You said it was a useless body, yet you punched a saint to pieces?

Chapter 79 The Sun-Swallowing and Qi-Absorbing Technique

The newcomer was a middle-aged eunuch with a pale face and no beard, dressed in a crimson python robe. He held a rolled-up bright yellow imperial edict in his hands, his steps were light, and his body exuded a chilling aura.

Upon seeing the Prince of Zhenbei, seated regally in the main seat like a god or demon, the arrogance on the eunuch's face vanished instantly. He bowed respectfully and performed a deep salute.

"This old servant greets the Prince of Zhenbei."

"Your Highness, your divine might is unparalleled. His Majesty often speaks of you in the palace."

Wang Shengtian's expression remained calm; he merely nodded slightly.

Even though he held absolute power in the Northern Territory, he could not break the rules on the surface in the face of this imperial edict that symbolized the supreme will of the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, I receive the imperial decree."

Wang Shengtian slowly rose and, leading the crowd behind him, bowed deeply before the scroll of imperial edict.

The eunuch cleared his throat, unfolded the imperial edict, and his high-pitched, sharp voice echoed in the hall. After reading it aloud, the eunuch smiled and put away the edict, handing it to Wang Dao with both hands. Then he looked at Wang Shengtian, his tone full of flattery.

"Your Highness, Princess Mingyue is His Majesty's most beloved darling, and he treats her with utmost care, as if she were afraid she would melt in his mouth."

"His Majesty's decision to marry the Eldest Princess to the Seventh Prince demonstrates His Majesty's high regard for our Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. This is an immense favor indeed."

After saying a few more polite words, the eunuch tactfully took his leave.

No sooner had the Emperor's envoy left than Zheng Wanqing spoke up at the opportune moment, before the atmosphere in the main hall had fully relaxed.

She moved gracefully to Wang Dao's side, her voice gentle yet dignified:

"Dao'er, His Majesty the Emperor is as virtuous as the heavens; you must remember this kindness firmly in your heart."

"Now that the decree has been issued, you are no longer the child who can act willfully and recklessly."

"Once you go to the capital, every word and action you take will represent the reputation of the Prince's Mansion. You must not make any mistakes that would disgrace your father."

These words were both an instruction and a subtle reminder to everyone that the matter was a done deal and that Wang Dao had to go to the capital.

Second Madam Liu Mei and Third Madam Ye Ningxiang exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing an undisguised joy.

Since Wang Dao had become the imperial son-in-law, he was now a member of the imperial family. According to the laws and clan rules of the Great Zhou Dynasty, marrying into the royal family or marrying a princess would essentially disqualify him from inheriting the title of Prince of Zhenbei.

This undoubtedly cleared a potential obstacle for their son.

"Oh dear, Princess Consort is right!" Liu Mei laughed heartily, swaying her hips as she stepped forward. "Seventh Prince, this is an immense fortune! Your Second Aunt is truly happy for you."

"Once you go to the capital, you'll be a prince consort of noble birth, so don't forget about us poor relatives."

"Yes, yes, the seventh prince is indeed a blessed man." Third Madam Ye Ningxiang echoed, her face beaming with smiles.

Wang Shengtian watched this scene quietly, his pale golden eyes calm and unreadable.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice low: "Since the imperial decree has been issued, then so be it. Let's have a banquet today, a family meal together. Tomorrow morning, I must rush back to the Northern Camp."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Wang Dao again, and his tone became somewhat meaningful:

"Seventh Brother, the journey to the capital is long and fraught with danger. You must be careful along the way. Once you reach the capital, you'll find it teeming with powerful and influential figures, so be careful not to cause trouble."

At this point, Wang Shengtian suddenly paused, and an overwhelming aura emanated from him, like a mountain looming over everyone's hearts.

"But the people of our Zhenbei Prince's Mansion are not afraid of trouble. Remember, no matter what happens, even if the sky falls, your father will hold it up for you!"

If someone unaware of the situation heard these words, they would surely marvel at what a fiercely protective and strict father he was.

Looking at Wang Shengtian's affectionate and fatherly demeanor, Wang Dao felt a chill run down his spine.

If he hadn't already known that Wang Shengtian had ulterior motives towards him, he probably would have been fooled by this superb acting skills.

But he managed to control his facial expressions very well.

Wang Dao's eyes reddened slightly, his nose tingled, as if he was deeply moved, and his voice was choked with emotion:

"Father... Your son... Your son is truly reluctant to leave you, reluctant to leave my concubines and brothers!"

As he spoke, he exaggeratedly wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, then straightened his back, adopting the arrogant and domineering demeanor of a fox borrowing the tiger's power:

"Father, rest assured! When I go to the capital, I will not disgrace you. If any fool dares to bully me, I will invoke your name and let them know that my father is the Prince of Zhenbei!"

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The so-called family banquet ended in an extremely harmonious atmosphere, and Wang Shengtian returned to the Northern Camp the next day as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, Wang Dao stood alone in front of the armory of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

This armory is entirely constructed of massive, dark black rocks, standing hundreds of feet tall, resembling a lurking ancient beast, exuding a vast and profound aura.

