Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

"Yes." Luo Chenghu and Zhao Kui’s previous arrogance was nowhere to be seen. They both lowered their heads and obediently listened to the lecture.

Seeing them like this, Min Wei was quite pleased. He patiently instructed, "Master once said that only after reaching the Muscle Strengthening Realm, possessing the immense strength of over a thousand pounds, and cultivating the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill to Perfection can one use the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw in combat. You two must train diligently and not bite off more than you can chew."

"Senior Brother Min, I was wrong," Zhao Kui said in a low, rumbling voice. Still, he was puzzled. "The Dragon Eagle Iron Claw is so heavy. I’m afraid even Senior Brother Chen wouldn’t be able to practice with it on. How can it possibly yield twice the results with half the effort?"

He was referring to Chen Cheng. Having admitted his own Martial Arts Power was inferior, he was already thoroughly impressed by him.

In truth, Min Wei was also quite baffled, not understanding why Mr. Zheng had given such instructions.

In his opinion, even if Chen Cheng possessed Innate Divine Power, practicing while wearing the heavy Dragon Eagle Iron Claw would still be extremely cumbersome.

Seeing all three of them looking at him, Chen Cheng smiled. "Let me give it a try."

Zhao Kui hastily handed the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw to him.

Briefly gauging the weight of the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw, Chen Cheng was slightly taken aback himself. Even though he was long accustomed to weighted training, wearing the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw, which weighed over thirty pounds, still felt a little awkward.

"This Dragon Eagle Iron Claw really is heavy!" Chen Cheng remarked. He walked to the center of the training ground, focused his mind, gathered his Qi, and secretly activated his Iron Armor Skill.

Previously, when he practiced the Iron Armor Skill, he could channel Qi Blood Power to his fingers, but without any weight, the training his wrists, palms, and finger joints received was limited.

Now, with weights on his hands, his Qi Blood Power began to circulate from his Dantian. It flowed throughout his body, then through his shoulders and arms, surging into his wrists, palms, and all the way to his finger joints. Suddenly, the channel felt completely open, and a refreshing sensation washed over him.

[Iron Armor Skill Cultivation Progress Increased.]

A notification popped up on his status panel after just one cycle.

’When I practiced the Iron Armor Skill before, I always felt like something was missing. So this is it.’

’From now on, if I train with weights on my whole body and wear the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw, my Cultivation Progress for the Iron Armor Skill should increase much faster.’

A smile touched Chen Cheng’s lips at the thought.

"Dragon Eagle Qi Gathering!"

The first move of the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill was a Force Manipulation Method that mobilized the body’s Qi Blood Power and gathered it in the wrists, palms, and fingers. Chen Cheng immediately felt the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw become less heavy. In fact, the added weight seemed to enhance the power in his hands.

’It really is this miraculous!’

Chen Cheng proceeded to the second move.

"Dragon Eagle’s Probing Claw!"

He extended his hands in a claw shape, one forward and one back, one high and one low. One claw was for attacking, the other for defending.

[Powerful Eagle Claw Skill Cultivation Progress Increased.]

...

"Eagle Claw Captures the Tiger!"

...

As Chen Cheng performed the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill move by move, he found it becoming increasingly natural and effortless.

[Powerful Eagle Claw Skill Cultivation Progress Increased.]

...

Notifications from the panel appeared frequently. His Cultivation Progress was increasing at an astonishing rate.

"Claw Shattering Mountains and Rivers!"

BANG!

With a single squeeze, Chen Cheng crushed a stone block to rubble, completing one full run-through of the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill.

[Skill: Powerful Eagle Claw Skill (Beginner Level 15/100)]

’Whoa! It really does yield twice the results with half the effort. This progress is way too fast!’

Chen Cheng stood quietly, lost in thought.

’My Iron Armor Skill has already reached Great Success in the Skin Grinding Realm, so my power is abundant. My cultivation speed for Horizontal Cultivation Techniques like the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill was already fast to begin with.’

’Now that I’m using the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw to bring out its full potential, the speed will be even faster!’

’No wonder Master said I was suited for practicing Horizontal Cultivation Techniques. He was absolutely right!’

’What’s more, I can feel that if I coordinate with the Iron Armor Technique Heart Method, my cultivation of the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill will be even faster. After all, I only have weights on my hands right now. My entire body isn’t weighted, so I can’t unleash the full potential of the Iron Armor Skill to mobilize my body’s Qi and Blood.’

Chen Cheng snapped out of his thoughts and realized the training ground had gone completely silent. Min Wei, Luo Chenghu, and Zhao Kui were all staring at him with wide eyes.

He glanced around and saw that the other practicing disciples had also stopped at some point. They were gaping in his direction, their faces a mask of disbelief, as if they were looking at a monster.

"Brother Cheng, don’t you feel those Iron Claws are too heavy?"

Luo Chenghu yelled, his eyes filled with shocked disbelief.

Chen Cheng smiled faintly. "The Dragon Eagle Iron Claw certainly has some weight to it, but it’s manageable."

"Er..." Luo Chenghu was speechless. ’Over thirty pounds is just ’manageable’?’

