Henry Clark shifted his focus to Iron Wire Fist, so the archery clone stopped, no longer absorbing energy to cultivate.

The effect of clone cultivation is unmatched by ordinary people. When people cultivate, there are always distracting thoughts, their minds wander, but when a clone cultivates, there are absolutely no distractions, the mind is emptied, and all attention is devoted to cultivation.

When the Iron Wire Fist clone stopped, dawn was already breaking, and the progress had increased by 20 points, reaching Entry Level (21%).

Henry Clark calculated that, with the same one jin of meat, the Iron Wire Fist clone’s cultivation time was about the same as the archery clone, but the progress was vastly different.

Both at Entry Level, two jin of meat would allow the ordinary archery clone to increase progress by 60%, while the Iron Wire Fist clone only gained 20%.

As expected, martial arts are indeed martial arts, not comparable to ordinary archery. At the same level, the energy consumption is vastly different.

For breakfast, there was still meat, about one jin.

William Clark instructed Olivia Smith to prepare meat for Henry Clark for every meal—morning, noon, and night—about one jin per meal.

After breakfast, Henry Clark immediately went to the bamboo grove to practice his fist techniques.

Whoosh, whoosh...

Henry Clark threw punches, and one could faintly hear the sound of his fists cutting through the air. The vital energy and blood in the twelve main meridians began to circulate, increasing at a very slow rate.

Three hours later, Henry Clark stopped practicing.

“The progress of Iron Wire Fist only increased by 5% before stopping.”

Henry Clark pondered. According to yesterday’s pattern, shouldn’t one jin of meat increase progress by 10%?

He quickly understood the key point.

When he practiced, moving and accumulating vital energy and blood also required energy.

After eating meat, it was split in two: half was absorbed by the Dao Book to provide for the clone’s cultivation, and half was absorbed by his body to nourish and strengthen his vital energy and blood.

With the energy halved, the progress naturally halved as well.

“It’s not enough, the meat is simply not enough.”

Henry Clark sighed.

But for now, there was no better way. He could only wait until his strength improved, then go hunting in the mountains with William Clark to get more meat.

As the saying goes, sharpening the axe does not delay the cutting of firewood.

Henry Clark finished his practice and went home.

These days, the villagers of Kaoshan Village all wore smiles on their faces.

Because it was potato harvest season. The weather had alternated between sunny and rainy, the climate was excellent, and the potatoes had all grown plump and big—a bumper harvest.

After paying taxes, every household still had plenty left. With this batch of potatoes, getting through the winter would not be difficult.

Once winter passed and they started planting other crops, a virtuous cycle would form, and life would get better.

Everyone was filled with hope.

“People in this era really don’t ask for much. Being able to eat their fill is happiness.”

Henry Clark sighed.

Four and a half days later.

“Finally reached Minor Achievement.”

Henry Clark was delighted.

Four and a half days, three jin of meat per day, progress could increase by about 15% daily, plus some other grains, which could add another 2%, so about 17% per day.

Of course, practicing on his own also increased progress, but it was extremely slow, far behind the clone’s progress.

With Iron Wire Fist reaching Minor Achievement, the eighteen branch meridians in his arms and hands were opened up and connected to the twelve main meridians. When practicing, the speed of accumulating vital energy and blood indeed increased significantly.

Moreover, as the vital energy and blood spread through the branch meridians into his arms and hands, it could temper and strengthen them.

Actually, when practicing, other parts of the body also received some tempering from the vital energy and blood, but the effect was much slower compared to the arms and hands.

Once Iron Wire Fist was activated, faint black lines would appear on both fists, like iron wires—hence the name Iron Wire Fist.

The Iron Wire Fist clone also changed; one could clearly see the eighteen branch meridians in the arms and hands, with vital energy and blood flowing, corresponding to the real body.

However, after Iron Wire Fist reached Minor Achievement, when the clone and real body practiced together, one jin of meat only increased progress by 2.5%. The progress of Iron Wire Fist began to slow down.

In the blink of an eye, another month and a half passed.

Iron Wire Fist clone, Mastery (1%).

Originally, according to the previous rate, it would have taken just over a month for Iron Wire Fist to reach Mastery.

But because the previously stored meat ran out, and even though William Clark went hunting from dawn to dusk, he couldn’t bring back meat every day. Henry Clark’s daily meat intake dropped from three jin to one and a half jin, so it took a month and a half to reach Mastery.

But this still equaled ten years of hard training for an ordinary person.

Henry Clark also figured out the general pattern: with each level up in martial arts, the progress gained from the same amount of meat would be halved.

“Dad, I want to go hunting in the mountains with you.”

Henry Clark spoke up.

With his fist technique advancing rapidly, the speed of accumulating vital energy and blood naturally increased, and he was growing taller by the day. Now, Henry Clark’s height had reached 1.7 meters.

You have to know, when he first transmigrated here, he was less than 1.6 meters tall.

His strength had already surpassed that of an ordinary strong man, and with Mastery-level Iron Wire Fist, his combat power was quite impressive. It was time to go hunting in the mountains.

This was normal. Ordinary people practice for months and are still stuck at Entry Level.

At Entry Level, the branch meridians aren’t even opened; they can only move vital energy and blood through the twelve main meridians, accumulating it at a snail’s pace. How could they compare to Henry Clark?

Mastery means opening up seventy-two branch meridians.

Chapter 6: Calamity