

This base plate is the "brain" of the mecha.

He had practiced depicting this core control array countless times in virtual simulations and simplified models.

At this moment, supported by the vast power of the Star Core Tear and enhanced by the Phoenix Divine Fire's ultimate control over energy and matter, Lin Xia's spiritual power transformed into the sharpest carving knife!

Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...

Guided by Lin Xia's spiritual power, on the secret refined gold substrate, silver patterns, finer than a hair and containing profound rules for connecting space and soul, were rapidly lit up, connected, and solidified.

Each stroke precisely guides the stellar power overflowing from the Star Core Tear in the furnace below, taming, restraining, and weaving it into a flow of commands that drives and controls every joint, every piece of armor, and every weapon of the mech.

Time seemed to lose its meaning inside the cockpit.

Lin Xia's entire mind was immersed in this extremely precise "carving".

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but his movements were frighteningly steady, without the slightest tremor.

Ten minutes! Just ten minutes! When the final closed-loop rune, composed of stellar power and symbolizing "consciousness synchronization," lit up perfectly at the center of the baseboard and completely merged with Lin Xia's spiritual power—

boom! ! !
A mental and energy storm, a hundred times stronger than before, erupted with the mecha at its core!

Inside the cockpit, Lin Xia suddenly opened her eyes!

His pupils reflected the enormous "eye" outside the observation window ahead, composed of pure stellar energy and resembling a burning blue flame! The mech had awakened!
Swish-!
No longer was there an internal hum; the mech's massive metal head suddenly rose! The movement was swift and precise, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound!

In the deep observation window, two solid beams of azure light pierced the air of the workshop like sharp swords!

Next, the arm!

The robust alloy arm emitted a deep, powerful hydraulic transmission sound, its five fingers opening and closing, the metal knuckles rubbing together to produce a teeth-grinding "crunch," as if sensing the power of new life.

Then it's the legs!
The enormous foot lifted off the base, and the heavy alloy sole slammed firmly onto the workshop's specially made ultra-hard alloy floor with a loud "clang," causing the entire floor to tremble slightly and leaving a clear mark!
Finally, the waistline!
Its massive body, in a powerful and coordinated posture, shifted slightly forward from a completely still upright position, like a beast about to pounce. Through the gaps in its armor, azure starlight flickered like breathing, emitting a low and continuous "humming" energy resonance!
All these movements, from raising his head to stepping on the ground and then adjusting his posture, were smooth and seamless!
There was not a trace of awkwardness, nor a hint of hesitation!
It is no longer a cold metal creation, but a living metal giant with immense power and amazing coordination!

"It...it moved! It really moved!!" (End of Chapter)