Castle of Black Iron

After the 7 black-armored fighters were selected as apprentices, the juniors of the major clans came on the stage by batches. Even the apprentices of the elders and masters of some small sects had come on the stage.

Actually, no secret method in Northeast Military Region could match "Fire Dragon Sutra" given the levels of the secret methods. Of course, the elders and masters of those small sects wanted their own apprentices to make further progress. As the old saying went, water flew downwards, human preferred to go to higher places. Although there were competitions among sects, it was common that disciples of elders and masters of small sects acknowledged the masters of major sects as their own masters in Taixia Country.

"XXX wishes Fire Dragon Hermit to run immortal chakras forever and have a firm sect forever..."

...

"XXX wishes Fire Dragon Hermit to have a lasting and firmer cultivation base and a greater influence..."

All the young disciples chested out and said almost the same auspicious words. At the same time, they were nervous and longing for being selected by Fire Dragon Hermit so as to be utterly different from then on...

Sitting on the golden chair, Zhang Tie could even sense the increasing heartbeats of those young men, the rising temperatures on their faces and the suddenly stimulated or constrictive blood vessels.

All the young men looked vigorous and keen. They must be the elites of each sect. As average clans were too weak, they could never be favored by Fire Dragon Hermit, those average clans and their masters wouldn’t attend this opening ceremony at all.

At this moment, major clans and sects had already been faintly competitive with each other. The manifestation of their junior elites was like a parade in front of Fire Dragon Hermit.

Those junior disciples contained male and female. Most of them were below 40 years old. As for commoners, they were not young anymore at their 40s; however, in the world of cultivators, as cultivators could have longer lives than commoners, it was normal for them to reach LV 9 at their 40s. It could be said that they had just entered the official road of cultivation at this age.

In knights’ world, besides freaks like Zhang Tie, those who could promote to an earth knight before 100 years old definitely had tiptop talents. In front of earth knights, these cultivators at their 40s were like children in the kindergartens in the eyes of professors in universities. The sharp gap between them was insurmountable.

Only a few of them were above 40 years old, 1/5 of them were between 30-40 years old. Most of the junior elites were at their 20s or 30s, who were almost as old as Zhang Tie. These guys accounted most of the disciples in each clan and sect; the rest 1/5 of them aged between 10 to 20...

These people entered the stage nervously with their flickering eyes, some of them looked straight into Zhang Tie’s eyes while pretending to be calm; some of them dared not even look at Zhang Tie. Zhang Tie recalled the period of the last semester in Blackhot City when he was going to face his life choice. During that period, Zhang Tie’s situation was very similar to that of these junior cultivators. Being muddled, they were waiting for the judgments of their destinies in an intense and exciting way. Although these people in front of him were much nobler than Zhang Tie when he was in Blackhot City, they might share the same mood with Zhang Tie in that period.

The order of junior disciples of clans was according to the order of the seats of the elders and masters of clans and sects which was very considerate. It was basically arranged according to the overall strength and influence of them. Those junior disciples with greater overall strength and influence could come to Zhang Tie’s front earlier. All those at present understood it...

Of course, the first group came from Zhu Clan with the provincial governor of Yanzhou Province...

Zhu Dabiao was the first member of Zhu Clan whom Zhang Tie was familiar with. What was more interesting, perhaps the elders of Zhu Clan wanted Zhu Dabiao to experience such a magnificent occasion and meet Fire Dragon Hermit, Zhu Dabiao was also in the group of junior cultivators of Zhu Clan.

However, Zhu Dabiao looked pretty gentle in the uniformed costumes that were specially designed for the junior cultivators of Zhu Clan. His current look had nothing to do with the look of a playboy when he was in Youzhou City, Yanghe Prefecture. Only Zhang Tie who was familiar with him could discover that this guy was peeping at the beautiful young female disciples of the other clans.

Zhu Dabiao was not eye-catching among the junior disciples of Zhu Clan. Zhu elders might know that Zhu Dabiao was just an average person; therefore, they arranged for him to stand on one side of the team of junior cultivators of Zhu Clan. By contrast, those members in the middle of the team were much better than Zhu Dabiao given their looks and battle strength.

Seeing Zhang Tie throwing a casual glance at him, Zhu Dabiao felt being hit by an overwhelming strength. It felt even more powerful than that of his grandpa. All of a sudden, Zhu Dabiao was scared too much that his heart pounded. At the same time, his face turned faintly pale. He dared not to see Zhang Tie anymore.

