Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method

Chapter 641: A Dragon’s Wounded Pride

Inside the Ignis Dragon Clan’s main hall, the air was heavy with flame pressure.

Crimson pillars rose toward the ceiling, each one carved with roaring dragon patterns. Lava-like light flowed through the walls, making the entire hall feel like the inside of a sleeping volcano.

Elder Varan stood in the center of the hall with a dark expression.

He was the same Ignis Dragon Clan elder who had watched Kaelvar lose to Dahlia during the Newbie Tournament.

And worse than that, he had been mocked by Garion afterward.

Just remembering Garion’s calm grin made his pride burn like raging dragon fire.

At the highest seat of the hall sat the current patriarch of this Ignis Dragon Clan branch.

Patriarch Dravion Ignis.

He was a tall man with long crimson hair, golden dragon eyes, and two curved horns that looked like burning metal. His aura was far deeper than Elder Varan’s, but his expression was calm and controlled.

Varan cupped his fists. "Patriarch, we cannot simply ignore this matter."

Dravion looked down at him. "You mean God Gym?"

Varan’s eyes became colder. "Yes. That man, Garion, mocked me in front of others. His disciple, Dahlia Draconia, also humiliated Kaelvar in the final match."

His voice became heavier. "A wild lower-world dragon defeated an Ignis dragon genius. If we let this pass, others will think our Ignis Dragon Clan is weak."

Some elders in the hall nodded faintly.

The defeat had indeed damaged their pride.

But Dravion did not immediately answer.

Instead, he tapped one finger against the armrest of his throne. "Varan, what do we actually know about God Gym?"

Varan frowned. "They are a new faction under Astral Cosmic Terminal One. Their master is Garion. Their disciple won the Newbie Tournament."

Dravion’s golden eyes narrowed. "That is not enough."

Varan’s expression stiffened.

Dravion leaned forward slightly. "We do not know Garion’s origin. We do not know his true strength. We do not know his race, inheritance, master, backing, or purpose."

His voice became colder. "And do you not know where his current territory is?"

Varan’s face darkened.

Dravion continued, "That crazy disaster planet."

The hall became silent.

Everyone had heard about that planet by now.

A violent world filled with storms, poison clouds, frozen regions, savage beasts, and abnormal cosmic pressure.

And yet God Gym had chosen that place as its base.

No sane faction would do something like that.

Dravion looked around the hall. "Not only that, God Gym has the backing of Paren from Astral Cosmic Terminal One. Even if that backing is only official registration, it is still a connection."

Varan gritted his teeth. "Patriarch, are we supposed to fear a newly formed faction?"

Dravion’s gaze sharpened. "We are the Dragon Race. We are the proud Ignis Dragon Clan. But do not forget one thing."

His voice dropped as he delivered the harsh reality. "We are only a branch of the true Ignis Dragon Clan."

The elders fell quiet.

Dravion continued, "The strongest among us is the Grand Elder, and even he has only just entered the Celestial Realm."

Varan clenched his fists.

Dravion looked directly at him. "A faction that dares to call itself God Gym, dares to train monsters, dares to settle on a disaster planet, and dares to act openly under the terminal’s eyes... is not something we can move against carelessly."

Varan’s face twisted with unwillingness. "So are you saying we can only swallow this bad blood and do nothing?"

Dravion shook his head. "It is not that. We will watch for now."

His golden eyes narrowed slightly. "God Gym has already provoked quite a few factions. We do not need to be the first to move. Let the others test them first. After that, we will see whether they are truly strong or merely acting strong."

Varan could only lower his head, but his expression remained ugly. "Yes, Patriarch."

After saying that, he turned and left the hall.

But even as he walked away, the humiliation in his heart did not fade.

Instead, it burned even hotter.

Behind him, Patriarch Dravion watched his back in silence and secretly sighed.

"Pride is useful. Sometimes, it is what keeps the Dragon Race standing above others."

His eyes became deeper.

"But blind pride can kill even a top race."

---

Inside Astral Cosmic Terminal One, Manager Paren sat behind his wide desk, staring at several floating reports in front of him.

News, trade requests, faction messages, training inquiries, tournament updates... basically, everything was moving faster than before.

And all of it was because of one faction that had appeared in his area.

God Gym.

Paren rubbed his forehead and sighed. "It’s already been a few weeks."

Alira stood nearby with her usual calm expression, hands behind her back.

Paren looked at her. "Alira, is there any news from Garion?"

Alira shook her head. "No. There hasn’t been any direct news from him."

Paren leaned back in his chair. "Nothing at all?"

"Nothing," Alira replied.

Paren paused, and that only made him more worried. "Do you think something happened to him? It’s strange for him to not send any news at all."

Alira thought for a moment. "With Garion, that is difficult to judge. If something happened, it might be trouble. But if nothing happened, it might also be because he is creating trouble quietly."

Paren closed his eyes. "That sounds exactly like him."

The floating reports shifted, and one tournament notice slowly moved to the front.

[Yearly Astral Cosmic Terminal Tournament]

Paren’s eyes sharpened slightly when he saw it. After a moment, he looked back at Alira. "Go to God Gym and check on him."

Alira nodded. "Do you want me to ask for news directly?"

"Yes," Paren said. "Ask what he has been doing these past few weeks. Also, see if there are any people currently being trained there."

Alira’s eyes moved toward the tournament notice. "Because of the yearly tournament?"

Paren nodded slowly. "Exactly."

He stood up and walked toward the window, looking out at the massive terminal city beyond the glass.

"The Newbie Tournament was only the beginning. This yearly tournament is different."

His voice became lower. "Every major Astral Cosmic Terminal will send representatives."

Paren turned around. "And we are Astral Cosmic Terminal One."

Alira’s expression became more serious.

Paren continued, "If we carry the name ’Number One,’ then we need to prove we are the best."

He looked at the glowing God Gym faction name on the report. "Garion’s faction is strange, risky, and completely unpredictable."

Paren sighed, but his eyes sharpened. "But if there is one thing I am sure of, it is this... anyone trained by him will not be normal. Just look at Dahlia. She even received an A1 rating."

Alira nodded. "Understood. I’ll go to God Gym and confirm the situation."

Paren waved his hand. "Good. And Alira..."

She stopped. "Yes?"

Paren’s expression became tired. "If Garion has created another disaster, report it to me before joining it."

Alira was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I’ll try."

Paren stared at her back as she left.

After the door closed, he sighed again. "That answer does not reassure me at all."