"Old Song?"
Zhu Ziyang called out, but received no response. Old Song was currently looking down, her eyes filled with complex thoughts, lost in contemplation.
It wasn't until a moment later that she looked up at Zhu Ziyang and asked, "Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"
"…" Zhu Ziyang was silent for a few seconds, then tentatively replied, "Is it because of the Sun Moon Empire?"
"Haha! A sharp child, very good, very good." Old Song couldn't help but laugh heartily at his words, then continued, "You're right. It's precisely because of the Sun Moon Empire!"
Old Song reined in her smile and said, "Do you know how many Spirit Masters the Sun Moon Empire has? Half! It's half the total number of Spirit Masters in the Douluo Three Kingdoms!"
Zhu Ziyang's eyes widened, his heart filled with shock. According to his understanding, when the Sun Moon Empire first clashed with the Douluo Continent, their number of Spirit Masters was very small, only one-tenth of the Douluo Continent's Spirit Masters at the time. How could it have suddenly grown from one-tenth to one-half in four thousand years? Such a speed was simply too terrifying!
"Doesn't it seem incredible?" Old Song looked at Zhu Ziyang's expression, a look of sarcasm appearing on her aged face as she said, "There's something even more incredible. The reason the Sun Moon Empire was able to cause such a surge in Spirit Master numbers is entirely because they learned from a system that once existed on our Douluo Continent!"
"Are you saying, Spirit Hall?!" Zhu Ziyang felt his mouth go dry. For a moment, he felt that the royal families of the original Douluo Three Kingdoms might as well all die.
"Exactly!" Old Song's face showed indignation as she said, "It was Spirit Hall! After their first defeat, the Sun Moon Empire deeply realized that their inadequacy lay in the number of Spirit Masters. So, their royal family began reforms, learning a new system from Spirit Hall, which had been destroyed six thousand years ago on the Douluo Continent. They unified the Spirit Awakening ceremony across the entire nation, with the state providing free Spirit Awakening for everyone! The results of this reform were very significant. The number of Spirit Masters in the Sun Moon Empire continuously increased, and the ranks of high-level Spirit Masters continuously broke through."
Zhu Ziyang remained silent, because he knew some of these things, but he hadn't realized how serious they were.
"In contrast, the Douluo Three Kingdoms not only failed to recognize their own shortcomings, but the development of spirit tools almost stagnated. They also spent huge sums of money annually to purchase spirit tools from the Sun Moon Empire. Isn't that funding the enemy with their own money? Even the number of Spirit Masters is decreasing year by year! How tragic!" Old Song said, "If it weren't for the Academy, the continent would probably have been unified by the foreign nation of the Sun Moon Empire long ago!
However, those contemptible nobles and the royal family completely failed to realize the seriousness of the problem. A thousand years ago, when Cloud Sky Douluo implemented a remedial plan, that group of short-sighted nobles not only failed to support him but united to oppose him, leading to the failure of Cloud Sky Douluo's plan, and he himself died with regret!"
Zhu Ziyang knew that Old Song was referring to the origin of the Shrek exclusive zone. Cloud Sky Douluo was the dean of Shrek Academy at that time.
"If Cloud Sky Douluo's reforms had been smoothly implemented back then, why would we need to be so wary of the Sun Moon Empire's invasion now? These insects are truly reaping what they sow!" Old Song continued, her tone growing more and more resentful, "Ziyang, you know. In terms of spirit tool research alone, the gap between our Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy is not large, at most only fifty years. Except for a very few core knowledge areas, the soft power of our Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department is not inferior to theirs.
However, in terms of hard power, we have been left behind by at least two hundred years. The highest-level Soul Engineer in our Academy currently is only an eighth-rank, while on their side, there are several ninth-rank Soul Engineers alone, not to mention eighth-rank Soul Engineers. Due to the lack of high-level Soul Engineers, even if we have the blueprints, we simply cannot produce them. To possess a treasure but be unable to wield it is truly infuriating!"
Zhu Ziyang could only listen to such matters. Although his library also contained many spirit tool blueprints, the newest ones were a hundred years old, belonging to commonly used spirit tools that were already widely applied. Moreover, even if he were to bring them out, it would be of no use, because Old Song had already explained that the weakness of the Eastern Three Kingdoms, or rather, Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department, lay in people, not technology.
