First Steps in Skin Refining

"Brother Shun, I'd like to ask, where do you usually go to chop firewood? Could you teach me?" Zhao Han asked, lowering his posture slightly.

Upon hearing this, A Shun glanced at Zhao Han, then seemed to think of something and laughed heartily:

"It's over there, on the mountain to the east. There isn't a single wild beast, and there's plenty of wood that burns well. A day's worth of chopping is enough to last you two or three days."

"Many thanks for the guidance, Brother Shun. I am truly grateful!" Zhao Han cupped his fists in thanks.

Without delay, he immediately went to grab his Firewood Chopping Knife, Firewood Chopping Axe, Back Basket, and rope.

Along with the essential Dry Rations—a few Steamed Corn Buns and two Water Bags—Zhao Han did not plan on returning at noon.

Chopping firewood was a piece of cake.

Watching Zhao Han's retreating figure disappear, A Shun sneered coldly.

He was very familiar with the surrounding area. That eastern side was far from safe; the forest was teeming with wild beasts.

Wild Boars, Wild Wolves, tigers, Leopards, Jackals, and venomous snakes were in no short supply.

Newcomers needed to suffer a little, endure some hardship, and be taught a few lessons.

It would teach them to rely on their elders, respect their seniors, and be cautious.

A Shun had been set up by Lao Dunzi before and had nearly lost his life.

Setting up Zhao Han this time was simply passing on the unpleasantness he had once experienced.

What one does not wish for oneself, one must inflict upon others.

Whether he lived or died would depend on his own luck.

If his fate was tough enough, he might survive; if not, he would leave his Corpse behind.

However, what A Shun never expected was that after entering the forest, Zhao Han simply tossed his Back Basket and tools aside.

He found an Open Ground and started slacking off, practicing Black Wolf Fist.

Zhao Han wasn't a fool.

No matter how diligent or efficient he was at chores, it was nowhere near as good as practicing martial arts to become stronger.

If he became an Elite Gang Member, would he still need to care about the expressions of Wang Dawei and A Shun? Would he still need to chop and split firewood?

He could eat meat and drink wine every day, living in total comfort.

Moreover, becoming an Elite Gang Member was just an insignificant step in Zhao Han's eyes.

This was a world where the Martial Way reigned supreme. Besides martial artists, there also existed demons, monsters, and ghosts.

In this chaotic world, the reason so many people cannot survive is largely due to the demons, monsters, and ghosts.

Having arrived in this world of cultivation, and with a System at my disposal, what I should be pursuing is longevity and invincibility across the world!

Practicing Wild Wolf Fist until I reach proficiency as soon as possible is the only thing that matters.

Zhao Han checked the inventory in the wood shed. A Shun had chopped plenty before, so there was more than enough firewood for tomorrow; there was no need to chop that much at all.

It was just that old-timers like Wang Dawei liked to oppress newcomers to establish their authority and make them obediently do the work.

Unspoken rules of the workplace—it was normal. Zhao Han had learned quite a bit about them from watching short videos.

"Hehe-ha-hei!"

In the woods, Zhao Han practiced a few postures, then ran through a few sets of Black Wolf Fist to deepen his muscle memory.

Black Wolf Fist, Entry Level 20/50

"Continue!"

Zhao Han spent the entire morning hard at work practicing Black Wolf Fist.

Basically, he could gain one point of proficiency every five or six minutes, meaning he could gain ten points in an hour.

"Boom!"

Zhao Han suddenly stopped his movements and immediately felt the changes throughout his body.

Comfortable, powerful; his strength had surged by over two hundred jin.

His mental grasp of Black Wolf Fist had also deepened significantly.

"Hah!" He ran through another set of Black Wolf Fist, striking while the iron was hot to consolidate his gains.

Once the set was finished, Zhao Han opened his panel and took a look.

Martial Artist: Zhao Han
Realm: Skin Refining
Martial Arts: Black Wolf Fist, Snake-Style Deft Hand [Not simplified, Unranked]
Simplification: Black Wolf Fist [Simplified, Unranked, Proficient 0/100, Ten Wolf Slash]

"Finally 'cultivated' to the Skin Refining Realm!"

What is Skin Refining? It means the skin becomes as tough as ox hide.

Zhao Han was currently only at the initial stage of Skin Refining; his skin wasn't yet exceptionally tough, but his strength alone had increased by quite a margin.

