"What is your name?" Tang Yan asked.

"My name is Chang Tie!" the burly man replied in a deep, gruff voice.

"What is your current strength?"

"9th Grade Origin Rank!"

"When did you join the Tang Family?"

"Three years ago!"

"What was your strength three years ago?" Tang Yan asked again.

"Still 9th Grade Origin Rank."

"So, you've been with the Tang Family for three years, training hard in the Martial Arts Arena, yet your strength hasn't improved at all?" Tang Yan's words were sharp as knives, pressing him relentlessly.

"This..." Chang Tie thought carefully and realized it was true. He hadn't noticed before, but Tang Yan's direct point made him feel embarrassed. Trying to save face, Chang Tie defended himself, "Martial arts training is inherently difficult, not advancing is normal."

"How do you train yourself every day?" Tang Yan asked again.

"I train every day at dawn, carrying a weight of 300 pounds, running five laps around the field. Then I practice my sword techniques for two hours and spar with others for an hour!" Speaking of his training, Chang Tie proudly puffed out his chest, as his training regimen was no less than that of other guards.

"Have you been training like this every day for the past three years?"

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"Exactly."

"When sparring with others, did you hold back and not give it your all?" Tang Yan asked again.

"We're all brothers, just going through the motions. If someone gets hurt..."

"Bullshit!" Tang Yan jumped up immediately, "You hold back now, but on the battlefield, who will hold back for him? By not giving it your all to help him improve, are you helping him or harming him? You receive medicinal pills and generous salaries from the Tang Family, yet your strength remains stagnant! So, I say you're all useless! Completely useless! Not only useless but also foolish!"

"Of course, you must be thinking, 'What right does this spoiled young master have to criticize us?' Let me tell you why I have the right—I'm the eldest young master of the Tang Family. Even if I do nothing, my grandfather will support and protect me!"

"But what about you? Most of you come from ordinary families and need to support your families. If you don't work hard, you'll only earn the basic salary each month, and your wives and children will live ordinary lives! You don't have the resources to nurture your descendants. If your children turn out to be as spoiled as me, they'll be completely ruined!"

Hearing this, the guards of the Tang Family felt a wave of gloom. Although Tang Yan's words were harsh, they were undeniable truths.

Even though they were guards of the Tang Family, with incomes higher than ordinary people, they could only ensure their families lived slightly better lives. They lacked the ability to provide their children with the same resources as the family heirs.

Seeing the reactions of the crowd, Tang Yan was secretly relieved that they weren't numb to the truth. He shouted angrily, "I believe many of you are like Chang Tie, with a fixed training routine. Three years ago, you carried 300 pounds, and now you still carry 300 pounds. Even if given another hundred years, you'll remain at the Origin Rank, never stepping into the Yellow Rank!"

"I'm so sure because you've become too complacent, lacking the courage to pursue martial arts! Chang Tie, tell me, when you first started weight training, how much did you carry?"

Chang Tie regretted his impulsiveness, thinking, 'Why did I provoke this ancestor? Why couldn't I just stay quiet and endure the scolding like everyone else? Why did I have to embarrass myself by stepping forward?'

"Ten pounds," Chang Tie replied, his tone no longer as confident as before.

"You went from an ordinary person to 9th Grade Origin Rank, increasing your weight from ten pounds to three hundred pounds. Why not continue to increase the difficulty now, carrying three hundred and fifty pounds daily? Once you're accustomed to three hundred and fifty pounds, increase it to four hundred pounds. Incrementally, do you think your strength would have reached the Yellow Rank in these three years?" Tang Yan questioned.

Hearing this question, not only the other guards but even Mo Yanjun began to reflect.

"It should... it should have!" Chang Tie admitted shamefully.

"Knowing how to reflect and feel shame means there's hope for you! Yun City is currently in turmoil, and with just a spark, the great families might clash. If you want to survive the battles ahead, you must train desperately, become strong enough to crush everyone else, ensuring your safety! So your families won't worry for you! So you won't be scolded as useless by a spoiled brat like me!"

Tang Yan's gaze swept across the crowd, finally fixing on a wooden stake.

"How much does this stake weigh?" Tang Yan asked Mo Yanjun this time.

"One hundred and twenty pounds."

"How far do you think I can carry it?" Tang Yan asked.

"About..." Mo Yanjun calculated, frowning, "Less than a hundred meters, I suppose."

The crowd internally scoffed, thinking even a hundred meters was an overestimation. Could this pampered young master even lift it?

