“What’s your name?” Tang Yan asked.
“Chang Tie,” the burly man replied in a deep, gruff voice.
“And what’s your current strength level?”
“Ninth grade, Yuan Stage!”
“When did you join the Tang family?”
“Three years ago.”
“And what was your strength level when you first arrived?”
“Ninth grade, Yuan Stage.”
“So you’ve been training in the Tang family for three whole years, yet you haven’t improved even a single step?” Tang Yan’s words were sharp, cutting straight to the point.
“This…” Chang Tie hesitated. He had never really thought about it before, but now that Tang Yan pointed it out, he felt embarrassed. Trying to salvage some dignity, he explained, “Cultivating martial arts is difficult. It’s normal not to advance.”
“How do you train every day?” Tang Yan pressed further.
“I wake up at six, carry a 300-pound load, and run five laps around the training grounds. Then, I practice my blade techniques for two hours and spar with others for an hour.” Chang Tie straightened his back with pride. His training regimen was more rigorous than most.
“And you’ve been doing the exact same thing for three years?”
“Yes.”
“When you spar with others, do you hold back?”
“Well… they’re my brothers. We don’t go all out. If we hurt each other—”
“Bullshit!” Tang Yan snapped, his voice booming across the training grounds. “You hold back now, but do you think your enemies will show you mercy on the battlefield? By not giving your all, you’re not helping your comrades—you’re setting them up for failure! You’ve been given Tang family resources, you receive high-grade pills and generous pay, yet your strength remains stagnant! That’s why I call you weaklings—useless fools!”
A wave of anger swept through the gathered warriors. Some clenched their fists, their faces dark with resentment. How dare this spoiled young master insult them like this?
Tang Yan sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I bet you’re all thinking, ‘Who is he to call us weaklings?’ Let me tell you—I'm the eldest young master of the Tang family. Even if I do nothing, my grandfather will still protect and provide for me. But what about you? Most of you come from humble backgrounds. If you don’t push yourselves harder, all you’ll ever earn is the bare minimum. Your families will never rise above mediocrity. If your sons turn out like me—a so-called useless noble—then they’ll be truly ruined!”
A heavy silence fell over the training grounds. The warriors, who had initially been furious, now found themselves unable to refute his words. Everything he said was the cold, hard truth.
Seeing their reaction, Tang Yan smirked inwardly. At least they weren’t entirely hopeless. Raising his voice, he continued, “Many of you are just like Chang Tie. You train the same way, every day, without increasing the difficulty. Three years ago, you carried 300 pounds. Today, you still carry 300 pounds. If you continue like this for a hundred years, you’ll still be stuck in the Yuan Stage!
“I know this because you’ve all grown too comfortable! You’ve lost the courage to push your limits! Chang Tie, let me ask you—how much weight did you carry when you first started training?”
Chang Tie cursed himself for speaking up earlier. He should’ve just kept quiet like the others! Now he was the one being humiliated in front of everyone.
“…Ten pounds,” he admitted reluctantly.
“You started as an ordinary man, and through hard work, you reached the ninth grade of the Yuan Stage. Your training weight increased from ten pounds to three hundred pounds. So why did you stop there? Why aren’t you pushing yourself further? If you had gradually increased your weight to 350 pounds, then 400 pounds, don’t you think you’d have broken into the Huang Stage by now?” Tang Yan demanded.
The warriors fell into deep thought. Even Mo Yanjun, the captain of the guards, found himself reflecting on his own training.
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“I… I suppose I would have,” Chang Tie muttered, his voice filled with shame.
“Good! At least you still have some self-awareness,” Tang Yan shouted. “Cloud City is on the verge of chaos. If war breaks out among the four great families, every single one of you will be nothing more than cannon fodder! If you want to survive, if you want to protect your loved ones, you must become stronger! If you don’t, then you deserve to be called weaklings!”
Tang Yan’s sharp gaze swept across the warriors before settling on a wooden stake nearby.
“How much does that stake weigh?” he asked, turning to Mo Yanjun.
“Around 120 pounds,” Mo Yanjun replied.
“How far do you think I can carry it?” Tang Yan asked.
Mo Yanjun glanced at Tang Yan’s slender frame and smirked. “Less than a hundred meters.”
The other warriors scoffed internally. Hundred meters? That was being generous! This pampered young master might not even be able to lift it.
Tang Yan walked over to the stake, bent down, and gripped it tightly. With a deep breath, he exerted all his strength and hoisted it onto his shoulders. Then, he took a step forward.
