Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

"I told you I would apply to the family for resources to focus on your development. The Shen Family Elders heard about your exceptional talent and have decided to grant you fifty taels of silver per month to support your Cultivation until you reach Skin Grinding Realm Perfection.

"Once you reach Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, the Shen Family will provide you with two Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pills annually."

Having access to Martial Arts Resources was an excellent development. Chen Cheng quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Qingshuang. If I achieve success in my Cultivation, I will surely repay your kindness and support."

"Mm." Shen Qingshuang nodded slightly.

From the side, Xiaoxing spoke up. "Chief Chen, my lady thinks very highly of you. When she was supporting Chief Yan, she only gave him thirty taels of silver a month.

"Also, the Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pills are even more precious. Chief Yan’s annual share is only one pill. Even I only get one a year."

"Thank you for your immense kindness, Qingshuang!" Chen Cheng, feeling overwhelmed by the favor, quickly rose and bowed solemnly.

He showed the proper attitude, but he didn’t entirely believe Xiaoxing. ’Maybe Yan Jian’s share really is less than mine,’ he mused, ’but Xiaoxing is Shen Qingshuang’s personal maid. Her allowance can’t possibly be that small. This is probably a little act she’s putting on with Shen Qingshuang to emphasize how well they’re treating me.’

Shen Qingshuang was evidently pleased with Chen Cheng’s attitude. She smiled and said, "Go on, sit down."

After Chen Cheng sat down again, Shen Qingshuang continued, "With your current strength, it’s time you knew some things about Cultivation in the Muscle Strengthening Realm, which comes after Skin Grinding Realm Perfection.

"You’ve likely heard bits and pieces before, but your understanding is probably incomplete.

"In the past, the Martial Arts Cultivation of the Human Race didn’t include Body Tempering Techniques. Instead, the focus was on practicing External Martial Arts Skills. While these skills could also strengthen the body, the physical improvement was limited.

"Over the ages, during their life-and-death struggles with Demon Beasts, the ancestors of the Human Race witnessed the incredible physical power of these creatures. By studying how Demon Beasts tempered their own bodies, our ancestors developed methods to temper and strengthen the human physique. These methods became known as Body Tempering Techniques.

"Demon Beasts are incredibly powerful. The Great Yu Government Office has classified them by their strength.

"A Tier One Demon Beast’s strength is comparable to a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm. A Tier Two Demon Beast is equivalent to a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm. Tier Three, Tier Four, and Tier Five Demon Beasts are on par with Martial Artists of the Bone Forging, Bone Marrow Cleansing, and Organ Refining Realms, respectively. As for Tier Six, Tier Seven, or even High Tier Demon Beasts, their power is beyond anything we can imagine.

"For the Herbal Decoctions used in the Skin Grinding Realm Body Tempering Method, the primary Medicinal Materials for an ordinary Skin Grinding Technique can be sourced from Tier One Demon Beasts. The main ingredients for a top-tier technique, however, can be acquired from Tier Two Demon Beasts.

"A Tier Two Demon Beast is only as strong as a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm. The Four Great Clans of the Inner City, along with the other prominent families, have plenty of Martial Artists at or above the Muscle Strengthening Realm who can easily hunt them. Therefore, the ingredients for Skin Grinding Techniques aren’t considered scarce.

"You come from a Humble Family, so you probably think a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm is strong. But to the Noble Families, such a person has only just crossed the threshold of Martial Arts Cultivation and is considered insignificant.

"With the resources of a Noble Family, anyone with even a little Martial Arts Talent can be easily trained to that level.

"The Muscle Strengthening Realm, however, is a watershed. One needs the aid of Muscle Strengthening Pills to break through into this realm. Further advancement within the Muscle Strengthening Realm also requires these pills.

"Muscle Strengthening Pills are graded by their efficacy into Low Grade, Middle Grade, Upper Grade, and even Top Grade Muscle Strengthening Pills.

"Even a Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pill requires materials from a Tier Four Demon Beast as its primary ingredient. Middle Grade Pills require Tier Five Demon Beast Materials, Upper Grade Pills need Tier Six, and Top Grade Pills need Tier Seven.

"A Tier Four Demon Beast’s strength is comparable to a Martial Artist of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. You can imagine how precious Muscle Strengthening Pills are.

"You’ve probably heard that in today’s Great Yu, the government is corrupt and its decrees don’t reach the local regions. The Imperial Court shares power over the land with the Sects and the Noble Families.

"Our Su State is entirely governed by the Great Dao Sect, and the City Lord’s Mansion of Linji City is also under the Great Dao Sect’s authority.

"The City Lord’s Mansion distributes a certain quota of Muscle Strengthening Pills every year. After it’s divided among the Four Great Clans of the Inner City, what each family receives is not a large amount.

"Besides that, the only other way to obtain Muscle Strengthening Pills is to leave the city to hunt Demon Beasts, exchange the Demon Beast Materials for Merit at the City Lord’s Mansion, and then use that Merit to trade for the pills.

