Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Lou Gao felt his divine senses trembling.

He had just survived a near-death experience and endured the extreme tempering of the Phoenix Divine Fire to gain his current Soul Douluo power!
Even he, looking back at his twelve-year-old self... was probably still striving to break through to the Soul Master realm, right?

"teacher……"

Lin Xia was somewhat dazed by Lou Gao's violent reaction, and forgot to wipe the tears on her face.

He felt the teacher's hand gripping his shoulder trembling slightly; the force was so great that if he hadn't been equally strong, his bones would probably have been crushed.

He understood why his teacher was so shocked; it was indeed too shocking.

"Yes...yes, teacher, I am now a level 59 peak Soul King."

Lin Xia took a deep breath to calm her excitement at the reunion, trying to make her voice sound calm, but the confidence and strength within it could not be concealed.

"Level 5...59?!"

Lou Gao gasped for breath, feeling his heart skip a beat, as if it were skipping a beat, despite being a newly ascended deity. He scrutinized Lin Xia from head to toe, as if examining a rare treasure, his gaze burning so intensely it seemed to set Lin Xia ablaze.

"How is this possible?! How is this possible?! Even if you have that special 'Gluttonous Stomach' that can devour mineral essence, even if you have unparalleled talent, but... but this speed..."

The sound from the high-rise building still filled with disbelief.

"How much ore did you consume? No, that's not right! No matter how much ore you consume, it's impossible to create a twelve-year-old peak Soul King in five years! This violates the laws of nature regarding the growth of soul power! There must be another reason!"

Lou Gao was, after all, a being who had stepped into the divine level. After a brief moment of shock, his divine sense scanned Lin Xia's body even more carefully, like a tidal wave.

This time, he not only sensed the incredibly powerful Soul King-level Soul Power, but also keenly detected several extremely special auras contained within Lin Xia's Soul Power.

A vast, profound power, seemingly encompassing the very essence of the universe and stars, solidified Lin Xia's foundation like a cornerstone—it was the power of the Star Core Tear. Lou Gao recognized it, but felt that Lin Xia's integration and application of it far surpassed the level he had reached when he left five years ago.

A blazing, sacred flame, imbued with the meaning of rebirth and creation, though faint, was incomparably pure, subtly resonating with his own Phoenix Divine Fire—undoubtedly the wisp of Phoenix Divine Fire origin left to Lin Xia by the Phoenix God back then, which Lin Xia had now nurtured and strengthened considerably.

And then there's... a faint, extremely subtle scent, yet seemingly containing a scent that the Phoenix Divine Power loathes, subtly integrated into Lin Xia's soul power flow and every inch of his body... This is the power of the Dragon Clan!?
Lou Gao's brows furrowed more and more tightly, and the shock in his eyes not only did not diminish, but intensified.

It seems that his disciple has far more secrets than he imagined!
Any one of these powers could have created a genius, yet they were perfectly fused together within a twelve-year-old boy, propelling him to the peak of the Soul King realm!
This can't be explained simply by "eating mines"! What incredible luck, willpower, and control would that require?!

"teacher."

Looking at Lou Gao's unpredictable and almost stunned expression, Lin Xia knew he needed to give his teacher an "explanation." He revealed a slightly helpless yet proud smile.

"A lot has happened in these five years. The fusion of the Star Core Tear went smoothly, and I have been nurturing the divine fire left behind by the Phoenix God."

"I also found the legendary Dragon Tomb and received some gifts, as well as a mine from the Empire... It really helped a lot, but more importantly... well, in the Star Luo Treasure Vault and in my later explorations, I obtained some other... opportunities."

"I'll report the specifics to you when we get back. In short, my soul power has increased rather quickly, but my foundation... should be solid."

"Solid?! More than solid!" Lou Gao finally regained some of his senses from the extreme shock. He suddenly pulled Lin Xia closer again, tightening his arms around her. This time it was no longer a gentle embrace, but one filled with an almost frantic excitement and ecstasy!

"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!!"

The same three "good"s, when uttered now, carry a completely different meaning than before!

Just now it was a declaration of his own return, but now it is the ultimate joy and pride in his disciple's heaven-defying achievements!

"A twelve-year-old peak Soul King! Hahaha! My disciple! The future pillar of the Blacksmith Association! Excellent! It couldn't be better!!"

Lou Gao's laughter was like thunder, making the entire crater buzz. The golden flames of Nirvana around him surged again with his emotions, illuminating half the sky with brilliance.

He released Lin Xia, patted her shoulders hard with both hands, and his eyes were frighteningly intense.

"Solid foundation? More than solid! I can feel that your soul power is as refined as divine iron forged through a thousand hammers! It's more than a hundred times stronger than mine back then! Good lad! You've really given your master a huge surprise! No! A huge shock! Hahaha!"

Lou Gao's ecstatic joy erupted like a volcanic eruption, completely dispelling the slight sadness of their reunion.

He felt that the worries and longing that had been building up in his chest for five years had all turned into unparalleled pride and joy!

With such a disciple, what more could one ask for?!

He turned his head and glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who had been quietly waiting on the distant mountain rocks and whose eyes were now filled with shock and heartfelt joy, and laughed loudly.

"Little girl! Do you see this? This is my good disciple! A twelve-year-old Soul King! Hahaha!"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded vigorously, a bright smile blooming on her usually cool face, her gaze towards Lin Xia filled with undisguised admiration and pride.

She had witnessed Lin Xia's inhuman efforts and incredible breakthroughs over the past five years. Seeing even the now-godlike Master Lou Gao so shocked and disoriented, her pride was beyond measure.

Lou Gao withdrew his gaze, patted Lin Xia's shoulder heavily again, his face beaming with pride and high spirits.

"Let's go! Xia! Take your master back! Back to Gengjin City! I want to see what earth-shattering changes you've brought to our Blacksmith Association in these five years, besides turning yourself into a little monster!"

"Hahaha! A twelve-year-old Soul King... This divine test of mine was worth it! Absolutely worth it!"

He grabbed Lin Xia's wrist, his crimson-gold eyes burning with an expectation even more intense than the flames of Nirvana.

If the apprentice is already so monstrous, then what level must the epoch-making creation they jointly conceived—the "mecha"—have reached?

"teacher!"

Lin Xia smiled gently and took the girl beside her a step forward.

"This is Zhu Zhuqing, the second young lady of the Xingluo Zhu family. She has been living with me in Gengjin City for five years now, and is one of my most trusted people." (End of Chapter)