Skin Refinement Mid-Stage

The waiter saw Lu Shaolin's expression, nodded hurriedly, and ran toward the kitchen.

When he returned, five bowls of lamb paomo were already arranged on the tray.

The waiter quickly set the five bowls of lamb paomo on the table one by one.

Lu Shaolin took a bowl and began wolfing it down. In just a few bites, he had finished it!

His stomach digested it at breakneck speed, supplying nutrients throughout his body.

After five bowls of lamb paomo went down, the pain in his stomach finally stopped, though he was still somewhat hungry.

Lu Shaolin beckoned the waiter over and told him to bring two more bowls!

The waiter was already stunned beyond belief. He had secretly been watching Lu Shaolin the whole time, and when he saw that Lu Shaolin had truly finished all five bowls of lamb paomo, he had been left dumbfounded. He never expected him to order another two bowls!

The other diners around them also stared at Lu Shaolin as though they had seen a ghost!

"Y-yes, sir!" the waiter stammered before turning and sprinting toward the kitchen.

The two bowls of lamb paomo were brought out again. The customers in the shop all stopped eating in unspoken agreement and stared at Lu Shaolin, wanting to see whether he could really finish them.

Lu Shaolin completely ignored everyone's gazes and simply continued eating.

Once he had finished the two bowls, he finally felt full.

He rubbed his stomach and stood up, only to immediately sense that something was wrong.

The martial uniform issued by the gang had originally been quite loose, but now it was stretched tight!

His pectorals, triceps, biceps, and other muscles were all outlined beneath the uniform.

His arms had also thickened by a full size, at least half again as thick as before!

His thighs had become much more muscular as well, their contours clearly visible through his trousers.

His once somewhat delicate face had become more rugged. He no longer looked like a teenager, but rather a young man in his early twenties.

Lu Shaolin touched his cheek and smiled in satisfaction. This rugged face was not bad; it suited his tastes perfectly.

He clenched his fist and felt as though he could punch a bull to death!

This was an illusion caused by his strength increasing drastically within such a short time.

After straightening his clothes, Lu Shaolin walked onto the dock and headed for the black pleasure boat at rest.

This morning, it was his turn to rest inside the boat while Chief She patrolled. They rotated daily, with each person taking one morning and one afternoon.

When he reached the boat, Ma San and Li Si were already there, chatting at the bow.

When they saw Lu Shaolin, the two cupped their hands and called out, "Chief!" Though there was a hint of confusion in their eyes.

"Mm. Do you know where I can find stone locks?" Lu Shaolin asked with a nod, directly ignoring the confusion in their eyes.

"There are some in the courtyard of the small building at the gang's station!" Li Si replied.

"Good. You two stay here. I'll go take a look." Lu Shaolin gave his orders and turned toward the small building by the river.

"Ma San, doesn't the chief seem a lot more muscular?" Li Si asked quietly as he watched Lu Shaolin's back.

"Mm. The chief should have reached the Skin Refinement Realm!" Ma San nodded.

"But isn't that too drastic of a change?" Li Si said in disbelief.

"Hmph. Your aptitude is poor, so naturally you don't understand what it means to be exceptionally gifted," Ma San said with a cold laugh.

"My aptitude is poor? Aren't you, Ma San, the same as me?" Li Si glared with wide eyes.

Lu Shaolin quickly reached the small building at the station. Sure enough, there were quite a few stone locks by the entrance, each engraved with its weight.

Lu Shaolin walked straight up to the three-hundred-jin stone lock, grabbed it with both hands, and lifted it over his head in one motion, utterly effortlessly!

Didn't Skin Refinement Mid-Stage only increase strength by two hundred jin? Why does this feel so easy? Lu Shaolin wondered.

He casually tossed aside the stone lock and walked over to the four-hundred-jin one.

This time, he had to exert a little effort before lifting the stone lock in one go.

It seemed his strength was over four hundred jin. In other words, every breakthrough in the Skin Refinement Realm had increased his strength by one hundred and fifty jin, far beyond the usual hundred jin.

The reason was likely that he had relied on the system to break through. A breakthrough through the system was surely one hundred percent perfect.

Those who broke through on their own would inevitably have flaws and could not be as perfect as the system. That was why his strength had increased by one hundred and fifty jin!

Strength of over four hundred jin was already the strength of Perfected Skin Tempering.

Having roughly tested his true strength, Lu Shaolin returned to the dock.

When he reached the pleasure boat, Ma San and Li Si were cursing each other out, looking as though they were about to come to blows.

"What's going on?" Lu Shaolin asked.

"Nothing. We were just bickering. Sorry you had to see that, Chief!" Li Si said with a hearty laugh.

"As long as it's nothing! Oh, right. I'm feeling unwell today. When Chief She comes at noon, tell him to patrol in my place. I'm going to rest!" Lu Shaolin said calmly.

As he spoke, he walked into the cabin, leaving Ma San and Li Si staring at each other.

After entering the cabin and sitting in a chair, Lu Shaolin summoned the system panel.

The Source Points on the panel had changed from 2.8 to 0.8. In other words, breaking through from early-stage Skin Tempering to mid-stage had cost 2 Source Points.

By that reasoning, breaking through to perfection would require at least 3 Source Points!

Three Source Points would not be difficult. At worst, he could continue fishing for river demons tonight.

The main problem now was that he did not have much silver left.

The ten bowls of lamb paomo earlier had cost one qian of silver. He now had less than two qian of silver on him.

Sure enough, scholarship impoverished while martial arts enriched! Training in martial arts was already beyond what ordinary families could afford just in terms of food.

Lu Shaolin drank tea as he considered where to get money.

Near noon, Li Si entered with a roast chicken in hand and said with a smile, "Chief, it's time to eat. I just bought this roast chicken. Would you like to try some?"

"I am indeed a little hungry. Thanks!" Lu Shaolin said, rubbing his stomach as he took the roast chicken.

He placed the roast chicken on the tea table, reached into his robes, took out one qian of silver, and tossed it to Li Si.

Li Si hurriedly caught it. "Chief, no silver is needed. This is my offering to you."

"Keep it. Nobody's money falls from the sky!" Lu Shaolin said, waving his hand.

Seeing that Lu Shaolin was resolute, Li Si put away the silver, cupped his hands, and left the cabin.

Lu Shaolin tore off a chicken leg and began eating it leisurely.

As he gnawed on it, Li Si's voice came from outside: "Chief She, my chief is feeling unwell today. He asks that you trouble yourself to patrol in his stead!"

Before he heard any reply from She Jiang, the boat suddenly rocked, and a figure slipped into the cabin.

Lu Shaolin looked up and saw She Jiang, his face dark with anger.

"Isn't Brother Lu feeling unwell? Why is his appetite still so good?" She Jiang sneered as he looked at Lu Shaolin gnawing on a chicken leg.

"It is precisely because I'm unwell that I need to nourish myself! Want some?" Lu Shaolin pulled the chicken leg from his mouth and offered it to She Jiang.