Chapter 55: Academy Grand Competition
Hearing Bibi Dong's words, Hu Liena's beautiful eyes widened in shock.
She hadn't expected that her senior brother had just lifted the teacups and made them rotate without using soul power. Her little brain had absolutely no knowledge related to this, so all she could do was stare at her senior brother, hoping to grasp the mystery behind it.
"Teacher, Senior Brother Beiya really didn't use soul power to make the teacups spin."
"This power—I call it telekinesis."
"And telekinesis is an ability that exists independently of the five senses. It belongs to what I call the sixth sense."
After hearing her disciple's explanation, Bibi Dong rested her bent index finger beneath her chin, sinking into deep thought. Only after a long pause did she ask, puzzled:
"Telekinesis?"
"So this telekinesis is the 'sixth sense' you're referring to?"
"That's not quite right. Awakening the sixth sense gives you a chance to use telekinesis, but telekinesis itself is not the sixth sense."
Lin Beiya shook his head, denying Bibi Dong's assumption.
"The sixth sense contains countless possibilities—not just telekinesis. Depending on a person's innate talent, the special ability awakened through the sixth sense will differ."
Although Bibi Dong didn't feel completely lost, she still couldn't fully grasp the essence of this newly defined "sixth sense."
"Explain it more clearly. What exactly is the sixth sense? And how does one awaken it?"
"Hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch—these are a person's basic senses. When all five senses are trained to their absolute limits through postnatal cultivation, it becomes possible to stimulate and awaken the sixth sense. And depending on a person's natural talent, the ability manifested through the sixth sense will differ. Telekinesis is the ability I obtained after awakening mine."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong understood a bit more. But she still didn't believe this was a power that could replace soul power.
From childhood, everything she'd been taught emphasized one thing: soul power is the foundation of a soul master.
There was simply no way she would abandon her path as a soul master upon just stepping into its peak, only to pursue an entirely different system.
"Beiya, soul power is the foundation of all soul masters. You may use this telekinesis as a supplementary combat method, but you must not pour all your focus into it."
"Teacher, don't worry. I understand the limits of this ability."
"Mm. You've always been someone I don't need to worry about. I won't say anything more."
Bibi Dong nodded, then turned her gaze toward Hu Liena.
"Nana, if you have any questions regarding cultivation, you may ask me or your senior brother at any time. I will occasionally inspect your cultivation progress."
"Yes, Teacher."
The two hadn't been master and disciple for very long, so Hu Liena had yet to develop the mother-daughter-like bond seen in the original story. Faced with her teacher's instructions, the little fox appeared nervous and cautious—an amusing sight.
After giving both disciples a nod, Bibi Dong left the training ground.
The little fox stared at her teacher's departing figure, then immediately collapsed onto the ground with a long exhale.
"Huu—Teacher's presence is so overwhelming. I didn't even dare breathe too loudly just now…"
"Heh, she's the Pope. If her presence weren't strong, how would she intimidate everyone under her? You'll get used to it."
"That's true… Oh right! Senior Brother, can I train that telekinesis too?"
Hu Liena nodded in agreement, then her eyes lit up with curiosity.
"First, you'd have to train all five senses to their absolute limits. And even if you do awaken your sixth sense, your talent may not necessarily lie in telekinesis."
"I can only say this—because your martial soul leans toward the spiritual attribute, you might have talent in the path of telekinesis."
Lin Beiya wasn't worried about anyone cultivating the Cosmo system. On the Douluo Continent, he truly didn't believe anyone could surpass him on this path.
"Really? Starting today, I'm going to train my five senses too! Is it that method you used before—walking with your eyes closed?"
"Hm?"
"Well… you're not wrong. That was training to substitute your other senses when you can't rely on sight. It's a form of composite training."
"All right! Starting today, I'll live with my eyes closed as well!"
The little fox looked extremely excited. She had a strong feeling that telekinesis would suit her very well.
And so, in the days that followed, the training grounds behind the mountain often echoed with Hu Liena's miserable screams. The little girl frequently lost her sense of direction and crashed into cliffs or tree trunks. Sometimes she stepped on uneven ground and fell flat on her face—more times than one could count.
Lin Beiya could only cover his face in helplessness. In truth, if one had a rough mental map of the training ground, losing direction and crashing into walls wouldn't happen. But what else could he say? A woman's sense of direction truly was a mysterious enigma. Back in his previous life, hadn't many female drivers performed some jaw-dropping maneuvers?
Time quickly passed, and the academy's new enrollment period arrived. As Bibi Dong's disciple, Hu Liena planned to attend the academy to polish her reputation and build her own network of connections. Going with her were Xie Yue and Yan—her two loyal flower guardians.
Even possessing innate soul power ranks of 9 and 8.5, respectively, the two boys still hadn't broken through to the Soul Master rank after more than a month. Meanwhile, Hu Liena had quietly surpassed them, becoming the only one among this batch of children who already possessed a soul ring.
And right around this time, the academy's annual Grand Competition was held once again.
Normally, only fifth- and sixth-year students participated in this grand event. But this year, there was one particularly eye-catching figure standing among them.
Shinor, who had only just entered the fourth grade.
The students—who had all breathed a sigh of relief after learning Lin Beiya wasn't competing—now swallowed nervously when they saw the fat boy wearing a set of Gold Cloth identical to Lin Beiya's.
After all, Lin Beiya's victory over Xiong Chumo had been deeply etched into everyone's hearts. The Gold Cloth he wore had become widely known within the academy.
"Teacher! I want to report something—that kid wearing a Gold Cloth in the Grand Competition should count as cheating, right?"
"That's right! That's Lin Wudi's equipment! Why does he get to wear it in the competition!?"
"..."
Voices of protest rose one after another. Shi Nuo instantly panicked—he was counting on the Taurus Gold Cloth to win the championship!
Meanwhile, the academy teachers were put into a difficult position. They didn't want to offend Lin Beiya, whose talent was obvious to all, but letting this go unchecked also made them look biased. All they could do was turn helpless gazes toward Lin Beiya.
He had come to support his brother in the competition. Though he wasn't participating himself, he attended to cheer him on. With him came his junior sister Hu Liena—and the two ever-hostile boys, Xie Yue and Yan.
Unexpectedly being pulled into the situation, Lin Beiya felt equally helpless. But since this involved whether or not his brother could win the competition's rewards, he decided to step forward.
"Teacher, may I ask—what is the purpose of the Grand Competition? What exactly is being tested?"
"Of course, it's to test the students' real combat ability. That way, when they participate in future battles or soul hunts, they can perform better instead of being bookworms with no practical experience."
Hearing this, Lin Beiya nodded in full agreement.
"Since it's meant to prepare them for real battles and soul hunts, then all practical methods should be allowed, correct?"
"Shi Nuo can always wear this Gold Cloth during battles or soul hunts, so there's no such thing as cheating here."
"After all, you can't expect soul beasts to trim their claws and sharpen their fangs before fighting you, right?"
"Would you say a soul beast is cheating just because it uses its claws and teeth?"
—
End of Chapter