Energy Pills

"Pretty fast. It's only a thousand reps. No big deal."

"But with my current Skin Refining Realm physique, going all out takes a lot of stamina and energy. I can't keep training and stay at my peak. I'll have to eat meat and rest before I can continue."

"I'll do another ten sets tonight, after dinner."

Zhao Han immediately began making plans in his mind.

Ten sets after breakfast, another ten in the mountains that morning, ten after lunch, another ten in the mountains that afternoon, and ten more after dinner.

Fifty sets a day.

Each set was only ten moves and took about thirty seconds to finish.

That meant ten sets took five minutes, and fifty sets took twenty-five minutes.

After twenty days, he'd reach mastery. That was only five hundred minutes in total, a little over eight hours.

"Does this make me some kind of training maniac? I've already got the system to simplify things, and I'm still pushing myself this hard." Zhao Han smiled wryly.

But when he thought about it carefully, it took other people more than a decade to master Black Wolf Fist. Even then, it depended on how hard they worked, along with their luck and aptitude.

He could make a thousand reps equal more than a decade of someone else's hard work. It was downright ridiculous.

When he returned to the mine's kitchen to wait for dinner, Wang Dawei told Zhao Han that Leader Liu wanted to see him.

Inside Liu Gang's tent, Liu Gang sat on a stool, staring blankly at a porcelain bottle in his hand.

"Xiao Zhao, you're here. Sit." Liu Gang gave him a "kind" smile and pointed to the stool before the table.

"Leader Liu, may I ask why you summoned me?" Zhao Han sat up straight and asked.

"Heh, I saw how hard you've been training, so I'm thinking of giving you a promotion. Do you know what this porcelain bottle in my hand is?"

"I don't."

"This is an Energy Pill. It's made from all sorts of rare medicinal ingredients. One pill can replace three meals and boost your energy. You'll feel full of vigor on just four hours of sleep a day."

Zhao Han looked surprised. "That miraculous? The pill must be very valuable."

Liu Gang said smugly, "Heh, naturally. Energy Pills aren't easy to come by. It took me quite some effort to get these."

"There are three pills in this bottle. I'll give you one. Tomorrow, don't do anything else. Get up at dawn, take the Energy Pill, and then go train. Try to reach the Skin Refining Realm as soon as possible."

With that, Liu Gang tipped out a bright red pill and handed it to Zhao Han.

"Thank you for the reward, Leader Liu. I'll never forget your kindness. But one pill doesn't feel like quite enough. I wonder if..."

Zhao Han glanced at the porcelain bottle in Liu Gang's hand. His meaning was clear.

Give me all of them!

"Heh, Xiao Zhao, you're pretty greedy. But you can't take too many of these, or you'll drain yourself to death."

Liu Gang's tone was disdainful. Xiao Zhao looked like a simple, honest farm boy.

But in truth, he was greedy to the bone, wanting to take everything and leave nothing behind. He was clearly getting too big for his boots.

If Wang Hu and Wang Bao hadn't brought over a hundred miners from County Town today and earned themselves even more prestige, Wang Bao might well have threatened his position as leader.

Otherwise, why would he give Zhao Han an Energy Pill?

Besides, the other two pills were meant to win over other elite members. How could he give them all to Zhao Han?

Zhao Han was only an asset he had his eye on. Apart from being young and close to reaching the Skin Refining Realm, he had no particular advantages.

The other elite members were his main targets for winning support, so he could counter Wang Hu and Wang Bao.

"It'll drain me to death? Then forget it." Zhao Han hurriedly shook his head.

"You may go. Remember to train hard in your martial arts. For ordinary people like us, hard training is the only way to become stronger."

"Thank you for the reminder, Leader Liu. I'll take my leave."

The next day.

Before dawn had fully broken, Zhao Han headed to the woods in the east without even eating breakfast.

After taking the Energy Pill, Zhao Han eagerly began practicing Black Wolf Fist.

