More than an hour later, Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er bid farewell, and Dugu Bo personally escorted the two out of his residence.
"Could those herbs this boy took back then really be so miraculous?"
Watching Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er's departing figures, Dugu Bo couldn't help but wonder.
He had long realized that the herbs Mu Yang had taken were extraordinary.
Take, for example, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, which was identical to Chrysanthemum Douluo's martial soul—he could recognize that one for sure.
Not to mention the extreme cold Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Herb and the extreme heat Blazing Delicate Apricot, even someone completely ignorant of medicinal properties could tell they were unusual.
And the changes in Mu Yang, Dugu Bo had seen them with his own eyes.
From red hair turning blue to an unbelievably fast cultivation speed, this was far beyond what an ordinary innately full soul power genius could achieve, especially since Mu Yang was a food-type soul master, who normally cultivated much more slowly.
Moreover, it wasn't just Mu Yang—Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, Shui Bing'er, and Shui Yue'er had all been advancing at an abnormal rate as well.
Could it be that everything was due to those special herbs?
"No, that can't be right. Even with those herbs, the changes shouldn't be this drastic."
Dugu Bo quickly shook his head, denying his own guess.
Take, for example, that Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
If it was truly that miraculous, wouldn't Chrysanthemum Douluo have already reached the heavens?
Although Dugu Bo himself was no match for Chrysanthemum Douluo, he also didn't see Chrysanthemum Douluo as that overwhelmingly strong.
Otherwise, Chrysanthemum Douluo would have been listed among the Worship Elders of the Spirit Hall.
After pondering for a while, Dugu Bo suddenly thought of the mystical Soul Core Secret Method and let out a chuckle.
Regardless of whether Mu Yang and the others' transformations were due to those herbs or not, Dugu Bo was at least relieved that Mu Yang wasn't ungrateful.
Otherwise, what could he do? Demand the herbs back? That was impossible!
If those herbs were truly miraculous, then Mu Yang and the others had already consumed them long ago.
And if they weren't anything special, then why bother taking back some mere plants?
Besides, times had changed. Blazing Academy was no longer what it used to be.
With two Titled Douluos guarding it, even the Spirit Hall would have to show some respect.
Hmm... Dugu Bo couldn't figure out what that old dog Salas was thinking back then, sending people to assassinate the nephews of two Titled Douluos.
In Dugu Bo's opinion, Salas was lucky to have died the next day.
Otherwise, whether the assassination succeeded or not, if Salas ever left Heaven Dou City, he would have likely vanished without a trace.
Although Blazing Academy wasn't strong enough to challenge the Spirit Hall, as long as the assassination was clean with no evidence left behind, Spirit Hall wouldn't risk a direct confrontation with two Titled Douluos just for Salas.
After all, there was a saying—"Pick the soft persimmon to squeeze."
If the Spirit Hall really clashed with two Titled Douluos, and their own Titled Elders suffered casualties, who would bear the loss?
And who would take responsibility?
It wasn't as if they could sacrifice a Spirit Hall Elder, who was stronger and held a higher status than Salas, just to avenge him.
A dead genius was no longer a genius, and a dead Salas was naturally no longer the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall.
Leaving Dugu Bo's residence, Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er strolled through the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City until noon, before finally returning to the Heaven Dou Hotel.
In the afternoon, Huo Lie and Mu Xiyue invited Shui Yanyu, under the pretense of discussing important matters, to a tea house called 'Qingxuan', not far from the hotel.
Accompanying them were Mu Yang, Shui Bing'er, and Feng Xiaotian.
Mu Yang represented the next generation of Blazing Academy.
Shui Bing'er represented the next generation of Tianshui Academy.
And Feng Xiaotian represented the next generation of Divine Wind Academy.
Inside a private tea room, after the waiter served the tea, Huo Lie flashed his soul power, setting up a barrier to isolate their conversation from the outside world.
"Hmm? Old Huo, being this cautious—could it be something major?"
Seeing Huo Lie's actions, Feng Zhen couldn't help but ask curiously.
Huo Lie smiled and asked, "Brother Feng, how do you think the relationship between our three academies is?"
"It's pretty good, isn't it?"
Not understanding Huo Lie's intent, Feng Zhen simply went along with the conversation.
"Brother Feng, what do you think of the current situation on the continent?"
Huo Lie asked again.
"It's fine. The Spirit Hall has ambition, but they haven't made any big moves yet. The two great empires haven't had a large-scale war in years. Overall, everything seems peaceful..."
"But it looks like..."
"The calm before the storm!"
Before Feng Zhen could finish, Huo Lie spoke.
Hearing this, Feng Zhen nodded.
As the principal of Divine Wind Academy, he naturally wasn't blind to this reality.
Whether it was Spirit Hall or the two great empires, Heaven Dou and Star Luo, both were continuously building up their strength.
And that was exactly where the problem lay.
The two great empires had national tax revenues to support them. As long as a great war didn't break out, maintaining an army of a million elite soldiers, tens of thousands of soul masters, and a few high-level powerhouses wouldn't be an issue at all.
But Spirit Hall was different.
Spirit Hall's territory was small, and its sources of income were limited. Yet, its soul masters accounted for more than half of all soul masters on the continent.
Even with Spirit Hall's strong foundation, there would inevitably come a day when it could no longer sustain itself.
One could say that Spirit Hall had two paths before it.
The first was downsizing—reducing the size of the Soul Master Legion, cutting expenses, and achieving financial balance.
The second was expansion—seizing territory, establishing governance, implementing a tax system like the two great empires, and eliminating the financial deficit.
If Spirit Hall were weak, downsizing would be a great choice.
But the problem was that Spirit Hall was acknowledged as the supreme force in the soul master world, with countless strong individuals under its command.
Downsize? Not a chance!
The continent respected strength—if one had the bigger fist, why shouldn't they have more land than the weak?
However, Spirit Hall's expansion was something the two great empires would never allow.
Feeding a wolf with their own flesh was out of the question, and once Spirit Hall eliminated its financial shortcomings, it was possible that in the near future, the two great empires would be swept into the dustbin of history.
To avoid being crushed under its own weight, Spirit Hall would inevitably strike against the two great empires.
And to avoid being erased from history, the two great empires would resist with all their might.
Therefore, sooner or later, chaos would descend upon the continent.
War was inevitable.
"Brother Feng, with war on the horizon, what do you think our three Elemental Academies should do?"
Huo Lie asked, looking at Feng Zhen.
"This..."
Feng Zhen hesitated.
As an advanced soul master academy, staying neutral was undoubtedly the safest choice for Divine Wind Academy.
After all, Divine Wind Academy had no deep-seated hatred against Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou, or Star Luo.
But neutrality also required strength.
Without sufficient strength, there were plenty of ways others could force them to choose a side.
If they ended up on the victorious side, that would be fine.
But if they ended up on the losing side, then Divine Wind Academy might vanish into history.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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