Chapter 74: Half a Year — Finding a Way to Awaken Shi Nuo's Cosmo
The issue with identifying immortal herbs had finally been resolved. Once Lin Beiya fully memorized them, he could begin planning how to acquire the immortal herbs hidden within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But all of this depended on him raising his Telekinesis Teleportation to a sufficient level.
Only then would he have the confidence to escape should someone like Dugu Bo suddenly lash out with murderous intent.
Time flowed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, half a year passed.
During this period, Lin Beiya's soul power steadily rose, reaching Rank 35.
His mastery of telekinesis had also progressed remarkably—he could now freely teleport himself within a radius of twenty meters, achieving the effect of instantaneous movement.
At the same time, his understanding of his Gold Cloth's finishing techniques deepened. Even without wearing the Gold Cloth, he could now perform small-scale Stardust Revolution and Titan Nova. However, he still found Gemini Cloth's Another Dimension and Galaxian Explosion difficult to grasp.
He suspected the issue lay in his Cosmo cultivation, which wasn't yet refined enough.
The nebula within his sea of consciousness had grown far larger compared to six months ago, yet he still wasn't sure whether steady cultivation alone would allow him to touch the Seventh Sense's threshold. For now, he could only take it one step at a time.
Aside from Lin Beiya, with the aid of Gold Cloths, the soul power of Shi Nuo, Si Min, and Yu Quan also increased steadily. Even Yu Quan—who originally had the weakest foundation—had reached Rank 27. Given another half-year, the three of them would likely break through to the Soul Elder realm without much issue.
Even Ye Lüsù and Lei Ying, who didn't have Gold Cloth support, managed to advance by one rank each.
As for Mo Xue, it was unclear whether she had become more driven because she wanted to live up to Ning Fengzhi's expectations, but her soul power rose by two ranks, reaching Rank 38.
Their fulfilling cultivation days continued as usual—but a rumor had begun spreading throughout the academy.
The rumor claimed Lin Beiya was abusing his position for personal gain, disregarding the glory of the Spirit Hall by forcibly inserting several "connected" students into the Soul Master Tournament team.
No one denied those children's talent—but Shi Nuo and his companions were still young and only at the Soul Grandmaster stage, making it difficult to convince the masses.
Gradually, dissatisfaction among the students reached a boiling point. After all, who didn't want to soar through the Soul Master Tournament and seize a bright future for themselves?
Yet that opportunity had been taken by three children weaker than they were.
That morning, as soon as Lin Beiya arrived at the academy, he saw Shi Nuo and the others walk toward him with dejected expressions.
"Beiya… maybe we shouldn't join the Soul Master Tournament team after all."
"Yeah, Boss. Maybe we should ask if we can take substitute slots instead. Otherwise, this will hurt your reputation too much," Yu Quan added.
Compared to the straightforward guilt of Shi Nuo and Si Min—who simply didn't want to drag him down—Yu Quan had thought far deeper. His grandfather, Yu Lin, had already guessed Bibi Dong's intentions.
This Soul Master Tournament was most likely meant to build momentum for Lin Beiya, helping him solidify his position as Holy Son.
Compared to ensuring Lin Beiya ascended smoothly, hitching a ride to fight for a championship was far less important.
Lin Beiya understood everything perfectly—but simply smiled as he looked at them.
"What's wrong? No confidence to beat those senior students who look down on you?"
"This… our age…"
"Don't use age as an excuse. You have me standing behind you. And with Gold Cloths, do you have confidence to defeat the others?"
"Yes!"
Before Si Min or Yu Quan could reply, Shi Nuo's eyes lit up, and he immediately shouted his answer.
With Gold Cloth on, he was confident he could defeat any student aside from Lin Beiya himself.
"But… won't people keep gossiping? Won't they say our victory isn't earned fairly?"
"What do you mean by 'unfair victory'? I'm an auxiliary-type soul master. I'll be standing behind you during the tournament, and you'll be wearing Gold Cloths during team battles as well."
"If the tournament allows the use of Gold Cloths, then why shouldn't the selection matches allow them too?"
Lin Beiya had always despised those who gossiped behind his back. Gold Cloths belonged to him—he could let whoever he wanted wear them.
If they pushed him too far, he'd simply enter the tournament with only Ye Lüsù and Lei Ying. Whether three-on-seven or even one-on-seven, he wasn't worried about losing. And if he won like that, those complainers would still have no place in the team.
But public opinion… sometimes it really was troublesome to control.
That same night, Bibi Dong summoned Lin Beiya to the reception hall and spoke bluntly:
"If you wish to claim the position of Holy Son, a solid reputation is indispensable. It's fine to choose people you trust, but you must also convince the academy's students."
Lin Beiya hadn't expected the rumors to reach her ears. He fell silent for a moment before answering:
"I understand, Teacher. In a while, I'll organize a Dueling Assessment. Shi Nuo and the others will face the senior students who wish to join the team."
"If they win, they'll keep their positions. If they lose, they'll step aside without complaint."
"This way, I can also pick a few strong students as substitute members."
Bibi Dong nodded, having no objections. Their reputations were now tied together as master and disciple—that was what mattered most to her.
"Handle it yourself. Just make sure the rumors don't continue to spread."
"Yes."
Soon after, through Ye Lüsù's connections among the academy students, news of the upcoming selection tournament spread like wildfire.
And the accusations of favoritism vanished completely. After all, organizing a selection match clearly required preparation—and Lin Beiya had never publicly declared that Shi Nuo's trio would be part of the tournament lineup three years later.
At once, many confident students began sharpening their claws, eager to grab a seat on the team.
They couldn't defeat Lin Beiya or Ye Lüsù—but surely they could beat a few younger kids, right?
"One month from now, you'll be challenged by the senior students. If you defeat them, no one will dare speak nonsense again."
"Alright, don't worry, Beiya. I won't lose."
Shi Nuo and the others weren't the least bit intimidated. It was just a duel. They all knew the power of Gold Cloths—if they lost, it could only mean their own strength wasn't enough. In that case, they wouldn't dare covet a spot in the team.
Lin Beiya didn't worry too much about Si Min and Yu Quan. Winning would be good, but losing wasn't a big deal either—they still had three years to challenge their way back up.
But for Shi Nuo, the childhood companion he grew up with, Lin Beiya held far higher expectations.
Within this one month, he needed to find a way to stimulate Shi Nuo's potential.
Shi Nuo had already spent nearly five years on sensory refinement and physical training. Now, Lin Beiya wanted to see whether anyone besides himself could awaken their Cosmo.
If Shi Nuo truly grasped the Sixth Sense, then among his peers, he would have almost no rivals—his position as a core member of the future main team would be unshakable.
But the question of how to awaken that potential now stood before Lin Beiya like a wall.
Life at the academy was fulfilling, but it lacked true danger. In both the Saint Seiya world and the Douluo Continent, one could not become a genuine powerhouse without experiencing life-and-death trials.
Their last ambush had been the perfect opportunity—but because he had been present, Shi Nuo had never truly been pushed into a desperate situation.
Looks like he had no choice.
"It seems I'll have to put on a proper show… Shi Nuo, don't disappoint me."
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(End of Chapter)