Only I Am A Reader

Energy Pills were undeniably a Martial Artist's shortcut within the path of Internal Energy Accumulation. However, that didn't mean that no effort or time had to be spent to make good use of them!

The process of circulating and digesting a year's worth of Internal Energy wasn't something that could be completed in mere hours. Ever since ingesting his first Scarlet Cloud Pill, Leo didn't move from his spot until 5 days later.

'Much better.'

Sensing his full Dantian, Leo didn't regret the time spent to inflate it this far. He had been focused on nothing else but making the best use of the pill, and it was a success!

With energy overflowing throughout his body, Leo didn't feel the need to eat, drink or rest. Every physical and mental need that his body required was simply compensated by the combo of energy and meditation. All he needed to was to keep moving forward.

Considering that the energy in the pill was already refined, digesting it could be easily pushed down to a day. However, the conversion rate would be just as horrible as the speed was. Even with the Heavenly Strength Society behind his back, Leo couldn't tolerate being wasteful of something as miraculous as Internal Energy.

Thankfully, superior pills like the Scarlet Cloud Pill didn't have an expiry date like inferior ones. The energy of Blood Rose Pills would disperse in a couple of hours, but the agglomerated energy in the Scarlet Cloud Pill held on throughout the lengthy absorption without any problem.

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Personal Statistics:

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Internal Energy: 14/14 (Scarlet Sky)

Physique: 2.49

Mind: 0.44 (+2.2)

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As such, just as indicated by the Personal Book, Leo almost managed to achieve full digestion!

'Its worth keeps rising even more…'

The fact that this was his first superior pill played a crucial role in the smooth absorption. However, the point that Leo noticed in the last five days was the important role that his fully cleared Energy Channels played!

While it was considered to be clearing, the final result of the process could be defined as forging. Energy Channels that were no longer blocked would form a natural form of energy membrane to define their shape, width, and smoothness. Most Energy Channels would end up being similar, but the little specks that remained not only acted as obstacles but also leaking points…

Although Leo wasn't knowledgeable when it came to others, the book that he received at the start firmly indicated the possibility of leakages. During his immersed meditation, however, Leo didn't encounter anything like that! If it wasn't for his imperfect control and his body's consumption, even perfect digestion would have been possible!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As someone who possessed over a year of Internal Energy, Leo was no longer considered an easy opponent! If he fought against the battle instructors again, he was confident in completely crushing any of them!

Of course, he was still required to meditate to recover the exhausted Internal Energy with natural energy after a certain period of time…

`~~~`~~~`~~~`

After emerging from his room for the second time, Leo adopted a new routine starting that day as he slowly got used to the life of a member of the Heavenly Strength Society.

Leo wasn't particularly hungry, but he still went out to retrieve his meal only to find Yeon standing with her own food set. She didn't speak, but her eyes said everything.

"Want to eat together?"

He was still confused about how his relationship with Yeon would end up, but starting that day, Leo decided to grant Yeon's wish to share their meals in order to understand more about their situation.

Every time a Scarlet Cloud Pill ended up refined into his Dantian, he would come out to share a meal and have a short conversation. Occasionally, the two instructors would join them under Cheon Jeong's scheming.

Since he was no longer pressed for time. Leo didn't spend all of his time refining pills, other than the occasional meals, the showers, he also made sure to keep up on weapon training in order to get used to the strength increase provided by Internal Energy Assimilation.

As he tested out the limits of his freedom, Leo asked for a sword, only to be directly given one by Iyeolhan. He wasn't in need of a book for basics, but Gentle Han generously threw in a few books as well. For some reason, the instructor seemed to be interested in Leo's sword path.

'He also used the sword, right?'

Iyeolhan was mostly a supporting background character, but his sword was well known throughout murim. It wasn't the time to pick 'masters' just yet, but Leo naturally wouldn't say no to the head instructor throwing him freebies!

Whether it was Spearmanship or Swordsmanship, Leo had no plans to throw either path as they were both crucial to his survival. Rather, his plans weren't limited to just that! A master of a thousand weapons was too much, but mastering a handy dozen or two was well within Leo's capabilities!

'I wouldn't mind this lasting longer.'

Leo's Internal Energy kept reaching new heights with each passing day, throwing excitement into his laidback life in the dreadful Heavenly Furnace. Even Yeon no longer felt that hard to understand…

Although he knew that this lifestyle wouldn't continue on forever, that didn't stop Leo from fully enjoying it nonetheless! The ominous future only drove him to make the best of it even more!

However, just as Leo got used to everything…

"Is this my new place?"

Almost two months after Yeon had made it here, a new guest had arrived at the other side of the waterfall. The one who would originally be the first to make it through the first phase and the one to be abhorred as the Demon Dragon in the future…

'It's about time things started getting serious.'

…Was finally here.

The limited period of peace and quiet was about to reach its end.. The true start of the second phase wasn't that far away.