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

Chapter 42 Preparing to Depart

Inside Tingfeng Pavilion, the night was as still as water.

Wang Dao sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, his mind completely immersed in the obscure "Mysterious Turtle Breath Concealing Technique" in his mind.

Now that his source points on the panel have run out, he can no longer directly add points to break through realms as he used to. He can only rely on his own comprehension to slowly overcome this tough challenge.

Fortunately, he was quite talented, and when he calmed down and studied, he gained some unique insights.

Although the "Mysterious Turtle Breath-Concealing Technique" is named after breath-concealing, it is actually an extremely profound method of health preservation.

Its core essence lies in the word "stillness".

The divine tortoise hibernates, all thoughts return to stillness, breathing becomes nonexistent, and one attains longevity and enduring vision.

As the scriptures flowed through his mind, Wang Dao seemed to see a black tortoise that had swum from the primordial era. It slept in the unfathomable depths of the ocean, remaining unmoved despite the raging storms and towering waves on the surface.

Its heartbeat was extremely slow, only pulsating once every few days; its breath was long and shallow, lasting for several years in a single breath.

In this extreme stillness, one's heartbeat, breathing, blood flow, and even the powerful, dragon-like energy within the body are forcibly suppressed to the lowest point. The consumption of life activities is reduced to the limit, and the whole person seems to merge with the surrounding tables, chairs, beds, and even the dust in the world, without any sense of incongruity.

What surprised Wang Dao even more was that this method, by greatly reducing the unnecessary loss of life energy, could effectively slow down the loss of lifespan and have the miraculous effect of prolonging life if practiced for a long time.

The deeper one's cultivation progresses, the more tightly one locks in this vital essence, and naturally, the longer one's lifespan becomes.

"Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure; the ancients were right."

Wang Dao sighed inwardly, both the domineering and unparalleled "Sword Nourishing Technique" and the simple and unadorned "Mysterious Turtle Breath Concealing Technique" were far more exquisite than any other technique he had seen in the armory of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

That cheap master who always seemed a bit frivolous actually had quite a few good things in his possession.

By discarding distracting thoughts, Wang Dao's mind gradually became serene, and he quickly entered a wondrous state of non-contention with all things and harmony with the universe.

His breathing became extremely long and even, each breath so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.

The terrifying blood and qi that had once surged and roared like magma within his body had now become incredibly docile, like a hibernating beast, silently lurking deep within his flesh and blood.

In just half an hour, Wang Dao's imposing aura completely subsided. If someone were to push open the door now, they would only think that the person sitting there was just an ordinary young man, and they would not be able to sense any of the fierce aura of a martial arts cultivator.

"The Mysterious Tortoise's Breath-Concealing Technique, Beginner's Guide!"

Wang Dao slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them before he returned to his calm and composed demeanor.

"At this stage, it's more than enough to conceal my current cultivation level at the Dragon Spine Realm."

He sensed the dormant power within him and calculated that it would probably take years to advance this technique to a higher level on his own.

Instead of spending a lot of time going through the motions, it's better to wait until you've accumulated enough source points and then max it out in one go.

As for now, this basic concealment technique is enough for him to play dumb and outmaneuver others in this perilous royal city.

After mastering the basics of the "Mysterious Turtle Breath Concealing Technique," Wang Dao slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, suppressing the surging blood and qi around his body until it was completely silent.

His gaze shifted and landed on the Longyuan Sword lying quietly on the table.

This ancient sword, entirely black, has a rounded and heavy spine, and its blade is concealed and hidden. The dragon patterns coiled on it seem to be alive, exuding an indescribable sense of antiquity and desolation.

Something that even a proud old man like Wu Kuangren considers to have an extraordinary origin is definitely not as calm as it appears on the surface.

Wang Dao even had a vague feeling that perhaps from the moment he chose this sword, his master-disciple relationship with the Martial Madman was already destined.

Wang Dao reached out and lightly touched the sword with his fingertips, feeling a cool and profound sensation enter his palm.

He immediately focused his mind and began to circulate the "Sword Nourishing Technique," using his immense spiritual power to surge towards the Dragon Abyss Sword before him like a tidal wave, attempting to establish the deepest connection.

At this moment, the Dragon Abyss Sword was restrained and mysterious, just like an ordinary spiritual sword, without any resistance. Therefore, Wang Dao quickly established a clear spiritual imprint with it.

