Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method-Chapter 369: Sunlight Buffs and Royal Bombshells

Sorien stood still for a moment, his eyes slowly lifting toward the arena above.

The transformation had already surprised him.

But the open roof surprised him even more.

Sunlight poured down freely, clear and unobstructed.

The morning sun had risen just enough to bathe the entire arena in a soft, steady glow.

Sorien took a quiet breath.

This was still early morning.

And this exact time... was when Solmira Clan cultivators were at their strongest.

Several Solmira members noticed it too.

Their posture straightened almost instinctively. Their breathing adjusted.

A faint sense of familiarity and comfort spread through them.

One of the younger members whispered, "The roof is open..."

Another muttered under his breath, "This is... ideal."

Sindral narrowed his eyes, a hint of confusion flashing across his face.

Sorien slowly turned his gaze toward Garion.

"Sir Garion," he said, his voice calm but clearly surprised, "this arena..."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"...you opened the roof."

Garion looked at him and smirked.

"Hehehe."

That was all he said.

Sorien blinked once.

Then he let out a quiet chuckle.

"You’re aware, right?" Sorien said. "This is the time when our light cultivation is at its peak."

Garion nodded casually. "Of course."

He gestured lightly toward the Solmira side of the arena. "Your place is over there. You can prepare."

He raised two fingers. "We’ll start in ten minutes."

Sorien studied Garion’s expression closely. There was no tension in it. No hesitation. No calculation.

Only confidence.

Sorien’s lips curved into a genuine smile.

"I see," he said. "Then we’ll move to our side."

He turned and motioned for his people to follow.

"Let’s go."

The Solmira members moved in an orderly manner toward their platform.

As they walked, some rolled their shoulders, others closed their eyes briefly, quietly aligning their breathing with the sunlight above.

Sindral lagged half a step behind.

He glanced once more toward Garion, then toward the God Gym disciples standing opposite them.

"So confident," he muttered. "Even when giving us the advantage."

One of his peers whispered, "Do you think it’s arrogance?"

Sindral didn’t answer right away.

Sorien, walking ahead, spoke calmly without turning around.

"Confidence," he said, "is only arrogance if it collapses."

He stepped onto the Solmira platform and faced the arena again.

"If it doesn’t," he added, "then it’s simply strength."

The Solmira members then took their places behind him.

Sorien glanced to the side and looked at Sindral.

"Do you know that girl?" he asked.

Sindral followed his gaze and saw Dahlia standing confidently on the opposite platform.

"...Yes," Sindral replied.

Sorien raised a brow slightly. "From what I saw, she was the one who suggested opening the roof."

Sindral nodded. "That’s right."

Sorien paused. "Who is she?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Sindral hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "She was also a younger member of a Grand Clan."

Sorien’s eyes narrowed slightly. "A Grand Clan member?"

"Yes," Sindral said. "She didn’t stay long, but her background is real."

Sorien looked back at Dahlia, surprise clear in his eyes now.

"A Grand Clan disciple... in a new sect that hasn’t even been recognized yet," he said quietly. "That’s unusual."

Sindral exhaled slowly. "It’s not a long story," he said. "But it’s not simple either."

---

Meanwhile, on the God Gym side...

Several pairs of eyes were fixed on Dahlia.

Rynor leaned closer to Rynar. "Oi. How the hell do you know that Solmira guy?"

Rynar frowned. "Yeah. He’s not just some random elite."

Clara tilted her head, smiling. "Ooo, secrets?"

Arden looked worried. "Grand Clans are... usually very closed off."

Garion didn’t speak right away. He was watching Dahlia closely.

Then he nodded slowly.

"Now I get it," he said. "That explains why you knew so much this morning."

Dahlia looked away.

"You knew about [Origin], faction ranks, and how Solmira cultivators operate," Garion continued. "That wasn’t guesswork."

Dahlia stayed silent.

Garion stepped closer, his voice calm. "You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to."

He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"You’re Dahlia of God Gym," he said. "That’s enough."

Dahlia’s fingers tightened slightly.

"...Master," she said quietly.

She took a breath, then another.

"It’s okay," she said. "I’ll tell you."

She looked at the others, then back at Garion. "It’s better if I say it myself. If I don’t, it’ll just sit there and feel heavy."

Garion glanced toward the arena clock. "We have ten minutes."

Dahlia shook her head slightly. "...I’ll need more than that."

Garion thought for a moment, then turned and raised his voice.

"Sir Sorien," he called out. "Can we delay the start by thirty minutes?"

Sorien looked over immediately.

"No problem," Sorien replied. "Take your time."

Garion nodded. "Thanks."

He turned back to Dahlia. "Alright. Thirty minutes."

Dahlia let out a long breath, shoulders finally relaxing.

"...Okay," she said.

She straightened her back and took a slow breath.

Everyone’s eyes were on her now.

"Then I’ll start from the beginning," Dahlia said. "I’m not an ordinary girl."

She paused for a moment, then spoke clearly.

"I’m a member of a Grand Clan."

There was no dramatic tone. She said it like a fact.

Rynor scratched his head. "Yeah, we kinda guessed that already."

Rynar nodded. "That Solmira guy knowing you wasn’t normal."

Clara tilted her head. "Mhm. Rich background vibes."

Dahlia nodded once. "That part, you already know."

She looked around at all of them, then continued.

"But what you don’t know is this."

Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides.

"I wasn’t just a random Grand Clan disciple," she said. "I’m a princess of a Grand Clan."

The air shifted.

Arden froze mid-breath. "...A what?"

Valtor blinked. "Wait. A princess?"

Ragric’s brows lifted for the first time. "An actual one?"

Seira’s eyes narrowed slightly, finally showing interest.

Dahlia nodded again. "A real one."

She glanced toward the Solmira side briefly, then back to her group.

"My status is higher than Sindral’s," she said calmly. "He’s only a cousin of a prince. A side branch."

She pointed to herself. "I’m direct blood."

Silence spread through the God Gym side.

Rynor let out a low whistle. "Damn."

Rynar stared at her. "...You hid that pretty well."

Clara leaned forward. "So you weren’t just teasing people for fun. You were royalty doing it."

Dahlia snorted. "Hey, I tease people because I like it."

Garion hadn’t spoken yet. He was watching her carefully.

Then he asked, "If that’s true... how were you there?"

Dahlia turned toward him.

"When we first met," Garion continued, "you were in a suburban area. Not poor, but low-level."

He frowned slightly. "Even peak First Realm cultivators were rare there."

He met her eyes. "Someone with your status shouldn’t have been anywhere near a place like that."

Dahlia didn’t answer right away.

She lowered her gaze and took another breath.

"Just wait, Master," she said quietly. "I’m getting there."

She lifted her head again.