"The Grand Worshipper, in your opinion, who among the younger generation of the Spirit Hall in the past two decades could serve as its exemplar?"
Upon hearing this question, Qian Daoliu sank into deep thought.
For years, he had been secluded, focused on cultivating to break through to the supreme realm, and had paid little attention to such matters.
Ye Tian placed his hand on the table, smiling faintly. "Allow me to enlighten you, Grand Worshipper: Qian Renxue, as well as the Golden Generation—Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan."
"Beyond them, there are no others."
"But Grand Worshipper, are you aware of how many talents the two empires and various sects have cultivated under the immense pressure of the Spirit Hall in recent years?"
"To offer a conservative estimate, at least three times that of the Spirit Hall."
Ye Tian's gaze was resolute as he spoke word by word.
"These individuals hail from the two empires or ancient sects. The relationships among them may not be harmonious."
"But as soon as a banner is raised bearing the words 'Resist the Spirit Hall,' they will undoubtedly rally to the cause."
At this point, Qian Daoliu remained silent.
Yet Ye Tian did not stop speaking.
He continued, "The ancients once said that if a power has no external enemies of equal strength and does not undergo internal reform, it is destined to perish."
"The two empires and major sects at least have a powerful enemy to contend with. The Spirit Hall, however, has neither."
"Therefore, I can boldly assert that the Spirit Hall has already lost its future twenty years from now."
Ye Tian smiled serenely, his expression calm as he looked at Qian Daoliu. "A force is like a boat rowing against the current—if it does not advance, it inevitably retreats."
"Hence, the apparent strength of the Spirit Hall is but an illusion. Only you, Grand Worshipper, still bask in the vanity you've constructed for yourself!"
After a long silence, Qian Daoliu raised his eyes to scrutinize the young man before him.
Judging by age, when Ye Tian's great-great-grandfather became a spirit master, Qian Daoliu might not have even been born.
Yet, this greenhorn dared to proclaim the Spirit Hall had no future!
Had he heard such words in his younger, more hot-blooded years, Ye Tian would already have been obliterated to the point where not even ashes remained.
But the passage of time had granted Qian Daoliu a wealth of experience.
Despite Ye Tian's argument seeming full of sophistry, Qian Daoliu could discern the Spirit Hall's latent crisis from his words.
Indeed, this generation of the Spirit Hall was lacking in talent.
This implied that in a few decades, the Spirit Hall would be thoroughly suppressed by the forces across the continent.
At this realization, Qian Daoliu's piercing gaze locked onto Ye Tian.
"Your sophistry may be superior to mine, but comparing the entire continent's forces to a single Spirit Hall elevates its position too much."
Ye Tian chuckled lightly; he had anticipated this response.
"Grand Worshipper, may I ask, which force on the continent is presently allied with the Spirit Hall?"
"If the Spirit Hall were to launch an attack on the Heaven Dou Empire, would the Star Luo Empire stand idly by? Would the other sects remain uninvolved?"
"Who doesn't know, who isn't aware, of the Spirit Hall's ambition to unify the continent?"
"At its core, the Spirit Hall's ideology and will are fundamentally irreconcilable with the other forces."
"This conflict leaves no room for compromise."
"Hence, the only resolution lies on the battlefield."
"Just a month ago, the Star Luo Empire placed an order for a fleet of warships with my shipyard."
"I believe the storm clouds of war have already gathered over the continent. Soon, the thunder will roar, and war will break out."
Ye Tian suddenly laughed, tapping the table as he said, "From this perspective, the end of the continent's chaos isn't far away."
"But is that an outcome you, Grand Worshipper, wish to see?"
At this, Qian Daoliu's gaze deepened as he stared into Ye Tian's eyes.
Though he didn't wholly believe Ye Tian's words, time waited for no one.
Urgency wouldn't allow him many opportunities!
His hand clenched into a fist and pounded the table with determination.
"The Spirit Hall must indeed become stronger!"
"Oh? Does that mean you agree to implement the exchange policy?"
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed slightly, her interest piqued.
"Hmph, don't overthink it."
Qian Daoliu responded coldly.
"Implementing an untested policy across the entire Spirit Hall—you've got quite the imagination!"
Success would be a cause for celebration.
But what if it failed?
The ideals upheld by the Spirit Hall for millennia, and the angel family's centuries of effort, would all be for naught.
That was an outcome Qian Daoliu could not accept.
"I intend to select a group of promising young individuals from across the Spirit Hall, pour significant resources into their development, and personally mentor them."
"I refuse to believe that such large-scale selection could still be surpassed by the other forces!"
In truth, Qian Daoliu had another reason for coming out of seclusion this time.
He had decided to forgo the pursuit of the elusive godhood. Remaining at the pinnacle of Title Douluo, overseeing the Spirit Hall, was sufficient.
With that decision, he had plenty of time to spare.
If he could contribute further to the Spirit Hall by cultivating a core group for his granddaughter's future leadership, it would be worthwhile.
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's eyes gleamed with cunning.
"Selecting talent…"
Wasn't this precisely the next step in implementing the exchange policy that Ye Tian had mentioned?
Labeling it as talent selection to covertly restrict the heirs of various spirit master families would ensure those families feared the Spirit Hall and purge its corrupt elements.
She had originally planned to align with Qian Daoliu before executing this step.
But now, it was clear that cooperation with this old man was impossible.
To implement the exchange policy, she could only rely on the Pope's Palace.
However, the "talent selection" process could indeed be entrusted to the Elder Hall under Qian Daoliu's charge.
After all, launching such a program would consume substantial resources.
Bibi Dong's expression remained indifferent as she looked at Qian Daoliu.
"Cultivating useful talent is indeed a top priority for our Spirit Hall. On this point, our views align."
"But small-scale selection won't achieve much."
"Why not conduct a comprehensive selection across the entire Spirit Hall?"
"Bring all qualified spirit masters to Spirit City for centralized training. After three months of training, we'll further refine the selection."
"Your idea is excellent," Qian Daoliu nodded in agreement.
He didn't overthink it. After all, their goals of strengthening the Spirit Hall were aligned.
After Qian Daoliu departed, Bibi Dong and Ye Tian exchanged glances.
Although this discussion had been less than ideal, it wasn't entirely fruitless.
Ye Tian chuckled, moving closer to Bibi Dong and wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Wife, what's your plan next?"
Bibi Dong, deep in thought, didn't shy away from Ye Tian's touch as she replied, "No matter what, the exchange policy must be implemented."
"But with that old fossil Qian Daoliu obstructing it, we'll have to proceed slowly."
Ye Tian smiled. "I do have a way to make Qian Daoliu unable to oppose it."
At these words, Bibi Dong's eyes lit up with hope. "What way?"
"Wrap the exchange policy in a new guise," Ye Tian replied with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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