Aries Gold Cloth

Yu Lin's expression slipped for a moment, his shock plain to see. He had practically spelled out for the kid that the Star-Eating Sheep had little combat ability, yet the boy had still chosen it for his First Soul Ring.

But the words of protest reached his lips, and he remembered Qian Daoliu's instructions before they set out: the little one's own wishes were to guide his choice of Soul Ring, and Yu Lin was not to interfere too much.

After weighing it over, Yu Lin decided to remind Lin Beiya one more time. After all, the boy was a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. It would be a pity if he ruined the child's prospects.

"You'd better think this through, kid. The age of this thing is suitable, but I can say with near certainty that it won't grant you a powerful offensive Soul Skill. The best you can hope for is a skill that absorbs starlight to speed up your Soul Power recovery."

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder Yu, but I trust my Martial Soul's judgment. This one is the right choice."

Yu Lin helplessly scratched his head. He wanted to take back his belief that the boy was more mature than his peers. Just who had Lin Beiya inherited that stubborn streak from?

But Yu Lin had his orders, so he decided not to say anything more. Besides, Lin Beiya wasn't his kid.

"Fine. We'll do it your way."

With a piercing eagle cry that rang through the sky, a pitch-black Falcon appeared behind Yu Lin. At the same time, two yellow, two purple, and four black Soul Rings rose from it in succession, revealing Yu Lin's Soul Douluo cultivation.

That was already the highest level of combat power below a Titled Douluo. Qian Daoliu clearly thought highly of Lin Beiya.

The eagle's cry shattered the peace by the lake. The herbivorous Soul Beasts scattered in every direction, fleeing into the distance—including Lin Beiya's target, the Star-Eating Sheep.

But how could the Star-Eating Sheep escape a flying Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level? Yu Lin soon smacked it unconscious with one claw, then carried it back to Lin Beiya.

"Thud."

The four-meter-long sheep slammed into the ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing into their faces.

"Cough... cough..."

Lin Beiya waved both hands in front of him. He had good reason to suspect Yu Lin was taking revenge on him for refusing to listen.

Yu Lin recalled his Martial Soul and landed back on the ground. A golden dagger immediately sank into the earth in front of Lin Beiya.

"Use this. Pierce the Star-Eating Sheep through the eye."

"Thank you, Elder Yu."

After thanking him, Lin Beiya pulled out the dagger and slowly approached the Star-Eating Sheep. He often went into the forest with the chubby kid to hunt game, so he wasn't afraid of blood.

Without hesitation, he stabbed the dagger into the sheep's eye socket. Its plump body shuddered, then fell completely still. A pale-yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse.

"Try using your Soul Power to draw the Soul Ring onto your Martial Soul."

Lin Beiya nodded, summoned the Athena Statue again, and sat cross-legged on the ground. He tried to draw in the Soul Ring using the method Yu Lin had taught him.

As the pale-yellow Soul Ring slowly settled over the statue, a powerful shock surged through his entire body.

He swallowed his cry of pain and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure.

Seeing this, Yu Lin released his spiritual power and began keeping watch over their surroundings. Lin Beiya was a genius with Innate Full Soul Power; Yu Lin didn't believe he would be unable to withstand the impact of a Soul Ring just shy of four hundred years old.

And events unfolded just as he had expected. As time passed, the grimace on Lin Beiya's face gradually relaxed. Now all that remained was the slow, painstaking work.

An hour later, the pale-yellow Soul Ring slowly solidified around the Stone Statue, and Lin Beiya opened his eyes.

Seeing the joy on the boy's face, Yu Lin couldn't help shaking his head.

"Tell me, did you get a skill that speeds up your Soul Power recovery?"

"Huh?"

Having forgotten that Yu Lin was still there, Lin Beiya instantly wiped the smile from his face. His eyes were still bright with excitement as he looked at the Spirit Hall Platinum Bishop.

"Elder Yu, the Soul Skill I got wasn't that."

"Oh? You didn't inherit even that ability?"

Yu Lin's heart sank, and he silently concluded once again that the boy was a lost cause.

But Lin Beiya's next move made him forget every word he was about to say.

A dazzling golden light burst from the Stone Statue, and the First Soul Ring he had just obtained shone along with it.

"First Soul Skill: Aries Gold Cloth!"

A golden beam connected heaven and earth. As Yu Lin stared in utter disbelief, a sheep that looked as if it had been forged from gold slowly appeared before his eyes.

"W-what is that?"

Yu Lin could tell that the thing in front of him was a sheep, but something about it felt wrong. He couldn't sense any trace of life from it.

Looking at the Aries Gold Cloth before him, still in its assembled form, Lin Beiya smiled with satisfaction.

Then, with Yu Lin still staring in shock, he shouted:

"Cloth, cover me!"

At Lin Beiya's call, the golden sheep shattered into pieces and flew into the air. They plunged back down, instantly covering his arms, legs, chest, hips, and finally his head.

By the time Yu Lin came to his senses, Lin Beiya had become a valiant warrior clad in golden armor.

"Wait—you got a Soul Skill like that from a Star-Eating Sheep?"

Yu Lin felt as if everything he'd believed all these years had been trampled underfoot. Setting aside Lin Beiya's current combat strength, that appearance alone made the choice worthwhile.

The Platinum Bishop's astonishment thoroughly satisfied Lin Beiya's little vanity. He touched the Aries' distinctive golden horns, then slowly spoke.

"Elder Yu, this Soul Skill can do more than that."

"You can control your strength and attack me as a Soul Grandmaster."

At that, Yu Lin leaned back and looked at Lin Beiya in golden armor. He could only think that this kid was hopeless. How many drinks had he had to get this carried away?

He'd only just obtained his First Soul Ring and already wanted to challenge an attack from a Soul Grandmaster. Even if he was dressed like the Pope, he couldn't act this cocky, could he?

But the kid had already put it out there, so Yu Lin decided to knock some of that swagger out of him.

"Then you'd better watch out, kid."

The pitch-black Falcon spread its wings again, and several visible blades of wind shot toward Lin Beiya.

Yu Lin knew how to hold back. These attacks only packed the force of a peak Soul Master.

As the wind blades hurtled toward him, Lin Beiya's lips curled into a smile. He spread his arms to either side, and an almost invisible wall of light appeared before him.

"Crystal Wall!"

The wind blades quickly struck the wall of light. Ripples spread across its surface like waves on water, then slowly faded.

Three seconds later, Lin Beiya pushed his palm forward. The tranquil wall of light blazed once more. After a surge of energy, several blades of light shot toward Yu Lin.

The Spirit Hall Platinum Bishop now perfectly embodied the phrase "eyes as wide as copper bells."

He caught one of the incoming blades of light with a single hand and crushed it. The astonishment on his face didn't fade; it only deepened.

He had sensed that the blades of light had nearly twice the power of his own attack.

In other words, the boy's First Soul Skill was not only astonishingly defensive, but could also reflect an enemy's attack back at double the strength.