Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

He said these words to Lin Xia five years ago, and now he has even more confidence to look down on everything!

If my disciple likes it, then I'll protect him!

Who dares to rob us? Who dares to cause trouble?
First, ask him if the Phoenix Divine Fire on the high-rise building agrees!
Ask his disciple, that twelve-year-old Soul King, and the steel torrent represented by the future mecha, if he agrees!
Thinking of the place, Lou Gao felt a sudden sense of clarity, and all his doubts and worries turned into boundless pride.

His face, hardened and majestic by the divine fire, suddenly blossomed into an extremely radiant, extremely satisfied, and even smug smile that seemed to say, "My disciple truly has the demeanor of his father."

That smile was like the blazing sun breaking through the dark clouds, instantly dispelling all the heaviness and oppression brought about by the revelation of his identity.

"Hahaha! Good! Good lad!"

Lou Gao's booming laughter rang out again, even more joyful and unrestrained than before, making the surrounding volcanic rocks seem to resonate.

He strode forward, and this time, his huge, fan-like hand didn't pat Lin Xia, but rather, with an air of appreciation akin to that of a "fellow traveler," he slapped Lin Xia's other shoulder hard, causing her to stumble, but making her laugh even more heartily.

Lou Gao's gaze passed over Lin Xia and landed on Zhu Zhuqing again.

This time, those eyes, like a sea of ​​lava, no longer held scrutiny and authority, but were filled with the appreciation and recognition of an elder looking at an outstanding junior, and even a hint of... "You have a good eye, kid."

"You have good taste!"

Lou Zhong praised with great eloquence, every word resounding with conviction.

"Netherworld Cat, an eleven-year-old level thirty-three Soul Master! Girl, your talent is top-notch across the entire continent! Good! Very good! You are worthy of being my disciple!"

He deliberately used the word "worthy of," the implied meaning and approval of which are self-evident.

Zhu Zhuqing was completely stunned.

The anticipated outrage, questioning, and even expulsion... did not occur.

The old man, who was as majestic and terrifying as a god, actually... actually laughed and praised her after hearing her identity and martial spirit?
They even said she... was good enough for Brother Lin Xia?

A huge, indescribable warm current suddenly broke through the last dam in her heart called "panic".

Tears welled up in her eyes without warning, and she hurriedly lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see, but her slightly trembling shoulders and reddened ear tips betrayed her turbulent heart.

Lin Xia sensed the change in Zhu Zhuqing's emotions, and a huge weight was finally lifted from her heart.

He looked up at the building, and the master and apprentice's eyes met, everything understood without words.

Lin Xia's eyes were filled with gratitude, and a tacit understanding that "the teacher understands me".

Lou Gao's eyes held the bold promise of "Go for it, I'll take care of it if the sky falls."

"Hahaha! Let's go!"

Lou Gao waved his hand, and most of the Nirvana Golden Flame around him subsided, leaving only a warm halo enveloping the three of them.

"Back to Gengjin City! I want to see what kind of mess you two little monsters have made of this place in the past five years! And by the way..."

He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, his smile growing even brighter.

"Get to know our own people in this association better!"

He emphasized the words "one of our own," as if branding Zhu Zhuqing as a formal mark, officially placing her under his protection. "Teacher, do you want to see how badly the house has been turned upside down?"

Lin Xia's voice came through the lingering heat of the mecha creation workshop, carrying a metallic clang.

"Just looking isn't enough; you have to experience it for yourself!"

Before he finished speaking, the storage soul tool on Lin Xia's wrist suddenly burst out with a dazzling, dark blue light!

Om-! ! !
The space fluctuated violently, and an aura as solid as a mountain, yet containing explosive pressure, instantly filled the entire edge of the crater.

The scorching smell of sulfur seemed to be pushed away by an invisible barrier, replaced by a mixture of cold metallic scent and surging stellar power.

Amidst the stunned, almost frozen gazes of those atop the building, a colossal object appeared out of thin air and crashed onto the black volcanic rock!

Boom!

The earth trembled violently, and rubble flew everywhere!
It was a steel giant that was over fifteen meters tall!
Its entire body was covered in blood-red armor, like solidified magma, reflecting a cold, hard luster in the dim light of the day.

Deep, azure light flowed through the gaps in the armor, like starlight surging through blood vessels, emitting a low and continuous "humming" energy resonance, like the heartbeat of a sleeping behemoth.

The streamlined torso exudes power, the robust alloy limbs are perfectly proportioned, and the joints are covered with layers of composite armor, clearly designed with precise calculations to balance defense and flexibility.

The enormous metal feet were deeply embedded in the rock, as stable as if they were rooted to the mountains.

What's most unsettling is its head.

No longer a simple observation window, but a menacing and majestic metal helmet-shaped structure. The eyes are replaced by two huge light screens made of pure starlight energy, which now resemble burning blue flames, coldly "staring" ahead!

An aura, a mixture of the vastness of the stars, the steely will, and the precise pressure of the soul tool, crashed against the senses of the person high up on the building like an invisible tide.

This aura even made this newly ascended quasi-god feel a sense of threat originating from the essence of power!

"This...this is...?!"

Lou Gao's crimson-gold pupils contracted sharply, and the burning divine fire seemed to freeze for a moment.

He recognized the core aura—the Tear of the Star Core!
But the completeness and imposing presence of this steel construct far surpassed his previous ideas, which remained only on blueprints and skeletons! It was no longer a cold machine, but a war behemoth with a lifelike majesty!
In the instant that the building's height shook violently, Lin Xia's figure had already transformed into a blurry gray shadow, lightly tapping an inconspicuous square platform on the mecha's chest armor.

As soul power was injected into the identification array, a soft hissing sound rang out, and the heavy alloy hatch spun open like a flower petal, revealing a sophisticated cockpit filled with a deep blue light.

Lin Xia's figure disappeared into the cabin in an instant, and the hatch closed silently.

Buzz—! ! ! !

The next instant, the blue flames in the mech's eyes suddenly surged! Like a giant beast that had been dormant for ten thousand years, it was fully awakened!

An energy surge far more violent than before erupted from the mech's core, and starlight burst forth from the gaps in the crimson armor, illuminating the surroundings like a battlefield in the stars!
Lin Xia's voice, amplified by the external speakers of the mecha, resonated through the mountaintop with the resonance of metal and an air of absolute confidence.

"Teacher, didn't you want to see? Now's the perfect time! Let you experience firsthand just how strong the Blacksmith Association's future 'confidence' and combat capabilities really are! Use your Phoenix Diamond Chisel to test its quality!"

Seeing the steel beast before him instantly transform from a silent creature into a predatory beast, and feeling the overwhelming energy pressure that even stirred the divine fire within him, Lou Gao's shock was quickly replaced by an indescribable ecstasy and boiling fighting spirit!

"Excellent! Excellent! Well done, Lin Xia! Excellent, 'Crimson Sky' mecha!" (End of Chapter)