Lin Beiya's smile remained unchanged. By now, he had thoroughly grasped the wonders of his Martial Soul. The Aries Gold Cloth summoned by his First Soul Skill not only enhanced his attributes in every way, but also granted him the methods for using those secret Gold techniques.
But in Yu Lin's eyes, his Soul Skill was the Crystal Wall he had just used.
Lin Beiya didn't explain further. Revealing too many secrets about his Martial Soul all at once wasn't a wise choice.
"That's right. But right now, I can only reflect attacks below the Soul Grandmaster level. If they exceed that, there's a risk the Crystal Wall could be shattered."
Yu Lin nodded. He didn't mean to underestimate the Soul Skill. After all, this was only the little brat's First Soul Skill, granted by a Soul Beast like the Star-Eating Sheep. Who knew how far Lin Beiya might go in the future?
With Qian Daoliu behind him, Lin Beiya's growth would surely be smooth sailing. Yu Lin would have to tell the youngsters in his family to build a good relationship with him.
"It's already quite impressive. In a fight against someone of the same level, this Soul Skill makes you nearly invincible."
"I also have to thank Elder Yu for helping me find a suitable Soul Beast."
Knowing he had to keep a low profile until he'd grown stronger, Lin Beiya had no intention of continuing to show off. He modestly gave the credit to Yu Lin.
That improved Yu Lin's impression of him even further.
"Mm. Let's head back. You'll have to train hard from now on, too. Talent is only the stepping-stone to becoming strong."
After returning to Soul Hunting Town outside the forest and resting for a day, the two set off on their journey back.
Lin Beiya didn't waste any time in the carriage. After absorbing the Soul Ring, his Soul Power had reached level 12. With Qian Renxue, the cheat code, already ahead of him, he had no intention of slacking off. He seized the time to begin cultivating.
Half an hour later, as if struck by an idea, Lin Beiya summoned the Aries Gold Cloth again and donned it. Then, still wearing the Sacred Cloth, he began meditating and cultivating.
This discovery opened up a whole new world for Lin Beiya. To his delight, he found that while wearing the Sacred Cloth, his cultivation speed was ten percent higher than usual.
A ten percent increase might not seem significant in the short term, but accumulated over time, it would be terrifying.
Qian Renxue, with her innate full Soul Power of level 20, might have had a faster cultivation speed than him to begin with. But with the Gold Cloth's boost, Lin Beiya now had confidence that he could surpass her in cultivation.
A few days later, the carriage they were riding in arrived safely in Spirit City. After thanking Yu Lin once more, Lin Beiya went straight back to Douluo Hall using the token Qian Daoliu had given him.
He had only taken a few steps toward his residence when he spotted Qian Daoliu near the garden.
The old man turned and smiled kindly at Lin Beiya.
"You're back? How well did the Soul Ring suit you?"
"Very well. I got an extremely powerful Soul Skill."
Lin Beiya nodded. Unlike Yu Lin, whom he'd only met once, he wasn't planning to hide too much from Qian Daoliu. Showing off some of his talent would be better for his future development. After all, the old man before him was his backer until he'd grown strong enough, as well as the one providing his resources.
Only by proving his worth could he receive better training.
Seeing Lin Beiya's confidence, Qian Daoliu became interested. He replied with a noncommittal, "Oh? Can you tell me about it?"
"Of course."
Without further ado, Lin Beiya summoned the Aries Gold Cloth once more. A golden pillar of light shot into the sky, and astonishment filled Qian Daoliu's eyes. The continent's top powerhouse sensed a sacred aura within the light, one similar to that of the Angel God.
Looking at Lin Beiya, clad in golden armor before him, Qian Daoliu had made up his mind. Whether or not the child's Martial Soul was connected to the Angel God, he planned to nurture him. With Spirit Hall's resources, raising one more child was no burden.
Now, all that remained was to see what Lin Beiya was capable of and how much effort he should invest in raising him.
"Golden armor? And how is it connected to that Stone Statue?"
Faced with Qian Daoliu's question, Lin Beiya wasn't sure how to explain. Surely he couldn't launch into an explanation of the Gold Cloth's origins?
After thinking it over, he decided to be vague.
"Grand Pontiff, I don't know what the Stone Statue is for either. But after I absorbed the Soul Ring, I was able to summon and use this Sacred Cloth."
"And this Sacred Cloth comes with its own Battle Techniques."
Qian Daoliu raised an eyebrow, his interest growing stronger.
"Really? Show me one of those techniques!"
"Yes, Grand Pontiff!"
"But one of my Battle Techniques is defensive, so..."
Qian Daoliu nodded, then asked softly, "What level of attack do you need me to use?"
"Something at the Soul Grandmaster level, or anything below the Soul Elder level."
Lin Beiya's words secretly shocked Qian Daoliu. To think that he could withstand attacks below the Soul Elder level with only the strength of a Soul Master! Even the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul didn't possess such powerful defensive capabilities.
Still, Qian Daoliu didn't doubt that Lin Beiya was telling the truth. There was no point in the little fellow lying to him.
"Very well. Be careful."
Without another word, Qian Daoliu raised his left hand slightly and sent a beam of light flying toward Lin Beiya, who was clad in the Aries Gold Cloth.
Lin Beiya once again used the Gold Battle Technique, Crystal Wall, to counter it.
Ripples spread across the transparent wall like waves, and Qian Daoliu's casual attack was swallowed up.
Just as he had in front of Yu Lin, after absorbing the attack, Lin Beiya returned it with twice the force.
Shock filled Qian Daoliu's eyes. He reached out and crushed the golden beam as it flew back, instantly judging that it was twice as powerful as the attack he'd unleashed.
"Impressive defensive ability. And you can return attacks with twice the force?"
"That's right. And its defensive power will grow as my cultivation improves."
"Really?"
Qian Daoliu was even more astonished by Lin Beiya's words. The boy could already withstand attacks at the Soul Grandmaster level while only a Soul Master. If he reached the Titled Douluo level, wouldn't he be invincible?
Seeing Qian Daoliu's expression shift, Lin Beiya understood that too much of a good thing could backfire. He hastily added, "That's also because the first few Soul Skills of Soul Masters generally aren't very powerful. Whether the Crystal Wall can withstand every attack later on remains to be seen."
At that, Qian Daoliu nodded. He didn't believe absolute defense could exist in this world, either.
"Do you have an offensive Soul Skill? Let's test that one too!"
"All right."
Lin Beiya was more than willing to have someone help test his newly acquired abilities.
He spread the fingers of both hands and held them beside his waist, then began gathering golden Soul Power. When the light reached its peak, he released the gathered energy all at once.
"Starlight Extinction!"
From Qian Daoliu's perspective, several phantom stars gathered behind Lin Beiya, forming a golden ram. Then boundless starlight converged into two beams and shot toward him.
That attack was nowhere near strong enough to shake the continent's top powerhouse, but the potential Lin Beiya had displayed was already enough to earn his attention.
His desire to nurture Lin Beiya into a capable man who could someday become his granddaughter's right-hand man grew even stronger.
Before you continue