In the days that followed, Yang Chang'an plunged straight into a hellish training regimen.
His daily life became simplicity itself, confined entirely to three points along a single route:
Training at the Martial Arts Arena-soaking in a medicinal bath in the Medicine Room-meditating in the Bedroom.
The cycle repeated, day after day, without the slightest room for entertainment.
Other children his age were still playing and roughhousing, but Yang Chang'an had already pushed himself to his limits.
To seize every minute and every second to improve his strength, he began trying to replace sleep with meditation under his grandfather Yang Wushuang's arrangements.
Normally, this kind of training placed a frightening burden on both body and mind. One careless misstep could exhaust the spirit and damage one's very foundations.
The universally accepted minimum on the continent was to reach level thirty and become a Soul Elder before even attempting it.
But Yang Chang'an was different.
Yang Wushuang used medicinal baths to continually repair the wear on his body and stabilize his mental state.
With the medicinal baths' constant nourishment, Yang Chang'an forced his way onto this extreme path at least five years earlier than his peers.
Even with his grandfather safeguarding him, such intense training still inflicted considerable mental torment.
Every time he closed his eyes, he circulated soul power; every time he opened them, he tempered his body. Anyone with a weaker will would have broken down and given up long ago.
But Yang Chang'an gritted his teeth and held on.
He understood better than anyone:
The Yang Family has staked everything on me. If I become weak, if I slow down, if I fail to keep pace with events, the entire Yang Family could be doomed beyond redemption.
I have no right to slack off.
The results of his grueling daily training were plain to see.
His soul power advanced steadily, his physical strength grew more terrifying by the day, and his spiritual power far surpassed that of Soul Masters at his level.
Yang Wushuang saw it all, his heart aching even as it swelled with pride. This grandson of his could endure more, and drive himself harder, than he had ever imagined.
As he doggedly pushed on day after day, Yang Chang'an's strength shot upward like a rocket.
One morning.
Yang Chang'an had just finished an entire night of meditation. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was clear and his aura steady, without a trace of the exhaustion that should have followed a sleepless night.
He was about to head to the Martial Arts Arena for extra training when a little girl from the family stopped him.
"Cousin, Second Grandpa is waiting for you in the Medicine Room. He says it's important."
Something stirred faintly in Yang Chang'an's heart. He immediately straightened his clothes and hurried toward the Medicine Room.
As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Yang Wushuang standing before the medicine shelves, a rare touch of delight on his face.
Yang Wushuang had witnessed all of Yang Chang'an's progress during this time.
While others got one day's training out of a day, Yang Chang'an made each day count as two, racing through the levels without sleep or rest.
Just two days earlier, Yang Chang'an had officially broken through to level twelve.
"Grandpa, you wanted to see me?" Yang Chang'an asked obediently, tilting his head up.
Yang Wushuang glanced back at his grandson. The corners of his mouth rose involuntarily, and he nodded.
"Yes. I do have something to discuss with you today."
As his words fell, a faint tremor passed through Yang Wushuang's body. Gentle soul power spread outward, forming a thin barrier around the two of them.
Clearly, what he was about to discuss was anything but simple.
Meanwhile, on a small hill some distance from the Yang Family estate.
Fifth Uncle was lounging against a rock, idly basking in the sun.
The instant Yang Wushuang used soul power to block sound, he noticed.
Fifth Uncle raised an eyebrow, then curled his lip in boredom.
Don't want me listening?
Fine. Who cares about the Yang Family's little schemes?
With his strength, if he truly wanted to listen, Yang Wushuang's soul power barrier might as well not exist.
However, Yang Chang'an had already clearly chosen to side with the Worship Hall, and Fifth Uncle could not be bothered to meddle in the Yang Family's doubts and calculations.
"Forget it. I'll give the kid a little privacy."
Fifth Uncle stretched expansively, his bones cracking softly. That irreverent smile returned to his face as he turned and ambled away from the hilltop.
Inside the Yang Family's Medicine Room.
Sensing his grandfather's cautious manner, Yang Chang'an knitted his brows slightly.
Anything that made his grandfather this careful had to involve one of the Yang Family's trump cards.
Yang Wushuang turned his wrist and took a Mutton-Fat White Jade Bottle from his Soul Tool.
He pulled out the stopper and tipped it slightly, rolling several smooth, round pills into his palm.
The pills were pale blue-green, with a faint translucent sheen. Up close, they carried a slight briny scent.
Yang Chang'an blinked and looked at his grandfather in complete puzzlement.
Yang Wushuang gazed at the pills in his palm, his eyes filled with delight. Then he wrapped his voice in soul power and sent it into Yang Chang'an's ears.
"Chang'an, do you remember the whale rubber you mentioned to Grandpa so many times before?"
