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Chapter 11 - Tian Clan Training Grounds

Tian Shi still hadn't received a formal reply to his request, and Tian Yue had yet to get back to him. Unfortunately, his day had just begun. His grooming as an heir of the Tian Clan revolved around fulfilling the expectations based on his cultivation. Within the mortal realm, he had to deal with disputes and issues arising from the side branches of the Tian Clan located across various mortal planes. Once he became an Immortal, his jurisdiction would expand to the Tian Clan branches that resided in the immortal planes. And it wasn't that he couldn't fulfill his duties; he was compelled to.

This led him to the Tian Clan Training Grounds. Every morning, the children gathered there to learn about cultivation and the best ways to set their foundations. Promising seedlings from across the planes came here to access the finest resources and spirit stones that essence could buy.

The children lined up in rows. Tian Shi stood on the podium at the heart of the gathering, and even with his Saint-level cultivation, he could see an end to all the children. They resembled a swarm of military-trained locusts, perfectly in sync with one another. Not one of them was out of line or out of step.

Most of them were younger than ten, arranged from those with the highest cultivation to those with the weakest. Just as he dismissed the group as average, he noticed the Nascent Soul aura emanating from the batch of kids in the front row. He let his gaze linger on them for a moment and nodded in respect. Talent, a commodity one could never have enough of in this world, was clearly present in several of them.

"Greetings, Junior Patriarch!" the crowd shouted in unison once they noticed his presence.

A brief nod was the only response he gave them as he walked toward the center of the podium. Tucking his hands behind him, he stood tall, chin angled so that his gaze was not directly at their level. Status—something they did not have to look directly in the eyes.

"I've been told we have a few promising youths among this year's batch of junior clan members," Tian Shi spoke. "Well, this is your moment to shine."

The children did not tremble in his presence. While fear was an expected emotion, most of them were being trained to be warriors for the Clan, and a warrior never showed fear, only respect, honor, and ruthlessness. Acknowledging their restraint and control, Tian Shi continued, "Most of you have probably been forced here by your parents, told that you need to join the Warrior Caste in hopes of bringing glory to the family while uplifting them from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs."

He paused, taking a moment to see beyond their physical mortal shells and into their hearts. Dao Heart—a concept that hung on the lips of everyone he knew and everyone who aspired to reach the top. It was something unseen, yet the most important.

He? He could see their Dao Hearts directly with his eyes. He observed the resplendent light burning brightly in the chests of these young children; some had flickering flames on the verge of extinguishment, while others had flames so bright they singed his eyes.

"The good news is that everything you aspire to be is achievable despite the risks. All I ask is for you to fight like you've never fought before," Tian Shi said, concluding his brief speech.

"We are unworthy of your encouragement!" the children shouted in unison.

Tian Shi walked back to his seat. The Tian Clan instructor for the mortal kids rose from his seat and gave him a light round of applause. Age had caught up to the man in a way that most Immortals never wished. Dark brown spots dotted his facial features, brought on by the backlash from failing the tribulation needed to enter the next realm. The effects on his posture were horrendous; he stood straight, yet all Tian Shi saw was a crooked man at the edge of his lifespan.

It saddened him, honestly. Tian Wushuang, the instructor, had once been a genius who sauntered through the skies, nearly unmatched during his generation. All of that faded after he sustained a blood origin injury that even the clan could not cure with its vast resources.

Of all the people Tian Shi respected purely based on merit, Tian Wushuang was number nine—a man capable of crossing realms to stalemate gods while at the peak of the Immortal Realm.

"It's mere petty tricks. There's no need to praise me so much, Senior Wushuang," Tian Shi said, sincerity oozing from his tone.

Tian Wushuang raised his hand. Like clockwork, the students burst into fighting stances, throwing fists and kicks in unison. Blow after blow created small micro-explosions that shattered the sound barrier multiple times over. After setting them back into their routine, he turned his full attention to the young Patriarch.

"What do you think of this year's batch, Young Patriarch?" Tian Wushuang asked.

"Not as impressive as I thought it would be," Tian Shi replied honestly. "But I did notice one or two that I hope to groom and mold into perfect aides."

In truth, his statement was far from the reality he felt. After learning about the clan members with the Mysterious Yin Physique, regardless of how brilliant this year's batch was, it paled in comparison to her talents.

"I would like to believe so too, but clearly this batch is better than the last when it comes to raw talent," Tian Wushuang said, attributing the Young Patriarch's lack of vision to inexperience.

"My apologies; my thoughts are just elsewhere," Tian Shi said. "We'll do it like last time."

"No offense taken, Young Patriarch. I'm merely pointing out something you may have missed," Tian Wushuang replied.

Tian Wushuang signaled to the other instructors. They leaped off the podium in a single bound. The young ones were arranged into eight groups surrounding the podium. An instructor landed in front of each group and waved. All the children made space, their movements perfect without a moment's delay, like a well-oiled machine.

After forming the ring, the instructors slammed their hands together, activating a formation beneath the ground. The podium disappeared, replaced by a stage that filled the volume of the space created earlier in the center of the ring.

Tian Wushuang leaped onto the podium and projected his voice to the farthest reaches. "Another year has passed, and the Young Master has come again to choose a few of you to become part of his aid, in hopes that your talents may be used to help him fulfill his destiny as the future Patriarch, while simultaneously gifting you status, strength, and privileges that you can only imagine in your dreams."

Tian Wushuang's voice echoed to the furthest end of the large group.

Tian Shi saw the excitement boiling in the hearts of the young kids at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he offered. Normally, there would have been a competition of sorts for these types of opportunities, but unfortunately, he saw no need to host competitions. Choosing people who would put their lives on the line for him couldn't be done in such a hazardous manner.