Just as Chen Jue had expected, after taking another Mighty Pill, he found that his health index showed no sign of dropping. Instead, the more he practiced the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, the better his body felt.
However, compared with the medicinal effects of the first Shaolin Mighty Pill, the second pill had a slightly weaker effect on his attribute gains.
After another hour of practicing the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, his constitution and strength had risen by only 0.02. Presumably, taking supplements back to back had reduced their effectiveness somewhat.
Player: Chen Jue Age: 27 Health index: 98% Strength: 1.11 Agility: 1.05 Intelligence: 1.23 Constitution: 1.79 Skills mastered: [Boat Boxing Level 2 (46/500)] [Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic Level 1 (22/200)] [Eight Immortals Stance Level 2 (37/500)] [Shaolin Body Conditioning Skill Level 0 (2/100)] [Internal Strength Child Prodigy Skill (Perfected)] Unallocated attribute points: 0.37
"The efficiency's dropped!"
"Maybe I should just spend some points. At this snail's pace, how long will I have to train?"
Chen Jue was growing a little impatient. Whenever he thought about attending the martial arts exchange next week, he felt that his current attributes would not give him enough of a safety margin.
So, after thinking it over briefly, Chen Jue spent points to raise the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic directly to Level 2, using 0.18 attribute points in total.
But the breakthrough in the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic was considerably more dramatic than those of his other skills.
The instant it reached Level 2, Chen Jue felt streams of heat surging wildly throughout his body. Unfamiliar muscle memory spread through him, and his skin turned as red as a boiled shrimp. Heat and sweat steamed off his body as his muscles, fascia, and bones grew thicker without him even noticing.
But the intense hunger in his stomach, along with the surging sensation of bodily depletion, frightened Chen Jue enough that he hurriedly unwrapped another Shaolin Mighty Pill and swallowed it.
This third Mighty Pill lasted less than five minutes before it was completely absorbed. His constitution and strength each rose by another 0.02.
Chen Jue knew this was the temporary siphoning effect caused by a breakthrough in the skill, which could drain the nutrients stored in his body in an extremely short time.
So he unwrapped a fourth Mighty Pill, tossed it into his mouth, and washed it down with yellow rice wine before continuing to practice the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, now at Level 2.
He repeated the process, downing another six Mighty Pills before the siphoning effect of the breakthrough finally stopped.
A glance at his attributes showed that his strength had risen to 1.23, while his constitution had reached 1.91.
Chen Jue felt as though his entire body now brimmed with inexhaustible strength!
The only drawback was how many pills a breakthrough like this consumed. Of the thirty Mighty Pills he had brought home that morning, only twenty remained.
"The more pills I pop, the better it feels!" Chen Jue could not help exclaiming as he looked at his attribute panel.
Still, through taking the Mighty Pills one after another, Chen Jue had also discovered a pattern in his attribute gains.
Repeatedly taking the same supplement would gradually reduce its effectiveness in raising his attributes.
When he had taken the first Mighty Pill and digested it through the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, his strength and constitution had each risen by a full 0.03.
But by the time he took the last Mighty Pill, the gains had dwindled to just 0.01.
His body had probably developed a tolerance to the Mighty Pills within that short period, causing the decline in attribute gains.
Even so, Chen Jue was already more than satisfied with grinding out so many attribute gains in a single afternoon.
Since the breakthrough had left him drenched in sweat, Chen Jue went to the bathroom for a hot shower.
Looking at his increasingly clear reflection in the mirror, Chen Jue discovered that his nearsightedness had improved even more noticeably.
Presumably, the substantial increase in his constitution, combined with the comprehensive changes brought about by the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, a supreme Shaolin skill, and the rejuvenating effects of the Internal Strength Child Prodigy Skill, had allowed his nearsightedness and astigmatism to heal on their own.
"Shaolin really does produce miraculous skills!"
"Next time I'm in the county town, I'll have to find a chance to get my prescription checked."
Chen Jue was delighted. Who would not want their body to keep getting healthier?
Apart from his nearsightedness, Chen Jue also noticed that the excess fat on his body had diminished considerably.
He pinched his belly and thighs and found that the beer belly and bulky thighs that had plagued him for years had now mostly disappeared. Beneath his skin, he could faintly feel firm, resilient muscle.
Once his new fitness equipment arrived, a few more days of proper exercise would probably eliminate his weight problem altogether.
"I still need a digital scale at home. I'll buy one online."
Chen Jue changed into clean clothes and sat on the living room sofa to rest for a while. He went online and bought a household scale that could accommodate someone weighing 250 kilograms, then found a seller specializing in custom metal pieces and ordered a copper bar sixty centimeters long and five centimeters wide.
It was for practicing the Shaolin Body Conditioning Skill. He could pick up an earthen brick anywhere in the village when it was time to replace the bamboo strip, but the copper bar had to be ordered online.
After experiencing the thrill of using points to achieve a breakthrough, Chen Jue had made up his mind to raise his Impact-Conditioning Skill with points as well.
But he had already used today's opportunity on the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic. He planned to rest for a day and wait until the remaining medicinal effects of the Mighty Pills had been fully absorbed before trying to spend more points.
This was also a precaution. After all, the breakthrough in the Twelve Forms of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic had caused an enormous reaction, even more dramatic than when Boat Boxing and the Eight Immortals Stance had advanced together.
To avoid leaving his body with any hidden problems, Chen Jue decided to hold off for a day.
There were still five days until the martial arts exchange, anyway, so he had plenty of time. At his current rate of grinding attributes, maxing out the Impact-Conditioning Skill before next week should not pose much of a problem.
After dinner, Chen Jue put on his training weights and slowly made his way up the mountain.
The morning rain had brought cooler weather, and nighttime temperatures were only in the teens, so Chen Jue changed into a long-sleeved autumn tracksuit.
The chirping of cicadas around him had also faded considerably, a sign that summer would soon give way to autumn completely.
After jogging a lap along the reservoir, Chen Jue did not rush to the dam to practice. Instead, he took a different path, intending to enjoy a change of scenery.
But just as he reached a patch of weeds as tall as a person, he heard several huffing, panting sounds from an animal nearby.
Looking closely, he saw a huge, fat wild boar with dark bluish-black bristles and a pair of tusks, out roaming with four piglets trailing behind it.
It came face-to-face with Chen Jue as he jogged toward it!
Before you continue