At this moment, Xu Tianhao, far away in Dou Ling City, naturally could not know about this transformation within the Sea Gods Pavilion.
But if he could hear these words from Mu En, he would probably feel like dying.
He had joined forces with Xu Tianran to set up this layout, actively exposing his own talent.
On one hand, it was to intimidate the original three Empires, and on the other, it was to attract the attention of the Body Sect, aiming to recruit this powerful Sect under the banner of the Sun Moon Empire.
Xu Tianran led the team to participate in the All-Continent High-Level Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, with his goal set directly on the championship, wanting to use this to demonstrate the strength of the Sun Moon Empire to the entire continent.
According to their plan, even if Xu Tianran ultimately won the championship, and even if the plan to attract the Body Sect succeeded.
It should have been influencing Shrek's decisions subtly, letting them gradually reform under pressure.
But no one expected that Mu En's reaction would be so swift and resolute, directly pushing forward the comprehensive reform of the spirit tool department five years ahead of the original timeline.
This was the chain reaction brought about by the butterfly effect; a small action could often trigger huge changes beyond expectations.
Of course, the root of all this lay in Mu En's vision and courage.
In today's Shrek Academy, in terms of seniority, strength, and prestige, only Mu En had the ability to push forward such a fundamental reform.
One must know that the traditions formed over ten thousand years at Shrek Academy were already deeply rooted, and changing them was not easy.
If not for Mu En, this Limit Douluo, personally presiding and overcoming all opposition.
I fear this spirit tool reform would have been opposed by countless people as soon as it was proposed, and ultimately left unsettled.
In the original, if Mu En could have lived for a few more decades, with his foresight and powerful strength, Shrek Academy would surely have been even stronger.
Grilled Fish might not have encountered so many setbacks in the early stages, nor been domesticated like a dog by a certain "Three" in the later stages.
Unfortunately, time waits for no one; Mu En's life had long since entered the countdown, and he himself knew that he did not have many years left to live.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Mu En had such courage, resolutely pushing forward this reform in the final stages of his life.
Mu En knew deeply that once he passed away, it would be even harder for Shrek to carry out such a thorough transformation.
He had to pave the way for Shrek's future while he was still alive.
To allow the academy to stand firm in the coming chaotic times and continue to maintain its leading position in the Spirit Master's world.
But regardless, this decision by Mu En had already caused Shrek Academy to change five years ahead of schedule, and had added much uncertainty to the future of the entire Douluo Continent.
No one could predict what kind of impact this early reform would bring to Shrek, or how it would change the balance of power between the four Empires.
However, Xu Tianhao was not yet aware of all this, occasionally discussing the details of attracting the Body Sect with Xu Tianran.
But he already had some vague premonitions in his heart.
After all, his elder brother Xu Tianran's performance in the tournament was too outstanding.
And with The Four Little Ones displaying their talents so high-profilely, such stimulation could not fail to alert Shrek.
With the foundation and wisdom of Shrek Academy, they would inevitably plan and layout in advance to deal with the threat posed by the Sun Moon Empire.
Therefore, even if he learned in the future that Shrek Academy had carried out reforms early, Xu Tianhao would not be overly worried.
In his view, a mere few years were not enough to fundamentally overturn his plans.
The Sun Moon Empire's leading advantage in the field of spirit tools was definitely not something Shrek could catch up to in just five years.
And his plan with Xu Tianran to recruit the Body Sect had already entered the preparation stage.
As long as the Body Sect could successfully join, the strength of the Sun Moon Empire would surely rise to a new level, sufficient to deal with any of Shrek's methods.
...
Inside the Sea Gods Pavilion, the atmosphere was even more solemn than before.
Mu En slowly raised his right hand, holding up his third finger, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible hesitation:
"Third, this is also a decision I have hesitated over for a long time."
He paused, his gaze falling on Yan Shaozhe, and said slowly: "If the academy loses in the finals this time, Shaozhe will personally go to the Sun Moon Empire to negotiate with Mingde Hall."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe immediately showed a look of confusion.
