A faint gasp escaped uncontrollably from Lin Xia's throat.
He was genuinely stunned.
Before him was not the vulgar sight of mountains of gold and silver he had imagined, but a vast "Hall of Stars" bathed in gentle starlight.
The ceiling soared so high that it seemed endless. Rather than being a solid structure, it was formed from countless tiny self-luminous starstones that simulated a real galaxy. The stars slowly flowed and revolved overhead, casting cool and pure starlight throughout the hall.
The floor was made of polished dark Star Pattern Steel, smooth as a mirror. It reflected the celestial map above, making the entire space seem suspended within the universe itself.
Yet beneath this "starry sky" was not emptiness.
Rows upon rows of display stands, crystal cabinets, and metal shelves crafted from various materials were arranged in orderly fashion like stars upon a chessboard. Each carried powerful fluctuations of soul power despite their ancient appearances.
To the left was an area overflowing with wealth so dazzling it seemed almost tangible.
Mountains of premium soul coins gleamed with alluring golden-red radiance.
Crowns, necklaces, and scepters of every imaginable design, each adorned with enormous gemstones, refracted rainbow-colored brilliance beneath the starlight.
Entire flawless blocks of white jade had been carved into exquisite works of art.
There were also countless ornaments forged from Mithril and Refined Gold, each possessing immense value and extraordinary craftsmanship.
The air itself carried an indescribable scent—a luxurious mixture of precious metals, gemstones, rare woods, and top-grade fragrances.
Anyone entering for the first time would find themselves breathless and dazzled.
The area to the right radiated a completely different atmosphere, one of power.
Ancient scrolls and jade slips rested within specially crafted crystal barriers, faintly emitting ancient and powerful soul power fluctuations. Clearly, they contained records of high-level soul skills, cultivation methods, and secret inheritances.
Beside them stood soul tools of all kinds.
Some were delicate offensive bracelets covered in intricate runes.
Others were thick, heavy arm-shields that exuded an aura of absolute defense.
There were staffs embedded with massive crystals that were obviously powerful long-range weapons.
There were even several miniature humanoid soul tools standing quietly in a corner, their streamlined forms covered in plates of unknown metal, like sleeping guardians awaiting awakening.
The air here carried traces of soul power along with the cold scent unique to paper and metal.
Directly ahead lay the section devoted to rare medicinal herbs and heavenly treasures.
Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow emitted strands of freezing air, frosting the surrounding space.
Blazing Flame Lingzhi glowed like living fire, radiating crimson light.
Countless unknown flowers and exotic plants flourished within specially designed ecological soul-tool containers, releasing fragrances both rich and subtle.
Several emerald-green ores overflowing with life energy had also been carefully preserved.
The energy here was the most complex of all, life, fire, frost, poison, and more interwove together, forming a unique spiritual field.
Yet Lin Xia's gaze lingered on these treasures, enough to drive countless Soul Masters mad for less than three breaths.
The shock in his eyes was rapidly replaced by something else.
A near-greedy gleam.
The burning gaze of a hunter who had discovered the ultimate prey.
His eyes pierced through the glittering wealth and soul power fluctuations like precise probes and locked onto the deepest section of the vault, where the light was dimmer and the atmosphere heavier than anywhere else.
The Ore Storage Area.
There were no luxurious display cases there.
Only massive shelves carved entirely from obsidian.
Upon them rested ores of every size and shape, each radiating either brilliant, restrained, violent, or mysterious energy fluctuations.
Like fragments of primordial stars, they lay silently in place, telling stories of the secrets and power hidden deep within the earth.
Ores!
This was Lin Xia's true objective.
The ultimate goal of his entire journey.
"Larvitar!"
Lin Xia's voice trembled slightly with barely restrained excitement as he called out in a low tone.
"Larvitar!"
Larvitar, which had been obediently crouching beside him and was equally overwhelmed by the treasures around them, instantly sensed the stirring deep within its bloodline.
Its crimson eyes erupted with unprecedented brilliance.
Its tiny nose sniffed desperately at the countless mineral scents filling the air.
