Chapter 70: Establishing Dominance Successfully
Lin Beiya completely ignored Ye Lüsu's mocking remark and instead tossed out a statement designed to hit precisely where his opponent cared most.
"My teacher ordered me to form the Spirit Hall Tournament Team for the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament three years from now."
"Defeat me, and the position of captain is yours."
"If you lose, you'll join my team."
Ye Lüsu's heart trembled slightly.
So that was the reason— the Pope had sent Lin Beiya to the academy to select future members for the Spirit Hall Team.
He never denied Lin Beiya's monstrous talent, but the boy was only ten.
Wasn't it far too early for something like this?
The next tournament would be the one where Lin Beiya should truly shine.
But the current situation didn't allow him the luxury of hesitation. He wanted the captain's seat.
If he could lead Spirit Hall to reclaim the lost championship title, his reputation would soar—and his future prospects would be boundless.
Since defeating Lin Beiya could earn him the captaincy, there was no reason to hold back. With his reputation, he could easily win over the team as long as the Pope approved it.
"In that case, junior brother… it seems I'll have to teach you a proper lesson in humility."
"Beat me, and you can talk. Before that, spare me your useless nonsense."
The atmosphere turned sharp and tense.
Students irritated by Lin Beiya's arrogance held their breath in anticipation, eager to see whether the legendary "Lin Invincible" really lived up to the hype.
Only Shi Nuo, Yu Quan, and the others remained completely calm. Their confidence was built upon countless overwhelming victories.
Most believed Lin Beiya had no chance.
The age gap was too large, and some even thought he'd be defeated instantly.
"Junior brother, you may have the first move. Don't say I never gave you a chance. The captain's position is mine."
Lin Beiya did not react— not even a twitch of expression.
His aura had withdrawn so deeply that Ye Lüsu momentarily wondered if the boy had vanished entirely— if not for the visual confirmation of him standing there.
Such a level of control was clearly not simple. Ye Lüsu's disdain softened slightly.
So the kid wasn't completely without merit.
"Since you don't cherish the opportunity, don't blame me for being merciless."
"Second Soul Skill—Wild Growth!"
Layers of black thorns erupted from Ye Lüsu's palm. His soul rings—two yellow, two purple—rose in the perfect optimal configuration.
As the second purple ring lit up, the entire platform filled instantly with countless black buds.
With a flick of his finger, the buds burst open— and wave after wave of thorny vines surged forward, cocooning Lin Beiya in an instant.
In the eyes of the spectators, Lin Beiya was immobilized immediately. Ye Lüsu's supporters smiled smugly once more.
But in the next second—
Every smile froze.
A beam of golden light blasted down from the sky, enveloping the stage.
Lin Beiya completed the Gemini Gold Cloth possession instantly. Starlight fragments swirled around him, spreading across the platform. The thorny vines—seemingly tough and numerous—were shredded like wet paper, scattered across the ground.
"The toxin is mild. Durability insufficient. Continue."
"What?"
Ye Lüsu was still stunned that the boy instantly obliterated his second soul skill.
Then Lin Beiya's comment hit him like a slap.
A ten-year-old brat…criticizing his soul skill?
'Are you looking down on me?!'
"Don't get too arrogant, boy!"
"Third Soul Skill—Rooted Entanglement!"
Massive thorny roots shot upward from the ground— their thickness alone proving they were far stronger than the previous waves of vines.
But Lin Beiya felt no panic at all.
He stood calmly with arms crossed, adopting an Iaijutsu stance as the waves of thick vine roots surged toward him like a raging tidal wave.
"Great Horn!"
With the roar of a wild bull, a colossal golden bison phantom erupted forth, plowing through every vine in its path and smashing them to pieces. Its momentum didn't stop there—it barreled straight toward Ye Lüsu.
Everyone watching froze, eyes wide in shock. What Lin Beiya unleashed was absolutely not an attack belonging to a mere Soul Elder.
Ye Lüsu jolted back to his senses and summoned all the surrounding vines into a massive wooden shield before him. The golden bison crashed directly into it, and the impact sent Ye Lüsu sliding back dozens of meters across the stage until he barely steadied himself at the edge.
When he looked at the shattered, splintered remains of his vine shield, his heart trembled.
Even the academy's attack-type Soul Ancestors had never caused this much damage to his strongest defensive weave.
Now, when he looked at Lin Beiya, there was no trace of contempt left. This was an opponent he needed to face seriously.
"Lin Invincible indeed lives up to his name.
If you had used that move from the start, I would've paid dearly for underestimating you."
"No matter. It's not too late now."
Ye Lüsu said no more. As a control-type soul master, staying calm was essential.
And his earlier attacks weren't useless—
The entire stage was now seeded densely with hidden buds.
All he needed was one moment to unleash a fatal strike.
The fourth purple ring lit up. The tiles of the arena cracked open as countless vines burst forth with savage force.
"Fourth Soul Skill — Origin-Knot Battle Domain!"
With the platform's center as the core, the entire arena was engulfed by hardened thorn vines, sending shivers down the spines of students with trypophobia.
Realizing this move couldn't be tanked physically, Lin Beiya did not attempt to act stubborn. A Crystal Wall formed around his entire body.
The vines lashed, constricted, and crushed with all their might, yet they failed to even shake the protective barrier.
This technique had plenty of control power but lacked destructive force. Against a normal opponent, the venom and paralysis would end the fight.
But against Lin Beiya? Completely useless.
Victory was already a matter of time, but Lin Beiya wanted more— he wanted a decisive, overwhelming win.
Ye Lüsu, refusing to believe a mere child could be immune to him, continued to push the vines harder and harder— never noticing the brief flash of electricity at the center of the ring.
"Gemini Light Arc!"
"All dense-formation attacks are meaningless before absolute force.
You may stop struggling now."
A blue-violet sphere shot out from the Crystal Wall, and an overwhelming pulling force erupted from it.
Every thorn vine on the arena was shattered instantly—turned into fine dust.
Ye Lüsu suffered severe backlash. He spat blood and was blasted off the stage.
He didn't even feel the pain— only pure shock remained in his eyes as he stared at Lin Beiya, who stood above him, radiating dominance.
Lin Beiya walked toward the expanding arc of electricity. The magnetic field slowly contracted, gathering neatly into his palm and fading away.
He turned his closed eyes toward the fallen senior.
"Senior, do you wish to continue?"
"…I… I admit defeat. You are qualified to lead the Spirit Hall Team as captain."
A respectable answer— he didn't lose his composure just because he was defeated by someone nine years younger.
Lin Beiya knew how to combine strength with grace. He didn't humiliate the loser.
He dropped from the stage and helped Ye Lüsu up, opening his eyes for the first time.
"Senior is strong— the strongest opponent I've faced so far. And that was already my full-strength attack."
—
End of Chapter