Even so, that was still a genuine Skin Refining realm, enough to apply to become an Elite Gang Member and enjoy meat and wine.

Is this realm advancing too quickly? It's only been two days...

Zhao Han pondered for a moment and decided to stay in the kitchen for now, choosing not to expose himself.

"The latest simplification method is the Ten Wolf Slash, which means killing ten wolves."

"This is no easy task."

"But it's worth a try."

Zhao Han looked at the Firewood Chopping Knife and Firewood Chopping Axe lying on the ground.

The Firewood Chopping Knife and Firewood Chopping Axe were quite thick and sturdy, making them perfectly suitable as weapons.

He picked up the Firewood Chopping Knife and tucked the Firewood Chopping Axe into his waistband; it could be used as a throwing axe if necessary.

He followed the trail worn into the forest by people, wanting to see if there were any wild beasts.

Before long, he entered an area where wild beasts frequently appeared.

Zhao Han lowered his body, his footsteps light, and cautiously continued to explore forward, though he had already given up in his heart.

After all, A Shun had said that this place was relatively safe and had no wild beasts; he was likely wasting his effort.

But what Zhao Han found strange was that the trees in this eastern part of the forest were intact, with very few stumps and basically no signs of logging.

Clearly, A Shun had lied to him.

"Awoo..."

A low wolf howl suddenly reached his ears. Zhao Han immediately pressed himself against a tree trunk the size of a man's embrace, slightly peeking out to look around.

He scanned the area and spotted a Gray Wolf to his front right. Its build was not very large, about the same as an average adult Golden Retriever.

A constant "crunching" sound echoed; the Gray Wolf was devouring a freshly caught Wild Rabbit.

"A Gray Wolf is still a wolf; it should meet the criteria for Black Wolf Fist."

"It's busy eating and hasn't noticed me. Good opportunity!"

Zhao Han grabbed the throwing axe, aimed at the Gray Wolf, pulled his arm back to build momentum, and threw it with all his might.

"Whoosh!"

"Hit!"

"Awoo..."

A precise aim, a soul-piercing strike.

The wood-chopping throwing axe struck the Gray Wolf squarely in the abdomen, sending it flying until it slammed into the ground. Blood flowed freely as it let out a continuous, mournful wail.

"Strike while the iron is hot!"

Zhao Han stepped out from behind the tree trunk and stepped forward, decisively slashing his blade across the Gray Wolf's throat. Amidst its terrified, pleading gaze, he ended its life.

It really is different when you have the strength of a Skin Refining Warrior; a single strike is enough to kill a Gray Wolf.

If it were an ordinary person, it would have taken quite a bit of effort to take it down.

Fortunately, this body of Zhao Han's, besides being a farmer, was also half-hunter.

His father was skilled in archery and hunting, while Zhao Han was skilled in throwing axes.

It was no surprise that he had hit the Gray Wolf in one shot.

Black Wolf Fist [Proficiency 10/100, Ten Wolf Slash]

"This wolf was actually pretty easy to kill!" Zhao Han smiled easily. That was one-tenth of the way there.

If a few more came along, wouldn't it be finished? Easy and simple!

"Gurgle..."

His stomach suddenly growled. He took a Steamed Corn Bun from the pouch at his waist and began to eat, gulping down water whenever his throat felt dry.

"Roar!"

Just as he finished eating, a tiger's roar echoed through the forest. Zhao Han's expression shifted, and he immediately grabbed the Gray Wolf's corpse and took off running.

A tiger is no ordinary beast; it belongs to the ranks of Ferocious Beasts.

A full-force slap from one can reach a power of over two thousand jin, and even a casual swipe carries eight hundred to a thousand jin of force.

If Zhao Han ran into a tiger, he was no Wu Song; he would only end up as the tiger's lunch.

After running for several hundred meters and realizing the tiger hadn't followed, Zhao Han let out a soft sigh of relief.

"It seems this A Shun really lied to me. Do veteran employees always bully newcomers like this?"

Zhao Han's eyes turned cold as he pondered how to teach A Shun a lesson.

If he hadn't been fast on his feet and the tiger hadn't followed, he would be nothing but a corpse right now.

Telling me it was safe—safe, my foot.

This grudge for setting him up had to be repaid.