Establishing a civilian academy where children without awakened spirit power can study and learn is a meaningful and transformative initiative.
Building and operating such an academy, along with its maintenance, requires a large amount of gold soul coins, especially at such a scale.
When Bibi Dong proposed this "idea," the elders and red-clothed bishops of the Spirit Hall, regardless of their factions, mostly opposed it.
Awakening spirits for the common people and selecting talents is already a massive undertaking.
Offering work-study identities for ordinary civilians to attend primary spirit academies for free is also a huge project.
Just these two aspects alone are already a significant contribution to the people!
The Spirit Hall has given them a chance to change their fate.
But when the Spirit Hall disappeared, even the opportunity for ordinary civilians to change their fate vanished.
Especially in the era ten thousand years later, no one awakens spirits for civilians for free.
If the protagonist, Huo Yuhao, had not been born in the Duke's Mansion, he basically wouldn't have even had the qualification for a spirit awakening.
Without the Spirit Hall, low-level civilian spirit masters no longer receive subsidies, and they might not even be able to make a living.
Of course, Shrek Academy, to silence public criticism, still provides "spirit master subsidies" to its students.
These are for students, not all spirit masters. Other forces do not offer spirit master subsidies.
To the nobility and other factions, the well-being of civilians has no relevance.
Civilians only need to farm and be exploited. Awakening their spirits and giving them a chance to rise is not a favorable outcome for the nobles.
With the downfall of the Spirit Hall as an example, the methods used by the nobility to suppress the commoners naturally became even more ruthless.
The elders and red-clothed bishops' objections were merely opinions.
Bibi Dong never compromised on this matter.
Establishing a civilian academy was something she personally promised Qian Renxue, so it had to be done.
No matter the outcome, it was a small way for her to compensate Qian Renxue.
If she, Bibi Dong, didn't do it, Qian Renxue would be persuaded by that Zhongli to do it herself.
Given Qian Renxue's current "identity," doing such a thing would indeed be risky. If her identity were exposed, it would not be worth the loss.
Convincing her to give up on this was nearly impossible.
Didn't you see the way Qian Renxue looked at Zhongli?
It was exactly the same as the way she used to look at Yu Xiaogang when she was younger.
"She didn't learn any of the good things, but she did pick up this."
"Sigh—"
Bibi Dong felt quite helpless about this.
Qian Renxue was stubborn by nature, and she couldn't be persuaded.
She could only hope that the elder in the worship hall might be able to talk some sense into her.
As for getting rid of Zhongli, even setting aside whether she could defeat him, just thinking about it, how would that make her any different from Qian Xunji back then?
No, really, it's true.
Thinking this way, Bibi Dong seemed to understand Qian Xunji's feelings back then.
Furthermore, Qian Xunji must have felt even more conflicted!
Yu Xiaogang was a complete waste and from an "enemy" faction.
But Zhongli was different. Apart from being a bit older, he had no flaws.
He was handsome, charismatic, and spoke with refined eloquence. He was a true intellectual with great strength and influence.
He was also the epitome of "hard work and ambition"!
As a "body spirit" user, he created a new cultivation system for body spirits, elevating them to become one of the most powerful types of spirits.
Just this alone would make Zhongli,, a name that will be remembered for generations.
Despite all the things that have happened, Bibi Dong still admired Zhongli—except for the fact that he was older...
Bibi Dong's stubborn determination instead elevated the Spirit Hall's reputation among the commoners even further.
This was something that the elders and bishops who opposed the idea, including Bibi Dong herself, never anticipated!
Nowadays, more and more civilian spirit masters are willing to join the Spirit Hall.
The emperors and nobles of the two empires were infuriated by this!
Although, at the moment, the impact of this move by the Spirit Hall might not seem significant, as time passes, in a hundred years, won't all the spirit masters among the commoners be under the Spirit Hall's control?
There might be some ingrates, but they won't all be as pure-hearted as that Tang...
The positive feedback for the Spirit Hall would likely exceed ninety-five percent.
If Douluo Continent weren't a "fantasy" world, this move by the Spirit Hall could be described with an example:
With unlimited servings of congee and pickled vegetables, you could ascend to the throne in three months without any problem!
The civilian academy established by the Spirit Hall not only provides free education and compulsory schooling for commoners but also allows them to exchange labor for food!
What difference is there between that and free meals?
Back to the main point, the scene returns to Zhongli.
Facing "Xue Qinghe's" inquiry, Zhongli felt a bit puzzled. They had discussed this issue for quite a while before, so what was the matter now?
As a guest minister in the crown prince's mansion, it was indeed difficult!
"Xue Qinghe" liked to ask about civilian matters, with or without reason.
In the original timeline, she shouldn't have been interested in such things.
Zhongli remained expressionless as he thought.
What he didn't know was that "Xue Qinghe" was merely concerned: "I wish to buy osmanthus and share wine, fearing the heavens will shift and crush an old friend"!
They were so familiar with each other by now—calling him an old friend wasn't out of place, was it?
That move might have had other names, but 'Heavenly Moving Phenomena' was the one she remembered the most.
"Xue Qinghe" looked around, not finding any "special personnel."
Only then did she speak: "Guest minister, your acting sect leader, he must be a titled Douluo, right?"
Not only did "Xue Qinghe" think this way, but many others speculated as well, and some had even tested it in battle.
To be able to kill two Spirit Sages with ease without using a martial spirit—no Spirit Douluo could do that!
When this happened, the Body Sect had only been established for a few months!
Before the establishment of the Body Sect, Du Bafang was only a Spirit Sage. If someone investigated carefully, they could find this out.
In just a few months, from Spirit Sage to titled Douluo?
This was something no one dared to even imagine!
Zhongli was stunned for a moment, not immediately reacting.
He thought "Xue Qinghe" would ask something significant; he didn't expect it to be this.
The fact that Du Bafang was a titled Douluo wasn't a secret; when it was time to act, they would act.
Zhongli himself fully supported him revealing his spirit power level.
With him as the "second generation" Body Douluo, even without Zhongli, it would reduce a lot of trouble.
That's the deterrent power of a titled Douluo!
Of course, this was also part of his later plans.
After being retired for so long, he was suddenly pulled back into service by his followers...
Helping out temporarily is one thing, but helping for a hundred or eighty years? Isn't that mistreating an "elder"?
You must know, he was over six thousand years old!
And this wasn't like a spirit beast's age—it was a real six thousand years of living.
Zhongli said with a calm expression, "Yes, Acting Sect Leader Du Bafang is indeed a titled Douluo."
"He's young and exceptionally talented..."
Five minutes later, Zhongli finally stopped praising Du Bafang.
"Xue Qinghe" and Paimon: "???"
Guest minister (Zhongli), do you even hear yourself?
Du Bafang is young?
Well, maybe in your eyes as an old man, he is young.
But how exactly did he go from Spirit Sage to titled Douluo in just two or three months?
"Xue Qinghe" was very interested in this cross-stage advancement!