Since it was the first day of school, there were no formal activities scheduled in the afternoon, allowing all students free time.
That afternoon, Yang Podi gathered a few members from the Four Single-Attribute Clans. Seeing Tai Long's casual demeanor, he couldn't help but want to give him a good scolding.
It was Yang Ping'an who spoke up first: "Elder Brother, aren't we going to train this afternoon? I think the environment at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is quite nice."
Yang Podi pondered for a moment before replying, "The Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, asked me today. They want me to participate in the upcoming Soul Master Competition, but I've already declined. My goal is to participate in the next Soul Master Competition."
"I've communicated with the Crown Prince and the three members of the Education Committee; I will be forming the second team of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. All matters regarding the second team will be my responsibility, including recruitment and training."
"I'd like to confirm with you four if you are confident about joining me for the next Soul Master Competition."
Upon hearing this, the four looked at each other, feeling uncertain. They were only twelve years old, and the next Soul Master Competition was still seven years away. Was it too early to make such a decision?
Before they could respond, Yang Podi continued, "Tai Long, Niu Meng, Bai Xiaofei, you three are direct descendants of the single-attribute families. You are all expected to inherit the leadership positions of your clans. The relationships among the Four Single-Attribute Clans in the Heaven Dou Empire are complex, and to inherit the leadership, you must have strength. I hope you can all develop the strength worthy of clan leaders so that our clans can thrive."
Hearing this, the three of them grew serious. As heirs to their families, they enjoyed many benefits but also bore corresponding responsibilities. Now that they were twelve, they were no longer children.
Niu Meng spoke first: "Elder Brother, I'm willing to join the battle team, but I'm worried your training regimen might be too intense for me."
"Cousin, you don't have to worry. I'll tailor the training plans to fit your physical conditions. There will be a certain level of difficulty, but it won't hinder your progress," Yang Podi reassured him.
Niu Meng seemed relieved. "In that case, it's fine. Elder Brother, you can count on me. I will work hard and become the leader of the Niu family in the future."
After hearing this, Tai Long and Bai Xiaofei also expressed their willingness to join.
Seeing that the three had agreed, Yang Podi spoke again, "Your soul power levels are still too low. The training content from now on will mainly consist of attending classes at the academy in the mornings. In the afternoons, you will need to run 50 kilometers with weights. After finishing the run, you will take a medicinal bath, and in the evenings, you will meditate in your simulated environments."
The three of them swallowed hard upon hearing this: 50 kilometers with weights—was that even humanly possible?
Niu Meng seemed a bit regretful: "Elder Brother, isn't 50 kilometers with weights a bit too much? And how much weight will we be carrying?"
Yang Podi looked at the three of them. "As soul masters, your bodies are everything. Only by strengthening your bodies can you improve your training speed and everything else. The effect of the medicinal baths will also be greatly enhanced after your daily runs, and your meditation speed will improve significantly, allowing you to elevate your soul power more quickly."
"As for how much weight you will carry, I will set it according to your actual situations."
"Heaven Dou Imperial Academy offers excellent training conditions. The simulated environments and the food in the cafeteria are all top-notch, even better than what you would get at your families. For our team members, I will apply for materials for the medicinal baths. You don't need to worry about anything else; just focus on your training."
"Tai Long, find time to create weights of various sizes. Starting tomorrow, Bai Xiaofei will carry 10 kilograms, Niu Meng will carry 20 kilograms, and Tai Long will carry 30 kilograms. Except during the medicinal bath, you are not allowed to remove the weights."
Upon hearing this, the three felt a bit uneasy. Tai Long then spoke up: "Elder Brother, is carrying 30 kilograms for me too much?"
"You three are beast martial soul users and already great soul masters. Your physical fitness should be better than Ping'an's. Ping'an currently carries 40 kilograms, while I carry 130 kilograms, and we are just tool soul masters. Is your physical fitness really that poor?" Yang Podi replied.
"Starting tomorrow night, I will go to the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City for soul battles with Ping'an. Once you reach level 25, you must also participate in soul battles every day, and you must take part in two matches daily until you earn the Silver Soul Badge."
"I will inform your fathers about your joining the battle team and training with me. I believe they will support my decision."
The three were speechless. If their fathers knew they were joining a battle team and training with Yang Podi, they would probably be overjoyed rather than opposed. Given the intensity of the training, it was likely they would all be exhausted, but it seemed it was too late to object now.
Ultimately, they could only reluctantly agree.
Yang Podi saw that they had all consented and continued, "Your current soul power is only at level 21; that's still too low. We have seven years until the next Soul Master Competition, and during that time, each of you must at least reach the Soul Ancestor rank, which means you need to raise your levels by 19. That's an average of at least 2.7 levels of soul power per year to show your strength in the competition. Otherwise, it will be difficult to participate."
The three of them swallowed hard again; raising soul power by 2.7 levels each year seemed quite challenging.
Noticing their hesitation, Yang Podi reassured them, "You can rest assured. As long as you follow my training regimen, I guarantee that you will reach the rank of Soul Ancestor before you turn 19. This will ensure we live up to the reputation of the heirs of the Four Single-Attribute Clans."
In the original story, Tai Long participated in the Soul Master Competition at level 37. As long as he worked hard to train, raising three levels should be entirely feasible, especially with the current favorable training conditions. Niu Meng and Bai Xiaofei should be able to achieve similar results.
As for the divine herbs, Yang Podi wasn't planning to use them on the others for now, including Yang Ping'an. Having everyone suddenly exhibit a dramatic increase in soul power during their training could easily raise suspicions from the outside world. Especially for Tai Long and Bai Xiaofei, they would need to be cautious about this in the future.
Regarding other fundamental training methods, those were inconsequential. Whether it was weight running or the training methods he was about to design, they wouldn't have a significant impact.
As for the divine herbs he intended for Yang Ping'an, he could wait until after the Soul Master Competition to give them to him; that wouldn't be too late.