As the core institution of the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool technology, Mingde Hall gathered the top spirit tool talents on the entire continent.
It had always been a competitor to Shrek Academy, and there was almost no intersection between the two sides.
He frowned and asked suspiciously: "Teacher, what is there for us to negotiate with Mingde Hall?"
"They are the core power of the Sun Moon Empire and are at odds with us like fire and water. Do we have to bow our heads to them?"
Not only Yan Shaozhe, but other members of the Sea Gods Pavilion also showed confused expressions, not understanding why Mu En would propose such a seemingly absurd decision.
Mu En shook his head gently and explained: "Shaozhe, you have misunderstood."
"It is difficult to make great progress by working behind closed doors; we must admit this."
"Our Shrek Academy possesses the most complete Spirit Master training system and has rich experience in training Spirit Masters, but in terms of spirit tool technology, we are far behind the Sun Moon Empire."
"And although the Sun Moon Empire's spirit tool technology is powerful, they indeed have shortcomings in training Spirit Masters; otherwise, they would not value the talent of The Four Little Ones so much."
Speaking of this, Mu En's gaze swept across the crowd, his tone becoming meaningful:
"We need spirit tool technology, and the Sun Moon Empire also needs experience in training Spirit Masters."
With just this one sentence, it was as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, making everyone in the Sea Gods Pavilion understand Mu En's intention.
This was undoubtedly to send Shrek Academy students to Mingde Hall for further studies in the name of exchange students, to learn their advanced spirit tool technology.
At the same time, it allowed Spirit Masters from Mingde Hall to come to Shrek Academy to study, drawing on their experience and methods for training Spirit Masters.
This was a win-win cooperation model where both sides took what they needed, learned from each other's strengths, and made up for their own shortcomings.
However, this method of cooperation was also full of risks and uncertainties.
After all, there was a non-negligible competitive relationship between Shrek and the Sun Moon Empire.
In the process of exchange and learning, both sides would inevitably hold something back, and wanting to truly learn the other's core technology and experience was by no means easy.
As for who would gain more from this cooperation, that would depend on the capabilities of the personnel dispatched by both sides.
If the students sent by Shrek could rely on their extraordinary talent and wisdom to quickly master the core of Mingde Hall's spirit tool technology, then Shrek would undoubtedly become the biggest winner.
Conversely, if Mingde Hall's Spirit Masters could learn advanced Spirit Master training methods at Shrek.
Then the strength of the Sun Moon Empire's Spirit Masters would surely be rapidly improved, and the gap between the two sides would be further narrowed.
This decision was bolder and more unexpected than the previous two.
It meant that Shrek Academy had to lower its stance and engage in deep cooperation with its former competitors, which was unprecedented in Shrek's history.
But everyone understood that this was perhaps their only shortcut to quickly catching up to the Sun Moon Empire in the field of spirit tool technology.
The confusion on Yan Shaozhe's face gradually faded, replaced by solemnity and determination.
He looked at Mu En and nodded slowly: "Teacher, I understand."
"If the academy really fails, I am willing to go to the Sun Moon Empire in person to negotiate with Mingde Hall and strive to secure the greatest benefits for the academy."
Other members of the Sea Gods Pavilion also expressed their agreement.
Although they still had concerns in their hearts, in the face of Mu En's foresight, all their hesitation vanished into thin air.
They knew that every decision of Mu En was for the future of Shrek, for the future of the Douluo Continent's Spirit Master's world.
Mu En looked at the determined eyes of the crowd, a relieved smile appearing on his face.
He slowly lowered his finger, his tone softening slightly: "Good, since everyone has no objections, then these three decisions are settled."
"Next, what we need to do is to implement these three reform measures as soon as possible."
"I believe that as long as we are united, Shrek Academy will surely be able to create brilliance again with everyone's efforts!"