"Moreover, this glory doesn't belong to you alone. The granddaughter of Duke Dugu, that genius young man Oscar who has innate full soul power in the Food System, and Feng Xiaotian, whom you spent a lot of effort to find and who also has innate full soul power—each of them has enormous potential to break through to the rank of Title Douluo."
"Imagine, a sect with so many young talents, whose future achievements will be limitless. How could I not be moved by such a sect?"
Niu Gao's words made a lot of sense. He wasn't just talking to Yang Wudi and Yun Yibai; he was also talking to himself.
After all, most of what he said was just speculations about the future. Until those speculations became reality, it was all still a fantasy.
For Niu Gao, this was a gamble. He had already decided which side to bet on, and now he was just trying to convince himself.
"It seems like you've already made up your mind, old rhinoceros. All this time you've been playing dumb with me, and I thought you didn't agree. That's why I called Yun Yibai here," Yang Wudi said.
"But since you've already agreed, should we go ask old ape and old white bird?"
Niu Gao nodded. "I think we should ask them. After all, the four single-attribute sects united would be the strongest. We've been partners for many years now."
"…" The two had completely ignored Yun Yibai at this point.
Cough, cough! Yun Yibai lightly coughed, raising his hand to cover his mouth.
"You've got something to say, kid?" Yang Wudi asked.
"Chieftain Yang, Chieftain Niu, actually, given the current situation, I would advise against forming a sect," Yun Yibai said seriously.
"Oh? Kid, what you're saying contradicts what you said earlier!" Yang Wudi was intrigued and waiting to hear Yun Yibai's reasoning. He wouldn't mind discussing and debating with him if there were any issues!
"I do have the idea of establishing our power," Yun Yibai began.
"But considering the current situation, the Tiandou Empire and Xingluo Empire have both been recuperating for a hundred years. You two, seniors, have settled in the Xingluo Empire for over a decade. You must be quite familiar with the situation there."
"Secondly, the Spirit Hall! The Haotian Sect has closed its gates, and the Lower Four Sects have been courting Spirit Hall. Since the new Pope took the throne, the entire Spirit Hall has been changing."
"I've gone through some records. In the past, the Spirit Hall was tyrannical and expanded its influence, but it never reached the level of extending its hand into many of the soul master factions like it has now."
"That's not a good sign," Yun Yibai's expression became more serious as he continued.
"Looking at the current situation, if we were to establish a sect now, with you two seniors and Duke Dugu, we would undoubtedly attract many soul masters to join, which would make our sect stronger."
"However, being so high-profile would attract more attention from the Spirit Hall, and this special attention would be detrimental to a newly formed sect," Yun Yibai analyzed the pros and cons of forming a sect.
He paused and then shifted his tone, "However, if we change our strategy and form a Soul Master Academy, the situation would be very different."
"A Soul Master Academy, as an indispensable force in the Soul Master world, exists primarily to train the next generation of Soul Masters, inheriting their knowledge and techniques. Compared to a sect, which is aggressive and expansionist, a Soul Master Academy is much more peaceful and more easily accepted."
"A sect competes for territory, resources, and power, while a Soul Master Academy is seen by many as a place for training Soul Masters, and doesn't pose a threat to sects at all!"
Niu Gao stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This point is indeed true. Even though we know more about the Upper Three Sects and Lower Four Sects, we don't know much about the Soul Master Academies. If it weren't for you participating in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition, I wouldn't have paid attention to them either."
"Academy powers are indeed far less renowned and influential compared to sects," Niu Gao admitted.
Yun Yibai smiled faintly, then continued, "Sect forces are always fighting over territory, resources, and status, but Soul Master Academies are different. They are more like a hall of knowledge, a cradle for Soul Master growth. In the eyes of most Soul Masters on the continent, Soul Master Academies are places to cultivate Soul Masters and pass down skills and knowledge, rather than threatening forces. Therefore, they don't trigger sensitive nerves among the sects and don't attract too much attention."
"We can cleverly use this point, hiding our strength under the guise of a Soul Master Academy. This would allow us to develop quietly and safely. In this way, we can avoid attracting excessive attention from the Spirit Hall and other sects while secretly accumulating strength and cultivating our own elite Soul Masters."
Yang Wudi's eyes lit up, showing a hint of approval. "Your idea is unique, and it makes sense. Using a Soul Master Academy as a cover would indeed allow us to grow in the shadows without exposing ourselves too early."
Niu Gao pondered for a moment and then said, "It seems that establishing a Soul Master Academy is indeed more advantageous than forming a sect."
Yang Wudi took over, "But a Soul Master Academy is still just an academy. It can never compare to a sect like the Upper Three Sects, even if it has a Title Douluo."
"Normal Soul Master Academies are nothing, but what about the best one on the continent?" Yun Yibai responded directly to Yang Wudi and Niu Gao, his lips curving into a smile.
"The best Soul Master Academy on the continent?!" Yang Wudi and Niu Gao's eyes widened in shock.
Yes! A normal advanced Soul Master Academy might lack fame and power, but what about the number one academy on the continent? An academy like that would be a prominent force in the Soul Master world.
"Gentlemen, you've never truly understood what an advanced Soul Master Academy is," Yun Yibai continued.
"An advanced Soul Master Academy can just be responsible for basic teaching with a simple structure—a principal and a few teachers."
"But…" Yun Yibai's tone shifted.
"An advanced Soul Master Academy can also be as complex and large-scale as a sect."
"The idea of building the number one advanced Soul Master Academy on the continent came to me when I was thirteen."
"I come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, and starting a sect would be tantamount to betraying my clan."
"But becoming the headmaster of a Soul Master Academy is different. This might even allow me to connect with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan and establish a special relationship."
"Kid, enough talk! Tell us your ideas for this number one academy already!" Niu Gao interrupted impatiently.