Life energy flowed gently through the Sea God Pavilion.
Bei Bei slowly woke.
A faint dizziness still lingered at the back of his head, apparently from being caught in the shockwave of Light Shock.
He instinctively rubbed his head, his eyes somewhat unfocused, then memories came flooding back.
"Brother Lin... got even stronger again."
Bei Bei muttered under his breath. There was no resentment in his tone, only a trace of numb resignation.
"Brother Lin's first Soul Skill? Why does it feel different from last time..."
Mu En sat in his wheelchair, looking kindly at his great-grandson. "You're awake? How do you feel?"
"Great-Grandfather," Bei Bei looked up, his eyes once again firm.
"I'm fine! I was careless this time. I didn't expect him to use his domain like that. Next time, next time I'll definitely..."
"Next time, definitely?" Mu En made a rare joke, his face wearing a smile that said he'd seen it all.
"Bei Bei, have you noticed that your cultivation speed over the past two years..."
"Has been much faster than I'd expected when I talked to you about it?"
Bei Bei froze and thought it over carefully.
It was true. Ever since he'd started hanging around Lin Ciyan and "slacking off" with him...
Though he felt he was cultivating more diligently, his Soul Power seemed to be growing unusually smoothly.
Some of the sticking points he'd once struggled to understand had also become easier to grasp.
"I think... that might be true," Bei Bei admitted honestly.
"That child Ci Yan has a peculiar aura about him." Mu En's gaze was profound, as if he could see through to the truth.
"His so-called 'Relaxation Cultivation Method' seems absurd and unconstrained."
"But perhaps it accords with some profound principle of heaven and earth."
"Being by his side has imperceptibly had a positive influence on you."
"Your mind has grown purer, and your comprehension seems to have improved as well."
Mu En paused, then added meaningfully, "So from now on, you should get even closer to your Ci Yan."
"Following him may be more effective than burying your head in hard cultivation alone."
Bei Bei seemed to understand, though not entirely, but he'd always trusted his great-grandfather.
The boy nodded vigorously. "I understand, Great-Grandfather!"
[ Ding! An onlooking Limit Douluo personally confirmed the effect of the "Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura" and gave the host some "word-of-mouth promotion." Slacking Value +120!]
Meanwhile, our protagonist, Lin Ciyan...
Had long since tossed the little sparring match out of his mind.
He was currently in an extremely comfortable position...
Undertaking the spiritual-power special training Mu En had designed specifically for him, called "Great Dream Traveling the Heavens."
This training method took his "slacking" philosophy to the absolute limit.
The training took place right on his Golden Tree Hammock.
He wore the [Slacker Health Brain-Wave Headset], with Xiyao beside him, radiating a soothing halo of light.
With the help of the [Calming Crystal Meditation Cushion], he slipped straight into a half-asleep, half-awake state.
Mu En's "Great Dream Traveling the Heavens" focused on "letting the spirit wander the great void, tempering the mind within dreams."
To be specific...
He resonated with the Golden Tree itself in the Sea God Pavilion through a hammock made from the Golden Tree's central trunk.
This guided Lin Ciyan's spiritual power into a "dream" composed purely of light elements and spiritual energy.
In this "dream," there were no hideous dragons or terrifying pressure.
There was only an endless succession of ever-changing scenes.
One moment, he might be bathing in the dawn of creation...
Feeling the warmth of light's origin, and tempering his mind through the breadth, inclusiveness, and resilience of light.
The next, he might find himself amid a magnificent nebula made of spiritual storms.
He would need to steer his little boat of consciousness in the most effortless and skillful way possible.
He'd weave through gaps in the storm, honing his control and acuity of mind.
The training scenarios mainly depended on the trainee's thoughts and experiences.
And Lin Ciyan's experiences across two lifetimes gave him a wealth of challenging "cultivation."
The whole process was like playing an immersive VR game about a spiritual journey.
The guiding principle was simple: "Get stronger while enjoying yourself."
"This training... is way too awesome!" Lin Ciyan once exclaimed to himself after returning from the "dream."
"Compared to those brutal, blood-and-guts training methods, this is on a whole other level!"
"Now this is what it means to teach according to one's abilities!"
[ Ding! Successfully completed one round of efficient and comfortable spiritual-power training in "Great Dream Traveling the Heavens," perfectly embodying the advanced Way of Slacking. Slacking Value +60!]
With this miraculous cultivation method that let him "train his spiritual power while lying down"...
Along with the subtle, gradual influence of the [Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura] and the [Great Dream Freedom Scripture]...
Two years passed in the blink of an eye...
When Lin Ciyan was ten...
His Soul Power had steadily reached level thirty, though he had yet to obtain his third Soul Ring.
Even more astonishing was Bei Bei.
He'd managed to maintain a steady, rapid pace of one level every three months...
And nearly reached the threshold of level thirty at the same time as Lin Ciyan!
Even Mu En was somewhat surprised by the result.
After conducting detailed tests, Mu En reached a conclusion.
