Lin Xia's gaze locked firmly onto Larvitar's round little belly, which had just accomplished a "miracle," as though he wanted to see through the dark-red magma-like armor and uncover the cosmic laws operating within.
"When did you awaken such a heaven-defying ability? You can eat a mineral, then not only perfectly replicate its appearance, but also simulate its energy properties and origin characteristics while distributing them however you want?!"
Lin Xia's voice suddenly rose, filled with excitement and disbelief.
"This is simply turning stone into gold! No! Turning ore into a 'divine ore'! This is a power that only a creator should possess!"
Embarrassed by Lin Xia's burning gaze and excited tone, Larvitar scratched its head with a little claw and let out a few "Larvitar, Larvitar" cries, seemingly saying:
"I don't know either. I just kept eating and suddenly could do it? Maybe after eating that divine dragon bone and dragon blood, and then chewing through so much Phantom Star Glass, it just evolved into this ability?"
Lin Xia took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the emotions that were on the verge of boiling over. His eyes returned to the tray.
On the left was the genuine Tear of the Star Core, containing vast energy and boundless stellar origin power.
On the right was Larvitar's high-quality replica, perfectly reproducing the appearance and aura, though possessing only half the original's energy strength.
An idea, bold to the point of madness instantly took shape in Lin Xia's mind with crystal clarity!
Carefully picking up the replica gemstone, he felt the pure stellar power flowing within it. A smile appeared on his face, a mixture of extreme excitement and lingering fear. The smile grew wider and wider until it nearly reached his ears.
"Half the energy is enough! More than enough!"
He muttered to himself, his eyes shining with a mixture of intelligence and elation.
"Dai Tianxing only needs a gemstone that perfectly matches the crown. He won't and wouldn't dare fully activate the gemstone's origin power to test its limits. He'll only verify its existence, its aura, and its basic ability to communicate with the stars!"
"And this 'Larvitar Special Edition' perfectly satisfies every surface-level requirement! As for only having half the energy?"
A crafty smile curled across Lin Xia's lips.
"Perfect! This is practically a gift from the heavens!"
Lin Xia clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the force as he spoke with barely restrained excitement:
"During the repair process, an unknown energy corrosion caused slight damage to the gemstone's origin, resulting in a decrease in energy level, completely reasonable! Even if he later notices that it contains less energy than before, he'll simply blame it on the previous accident and my repair methods!"
"Who would ever suspect that I replaced the real gemstone long ago?"
Lin Xia looked at Larvitar again.
This time, his gaze was filled with unprecedented warmth and admiration?
"You ate it well! You ate it wonderfully!"
Unable to restrain himself, he vigorously rubbed Larvitar's little head, his movements filled with the joy of surviving a catastrophe and the excitement of discovering an invaluable treasure.
"Your stomach is more miraculous than any divine artifact! From now on, our entire 'materials warehouse' is going to depend on you!"
Larvitar narrowed its eyes comfortably and let out a satisfied "Larvitar," while its little tail swayed proudly from side to side.
Lin Xia carefully stored the genuine Tear of the Star Core deep within his storage soul tool.
After all, this was the future power source for his mecha!
It was also one of the foundations upon which he would establish himself on this continent!
After putting it away, Lin Xia turned his attention back to the Star Radiance Crown.
The Star Radiance Crown rested quietly upon a tray lined with deep-blue velvet. Under the soft yet precisely focused light of the soul-guiding lamps, it emitted a restrained but majestic radiance.
Lin Xia's fingers brushed across the cold metallic edge of the crown, sensing the subtle yet harmonious fluctuations of the soul-guiding array within, now reactivated and functioning stably once more.
The inheritance of Lou Gao's vast, ocean-like memories made repairing damage of this level as natural as breathing.
One hour.
In merely one hour, this national treasure that symbolized the supreme authority of the Star Luo Empire had been restored to its former glory in his hands.
Yet Lin Xia felt little sense of accomplishment.
Instead, a cold calculation lingered in his heart.
He gently closed the storage soul tool containing the genuine Tear of the Star Core, and his gaze settled upon the flawless counterfeit crown resting on the tray.
"Too fast..."
Lin Xia muttered softly to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping against the hard tabletop.
"Repairing a 'national treasure' that was supposed to take months or even longer in just one hour?"
"If news of this gets out, it will definitely arouse suspicion."
More importantly, once the repair was completed and the mission fulfilled, what reason would Lin Xia have to remain at the resource-rich heart of the Star Luo Empire?
And what leverage would he still possess to secure greater benefits for the Blacksmith Association, for himself, and even for Zhu Zhuqing?
"Lining my own pockets?"
A faintly amused smile appeared at the corner of Lin Xia's mouth, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
"No. This is strategic resource accumulation. If I want to carry forward Teacher Lou Gao's legacy and help the Association break free from being viewed as nothing more than a group of blacksmiths, we'll need enormous quantities of rare metals and precious ores. The Star Luo Empire's treasury is overflowing with mithril, Star Pattern Steel, Sinking Gold, and countless other resources. Since they're just sitting there, they might as well be put to proper use."
His gaze swept across the various mineral samples scattered over the workbench.
These were merely "experimental materials" he had requested while researching a repair method. The quantity was small, but the quality was exceptionally high.
And this was only the tip of the iceberg.
"As for me…"
Lin Xia lowered his eyes to his slender palm, which concealed terrifying strength.
"The mecha project has only just begun. The Tear of the Star Core is the core power source, but I still need the finest materials to construct more mecha. The Star Luo Empire is undoubtedly the best supplier."
"And Zhuqing…"
Thinking of those eyes that had only just been ignited with determination, only to be forcibly confined within the cold Western Courtyard, Lin Xia's gaze deepened.
To break that cursed fate would require more than her own willpower and effort.
It would require immense resources, top-tier cultivation environments, information about Soul Beasts compatible with her Hell Civet Martial Soul, and perhaps, in the future, the power to stand against her entire clan and even the imperial family.
All of those things would have to be obtained from the colossal behemoth that was the Star Luo Empire.
Having made up his mind, Lin Xia carefully placed the repaired Star Radiance Crown, along with its tray, into a specially crafted metal case engraved with shielding and protective soul tool formations.
He did not leave the workshop immediately.
Instead, he organized his tools, erased every trace that might expose Larvitar's secret, and even placed several ordinary ores on the workbench to create the appearance that he was still struggling through difficult research.
Time passed little by little.
The fading light of dusk slanted through the high windows, casting long shadows across the table cluttered with tools and minerals.
By Lin Xia's estimate, another half hour passed before he finally heard steady, rhythmic footsteps outside the door.
The footsteps stopped.
A moment later, a gentle knock sounded.
"Xia, it's me."
Zhu Zhan's deep voice came from outside.
It carried less of its usual authority and severity.
Instead, there was even a trace of something difficult to detect, hesitation.
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