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

Chapter 5 Moved by Heaven

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The lingering effects of the previous confrontation still lingered, and those offshoots who had originally wanted to cause trouble were now like gourds with their mouths cut off, only concerned with dealing with the spiritual fruits and delicacies on the table in front of them.

The hall was filled with the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments, and the dancers moved gracefully. But beneath this seemingly peaceful banquet, undercurrents were still surging.

Second Madam Liu Mei gently put down the glass cup in her hand, wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, and her always smiling eyes looked over the crowd and lightly landed on the upright Wang Dao.

"Dao'er".

Liu Mei's gentle and soothing voice broke the silence of the surrounding tables.

"I was so happy for you that I forgot about something extremely important."

"Your body is considered by the imperial physicians and clan elders to be a useless, abandoned body, with your meridians petrified, meaning you have absolutely no chance of cultivation in this lifetime."

"This is a curse ordained by heaven, and few have been able to break it since ancient times."

She paused, a look of deep concern appearing on her face. She leaned forward slightly, like a loving mother inquiring about her wandering son's return journey.

"What method did you use to defy fate? Our Zhenbei Prince's Mansion is a place of righteousness that governs the northern border, and we value a clean and honest foundation the most."

"If we use some... unorthodox or unorthodox methods, or forbidden techniques that overdraw our life force, then it will be a losing proposition."

"After all, evil and heretical sects are people that everyone should kill."

The air in the hall instantly turned cold, and everyone who had been clinking glasses stopped what they were doing and started listening intently.

This isn't concern; it's clearly an attempt to destroy one's spirit!

If Wang Dao couldn't give a coherent explanation, or if he stammered, Liu Mei would immediately accuse him of "practicing demonic arts" or "colluding with evil sects."

In the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, this crime was more serious than having someone give birth to a child but no one to raise him; it was enough to have his cultivation destroyed and be thrown into a death row cell.

Wang Dao sneered inwardly.

"That old hag is still not giving up; she wants to nail me to the pillar of shame."

But he showed no emotion on his face; instead, he revealed a deeply moved expression.

He slowly put down his ivory chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, stood up, and offered a distant toast to the dome of the main hall, his gaze so clear it seemed to reflect all the filth of the world.

"Second Aunt is right. The reputation of the Prince's Mansion is paramount; how dare I stray from the right path?"

Wang Dao sighed deeply, his expression becoming solemn and weathered, as if he were lost in some extremely painful yet glorious memory.

"In the past three years, Dao'er has been aware of his low talent and the curse he carries, and has not dared to slack off in the slightest."

"While others are sleeping, I am practicing boxing; while others are drinking, I am crashing into mountains."

"In order to practice the Giant Spirit Mountain-Carrying Fist, I once carried a thousand-pound boulder and ran barefoot through a blizzard until I was exhausted and fainted. When I woke up, I ran again, just to seek the power of muscle regeneration after tearing."

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his forearms, which were as smooth as cast iron. Although they were already as smooth as jade, his description made everyone seem to see dripping blood.

"In order to cultivate the 'Thousand Hammers and Hundred Refinements Method,' I burned my body with earth fire and tempered my body with extremely cold ice waterfalls. Every time my skin was torn and my flesh was ripped open, I gritted my teeth and endured it."

"I do not seek immortality, nor invincibility; I only wish to have a trace of my life force continue to thrive, so as not to tarnish my father's reputation!"

The king's voice echoed throughout the hall, its intonation rich with emotion, so powerful that it moved listeners to tears.

"Perhaps it was the mercy of Heaven, or perhaps my sincere heart for martial arts moved all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens."

"Just three days ago, the stagnant meridians in my body finally loosened, releasing their pent-up energy and blood like a river bursting its banks, unstoppable!"

At this point, Wang Dao's body trembled.

"Buzz!"

A violent surge of energy suddenly erupted from his body, and his skin instantly glowed with a dazzling golden light, making him look like a gilded Arhat.

That was not an illusion of light and shadow, but a real phenomenon caused by the extreme toughness of the membrane, which could vibrate the air.

The sound of metal and stone clanging and ringing.

"What a stroke of luck, truly a stroke of luck."

"I, Wang Dao, am not talented, but I have just managed to cultivate the 'Thousand Hammers and Hundred Refinements Method' to perfection and step into the realm of perfect golden membrane."

"Finally... I lived up to everyone's expectations."

Wang Dao humbly withdrew his supernatural powers, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the stunned crowd around him, and looked as sincere as could be.

"Golden Membrane Realm...at its peak?"

"It's only been a few days?"

Many young men dropped their glasses on the table with a "clatter," completely unaware that they had spilled alcohol all over themselves.

For an ordinary person to refine their skin from iron to copper and then to gold, it would take at least three to five years of hard work. But he, a useless body, achieved perfection in one day of awakening.