Drool was practically about to spill from its mouth.
With a leap, it jumped in front of Lin Xia, pointing frantically toward the ore section while shouting excitedly.
"Larvitar! Larvitar!"
As if saying:
"Master! Quick! Over there! It's all premium ore!"
Lin Xia no longer hesitated.
His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Together with Larvitar, he charged directly toward the ore section.
That speed was hardly the speed of someone selecting materials.
It was the speed of a starving tiger pouncing on prey.
The two guards who had entered the vault behind him and were responsible for accompanying him throughout the visit had likewise been astonished by the vault's contents upon entering.
However, their professional discipline quickly brought them back to their senses.
They remained vigilant.
Yet when they followed Lin Xia's movements and saw him completely ignore the priceless treasures, soul tools, and heavenly treasures, rushing instead toward a pile of "rocks" like a man possessed, cracks finally appeared in their normally expressionless faces.
Confusion.
Bewilderment.
Perhaps even the look one would give a fool.
And when they saw Lin Xia reach the ore shelves and immediately enter full-scale stocking-up mode, without even pretending to admire or evaluate the ores, their hearts twitched involuntarily.
Lin Xia moved with astonishing speed.
Yet his actions followed a strange rhythm.
He didn't need to inspect anything carefully.
His powerful spiritual power, combined with Lou Gao's inherited knowledge and Larvitar's instinctive resonance with top-grade ores, allowed him to identify valuable materials instantly.
"Star Pattern Mithril Ore! A piece this large? The purity is incredible! Taking it!"
With a wave of his hand, a head-sized ore covered in natural silver star patterns and emitting flexible spatial fluctuations disappeared into his storage soul tool.
"Void Sinking Gold! Finally found you! And there's plenty of it!"
A fist-sized chunk of black metal that seemed to absorb light itself vanished into storage.
Despite its appearance, it weighed almost nothing.
"Flowing Flame Stardust Sand! As expected of the imperial treasury, they actually have this much!"
He swept past several crystal containers filled with crimson-gold sand resembling flowing magma, each grain containing flickering points of starlight.
Without hesitation, he collected every last bit.
"Star Essence Gold? Basic material? You can never have too much. Taking all of it!"
Entire shelves of pale-gold metal ingots radiating stellar light were emptied in batches.
"Hm? Is this Star Marrow Frost Iron? A top-tier conductive metal with extreme ice attributes? What a pleasant surprise!"
A glowing blue ore radiating bone-piercing coldness was immediately selected.
"And this! Earth's Core Flame Crystal! A dual fire-and-earth attribute treasure! Perfect as a snack for Larvitar!"
He casually tossed a crimson crystal ore, glowing with molten energy and immense heat, toward Larvitar.
"Larvitar!"
Larvitar leaped excitedly into the air.
Its tiny mouth caught the crystal, which was larger than its own head with perfect accuracy.
Without even looking at it, it began chewing.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound made one's teeth ache.
The incomparably hard, blazing-hot crystal shattered in its mouth like a crispy biscuit.
After only a few bites, the entire Flame Crystal Core disappeared.
Larvitar let out a satisfied fiery burp.
Its round belly seemed even fuller than before.
The dark-red molten armor covering its body grew slightly brighter, radiating faint warmth.
And that wasn't the end of it.
"Oh? Meteor Star Iron Essence? Better density and energy conductivity than Meteoric Star Iron! Taking it!"
"Deep-Sea Mother Silver? Top-tier water attribute material. Better safe than sorry!"
"Mystic Gold? The perfect foundation for engraving soul-tool formations! Excellent!"
Lin Xia moved through the ore section like the most efficient shopping machine imaginable or perhaps like the greediest dragon in existence.
The light of his storage soul tool flashed continuously.
Top-grade ores and rare metals that would cause even Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo to fight fiercely in the outside world disappeared one after another.
He wasn't selecting materials.
He was conducting a highly efficient and carefully targeted operation of resource acquisition.
Larvitar was even busier.
