"Ready-made?" Chen Yi echoed, his gaze full of curiosity as he looked at his mother, Mu Xi. Did she mean there was some unknown, powerful supporting force hidden in the shadows of the Body Sect—even one the young sect master himself didn't know about?
Seeing his puzzled look, Mu Xi couldn't help but laugh, prompting him, "Have you been hidden away so long your mind's turning slow? Did you forget about the Breaking Clan and the Ye Clan of Nine-Heart Begonia we worked closely with a year ago?"
At first, Chen Yi was a bit surprised, but soon realized—his mother was referring to them! During his deep meditation, the relationship between the Breaking Clan, the Ye Clan, and the Body Sect had grown much deeper than the simple cooperation of a year ago.
Seeing his understanding, Mu Xi explained further, "On the Ye Clan's side, Elder Ye Cien had a deep conversation with the Grand Elder the night he helped your Seventh Aunt's nirvana. The next day, Elder Ye formally announced before everyone that the Ye Clan of Nine-Heart Begonia was willing to submit to the Body Sect."
Mu Xi was clearly moved by this—after all, the Ye Clan was the mainland's top healing clan, and their joining was a huge boon to the Body Sect. "Afterward, Elder Ye entered the sect's forbidden grounds, attempting to break through to a higher realm with spirit medicine. But he's old, and his qi and blood are declining. It's been over half a year with no word, so all we can do is hope for the best."
Chen Yi nodded. The powerful healing abilities of the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul were a strategic resource for any force, and the Ye Clan's joining greatly strengthened the Body Sect's foundation and sustained combat power.
"As for the Breaking Clan," Mu Xi continued, "Elder Yang Wudi helped the sect refine important spirit medicine, and after completing this at the furnace, he led his clan to formally join the Body Sect. Then, he and Elder Yang Wushuang returned to their ancestral home, Stone City."
At this point, Mu Xi's tone became a bit indifferent. "Once Elder Yang Wudi returned, he called on the other three single-attribute clans to join us, hoping for mutual development."
Hearing her tone, Chen Yi raised his brows, sensing what was coming. Sure enough, Mu Xi continued, "But it didn't go well. That night, there was a serious conflict. The head of the Strength Clan, Tai Tan, was extremely stubborn and fiercely opposed joining us. Shockingly, Bai He, the head of the Speed Clan, sided with the Strength Clan and also refused."
"After the argument, Tai Tan and Bai He broke all ties with the Breaking and Defense Clans, publicly declaring the split of the single-attribute clans."
"Elder Yang Wudi soon introduced Elder Niu Gao of the Defense Clan to the sect leader, who gave him a senior position."
Chen Yi nodded. The split of the four single-attribute clans was expected. In the original work, the head of the Strength Clan had always seen himself as Tang Hao's loyal follower, so it was normal for him to refuse joining the Body Sect. But Bai He's decision was odd—his sister was Tang Hao's mother, making them in-laws, yet when the Clear Sky Sect abandoned these branches, he showed neither hesitation nor affection. In both the original and this world, the Speed Clan's survival depended mainly on the Breaking Clan's help. This time, Yang Wudi invited him directly, so for Bai He to refuse so decisively was strange.
"Bai He… so bold?" Chen Yi muttered, but didn't care too much. "If they won't join, so be it. One wants to be Tang Hao's lackey, and the other's just an old bird—good for flying away, but nothing else."
"If they came, the sect would only have more trouble with defense and surveillance, which isn't worth it. Having Elders Yang Wudi and Niu Gao is enough."
Seeing her son's lack of interest in the four clans, Mu Xi said no more. But then, a fleeting trace of complex emotion appeared in her eyes. After a moment's silence, she spoke again, this time about the final, most unique "ready-made" force.
"There's one more… Skywater Academy."
"Skywater Academy?!" This time, Chen Yi was truly shocked, blurting it out. He had lived at Skywater Academy before, and knew how much Qing Yun and Shui Qingmei had poured their hearts into it. But now, his mother said Skywater Academy had become part of the Body Sect's external forces, which was truly unexpected.
Seeing the shock on his face, Mu Xi didn't seem surprised, but she didn't want to talk deeply about this topic. She simply sighed quietly and didn't explain for the moment. Chen Zhen, seeing his wife's sudden melancholy, quickly picked up the conversation, explaining angrily:
"Son, here's how it happened. About half a year ago, the sect leader asked your mother to return to Skywater Academy, to formally contact Senior Qing Yun and Dean Shui, and inform them of the Body Sect's imminent formal debut, asking about their attitude and future plans."
"Senior Qing Yun was shocked. She hadn't expected our sect to debut so soon. The next day, she brought your mother to the sect and met the grand elder directly."
Chen Zhen continued, "After learning in detail about the sect's future development plan—especially confirming that the Body Sect did not intend to interfere in the soul master education system—Dean Qing Yun made a great decision."
He paused, as if recalling that decisive moment. "Senior Qing Yun led the entire Skywater Academy to support the Body Sect fully, determined to establish a complete reputation in the world of soul master education."
"The price Skywater paid for this…" Chen Zhen glanced at his silent wife, lowering his voice, "…was to completely give up its independent status and name. The entire existing staff, students, and facilities of Skywater Academy were reorganized and expanded as a new soul master academy fully belonging to the Body Sect."
"In the future, there will be no independent 'Skywater Academy' on the mainland. It will survive in name only, as part of the Body Sect's core education system. The name 'Skywater' may remain, but essentially, it is now part of the sect."
Hearing this, Chen Yi fell silent. At last, he understood why his mother had shown such a complicated expression when mentioning Skywater Academy, and why she had grown so downcast. That was where she had grown up, where countless memories and struggles of youth were stored, a home shared by teachers, sisters, and students alike.
Now, for the sake of the sect's overall situation, and to find a patron and stable footing for the academy, Dean Qing Yun had made the most decisive yet helpless choice: to abandon independence and merge into the Body Sect.
Soon, there would be no fully independent "Skywater Academy" on the continent—perhaps only a "Skywater System" in name, but no longer the original. Yet, this was Skywater's greatest trump card. As one of the mainland's top academies, both in educational ability and style, Skywater was a first-class institution, especially among civilian soul masters, second only to the Spirit Hall Academy.
If the Body Sect could fully own all of Skywater's resources, it could save at least five years of effort in the educational field—temptation the sect could not resist. But the weight and sacrifice behind this choice was cruel for someone like Mu Xi, who held deep feelings for the academy.
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