"Is this something that can be explained by divine intervention?"

At the head of the table, Zheng Wanqing's hand holding the wine glass stiffened slightly, and the corner of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Looking down at the boy below, whose face was full of righteous indignation and whose words were full of hard work and struggle, she felt a sense of absurdity that was about to burst out of her head.

"Well done, living up to expectations..."

Zheng Wanqing inwardly grumbled and almost couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Among everyone here, besides yourself, who has ever had any hope for you? Everyone clearly hopes you die out there, or rot in the mud as a good-for-nothing for the rest of your life. This little bastard, he lies without batting an eye, and yet his reasons are so plausible..."

She took a deep breath, suppressing her inner complaints, and maintained the dignified demeanor of the matriarch, but her gaze towards Liu Mei held a hint of mockery.

In this round, Liu Mei once again shot herself in the foot.

Instead of making things dirty, it gave the kid a stage to show off his talent in public.

"Moved the heavens?"

A cold snort suddenly rang out, interrupting the whispers of the crowd.

Wang Long suddenly pushed aside the table in front of him, spilling wine onto his purple brocade robe, but he was completely unaware.

He strode to the center of the hall, and with each step he took, the dragon on his back emitted a crisp sound like a taut bowstring, a characteristic of the Dragon Spine Realm's bones being tempered to the extreme.

He looked down at Wang Dao, his eyes burning with a murderous rage, yet a forced, hypocritical smile played on his lips.

"Seventh Brother's story is indeed captivating; even I almost believed it. However, in the path of martial arts, it is ultimately about fists, not words. Since Seventh Brother claims to have reached the Golden Membrane Perfection, his foundation must be very solid."

Wang Long stood with his hands behind his back, his originally violent aura quickly subsided, forcibly suppressing the pressure belonging to the Dragon Spine Realm, leaving only the blood and qi fluctuations of the Golden Membrane Realm strength.

"Don't say that I'm bullying you. I've sealed my cultivation and suppressed it to the Golden Membrane Realm."

"If you can withstand three of my moves without falling, I'll believe your heaven-moving nonsense, and I'll even have to apologize to you. How about it?"

This isn't a friendly exchange; it's clearly a fight to the death!

Although he suppressed his realm, Wang Long, as a Dragon Spine Realm martial artist, had already transformed his bones into silver bones or even gold bones, and his physical structure far surpassed that of the Golden Membrane Realm.

This is like an adult suppressing their strength to the level of a child in a fight, but their ability to withstand blows and their power generation skills are still at the level of an adult.

This was an unjust massacre.

"Long'er, since you want to test your seventh brother, that's a good thing."

The second wife, with her delicate eyebrows gently waving a round fan, wore that nauseatingly loving smile on her face as she softly gave her instructions.

"But you must be careful not to use too much force. Your seventh brother is weak and has only just begun his martial arts journey, so he lacks practical experience. If you don't hold back and hurt him, your mother will be heartbroken."

These words sound like advice, but they are actually an implication: Beat him to death, and I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!

The surrounding clansmen also started to stir up trouble, each one eager to watch the spectacle.

"The Third Young Master is right, let's see what they're made of!"

"Since Seventh Young Master has had such an extraordinary encounter, it is only right that he show us his skills and broaden our horizons."

"Yes, that would be perfect for adding to the festive atmosphere of the family dinner!"

In their eyes, Wang Dao was just a nouveau riche who suddenly got lucky. It would be great to see him being trampled underfoot by Wang Long.

Wang Dao sat in his seat, his fingertips gently caressing the warm wine glass, his eyelids lowered, concealing the chilling glint deep in his pupils.

He knew better than anyone that this was a trap.

In a place like the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, where the strong prey on the weak, so-called blood ties and kinship are nothing more than a fig leaf.

To live like a human being, to gain resources, status, or even the favor of Princess Zheng Wanqing, it's not enough to just talk.

It must demonstrate sufficient value.

The most direct value is to crush this self-righteous fool under our feet!

"Since Third Brother has such an interest, how could I, as his younger brother, dare to refuse?"

Wang Dao slowly rose, straightened his slightly wrinkled white robes, and with a harmless and warm smile on his face, walked leisurely to the center of the hall to stand opposite Wang Long.

He looked at the murderous-looking Wang Long opposite him, then suddenly grinned, his tone carrying a hint of mockery:

"But Third Brother, you have to keep your word and make sure you suppress your cultivation level. If you get carried away and accidentally use the power of the Dragon Spine Realm, my little body won't be able to withstand your attacks. If word gets out that Third Brother is bullying the weak, that won't sound good."

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Long's eyes, and he sneered, "To deal with you, the Golden Membrane Realm is more than enough!"