Perfected Skin Tempering

Lu Shaolin quietly raised his guard against the forest behind him.

Because he had left in a hurry earlier, Lu Shaolin had not brought a fishing net.

But he did not care much. After all, his strength had increased greatly.

After digging the sand pit a little deeper, Lu Shaolin waited quietly for nightfall.

An hour later, the sky gradually darkened.

Lu Shaolin pulled a live chicken from the sack, tied it to a rope, gripped its neck, and carried it to the riverbank. With one slash of his Dao, blood splattered everywhere, dripping into the river.

He tossed the corpse into the river, then gripped the rope and crouched inside the sand pit.

Before long, a River Demon poked out its head and rushed toward the riverbank.

Lu Shaolin repeated his old trick, luring the River Demon to three meters before the pit.

Then he leaped out of the pit and thrust his spear fiercely forward, piercing straight through the River Demon's chest. He stepped forward and kicked it to the ground, pulling out the spear in the same motion.

Fearing that the River Demon was not dead, Lu Shaolin charged forward again and drove his spear downward, impaling its eye socket!

He touched the River Demon's sharp claws. One Source Point was in hand.

With a kick, he sent the River Demon's corpse behind the sand pit, then began fishing for River Demons again.

As live chickens were slaughtered one after another, Lu Shaolin killed River Demons one after another as well.

After the ninth live chicken was thrown into the river, he waited for half an hour, yet no River Demon surfaced.

Lu Shaolin smacked his lips. Could it be that he had fished all the River Demons out of this place?

After waiting another half hour and confirming that no more River Demons would surface, Lu Shaolin reluctantly put away the rope.

After thinking it over, he threw the rope into the pit and buried it.

As for the eight River Demon corpses, Lu Shaolin tossed them all directly into the Blackwater River. Though he did not know what wild beast had dragged the corpses away, he could not leave them for it.

Lu Shaolin then picked up his spear and ran toward the small fishing village nearby.

It was still the same household as last time, still the same cowshed. Lu Shaolin even greeted the big water buffalo.

It was simply too late now, though, and the big water buffalo only opened its eyes slightly.

After lying down on the haystack, Lu Shaolin summoned the System Panel.

The displayed information was:

Name: Lu Shaolin

Source Points: 8.8

Martial Realm: Skin Refinement Mid-Stage

Cultivation Method: Reckless Bull Force (Second Layer)

Martial Skills: Three Absolutes Spear (Perfected), Eight Extremes Fist (Minor Mastery), Mad Demon Staff Technique (Not Initiated).

Looking at the 8.8 Source Points displayed on the System Panel, Lu Shaolin's lips curled upward, and his heart filled with joy.

This was all strength!

Once he returned to the county town and ate his fill, he could enter Perfected Skin Tempering. The Mad Demon Staff Technique could also be initiated.

Closing his eyes, Lu Shaolin began to rest.

He had not rested for long before dawn broke.

Lu Shaolin rolled to his feet, climbed over the courtyard wall, and headed for the county town.

It was still that same lamb paomo shop.

When Lu Shaolin entered, the waiter clearly recognized him and hurried over to greet him.

Lu Shaolin directly found a seat in the corner.

Though he did not care about others' stares, being watched still did not feel comfortable.

He had the waiter bring five bowls of lamb paomo first, then waited quietly.

Before long, five bowls of lamb paomo were brought to the table.

Lu Shaolin summoned the System Panel. Looking at the plus sign behind Reckless Bull Force, he willed it and tapped it.

The plus sign blurred for a moment. Then the Second Layer behind Reckless Bull Force became the Third Layer, while the plus sign behind it turned gray and could no longer be tapped.

His Source Points also became 5.8.

The Martial Realm field changed to Perfected Skin Tempering!

A powerful hunger instantly rose from his stomach, and Lu Shaolin grabbed his chopsticks and began eating.

After five bowls of lamb paomo entered his stomach, they were rapidly converted into nourishment that spread throughout his body with the System's help.

