Chapter 15: Tempering the Five Senses
"Don't worry," the boy sneered, his eyes gleaming with mockery.
"My favorite thing in the world is putting arrogant geniuses in their place."
"Feng De — Rank 17, One-Ring Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: White-Legged Jumping Spider."
Lin Beiya didn't bother with a verbal retort. Words were meaningless.
With a thought, the Stone Statue appeared in his hand, and at the same time, his first soul ring lit up.
A golden pillar of light shot toward the sky, flooding the arena with dazzling brilliance. For the first time, everyone present—including Shi Nuo—witnessed such an unusual, almost divine, soul skill.
In front of their stunned eyes, a Golden Ram manifested behind Lin Beiya, its divine presence radiating a gentle yet overwhelming pressure.
"W-What the hell is that…?" Feng De's voice faltered.
Before he could finish his sentence, the Aries Gold Cloth enveloped Lin Beiya's body, transforming him into a figure of celestial majesty.
The sacred armor shimmered with golden light, each line and curve infused with star-like energy.
Lin Beiya had no intention of using Crystal Wall—that defensive skill was too passive for a duel like this. Instead, he pressed both palms to his waist, gathering countless specks of light between them.
"Starlight Extinction!"
Aries's signature technique was both flexible and deadly—it could focus its cosmo energy into a single devastating strike or scatter it into a field of radiant destruction.
Against a heavy, slow target, pinpoint attacks worked best. But against a nimble foe like Feng De, area bombardment was the wiser choice.
As Lin Beiya thrust his hands upward, a golden rain of starlight poured down from the heavens.
Feng De's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected this little "genius" to act so decisively—his opponent had immediately found a way to counter his dodging style.
Under his Spider Sense, Feng De's body blurred into motion, leaping and twisting through the air to evade the falling light.
Lin Beiya's eyes remained cold and sharp.
"Enhanced senses don't mean enhanced speed," he muttered.
"You might feel the danger—but that doesn't mean you can avoid it."
And indeed, reality quickly proved him right.
After just three seconds of frantic dodging, Feng De's shoulder was struck by a golden beam. A moment later, the rest of the starry barrage descended mercilessly.
"Aaaaaghhh—!"
His scream echoed through the arena.
When the last ray of light faded, Feng De lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious. His academy uniform was in tatters, his body covered in purple bruises and burn marks.
Lin Beiya had, of course, held back.
He'd precisely controlled the power of Starlight Extinction—just enough to make the lesson unforgettable, but not fatal.
A perfect balance between punishment and mercy.
"Hey," Lin Beiya called out casually.
Feng De's companions flinched as he turned his gaze toward them.
"W-What do you want? This… this wasn't our fault! He—he started it!" one stammered.
"Take him to the infirmary," Lin Beiya said blandly, scratching his ear. "He's too noisy."
Without waiting for a reply, he jumped off the stage and walked away, Shi Nuo trailing behind him, eyes wide with awe.
The spectators remained frozen in place, struggling to process what they'd just seen.
A first-year student had just flattened a senior—cleanly and effortlessly.
One by one, they swallowed hard and exchanged looks of disbelief before quietly carrying Feng De's limp body away.
"That was amazing, Beiya!" Shi Nuo exclaimed once they were outside.
"Not really," Lin Beiya replied modestly.
"You'll be that strong too, sooner or later."
"No way! That guy already had a soul ring and still got crushed! You're seriously incredible."
Lin Beiya scratched his cheek, a bit embarrassed by the praise. To steer the conversation elsewhere, he asked,
"By the way, did the academy say when they'll organize the next group soul-hunting trip?"
"Hmm… I think it's after the holidays," Shi Nuo said, recalling what he'd heard.
"The academy organizes two official soul hunts every year. Teachers lead students who've hit a bottleneck to hunt soul beasts.
Of course, if your family has a high-ranked Soul Master, you can go hunt independently."
Lin Beiya nodded. Academy-organized two hunts per year was perfectly reasonable—it ensured that no student would stay stuck at a bottleneck for too long. After all, many of the academy's students came from orphanages; not everyone had the luxury of family backing.
