Becoming a martial arts saint starting with Black Tiger Fist

"This kid usually seems pretty composed, so why does he act recklessly at crucial moments?"

Jiang Cheng saw Chen Yuan standing in front of the 1,600-pound stone lock, his brows almost furrowed in worry.

Even if he only came here this year to broaden his horizons, he should at least get to the second round of actual combat to make it worthwhile. If he messes around like this and fails to lift the weight, he will not only waste this opportunity, but also lose face in front of his old friend, Jiang Cheng!

"Wow! Old Jiang, your disciple has quite the ambition, actually challenging the heaviest stone lock!" Zheng Yao and Xing Qianshan, who were standing to the side, also widened their eyes, wanting to see if this disciple really had the strength.

On the east side of the stands, Madam Qian scoffed and said to Feng Ping beside her, "Look at this poor boy, he's so arrogant. A 1,600-jin black iron lock is for those born with superhuman strength or those close to the Blood Refinement stage. This kid is going to make a fool of himself on the spot."

Feng Ping opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but realized that she knew nothing about martial arts, and could only look down with worry.

In the center of the training ground, Chen Yuan gripped the heavy, dark iron lock, his internal energy surging, and he began to exert force in his arms.

"rise!"

With a low, short roar, the power was transferred through all his muscles, fascia, and bones in an instant.

He lifted the black iron stone lock from the ground and hovered it for a moment, about an inch off the ground.

Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chen Yuan slowly raised his arms. The movement was not fast, but it gave people a sense of unstoppable power.

The stone lock passed over his chest, over his shoulders, and finally settled firmly above his head!

His arms were straight, and his body was as upright as a pine tree.

The drill ground was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

"Once," the examiner announced loudly.

Chen Yuan slowly lowered the stone lock to his chest, adjusted his breathing slightly, and then lifted it up again with renewed effort.

"twice."

"three times!"

"Four times!"

Five times!

After completing the fifth time, Chen Yuan put the Xuan Tie Lock back in its original position.

He straightened up, his chest rising and falling slightly, his breathing a little rapid, his face flushed, but his eyes remained clear, clearly indicating that he still had some energy left.

"Seventy-three strokes of the character '丙', a 1600-jin (approximately 800 kg) black iron chain, lifted five times! Rating: A (First Class)!"

The examiner practically shouted out the score, his voice echoing across the training ground.

"Junior Brother Chen actually lifted 1,600 jin?!" Cao Lie, who was usually calm, exclaimed in astonishment with wide eyes and an expression of disbelief on his face.

The other Jiang Academy disciples were equally astonished.

Jiang Wan was completely astonished, even doubting whether she had mistaken the person for someone else. "How is this possible!?"

Is this Chen Yuan?

Chen Yuan, who spends all day buried in his training in the corner of the yard?

The fishermen on that riverbank?

Zhou Yue was also stunned, then his face lit up with ecstatic joy. "1600 jin! A top-tier strength! That's probably in the top ten!"

The cold smile on Li Hao's lips gradually disappeared, and a solemn look appeared in his eyes.

Jiang Cheng was now surrounded by congratulatory voices.

"Congratulations, Brother Jiang! Your institute is full of outstanding talents; you're likely to take the top spot this year!"

"Old Jiang, you've truly been hiding your true strength! With Li Hao leading the way and such a surprise force following, you're sure to secure at least two spots in this year's martial arts competition!"

"If nothing unexpected happens, this is another potential bloodline trainer!"

Seeing Chen Yuan's unexpected performance, Jiang Cheng couldn't stop smiling, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

This kid's growth rate is truly beyond imagination.

He could only repeatedly cup his hands in thanks: "You flatter me, everyone. This disciple has only average talent. When he first entered the academy, he endured three months of arduous training to achieve skin resurrection. His performance today is an unexpected delight. As for blood cultivation, it all depends on whether Heaven will grant him that sliver of opportunity!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the martial arts instructors nearby calmed down slightly.

No matter how well one performs in the Bone Forging Realm, if one cannot break through the Blood Barrier, then it's all just empty talk.

