Chen Ping stretched his limbs within the space, feeling the surging power within his body.

This power felt very real, putting his mind at ease.

Chen Ping knew that the person he was now was completely different from the frail “consumptive ghost” outside the shack.

However, this strength could not be revealed just yet.

He walked to a corner of the space where some dry, loose soil and plant ash were piled.

He grabbed a handful and, without hesitation, smeared it on his face, neck, and arms.

The grayish-white dust quickly covered his skin, which had just regained a hint of color, making him appear even more pallid and sickly.

He then rubbed some dirt onto his clothes, deliberately pulling his collar askew and creating a few wrinkles at the shoulders to craft the appearance of someone so weak they couldn’t even straighten their garments.

Satisfied with his preparations, he finally left the Jade Pendant space.

Outside the shack, dawn was breaking.

Chen Ping leaned against the shack’s rotten wooden doorframe and began coughing violently several times. The sound was hoarse and raspy, as if he were trying to cough up his lungs.

Then, hunched over, he staggered into the stream of people heading towards the mine shaft, swaying with every few steps.

Each step seemed heavy and forced, as if he might collapse at any moment.

He deliberately slowed his pace, falling to the very back of the line.

Deep inside the mine shaft, the familiar stifling heat and dust-filled air hit him.

Chen Ping found his usual secluded corner where few people gathered.

He slowly picked up his Pickaxe, his movements sluggish and weak. The tip of the pick struck the rock wall with only a faint ding, chipping off a small amount of rubble.

When work ended in the evening, he wanted to test his Physical Strength.

In the stone material area, there were large marked stones indicating their weight in pounds.

Going there late at night to test his strength was perfect!

He stayed in his shack until deep into the night.

Chen Ping then crept stealthily towards the stone material area.

What greeted his eyes were rows of neatly arranged square stones.

Chen Ping didn’t understand why an Immortal sect needed to quarry so many ordinary stones.

Of course, he didn’t dwell on it.

He found his target: a stone block marked as weighing six hundred pounds!

He took a deep breath, bent down, and gripped the edges of the stone with both hands.

The muscles in his arms instantly tensed.

He exerted force, and the heavy stone block was steadily lifted off the ground!

It felt effortless, even lighter than when he had lifted it before being poisoned.

He held it steadily for a couple of steps before gently setting it down without making much noise.

Chen Ping’s heart raced. His gaze shifted to a larger stone nearby, estimated to be around seven hundred pounds.

He tried again!

This time, lifting the stone felt slightly more sluggish, but he still managed to pick it up.

Though it was somewhat strenuous and his arms trembled slightly, he held it for several breaths before putting it down.

Seven hundred pounds!

An indescribable excitement surged within Chen Ping’s chest.

One Purifying Grass had not only cleared the accumulated toxins and restored his body but had also increased his strength by a hundred pounds out of thin air!

This far exceeded his expectations.

The efficacy of Immortal spirit herbs was truly extraordinary.

He dared not imagine how much his strength would grow if he continued taking them.

A month’s time flowed by slowly and steadily under Chen Ping’s deliberate disguise.

His daily “mining” time was very short, his movements slow, and his efficiency low.

Most of the time, he curled up in a corner of the mine shaft “resting,” or simply “slept” in his shack.

His “coughing” became a regular sound in the shack area; his sallow complexion appeared even more lifeless under the layer of grime and ash.

No one suspected him. Everyone believed he was merely clinging to life day by day, likely to collapse at any moment.

Only Chen Ping himself knew he was pretending. He was hiding himself. He was waiting for an opportunity… an opportunity to turn things around.

The day arrived for submitting tasks at month’s end.

Chen Ping carried an old, barely filled burlap sack on his back and shuffled unsteadily towards the weighing station at the mine entrance.

His steps were weak and faltering, as if each one drained all his strength.

The Manager in charge of weighing was none other than that tall, thin middle-aged man who colluded with Fatty Wang.

Seeing Chen Ping, his face showed no particular expression.

He took Chen Ping’s sack and casually tossed it onto a large stone scale beam. The beam wobbled a few times before finally settling on a precise mark.

“Exactly one hundred pounds.”

The tall Manager’s tone was flat and uninflected as he simply made a mark in the record book.

He glanced up at Chen Ping briefly; an extremely faint flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

He remembered this Chen Ping hadn’t met last month’s quota.

What happened this month? A final rally? He actually completed it?

Unbelievable.

A guy who looks like he could keel over any minute actually scraped by meeting the quota?

No good. He needed to mention this to Fatty Wang. Otherwise, that petty bastard might speak ill of him to their superiors.

He waved a hand dismissively, indicating Chen Ping could leave.

Chen Ping lowered his head to conceal a glint of coldness in his eyes and dragged his “exhausted” body away.

One hundred pounds. No more, no less. Exactly enough to complete the task.

It wouldn’t attract unnecessary attention and also prevented any excuse for Managers to withhold Spirit Stones from him.

Two Spirit Stones secured! Enough to buy two more Purifying Grass seeds!

Not long after he left, another figure squeezed up to the weighing station. It was Fatty Wang.

“Manager Liu! Working hard!”

Fatty Wang’s face wore an ingratiating smile as he stepped forward to inquire.

“That consumptive ghost earlier… Chen Ping… how much did he submit?”

Manager Liu’s expression remained indifferent.

“One hundred pounds.”

“One hundred pounds?!”

Fatty Wang’s smile froze for an instant; his voice rose slightly with disbelief.

“Exactly one hundred pounds? He… he pulled through?”

“The scale showed it. Could that be wrong?”

Manager Liu sounded somewhat impatient.

If not for Fatty Wang having connections higher up… he would have lost his temper long ago.

A Manager from Servant Peak reaching so far into mining affairs…

Truly shameless.

The flesh on Fatty Wang’s face twitched; his eyes darkened.

He simply couldn’t figure it out! That Chen Ping was clearly terminally poisoned! He could barely walk straight! His coughs sounded like a broken bellows! How could he possibly dig exactly one hundred pounds every single month?

This made no sense!

Could he really have some secret life-preserving method?

Or… maybe he secretly hoarded Spirit Stones? Bought some antidote on the sly?

Considering this possibility made Fatty Wang feel even more sour inside; a flash of ruthlessness passed through his eyes.

However, he quickly suppressed it again.

What’s the rush? Patience is what matters most!

That kid’s foundation is already rotten through; he’s just clinging on by sheer willpower.

If he managed this month… what about next month?

And the month after that?

The toxins will only accumulate deeper!

He refused to believe Chen Ping could keep treading that fine line without dying!

“Hmph! Let’s see how long you can last!”

Fatty Wang spat quietly under his breath; a calculating smile squeezed back onto his plump face.

“When you finally can’t hold on anymore… when you come crawling over begging like a dog… I’ll squeeze every last bit out of you with interest! Your opportunity will ultimately be mine!”

As if already seeing Chen Ping kneeling and pleading before him, Fatty Wang left the mining area feeling quite satisfied.