"The high-ranking teachers of the five Elemental Academies are well aware that if the five academies were to unite, their combined team would be strong enough to rival even the Royal Academy of Heaven Dou, if not surpass it."
"The joint team of the five Elemental Academies would certainly be incredibly powerful, perhaps even capable of challenging the elite teams of the Spirit Hall."
"While the teachers of the Elemental Academies might support this idea, the forces behind these academies will never allow it. The royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire, as well as the noble elites, would never let them unite."
"The deans of the five academies are merely representatives of the powers supporting their respective schools."
"Thunder Academy is backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Elephant Armor Academy is supported by the Elephant Armor Sect. Our Windstorm Academy is secretly aided by the Wind Sword Sect, one of the lower four sects."
"Blazing Fire Academy is supported by the Fire Leopard Sect, another of the lower four sects."
"Heaven Water Academy is backed by a mysterious hidden sect from the northern part of the continent."
"The force behind Heaven Water Academy is the most secretive; beyond that, I don't know much."
"Although the Wind Sword Sect and Fire Leopard Sect are part of the lower four sects, they have limited influence in the Star Luo Empire, so their interference in our Windstorm Academy and Blazing Fire Academy is minimal."
"The purpose of these sects supporting Windstorm Academy and Blazing Fire Academy is to stir up competition within the Elemental Academies of the Heaven Dou Empire. To put it bluntly, they aim to prevent us from uniting."
"Except for the Fire Leopard Sect and Wind Sword Sect, which are trying to cause trouble, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Elephant Armor Sect, and the hidden sect supporting Heaven Water Academy are all forces that shouldn't be underestimated."
"In the end, the five Elemental Academies serve as platforms to channel the young disciples of these powerful sects. These forces aren't willing to let go."
"And as for…"
Cloud Yi Bai interjected, "As for the Heaven Dou Empire, although a united five Elemental Academies would be a formidable force, to the top nobles, it is the fragmented academies that they would prefer to see."
"A united five Elemental Academies would not serve their interests, as it would challenge their control and influence."
Since the five Elemental Academies were unable to unite, many of the noble elites of the Heaven Dou Empire thought their interference had been effective, though in reality, it was due to the internal strife among these five forces.
"Only by entering the fray with absolute strength can we have a chance to claim a piece of the pie." What Cloud Yi Bai was referring to was exactly what they, at Wujin Academy, had already done.
With a Title Douluo, three Soul Douluo, and a formidable lineup of Soul Saints, Soul Emperors, and lower-ranked Soul Masters, they had entered the fray before the Heaven Dou Royal Family and the various sects and families had a chance to react.
The situation was already irreversible, and there was no way to suppress or stop it, so they had to resort to winning them over.
"However… logically speaking, given your current status, you shouldn't be able to know about all these hidden secrets?" Cloud Yi Bai glanced at Feng Xiaotian.
"My uncle is the vice-dean of Windstorm Academy!" Feng Xiaotian replied helplessly.
"He's one of Windstorm Academy's only two Soul Douluo!"
Feng Xiaotian hadn't wanted to reveal this, but if Cloud Yi Bai hadn't asked, he wouldn't have said it.
Feng Xiaotian's casual remark was truly an unintentional display of pride.
"I know you've been considering the idea of merging the remaining Elemental Academies, except for Elephant Armor Academy, but you must also take the forces behind the Elemental Academies into account," he continued.
"Although it might be seen as a betrayal, Windstorm Academy and Blazing Fire Academy are the best candidates for merging with Wujin Academy."
"Their supporting sects are located far outside the Star Luo Empire, and Wujin Academy's greatest strength right now is the Title Douluo, Lord Poison!"
"Honestly, the teachers at Windstorm Academy and Blazing Fire Academy are quite hopeful about merging these two schools. So, in terms of resistance, Windstorm Academy and Blazing Fire Academy are the least troublesome for us."
Of course, the reason the resistance was minimal was that Feng Xiaotian himself was considered a "traitor."
Feng Xiaotian wasn't a fool. Before he had met Cloud Yi Bai and joined Wujin Academy, he had considered, after growing stronger, to merge his original Windstorm Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, and Heaven Water Academy.
Although Heaven Water Academy might be difficult, Blazing Fire Academy could be feasible. But this was all based on the premise that they had enough strength.
As always, Feng Xiaotian had been a clever person, though he had been momentarily blinded by love.
Wujin Academy was gaining momentum, with a deep foundation, and talents like Cloud Yi Bai, Dong Guoyan, and Oscar. If they were given enough time, they would lead Wujin Academy to become one of the world's top forces.
The temptation was enormous.
The restructuring of Thunder Academy started with Feng Xiaotian, who had provided the idea. Since his transfer from Windstorm Academy to Wujin Academy, he had set a precedent for the other Elemental Academies.
But the real reason behind this was the strong lineup of Spirit Hall's elite team, which included three Soul Kings and four Soul Sect members, Wujin Academy's two Soul Kings and five Soul Sect members, and the special situation of Shrek Academy.
As the chosen ones of the Heaven Dou Empire, no one wanted to lose like this, so they had united to form the strongest elemental team.
"Haha! A clown is still a clown, even if they unite. They will remain… clowns!" Yan, a member of Spirit Hall's elite team, looked at the newly reorganized Thunder Academy with disdain.
"Yan!" The leader of Spirit Hall's elite team, Xie Yue, coldly cast a glance at Yan.
Yan grimaced and looked away.
Xie Yue, with his calm demeanor, hadn't yet seen the performance of Thunder Academy's members, but the data from their files was certainly not false.
Xie Yue looked at Thunder Academy's team, beginning with Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin, the twin Soul Sects from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, both at Level 48 in the Attack-type battle soul, who were strong enough to challenge even Soul Kings.
He also noted Heaven Water Academy's fusion skill, which posed a threat to them.
And Fire Dance's taboo fusion skill was another hidden danger.
Initially, when the draw results came out, Spirit Hall's elite team had thought they just needed to wait for the final match, as they hadn't considered Thunder Academy to be a threat.
But now, they had realized they were too optimistic.
Xie Yue saw the determined look in their eyes. They were not going to give up until the last moment.