He Xiaotian could understand them. It was normal to be a bit undisciplined; everyone went through that phase.
He vaguely remembered that during his own military training, some clueless classmate in his squad had provoked the drill instructor.
He was punished with about two hundred push-ups. After that, discipline improved drastically. Everyone became more obedient than the next.
After all, nobody wanted to bake under the sun, exhausted like a dog.
"First of all, I’m not your drill instructor. From now on, you will call me Master. Martial arts isn’t military training; this stuff is about the master-disciple tradition. If anyone can’t get it right, then get the hell out. Also, I prepared a big gift for you before you came."
As he finished speaking, He Xiaotian raised his hand, signaling his three lackeys behind him to bring it out.
His three lackeys immediately stepped forward and handed him a stack of papers.
"These are life-and-death waivers. Only after signing them will you be qualified to practice martial arts with me."
"?!"
Hearing this, everyone’s expression changed instantly.
’How did this suddenly become a matter of life and death?’
’It’s just martial arts practice!’
"Once signed, if you die or disappear, your fate is your own."
He Xiaotian’s icy voice entered their ears with chilling clarity.
For ordinary people, practicing martial arts was nowhere near as easy as it was for him.
He just had to focus his Spirit, tap the plus sign, and it would happen naturally, so easily.
’If you want to achieve anything, you have to be ruthless!’
’Otherwise, it’s better to leave early.’
’It saves them from embarrassing themselves outside with half-baked skills.’
’That’s secondary. The real fear is losing their lives.’
’When that happens, whose responsibility will it be?’
"You have one minute to consider. Anyone who hesitates, please leave on your own. Feng Yu, start the countdown!"
With Roger not here, He Xiaotian was the one who made the rules.
"Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven..."
With every number that came from the mouth of Feng Yu, who had a zither case on his back, more sweat would bead on the foreheads of the recruits lying on the ground.
Everyone was at a loss, completely unsure of what to do.
It was a matter of life and death; no one was willing to sign so easily.
"I object! That’s not what they said..."
one of them managed to get up and shout.
"Knifeseller, toss him out."
Hearing this, the Knifeseller shot forward.
He might not be a match for those with strange and unique abilities, but dealing with these ordinary people? It was more than just a piece of cake.
It was like using an anti-aircraft cannon to shoot a mosquito—complete overkill!
SMACK!
The Knifeseller grabbed the neck of the person who had spoken, lifted him straight up, and then walked toward the courtyard gate.
"He’s from Department 037..."
The soldier who had led them here kindly reminded him.
Before the soldier could finish, He Xiaotian waved his hand to stop him.
Even though the *Dharma Muscle-Tendon Changing Twelve Forms* wasn’t that powerful, he preferred quality over quantity.
His decision couldn’t be changed just because someone was the descendant of some important family.
Not even if Roger himself showed up.
"You must all understand one thing: when I’m standing here, my words are no different from an imperial edict. All you need to know is that you do whatever I say. Also... I think I heard someone say I was unremarkable earlier?"
As he finished speaking, He Xiaotian’s body began to swell at a visible rate.
In the blink of an eye, he had surpassed two meters in height.
His clothes stretched taut, revealing the lines of his muscles.
His arms, in particular, were thicker than their thighs!
"Are you satisfied now?"
The group was dumbfounded, completely speechless.
’What did we just see?’
’How did this guy who’s making us sign life-and-death waivers turn from an unremarkable, ordinary person into a muscle-bound freak?!’
"Come on, boys, is this so hard to believe? This is just my most ordinary state. I don’t usually show it because I don’t want it to affect my daily life.
"You should know, there’s another guy competing with me. I have no intention of taking in cowards. Anyone who is still unwilling to sign the waiver can go to him and continue their training," He Xiaotian said, waving the contracts in his hand.
THUMP! He looked at the recruits, who still hadn’t snapped out of their daze, and stomped his foot.
RUMBLE!
A massive tremor shot through the ground, which instantly cracked like a spiderweb, the fissures spreading out in all directions.
GULP!
Everyone swallowed hard in unison. ’Is this f*cker even human?’
One stomp. Just one stomp.
And the concrete-paved ground was completely shattered.
And looking at the cracks, they stretched for a hundred meters.
Most importantly, the ground itself had trembled violently.
’Holy crap!’
’If that kick landed on a person, wouldn’t they crunch like a rice cracker?’
"My martial arts are absolutely top-tier. It’s just that practicing them can easily lead to sudden death. So, without a signed waiver, I’m afraid I can’t teach you." He Xiaotian’s next words were exceptionally effective at scaring people off.
A large portion of them had just started fantasizing about how awesome they’d be after mastering his techniques.
But in the very next sentence, he dropped the "easily lead to sudden death" bomb.
Combined with the pressure of the life-and-death waiver, half of the men instantly chose to leave.
This group shakily got to their feet and walked toward the training ground on the other side.
That was where He Xiaotian’s competitor was located.
Before coming, someone had told them that two people would be teaching them separately this time.
Who they chose was entirely up to their gut feeling.
Just like that, the number of recruits was halved, making the scene look somewhat desolate.
He Xiaotian nodded in satisfaction. This number was just about right.
"Alright then, start signing."
With a wave of his massive hand, he passed the waivers directly to Feng Yu.
’Why do it yourself when you have underlings?’
The remaining group immediately felt like crying.
’Bro, it’s not that we’ve mustered the courage to sign.’
’It’s that your shout earlier rattled us so much we’re still dizzy!’
’Our legs are jelly; we can’t even stand up.’
But looking at He Xiaotian’s arms, which were thicker than their thighs, they all remained silent, not daring to make a peep.
’If the muscle-bound freak gets angry and slaps one of us, wouldn’t our heads explode like watermelons?’
’Living a few more days versus dying immediately... everyone knows which to choose.’
"Look at you all, so dejected. Forget it. You can barely be considered my registered disciples. Although you can’t formally become my apprentices, today I’ll let you witness what your master looks like when his martial arts are fully mastered."
As he finished speaking, He Xiaotian’s entire body began to undergo an astonishing transformation.
"Unfettered Golden Body!"
A golden, unknown substance flowed from his pores. Before the dumbfounded expressions of the recruits, it instantly coated him, transforming him into a Golden Arhat.
"Protective Copper Tunic!"
A long tunic forged from refined copper, like a suit of battle armor, draped over his body.
His figure swelled, and in an instant, he became a small giant, two and a half meters tall.
"Devourer of Men!"
Gray Gang Qi erupted from his body. He Xiaotian’s aura skyrocketed, stirring the very air around him.
He was like a fierce tiger descending from the mountains, his presence so oppressive that no one dared to look up.
Even when they closed their eyes, they could still ’see’ a majestic and ferocious tiger standing where He Xiaotian was.
Its pair of savage eyes were scanning the surroundings.
As if it were surveying its territory and sizing up its next meal.
’Th-th-this... This is too terrifying!’
’Mommy, I wanna go home!!’