Chapter 16: Combat Training
A month quietly passed.
While tempering his five senses, Lin Beiya never neglected his soul power cultivation.
With the help of the Aries Gold Cloth's amplification at night, his soul power had already advanced smoothly to Rank 13.
At the same time, his Five Senses Training had shown remarkable results.
Now, he could walk throughout Douluo Hall with both eyes closed, never once tripping over a single pebble or bumping into a wall. He could even hear the faint buzzing of mosquitoes hundreds of meters away.
As for his sense of smell, he could easily catch the faint, unique fragrance that only his little angel carried, even from several hundred meters out.
Qian Renxue had found this especially fascinating. At first, she used to sneak up behind him now and then just to startle him for fun. But as his senses grew sharper, it became impossible.
No matter how quietly she approached, Lin Beiya would always notice her long before she reached him.
The bandages he once used to block his sight had long since been discarded.
Originally, they were to help him resist the reflex to open his eyes while practicing blind movement. Now, like Virgo Shaka, he could live his daily life with his eyes calmly closed.
And absolutely not because he thought it looked cool— purely for the sake of training his senses. Totally.
Hearing, smell, taste, and touch—he had made solid progress in all four. Ironically, his vision, the sense most people relied on, had improved the least. But that was to be expected after spending a month deliberately keeping his eyes shut.
Lin Beiya wasn't worried. Once the other four senses reached their peak, he could return to training his vision.
Physically, his body had also undergone great improvement. Even setting aside the Gold Cloth's enhancements, his physique was far beyond what it used to be.
After all, in the world of Saint Seiya, not a single Saint was physically weak. Throwing punches that broke the sound barrier—or even approached the speed of light—wasn't just for show.
He had tried nearly every form of training he remembered from his previous life: frog jumps, sprints, push-ups… Eventually, he selected methods best suited to his current age and stage of growth.
His training was rigorous, and as a result, his appetite had skyrocketed. Now, every time they ate together, his little angel would stare at him like he was a bottomless pit disguised as a person.
Lin Beiya, of course, felt no shame.
He could clearly feel his body growing stronger day by day— and whether it was to awaken the Cosmo or to endure higher-level soul rings in the future, a powerful physique was essential.
During this period, Qian Renxue—now at Rank 25, a Soul Grandmaster—had challenged Lin Beiya many times. Each time, she faced him in his Aries Gold Cloth, and each time… the outcome was the same.
No matter how she attacked, her power wasn't enough to break through the Crystal Wall's defense.
For someone as proud as Qian Renxue, that fact was infuriating. What frustrated her even more was that, even after all this time, she still couldn't use any of those techniques without the Gold Cloth.
---
"Beiya," she muttered gloomily, "am I just… stupid? It's been so long, and I can't even grasp the basics of Crystal Wall.
Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a Soul Master at all…"
Lin Beiya's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
If Qian Daoliu found out that his granddaughter's crisis of confidence came from him, he'd probably pull out that Angelic Holy Sword and chase him for forty-nine meters before he got to explain.
That could not happen. He needed to fix this—fast.
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"That's not right at all," Lin Beiya said quickly.
"Those techniques aren't something ordinary people can use. Even I, their so-called 'owner,' can't use them without the Gold Cloth. Does that mean I'm not fit to be a Soul Master either?"
"Eh…?"
Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked less miserable already. Seeing that, Lin Beiya pressed the advantage.
"Who knows—maybe those techniques just aren't meant to be used without the Cloth in the first place."
"Really? But I still can't beat you, even as a Soul Master!"
This little girl… ever since their first duel, she'd been holding a grudge. She'd poured herself into training, determined to defeat him. Lin Beiya wasn't sure if he should feel proud or troubled.
"I only managed to fight you evenly because of the Gold Cloth's special properties. That doesn't really count, does it?"
At that, Qian Renxue's frustration vanished—replaced by a mischievous grin.
"Oh? Then, how about this— Let's fight again. But this time, you're not allowed to use those techniques!"
Lin Beiya: "…"
'So that's what this was really about, huh?
You could've just said you wanted to hit me! Why go in circles?'
Without the techniques, what was he supposed to do—stand there and let her beat him?
Even so, Lin Beiya didn't intend to refuse her challenge. After all, simply training his senses behind closed doors would only get him so far—he needed real combat to put everything into practice.
"Alright," he said lightly, "I'll fight you without using any techniques. But let's make this clear first—stop when it's enough, and no hitting the face. Otherwise, you can forget about borrowing the Gold Cloth for a whole month."
"Eh!?"
Qian Renxue blinked, clearly caught off guard by how readily he agreed.
But when she heard the "no hitting the face" rule, her excitement instantly dropped by half.
Seeing the disappointment on her little angelic face, Lin Beiya's mouth twitched violently. Thank goodness he made that rule in advance—this girl really was planning to aim straight for his face!
"What, are you coming or not? If not, I'll just get back to training."
"Of course I'm coming! Why wouldn't I!?"
So what if she couldn't hit his face? Kicking his butt was still fair game! Thinking this, Qian Renxue quickly agreed, eyes gleaming with mischief.
The two of them faced off in the training ground once again. This was the first time Lin Beiya had worn the Aries Gold Cloth and fought without using his techniques since obtaining his soul ring. It was the perfect chance to test how much his month of training had truly paid off.
As the boy in golden armor calmly closed his eyes, Qian Renxue's expression instantly darkened.
So he was going to fight her blindfolded now? How much was he underestimating her!?
'Hmph! Let's see how arrogant you stay after I kick your butt!'
Any thoughts of restraint flew right out the window. Entering her Martial Soul Possession state, Qian Renxue darted forward like lightning, appearing behind Lin Beiya and launching a swift kick toward his backside.
But instead of the satisfying sound of impact, her foot sliced through empty air. Lin Beiya had simply tilted his body slightly, avoiding her kick as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Qian Renxue froze, staring at him like she'd seen a ghost. The boy was still standing there—eyes closed, expression calm.
"You…"
"Shh," Lin Beiya interrupted softly, raising a finger.
"Don't be surprised. I already told you—only those who've mastered all five senses can stand undefeated."
A blue vein throbbed on Qian Renxue's forehead. His smug tone lit a raging fire in her chest.
"Undefeated, huh? I'll show you what undefeated really means!"
"Heh, such ignorance."
Lin Beiya smirked confidently. Even with his eyes shut, his perception mapped out every movement in his mind. Every attack Qian Renxue prepared—every angle, every feint—was already reflected in his inner vision. To him, she was an open book.
---
Several minutes later, Lin Beiya sat on the floor, covering one eye that had turned a lovely shade of purple. Across from him, Qian Renxue was clutching her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
"I thought we agreed no hitting the face!?" he snapped.
"Bleh~ Who told you to act so smug?
Normally, I don't hit people in the face. But sometimes… I just can't help it!"
"Tch. The prettier the girl, the better she lies," Lin Beiya muttered bitterly.
"Curse you, old Jin—no, curse me for believing her."
He sighed inwardly, realizing his mistake.
He'd gotten too confident. Just like he once told Feng De, even if your senses can perceive every attack, that doesn't mean your body can always keep up.
In short, his physical strength still wasn't good enough to match his sharpened senses.
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(End of Chapter)