’Haha, what a hilarious guy!’ Zhang Tie laughed inside. However, he immediately thought up making a parody.

Zhang Tie then sent two drops of golden cinnabar flying onto the foreheads of a handsome and stable 30-year old guy in the middle of the team and Zhu Dabiao on the end of the team respectively.

The two people felt a golden light flashing in front of their eyes before feeling a bit cold on their foreheads. The disciple in the middle of the team felt like having a dream. He felt like being prestigious in a split second. Being overjoyed, under the admirable and jealous gazes of the other disciples of the same clan, he hurriedly strode a few steps forward and knelt down before kowtowing towards Zhang Tie 9 times, causing "bang, bang, bang, bang..." However, it seemed that Zhu Dabiao didn’t even know what happened or he still didn’t believe in it. He only felt that the other members of the team were watching him with weird looks in a split second...

"Douchebag, Zhu Dabiao, kneel down and kowtow in front of your master. What’re you looking at? Are you waiting for my kick..." Zhu Elder’s anxious voice drifted into Zhu Dabiao’s ears. Zhu Dabiao immediately quivered all over like being poured cold water on his body. After being clear-minded, he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed 10 times towards Zhang Tie. After doing that, he still couldn’t accept the fact, ’Ahh, why it’s me? why it’s me? Is it because that I didn’t deflower the little virgin girl in Fragrancereading Building who was transported from Goldenrock Subcontinent and bought her and set her free of good intent a few days ago?’

’Fire Dragon Hermit’s disciple? F*ck...I’m rich now. I will see who dare say that I’m useless at home from today on...’

Zhu Dabiao became wild with joy inside as he felt that he was so lucky today.

Watching Zhu Yuanxing standing up after serving tea to Fire Dragon Hermit, before a Wang disciple gave him the teacup, Zhu Dabiao had hurriedly moved there by knees...

At the sight of this scene, the Zhu elders closed their eyes painfully. Even though kneeling down, kowtowing and serving tea to Fire Dragon Hermit, Zhu Yuanxing, the other disciple of Zhu Clan being selected behaved seriously of dignified bearing; when it came to Zhu Dabiao, Zhu elder felt like watching a dog pushing against Fire Dragon Hermit while sticking his tongue out.

Thankfully, Zhu Dabiao was acknowledging Fire Dragon Hermit as a master, who didn’t care too much about etiquette; therefore, Zhu Dabiao’s performance was not too embarrassing and even made Zhu elder a bit reassured. What made Zhu elder depressed was that he didn’t know why Fire Dragon Hermit selected Zhu Dabiao the douchebag, ’Is that one’s destiny?’

When Zhu Dabiao served tea to Fire Dragon Hermit, he silently raised his head and threw a glance at Zhang Tie. Unimaginably, he found that Zhang Tie was gazing at him at the same time. Zhu Dabiao became so scared that he almost spilled the tea water of the teacup. However, when he quivered his hand, Fire Dragon Hermit casually took the teacup and drank it rapidly in case of making him embarrassed.

After picking him up from the ground, Zhu Dabiao felt that Fire Dragon Hermit was watching him with a bit strange look. However, he didn’t think too much about that, he just felt muddle-headed.

After Zhu Clan, it was the turn of Qian Clan with the provincial governor of Tongzhou Province...

Although the overall strength of Qian Clan was a bit weaker than that of Huaiyuan Palace, they rooted in Tongzhou Province longer and had a greater influence in Tongzhou Province. Additionally, Tongzhou Province was more prosperous than Youzhou Province. Therefore, Qian Clan ranked 2nd, closely followed by Zhang Clan of Huaiyuan Palace. It was reasonable. At least, each clan felt good. Nobody would comment that Iron-Dragon Sect was snobbish.

Qian Clan’s junior cultivators were almost as many as that of Zhu Clan. Actually, Qian Clan had more female junior cultivators than that of Zhu Clan; additionally, Qian Clan’s female cultivators were the best in both looks and temperaments.

Zhang Tie selected two junior cultivators of Qian Clan too, namely, the tall and beautiful female in the middle of the team and the last but one youth with a common look.

Like the two people being selected in Zhu Clan’s team, the two people being selected in Qian Clan’s team were also excited; however, they still smoothly completed the ritual to formally acknowledge Fire Dragon Hermit as their master.

"Master, it seems that the female disciple of Qian Clan is well prepared. When she’s formally acknowledging you as her master, she’s thinking about whether she could warm up bed for you!"

