Cosmo Hypothesis

Shi Nuo had already brought Lin Beiya's belongings from the orphanage. After unpacking, Lin Beiya arranged everything in the dormitory.

From now on, he could take a short nap here after lunch.

After they had tidied up the dormitory, Shi Nuo showed Lin Beiya around some of the academy's facilities. There were all kinds of Mimicry Training Grounds that greatly boosted cultivation, as well as the popular Soul Fighting Training Ground.

Since most students at the Junior Soul Master Academy were rookies who had only just obtained their Soul Rings, many of them got an itch to test their skills after acquiring a Soul Skill. As the only place in the academy where fighting was allowed, the Soul Fighting Training Ground was a favorite among the students.

As luck would have it, Shi Nuo and Lin Beiya had only meant to stop by for a quick look, but they happened upon a Soul Fighting match.

The two opponents were a boy with a bear-type Martial Soul and a lean, tall Soul Master with a tall-legged spider-type Martial Soul. The first boy was so short and stocky that the only word that came to Lin Beiya's mind was "burly."

What made it even more comical was that, judging by the Soul Rings they had released, both were One-Ring Soul Masters.

Their appearances reminded Lin Beiya of the Fatty and the Skinny Head from some show. For a moment, he could barely keep from laughing.

Shi Nuo, standing beside him, was quite interested. He hurried over to the edge of the ring where the crowd had gathered, and Lin Beiya could only follow helplessly.

"Bei Ya, they both have Soul Rings, just like you. They must be upperclassmen."

"Once I get a Soul Ring, I want to try fighting here too."

Lin Beiya raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Shi Tou, who seemed so honest and good-natured, to have such a fiery side.

"Then you'll have to cultivate hard and try to get your First Soul Ring before summer break."

"Mm, I can definitely do it. In another month, I'll break through to Soul Power Level 9."

As they talked, the two fighters on the Soul Fighting Platform began to make their moves. The short, burly boy let out a growl and lit up his First Soul Ring. A vivid red glow wrapped around his bear claws as he lunged fiercely at his opponent.

First Soul Skill: Fierce Claw!

Bear-type Martial Souls generally had impressive attack and defense. The tall, lean man clearly knew this, and had used his own First Soul Skill before his opponent could reach him.

But no one present, Lin Beiya included, could tell what his First Soul Skill did.

Just as everyone was holding their breath for the tall, lean man, his long legs suddenly bent. Then, like a spring, they shot him into the air in an instant, letting him dodge the bear claws.

His attack missed, but the short, burly boy reacted just as quickly. He spun around and charged toward where his opponent was about to land, thrusting out his bear claws again.

Gasps rang out from below the platform. It seemed everyone could already picture the tall, lean man being badly wounded by the bear claws and knocked off the platform.

Lin Beiya thought so too, but what happened next left him stunned.

The lean man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. The moment he landed, the eight spider legs granted by his Martial Soul sprang sideways. The bear claws skimmed past his body, cutting through the air with a sharp whoosh.

After missing twice in a row, the short, burly boy froze. He turned around and stared at his opponent in disbelief.

"You can sense an attack from behind without using your eyes?"

"Hmph. My First Soul Skill gives me Spider Sense. No matter where an attack comes from, I can sense it in advance and dodge using the speed and jumping ability of my Martial Soul."

A hint of smugness flashed in the tall, lean man's eyes. As far as he was concerned, an attack that couldn't hit its target was useless.

"Give up. You're too clumsy to touch me. And just so you know, my First Soul Skill uses almost no Soul Power."

"What?"

The burly boy was clearly shaken by what the tall, lean man said. But there was no way he'd admit defeat just like that. He used his First Soul Skill again and charged at his opponent. He still had to try.

What followed only proved the tall, lean man's boast. No matter which direction the bear claws came from, he could sense the attack in advance and dodge it. By the end, he had even arrogantly closed his eyes to toy with the short, burly boy.

"That's too much! Who fights like that in a Soul Fighting match? Can't you fight head-on like a man?"

Shi Nuo was furious beneath the platform. His Martial Soul had the same weakness as the short, burly boy's: plenty of power, but not enough speed. In other words, even if he got his First Soul Ring, there was a good chance the tall, lean man would just run circles around him.

Lin Beiya didn't try to comfort his friend. His eyes remained fixed on the tall, lean man on the platform. The other man relied on his Soul Skill to sense danger in advance, but he was undeniably using techniques related to the Five Senses.

And speaking of the Five Senses, weren't the Saints experts in this area?

Among the senses of the human Cosmo, the first five were sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Losing the first five senses meant falling into a world of utter nothingness: seeing nothing, hearing nothing, unable to speak, without touch or taste—reduced to a living corpse.

And after training all five senses to their limits, one might awaken the Sixth Sense Cosmo.

Could Cosmo work in the Douluo World?

After a long while, Lin Beiya's gaze grew firm. Whether or not Cosmo could be used in the Douluo World, he intended to give it a try. Even if it didn't work, training his Five Senses could only benefit him.

In the end, the short, burly boy lost the Soul Fighting match after running out of Soul Power. His expression made it clear how dissatisfied he was.

But a loss was a loss. He lowered his head and said, "You win," then quickly hopped down from the platform and disappeared into the Training Ground.

The tall, lean man sneered, then soon fixed his gaze on Shi Nuo.

"Hey, what grade are you in? You were the one who called me shameless, right? Come up here and fight me."

"Uh..."

The Fatty froze on the spot. He didn't even have a Soul Ring yet—how was he supposed to fight?

"Hahaha! You've got some nerve. Just look at that brand-new uniform—you're a first-year. Aren't you picking on him?"

The tall, lean man's companions teased him one after another, but he didn't look embarrassed in the slightest. He simply kept sneering at Shi Nuo.

"So what? If you run your mouth, you'd better be ready to get beaten up."

"Don't tell me you're too scared to get on the platform, you turtle-shell Martial Soul?"

The young, hot-blooded little Fatty couldn't stand that kind of mockery. He was ready to take a beating if it meant saving face, and started to climb onto the platform to accept the challenge.

But just as he was about to move, Lin Beiya pressed him back down. At the same time, Lin Beiya smiled at the man on the platform.

"You heard wrong. I was the one who said that just now. I'll fight you!"

"Oh? Another first-year? You sure seem confident."

"Let your senior teach you a lesson. Get up here!"

Ignoring the taunts, Lin Beiya gave Shi Nuo a reassuring look, then quickly stepped onto the Soul Fighting Platform.

"Lin Beiya, Level 12, One-Ring Battle Soul Master."

"Hm?"

The tall, lean man was surprised. He hadn't expected this first-year to already have a Soul Ring. Judging by the timing, either he had Innate Full Soul Power or a talent close to it.

"Well, look at that—a little genius, huh?"