Lin Xia deliberately picked out certain enormous ores with unusual energy attributes or relatively high impurity levels—though even the treasury's "lower-grade" materials would be priceless elsewhere, and tossed them to Larvitar.
The little Pokémon accepted everything.
Opening its mouth wide like a bottomless abyss.
Crunch! Crunch! Gulp!
(The sound of devouring hard ore.)
Pfft!
(Occasionally spitting out a puff of impurities it could not absorb.)
"Lar~ Larvitar~"
(A happy and satisfied hum.)
Its little stomach functioned like a miraculous furnace. No matter what elemental property an ore possessed, it was efficiently broken down, absorbed, and transformed into nourishment for growth and strengthening.
The dark-gold dragon patterns and crimson-gold phoenix patterns on its armor occasionally flashed with faint light as it fed, while its aura steadily and continuously grew stronger.
Meanwhile, the two guards standing nearby had progressed far beyond mere shock.
They were completely petrified.
Their eyes were as wide as saucers, their mouths hanging slightly open, jaws nearly dropping onto their breastplates.
Their steadfast faces were filled with giant question marks:
Who am I?
Where am I?
What exactly am I looking at?
They had seen many people enter the treasury before.
Nobles captivated by priceless jewels and soul tools.
Soul Masters trembling with excitement before secret manuals and powerful soul skills.
Alchemists carefully examining heavenly treasures and rare herbs.
But someone like Master Lin?
Someone who treated the empire's supreme Star Vault Treasury like a local marketplace, bringing along a "pet" that actually ate ore—and enjoyed it immensely. while plundering the mineral section like a bandit descending from the mountains?
This was truly unprecedented.
Watching priceless ores, treasures they normally guarded with the utmost care, being swept into a storage soul tool like scrap metal or worse, chewed apart like candy by that strange little creature, made them feel as if their entire worldview was collapsing and reconstructing itself.
"What even is this?" Guard A muttered in a dry voice so faint that only his companion could hear.
His tone was filled with bewilderment and disbelief.
"Can things really be done this way?" Guard B's lips twitched as he watched Larvitar swallow another valuable chunk of Earth Vein Purple Gold in a single bite.
"Does His Majesty know that his treasury is being 'used' like this?"
The urge to complain was overwhelming.
Yet their discipline and absolute obedience to the Emperor suppressed every thought.
His Majesty had clearly stated.
Anything Lin Xia required for the restoration could be freely taken from the treasury.
And ore undoubtedly qualified as a material.
Although their hearts bled for the abused treasures, and although their understanding of reality had suffered unprecedented damage, the two guards remained motionless like loyal statues.
Only their gazes toward Lin Xia and Larvitar gradually changed from vigilance and scrutiny to deep awe, as if they were looking at monsters and a touch of numb resignation.
After an unknown amount of time, more than eighty percent of the high-grade rare ores in the storage area had been collected by Lin Xia.
Larvitar, meanwhile, patted its noticeably rounder belly and happily burped. This time, even the sparks emerging from its mouth carried traces of starlight.
Only then did Lin Xia finally stop his locust-swarm-style harvesting operation.
Looking at the mountain of top-grade materials inside his storage soul tool and sensing the significantly strengthened, more refined aura emanating from Larvitar, an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and security rose within him.
These resources would become the foundation upon which he would one day reshape destiny, build his mecha, and protect those important to him.
"Haa..."
Lin Xia let out a long breath.
A bright, heartfelt smile spread across his face, as though he had just completed the most important shopping trip of his life.
He patted Larvitar's head.
"Well done, partner! This was truly a massive harvest!"
"Larvitar~!"
Larvitar proudly rubbed its head against his palm.
After giving the now noticeably emptier ore section one final glance, Lin Xia briefly looked toward the nearby areas still overflowing with treasures and soul tools.
There was not the slightest hint of regret in his eyes.
Turning around, he nodded calmly toward the two guards, whose expressions suggested they had just undergone a profound spiritual awakening.
"Thank you for waiting. I have obtained all the materials I need. We can leave now."