Lin Ciyan's physical strength and spiritual power...
Thanks to "Great Dream Traveling the Heavens" and long-term "slacking-style foundation building"...
Had already reached an utterly inconceivable level.
For his third Soul Ring, he could absorb one between twenty and thirty thousand years old!
That limit was enough to leave even many Soul Emperor-level powerhouses dumbfounded.
As for Bei Bei, under Mu En's devoted guidance and through his own hard work...
And after cultivating for a long time within the range of the [Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura], which seemed to have subtly refined his Martial Soul...
His physical fitness and spiritual power had also far surpassed those of his peers.
His test results showed that he could actually try absorbing a Soul Ring that had just reached the ten-thousand-year level!
"If not for Ci Yan's imperceptible influence, Bei Bei could never have reached this level on his own."
Mu En privately remarked to Lin Qingmo.
"Being by Ci Yan's side seems to have further awakened Bei Bei's potential."
"This child is a tremendous opportunity in his own right."
Of course, by comparison, Lin Ciyan was still far more outrageous.
Inside the Sea God Pavilion, Lin Ciyan lounged lazily against a specially made cushion.
He listened as Mu En and Lin Qingmo discussed his third Soul Ring options.
"Teacher, Grandpa, didn't we already settle on the Golden Hawksbill Turtle?"
Lin Ciyan yawned. "Let's go with that. It's tough and can take a beating, and it has a nice meaning, too."
"A golden son-in-law—bah, I mean, a golden tortoise with a long life. It sounds auspicious. Perfect for a cautious guy like me who wants to live to a hundred."
Mu En chuckled and shook his head. "You certainly know how to make connections. There's no doubt about the Golden Hawksbill Turtle's defensive power."
"But most of its Soul Skills lean toward pure defense, so its offensive ability may be somewhat lacking."
"Your second Soul Skill is already a domain. Shouldn't your third Soul Skill make up for it with a stronger single-target attack?"
"Attack?" Lin Ciyan blinked, giving him a look that said, "Why would you even think of that?"
"Teacher, do I look like someone who needs to charge into battle himself?"
"The Dawn Break Fist is enough for finishing them off."
"I think staying alive is what lets you deal damage, and being able to hold your ground is the real key."
"Just think about it. In the future, I'll have the Golden Hawksbill Turtle's super shield..."
"Then I'll activate my Holy Radiance Sky Curtain, and the enemy won't be able to hurt me..."
"Meanwhile, I can heal myself inside my domain and occasionally hit them with a 'Radiant Impact' or 'Dawn Break Fist'... Doesn't that sound invincible?"
The more he spoke, the more sense it made to him. "That's called 'attack and defense together? No, better to defend while attacking.'"
"The whole point is to leave the other side in despair!"
"Besides, what if the Golden Hawksbill Turtle's Soul Ring gives me something like a counterattack effect? That'd make things even easier for me."
"The harder they hit me, the faster they wear themselves out. I can just idle right there... No, I mean, cultivate right where I am."
[ Ding! Before a Limit Douluo and a Titled Douluo, successfully connected the decision to "choose a defensive Soul Ring" with "the ultimate Slacking Philosophy." The reasoning was self-consistent and convincing. Slacking Value +130!]
Lin Qingmo's mouth twitched, but when he thought it over, it actually seemed to make a little sense.
His grandson's fighting style had always been about expending the least effort for the greatest results, pursuing the utmost ease.
Mu En pondered for a moment, a glint flashing in his eyes, then slowly nodded. "That makes sense."
"Extreme defense is a powerful form of control in its own right."
"Waiting at ease for an exhausted opponent, turning defense into offense—that does suit your style."
"Very well, we'll do as you say. For your third Soul Ring, the target is— a ten-thousand-year Golden Hawksbill Turtle!"
With the decision made, Lin Ciyan was satisfied.
He could practically see himself in the future, lounging carefree across Douluo Continent beneath his "golden tortoise shell."
As for Bei Bei, when he learned about the gap between his Soul Ring's age and Brother Lin's...
He simply clenched his fists in silence, his gaze growing even more resolute.
"Brother Lin, just you wait. Even if your cheat—uh, I mean, even if your talent is better than mine, I won't let you leave me too far behind!"
He didn't know that his determined fighting spirit...
And the fate that would see him continue to benefit from the "Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura"...
Had already been incorporated by a certain slacker into his own "easy and enjoyable" cultivation blueprint.
[ Ding! Important companion "Bei Bei" has resolved to work hard and strive forward. He will continue providing energy feedback for the "Winning-by-Lying-Down Aura" in the future, with ample potential Slacking Value gains ahead. Advance reward: Slacking Value +100!] [Slacking Value: 3627 points] (Earned through long-term "cultivation" + meeting acquisition conditions)
Listening to the system's prompt, Lin Ciyan's smile grew ever more serene.
That was what it meant to have your teammates work themselves to the bone while you lounged in the middle.
A win-win situation meant winning twice!