On the sixth day after the battle at Lingquan Mountain, all disciples at the Iron Bone Sect except Liu Wanshi broke through to the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening.

“Sect Leader.”

Li Qingyang came to report. “These past few days, disciples have successively broken through to Wutu. The number has now reached nineteen.”

Nineteen Wutu, seventy-nine at the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening—extremely formidable!

Unfortunately, due to the sect’s disciple number limit, even if they all grew stronger, it still wouldn’t be enough to advance to seventh-rate.

Jun Changxiao murmured, “It’s time to open the mountain gate and accept disciples.”

With the sect entering formalization, the number of disciples had to increase. So that very day he went to Qingyang City and visited the City Lord’s Manor.

“City Lord Xie.”

As soon as he entered the hall, Jun Changxiao got straight to the point. “This seat wishes to recruit disciples. I wonder if I could borrow the public notice boards?”

“No problem.” Xie Guangkun said readily.

Thus, recruitment advertisements for the Iron Bone Sect appeared on public notice boards in every district and street of Qingyang City. Each recruitment notice was different too.

East District: Join the Iron-Boned and Upright Sect, let’s create dreams together.

South District: Gathering talented people from across the land, recruiting worthy and capable scholars. The Iron-Boned and Upright Sect—worthy of your trust.

North District: Don’t think you’re not a thoroughbred steed. You just lack someone to recognize your talent.

West District: You want to fly? I’ll give you a pair of wings.

The disciple recruitment notices of various sects across Xingyun Continent were either flowery or in classical Chinese. The Iron Bone Sect’s concise and distinctive recruitment immediately attracted considerable attention.

And not just in Qingyang City.

Jun Changxiao relied on the Ai family’s connections to also put up recruitment advertisements in Huyang City.

However!

After posting them for several days, very few martial artists signed up.

…

“Caw caw—”

Crows flew overhead, their calls echoing.

Sitting in front of the mountain gate, Jun Changxiao propped up his cheek and said in despair, “We’ve done quite a few major things during this period. Why isn’t anyone signing up?”

Li Qingyang said, “Sect Leader, our sect has battle agreements with the Holy Spring Sect and Heroic Spirit Sect. We’re currently at the center of a storm. Many people are probably concerned and don’t dare come sign up.”

“That makes sense.” Jun Changxiao said.

Actually, this was also pretty good. At least it could weed out some slackers.

Those who dared to come sign up definitely weren’t afraid of trouble and truly wanted to join the Iron Bone Sect.

“Step.”

Just then, a youth wearing white clothing walked up the steps.

With one hand behind his back and the other lightly waving a folding fan, the breeze blew open his scattered black hair, revealing a handsome face.

Jun Changxiao and Li Qingyang looked over. Their first thought was—how pretentious!

“Snap!”

The white-clothed youth closed his folding fan and walked to the registration table, saying in a refined and cultured manner, “Sect Leader Jun, this humble one has long admired the Iron-Boned and Upright Sect and has come especially to take you as master and enter the sect.”

He cupped his fists toward… Li Qingyang!

Jun Changxiao raised his hand and pushed his second disciple aside. He picked up his brush and wrote four characters on paper: “I am the Sect Leader,” then slapped it on his forehead with a “smack.”

Let me ask you, is this clear enough?!

“This…”

The white-clothed youth looked rather embarrassed. “My apologies, I mistook you for someone else. Please don’t take offense, Sect Leader Jun.”

Take offense?

How could that be possible? This seat’s belly can hold a boat!

Jun Changxiao crossed his legs, his finger swaying the writing brush as he said irritably, “What’s your name?”

“Long Ziyang.” The white-clothed youth said.

Jun Changxiao paused, tore off the paper on his head, and examined this person carefully, thinking to himself, “So polite and refined—he must have received higher education. And with the surname Long too, his status is definitely not simple!”

After a quick mental consideration, he pulled over the entry form and asked, “Gender.”

“Male.”

“Age.”

“Just turned sixteen.”

“Realm.”

“Ninth stage of Meridian Opening.”

Jun Changxiao didn’t ask about spiritual roots, because once he approved someone, there was no difference between low-grade and supreme-grade.

“Smack.”

He stamped it directly.

“Ding! Sect members: 103/500.”