"My whole body's so hot. I'm burning up!"

"An Energy Pill really lives up to its name. The effect is immediate. I'm bursting with energy, like I have strength to spare."

After completing ten sets in a row, Zhao Han still felt full of energy. He could do another ten. The Energy Pill really was miraculous.

He wondered what kind of ingredients it was made from. If only he had the recipe.

"Ha! Hah! Heh!"

"Black Wolf Gouges Heart, Black Wolf Pounces on Prey, Black Wolf Charging Fist, Black Wolf Swing Fist, Black Wolf Sweeping Fist..."

Twenty sets!

Thirty sets!

Forty sets!

He kept training until he'd completed a hundred sets. By then, Zhao Han was drenched from head to toe. He'd used up every ounce of strength and was utterly exhausted.

The Energy Pill was supposed to last a whole day, but Zhao Han had burned through its effects in less than an hour.

[Black Wolf Fist, Proficient 120/1000]

"Not bad. If I had enough Energy Pills, at this rate I could gain 140 proficiency points in a day. In seven days, I'd master Black Wolf Fist."

"Then I'd enter the Muscle Refining Realm. This little Refined Iron Mine wouldn't be able to hold me back."

Zhao Han's confidence soared, and he grew even more covetous of the Energy Pills in Liu Gang's possession.

"Too bad you didn't fully support me, Liu Gang. I have no reason to give my all for you. You showed me favor, but that's as far as it goes."

Zhao Han didn't resent Liu Gang. After all, he had helped him out a little.

If Liu Gang had supported him wholeheartedly, Zhao Han would surely have returned the favor once he rose to prominence.

What a pity. Liu Gang only saw him as an ordinary henchman to cultivate. One day, he might even send Zhao Han off to do something dangerous and deadly.

Zhao Han could only repay him to a certain extent. He couldn't give him his wholehearted devotion.

"Why think so much? I should just keep training, one step at a time."

After finishing his practice, he rested, took out some wolf leg meat, and started a fire to cook himself some game.

Only a full stomach gave him the stamina and energy to keep practicing his fists.

The Skin Refining Realm also took a huge toll. One meal was equal to two or three meals for an ordinary person. Zhao Han was nearing the limit of Skin Refining, so he needed at least three meals' worth.

A single wolf leg wasn't enough to fill Zhao Han up, but it could at least restore some of his strength for now.

"Hmm, someone?"

That afternoon, Zhao Han was sunning himself, lying on a thick tree branch and studying Snake-Style Deft Hand, when he suddenly heard a noise.

It was the sound of people talking.

He immediately climbed a little higher and hid among the thick leaves.

He saw two elite members of the Poisonous Snake Gang: Zhang Long and Zhao Hu.

The two of them should have been acting as overseers in the mine tunnel, supervising the mine slaves as they dug. Yet here they were.

But it made sense. The air in the mine tunnel didn't circulate, and the overseers were people too; they needed some fresh air. In their eyes, the mine slaves weren't people, so they didn't.

When Zhao Han had been mining, he'd often seen the overseers slacking off. Only a few bothered to supervise.

"Where's that stinking brat surnamed Zhao? I've been looking everywhere and can't find him."

"Heh heh heh. He's training in the woods to the east, anyway. That brat Wang Liang wouldn't dare lie to us."

"If he reaches the Skin Refining Realm, it'll be harder to make a move. The gang has a rule against members of the Skin Refining Realm fighting among themselves. If we get caught, they'll chop off our fingers."

"You really think he's a genius who can break through in no time? He's only learned a few basic martial arts and has some foundation. We've both been in the Skin Refining Realm for years. Taking him down will be as easy as killing a chicken."

"Damn shame we can't find him. Otherwise, we could make him cough up those two taels of silver and the Energy Pill he took earlier. A single pill can sell for one tael of silver."

"No rush. We'll keep looking."