This place holds the rich heritage of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion accumulated over hundreds of years. Wang Dao gazed at this massive stone building and let out a long sigh.

The trip to the capital was a perilous journey, a den of dragons and tigers, with the road ahead filled with unknowns.

"Hey kid, what's with the sigh?"

A rough yet unrestrained voice came from behind the heavy stone door of the armory.

Wu Kuangren, carrying a huge wine gourd on his shoulder, staggered out. He looked Wang Dao up and down, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.

"You're about to become a prince consort, marrying the most noble princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so why do you look so gloomy?"

"I've heard that Ji Mingyue is incredibly beautiful. You're lucky to have gotten her."

After saying that, he seemed to remember something, and deliberately lowered his voice, leaning close to Wang Dao's ear to add a sentence in a volume only the two of them could hear:

"However, our princess consort is in no way inferior to her."

Several clear black lines instantly appeared on Wang Dao's forehead. His lips twitched, and he wisely chose not to respond to the conversation.

"Master, I am about to break through to the Dragon Spine Realm Perfection, and I have come to ask you for a suitable Thunder Furnace Realm cultivation technique."

Wu Kuangren took a large gulp of strong liquor, the pungent smell filling the air. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"The Thunder Furnace Realm... it tempers the five internal organs, and one cannot be careless about it."

He pondered for a moment, then said nothing more, simply waving his hand at Wang Dao.

"Wait."

Before he finished speaking, he turned around and plunged into the deep, dark armory.

Wang Dao patiently waited in place.

A moment later, the Martial Madman's tall figure reappeared, and he casually tossed over an ancient animal hide scroll that exuded a savage aura.

"Take it."

Wang Dao reached out and caught it, finding it heavy in his hand; the texture of the animal hide was rough yet tough. He unfolded the ancient scroll and saw five large characters written on it in an ancient and domineering script.

"The Method of Swallowing the Sun and Absorbing Qi"

"What a domineering name," Wang Dao thought to himself.

The Martial Madman's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of seriousness:

"This is the fundamental inheritance of an extremely terrifying ancient lineage. Unfortunately, that sect has long been lost in the long river of history, and now only this fragment of the Hammering Thunder Furnace Realm remains."

"This method can absorb all tangible and intangible energy in the world to temper the internal organs. It is especially good at drawing in the Great Sun True Fire, and is extremely domineering. It is just right for you."

He paused, his gaze becoming deep as he stared intently at Wang Dao.

"Boy, the 'Thousand Hammers and Hundred Refinements Method' and the 'Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound Method' that you have cultivated so far are both top-level techniques in their respective realms, but they are ultimately not systematic and are too scattered."

"From now on, you can start considering the cultivation methods for the Golden Body Realm."

"Once you reach that level, you must find a powerful and magnificent method to create a golden body that can integrate all the methods you have learned before and fuse them into one."

"That is the true path to martial arts mastery!"

……

Inside the secret cultivation chamber of the True Dragon Pavilion, Wang Dao sat cross-legged on a thousand-year-old cold jade bed, holding a scroll of animal hide filled with a primal aura, his mind completely immersed in it.

In the past, given his disastrously poor innate talent, this level of ancient technique would have been no different from scribbles in his eyes.

I recognize each character individually, but when they're put together, it's like reading gibberish. I can only rely on the cheat code panel and grind endlessly through tedious practice, forcibly piling up source points to get started.

But now, everything is different.

Since his successful transformation from fish to dragon, his talent has risen to the ranks of unparalleled geniuses.

Although it's only just crossed that threshold, the difference between them is like heaven and earth.

At that moment, those obscure and difficult-to-understand ancient characters seemed to come alive in his eyes.

They were no longer static symbols, but transformed into flowing trajectories of the Great Way, which he rehearsed and deconstructed in his mind.

Each reading is like a clear spring flowing through my heart, bringing a fresh and new understanding.

Wang Dao closed the ancient scroll, exhaled a long breath, and his eyes gleamed.

The third realm of martial arts is called Thunder Furnace, which involves internally cultivating one's inner energy and externally training one's muscles, bones, and skin.

For martial artists, tendons, bones, and skin are easy to train, but internal organs are difficult to refine.

The internal organs are the most vulnerable and fragile parts of the mortal body, easily damaged by the slightest disturbance.

The saying that "if the internal organs are not strong, the great path will ultimately be in vain" is by no means an exaggeration.

The essence of this realm lies in transforming the mortal into the sacred, forging the fragile flesh and organs into a ceaseless, relentless furnace capable of melting all things.

Once cultivated, the internal organs become as hard as refined iron, and thunderous sounds resound as they move. From then on, one completely bids farewell to the cycle of the five grains, absorbs the essence of heaven and earth to nourish the body, and truly embarks on the extraordinary path of the Qi-eating deity.

This is similar to the Daoist Furnace with the special effect of the King's Way's [Body Cultivation lv1], and the two complement each other, which will surely unleash a terrifying power greater than the sum of its parts.