Thinking of this, their envy lessened slightly.

"That kid can actually lift it?!"

On the stands, the expression on the Qian family matriarch's face became extremely interesting; her earlier sneer was still frozen on her face.

She knew the value of the A-level strength test. Her eldest son, Qian Cheng'an, had been practicing martial arts for five years and had plenty of resources. He had only managed to get into the B-level strength test just now.

She looked at Chen Yuan, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.

Feng Ping covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief. She had thought she'd never see her childhood friend again, but they'd actually come this far!

At the Yang family's seat, Yang Jiye's face was gloomy. He looked at the steward again and said, "This kid seems to be quite capable. Is Zhu Cang confident in his abilities?"

The butler smiled confidently: "Master, this kid is just naturally strong; his actual combat skills might not be that great. Zhu Cang's boxing skills are already highly developed, and he fought his way up from the bottom of the gang. Dealing with a poor kid who has never seen blood is a piece of cake for him."

Yang Jiye nodded and said nothing more.

......

The first round of assessments continues.

Following Chen Yuan, several other people appeared in the rankings.

Two of them were the most eye-catching. One was Wang Zheng, the son of the chief镖头 of Zhenyuan镖局. He had completed the Bone Forging Perfection and was only one step away from being able to break through to Blood Refinement. He lifted 1,600 jin eight times and was rated as top-class.

The other person was Li Yuanhao, the senior disciple of Feihong Martial Arts School, who also lifted 1,500 jin eight times and was rated as Class A.

In addition, several unfamiliar faces from other martial arts schools or families also achieved a Grade A rating. These individuals are undoubtedly the most noteworthy opponents in the second round of competition.

Chen Yuan watched from a distance, silently assessing the situation in his mind.

Based on his own assessment of being "top-tier" and his weight of 1,600 jin, he ranked within the top ten in the first round of strength testing.

Therefore, as long as their performance in the second round of competition isn't particularly bad, making it into the top thirty shouldn't be a problem.

When Chen Yuan walked out of the training ground after the first round of assessments, he was immediately surrounded by a large group of people.

The steward of a wealthy household in the county, beaming, handed him a visiting card, inviting him to serve as the head of the guards at his residence, regardless of whether he passed or failed the examination.

Some people from security escort agencies also came up to him, offering him generous rewards and hiring him to work as a bodyguard for their agencies.

Based on Chen Yuan's performance in the first round, he has a high chance of being admitted to the martial arts program in high school, and these forces immediately sent people to win him over.

Chen Yuanjun politely declined, explaining that he needed to focus on the second round of martial arts training and that these recruitment matters would be considered in detail after the training was over.

These people were quite perceptive and didn't linger, as if they just wanted to become familiar with each other.

Chen Yuan followed the crowd out of the training ground and was about to leave when he saw a familiar figure emerge from the crowd.

"Brother Yuan!" Feng Ping called out and walked up to Chen Yuan.

She was wearing a light blue dress, and as she approached, she exuded a delicate fragrance; her eyes were bright and captivating.

"Ping girl." Chen Yuan stopped in his tracks.

Feng Ping looked at Chen Yuan, a glint of surprise in her eyes: "Brother Yuan, your performance in the exam today was truly unexpected."

"It's just the result of daily hard work," Chen Yuan said with a smile.

"The matriarch of the Qian family saw your performance in the first round and greatly appreciated it."

She paused, then added, "The mistress said that after the martial arts examination, if you're willing, the Qian family can hire you as the head of the guards, with a monthly allowance of fifty taels of silver and a private courtyard to live in. It's much better than... much better than what you're doing on the riverbank."

Looking at the expectation in Feng Ping's eyes, Chen Yuan calmly shook his head and said, "Ping girl, please thank your mistress for me. I am currently focused on martial arts and have no intention of joining any sect for the time being."

Feng Ping opened her mouth, as if she wanted to persuade him again, but seeing Chen Yuan's unquestionable gaze, she finally just sighed softly and said in a low voice, "I understand."