Heaven-Forging Battle Fist Takes Shape!

Boom!

With a muffled blast, the bluestone pillar was smashed by the punch, sending shards of stone flying everywhere.

A massive hole had been blasted straight through it.

Good!

Feeling the fierce force in his fist, Li Ping'an was overjoyed.

It seemed his fist technique had improved again!

Such rapid progress!

Very good, exceedingly good.

Looking at the sharp gust from his punch, he murmured:

"From this day forth, I shall call this set of punches the Heaven-Forging Battle Fist."

"Heaven-Forging Battle Fist..."

Li Ping'an murmured the name, deeply satisfied with it, and began practicing again in the courtyard.

He drilled it again and again, only stopping after he had exhausted every last bit of strength in his body.

The sun set, and night fell.

Several figures hurried across the dim mountaintop, moving with great urgency.

At their head was Supervisor Wang, followed by two menial disciples.

Supervisor Wang moved briskly, his face brimming with delight. He could not wait to see Li Ping'an's miserable state.

The two disciples behind him discussed among themselves:

"Hey, how do you think that old man Li Ping'an is doing now?"

"How else could he be doing? He must have been smoked half to death by the poisonous fumes we so thoughtfully prepared for him."

"I reckon he might already be dead."

"Hahaha! But do you think that old man might secretly hide those poisonous materials, then tell us he finished cleaning them up?"

"Rest assured!"

Supervisor Wang sneered.

"If he dares pull a trick like that, I'll execute him on the spot. Heh heh, Li Ping'an, let's see if you can avoid death this time!"

Bang!

Supervisor Wang kicked open the doors of the Waste Hall and strode into the courtyard, shouting:

"Old Li, I'm here. How's the waste I told you to clean up?"

His gaze swept smugly across the courtyard, as though he had already seen Li Ping'an's miserable condition.

Yet in the next instant, he froze, dumbstruck.

The boxes he had brought over that morning were still sitting intact in the courtyard, but the waste inside them had been cleaned away completely.

How could this be?

He had actually cleaned it all up?

Supervisor Wang and the two menial disciples behind him stared in utter disbelief.

Just then, an old man in a tattered hemp shirt slowly emerged from the hall's courtyard. His back was hunched, and he coughed violently, as though he could barely remain standing.

Who else could this man be but Li Ping'an?

"Supervisor Wang... you've come... I have already cleaned up this box of waste."

Li Ping'an said respectfully.

Supervisor Wang's face immediately darkened. He scrutinized Li Ping'an from head to toe, as if trying to spot the slightest flaw in him.

Then the corner of his mouth suddenly curled up.

"Li Ping'an, what trick are you playing on me now? I don't believe you could clean up an entire box of this stuff by yourself!"

"Search the place! See whether this fellow has hidden the waste somewhere."

"Understood!"

The two disciples immediately began searching around the Waste Hall. They turned the place upside down, trying to find the waste Li Ping'an had supposedly hidden.

Yet after searching until they were drenched in sweat, they found nothing at all.

"Supervisor, we found nothing."

One disciple said dejectedly.

At those words, the smug look on Supervisor Wang's face vanished. With a dark expression, he asked:

"Did you really search everywhere?"

"We really searched everywhere!"

Supervisor Wang's face was full of unwillingness, but he also knew that this highly toxic waste could not truly be hidden. One would smell its pungent stench before even getting close.

That meant this rotten old man had truly cleaned up all that waste.

But how was that possible?

Let alone an old man with one foot in the grave like him—even an ordinary person could not possibly clean it all up in a single day.

Damn it, what exactly happened here?

Supervisor Wang clenched his fists!

He was extremely displeased that he had not seen Li Ping'an die a miserable death.

In an instant, killing intent burst forth in his eyes.

Cough, cough!

Li Ping'an suddenly began coughing violently. He braced himself against a stone pillar, looking as though he was about to collapse.

Then he covered his mouth with a hand and coughed even more violently.

Blood stained his hand from the coughing. It looked as though the poisonous fumes had affected him severely.

Seeing this, Supervisor Wang's tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly.

"It seems this box of waste did injure the old man quite badly today!"

"Bring him two more boxes tomorrow. Let's see whether you still won't die."

Supervisor Wang thought to himself. Then he waved his hand and said:

"Let's go."

He kicked open the courtyard gate and strode out.

The two menial disciples also shot Li Ping'an vicious glares before following him out.

"Old man, don't die too quickly. There'll be two more boxes of waste for you to clean up tomorrow."

After delivering their threat, the three left in grand fashion.

Even more than ten minutes after the three had disappeared, Li Ping'an was still coughing.

Only when he could no longer cough did he finally stop.

Whew!

Li Ping'an straightened up and let out a long breath.

It seemed acting was not so easy either!

That violent coughing just now had made his old face turn red, as though he had truly been injured.

But if he had not done so, how could Supervisor Wang possibly let the matter rest?

Li Ping'an's expression turned cold. He had to raise his strength quickly. If this continued, Supervisor Wang would sooner or later find other ways to deal with him!

At the same time, the disciples hiding inside the Waste Hall all came out. Seeing Li Ping'an's face flushed bright red, they were filled with concern.

"Elder Li, why don't you heed our advice? Pack your things tonight and hurry down the mountain!"

"This place is truly a den of trouble. It isn't worth losing your life for nothing."

Everyone sincerely urged him.

But Li Ping'an merely waved a hand, his gaze resolute.

"Everyone, there is no need to persuade me further. My mind is made up. Even if this old Li dies, I will die in this Waste Hall."

Hearing Li Ping'an speak such harsh words, everyone knew they could no longer persuade him. They could only leave with long sighs, muttering, "What a sin!"

They left with long sighs.

The next morning.

A powerful wave of spiritual energy suddenly erupted from Li Ping'an's room!

Li Ping'an sat cross-legged on his bed. His cloudy eyes opened, shooting out a flash of golden light.

"I've broken through! I've broken through again!"

Li Ping'an murmured to himself, his tone filled with joy.

After cultivating through the night, he had successfully transformed all the fierce toxins he had absorbed the day before into spiritual energy.

He had successfully broken through to the seventh layer of Body Forging!

His strength had advanced once again.

Li Ping'an threw a punch into the air, producing bursts of whistling wind.

He withdrew his fist in satisfaction and was just about to regulate his breathing and circulate the spiritual energy within his body through another cycle.

Bang!

The door was kicked open with a bang. Supervisor Wang had come again, bringing two lackeys with him.