When they reached the dorms, Lin Beiya waved goodbye. He had already told Shi Nuo earlier that he wouldn't be living on campus. Shi Nuo, naturally, understood—after all, Lin Beiya was now affiliated with Douluo Hall, so it was only natural for him to stay there.
Just being able to attend the same academy as his brother-in-arms was already enough for Shi Nuo.
In truth, if Lin Beiya had wanted to, he could have easily applied to stay at the academy with Qian Daoliu's approval.
But honestly? Why would he want to stay in a dorm with only Shi Nuo, the "little chubby dumpling"… when he could spend his evenings with a soft, adorable little angel instead?
---
The days began to pass in a steady rhythm.
Lin Beiya's life settled into a simple, disciplined routine— attending the Junior Spirit Academy in the morning, eating lunch with Shi Nuo, and returning to Spirit Hall afterward to cultivate his soul power.
Because of his schedule, his meetings with Qian Renxue were fixed for the evenings.
By that time, the little angel would have finished her daily swordsmanship lessons and could spare some time to meet him.
That evening, as usual, they had arranged to meet at the garden pavilion.
Lin Beiya arrived late. When Qian Renxue finally spotted him from afar, her expression froze—he was stumbling forward, hands groping blindly, as though…
…as though he were blind.
Alarmed, Qian Renxue immediately ran toward him.
"Beiya! What happened? Are your eyes hurt?!"
Her voice trembled with worry. The warmth in her tone made Lin Beiya's heart feel strangely light. He waved a hand calmly.
"No, I'm fine. I'm training—trying to move normally even without using my sight."
"Huh?" Qian Renxue blinked, relief giving way to confusion.
"Why on earth are you pretending to be blind?!"
"You don't get it," Lin Beiya said, smiling faintly.
"The eyes can deceive, but the heart never lies. Only those who truly master their five senses can remain undefeated—no matter the situation."
Qian Renxue puffed her cheeks, unimpressed. It sounded deep and philosophical, sure—but could he please stop waving his hands around like a zombie while saying it?
At this rate, it was hard to believe he wasn't just spouting nonsense.
Lin Beiya finally managed to touch the stone pillar of the pavilion and smiled with satisfaction. So far, the training seemed effective—he could now walk here without crashing into anything.
When he removed the bandage covering his eyes, the sight that greeted him was Qian Renxue's slightly pouting yet beautiful face. She looked both exasperated and adorable. Lin Beiya could only cough awkwardly—yes, maybe his earlier "wandering hands" had looked a bit sketchy. But hey, he was just getting started! Progress was progress.
"Enough staring," Qian Renxue said, crossing her arms.
"Hand over the Gold Cloth already! I still need to study those combat techniques!"
"Alright, alright, it's yours."
Lin Beiya passed her the Aries Gold Cloth.
Qian Renxue's eyes sparkled as she donned the shining armor. Without hesitation, she began practicing Crystal Wall, utterly fascinated by the move that had once easily defeated her.
Meanwhile, Lin Beiya sat cross-legged in the pavilion, entering a meditative state.
He focused solely on his hearing, shutting his eyes to let the world's sounds flow in.
The soft rustle of flowers, the faint hum of insects, the rhythm of Qian Renxue's breathing— one by one, he separated and recognized them all.
His goal was clear: to be able to discern every living being within the garden using only his ears.
Only by honing the five senses to their absolute limits could he hope to awaken the Cosmo within. He knew this better than anyone.
---
The two of them, training side by side, painted an unexpectedly harmonious picture—one of golden light and quiet focus beneath the evening sky.
Not far away, Qian Daoliu stood silently, watching.
For a long time, he had worried about his granddaughter's loneliness. She had no friends her age, only teachers and tutors.
But now, with Lin Beiya around, that problem has been solved.
At first, Qian Daoliu worried that the boy might distract her from cultivation. But as days went by, he realized something surprising—
Spending time with Lin Beiya hadn't slowed her progress at all. If anything, the two children had developed a healthy sense of rivalry that pushed them both forward.
Smiling faintly, Qian Daoliu nodded in satisfaction.
As for Lin Beiya's so-called "five senses training," he didn't quite understand what it was for—but he chose not to interfere.
After all, perhaps it was a path uniquely guided by that mysterious martial soul of his.
—
End of Chapter