"This 'Sun-Swallowing and Qi-Eating Method' is truly domineering to the extreme."

Wang Dao gently stroked the rough texture of the animal hide scroll, a playful smile curving his lips.

This thing could never be a collection from the Zhenbei Prince's armory. The extreme style, full of ancient energy and even a hint of evil, could only have come from the private collection of that old madman.

This method does not follow the usual path; it takes an extreme approach of devouring.

It does not emphasize gradual nurturing, but instead uses its own body as a furnace to forcibly plunder the essence of heaven and earth.

Even more terrifying is that during cultivation, one needs to draw in a wisp of the true fire of the sun from the heavens above, using this supremely yang and powerful divine fire that can incinerate all things to temper the internal organs.

This is a path of dancing on the edge of a knife. If one is not careful, the terrifying true fire of the sun will go out of control, instantly burning the cultivator's internal organs into charcoal, and even the soul will be burned to ashes.

"but……"

There was no fear in Wang Dao's eyes; instead, a burning ambition ignited within him.

"That's more like it!"

Wang Dao pushed open the heavy stone door, strode out of the secret chamber, and went straight to the center of the Zhenlong Pavilion's vast training ground.

The sun was high in the sky, at noon, when the yang energy between heaven and earth was at its peak.

He sat down cross-legged, flipped his hand to take out an exquisite jade bottle, and poured out a crystal-clear pill that emitted a wisp of cold air—the Ice Heart Jade Soul Pill.

This is a real lifesaver.

The true fire of the sun is extremely domineering; the slightest carelessness will result in self-immolation. This elixir not only nourishes the spirit and clarifies the mind, but its extremely cold medicinal power is also the best barrier against high temperatures.

In the outside world, this single pill would be enough to ignite a bloody battle, but at this moment, Wang Dao swallowed it without hesitation.

As soon as the pill entered my stomach, a refreshing coolness instantly spread to my limbs and bones, calming my restless blood and qi, and clearing my mind.

"bring it on!"

Wang Dao closed his eyes slightly and silently recited the profound meaning of the "Sun-Swallowing and Qi-Eating Method." The qi and blood in his body began to circulate in a strange and violent manner.

With his terrifying comprehension as a peerless genius, he caught a glimpse of a faint opportunity in the sky in just a few breaths.

"boom!"

Without warning, a golden pillar of fire, visible to the naked eye, seemed to traverse endless time and space, descending from the blazing sun and striking Wang Dao with perfect precision.

In an instant, a surging heat wave, like a tsunami, swept wildly outwards from Wangdao as the center.

The air in the entire training ground was instantly ignited, and the hard bluestone paving the ground turned red at a visible speed, then softened and melted like a candle, flowing out a lava-like liquid.

Several wooden pavilions on the edge of the training ground were instantly carbonized and turned into ashes by the high temperature radiation before they even came into contact with the flames.

"Ah! What is that... what is that?!"

"Oh my god! Run! It's so hot!"

In the distance, the maids and servants who were cleaning the area around the True Dragon Pavilion were terrified by the sudden and horrifying sight.

They screamed in terror and scrambled away into the distance, their faces pale as they stared at the god-like figure in the center of the training ground.

"This is terrifying! What kind of martial arts is Seventh Young Master practicing?"

"At such a high temperature, even stones would melt. Is Seventh Young Master even human? Isn't he afraid of being burned to ashes?!"

Just as everyone was still in shock, another strange change occurred in Wang Dao's body.

As the true fire of the sun poured in continuously, his entire body was instantly engulfed by a layer of golden flames, transforming into a huge fireball several meters in diameter, burning fiercely with terrifying power.

"Oh no! Oh no! The Seventh Young Master is on fire!"

"Quickly! Go and fetch the Princess! The Seventh Prince is about to be burned to death!"

Several timid maids, seeing the fiercely burning fireball, were so frightened that tears streamed down their faces. They screamed and turned to run to Zheng Wanqing's palace to fetch help.

At the core of the fireball, Wang Dao was enduring excruciating pain, as the true fire of the sun was frantically tempering every inch of his flesh and organs.

Hearing the heart-wrenching cries for help from the maids outside, his usually dignified expression twitched violently a few times.

If it weren't for the fact that he was at a crucial moment in guiding his true fire, and that opening his mouth would release his innate essence, he would have loved to jump up and yell at those ignorant girls:

"You're the ones who got burned to death! This young master's skill is unparalleled! Can't you wish me well for once?!"

Suppressing the urge to complain, Wang Dao calmed his mind and focused all his energy on circulating his internal energy.

Under the scorching heat of the sun's true fire, the powerful, crimson blood and qi of that body gradually turned into a layer of brilliant golden light, becoming increasingly viscous and heavy, and each flow produced a roaring sound like a surging river.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

The fire intensified, and before long, the entire empty training ground had been transformed into a golden sea of ​​fire, with heat waves soaring into the sky and even dispersing the clouds, as if to recreate a blazing sun on earth.