Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

He was probably forced by Shen Qingshuang to come to the Zheng Martial Arts Hall to become a disciple this time.

After all, when these dandies are in their own family’s martial arts halls, they don’t train properly and no one dares to discipline them. When they come to the Zheng Martial Arts Hall and cultivate with everyone else, they have to consider their family’s reputation, so they don’t dare to slack off.

This is the very reason why many disciples from the Four Great Clans are sent to the Zheng Martial Arts Hall to cultivate the Martial Dao."

"Is that so!" Chen Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. A question suddenly occurred to him. "By the way, why isn’t anyone from the Jiang Family here to become a disciple? Could it be that the Jiang Family and Mr. Zheng don’t have a good relationship?"

Luo Chenghu glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he lowered his voice and said, "I heard from my aunt that besides having some dealings with the Qin Family, Mr. Zheng isn’t particularly close with any of the other Four Great Clans, nor does he have any major grudges against them.

The Jiang Family controls the City Lord’s Mansion, so they have more cultivation resources than the other three clans. They heavily nurture even their collateral branch disciples who show a bit of talent. As for those with mediocre aptitude, they wouldn’t be able to pass the test even if they came."

"I see," Chen Cheng realized.

Among the Four Great Clans of Linji City, the Jiang Family controlled the City Lord’s Mansion, and the Qin Family had influence in the Protectorate Army. The Wang and Shen Families, on the other hand, were somewhat weaker.

This was something that could be faintly discerned from the younger generation of disciples.

Just as they were speaking, they saw Min Wei arrive in the plaza with an elderly man and woman.

Min Wei shouted for the young people who had come to become disciples to form three lines. Chen Cheng and Luo Chenghu followed suit, joining one of the lines.

"I am Min Wei, a Registered Disciple of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall. These two are Instructors from the hall, Elder Zhuang and Elder Du. The three of us will be responsible for assessing your skills for this recruitment..."

The examination process was quite simple. Each applicant had to demonstrate their skills, and they would be assessed by Min Wei and the two Instructors. As long as their skills reached the Great Success Level, they could become a Registered Disciple of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall.

Chen Cheng had assumed that since everyone came prepared, most of them would pass the assessment. However, he didn’t expect Min Wei and the two Instructors to be so strict. Anyone whose Great Success Level skills were not proficient enough was eliminated. Even among the eight applicants from the Four Great Clans of the Inner City, three failed to qualify.

Of the more than sixty applicants, only thirty-two passed the assessment.

Once the assessment was complete, Min Wei glanced at the two divided groups and announced, "Those who passed may stay. The rest of you, please leave."

For a moment, among those who had passed, some looked calm, some were beaming with joy, and others wore smug expressions.

As for those who hadn’t passed, their faces were filled with indignation, regret, and resentment. Mr. Zheng so rarely accepted disciples; how could they be content with being eliminated just like that?

"Senior Brother, I heard that when Mr. Zheng recruits disciples, he values Martial Arts Talent above all else. My Great Success Level skills aren’t proficient, but that’s just because I’m still young and haven’t cultivated for long. I have excellent innate talent! How about you check my bones?"

From among the rejected crowd, a youth who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen—noticeably younger than most—stepped forward and pleaded with a hopeful expression.

"My innate talent is top-grade too! I want my bones checked as well."

"Me too."

...

Everyone’s hopes were rekindled, and they all began to chime in.

"Rules are rules. There are no exceptions," Min Wei said, his face expressionless and unmoved.

Seeing that the crowd was about to plead further, his expression suddenly darkened. He placed a hand on the long saber at his waist and said coldly, "All of you, leave at once! Otherwise, you will be making an enemy of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall!"

Min Wei was a Muscle Strengthening Realm expert, and one of his eyes was covered with a black cloth. With his face now grim, his ferocious and menacing aura was terrifying.

Nearby, Hospital Martial Artists and a squad of armored soldiers from the Protectorate Army were also watching menacingly.

The rejected crowd didn’t dare cause any trouble and reluctantly began to walk toward the main gate of the martial arts hall.

Jiang Yun was also among the rejected. Apparently, her swordsmanship had only just reached the Great Success level and was not yet proficient.

Min Wei then turned to the group that had passed. "Congratulations, everyone, on becoming Registered Disciples of the Zheng Martial Arts Hall.

"All of you have skills that have reached Great Success, and your Martial Arts Talent is extraordinary. If you cultivate diligently, you may one day have the honor of becoming the Master’s True Disciples.

"While cultivating at the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, you may continue to practice your previous Martial Arts Skills, or you can switch to cultivating the Master’s Outer Sect Horizontal Cultivation Techniques."

As he spoke, Min Wei walked to the edge of the grounds and took a longbow from a Hospital Martial Artist.

"If you choose to switch to the Outer Sect Horizontal Cultivation Techniques, you must first be able to fully draw this three-hundred-jin strong bow. Only then can you enter the Double Courtyard to be further assessed by the Master."

Hearing this, all the new disciples were secretly shocked.

Fully drawing a three-hundred-jin strong bow was no feat for an ordinary Martial Artist. A Martial Artist at the Small Success stage of the Skin Grinding Realm might be able to punch with two or three hundred jin of force. However, the strength needed to fully draw a three-hundred-jin strong bow was several times greater than that required to deliver a three-hundred-jin punch.

It was likely that even a Martial Artist who had just reached the Great Success stage of the Skin Grinding Realm would find it incredibly difficult to fully draw a three-hundred-jin strong bow.