Douluo: Brains Over Bloodline

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In just two months, Xu Yuan had consumed a staggering six hundred thousand years' worth of spiritual energy.

For any soul master, this was an astronomical figure.

Even for a Title Douluo, absorbing such a vast amount of spiritual energy would guarantee that all nine of their soul rings could be upgraded to over sixty thousand years each.

On average, each ring of a nine-ring Title Douluo could gain over sixty thousand years!

If even one of their original soul spirits had been at forty thousand years, there would have been a chance to push it close to the ten-thousand-year threshold.

And as long as they reached the upper limit of the thousand-year boundary, there was always the possibility of breaking through to the ten-thousand-year mark under the right circumstances!

Were forty-thousand-year soul spirits really that rare?

Among Title Douluos, they were quite common.

This highlighted just how massive Xu Yuan's absorption of spiritual energy had been.

It could be said that his absorption of such an immense amount of spiritual energy indirectly impacted Xu Shengqun's power struggle. While replenishing this energy in Tianhai City, it also affected Xu Shengqun's efforts to seize control.

At first, this put Xu Shengqun in a passive position, but something unexpected happened. The series of disputes triggered by this situation allowed Xu Shengqun to turn the tables and take the initiative, quickly extending his influence into the Research Institute.

"Uncle, you've moved awfully fast," Xu Yuan said in surprise.

He had only just learned about these developments.

Xu Shengqun waved his hand dismissively, smiling as if this were all routine.

"In reality, it's still thanks to your efforts. The people backing me were caught off guard and started asking me for details. I didn't tell them you were training—just claimed I was researching and made a breakthrough in improving the quality of spiritual energy."

Xu Yuan suddenly understood.

Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise, and blessings often come with hidden dangers.

Good and bad fortune always went hand in hand.

Although Xu Yuan's absorption of such a vast amount of spiritual energy initially put Xu Shengqun in a difficult position, the results of this absorption were now being used by Xu Shengqun to seize the initiative and accelerate his power grab.

"By the way, Gu Yue has also made a move—or more accurately, Leng Yaozhu has. Now, the internal situation within the Spirit Pagoda has split into four factions."

"Four factions?"

Xu Yuan was momentarily stunned.

How did four powers emerge?

"One faction is naturally the direct line of Qiangu Dongfeng. Then there's my side, Leng Yaozhu and Gu Yue form another faction, and finally, the branches of the Tian Dou and Xing Luo continents have joined forces."

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The two branches had actually united and showed signs of separatism?

"In fact, those two branches don't matter. This kind of situation always arises during power struggles across generations." Xu Shengqun wasn't worried and briefly explained to Xu Yuan: "Because of the geographical locations of the two smaller continents, it's hard for our Federation to maintain direct communication with them. They're only fully integrated under complete centralized authority. Once internal power struggles break out, the branches on the two smaller continents will naturally unite, watching from the sidelines while we fight among ourselves. Only after a clear victor emerges or the overall situation stabilizes here will they rejoin the Spirit Pagoda."

To put it simply, this wasn't a decision made by the branches on the two continents—it was the stance of the continents themselves.

Tian Dou and Xing Luo continents had never cared much about internal power struggles within the Spirit Pagoda. What they cared about was ensuring that these conflicts wouldn't affect the supply of soul spirits for the soul masters on their continents.

Thus, whenever internal struggles broke out within the Spirit Pagoda, these two branches naturally distanced themselves and refrained from participating.

After all, due to their advantageous geographical positions, even with the most advanced maritime technology, it would take at least a month or two to travel from the Federation to either Xing Luo or Tian Dou continents. Under these circumstances, they had every right to sit back and watch the battle unfold.

"Similarly, because of their geographical location, it's very difficult for them to invest before a winner emerges. They can only passively wait for the new Tower Master to appear and then pledge their allegiance. As for the management of the branches, it will naturally be reassigned by headquarters later."

This was always the case.

Xu Yuan nodded in understanding.

"So, in reality, it's a three-way power struggle. Although Qiangu Dongfeng's reputation has declined, he still firmly holds the core power. Combined with the fact that his faction has the most Limit Douluos, his grip on power remains stable for now."

Xu Yuan listened quietly as Xu Shengqun continued his analysis.

"Then there's our side, consisting of me, three other Spirit Envoys, and the cooperative faction. On the surface, I'm the only Limit-level fighter on our side, but in reality, the cooperative faction likely has an old-school Limit Douluo.

Moreover, the cooperative faction itself is deeply rooted within the Spirit Pagoda and wields significant influence. Coupled with the technological breakthroughs I recently announced regarding spiritual energy quality, we're currently ranked second."

"Finally, there's Leng Yaozhu's side. The two deputy tower masters are collaborating. Leng Yaozhu is a near-god and a four-word battle armor master, while the other deputy tower master is of a similar level. However, he usually doesn't participate in internal power struggles within the Spirit Pagoda. His position as deputy tower master was earned due to his origins in the Spirit Pagoda and his extraordinary talent. Now, he's been won over by Leng Yaozhu and supports Gu Yue."

Xu Yuan frowned and raised a question.

"So, who's backing Leng Yaozhu? Are there just two Limit Douluos and a four-word battle armor master?"

"They haven't rallied the old factions within the Spirit Pagoda. Instead, they've formed an alliance of interest with various families that cooperate with the Spirit Pagoda."

Xu Yuan understood.

So, in the original storyline, the soul beast faction supported Gu Yue through a family alliance, lending their strength.

"As for the Research Institute, I've temporarily managed to get involved, but it's still under the pretext of the breakthrough in spiritual energy technology. So, my involvement is limited to that area for now. It'll still take some time to arrange the identity you need to research Abyssal forces. But it shouldn't be too long," Xu Shengqun recalled. "If I remember correctly, your father once communicated with the head of this field. I'll see if I can use that connection."

"No rush. I still have some matters to resolve," Xu Yuan said.

---

Xu Family

"Xiao Tian, remember to train diligently."

In two months, Xu Tian's soul power had directly increased by one rank, reaching Level 16.

This prompted Xu Yuan to intensify his training in spear techniques.

Under Xu Yuan's guidance, Xu Tian's foundation had taken shape, and now Xu Shengqun could smoothly take over his training.

---

Leaving Tianhai City.

Xu Yuan didn't return to Shrek Academy.

Instead, he headed toward Tiandou City.

Along the way, he passed through Yuehua City.

Yuehua Sect.

"It's rare for my little brother to remember me," Yue Ruyue teased with a smile as she looked at Xu Yuan.

"How could I forget, Sister Yue? I was just worried about disturbing your breakthrough," Xu Yuan replied sheepishly.

The last time Xu Yuan visited Yuehua Sect, he absorbed the moonlight energy here and made his first connection with the stars in the sky. While the improvement in his spiritual power was secondary, his Starry Sky Visualization technique had been perfected, laying the groundwork for his future cultivation and Xu Shengqun's breakthrough.

"Well, Sister Yue knows how busy you are with your training. I won't tease you anymore. What do you need my help with this time?"

Seeing her straightforwardness, Xu Yuan didn't hesitate and directly stated his request.

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