Yang Chang'an's eyes lit up. "Of course I do!"
"This is what I finally succeeded in refining after repeated experiments, using whale rubber as the main ingredient-the Body Tempering Pill."
Yang Wushuang's voice carried a barely perceptible note of excitement.
"This pill can cleanse the marrow and scour the meridians, strengthen the body, and steadily increase soul power. For low-level Soul Masters, it is nothing short of a supreme treasure!"
Excitement immediately welled up in Yang Chang'an's heart.
What the Yang Family lacked most in its efforts to gain a firm foothold in Spirit City was resources.
Gold Soul Coins, heavenly treasures, Soul Ring ages... none of them could be neglected.
But the Yang Family had only recently pledged its allegiance here. Its roots were shallow, its backing weak, and it simply could not produce much money.
That was why he had repeatedly brought up whale rubber before his grandfather, sometimes casually, sometimes deliberately.
There were plenty of valuable things on the Douluo Continent, so why had he specifically chosen whale rubber?
There was only one reason: it offered excellent value without readily arousing suspicion.
Truly rare medicinal ingredients could cost thousands or tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins. The Yang Family simply could not afford them, and even if it bought them, it could easily attract unwanted attention.
Whale rubber was different. It had plentiful sources, abundant supplies, and a relatively low price. Most importantly, almost no one in this era knew its true uses.
In most people's eyes, whale rubber was merely an ordinary medicinal ingredient used to spice things up. Hardly anyone knew more about it, its price was reasonable, and it was readily available in large quantities.
The Yang Family and the Niu Family could easily purchase whale rubber in bulk under the banner of "family recuperation and bodily conditioning" without arousing anyone's suspicions.
Yang Wushuang had used the vast majority of the whale rubber they purchased for research, gradually working out the Body Tempering Pill formula. Only a small portion had gone toward conditioning their bodies.
Now that his grandfather had finally refined the pills, Yang Chang'an immediately cupped his hands and smiled.
"Congratulations, Grandpa!"
Yang Wushuang nodded in satisfaction. His gaze warmed as he looked at his grandson, and he transmitted his voice again. "Would you like to try one?"
"Really?!"
Yang Chang'an's eyes instantly lit up. He hastily accepted the Body Tempering Pill his grandfather offered, tilted his head back, and swallowed it.
The pill dissolved the moment it entered his mouth, turning into a warm current that slid down his throat into his stomach.
Not daring to delay, Yang Chang'an immediately sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Following the Breaking Clan Meditation Method, he circulated his soul power with all his strength and began refining the medicinal energy.
After Yang Wushuang's refinement, the whale rubber's originally violent medicinal energy had become much gentler. Even so, once the pill entered his body, a scorching force still burned fiercely through every limb and bone.
The medicinal energy washed through his meridians and nourished his bones, strengthening his body bit by bit.
Yang Chang'an clenched his teeth and remained motionless, allowing the medicinal energy to rampage through his body.
Time passed little by little.
Fine beads of sweat kept emerging on his forehead, cheeks, and neck, trickling down his skin and soon soaking his clothes.
However, no black impurities were expelled.
After soaking in specially prepared medicinal baths every day for so long, Yang Chang'an's body had already been cleansed far beyond that of an ordinary person. His foundations were thoroughly clean; a mere Body Tempering Pill could not force out any impurities.
And so, after two full hours had passed.
Only then did Yang Chang'an release a long breath of stale air and slowly open his eyes.
In that instant, his entire body felt light, as though a burden weighing dozens of pounds had been lifted from him. His mind was clear and refreshed, and his soul power had become noticeably denser, circulating more smoothly.
Yang Wushuang came over, carefully examined his aura, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Your soul power increased by half a level, just as I estimated."
At this point, he gave another slight sigh, sounding somewhat regretful.
"Unfortunately, this pill has its limitations. It only works on Soul Masters below level thirty. After level thirty, its effects are minimal."
Yang Chang'an was not disappointed in the slightest. Instead, his smile grew especially bright. Whale rubber was inexpensive and widely available. Getting effects like these was already an incredible bargain.
Besides, he knew perfectly well that whale rubber's true value did not lie in that tiny increase in soul power.
Its greatest benefit was improving the constitution and building solid foundations.
At his current training pace, with the combined support of Body Tempering Pills and medicinal baths, his physical strength would far surpass that of Soul Masters at his level.
When the time came to obtain his second Soul Ring, he was confident he could aim straight for eight hundred years, or even nine hundred.
The firmer his foundations, the farther he could go in the future.
Just as Yang Chang'an was silently making his calculations, Yang Wushuang interrupted his thoughts.
"Stop grinning like a fool. Get ready; we're going to the Niu Family."