He had just tried performing the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill while wearing the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw himself. He could barely manage it, and he figured that after a few sets, both his hands would be aching and numb, if not completely exhausted. How could Chen Cheng be so relaxed?

A look of defeat crossed Zhao Kui’s dark face, and his spirits sank. "Senior Brother Chen, you are very strong!"

When this guy truly admired someone, he always said the same three words: "You are very strong."

Chen Cheng didn’t want to be too high-profile, so he just smiled. "I’m just doing my best. I’m afraid I’d get tired after an hour at most, practicing the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill with the Dragon Eagle Iron Claw."

This was, of course, an understatement. Chen Cheng was already planning to go home and practice again with his entire body weighted. A workout of this intensity was nothing to him.

"An hour? Brother Cheng, what kind of monster are you?" Luo Chenghu bellowed, his eyes wide.

Zhao Kui heaved a long sigh. ’It’s true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy.’

"Alright, there’s a saying: diligence can make up for a lack of talent," Min Wei said. "If you two train hard, you might just be able to catch up to Junior Brother Chen one day. Now go practice! Don’t let your minds wander!"

"Yes," Luo Chenghu and Zhao Kui said in unison. They walked back onto the training ground and started taking out their frustrations on the hard stone blocks.

Min Wei swept his gaze over the other disciples. "What are you all gawking at?" he barked. "Get back to practicing!"

The disciples all called out in affirmation and, just like Luo Chenghu and Zhao Kui, redoubled their efforts in their training.

For a moment, the air was filled with a cacophony of shouts, cries, and the sound of shattering stone, several times louder and more intense than usual.

Min Wei looked at the refined young man before him with a complicated expression and sighed. "Master once said that for the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill, a practitioner of outstanding talent can reach Small Success in three months, Great Success in another six, and Perfection in another year. After that, it takes another two or three years to cultivate Claw Momentum."

"But judging by your Cultivation Progress, I’m afraid you’ll reach Perfection in less than a year. That’s truly remarkable."

"Senior Brother, you praise me too much. I might not be able to cultivate that quickly," Chen Cheng said humbly.

’At my current rate,’ he thought, ’why would it take a year to bring the Powerful Eagle Claw Skill to Perfection? I probably won’t even need six months.’

Min Wei said, "With your talent and aptitude, Junior Brother Chen, even if Master promoted you directly to a True Disciple, I would be wholeheartedly convinced."

"In truth, although Master hasn’t personally instructed you in any Cultivation Techniques, I can see that he thinks very highly of you. You must continue to train diligently."

"I will," Chen Cheng answered sincerely.

Min Wei thought for a moment, then beckoned Chen Cheng to a quiet corner of the training ground. He lowered his voice. "As your senior brother, there are a few things I feel I must remind you of. Your talent is exceptional, but you must also be cautious, especially when it comes to people from the Four Great Clans of the Inner City."

"You may not know this, but back in the day, Master had already cultivated to Bone Forging Realm Perfection by the age of twenty-seven. He was on the verge of breaking through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, and perhaps even the higher Organ Refining Realm."

"But because his talent in the Martial Dao was too outstanding, he incurred the jealousy of others. He was ambushed by a powerful expert and his Primordial Qi was severely damaged. That’s why his Martial Arts Cultivation has been stalled ever since."

Chen Cheng was startled. "Senior Brother, are you saying the expert who ambushed Master was from one of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City?"

’Mr. Zheng was ambushed by an expert from the Four Great Clans, yet he still accepted Qin Ruiyang and Shen Qingshuang—who are from those very clans—as his True Disciples? That doesn’t seem to add up!’

"Sigh... As for the specific details, Master never speaks of them, so I don’t know much either," Min Wei lamented. "Actually, Master had another disciple before. His talent in the Martial Dao was extremely high, so much so that even Qin Ruiyang and Shen Qingshuang couldn’t begin to compare. But precisely because his talent was so astonishing, he was ambushed by wicked people. Although Master arrived in time to save his life, the majority of his Martial Arts Cultivation had already been crippled in the desperate struggle."

"In Linji City, forget about the disciples of our Zheng Martial Arts Hall; even among the Four Great Clans of the Inner City themselves, there is constant overt and covert strife. None of them want to see a supreme expert emerge from one of the other three clans."

"The direct descendants of their own families are naturally protected by hidden experts, but the young geniuses who align with them often fall victim to sinister plots."

"Back when I was in the Protectorate Army, I was a Households Commander myself. I had my moment of glory... Ah, forget it. Just pretend I never said any of this."

...

「Night fell.」

Chen Cheng stood alone in his courtyard, gazing up at the countless twinkling stars, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

First, there had been Liu Yunfeng’s warning, and now, Min Wei’s words of goodwill.

Combined with everything he had seen and heard recently, Chen Cheng knew he had no choice but to be cautious.

’This world is far more dangerous than I ever imagined,’ he thought. ’I have to remain vigilant even in times of safety if I want to survive.’

’Fortunately, I’ve always been careful and have never fully revealed my strength the way Yan Jian did.’

With that final thought, Chen Cheng headed toward the back of his courtyard.