Lin Xia smiled as he soothed Larvitar, then took out several high-quality chunks of Purple Lighting Iron from his ring—the ones with the most active, flowing lightning and placed them on the ground.
Larvitar immediately pounced forward. Although it was already stuffed, it still hugged the largest piece tightly, opened its small mouth, revealed teeth even harder than refined steel, and bit down fiercely!
Crack!
A crisp shattering sound rang out.
Zzz—!
Even more purple lightning burst forth from the shattered ore, like tiny spiritual serpents, continuously drilling into Larvitar's body, racing across its surface, flashing, then vanishing…
Yet amid the joy, Lin Xia did not forget Lou Gao standing beside him.
Lou Gao's gaze—filled with amazement, satisfaction, and even a trace of indulgence—remained fixed on Larvitar. This unreserved trust and support made a warm current surge through Lin Xia's heart.
Lin Xia knew very well how irresistible a rare lightning-attribute ore like Purple Lighting Iron was to a divine craftsman who had devoted his entire life to minerals and forging.
Monopolizing was never the way of a disciple.
With that thought, Lin Xia's mind moved.
The dark silver spatial ring on his left ring finger—gifted by Lou Gao—flashed with light. Accompanied by a soft clatter, a small pile of Purple Lighting Iron ore, shimmering with magnificent violet light and wrapped in threads of electricity, appeared in the empty space by Lou Gao's feet.
These ores were not the largest in size, but their color was deep and rich, and the lightning-attribute energy within them was exceptionally active—clearly top-grade pieces Lin Xia had carefully selected.
"Teacher."
Lin Xia raised his head and looked at the slightly stunned Lou Gao, a sincere smile on his face.
"Please take these. I've stored plenty in my ring—more than enough for me and Larvitar to chew on for a long time. We won't miss this bit. You can keep them for forging research, or give them to those in the Association who need them."
Lou Gao looked at the small pile of priceless Purple Lighting Iron on the ground, then at Lin Xia's clear and open expression. An indescribable warmth and emotion surged up in his heart.
This kid… sharp-minded, grateful, and—most importantly—free of greed, knowing how to share.
To maintain such clarity and integrity in the face of immense wealth was something that pleased him as a master even more than talent itself.
Lou Gao raised his thick brows, the wrinkles on his face easing. He did not refuse, merely lifting his large hand and firmly patting Lin Xia on the shoulder, the strength behind it still steady and solid.
"Good lad! At least you've got a conscience—remembering your master's craft. I truly do treasure this Purple Lighting Iron. With it, I might just be able to hammer out a few truly fine pieces!"
Lou Gao squatted down and swiftly stored the Purple Lighting Iron into his own storage Soul-tool. His rough fingers brushed across the crackling arcs of lightning on the ore's surface, his eyes blazing with a divine craftsman's passion for top-tier materials.
Seeing Lou Gao accept the share, Lin Xia smiled and asked,
"Teacher, where's the portion of resources you mentioned earlier? This Purple Lighting Iron shouldn't be part of what you were referring to, right?"
Hearing this, Lou Gao stood up, brushed the dust from his hands, and cast his gaze deeper into the abandoned mine—toward the final rock wall the miners had excavated before the collapse sealed it off.
The relaxed look on Lou Gao's face faded slightly, replaced by a complex hint of recollection.
"The resources I mentioned earlier…"
As he spoke, Lou Gao took a few steps forward and stopped before the seemingly ordinary rock wall, its surface marked by time and layers of dust.
He took a deep breath. Soul power stirred faintly around him as he let out a low shout.
"Sacred Molding Pen!"
In an instant, dense and heavy earth-yellow light gathered and extended in his hand, transforming in the blink of an eye into a massive Pen Soul Weapon—ancient in shape, seemingly forged from refined gold, and radiating an indestructible sharpness!
The Pen's body was simple and archaic, its tip gleaming with a chilling edge. It was Lou Gao's tool-type Soul—Sacred Molding Pen!"
"Ha!"
Lou Gao sank his stance, gripping the thick handle with both hands as powerful Soul power surged into the Soul like a raging river.
No flashy movement—he simply pressed the pen tip firmly against a solid-looking seam in the rock wall and thrust forward with full force!
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the mine, shaking loose dust from above.
The rock wall struck by the Sacred Molding Pen shattered like a cracked eggshell, instantly opening an irregular hole nearly a meter wide!
Broken stone and dust billowed outward, revealing what lay hidden beyond.
Lin Xia immediately stepped forward, peering inside by the flickering torchlight.
What lay beyond was not a deep tunnel, but a relatively small, pouch-like chamber.
Inside, it was filled with dark red ore, reflecting the dull metallic sheen unique to minerals under the firelight.
"Red Copper Ore?"
Lin Xia recognized it at a glance. It was exactly what he had just read about that morning in The Continental Basic Mineral Compendium.
Red Copper was a medium-grade, relatively common metal ore. It possessed good ductility and excellent Soul-conductivity, making it a frequently used material for forging the outer shells of ordinary Soul tools and various everyday metal tools.
As for its value… it was indeed nowhere near comparable to the Purple Lighting Iron they had just discovered.
"That's right—Red Copper Ore."
Lou Gao retracted his Sacred Molding Pen and looked at the pile of ore inside the chamber, his tone carrying a trace of regret mixed with resignation.
"Back during the final survey, what we found was the tail end of this small Red Copper vein. The reserves weren't large, and the purity was average. Originally, I thought mining it out could at least replenish part of the Association's stock… but before we had the chance to act, the accident happened."
Lou Gao did not continue. He merely shook his head, then turned to Lin Xia. A broad, easygoing smile returned to his face as he pointed toward the Red Copper inside the chamber.
"There—this is the resource I mentioned earlier. Not very valuable. Tasteless to take, but a pity to throw away. Still…"
He deliberately dragged out the last word, casting a teasing glance at Larvitar, who was hugging a chunk of Purple Lighting Iron and still looked a little dazed from the earlier explosion.
"For your little glutton here, it's still ore. Even if the energy's ordinary, it's better than plain rocks."
"Take it back and let it serve as an after-meal dessert. Good for grinding its teeth and filling its belly a bit. Better than chewing on cave walls, right? Hahaha!"
"Larvitar?"
Larvitar seemed to understand the word "dessert." Even though it was still clutching its Purple Lighting Iron, it curiously poked its small head forward, ruby-red eyes peering into the chamber filled with dark red ore.
It sniffed lightly with its tiny nose, then… a very obvious look of disdain appeared on its face.
Mm… the smell's so faint… the energy's weak too… nothing like this fragrant, tingly purple stone in my paws…
Being very honest, the little fellow pulled its head back again and refocused on its Purple Lighting Iron "feast," its short tail flicking perfunctorily as if to say—
This kind of "snack"? This great one isn't very interested!
Watching Larvitar's "spoiled by luxury" expression, Lin Xia couldn't help but laugh. Still, just as his teacher had said, even a mosquito's leg was meat.
No matter how ordinary its energy was, Red Copper Ore was still a resource. For Larvitar—who required massive quantities of minerals to grow—small amounts would eventually add up.
"Teacher's right. Larvitar—time to get to work!"
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