The next day, Yu Tianheng came to the training ground.
The training ground was located in the rear courtyard of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and was reserved for the cultivation of the clan's younger generation.
As soon as Yu Tianheng stepped onto the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's training ground, an ancient, majestic presence swept over him.
The training ground was immensely spacious, covering a full ten mu. Its surface was paved with heavy slabs of bluestone, each polished smooth by the passage of time yet mottled with the marks of the years, bearing witness to countless fierce sparring matches and arduous cultivation sessions within the clan.
Towering walls built from immense dark gray stones surrounded the training ground. Totems of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan covered their surfaces, radiating a solemn, sacred glow in the sunlight. At the four corners of the walls stood imposing watchtowers, guarding the training ground at all times.
The man in charge of guarding the training ground was Yu Shizhong, a collateral-branch steward of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan with the cultivation of a level 55 Soul King.
He was also the instructor responsible for overseeing the cultivation of the clan's younger disciples.
At the edge of the training ground stood an arena built from hard black stone.
It was used both to test the younger disciples' strength and to settle disputes.
After all, they were all Soul Masters. If they had a conflict they could not resolve, they only had to fight it out. Whoever won was right.
The elders and seniors of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan encouraged this practice. As long as no one died or was crippled, it was no great problem.
For Soul Masters, fighting was also a way to improve their cultivation.
As for the losers, knowing shame could spur them to courage, making them work harder and more diligently in their future cultivation.
When Yu Shizhong saw Yu Tianheng arrive, he did not dare neglect him and hurried over to greet him. "Young Master Tianheng, you're here."
Yu Tianheng gave a slight nod. "The clan leader told me to come to the training ground and cultivate alongside you. If there's anything I don't understand, I can go ask him at any time."
"I see. Young Master Tianheng, please come in."
With that, Yu Shizhong opened the training ground's defenses and welcomed Yu Tianheng inside.
Most of those cultivating in the training ground at the moment were young children. The oldest were no more than twelve, while the youngest had been seven. Now that Yu Tianheng had arrived, however, he was the youngest.
They were all disciples of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, though some belonged to the direct line and others to collateral branches.
Even so, if they wanted to earn sufficient respect, they still had to let their strength do the talking.
Without enough strength, even someone born into the direct line would be looked down on. Yu Tianheng's uncle, Yu Xiaogang, was the perfect example. Although he was the clan leader's own son, a malignant mutation of his Martial Soul had left his Soul Power Level stalled at twenty-nine, unable to advance for the rest of his life. He had become a laughingstock throughout the clan and was looked down on.
With enough strength, even a collateral-branch disciple of ordinary birth could become an elder or even the clan leader.
In short, the only way to earn respect in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was to let one's strength do the talking.
Facing the crowd, Yu Shizhong pointed at Yu Tianheng and called out, "Everyone, this is Yu Tianheng. He just obtained his First Soul Ring. Starting today, he'll be cultivating with all of you."
"Tianheng, find a place to stand wherever you like, then begin cultivating."
Yu Tianheng nodded and looked at the crowd below.
In a corner at the very back, someone waved to him and shouted, "Tianheng, over here! Come over here!"
Yu Tianheng recognized the speaker at once. It was Yu Luomian's grandson, his older cousin Yu Tianxin.
Seeing this, Yu Tianheng walked briskly over and stood in an open space beside Yu Tianxin.
After giving a few reminders, Yu Shizhong watched as everyone began training.
The training was simple. It was called "Qi Training and Stone Lifting."
Put plainly, it involved doing squats while holding a stone weight.
This tempered the muscles and bones and strengthened the body.
The stone weights used in training came in different sizes, weighing ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred jin, from lightest to heaviest.
They progressed step by step, constantly increasing the weight.
At a command from Instructor Yu Shizhong, all the young disciples of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan lifted the stone weights in front of them and began "Qi Training and Stone Lifting."
They had to complete five hundred repetitions before they could rest.
To tell the truth, Yu Tianheng thought this cultivation method was extremely crude and foolish, and it did little to improve cultivation. It was slower than sitting in meditation and cultivating the Innate Skill.
But this was his first time taking part in group training, so it would not do to refuse outright.
Thus, he picked up the stone weight in front of him, which weighed a full fifty jin, and began practicing.
Because he cultivated the Martial Dao and had reached the Seventh Layer of Skin Refining, Yu Tianheng was very strong and could easily lift a hundred jin. Doing squats with a fifty-jin stone weight was nothing much to him.
As a result, he quickly finished all five hundred repetitions.
Sure enough, just as Yu Tianheng had expected, this training had no effect on him and was basically a waste of time.
He raised his hand, and when Yu Shizhong saw him, he hurriedly asked what was wrong.
Yu Tianheng said, "Instructor, this training isn't very interesting. I'd like to cultivate on my own."
As soon as he said this, Yu Tianxin hurriedly tried to stop him. "Tianheng, what are you doing?"
Yu Tianheng had only just arrived and did not know what he was dealing with, but Yu Tianxin knew how strict the instructor named Yu Shizhong was. He showed no mercy to clan disciples who slacked off and refused to train.
He would single them out for special attention and teach them a harsh lesson.
Whether they were collateral-branch disciples or the clan leader's grandsons, he treated them all the same.
And afterward, the clan's seniors would not interfere either.
After all, it was for their own good. Anyone who interfered would only be harming them.
Hearing Yu Tianheng's words, Yu Shizhong's face instantly darkened. "Young Master Tianheng, are you trying to slack off and avoid training?"
"It's true that you have Innate Full Soul Power and extraordinary talent. No one here can compare with you in talent, but you must understand that talent alone is far from enough for a Soul Master's cultivation. You must also cultivate diligently."
"Otherwise, others will keep surpassing you, and you'll be reduced to a mere foil!"
Yu Shizhong's words were far from polite.
But Yu Tianheng acted as though he had not heard them and continued, "I know, but I still want to cultivate on my own. If you won't agree, I'll go see the clan leader and have him grant my request."
Seeing Yu Tianheng directly bring out the clan leader like a great mountain, Yu Shizhong's mouth twitched. In the end, he could only agree helplessly.
"All right. Since you've made up your mind, Young Master Tianheng, I can't very well say much more."
"But there's one thing I should tell you in advance, Young Master Tianheng. A monthly competition is held once every month, and the clan's disciples are free to spar with one another. I hope you'll be ready when the time comes."
Yu Tianheng nodded to show he understood, then left the training crowd, went beneath the shade of a large tree, and sat down on the ground to cultivate the Innate Skill.
Compared to the earlier training method, this was still the one that suited him best.