Sixty years of blacksmithing, a single hammer blow forging a celestial being.

After leaving the Lichun Courtyard, Li Ping'an began his journey towards the sect.

He had been out for a full day and night, and it was morning now. He didn't know if he would be scolded by Steward He when he got back.

However, after weighing the spirit stones at his waist, Li Ping'an felt satisfied.

With the two hundred spirit stones Nan Zhi gave him, Li Ping'an now has about two hundred and forty spirit stones, which is a huge sum of money.

However, you'd better hide yourself well when you return to your sect.

After all, the sect is not like the outside world. In fact, the outside world is even safer because there are too many people in the sect who want him dead.

Especially that Steward Wang, who knows what new tricks he'll pull in a day.

However, through a night of fighting, his cultivation has made significant progress. He has now reached the peak of the eighth level of Body Tempering and is only one step away from the ninth level.

Through the absorption of toxins by the Heavenly Hammer and the Unforged Heavenly Hammer, he felt his whole body was filled with power.

Overall, his combat strength far surpasses that of ordinary Body Tempering Realm cultivators. He even had the illusion that he could fight against cultivators at the first or second level of Qi Refining Realm without using spells.

Thinking about all this made Li Ping'an feel great. He hummed a little tune as he walked up the mountain.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the bushes ahead, and then a masked man suddenly jumped out from the bushes.

"Stop! Old man!"

What?

Li Ping'an was startled; a burly man suddenly jumped out and tried to rob him.

The masked man pulled out a steel knife from his waist and pointed it at Li Ping'an, saying something gleamingly.

"Old man, this road is mine, these trees are mine. If you want to pass, hehe, leave your toll!"

They really were highway robbers!

Li Ping'an was startled by this sudden scene; he hadn't expected to encounter any treacherous cultivators on the way to the sect.

However, judging from this person's cultivation level, it seemed to be comparable to his own, also at the eighth level of Body Tempering.

Where did a cultivator who is not even at the Qi Refining stage get the courage to rob the Dao?

"Old man, if you know what's good for you, hand over all your money, or you'll be in big trouble, you know?"

The masked man slammed his steel knife into the ground, sparks flying everywhere, and spoke viciously, looking as if he wanted to devour Li Ping'an alive.

Most people would be intimidated by his imposing presence, but who is Li Ping'an?

Having spent sixty years forging iron in the sect, his composure is far superior to that of ordinary people. Not to mention, his cultivation has progressed very rapidly during this period, and he has also practiced the Heaven-Forging Battle Fist.

He no longer considered this petty thief a threat.

"Perfect timing!"

Li Pingan muttered to himself.

"After so many days of training, how much has your strength improved? Just how powerful is this Heaven-Forging Battle Fist? I'll have to test it out on you!"

The masked robber, unaware of what Li Ping'an was muttering to himself, impatiently brandished his steel knife.

"Hey old man, I'm talking to you! Are you deaf? If you don't hand over your money, I'll chop you up with a knife, you believe me?"

"Damn it, I don't know what you old geezer have been dawdling around in the market for, making me squat here for a whole day and night. I'm furious right now, let me tell you!"

It turns out that the masked robber was the same big man who saw Li Ping'an spend a full hundred spirit stones to buy the cultivation technique at the Wanbao Pavilion yesterday.

He saw Li Ping'an leave casually after buying the cultivation technique and assumed Li Ping'an was going back to his sect.

So they deliberately found a very secluded path on the only way, a path that hardly anyone came by, and laid an ambush in advance.

Unexpectedly, this ambush lasted for a whole day and night. That damned old man is so old, yet he still goes to brothels to have fun. He deserves to die!

The masked man made up his mind that once the old man took out his money, he would chop him up with a single stroke.

However, Li Ping'an remained unmoved, muttering to himself.

"What? You old fool, you really won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences! Looks like I have to teach you a lesson you won't know how powerful I, Wang San, am!"

Wang San introduced himself, brandished his steel knife, and slashed at Li Ping'an without any hesitation.

Seeing the steel blade coming down at him, Li Ping'an remained calm. He silently recited the boxing technique he had practiced to perfection, and then dodged the attack with a side step.

All he heard was the whistling sound of a steel blade slashing towards him. Li Ping'an seized the opportunity to grab the big man's arm and then punched him in the armpit.

"Ouch!"

The punch was extremely powerful, and the big man was sent flying, rolling several meters on the ground.

The burly man scrambled to his feet, utterly bewildered.

Li Ping'an was equally unconfident, looking at his fist with some surprise.

I never expected that my casual move would have such great power.

He could clearly feel spiritual energy flowing rapidly and continuously through his meridians throughout his body.

This is the benefit of having a high level of cultivation; even a casual punch can have such a wonderful effect.

"hateful!"

The masked man, having suffered a loss, was not afraid but angry.

That damned old man actually managed to make him suffer such a huge loss when he wasn't paying attention.

Damn it, I'll tear you to pieces!

The burly man charged again, knife in hand.

Now, with the blow he just delivered, Li Ping'an's confidence soared. His eyes were calm as still water, and his face was serene and fearless, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster.

Then came a series of loud fighting sounds.

Then the steel knife fell to the ground, and the masked man was beaten black and blue, his eye sockets were bruised and swollen, like he had panda eyes, blood was still oozing from the corner of his mouth, and several of his teeth were knocked out.

"Ouch, ouch! Sir, please stop! I was wrong! Sir, please forgive me!"

The burly man kept begging for mercy.

He never expected Li Ping'an to be such a formidable fighter, and with such immense strength; one punch left him dizzy and disoriented.

It's simply unbearable!

No matter how much the big man begged for mercy, Li Ping'an continued his fist techniques without stopping.

Because he hasn't finished his fighting punch yet!

He had to finish the set of punches and carefully feel the rhythm. This was a rare opportunity for real combat, and he had to seize it.

"Hoo hoo ha! Hey!"

Li Ping'an fought with increasing vigor, while the big man's screams grew louder and louder, startling countless birds in the forest into flying away.

After a few breaths, Li Ping'an slowly exhaled and then performed a fist-retracting posture.

The burly man had already been beaten to the point of near death, barely breathing.

"Young people these days are just too weak."

Li Ping'an stroked his gray beard, skillfully walked over and stripped the big man naked, finding a small money pouch on his waist containing dozens of spirit stones.

"Young man, you're quite wealthy. Today, I can be considered to have done a heroic deed and eliminated evil."

Li Ping'an smiled slightly, kicked the big man to the edge of the bushes like he was kicking a dead dog, and then hummed a song as he walked into the sect.