The two guards struggled to maintain their professional composure and nodded stiffly.
One leading and one following behind, they escorted or perhaps escorted was not quite the right word, the two "Treasury Terminators" out of the Star Vault Treasury they had thoroughly plundered.
Behind them, the enormous doors slowly closed, once more sealing away that vast star-filled treasury and its countless treasures.
Star Crown Hall
The elderly eunuch appeared soundlessly and respectfully presented the guards' detailed report.
In an emotionless tone, he recounted everything that had occurred after Lin Xia entered the treasury.
How he had initially been stunned.
How he ignored the jewels, soul tools, secret manuals, and heavenly treasures.
How he headed straight for the ore storage area.
How he collected vast quantities of top-grade ores at astonishing speed.
And how his peculiar companion, Larvitar, casually treated some of those ores as snacks, crunching through them with great enthusiasm.
Seated upon the Star Throne, Dai Tianxing lightly tapped the armrest while listening.
When he heard that Lin Xia had shown virtually no interest in treasures worth fortunes while displaying near-fanatical greed toward ores alone, a trace of understanding and a faint, superior amusement, appeared in his star-filled eyes.
"Ores, is it?"
Dai Tianxing's deep, magnetic voice carried a hint of amusement.
"A practical fellow."
"Those things, aside from forging weapons and armor, are ultimately external objects on the path of a Soul Master's cultivation."
"His obsession with them is perfectly consistent with his background in the Blacksmith Association."
In Dai Tianxing's view, ores were far less valuable than secret manuals and heavenly treasures capable of directly increasing soul power or granting powerful soul skills.
They were even less valuable than formidable soul tools.
Although Lin Xia's choice of stones over pearls was somewhat excessive and admittedly strange, especially with that ore-eating soul beast, it merely reflected the limitations of a craftsman's perspective.
Ironically, this eased some of Dai Tianxing's concerns regarding Lin Xia's ambitions.
A person so obsessed with blacksmithing materials could hardly stir up any great storm.
At most, he wanted to secure benefits for himself and the Blacksmith Association.
As for Larvitar eating ore?
Dai Tianxing found it unusual, but the world was filled with strange creatures. Some soul beasts naturally possessed peculiar habits.
As long as it did not interfere with the restoration of the gemstone, he had no interest in investigating further.
"Let him be."
Dai Tianxing waved a dismissive hand.
"They are only ores. The treasury contains mountains of them."
"What he took is insignificant."
"So long as he successfully restores the Star Radiance Crown, such losses are meaningless."
What truly concerned him was something else.
"When he left the treasury, what was his state of mind? Did he mention anything regarding the restoration progress?"
His eyes sharpened.
That was the real issue.
The eunuch bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, Master Lin appeared extremely satisfied and delighted upon leaving. He seemed highly pleased with his gains."
"As for the restoration progress, he did not mention it directly. However, judging from his demeanor, he appeared very confident."
"Delighted? Satisfied? Confident?"
A meaningful smile appeared on Dai Tianxing's lips.
It seemed the treasury's valuable resources had perfectly matched the young man's tastes and greatly increased his motivation.
As long as the gemstone remained intact and the restoration proceeded smoothly, what did a few extra ores matter?
"Very well."
"Continue monitoring him."
"The moment there is any substantial progress regarding the restoration, report it immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Dai Tianxing closed his eyes.
His consciousness once more immersed itself in the vast calculations of the stars.
To him, the catastrophic "ore disaster" that had left the treasury guards questioning reality was a trivial matter unworthy of prolonged attention.
The movement of the stars.
The authority of the empire.
Those were the domains that truly occupied his mind.
Ores?
Merely stepping stones.
Meanwhile, Lin Xia, returning with a full harvest, walked through the evening glow of Star Luo City alongside a thoroughly satisfied Larvitar.
Within his storage soul tool lay enough wealth to drive every Soul Engineer on the continent into madness.
Within his heart burned a blazing determination to forge the future and shatter destiny itself.
A storm born from ore had only just begun gathering its first traces of power in his hands.
---
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