“Ding! Sect contribution value: 302/500.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Qingyang, take your junior brother to the sect, arrange a room, distribute the uniform. Oh right, don’t forget to give him the sect principles and rules manual.”

“Yes.”

Li Qingyang led Long Ziyang into the sect.

Jun Changxiao continued cultivating the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Manual while waiting.

Before long, a man with a burly build climbed up, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Excuse me, are you still recruiting?”

“Yes.” Jun Changxiao said.

The man walked over and placed both hands on the desk, panting heavily. “I want to join the Iron-Boned and Upright Sect.”

Jun Changxiao propped up his chin and looked him over. “Your physical condition looks pretty good. How come you’re this exhausted just from climbing the mountain?”

“I… I…” The man suppressed his breathing. “I ran here from Huyang City in one go.”

Jun Changxiao was quite surprised.

The Iron Bone Sect was several hundred li from Huyang City. To be able to run here in one go—his physical condition must be excellent.

“Name.”

“Yang Yuhua.”

For someone so burly, the name was quite delicate.

“Age.”

“Fifteen years old.”

Jun Changxiao raised his head, looked at this build and height, then at the angular face, and said in surprise, “You’re only fifteen?”

Yang Yuhua scratched his head. “Everyone says I look rather old.”

“You’re not old, you just grew up a bit rushed.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Realm.”

Yang Yuhua said in a small voice, “Third stage of Meridian Opening.”

So burly, able to run to the Iron Bone Sect in one go, yet only at the third stage of Meridian Opening. Looked like his body was well-developed but his spiritual roots were rather poor.

“Buddy, can I join?” Yang Yuhua asked weakly.

Jun Changxiao stamped the sect leader’s seal and pointed at the gate. “Take the form and go in yourself. Someone will arrange everything for you.”

“Ding! Sect members: 104/500.”

“Ding! Sect contribution value: 303/500.”

Yang Yuhua picked up the entry form and walked toward the sect, not forgetting to turn back gratefully. “Thanks, buddy!”

“Kid.”

Jun Changxiao said coolly, “I’m holding the sect leader’s seal, and you call me buddy?”

Creak.

Yang Yuhua immediately stopped in his tracks. His mind caught up, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cupped his fists. “I’m sorry, bud… Sect Leader! Sect Leader!”

…

People continued to come sign up one after another.

But Jun Changxiao would first judge from his intuitive impression, then decide whether to accept them or not.

In one day, over ten people signed up. Besides Long Ziyang and Yang Yuhua, he only recruited five disciples. All the others were eliminated.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to accept them—some people were just too bizarre.

For example, the last person was actually a hunched-over elder in his seventies or eighties!

“Sigh.”

“Maybe Li Qingyang really was right.”

“The sect is at the center of a storm. Very few martial artists dare to come sign up.”

Ten days later.

The Iron Bone Sect had only recruited forty-six disciples.

Jun Changxiao handed matters over to Li Qingyang, then called Su Xiaomo, Tian Qi, and Li Fei to the study. “In recognition of your excellent performance during this period, each of you is awarded one bottle of Aptitude Transformation Liquid.”

“Aptitude Transformation Liquid?”

Su Xiaomo looked confused. “Sect Leader, what is this?”

“After taking it, you can break through one quality grade from your original spiritual roots.” Jun Changxiao said.

He spoke very casually, but the three of them widened their eyes and opened their mouths—two eggs could probably fit inside with room to spare.

Su Xiaomo’s spiritual roots were common-grade, so his Aptitude Transformation Liquid was suitable for common-grade level. Tian Qi and Li Fei’s were suitable for low-grade level.

The three treasured them as they returned to their rooms and carefully drank them down. Not only did their spiritual roots instantly improve, their cultivation was also driven upward, and they all broke through to second-grade Wutu!

“Too miraculous!”

They were thrilled, but Sect Leader Jun had spent one hundred fifty contribution points and now only had one hundred eighty-five left.

The System said, “Using contribution value on them is a bit of a waste.”

Jun Changxiao rolled his eyes and said haughtily, “At Lingquan Mountain, they showed no fear of the Holy Spring Sect—such iron-boned disciples, this old man is happy to cultivate them with contribution value. Is that any of your business?”