He had no intention of becoming a Soul Engineer. His twin ultimate Spirits meant he didn't have much energy to research other things. Furthermore, the prerequisite for becoming a Soul Engineer was to become a Spirit Master, and the higher the level of the Soul Engineer, the deeper their spirit power cultivation needed to be, otherwise they would simply be unable to control high-level spirit tools.
"If the Eastern Three Kingdoms were to learn from the Sun Moon Empire and unify the Spirit Awakening process, or delegate the right of Spirit Awakening to the Academy, allowing all our common people to fully awaken their Spirits, and bringing the number of Spirit Masters on the Douluo Continent back to its peak state of ten thousand years ago, I refuse to believe that with such a large base, there wouldn't be a few outstanding Soul Engineer geniuses!" Old Song continued, speaking through gritted teeth, as if she wanted to devour those nobles alive.
A hint of helplessness appeared in Zhu Ziyang's eyes. He had figured it out; this old woman, who was at least over a hundred years old, was a passionate idealist!
"So, Old Song, what do you mean by telling me all this?" Zhu Ziyang finally couldn't hold back and asked.
"Hehe! Little fellow, you finally couldn't resist." Old Song heard Zhu Ziyang's question, first revealing a triumphant smile, and then resuming a solemn expression, saying, "Listen to me slowly."
Zhu Ziyang watched Old Song's changing expressions and couldn't help but want to complain that she had mastered the art of changing faces.
"The reason I'm telling you all this is because you are the only one among all the exceptionally talented children I've seen who has the chance to become the second person capable of changing all of this!" Old Song said a rather convoluted sentence.
But Zhu Ziyang understood.
"You don't need me to tell you, the first person capable of changing all of this was Old Mu. Old Mu was once unparalleled in the world and could have unified the three kingdoms with his own martial power," Old Song said, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction, "But now, Old Mu is old. He no longer has the energy to manage these things. However, Ziyang, you are different! You are still young, your talent far surpasses Old Mu's, and you possess an ultimate Spirit. Your achievements are bound to surpass Old Mu's! Once you grow up, no one on this continent will be able to stand before you!"
Listening to Old Song's words, Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but feel a little flattered.
"Therefore, I hope." Old Song's tone changed, becoming serious, even with a hint of pleading, as she said, "When Ziyang, you become the number one person on the continent—I believe this is only a matter of time—you must use your martial power to unify the Douluo Three Kingdoms, and then standardize the Spirit Awakening ceremony, allowing everyone to have the opportunity to awaken their Spirit. Even if you turn the Academy into a second Spirit Hall, it is acceptable, as long as it can prevent our continent from being occupied by foreign races, everything is worth it!"
Old Song's words deeply resonated with Zhu Ziyang, as she had voiced a part of his own thoughts. He looked at Old Song, and Old Song looked back at him, her aged eyes filled with longing. He felt a connection and nodded solemnly, saying, "Old Song, I can only say, man proposes, God disposes!"
"Good! Good! Good!" Old Song said 'good' three times in a row, happily clapping her hands, and said, "I truly didn't misjudge you! In the future, if you need anything, you can always come to me. I will help you in any way I can."
"I understand, thank you, Old Song." Zhu Ziyang said, his heart filled with joy at her words.
"It's nothing, this is only what you deserve." Old Song smiled and shook her head, saying.
Zhu Ziyang said nothing.
"Oh, by the way, don't tell anyone about this conversation between you and me, except for Old Mu." Old Song finally reminded him, "Unless you can protect yourself from a Titled Douluo."
"I understand!" Zhu Ziyang nodded.
Of course, he knew how dangerous the words spoken today were. The noble forces of the Douluo Three Kingdoms were still very powerful. Not to mention anything else, the royal families of the Three Great Empires alone had several Titled Douluo. His future goal could be said to be to dig the grave of the Empires, and no normal ruler would let him go unchecked.
After the conversation with Old Song ended, another five or six hours passed, and the large cocoon formed by Jiang Nannan finally stirred again.
Seeing this, Zhu Ziyang immediately looked over with eager anticipation.