...
"Emperor Xue Ye feared the destruction of his empire, so he spared no expense in building a massive army of Soul Masters."
"Ning Fengzhi feared the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be swallowed up in the chaos, so he was eager to expand for self-preservation."
"The Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire were the same."
"Faced with such a huge threat to survival, it's normal to act aggressively."
"Everyone is desperately trying to increase their resources in order to survive this impending storm."
Listening to Tang Hao's analysis, Tang Xiao nodded in deep agreement.
"Brother Hao is right."
Tang Xiao sat back down in the main seat, his hands crossed and resting on his chin, his eyes filled with deep worry.
"The continent is like a powder keg about to be ignited."
"Everyone is frantically recruiting and forming alliances. But what about our Clear Sky Sect?"
Tang Xiao slammed his fist on the table, his voice rising sharply:
"Since we closed ourselves off from the world, our Clear Sky Sect has been hiding here for far too long!"
"So long that the younger generation on the continent has almost forgotten the might of the Clear Sky Hammer!"
"Everyone is making moves: the Heaven Dou Royal Family is growing stronger, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan is expanding, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is reviving, and the Spirit Hall is secretly accumulating power enough to devour the world."
"If our Clear Sky Sect continues like this, remaining closed off and indifferent to worldly affairs, we risk falling behind!"
"Like rowing against the current, if you don't advance, you fall behind!"
"Once those forces have completed their integration, once the Heaven Dou Empire's Soul Master army is formed, once the Spirit Hall has fully revealed its fangs,"
"then, even if our Clear Sky Sect wanted to emerge, we probably wouldn't have a place to stand!"
"Elders, we can no longer sit idly by and wait for our demise. We must take the initiative and seek allies and resources for our Clear Sky Sect on the continent!"
Tang Xiao's words struck like a heavy hammer, resonating deeply in everyone's hearts.
As the sect leader, he was considering the sect's long-term future and its very survival.
However, his impassioned speech did not win everyone's approval.
"Sect Leader, you are mistaken!"
Just as Tang Xiao finished speaking, an elderly man with white hair and a withered face, sitting at the head of the left seat, suddenly snorted coldly, rudely interrupting Tang Xiao.
This man was the Second Elder of the Clear Sky Sect, the most senior and stubborn representative of the conservative faction within the sect.
The Second Elder slowly stood up. Although he was old, he was still a Title Douluo!
He swept his cloudy yet sharp eyes over Tang Xiao and Tang Hao:
"Sect Master, Tang Hao, aren't you being a bit too pessimistic, boosting the morale of others while diminishing your own?"
"What do those forces outside have to do with our Clear Sky Sect, no matter how much they stir up trouble?"
"What are we afraid of?"
"The Heaven Dou Empire's army of Soul Masters? A bunch of rabble!"
"In the face of absolute power, numbers are nothing but cannon fodder!"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has gained another Title Douluo? So what?"
"A support-type Martial Soul is ultimately a support-type. Without strong offensive power, it's still no match for my Clear Sky Hammer!"
The Second Elder raised his head, his face filled with pride and arrogance: "Don't forget the current strength of our Clear Sky Sect!"
"Now, our Clear Sky Sect has three Title Douluos in charge!"
"Besides myself, Sect Master, there's also Tang Hao. You two brothers are known as the Clear Sky Twin Stars. Your strength is so formidable that, across the entire continent, who dares to claim victory?"
"Moreover..." A smug glint flashed in the Second Elder's eyes.
"The Third Brother's cultivation has already reached the peak of level eighty-nine, only one step away from breaking through to the Title Douluo realm!"
"Once the Third Brother breaks through, our Clear Sky Sect will have four Douluo!"
"With such strength, unless Qian Daoliu personally intervenes, even the Spirit Hall would have to break a few teeth trying to take down this tough nut!"
The Second Elder's words immediately resonated with the other elders present.
They nodded in agreement, the slight sense of urgency they had felt because of Tang Xiao's words instantly dissipating.
"Second Brother is right!" the Seventh Elder loudly echoed.
"Our Clear Sky Hammer is the number one weapon spirit in the world, virtually invincible among its peers!"
"As long as we defend this natural barrier, who can do anything to us?"
The Second Elder watched the crowd's reactions with satisfaction, then turned his gaze back to Tang Xiao, saying earnestly,
"Sect Master, no matter how chaotic the outside world is, it's just a dog-eat-dog situation between the secular forces and the Spirit Hall."
"As for those two mysterious experts… since they haven't directly come looking for trouble with our Clear Sky Sect, it means they have no hostility towards us, or simply don't care about us."
"In that case, why should we wade into this mess and needlessly provoke those unknown powerful enemies?"
The Second Elder stroked his white beard, making his final conclusion.
"As long as the mysterious powerful figure doesn't come knocking, our Clear Sky Sect, with its natural defenses and formidable strength, will naturally remain standing!"
"Therefore, my opinion is to continue our seclusion! Let's develop steadily!"
"We don't need to compete with worldly forces for resources; we just need to focus on our cultivation."
"Given time, when our Clear Sky Sect has five, even six, Title Douluo, and when Tang Hao's injuries are fully healed and he returns to his peak..."
"At that time, when we emerge from seclusion with overwhelming force, we will surely return to the pinnacle of the continent, making everyone grovel before the might of my Clear Sky Hammer!"
As the Second Elder finished speaking, a chorus of agreement rang out in the meeting hall.
Most of the elders were accustomed to this peaceful, aloof, secluded life.
They were unwilling to take risks, much less face the outside world that had become unfamiliar and terrifying.
Looking at the confident elders below, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao exchanged a glance, both seeing a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow in each other's eyes.
Steady development?
Return to the peak?
In this rapidly changing era, can the Clear Sky Sect truly preserve its legacy by clinging to the old ways?
Tang Xiao clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh.
He knew that persuading these stubborn elders would not be a matter of a day or two.
But if the Clear Sky Sect continued to slumber like this, what awaited them was likely an abyss of no return.
However, Tang Xiao didn't have many ways to change the elders' opinions in the short term.
He could only hope that Tang Hao could recover faster and improve his strength.
In addition, the two rabbit-transformed humans that Tang Hao brought back, the larger one was already a Soul Saint. With some effort, becoming a powerful Title Douluo in the future shouldn't be too difficult...
...
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