Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

”A positive attitude is worth encouraging, but I need to give you a heads-up in advance. The difficulty will far exceed your imagination, and whatever you do, don’t compare your progress with mine. You know my foundation is much stronger than each of yours, understood?”

Zhang Su was well aware of why his progress was so rapid. Ninety-nine percent of the credit belonged to the special effect of the Energy Slot. Even he couldn’t believe that when the Energy Slot was above ninety percent, it was like a martial artist unlocking the Ren and Du Meridians, achieving as much in one day of training as others could in a year!

His own effort accounted for about one percent...

If everyone set his training progress as their target to chase, not only would it be meaningless, but it could also severely damage their confidence, leading to self-doubt and resulting in a downward spiral...

Unfortunately, not everyone was willing to concede. Although they agreed verbally, they were secretly competing in their hearts, thinking they could also leap ahead in just half a month like Zhang Su...

Having dreams in one’s heart is a good thing, but if the dream is too grand, it may not be.

Not to mention training for an afternoon; at the start of training, more than half of them immediately realized that it was no simple matter. Just trying to complete one elementary movement was extremely difficult, let alone persisting—it was nothing short of a pipe dream.

A few people gritted their teeth and persisted with strong willpower, but their bodies’ limits were very honest. Muscles aren’t stubborn; if you can’t hold on, you can’t hold on...

In less than half an hour, everyone collapsed to the ground, staring blankly ahead at the casually posing Zhang Su and Ju Mumio, who was meditating at the end of the queue while training.

”Damn it, I don’t believe it!”

Zhao Dezhu lay on the ground panting heavily. Seeing Zhang Su and Ju Mumio’s effortless demeanor was a severe blow, so he shouted angrily and got back into position, but his ambition failed after less than five minutes.

Chen Hanzhou, Lu Yubo, Guo Dachao, Duan Wuhu—all individuals with decent combat power—were defeated one by one, muttering like middle-aged men, ”Let’s rest for a while, rest for a while.”

As for Wu Lue, Liu Tianji, Jia Shiqin, and the others, they fared even worse. Especially Yuwen, although he maintained a long-standing training habit, time waits for no one. His body couldn’t match the young ones, so he simply gave up, lest he accidentally strained his old arms and legs and became a burden to the camp!

But some people performed exceptionally, surprising Zhang Su—one of them being Pang Dakun, who even gave up going to Village No.2 to impress Su Xiaoya, and the other, Zhao Xue!

It’s not particularly surprising that Pang Dakun performed well. After all, he naturally excelled in body control, and training in the martial arts of the Ju Clan had its ingenious complementarities.

But Zhao Xue’s persistence was truly unexpected. The delicate, soft girl actually managed to surpass everyone except for Pang Dakun in persistent time ranking second. And after a brief rest, she started again...

Tan Huajun, beside Zhao Xue, could only wipe her sweat helplessly. Her chubby figure made it quite strenuous to train, yet she had her own path. Even if she was slightly less adept at close combat, it was still acceptable.

But Zhang Ya, on the other side of Zhao Xue, was quite frustrated. Everyone had always known she ranked among the top in combat power among the female members. Her competitive spirit drove her to want to prove herself again, but unfortunately, reality was somewhat cruel. Yet, she still persevered, without giving up.

Besides Pang Dakun and Zhao Xue, another ”guy” was equally relaxed, comparable to Zhang Su and Ju Mumio, which was Corgi Good Fortune strolling over from the ravine.

Seeing everyone’s quirky and interesting training postures, Good Fortune also imitated them. Surprisingly, it quickly got into the rhythm. On its first attempt, it firmly held on, luckily practicing secretly on the side. Otherwise, if everyone saw, it would leave a huge shadow in their hearts.

Zhang Su looked at his swaying companions, a slight smile on his lips, and said calmly, ”Everyone, I told you not to compare with me. Your goal is yourself from a second ago; surpassing yourself is victory. Keep going, work hard.”

His words, spoken while standing comfortably, made many wince, but there was no choice. The strength was on display; they didn’t even have the energy to debate.

”Alright, today’s training contents are the movements I just taught you. Zhuzi, you lead everyone in training. I have other things to attend to.”

