Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method

Arden walked back toward Garion's side.

Garion grinned proudly. "Good job out there, kid."

Arden smiled faintly and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Master."

Dahlia crossed her arms, smirking as she eyed him.

"Not bad, junior. Looks like I'll have to start taking my training more seriously. Can't have my own junior brother beat me like that."

Arden then rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I-I didn't mean to..."

Garion laughed loudly. "Don't apologize for beating her to it! That's the whole point!"

Aveline also walked toward Arden and smiled softly.

"You've really changed, Arden. You carry yourself differently now... You have also become so strong that you can even defeat Elder Asro now."

Arden nodded respectfully. "It's all thanks to my master, Aunt Aveline."

Aveline smiled, hearing that. Meanwhile, Garion suddenly turned to Avelien and grinned.

"By the way... It's already the time for you, right?"

Aveline blinked. "Mine?"

Garion pointed toward the arena.

"Of course. I trained Raviel for a whole month. He's been through every kind of training I could throw at him, so he'd better defeat you."

He turned his gaze toward Raviel.

"You hear me, right? Don't you dare lose, or I'll make you repeat the whole month again."

Rviel chuckled, rolling his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm not planning to."

He stepped forward; his flaming storm aura appeared, covering his body while he smirked.

"Aveline... I've been waiting for this... This time I'll win."

Aveline laughed confidently, brushing her hair back.

"Are you joking? I have beaten you once, and I'll do it again. But still, I'm curious..."

Her eyes narrowed as he turned to Garion for a moment.

"Just how strong you have become after training with Garion. I hope all that training wasn't just for show."

Garion crossed his arms, grinning widely.

"Now this is going to be fun."

---

Arden walked back toward the others, his steps still a little unsteady but his grin wide.

The moment he reached them, Dahlia crossed her arms and leaned closer, smirking.

"So how does it feel, huh? Awakening your [Unique Physique] must've been really painful, just like Master said."

Arden let out a tired sigh, rolling his shoulders.

"Painful... too painful to even describe with words."

Clara laughed. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

Arden gave her a deadpan look.

"Imagine your entire body being crushed, rebuilt, and then set on fire... all at once."

Clara blinked. "Okay, yeah. Never mind."

Eliza smiled faintly. "You still look fine considering all that."

Arden shrugged, then smirked.

"Yeah, well… At least I've passed through mine already. You three haven't experienced it yet, so…"

He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes dramatically.

"I'll just pray for you."

Dahlia's grin disappeared instantly.

"Pray for us? What's that supposed to mean?"

Clara frowned.

"Oh no. Don't tell me it's that bad!"

Arden just smiled without answering.

Dahlia pointed at him. "You're enjoying this way too much!"

He chuckled. "Maybe a little."

Eliza sighed, brushing her hair back with a small frown.

"Just hope it doesn't come too soon. I'd rather keep my body intact for a few more days."

Clara threw her hands up.

"Great. Now I'm going to have nightmares about this."

Arden laughed quietly.

"You should. It hurts like hell."

Dahlia and the others could only groan, thinking about it.

---

Raviel and Aveline stood a few meters apart.

Neither moved at first. Both were waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then, almost at the same time, their auras erupted.

Flames and thunder burst from Raviel's body, while waves of green light and blooming vines spread out from Aveline.

Their domains collided with a thunderous roar, shaking the ground beneath everyone's feet.

For a moment, the two forces pressed against each other before fusing into one massive domain filled with burning storms and blooming forests.

Aveline smirked, her tone calm but sharp.

"You've grown stronger, Raviel. I'll give you that. But don't fool yourself. You still can't beat me."

Raviel rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck with a grin. "You sure about that?"

He raised his hand, and a massive greatsword formed from blazing flames and crackling thunder, the [Flaming Storm Greatsword].

"Let's see if you can handle this!"

With a loud shout, Raviel swung down.

A burning wave of thunder and fire exploded from the blade, surging toward Aveline.

Aveline didn't flinch. With a flick of her wrist, vines sprouted from the ground, weaving together into a massive wall.

[Nature's Shield]

The flaming thunder wave slammed into it, exploding into light and smoke.

When it cleared, the wall was a bit scorched but still standing.

Aveline smiled. "Is that all you've got?"

Raviel lowered his sword slightly and smirked. "Of course not."

His mana surged again, the greatsword pulsing brighter with mixed flames and lightning. "That was just the warm-up."

Aveline's smile widened. "Then stop talking and show me!"

Raviel charged forward, flames swirling around his body as thunder rumbled behind him.

---

Far from the arena, deep inside the main hall of the Avenora Clan, two old men sat across from each other at a long wooden table.

One of them leaned forward, whispering.

"Are you sure this plan of yours is foolproof? Raviel's here… and that man, Garion, he's dangerous."

The other old man waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't be such a coward. Of course, it's foolproof. We've prepared everything for years."

The first one frowned.

"Still… from what I've heard, Garion isn't ordinary. Rumors are saying he's as strong as Raviel himself."

The second man snorted.

"Rumors. That's all they are. Raviel is already in the third realm. Do you think a person from a backwater sect can compare to him? Don't make me laugh."

He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "Besides, his presence actually makes things better."

"Better? How?"

A sly grin appeared on the man's face.

"Because that Garion has a bounty on his head. Once this is over, we'll also get quite a fortune to start."

The first man hesitated, still uneasy. "If you're wrong, this could doom all of us."

The second man chuckled darkly. "Relax. By the time they realize anything, it'll already be too late."

Outside, thunder roared as Raviel's and Aveline's battle raged on.

But inside, two old shadows quietly plotted a betrayal that would soon shake the clan to its roots.