On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the midday sun filtered through the layers of leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the forest clearing. The campfire was still crackling, but the atmosphere in the air at this moment was quite different from before, permeated with an indescribable heaviness.
Tang Ya tightly gripped the scroll of the Mysterious Heaven Skill in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force. Her heart was undergoing a violent storm—the existence of that complete version of the Mysterious Heaven Skill had already shaken her understanding of the Tang Sect's Legacy.
Furina's crisp voice broke the silence: "I've said there's no need to rush into a decision right now. This Mysterious Heaven Skill is merely the first gift I've prepared."
"There's more?" Tang Ya suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Bei Bei nodded thoughtfully. He did remember Furina's wording just now was "one of them," but he had been too shocked at the time to think much of it.
Furina gracefully took an exquisite jade bottle from her storage ring and stuffed it into Tang Ya's hand without giving her a choice. "One soul ascension pill and two profound water pills; consider this a meeting gift." Her tone was as relaxed as if she were giving away ordinary candy. "Even if you ultimately decide not to join the Axis Cult, please accept these. If you feel bad about it, just repay me with something of equal value in the future, gold coin or other items will do."
Bei Bei clicked his tongue inwardly. Both the profound water pill and the soul ascension pill were extremely precious Medicinal Pills. Even with his status at Shrek Academy, obtaining them would require a great deal of effort. Yet Furina had brought out so many so casually—just how deep was the foundation of this Axis Cult?
"This is too precious, I can't accept it..." Tang Ya hurriedly tried to push the jade bottle back, her voice carrying clear panic.
Furina shook her head gently, her silver hair shimmering with a soft luster in the sunlight. "These Medicinal Pills are ultimately just external objects, only able to provide a bit of assistance in the Early Stage of cultivation. What truly determines a person's achievements is, in the end, their own effort and talent."
She paused, her gaze thoughtfully scanning Tang Ya's slightly pale face. "If you are willing to join the Axis Cult, what I can provide is far more than this."
Just then, Furina suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, Sect Leader Tang Ya, I wonder if you have ever seriously considered why the Tang Sect has fallen to its current state?"
Tang Ya was stunned for a moment, then answered without thinking, "Because of the rise of spirit tools..."
"That answer is only half right," Furina gently interrupted her. "In my view, spirit tools can only be considered fifty percent of the reason. The other fifty percent is precisely the Tang Sect's own problems."
"The Tang Sect itself?" Tang Ya repeated in confusion, her brow furrowing involuntarily.
To the side, Huo Yuhao quietly flipped the food on the grill. Although he had heard some things about the Tang Sect's history, he didn't know the specific details, so he could only be a quiet listener for now.
Bei Bei was also thinking quickly in his heart. Following common logic, the Tang Sect's decline was indeed inextricably linked to the rise of spirit tools; after all, traditional Hidden Weaponss had indeed lost their former advantage in front of spirit tools.
Furina began her analysis unhurriedly: "First is the Tang Sect's stagnation. For ten thousand years, the Tang Sect has clung to Hidden Weaponss and those Legacy Cultivation Techniques, never having any true innovation. After the rise of spirit tools, they didn't even take the initiative to learn from or draw upon their strengths. This is the main reason for the Tang Sect's decline."
She looked at Tang Ya with a deep gaze: "If the Tang Sect of that time could have broadened its horizons slightly and learned even a bit about spirit tools, it probably wouldn't have fallen to this point."
Tang Ya fell into silence. Although she had an instinctive rejection of spirit tools in her heart, she had to admit that Furina's words made sense. If the Tang Sect of those years could have adapted to the changes of the era, perhaps it really wouldn't have reached this state today.
"Secondly, and more fundamentally, the problem lies in the Tang Sect's institutional design."
"Institutional design?" Tang Ya and Bei Bei asked back in unison, their faces filled with confusion.
Huo Yuhao also couldn't help but prick up his ears, becoming deeply interested in this topic.
"Yes, the institution," Furina's tone became serious. "Your Tang Sect stipulates that every generation's Sect Leader must possess the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. I understand you take pride in the Blue Silver Grass because the Tang Sect's founder, the Grandmaster you revere, had the Blue Silver Grass as his Martial Soul."
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