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

Li Ping'an gripped the Heaven-Forging Hammer, glanced at the pile of scattered scraps at his feet, and took a deep breath.

The heat waves from the subterranean fire surged upwards, making his face feel tight, but he didn't feel any relief.

The hammer was raised and then fell.

With a muffled thud, there was no fire or sound, only the pile of waste pills and materials on the ground, which visibly collapsed.

The remaining spiritual essence in those dark medicinal residues and broken ores was completely extracted by the Heaven-Forging Hammer.

Li Pingan could feel that force gradually seeping into the hammer through the handle.

The obsidian crystals on the hammer handle, which were originally dark, suddenly lit up in several places, gleaming with a warm light.

It became.

This basket of scrap may seem insignificant, but the accumulated power it contains is far greater than that of four low-grade spirit stones.

Li Ping'an felt a surge of warmth in his heart and almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

I knew I hadn't looked in the wrong place.

What others see as junk, he sees as treasure.

He squatted down and picked out the five discarded pills given to him by the dark-faced junior sister from the pile of dregs, placing them on a hot stone.

The medicinal power in these five pills was already purer than that of ordinary minerals, but unfortunately, they were ruined during the refining process, and their medicinal properties are now a complete mess.

In the past, this would have been considered poison.

But things are different now.

Li Ping'an aimed at those few discarded pills, lowered his wrist, and slammed the hammer down.

Melting Immortal.

Silently, the messy toxins and impurities inside those five discarded pills were instantly stripped away, turning into a pile of medicinal powder.

He didn't stop; using that momentum, he followed up with a second hammer blow.

Casting God.

An unseen force gathered the scattered medicinal power back together, compacting and condensing it.

Two round pills lay on the stone, gleaming faintly.

Low-grade, first tier: Body Tempering Pill.

He managed to refine two of the five poison pills into something edible.

Li Ping'an held the pill in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and then glanced at the hammer in his hand.

There's still energy inside.

The power accumulated from that basket of waste materials is more than enough to refine just these two pills.

Then we can't waste it.

He carefully put the Body Tempering Pill into his pocket, gripped the hammer handle tightly again, and aimed it at his chest.

He still remembered the feeling of those two blows on the mountain road; it really hurt, but it was worth it.

Li Pingan gritted his teeth and slammed the hammer down.

thump.

After the muffled thud, that familiar sharp pain and intense itching surged up together.

Black liquid began to seep from every pore on his body again, and the smell was even stronger than the strange odor inside the abandoned hall.

Li Ping'an held on and didn't fall, managing to pull through.

After the initial shock subsided, he examined his own body internally.

Body Tempering Level 5.

From the third to the fifth order, it skipped two more levels.

If this were within the outer sect, ordinary disciples would never even begin to grasp these two realms in three to five years.

For him, it's a one-shot deal.

Li Pingan took a breath and tried swinging the hammer again.

This time, it landed without making a sound.

The few bright crystals on the hammer handle all went dark.

I've used up all my strength.

Li Ping'an shook his head and put the Forging Hammer back into his sea of ​​consciousness.

This thing is really good, but it eats way too much. A basket of waste is enough to make it jump around twice.

If you want to move up in the future, you still need to save up.

Just as he put away the hammer, a wave of dizziness suddenly surged up, and Li Ping'an's legs went weak, almost causing him to fall into the fire pit.

He quickly grabbed the rock wall next to him and it took him a while to regain his balance.

Having reached the Body Tempering Realm, one's body simply cannot withstand staying in this place of burning earth fire for too long.

Li Ping'an carefully tucked the two Body Tempering Pills into his pocket, not daring to linger, and turned to walk towards the front hall.

When he returned to the front hall of the abandoned hall, the disciples had also finished their day's work and were sitting dejectedly by the assembly line, unable to muster any energy.

Upon seeing Li Ping'an return, the group exchanged glances, none of them daring to speak first.

The young man named Wang Erniu opened his mouth, but in the end he swallowed his words and lowered his head to pick at his fingernails.

Li Ping'an understood what was going on when he saw them like this.

Manager Wang's words really frightened these people.

He walked over and sat down on a bench, speaking in a calm tone.

"Don't look so gloomy."

"That Manager Wang came specifically for me."

Several disciples looked up, their eyes still showing some unease.

Li Pingan waved his hand.

"He's targeting me, it has nothing to do with you."

"You can continue doing what you were doing. Keep sorting the waste materials as usual. No one will kick you out of the sect because of me."

Don't worry.

He Lu listened from the side, leaning on his cane, and sighed.

"Teacher Li, you make it sound so easy."

"That job of disposing of waste... can be deadly."

Li Pingan smiled but didn't respond to the comment.

He knew in his heart whether it was a matter of life or death, but he couldn't tell these people the truth.

"Manager He, I'm fine."

"I appreciate your kindness. For now, everyone should stay away from me, so that Supervisor Wang doesn't find any fault with me."

He Lu opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

The old man genuinely wanted to be good to Li Ping'an, but the supervisor's words—that he should immediately pack his bags and get out of the Tongtian Sword Sect—made him feel suffocated.

Without this place, the group of people from the abandoned hall really have nowhere to go.

Li Ping'an noticed his predicament and took the initiative to clarify things.

"Manager He, let's skip the welcome banquet."

"It's better for everyone to stay away from me than anything else."

He Lu remained silent for a while, and finally, leaning on his cane, he walked shakily into the inner room.

When he came out again, he was carrying a jug of liquor and a shiny roast chicken, which he placed on the table in front of Li Ping'an.

"The banquet will not be held."

"But you have to accept this."

"Brother, I may not have any other skills, but I do have the heart to welcome you back."

Li Ping'an felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at the pot of wine and the chicken.

On the day I entered the inner sect, I was disliked, schemed against, and made a laughing stock.

It was just this pot of coarse wine and this roast chicken that made him feel like he was still alive.

"Thank you, Manager He."

He didn't refuse and took the things.

He Lu waved his hand, beckoning the disciples to go back to their rooms to rest.

Before leaving, Wang Erniu secretly glanced back at Li Ping'an, his eyes filled with guilt and a hint of awkwardness.

Li Ping'an nodded to him, and the young man ran away with his head down.

The abandoned hall gradually quieted down.

Li Ping'an carried the wine and chicken back to the small room assigned to him.

The room wasn't big; it contained a wooden bed, a broken table, and some miscellaneous items piled up in the corner. Compared to the drafty thatched shed in the servants' quarters, it was a decent place to live.

He placed the liquor and roast chicken on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed.

They didn't touch their chopsticks or drink any alcohol.

Just sitting.

and so on.

The moon outside the window slowly climbed higher, and the noise inside the abandoned hall gradually subsided.

He Lu's coughing came from the next room; he coughed a few times, then stopped.

A little while later, the lights in the rooms where the disciples lived in the distance were also turned off.

Li Ping'an remained seated, without moving an inch.

The aroma of the roast chicken wafted through the house. He swallowed hard, but still didn't touch it.

It's not that I don't crave it.

It's not advisable to eat it at this time.

He has to wait.

Once everyone was fast asleep.