Zhang Su noticed the urging look in Ju Mumio’s eyes, suddenly remembering something he promised her.

”Why is Brother Su leaving with that Japanese woman again?”

”Mind your own business; didn’t you see that even the sister-in-law didn’t say anything? Can you mind your own affairs!”

”Exactly, you train for five minutes and rest for ten, yet you have the energy to meddle!”

The departure of Zhang Su and Ju Mumio didn’t ease the crowd. Earlier, there were two towering figures causing immense pressure, even discouraging the pursuit of others. Now, only a group of underdogs remained, which instead spurred everyone’s competitive spirit!

Zhao Dezhu waved his hand broadly, ”Come on, let’s take a uniform five-minute break, and then let’s see who can persist longer. Let’s get to it!”

Even underdogs will peck at each other!

As dusk settled, by dinner time, nearly everyone in the dining hall maintained an awkward posture. They finally understood why Zhang Su’s hands shook during meals; shaking was mild. At least you could still get a bite!

Some couldn’t even hold a spoon due to shaky hands, spilling more than half a scoop of rice, with only a few grains left to reach their mouths. Eventually, they learned from Good Fortune’s eating style without any regard for image, which proved much more convenient.

Watching humans make a fool of themselves, Corgi Good Fortune sat in the corner with a wide grin, especially delighted. After an afternoon of training, it felt refreshed, its steps even lighter than before.

”Wow, well done! It seems none of you slacked off this afternoon. Keep training like this, and I guarantee your combat abilities will skyrocket. Eat and drink freely; there’s plenty!”

When Zhang Su arrived at the restaurant and saw everyone’s miserable state, he rarely refrained from initiating his taunting mode and instead gave them a nod of approval.

He used the afternoon teaching to impart many essentials of the ”Mad Dog Fist” to Ju Mumio. Without the restraint of the sect’s Inner Power Heart Method ”Criminal Law,” the power of the ”Mad Dog Fist” skyrocketed, opening Ju Mumio’s eyes to what real combat martial arts meant. It was extremely practical, with every move and shout not superfluous!

”I can’t eat, Brother Su... I need someone to feed me.”

”My limbs, my entire body, aren’t mine anymore... I’m turning into a zombie.”

Many people wailed after the afternoon’s training, finally realizing the gap between themselves and Zhang Su. Thinking back, not only did he train in the afternoon, but he also trained continuously at night. Now, they just wanted to get intimately close with their beds, awed by Zhang Su’s terrifyingly impressive physique.

That night on Celestial Horse Island wasn’t quiet. Every house was filled with low groans, not just simple muscle aches; fatigue engulfed their entire bodies, even their bones were trembling. Many rooms were filled with the scent of red flower oil, attempting to alleviate their fatigue with massages.

The next day, all human members who participated in the training were out of commission...

Celestial Horse Island’s defenses were at their weakest. The only ones with full combat capability were Zhang Su, Ju Mumio, and a few who didn’t participate in the training but remained at their posts yesterday. At most, you could count Yuwen, who quit halfway, and one dog...

Training couldn’t continue, but work was unavoidable. Zhang Su hadn’t led a team to gather resources for a while, having delegated such tasks to others. Considering he couldn’t send out a group of sore-legged people, he led the team out again.

Today’s task wasn’t difficult. The original plan was to eliminate a batch of zombies, but considering everyone’s situation, they decided to postpone it. Instead, they planned to gather resources from Xiangyang Village, west of Niuquanzi Town, and monitor the movements of the southern zombie horde.

”Hey...”

Lu Yubo struggled to load a bag of flour onto the truck, his face contorted in pain. Previously, he could carry four bags totaling two hundred pounds without issue. Now, fifty pounds were taking him several minutes...

”Brother Su, lay it bare. Are we really just spinning wheels here? Is what Ju Mumio taught you just those things?”

On the other side, Qi Xiaoshuai wasn’t much better, hoisting a bag of corn onto the truck and slumping weakly over it.

”Don’t worry. Just keep training like yesterday, and you’ll definitely gain something. Don’t rush; it’ll take at least two to three months! Hey, hurry it up; the zombies are coming over there!”

Zhang Su glanced back, and about three kilometers away, he spotted the shadows of the zombie horde, prompting him to urge his team.