Douluo: The Ultimate Self

Seeing that both Niu Gao and Bai He were somewhat swayed, Yang Xiong decided to press further.

"Elders, if you're willing to join, I can guarantee that both of you will break through to the Title Douluo level within ten years—possibly even sooner."

Niu Gao and Bai He were visibly startled, while Yang Wudi, standing nearby, couldn't help but twitch his lips. After all, Yang Xiong had said something similar to him—and he had believed it.

Niu Gao and Bai He immediately grew serious. They had spent their entire lives reaching the Soul Sage level, and now, at their advanced age, their soul power had long since stagnated. It was unlikely they would ever reach the Title Douluo level in this lifetime.

Niu Gao spoke: "Yang Xiong, such words shouldn't be spoken lightly. I know my own strength and potential—I fear I'll never break through in this life."

Yang Xiong didn't respond but instead glanced at Yang Wudi.

Yang Wudi finally spoke: "Old Rhino, Old White Bird—you should trust Yang Xiong on this. I'm confident I'll break through to the Title Douluo level within ten years—but only if you genuinely join us. Otherwise, there's nothing I can do to help you."

…

After some further discussion, Niu Gao and Bai He finally made up their minds and agreed to join Yang Xiong.

According to Yang Xiong's original plan, he hadn't intended to establish the sect so soon. However, with the three single-attribute families willing to pledge allegiance, it meant they had a solid foundation.

Yang Xiong carefully surveyed the four people around him and spoke with an unusually serious expression: "Since everyone has made their decision, I won't hesitate any longer. From today onward, the Body Sect is officially established."

"From now on, the main members of the Body Sect will include the Breaking Clan, the Defense Clan, and the Speed Clan. Additionally, I'll recruit some talented individuals. Teacher Lin Gong will serve as the Grand Elder of the Body Sect, Patriarch Yang Wudi as the Second Elder, Patriarch Niu Gao as the Third Elder, and Patriarch Bai He as the Fourth Elder."

"I trust the integrity of all the elders here completely. But let me make one thing clear: anyone who betrays the sect will face death. I hope all the elders remember this."

Yang Wudi, who had been sitting in the most prominent position, stood up at this moment. All four bowed deeply to Yang Xiong: "We pay our respects, Sect Leader. We will not disappoint your expectations."

Lin Gong, who had been quietly observing like an audience member, reluctantly joined the others in bowing. After all, he was now officially named the Grand Elder of the Body Sect.

Yang Wudi asked hesitantly: "Sect Leader Yang, now that the Body Sect has been established, how will we interact with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"

Yang Xiong shook his head: "It's still too early. My strength is still too weak, and the Body Sect shouldn't draw too much attention. For now, only the five of us will know about the sect's establishment. Don't mention it to your clans yet, and don't let the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect know either."

"The current state of the world is chaotic. The Spirit Hall is overwhelmingly powerful, and sooner or later, they'll move against all the soul master forces in the world. All of us here oppose the Spirit Hall—we are their greatest enemies. Therefore, we must avoid drawing attention for now."

"Let me outline the core strategy for the Body Sect's near-term actions: 'Accumulate resources, delay claiming dominance, and fortify defenses.'"

Niu Gao frowned: "Sect Leader, I'm just a simple old rhino—I don't quite understand what you mean."

The other three looked at Niu Gao with disdain. As far as they were concerned, Niu Gao was clearly a brute—or perhaps even illiterate.

Yang Xiong sighed and explained: "Elder Niu, for now, we need to remain low-key. The entire sect will temporarily be stationed near the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, forming a defensive alliance with them and leveraging their wealth for development."

"'Accumulate resources' means we need to quickly amass wealth and recruit soul masters. At the very least, we need to reach the level of the lower four sects to have a chance of eventually becoming one of the upper three sects—or even achieving dominance over the entire continent."

"As for 'delay claiming dominance', we don't need fame—only strength. In this world, strength is everything. The Spirit Hall and the upper three sects are so dominant because they have Title Douluo and immense power. What we need is strength—not excessive fame for now."

Yang Wudi thought for a moment: "Though what you say makes sense, without sufficient fame, it'll be hard to attract many soul masters."

"Moreover, every powerful sect has a prime location for its base. If we stay within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's sphere of influence, our growth might be restricted."

Yang Xiong shook his head: "We won't follow the Spirit Hall's model. Their approach is more like a mass recruitment tactic—they absorb large numbers of low-level students from civilian soul masters, and eventually, these geniuses rise to become their mid- and high-level members."

"We'll take a streamlined approach. We won't compete with the Spirit Hall in terms of the number of soul masters. Instead, we'll focus on making every soul master an elite. Not only will they possess formidable combat strength, but under my cultivation methods, we'll produce a large number of experts. You all should understand this principle: in the end, it's the top-tier experts who determine the outcome. Lower-level soul masters are merely cannon fodder."

"As for the sect's base, I've already considered this. I've identified a location, but it's currently occupied by a powerful individual. We might need to wait until we're strong enough to challenge them."

