At the words "Masquerade Ball," Tang Wulin and Gu Yue Na immediately tensed.
Xu Yuanjian paid no attention to their reactions and continued speaking on his own:
"In the Heaven Dou Empire, it was the Mercury Consortium; in the Douluo Federation, Silver Rose; and in the Star Luo Empire, the Masquerade Ball. That was all. In the end, it was merely an organization serving high society.
"If that were all, it would not have mattered. But in that era, another wave emerged.
"In the Douluo Federation of that time, two different voices arose over where the world should head in the future. One believed that all people were born equal and should not suffer discrimination because of their background or accumulated wealth; countless people should work together and build a wonderful society where everyone could live happily. The other believed that capable people deserved higher social status, greater respect, and more resources, so that they could lead society forward more effectively.
"The two tides of the age collided. Representing the former were the Tang Sect and the Yun Ming Faction of Shrek Academy, while the latter was represented by Silver Rose and the Zu Yuan Faction of Shrek Academy. The Spirit Pagoda, War God Hall, and the like remained largely neutral.
"Without a doubt, the Masquerade Ball firmly stood with the latter, as that better suited their interests. The Masquerade Ball's influence gradually and slowly expanded, but I knew it was not enough. They were nowhere near capable of shaking this world. The former was a newly emerging tide of the age. Unless there was a fundamental change, it was merely a matter of how long they could hold out beneath that tide.
"To resist that tide and truly guide the world in another direction, I alone was not enough.