"Lift!" Tang Yan walked over, exerted his strength, and lifted the stake, then started walking forward.

One meter, two meters, three meters...

Everyone speculated in their hearts whether Tang Yan would give up within ten meters or twenty meters.

Ten meters... twenty meters... fifty meters... eighty meters...

Tang Yan didn't use a trace of true Qi, relying solely on his own strength. Fortunately, he had undergone the tempering of the Heaven and Earth Creation Cauldron, making his body strong enough.

Yet, even so, Tang Yan felt his strength draining away, each step causing his body to tremble, sweat dripping like raindrops.

Initially, the crowd wanted to see Tang Yan make a fool of himself, but as he walked step by step, the mockery in their eyes faded, replaced by shock, surprise, and respect.

When Tang Yan reached a hundred meters, his body was already shaking violently, but he continued to push forward!

One hundred and one meters, one hundred and two meters, one hundred and three meters... Finally, at one hundred and thirty meters, Tang Yan put the stake down.

Dragging his exhausted body, Tang Yan returned to the front of the group, scanning the crowd and gasping, "When I took that step past a hundred meters, it was like breaking through my own limits, just like you all are now!"

"Wow—" After a brief silence, all the guards applauded and cheered, the sound thunderous.

"Perhaps you think three hundred pounds is your limit, but I'm telling you, human potential is limitless. Only by constantly tapping into it can you continuously advance!"

Tang Yan's own weakness, combined with the Tang Family's position as the weakest of the four great families, left him with no sense of security. At this moment, Tang Yan finally decided to build the Tang Family's strength, to make it a truly great family in Yun City, the number one family!

Having said so much, Tang Yan finally laid out the benefits: "In this world, only by becoming stronger can we gain more. Don't blame your background if you're not doing well; blame yourself for not working hard enough! As the eldest young master of the Tang Family, I promise everyone present—anyone who breaks through to the Yellow Rank will have their salary tripled!"

"From the Yellow Rank onwards, for each rank you advance, your monthly salary will increase by a hundred taels of silver! Depending on the situation, you'll receive a Grade One medicinal pill each month! If anyone reaches the 5th Tier Yellow Level, their children can enter the Tang Family for training from a young age!"

As these words were spoken, the atmosphere exploded, and everyone felt invigorated.

Currently, their monthly salary was only a few dozen taels of silver. Reaching the Yellow Rank would triple their salary?

If they worked hard enough, wouldn't their families live better lives, and their children have better prospects?

"Young master is wise!" At this moment, everyone shouted from their hearts.

No benefit, no motivation. Having lived two lives, Tang Yan understood this well. Seeing the passion he had stirred in everyone, he shouted loudly, "Let me say it again, the Tang Family doesn't support the useless. My plan also has certain requirements. Training will be tough in the future! Very tough! Prepare yourselves for hellish conditions. If anyone wants to back out, stay where you are. If you want to become strong and are willing to accept the training, step forward! I'll count to..."

"Boom!" Before Tang Yan could finish his sentence, there was a loud noise as all the warriors stepped forward in unison, shaking the entire Martial Arts Arena.

Seeing the fervor in their eyes, Tang Yan knew he had achieved his goal and asked again, "I'll ask you one last time, are you ready for hell?"

"Ready!" A hundred and twenty voices answered in unison, their voices soaring to the sky.

"A country has its laws, an army its rules! From now on, gather at dawn every morning. Anyone late will be dismissed!"

"From now on, I will be fully responsible for you. Anyone who disobeys orders will be dismissed!"

"Anyone whose strength hasn't reached the Yellow Rank in six months will be dismissed!"

"…"

Tang Yan's stern demeanor made the guards feel as if they had joined the military.

"Now, listen to my command. Carry a three hundred and fifty-pound stake, line up, and run ten laps around the Martial Arts Arena. If even one person fails to persist, everyone's lunch will be canceled! If you haven't started running in ten breaths, everyone's lunch will be canceled! Begin!"

With Tang Yan's command, everyone moved nervously, quickly finding their stakes and lining up to run around the Martial Arts Arena.

In the distant pavilion.

Two elders watched the Martial Arts Arena in shock.

After a long time, Tang Old Master asked, "Old Mo, take a closer look. Is that white-clothed youth my grandson?"

Hearing Tang Old Master's words, Uncle Mo couldn't help but chuckle, "Master, that is indeed the young master."

With Uncle Mo's confirmation, Tang Old Master's eyes narrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, "What do you think, after being stirred up by this rascal, how will the strength of the Tang Family's guards change?"