"Cultivation in the Muscle Strengthening Realm is heavily dependent on one’s innate Martial Arts Talent. The greater your talent, the more of a Muscle Strengthening Pill’s medicinal power you can absorb and refine.

"Even someone with exceptional talent needs to absorb and refine the medicinal power of two to three Low Grade Muscle Strengthening Pills to have a chance of breaking through to the Muscle Strengthening Realm.

"Those with superior talent often need to absorb the power of five or more Muscle Strengthening Pills to advance to the Muscle Strengthening Realm.

"As for those with above-average or just average talent, they require even more Muscle Strengthening Pills.

"Therefore, no family will waste Muscle Strengthening Pills on someone with mediocre talent.

"Now that I’ve explained all this, do you understand?"

Having finished her detailed explanation, Shen Qingshuang fixed Chen Cheng with an intense gaze.

Of course Chen Cheng understood her meaning. For the Shen Family to offer such precious Muscle Strengthening Pills, they would certainly expect something in return—and this expected return was obviously far greater than that for grooming a simple Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm.

"If Qingshuang or the Shen Family have need of me, I will certainly do my utmost." Chen Cheng rose to his feet once more and bowed solemnly.

It was a matter of quid pro quo. If the Shen Family was to sponsor him with Muscle Strengthening Pills, then should the family ever have need of him, Chen Cheng would naturally do his best to help, just as he would for Luo’s Shop.

"Excellent." Shen Qingshuang’s smile grew even brighter. She may have held back with Chen Cheng before, but now she was being completely open with him.

"Although the Shen Family is one of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City, our actions are only to ensure the family can better establish itself in Linji City and continue our lineage. We won’t ask you to do anything unconscionable. You can rest assured on that point."

"Your principles are noble, Qingshuang. I admire that and will take you as my role model!" Chen Cheng said earnestly. And he meant it. If the Shen Family had actually asked him to do evil, he knew he wouldn’t be capable of it.

Shen Qingshuang chuckled. "Your talent is exceptionally high. If you can grow strong, you will be a great asset to the Shen Family.

"Do you know why the Zhou Family has been able to grow so powerful in the South City District, and why they dare to cause trouble for the Shen Family?"

Chen Cheng had a vague inkling, but he still shook his head.

Shen Qingshuang continued, "It’s because the Zhou Family has the backing of the Wang Family, one of the Four Great Clans of the Inner City.

"If not for the Shen Family wishing to avoid a direct conflict with the Wang Family for the time being, a dozen Zhou Families would have already been annihilated.

"Zhou Hongjun’s Martial Arts Talent isn’t actually that high. He just got lucky and managed to reach the Bone Forging Realm by a fluke.

"The emergence of every powerful Martial Artist can lead to the rise of their family. This is true for the Four Great Clans of the Inner City and for families from the Outer City like the Zhou Family.

"If you can cultivate to the Bone Forging Realm in the future, you will naturally bring glory to your family name, allowing the Chen Family to grow strong in the South City District and become a family no less powerful than the Zhou Family. You could even go a step further and establish a foothold in the Inner City."

This principle was common knowledge. Shen Qingshuang was clearly bringing it up to paint a tempting picture of the future for Chen Cheng, to give him something to strive for.

Furthermore, by using the example of the Wang Family protecting the Zhou Family, she was highlighting the Shen Family’s power while also subtly hinting that the Shen Family would protect the Chen Family in the future, just as the Wang Family protected the Zhou Family.

"Thank you for your guidance, Qingshuang. I will take it to heart," Chen Cheng said.

Shen Qingshuang suddenly straightened her posture, her impressive chest jutting forward. She lifted her slender, jade-white neck and said with a touch of pride, "I’m going into seclusion for Cultivation soon. I plan to break through to the Bone Forging Realm within a month. You must also train diligently."

Chen Cheng was visibly impressed, exclaiming in amazement, "You’re about to break through to the Bone Forging Realm, Qingshuang?"

’Breaking through to the Bone Forging Realm at twenty-two... Shen Qingshuang is a true martial arts genius!’

"Heh, I actually could have broken through much earlier. I just delayed it to more thoroughly solidify my foundation at Muscle Strengthening Realm Perfection." Shen Qingshuang chuckled, her smile radiant. It was obvious that she found the astonishment of a fellow genius like Chen Cheng extremely gratifying.

"Alright, that’s enough. You may go," Shen Qingshuang added with a wave of her hand.

Chen Cheng acknowledged her and took his leave.

After he was some distance away, Xiaoxing blinked and said with a smile, "My Lady, do you really think that highly of Chen Cheng? Enough to believe he can reach the Bone Forging Realm?"

Shen Qingshuang replied softly, "Yesterday at the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, although Master acted casually and didn’t instruct Chen Cheng personally, I could sense that he, in his wisdom, actually thinks very highly of him.

"I might misjudge someone, but Master... with his experience and insight, how could he possibly be mistaken?"