Bai Suxian ridiculed Zhang Tie in a secret way. Zhang Tie threw a glance at Bai Suxian who was sitting still in the distance and found that Bai Suxian revealed a big smile.

"Cut the crap; otherwise, I will beat your butt on the bed!"

"Master, come on; this humble slave can’t wait for that. How about calling this female disciple together? Master could cultivate together with this female apprentice. In this humble slave’s eyes, this female apprentice is still a virgin. Are you interested in that? Qian Clan must be longing for that!"

’What a spirit!’

...

After Qian Clan, it was the turn of Zhang Clan of Huaiyuan Palace. Zhang Clan received two golden invitation letters; Huaiyuan Palace and Zhang Yang received one respectively. Therefore, according to the etiquette, Zhang Clan would congratulate Fire Dragon Hermit in two teams.

The first team was from Huaiyuan Palace. Zhang Tie threw a glance at these junior apprentices of Zhang Clan and selected two of them.

The second team only contained two people, namely his two nephews, Zhang Chengxu and Zhang Chengze.

Compared to the earlier teams which always contained dozens of people, Zhang Chengxu and Zhang Chengze were the youngest and most eye-catching ones.

"The branch in Jinwu City of Huaiyuan Palace wishes Fire Dragon Hermit to run immortal chakras forever and have a firm sect forever..."

Zhang Chengxu and Zhang Chengze then bowed towards Zhang Tie gracefully. Although they were a bit younger than Zhang Cheng’an, their eldest brother, they were already 12 years old. Zhang Tie could faintly see his elder brother’s look from their faces.

Of course, the two juniors didn’t know that Fire Dragon Hermit was their uncle.

Zhang Tie sighed with emotions inside. Closely after that, he sent two drops of golden cinnabar flying onto the foreheads of the two people.

Watching Zhang Tie selecting another two disciples of Huaiyuan Palace, all the others at present sighed inside, ’What? How could Zhang Clan of Huaiyuan Palace have such a good luck? Fire Dragon Hermit only enrolled two from Zhu Clan and Qian Clan respectively; however, he enrolled 4 from Huaiyuan Palace. It seems that Fire Dragon Hermit favors Huaiyuan Palace very much.’

Everybody was sighing with emotion inside when they were thinking about the reason why Fire Dragon Hermit favored Huaiyuan Palace so much. Because Xuantian City was in Youzhou Province, Fire Dragon Hermit especially cared about Zhang Clan; because of the all-purpose medicament and Jinwu Business Group in Jinwu City that attracted Fire Dragon Hermit’s eyes; because the two kids had an uncle called Zhang Tie whose reputation was famous among humans and was going to recover his freedom? or all the reason above...

Zhang Tie didn’t know what they were thinking about; however, all the others at present thought that they had got the reason.

After Zhang Chengxu and Zhang Chengze, it was the turn of the juniors of Lu Clan from Spiritualmaple Prefecture. Zhang Tie selected two disciples from them too.

After Zhang Tie selected the disciples of Lu Clan, those in the auditorium figured out something, namely, Zhang Tie didn’t only select those in the middle of the teams; he would also select those on the end of the teams who didn’t look outstanding. Additionally, besides Zhang Clan, Fire Dragon Hermit would also pay special attention to those clans with earth knights. He would select one excellent disciple and an average one from each clan. Those in the auditorium didn’t know why would Fire Dragon Hermit adopt this mode.

All the elders and knights in the auditorium exchanged a glance with each other as they started to consider about the reason...

In the later, it was the turn of disciples of the major clans in Tongzhou Province and Yanzhou Province who had earth knights. When they entered the stage, Zhang Tie treated them equally by selecting 2 disciples from each major clan, one excellent, the other average.

Nobody knew why Zhang Tie selected the average ones. Actually, Zhang Tie’s thought was very simple, namely sparing a chance to those who looked average.

When Zhang Tie was young, he was also an average person. Therefore, he knew that those average ones cultivated very hard.

After selecting apprentices from those major clans with earth knights, Zhang Tie would start to select apprentices from those clans with black iron knights.

By contrast, he only selected one apprentice from each clan with black iron knights.

When everybody at present thought that they had figured out the rules of Fire Dragon Hermit, Zhang Tie selected 7 disciples from Wang Clan of Yushun Palace, Ningan City under the shocked and unbelievable gazes of all the guests, which shocked their entire venue and the Xuantian City as a whole...