It's Still Early-I'll Kill You Nine More Times!

"The Mizong Step had finally reached Great Accomplishment!"

Li Qingshan murmured with feeling, his gaze sweeping across the status panel.

[Li Qingshan]

[Realm: Body Forging 15/100]

[Technique:

The Thirty-Sixth Set of Broadcast Gymnastics—The Stars Are Calling 52/1000 (mastery)]

[Martial Techniques: Mizong Step 1/3000 (Great Accomplishment), Wind Shadow Blade 112/1000 (mastery)]

[Function: Martial Arts Space Lv1 (1/100)]

[Available time: 335 days]

[Time Flow Rate: 1:10]

His Body Forging progress had reached 15/100.

Based on his previous tests, 9 points of progress equaled one level.

He was only 3 points away from Body Tempering Second Level.

The Stars Are Calling had only gained a few dozen points of proficiency—not much.

Wind Shadow Blade, on the other hand, had been trained in the Martial Arts Space as well and had directly been pushed to mastery.

"The Mizong Step needs 3,000 proficiency points to go from Great Accomplishment to Perfection?"

Li Qingshan raised a brow, but he was not too surprised.

Three thousand was a lot, but it was not outrageous.

His gaze continued downward and finally settled on the [available time] section of the Martial Arts Space.

Compared to when it had first been unlocked, the available time had decreased by thirty days.

"Thirty days! In other words, I only spent one month training the Mizong Step to Great Accomplishment?"

Li Qingshan muttered, somewhat dazed.

According to Wan Keshan, it would take at least two years for the Mizong Step to go from entry level to Great Accomplishment.

Of course, that did not mean he had become a martial arts genius.

In truth, the Martial Arts Space ignored physical exhaustion, and with Wolf Poison present, he had trained without sleep or rest the entire time.

When all was said and done, that one month was no less than the two years Wan Keshan had mentioned.

"I've worked far too hard!" Li Qingshan sighed softly.

He might not qualify as a genius, but he could absolutely bear the word "hardworking."

In one month, he had walked the cultivation road that would take an ordinary person two years.

What was more, Wolf Poison's projection had accompanied him throughout the entire process.

Heaven knew how many times Wolf Poison had bitten him to death!

"The Mizong Step has reached Great Accomplishment. It's time for revenge!"

A vicious glint flashed through Li Qingshan's eyes. He gripped the hilt of his blade tightly and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the familiar circular platform came into view.

Li Qingshan moved his feet, turned his body, and charged forward without hesitation.

"Wolf Poison!"

Wolf Poison snarled and roared, launching itself into the air.

The two raced madly toward each other, the distance between them rapidly shrinking.

Just as they were about to collide,

Li Qingshan moved his right foot and took a step so wondrous it seemed divine.

In the blink of an eye, he was already behind Wolf Poison, slashing upward with a backhand stroke.

Roar—urk!

Wolf Poison's roar rose sharply, then cut off abruptly.

After landing, it clamped its hind legs together and glared fiercely at its opponent with blood-red eyes.

"Hahaha, looks like you've forgotten how you ended up here. Perfect. I'll help you remember now."

Li Qingshan laughed wantonly, twirled his blade in his right hand, and charged Wolf Poison again.

Wolf Poison roared furiously and pounced with its claws.

Yet the human who had been right before its eyes a moment ago suddenly vanished.

Agonizing pain erupted from its lower body once more, while hateful laughter rang out behind it.

"Hahaha, you're too slow!"

Wolf Poison stomped with all four limbs and leaped high into the air, pouncing backward.

But there was nothing behind it. It had missed again.

"Looking for me?"

The voice came from behind it, followed by another slash between its legs.

Bloodlight surged in Wolf Poison's scarlet eyes. It had completely gone mad.

Its limbs became like phantoms as it constantly shifted its body, trying to find that hateful human.

But no matter how it changed direction, it could not catch even a trace of him.

Only the repeated agony in its lower body reminded it that its opponent was right behind it.

A trapped beast still fought. Like a headless fly, Wolf Poison darted wildly in every direction.

Behind Wolf Poison, Li Qingshan followed like a shadow, swinging his blade at an unhurried pace.

At that moment, he finally understood what the teacher in the Mizong Step instructional video had meant by, "Before the autumn wind stirs, the cicada already senses it."

Whether in speed or strength, Wolf Poison far surpassed him. It was enough to rival Body Tempering fifth level.

But combat was not simply a race or a comparison of numbers.

No matter how great one's strength was, if one could not hit the enemy, it was all for nothing.

Just like now,

Li Qingshan predicted every one of Wolf Poison's attacks in advance.

He did not need to be faster than Wolf Poison. He only needed to stand in the right place ahead of time.

If he had been facing a Body Tempering fifth level fighter who knew Martial Techniques, Li Qingshan might not have been able to respond so perfectly.

