Chapter Forty: The Lionbeast

"Kid, you should count yourself lucky!" Bai looked at Lantian with undisguised envy, his tone full of admiration. "If my master had possessed your level of comprehension, he would surely have become a figure standing at the very peak of the universe long ago, rather than meeting such a tragic end..."

"With such a heaven-defying gift for insight, when you truly enter the Absolute Heaven Tower and ascend to its upper levels, there will be countless great figures vying to take you as their disciple! Even if your natural talent is lacking, your extraordinary comprehension alone will be enough to move those ancient monsters of the universe, compelling them to gather miraculous treasures to transform your aptitude!"

"In time, you will soar to unimaginable heights—it's even possible you might reach, or even surpass, the level my master once attained!" Bai rambled on as if in a trance, his voice growing ever more impassioned. Lantian couldn't help but feel his heart blaze with excitement.

Did he truly possess such a formidable gift for insight? He hadn't found the first level of the basic battle technique especially difficult. Wasn't it just a matter of seeing through appearances to the underlying essence?

Did the people of the universe not seek the essence of things? What were they doing, lingering endlessly in that boundless ocean on the first floor? Playing with water?

What Lantian didn't know was that very few people in the universe entered the trial of the Absolute Heaven Tower at the Energy Gathering 81st Level. Without cultivating cosmic star force, one was essentially a mortal in the universe, and mortals were not qualified to attempt the Tower's trial.

Those who had already cultivated cosmic star force were often misled by the vastness of the ocean, plunging directly into the deep in search of enlightenment—some even tried ceaselessly to refine the seawater with star force, hoping to decipher its secrets, yet overlooking the simplest rhythm of the waves.

Even those who managed to comprehend the first level of the basic battle technique typically spent a very long time, forcing their way through by relying on the Tower's unique rules, rather than grasping the rhythm of the waves.

Only an exceptionally rare few ever truly perceived the secret of the first level from the rhythm of the waves.

Of course, though Lantian was lucky enough to quickly discover this secret, that did not diminish the conclusion that his comprehension was extraordinary. The hardest part of the first level was not discovering the secret of the waves, but drawing from them that unique divine resonance.

Those rare individuals who gleaned the first level's secret from the true rhythm of the waves would naturally keep the advantage to themselves, perhaps confiding in those closest to them. Thus, some entered the Tower already knowing to begin with the rhythm of the waves. Yet even so, it would still take a great deal of time to grasp that resonance, and then even more effort to master it and break through to the Tower's second floor.

Even Bai was unaware of this fact—otherwise, his astonishment would have deepened.

For although Lantian spent nearly an hour, once he uncovered the secret of the wave rhythm, it took only a little over ten minutes to perceive the resonance, and, incredibly, to master it at the very moment of comprehension.

That was the true terror of Lantian's gift for insight.

But neither Bai nor Lantian himself realized this at that moment, and it would only be much, much later that Lantian would finally understand just how extraordinary his talent truly was.

For now, he was still basking in the thrill of mastering the first level of the basic battle technique. Bai had said that this technique was revered throughout the universe not just because of its low entry threshold—anyone who could comprehend it could use it, regardless of cultivation—but because that resonance could be applied to any part of the body, not just the hands. In the future, once one had cultivated cosmic star force, it could even be infused into the star force itself!

Suddenly, the environment around Lantian shifted again. The three moons overhead told him he was back on that dark land where he'd fought wild beasts—only this time, he stood at the foot of a mist-shrouded mountain range.

"Enough talk. Watching from the sidelines is pointless; it's time for real combat. With your current strength, you can challenge some of the battle-capable beasts found on living planets," Bai explained. With a wave of his hand, a monstrous creature resembling a lion strode out from the mountains.

But this beast was far more terrifying than any earthly lion. Its sheer size would put all Earth’s lions to shame—over three meters high, with fangs jutting outward and cold yellow eyes blazing with killing intent.

Lantian felt as though, standing before this giant beast, he was nothing more than a child.

Yet he showed not a trace of fear; instead, his fighting spirit surged, his gaze fierce as he glared at the beast. After slaughtering wild beasts for two consecutive nights, his hands soaked in blood, he had lost any ordinary person's fear.

"Don’t be careless. This Lion-Nemean beast is nothing like those lions or tigers on Earth. With your current strength, if you can’t skillfully wield the first level of the basic battle technique, you’ll stand no chance," Bai warned from the side.

Lantian was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Bai to give such a high assessment of this so-called Lion-Nemean beast. After all, his right hand, enhanced by the second technique, already had a force of fifteen thousand kilograms—yet he was still no match? Did he have to unleash the first level’s double strike, quadrupling his power, to defeat it?

"Attention, trial participant: Mission target—eliminate the Lion-Nemean beast."

The beast gave him no time to be astonished. As the familiar electronic voice sounded, it lunged toward him, launching its attack.

Lantian stood his ground and threw a punch, meeting the Lion-Nemean beast head-on. Instantly, he was shaken by the beast’s overwhelming strength, coughing up blood and being hurled far into the air.

He finally understood the meaning of Bai’s warning.

Since he had begun cultivating, he had never yet encountered an opponent capable of matching his strength.

And now, this Lion-Nemean beast not only matched him but exceeded him by a wide margin!

His arrogance vanished. As the beast pounced again, jaws gaping to bite him, the resonance of the basic battle technique's first level surged along his right arm. He struck out fiercely with his fist.

But—he missed!

The massive beast, unexpectedly nimble, slipped aside, and his punch, charged with full force, landed on empty air, causing two sharp whistles as the air compressed.

A chill ran down his spine—instinct honed in battle told him the beast was about to strike his back.

In a flash, Lantian twisted his foot, channeling immense force into the ground. As the earth caved beneath him, he shot forward dozens of meters, narrowly evading the attack. But before he could turn, the beast was already upon him, its tail whipping across his back.

Agony exploded through him—he felt as if his internal organs had been shredded. Every part of him ached unbearably; he couldn’t move, forced to close his eyes and await death, as the Lion-Nemean beast tore him apart.

"Mission failed. Duration: thirty-seven seconds," the electronic voice announced.