With a thought, the Dragon Abyss Sword hummed, its blade instantly transforming into a jet-black streak of light. It traced a mysterious trajectory in the air before disappearing into Wang Dao's brow.

The dark light entered his body, heading straight for his dantian and dantian, hovering above that vast ocean of churning blood and qi.

At this moment, Wang Dao's dantian and qi sea seemed to transform into a vast starry sky, and the Longyuan Sword was the deepest black star in that starry sky. It greedily swallowed the qi and blood rising like smoke from Wang Dao's body. Every wisp of qi and blood that was swallowed made the dragon patterns on the Longyuan Sword clearer and deeper.

At the same time, the Dragon Abyss Sword also emitted strands of profound divine light, like silk threads, nourishing and tempering the king's physical body.

These divine rays were not gentle nourishment, but rather carried a sharp edge, like thousands of tiny sword energies, cutting and slicing through his flesh and bones.

"hiss……"

Even with Wang Dao's powerful physique at the peak of the Golden Membrane Realm and the Golden Bone Realm of the Dragon Spine Realm, he still felt a cutting pain that penetrated deep into his bone marrow.

Although the pain was intense, it also carried a transformative, tingling sensation. With each cut, his body became more solid and resilient.

"Ordinary people really can't master this sword-nurturing technique," Wang Dao thought to himself, enduring the pain.

The human body, made of flesh and blood, ultimately has its limits.

The ability to interact directly with an object, and even to withstand the sharpening and tempering brought about by the object's feedback, is something that ordinary martial artists cannot imagine.

The Martial Madman wasn't lying to him; indeed, only those with unparalleled physical foundations could bear this terrifying opportunity.

……

The carved wooden door of the room creaked softly, breaking the tranquility of the early morning.

Wang Dao stretched and strode out the door.

After three days and nights of tireless practice, the aura within him had completely settled down, and the sharpness that he usually unconsciously exuded had been perfectly concealed. Now, he looked as gentle and peaceful as a boy next door.

"Oh, so our genius has finally decided to give it up?"

A cool, slightly mocking voice rang out.

Ji Mingyue was leaning against the ancient sycamore tree in the courtyard. Her moon palace white dress, woven with dark gold black bird patterns, swayed gently in the morning breeze, making her look like a goddess from the moon palace descending to earth.

Her beautiful eyes flickered as she looked at Wang Dao with a half-smile: "Three days and three nights without food or drink, locking yourself in your room to work like this, aren't you afraid of hurting your body?"

Wang Dao's lips curled into a slight smile, revealing his signature sly grin, his gaze sweeping unabashedly over Ji Mingyue's stunningly beautiful face:

"To have such a stunning beauty as Her Highness the Princess thinking of me, let alone three days, even if I had to go without food and drink for ten days, I would be happy to do so."

Ji Mingyue's previously calm expression instantly froze, and a barely perceptible blush appeared on her jade-like earlobes.

She rolled her eyes at Wang Dao, annoyed, and snorted, "You smooth talker! I see your body hasn't been ruined by all this training, but your tongue has certainly become more and more nimble."

She gently smoothed her wind-blown hair and changed her tone: "Alright, stop joking."

"The auction at the Treasure Pavilion in the royal city is about to begin today. I've heard there are many good items. I need someone to carry my bags and run errands. Why don't you come with me?"

"Oh, this..."

Wang Dao's smile faltered slightly, his eyes darted around for a moment, and then he coughed lightly and said:

"Well... to be honest, I've already promised Sister Qingyue that I'd go to this auction with her."

Ji Mingyue narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, her innate royal aura faintly visible, and looked at Wang Dao with a half-smile, as if waiting for him to give a reasonable explanation.

Wang Dao, however, remained completely unfazed, and with an irritating grin, stepped forward and said:

"What? If Your Highness doesn't mind, why don't we travel together?"

"With Qingyue and I, two prodigies from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, protecting you on either side, this kind of treatment is probably unmatched in the entire royal city."

Looking at Wang Dao's nonchalant attitude, Ji Mingyue was so angry that she laughed at his shameless behavior.

She slightly raised her chin, resuming her haughty demeanor that looked down upon all living beings, and said calmly:

"Since you've put it that way, it would seem petty of me not to go."

"With the two prodigies of the Prince's Mansion accompanying me, they are barely worthy of my status."

"Lead the way, Seventh Young Master."