But Wolf Poison was merely a Fierce Beast that acted entirely on instinct. It simply could not escape his predictions.

As time passed,

Wolf Poison's roars grew weaker and weaker, while its lower body became a bloody, mangled mess.

Finally, with a wet splat, the long blade pierced its abdomen and its organs slid out.

Wolf Poison shuddered violently and collapsed to the ground.

At death's door, that devil-like figure finally appeared before its eyes.

"I said I would kill you a hundred thousand times."

"Remember this. This is only the first time. There are still 99,999 more."

Li Qingshan held the blood-dripping Chopping Knife and watched Wolf Poison's corpse vanish.

At the same time,

At the edge of the circular platform, a lifelike Wolf Poison statue roughly two meters tall appeared out of thin air.

With a thought from Li Qingshan, the statue disappeared.

The familiar roar sounded again.

Li Qingshan turned around and licked his lips.

"It's still early. I'll kill you nine more times."

Half an hour later, Wolf Poison collapsed for the tenth time.

Li Qingshan tossed aside the Chopping Knife, stretched his limbs, and began practicing The Stars Are Calling.

The Martial Arts Space ignored physical exhaustion.

Li Qingshan did not stop for even a moment. He practiced over and over until his mind truly could not endure any longer, then lay down on the spot and went to sleep.

After waking up, he got up and continued practicing.

Ding ding ding!

Buzz buzz buzz!

The alarm rang. Li Qingshan opened his eyes and looked over the status panel.

[The Stars Are Calling 52/1000 (mastery)] → [The Stars Are Calling 72/1000 (mastery)]

"Twenty points in one night. At this rate, I'll reach Great Accomplishment in just over a month!"

Li Qingshan stretched lazily, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

"I've finally gotten on track."

This was the cultivation plan he had envisioned from the start.

That afternoon, at First High School.

After completing a day of training, the Martial Arts Class students were wolfing down food in the cafeteria.

After clearing two trays, Li Qingshan took a sip of soup and looked at Zhao Hongzhou.

"Hongzhou, where have you been working part-time lately?"

Zhao Hongzhou's family circumstances were average. He had always liked taking jobs to earn pocket money, and even after joining the Martial Arts Class, he had never stopped working part-time.

Zhao Hongzhou quickly swallowed his last mouthful of food and asked in surprise,

"Brother Shan, are you looking for work?"

"I'm considering it." Li Qingshan nodded.

He had just paid the rent. Only a few thousand remained in his savings, and he only had twenty bottles of Nutrient Solution left. It was time to prepare for a rainy day.

Yu Lei was sitting directly across from Li Qingshan. Hearing that, she raised her head in surprise.

"You can still make time for that?"

After she went home and completed Body Forging twice at night, it was already ten o'clock.

Li Qingshan did Body Forging four times every night. At the very least, he would have to work past midnight before he was done.

"Time can always be squeezed out—"

Yu Lei's face darkened at a visible rate, and Li Qingshan hurriedly changed his tune.

"There's always some money to be saved."

Now that he could rest in the Martial Arts Space, he was not afraid of training late into the night.

"Brother Shan, I went back to Yinghai Gym. Want to come with me?"

"Yinghai?"

Li Qingshan frowned slightly and asked in confusion,

"Didn't you say the pay was too low before? Why did you go back?"

Last year, he and Zhao Hongzhou had both worked at Yinghai Gym.

But the pay had been too low, so neither of them had stayed long.

"It's different this time. I'm not doing odd jobs."

Zhao Hongzhou grinned smugly and boasted,

"I'm a personal trainer now. The class fee is five hundred per session, and I teach two sessions a day."

"That much?"

Li Qingshan eyed Zhao Hongzhou suspiciously, looking him up and down.

If not for the innocent, boyish look still on that face, he would have suspected Zhao Hongzhou had gone into a different kind of business.

Zhao Hongzhou was still basking in self-satisfaction, but Yu Lei saw what Li Qingshan was thinking and said speechlessly,

"Don't let your imagination run wild. The Martial Arts Class name can still bluff people."

"Those parents of middle school students can't afford Martial Arts Teachers, so they can only hire Martial Arts Class students."

"Even new students?"

Li Qingshan raised a brow, feeling that earning this money was a little guilt-inducing.

Those middle school students hired personal trainers for no other reason than to practice The Stars Are Calling.

But this technique depended entirely on one's own comprehension. No matter how much a teacher explained, it might not be useful.

Just like in their class,

A month had passed, yet aside from him, not a single person had broken through to the third level.

"Brother Shan, you don't want to go?" Zhao Hongzhou sensed Li Qingshan's hesitation and said regretfully,

"What a pity. You're First in the new intake for Luoying City this year. You could ask for at least a thousand per session."

The moment he finished speaking,

Li Qingshan grabbed Zhao Hongzhou by the shoulder and forcibly pulled him to his feet.

"Move faster. Don't be late for work."