Still feeling it was not enough, Lu Shaolin ordered another five bowls.

The waiter did not say a word and hurried into the kitchen, soon bringing another five bowls and setting them on the table.

Lu Shaolin began eating again. After another three bowls went down, his stomach finally felt better.

Raising his head, Lu Shaolin stared at the gray plus sign behind Reckless Bull Force on the panel and fell into thought.

Following the pattern, five Source Points should definitely have been enough to advance to Tendon Tempering Early-Stage. Yet it was now displayed as untappable, which meant he lacked the subsequent cultivation method.

The System could not automatically derive the later stages of a cultivation method!

Lu Shaolin looked again at the Mad Demon Staff Technique on the System Panel and tapped the plus sign behind it.

The Not Initiated behind the Mad Demon Staff Technique changed to Initiated.

A great flood of memories concerning the Mad Demon Staff Technique poured into his mind, and hunger rose in his stomach again.

After finishing the remaining two bowls of lamb paomo, Lu Shaolin looked back at the panel. His Source Points had already dropped to 4.8.

He tapped the plus sign behind the staff technique again, changing it from Initiated to Proficient.

Memories poured into his mind again, and his stomach grew hungry once more.

Lu Shaolin waved over the waiter and told him to bring three more bowls of lamb paomo.

The plus sign behind the Mad Demon Staff Technique on the System Panel also turned gray, making further advancement impossible.

His Source Points decreased again, becoming 2.8.

Not Initiated to Initiated cost one point, and Initiated to Proficient cost two points. Then Proficient to Minor Mastery would cost three points.

The reason the Mad Demon Staff Technique could not be advanced should be that he did not have enough Source Points.

The waiter brought over another three bowls of lamb paomo, and Lu Shaolin began his ravenous eating mode again.

After three bowls went down, Lu Shaolin leaned back in his chair and began thinking.

Eating like this all the time was too exhausting. He needed to think of something highly nourishing that could replace it.

Rubbing his stomach, he looked at the panel again. The detailed information had become:

Name: Lu Shaolin

Source Points: 2.8

Martial Realm: Perfected Skin Tempering

Cultivation Method: Reckless Bull Force (Third Layer)

Martial Skills: Three Absolutes Spear (Perfected), Eight Extremes Fist (Minor Mastery), Mad Demon Staff Technique (Proficient).

After sitting for a little while, Lu Shaolin stood up, intending to pay the bill.

Just as he reached out his hand, there came a ripping sound, and the Warrior Uniform beneath his arm tore straight open.

Lu Shaolin reached to touch it, only for another tearing sound to ring out. A huge hole had opened beneath his other arm as well!

Lu Shaolin's face darkened with black lines!

Hearing the sound, the waiter came over. When he saw the bursting muscles beneath Lu Shaolin's torn clothes, he could not help swallowing.

"Sir, do you need any help?"

The waiter spoke cautiously, terrified of angering Lu Shaolin.

"Find me a private room, then find me a large outer robe. Here is the silver."

Lu Shaolin directly tossed him five taels of silver.

"Yes, sir. Please follow me."

The waiter nodded repeatedly and led Lu Shaolin toward the kitchen.

Upon reaching a private room beside the kitchen, the waiter turned and went out to find clothes, while Lu Shaolin examined his own physique.

If he had previously looked like a physique athlete, then now he looked like a bodybuilding champion, much like the protagonist of Fist of the North Star from his previous life!

He seemed to have grown taller as well. By rough estimate, he was now around one meter eighty.

After waiting for a while, the waiter returned carrying a Daoist robe.

"Sir, this is the largest garment I could find. Would you like to try it?"

Lu Shaolin took the clothes and put them on. They were still somewhat tight, but at least he could move.

"Sir, this is the remaining silver."

The waiter handed over the silver. There were still more than four taels left.

Lu Shaolin took four taels from it and directly gave the rest to the waiter as a tip.

Amid the waiter's repeated thanks, Lu Shaolin walked out of the shop.