Chapter 47 – Relaxation, and an Unexpected Roadblock
He only had a little more than ten years left. When the time came, God King Tang would begin his "cheat-activated" rise to power.
If Lin Beiya didn't have overwhelming strength by then, he might sink together with Spirit Hall when that great wave arrived. Even Qian Renxue might fall into a tragic fate where her godhood was shattered.
That was a future he could never allow to happen. And this was the source of the faint but persistent sense of urgency in his heart.
According to the setting of the Saints, after awakening the Sixth Sense, one could theoretically punch at sonic speed. With the power of the Gold Cloth, he could already achieve that.
But without wearing the Cloth… he still couldn't.
His punches were always a little slower. He simply couldn't break through.
As for his senses, he couldn't touch the existence of the sixth sense at all—unable to perceive anything beyond the five basic senses.
"How in the world am I supposed to break through? Or… does the Cosmo simply not exist in the Douluo World?"
Cosmo—universe energy residing within the soul. By igniting it, one could break matter at the atomic level, possessing a power that could split the heavens and shatter stars.
He understood the theory perfectly. But how was he supposed to actually ignite the Cosmo?
This was the importance of having a guide on the path of cultivation. If he had even one Gold Saint to teach him, Lin Beiya believed he would've already awakened the Cosmo by now.
But this was the Douluo Continent.
Everything could only be slowly explored by himself.
The frustration in his heart made him more irritable during training. He responded to Hu Liena half-heartedly and even showed impatience several times.
The little fox, who had been working so hard to please her senior brother, felt secretly heartbroken. She thought he had started to dislike her.
Such obvious emotional shifts didn't escape Bibi Dong, who checked on her disciples' progress from time to time. That night, she called Lin Beiya to the back mountain.
"Your mood has been off recently."
"Hm?"
Hearing her summon, Lin Beiya had been guessing why she wanted to see him, but he didn't expect it to be because of his recent irritability.
"Forgive me for worrying you, Teacher. I've encountered a bottleneck in cultivation, so I've been a bit frustrated lately."
"Oh?"
Sensing his soul power—smoothly advanced to rank 27—Bibi Dong found it strange.
"It doesn't seem to be a bottleneck in your soul power, right?"
"You're correct. My soul power cultivation is progressing naturally without obstacles. But my sensory training and physique training… barely show any improvement."
He couldn't explain the Cosmo to her yet, so he could only detail the other parts of his training that had stagnated.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong couldn't help but chuckle. No matter how calm or mature he seemed, at the end of the day, he was still not even nine years old.
"Beiya, has it occurred to you that—at your current stage of physical development—your body and senses might have already reached their temporary limit?"
"Is that so? It seems I've misunderstood myself. Thank you for the guidance, Teacher."
Just as Bibi Dong said, at nine years old, the body was still developing rapidly. With age, those limitations would naturally resolve themselves.
That part was true. But Lin Beiya also knew that among the Gold Saints in history, some had touched the Eighth Sense in their thirties. Based on that calculation, he was certain that such a person must have awakened Cosmo around the age of nine.
"No need to worry. Cultivation is not something to rush. You must progress steadily. Besides, your current mental state is unsuitable for continuous training. Go out and relax for a few days."
"Yes, Teacher. I will adjust my mentality."
Lin Beiya accepted Bibi Dong's suggestion. After returning to his residence, he emptied his thoughts and simply rested.
The next day, he met up with Shi Nuo to stroll around Spirit City. If Qian Renxue were here, she would have been his first choice of companion. But since she was far away in Heaven Dou City, he could only drag his good brother along.
"Ahh… finally a day to relax. Beiya, you don't know how much pressure you put on me. I haven't dared to rest even for a moment."
Hearing Shi Nuo's sigh, Lin Beiya paused in surprise. He hadn't realized he had been bringing invisible pressure to those around him.
"Really? Then let's make a rule—at the end of every month, we take two full days off. No training. A bowstring that's too tight breaks easily."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
The two spent the whole day wandering through the markets, the auction house, and even the casino.
He had to admit—completely putting training aside truly worked wonders.
Lin Beiya felt the irritation from the past several days melt away. Whether he could awaken the Cosmo or not, he would definitely be able to throw himself back into training much more calmly afterward.
After dinner, the two prepared to head home. Since the academy hadn't started yet, they had no classes scheduled and agreed to sleep in the next morning.
To return to the Spirit Hall from the restaurant, they had to pass through a commercial street. But with night already fallen, most shops had closed. The once lively street now felt eerily quiet.
A breeze passed through, sweeping away the summer heat. Shi Nuo stretched out his arms, enjoying the cool wind on his face.
But the next second, Lin Beiya raised an arm and stopped him.
Shi Nuo opened his eyes in confusion.
"What's wrong, Beiya?"
"Put on your Gold Cloth. We've got trouble."
"…Huh?"
Shi Nuo couldn't imagine who'd dare target Lin Beiya—the Pope's personal disciple—inside Spirit City of all places. But since his brother said so, he didn't doubt him. Still, he hesitated slightly.
"Shouldn't you wear the Gold Cloth, Beiya? I'll block the enemy and buy you time to run."
Anyone who could make Lin Beiya this wary definitely wasn't an ordinary opponent. Shi Nuo's first thought was to protect him, then run back to the Spirit Hall to call for reinforcements.
Lin Beiya didn't reply. He simply lifted his right hand, summoning the Athena statue.
In the night sky above Spirit City, several stars connected, forming the shape of a ram. Holy light burst forth and shot straight toward the ground.
Moments later, the Aries Gold Cloth descended—the one he had entrusted to Qian Renxue in Heaven Dou City—and attached itself onto his body.
"I have the Aries Gold Cloth. Did you forget?"
"That's great!"
Seeing him shining in golden radiance, Shi Nuo let out a deep breath of relief.
He immediately pulled off the golden pendant from his neck and poured soul power into it. The Taurus Gold Cloth formed around him in an instant.
"Hehehe… looks like we've been found. Little brats, someone paid a good price for your lives, so don't blame us for being merciless!"
A gloomy voice drifted out. Several footsteps followed from behind a nearby shop.
A handful of figures appeared. Lin Beiya's senses were proven correct—these people had come specifically for him.
Judging from the situation, many forces across the continent had reasons to target a rising star like him. But none of them were foolish enough to attack inside Spirit City.
There was only one person who would dare…
The Devil Bear Douluo, whose grandson Lin Beiya had beaten half to death.
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End of Chapter