Garion was now standing near the entrance of the newly built gym with his arms crossed, quietly checking the ti.
"Let’s see how long it takes them to show up."
Surprisingly, he didn’t have to wait long.
A few minutes later, the doors opened, and Raviel stepped in, followed by a group of ten elders dressed in their formal robes.
Raviel raised a hand. "We’re here, Garion. Ten fine elders, ready to... train."
The way he said it made Garion chuckle. "Good. Then let’s start."
He turned and gestured toward the corridor. "We’ll begin by getting changed. Follow to the locker room."
The elders hesitated, looking around at the strange glowing walls and smooth, unfamiliar architecture.
It felt unlike any building they had ever seen. It was clean, tallic, and perfectly organized, unlike other commoners’ buildings.
Garion smiled faintly as he pushed open a large door.
"Welco to the locker room. The first step of every session is to change out of those robes. Training in silk and embroidery won’t do you any good."
The elders entered slowly, eyes widening.
The room had rows of lockers that opened with a simple gesture and strange standing showers.
Rendric looked around, amazed. "By the heavens... this is cleaner than the Patriarch’s hall."
Garion laughed. "Of course it is. Discipline starts with cleanliness."
Then he pointed to a table filled with neatly folded clothes.
"These will be your uniforms for training. Don’t worry, they’re durable, comfortable, and made for movent."
The elders froze when they saw them.
"What the hell is this?!"
"How can this be our outfit? Aren’t these the ones the commoners used?"
"We are elders of the Revalis Clan! This is too plain!"
Before Garion could say anything, Raviel’s sharp voice cut through the complaints.
"Enough! If I can wear it, so can you. Stop whining and change."
The elders imdiately fell silent.
Raviel smirked at Garion. "You see? They just need a little push."
Garion grinned. "You’re a good motivator, Patriarch."
Within a few minutes, the elders ca out of the locker room, looking completely different.
The once dignified n now stood awkwardly in plain black shirts and training pants, their faces filled with sha.
Raviel laughed openly. "Hah! Look at you all! Don’t you feel ten years younger already?"
Garion chuckled. "That’s the spirit. Now, follow to the training hall."
They walked through a wide corridor until they stepped into the massive hall filled with nurous pieces of equipnt.
The elders froze again.
"What... are all these?"
"Are these torture devices?"
Raviel grinned. "No, but after today, you might wish they were."
At the far side of the hall, Dahlia, Rynar, Rynor, and the other disciples were already waiting.
They stood straight, looking more than ready.
Garion clapped his hands.
"Alright. Dahlia, Rynar, Rynor, and the others. Help the elders with their warm-ups. Basic stretches first. Don’t go easy on them."
Rynor smirked. "Understood, Master."
Rynar grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Let’s make sure they loosen up real good."
The elders exchanged nervous glances as Dahlia walked forward, smiling politely.
"Alright, Elders. Follow my lead. Arms up, deep breaths... and bend!"
A few groans imdiately filled the room as the elders tried to stretch, their joints cracking.
Garion shook his head with amusent, then turned to the side where Raviel, Rendric, and Rachel were waiting.
"Alright, you three. Co with . You’ll have your own program."
Rachel looked a bit anxious. "Garion, I... I’m still not that strong. What should I do?"
Garion smiled reassuringly.
"Don’t worry. You’ll start slow. Let’s do so light cardio first to build endurance. Let’s use the treadmill first."
Rachel blinked. "The... what?"
Garion laughed softly. "You’ll see. It’s that running platform over there. Just walk for now."
Rachel nodded hesitantly and stepped onto it.
The mont she started moving, her nervousness faded, replaced by determination.
Garion then walked over to the squat rack, motioning for both Raviel and Rendric to follow.
"Alright, you two. We’ll start with squats. It’s one of the most important full-body exercises. We’ll begin with fifty kilos each."
Raviel raised an eyebrow. "Only fifty?"
Garion chuckled.
"Trust , Patriarch, it’s more than enough when done properly. The goal here isn’t to just lift but to control your body."
Rendric’s face paled slightly. "Control... right. Sounds easy."
Garion grinned and began loading the plates onto the bars.
"It sounds easy, but most people can’t even do five without losing balance. So pay attention."
He walked under the first bar, lifted it off the rack with a firm breath, and stepped back.
"See? Keep your chest up, feet shoulder-width apart. Then lower your body slowly. Don’t rush it."
He demonstrated, going down into a perfect squat and holding the position.
"If you go too fast, you’ll lose control. If you go too shallow, it’s useless. Understand?"
Raviel nodded, focused. "Got it. Down slow, up steady."
Rendric, on the other hand, looked uncertain. "Master Garion, are you sure this is safe for... older cultivators?"
Garion smirked. "Don’t worry. If you break sothing, I’ll heal you myself."
Rendric muttered. "That’s not comforting at all..."
Raviel laughed loudly and slapped Rendric on the back. "Stop whining! Co on, Elder. If I can do it, so can you!"
Garion gestured toward the rack. "Alright, Patriarch, you first. Let’s see what you’ve got."
Raviel nodded confidently and stepped under the barbell.
He adjusted his grip, exhaled deeply, and lifted it off the rack.
Garion folded his arms. "Good. Now lower yourself slowly. Keep your back straight."
Raviel began to descend, his legs tensing. When he reached halfway, his face stiffened.
"Damn... How can it still be this heavy? How is this only half the weight from yesterday but feels just as hard?"
Garion laughed, stepping beside him.
"Because yesterday you burned everything in one rep, Patriarch. You threw all your power at once."
"But today’s different. Your body’s tensing up, trying to save strength for the next few sets."
Raviel exhaled through his nose and gave a short nod. "So this is what you call proper training, huh?"
Garion grinned. "Exactly. Not about showing off once. It’s about lasting until the end."
Raviel stood back up straight, breathing heavily but smiling faintly. "Heh. I see. This... feels oddly satisfying."
Garion smirked. "That’s what everyone says before I raise the weight."
Raviel froze. "You’re joking, right?"
Garion just turned away with a small laugh. "No promises, Patriarch."
Rendric groaned quietly in the back. "I knew coming here was a mistake..."
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