After hearing Yang Xiong's explanation, everyone gradually understood his vision: for now, the sect would develop quietly, focusing on personal strength and cultivating elites. Once they were strong enough, they would rise to prominence.

However, as Yang Xiong mentioned, if all four elders present were to become Title Douluo, the sect's upper echelon would surpass even the upper three sects. At that point, what couldn't they achieve?

After some discussion, Niu Gao and Bai He, who had originally come to persuade Yang Wudi, ended up being convinced by Yang Wudi and Yang Xiong. They decided to relocate their families to the Tian Dou Empire.

Bai He's situation was relatively straightforward, as the Speed Clan was relatively poor with fewer assets, making relocation less cumbersome.

However, the Defense Clan specialized in architecture and had significant fixed assets, which made relocation more complicated.

Yang Xiong, feeling somewhat helpless, directly "raided" Lin Gong's wealth, distributing most of Lin Gong's money among the three families.

Seeing Lin Gong's mournful gaze, Yang Xiong felt equally helpless. After all, when he had enlisted Xiao Wu, the Titan Giant Ape, and the Sky Azure Bull Python, Xiao Wu had taken all his money. Now, aside from medicinal herbs and immortal herbs, Yang Xiong was utterly broke.

After Yang Wudi and the others left, Yang Xiong and Lin Gong returned to their room.

At this moment, Lin Gong's expression turned unusually serious: "Little Xiong, founding a new sect is a grave matter. Are you not afraid that Sect Leader Ning might take action against you?"

Yang Xiong smiled: "Teacher Lin, it's not that serious. Right now, I've brought back three top-tier Soul Sages and over a thousand soul masters to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Sect Leader Ning will thank me before taking any action against me."

Lin Gong replied: "You're oversimplifying things, Little Xiong. Founding a sect independently is, in a sense, tantamount to betraying your sect—a situation no sect can tolerate."

Yang Xiong shook his head: "If this were any other sect, I wouldn't dare do this—it'd be akin to seeking death. But the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is different."

"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is an auxiliary-type sect, with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda as its core martial soul. It lacks offensive capabilities."

"Though Sword and Bone Douluo are the pillars of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, they will eventually grow old and pass away. In the future, the Body Sect will be a pure battle-type sect. The combination of auxiliary and battle-type soul masters is the best partnership."

"Moreover, Teacher Lin, you're overestimating the current situation of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. The Spirit Hall is eyeing the upper three sects hungrily, but the Hao Tian Sect remains in hiding, and the Blue Lightning Dragon Clan has withdrawn in recent years. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is essentially isolated and unsupported."

"Our emergence as the Body Sect will not only ally with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect but also allow both sides to collaborate and rely on each other. Only then can we ensure longevity. Otherwise, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will inevitably face destruction sooner or later."

Lin Gong responded: "While what you say makes sense, you're being overly optimistic and underestimating human nature. Some people would rather destroy something than let others benefit from it—even Ning Fengzhi might not tolerate you."

Yang Xiong smiled faintly: "Precisely because Sect Leader Ning is Ning Fengzhi, I dare to act this way now. Teacher Lin, you should understand that Sect Leader Ning is less of a tyrant and more of a businessman."

"Right now, I can bring him unimaginable benefits, even elevating the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to unprecedented heights while helping him resist the Spirit Hall. What do you think Sect Leader Ning will choose?"

Lin Gong sighed: "Very well. You have your own thoughts and ambitions. This old man can only take it one step at a time with you. I don't know if I'll live to see the rise of your so-called Body Sect."

Yang Xiong smiled: "I owe all of this to your support, Teacher Lin. But you're not old—at least not yet. Based on your age, if you break through to the Title Douluo level, your lifespan will increase significantly. Then you won't be considered an old man anymore."

Hearing this, Lin Gong's expression darkened: "You little brat, daring to tease me! It seems it's been a while since I last disciplined you. And here you go establishing some 'Body Sect,' robbing me of all my money—what kind of behavior is that? That was my retirement fund!"

Yang Xiong quickly interjected: "Teacher Lin, from now on, I'll take care of your retirement. What do you need retirement funds for? Besides, you're still young—you're at the age where you should be striving. Why talk about retirement so early?"

Lin Gong shot Yang Xiong a glare: "I feel like you're setting some kind of trap for me. Relying on you for retirement? I'd rather rely on myself. If it weren't for you infuriating me, I might live a few more years."

Yang Xiong seemed to recall something: "Teacher Lin, besides the three single-attribute families, can you help me recruit others? I feel like our strength isn't yet sufficient."

Lin Gong's expression darkened: "What do you mean? I've been with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for decades. I don't have many contacts outside anymore. Most of my old friends are either dead or haven't been in touch for years."

Lin Gong suddenly remembered something: "Wait, Little Bear, you're not thinking of asking me to recruit Meng Shu, are you? Though the Meng family has some strength, Meng Shu and I have long been at odds."

Yang Xiong laughed: "Dragon Duke has been stuck at level eighty-eight for many years. If I have a way to help him break through to the Title Douluo level, do you think he'd be willing to join our Body Sect?"

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