I had only a little over ten years left. After that, God King Tang would begin his path to cheat his way to the top.
If I didn't have formidable strength to rely on by then, I might still sink along with the great ship that was Spirit Hall. Qian Renxue might also suffer the tragic fate of having her Martial Soul shattered.
That was the last thing I wanted to see, which was why I felt a faint sense of urgency weighing on me.
According to the Saint Seiya setting, after awakening the Sixth Sense Cosmo, one could theoretically throw punches at the speed of sound. Now, with the power of the Sacred Cloth, I could do that too.
But I still couldn't manage it without wearing the Sacred Cloth.
My punches were always just a little too slow, unable to break through.
As for my senses, I couldn't properly perceive the Sixth Sense beyond the Five Senses, either.
"What will it take to break through? Or does Cosmo simply not exist in the Douluo World?"
The energy of the universe existed within the soul. By igniting the Cosmo within one's body, one could destroy matter at the atomic level and wield the power to split the heavens and earth and shatter the stars.
I understood the principles, but how exactly was I supposed to awaken my Cosmo?
This was where having a guide on the path of cultivation became important. If even one Gold Saint had been available to teach me, Lin Beiya believed he would have grasped Cosmo long ago.
But this was the Douluo Continent. He could only explore it slowly on his own.
With his mind in turmoil, Lin Beiya grew increasingly irritable during training. He became more and more perfunctory with Hu Liena, and even showed impatience several times.
The little girl, who had been doing her best to please her senior brother, was deeply hurt in secret. She thought he disliked her.
The obvious change in his mood was easy for Bibi Dong to notice, as she occasionally checked on the progress of her senior disciples. That evening, she summoned Lin Beiya to the Back Mountain.
"Your mood hasn't been right lately."
"Hmm?"
When Bibi Dong called for him, Lin Beiya had wondered what she wanted. He hadn't expected it to be about his recent irritability.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Teacher. Bei Ya has run into a bottleneck in his cultivation, so he's been a little troubled lately."
"Oh?"
After sensing that Lin Beiya had successfully broken through to level 27, Bibi Dong looked puzzled.
"It shouldn't be a bottleneck related to Soul Power, should it?"
"That's right. My Soul Power cultivation is progressing smoothly, and I haven't run into any bottlenecks. But there's been almost no improvement in my senses or physique."
He couldn't yet explain the matter of Cosmo to Bibi Dong, so he simply told her about the other difficulties he'd encountered in training.
Hearing this, Bibi Dong gave her disciple an amused look. No matter how mature and steady he seemed, he was still a child not yet nine years old.
"Bei Ya, could it be that, given your body's current stage of development, your physique and senses have already reached their limits?"
"Is that so? I suppose I'd been looking at it the wrong way. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."
Bibi Dong was right. At nine years old, the body was still developing rapidly. If Lin Beiya waited for himself to grow older, the problems troubling him would resolve themselves.
That was true of his physique and senses, but Lin Beiya knew that among the Gold Saints of past generations, there had been people who had touched the Eighth Sense in their thirties. Based on his calculations, he was certain that person must have awakened Cosmo by the age of nine.
"Don't worry. You mustn't rush your cultivation. Taking things slowly is the right path. Besides, in your current state of mind, you're not suited to training day after day. Go out and clear your head."
"Yes, Teacher. I'll try to change my mindset."
Lin Beiya accepted Bibi Dong's advice. After returning to his quarters, he set everything aside, cleared his mind, and rested.
The next day, he invited Shi Nuo to wander around Spirit City with him. If Qian Renxue had been there, she would have been the best companion.
But she was far away in Heaven Dou City, so Lin Beiya had to bring his best friend along instead.
"Ah, it's finally nice to get out for a stroll. Bei Ya, you put so much pressure on me that I haven't dared take a break for even a moment."
Hearing Shi Nuo's sigh, Lin Beiya paused. So he'd been putting pressure on others without even realizing it. He hadn't given that much thought before.
"Really? Then let's agree not to cultivate during the last few days of each month. We'll take two days to relax. If you keep a string pulled too tight, it'll snap."
"Fine, I'm in."
The brothers spent the day wandering around the market, the auction house, and even the casino.
He had to admit, putting cultivation aside really did help him relax.
Lin Beiya felt all the irritation built up over days of cultivation dissipate. Whether or not he could awaken Cosmo, he'd be able to throw himself into the next stage of training with a clearer mind when he returned.
After dinner, the two set off for home. Since the school term hadn't started, Lin Beiya and Shi Nuo didn't have any classes scheduled, and neither planned to get up early the next day. They agreed to sleep in.
To get from the restaurant to Spirit Hall, they had to cross a Commercial Street. It was late, and many shops had already closed. The street, bustling by day, was now rather quiet.
A cool breeze swept through, washing away the summer heat. Shi Nuo spread his arms and contentedly enjoyed the wind against his face, but Lin Beiya stopped him a moment later.
Shi Nuo turned to look at his close friend, who had his eyes shut, and seemed confused.
"What's wrong, Bei Ya?"
"Put on your Sacred Cloth. Trouble's coming."
"Huh?"
Shi Nuo couldn't imagine who would dare attack Lin Beiya, the Pope's disciple, in Spirit City. But since his best friend had said so, he didn't question him. He was still a little hesitant, though.
"How about you wear my Sacred Cloth, Bei Ya? I'll hold off the enemy."
If Lin Beiya was wary enough to say that, their opponents clearly weren't ordinary. Shi Nuo's first thought was to cover his friend's retreat, then return to Spirit Hall for reinforcements.
Lin Beiya said nothing. He summoned the Athena Statue with his right hand. High above Spirit City, several stars linked up in the shape of a ram, bursting with brilliant light before shooting straight toward the ground.
In a few moments, the Aries Gold Cloth had been recalled from Qian Renxue, who was far away in Heaven Dou City, and attached itself to Lin Beiya.
"I have the Aries Gold Cloth. Did you forget?"
"Thank goodness."
Seeing Lin Beiya clad from head to toe in gleaming gold, Shi Nuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly pulled the gold medallion from around his neck and poured Soul Power into it. The Taurus Gold Cloth attached itself to him in an instant as well.
"Heh, heh, heh. Looks like we've been spotted. You two little brats, someone's paid for your lives. Don't blame us for being ruthless!"
As the sinister voice rang out, several footsteps sounded from behind a nearby shop.
Several figures appeared, and Lin Beiya once again confirmed that his senses had been right. They were after him.
By his reckoning, the various powers on the continent all had reason to target Spirit Hall's future star, but none of them would make their move inside Spirit City. And right now, the only person he could think of was Demon Bear Douluo, whose grandson he had injured.
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