One meter… five meters… ten meters…
The warriors initially watched with amusement, expecting him to collapse at any moment.
Twenty meters… fifty meters… eighty meters…
Sweat poured down Tang Yan’s face, his arms trembled, and his legs threatened to give out. But he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
The smirks on the warriors’ faces disappeared. The laughter died down. The only thing left in their eyes was shock—and a growing sense of respect.
As Tang Yan reached the 100-meter mark, his body was trembling violently, but he still pressed forward.
101 meters… 102 meters… 103 meters…
Finally, at 130 meters, he let go of the wooden stake.
Dragging his exhausted body, Tang Yan walked back to the front of the formation. He swept his gaze over the group, his chest rising and falling heavily as he spoke:
“When I crossed the 100-meter mark, I thought I had reached my limit—just like all of you.
“But the moment I took one more step beyond that so-called limit, I broke through my own boundaries!”
A brief silence followed. Then, a thunderous round of applause erupted.
“Some of you may think carrying 300 pounds is your absolute limit,” Tang Yan continued, his voice steady and firm. “But I’m telling you now—human potential is limitless! Only by pushing past your perceived limits can you continue to advance!”
His own weakness, coupled with the Tang family’s position as the weakest of the four great families, filled Tang Yan with a deep sense of insecurity. At this moment, he made a firm decision—he would build the Tang family’s strength and make it the most powerful force in Cloud City!
Having set the stage, he finally threw out the bait:
“In this world, only by becoming stronger can we obtain more. Don’t complain about your birth. If your life isn’t what you want it to be, then blame yourself for not working hard enough!
“As the eldest young master of the Tang family, I make you this promise—anyone who advances to the Huang Stage will have their salary tripled!”
Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.
Tang Yan wasn’t done. “From the Huang Stage onward, for every rank you advance, your monthly salary will increase by 100 taels of silver! You will also receive a top-grade pill every month!
“And if you reach the fifth rank of the Huang Stage, your children will be allowed to enter the Tang family and receive proper training from a young age!”
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere exploded.
The guards were beyond excited.
Right now, most of them earned only a few dozen taels per month. But if they broke into the Huang Stage, their income would triple instantly?
If they worked hard enough, their families could live far better lives. Their children would have brighter futures!
“Young Master is wise!” someone shouted, and soon, every guard echoed the cry with unwavering enthusiasm.
Tang Yan smirked. He had lived two lifetimes and knew better than anyone—people only work hard when there’s a reward worth striving for. Seeing that he had completely ignited their fighting spirit, he shouted,
“But let me make one thing clear—Tang family does not support the weak!
“This plan comes with a price. From now on, training will be grueling—brutal beyond imagination! If you are not prepared for hellish hardship, step back now.
“If you are willing to become true warriors, then step forward! I will count to—”
“BOOM!”
Before he could even finish his sentence, a deafening stomp shook the entire training ground.
As one, every single guard stepped forward, their movements synchronized, their eyes burning with newfound determination.
Tang Yan’s heart surged with satisfaction. He had accomplished what he set out to do.
For one final confirmation, he asked, “One last time—are you ready for hell?”
“YES!” 120 voices roared in unison, shaking the very air.
“The law governs the nation, and discipline rules the army!” Tang Yan declared. “From this day forward, training starts at six every morning. Anyone late—expelled!
“I have full authority over your training. Anyone who disobeys orders—expelled!
“In six months, if you haven’t reached the Huang Stage—expelled!”
His tone was cold and absolute, making the guards feel as if they had just been drafted into a military force.
“Now!” Tang Yan barked. “Everyone, grab a 350-pound wooden stake. Ten laps around the training ground!
“If even one of you fails to complete the run—no one eats lunch!
“If you don’t start in the next minute—no one eats lunch!
“BEGIN!”
At his command, the guards scrambled into action, hoisting their wooden stakes onto their shoulders and forming into neat rows before setting off on their grueling run.
—
From a distant pavilion, two elderly men watched the scene unfold in shock.
For a long moment, Old Master Tang said nothing. Then, finally, he turned to the man beside him and asked,
“Old Mo… look carefully. That white-clad boy down there—he’s really my grandson, isn’t he?”
Mo Bo couldn’t help but chuckle wryly. “Yes, Master. That’s definitely the young lord.”
Old Master Tang’s eyes narrowed as he watched the transformed young man commanding the training grounds. His tone grew solemn.
“Tell me… after being roused by that little brat, how strong do you think our Tang family’s guards will become?”