Lingering Thoughts and Turbulent Winds!

It was noon on the second day, and the sun blazed in the sky.

Wang Lang's bare upper body glistened with sweat, his bronze skin shining under the sunlight.

He gripped a thick iron rod tightly, with millstones larger than cartwheels fitted onto each end.

This contraption was his homemade barbell; each millstone weighed over two hundred jin, totaling more than four hundred jin.

From dawn until now, apart from necessary breaks, he had been engaged in various high-intensity exercises.

Squats, presses, deadlifts... his movements were so fast they left afterimages.

The heavy load caused his muscle fibers to tear continuously, bringing a deep, bone-chilling soreness.

This was the cultivation method he devised: accumulating Grand Intent by enduring pain.

Within his body, as the physical pain persisted, wisps of scorching airflow quietly formed and gathered.

This was the Grand Intent transformed from the [Intentional Blast Punch] attribute.

Wang Lang could perceive internally that this Grand Intent existed as tiny golden dust motes, or like boiling golden steam, residing deep within his meridians and flesh.

Wang Lang had even set up a measurement standard for this power:

When enduring continuous pain that made him slightly frown, about one point of Grand Intent could be accumulated every ten breaths.

The more intense the pain, the higher the efficiency; if the pain lessened or his body adapted, the efficiency decreased.

Enduring pain also perfectly aligned with the most fundamental practice of the Body Refinement path.

The Body Tempering realm, the foundation of this path, showcased this principle to its fullest.

The nine stages of Body Tempering were not so much nine steps as nine phases of the physical body enduring and adapting to different levels of pain.

The first three stages focused on skin, muscle, and tendons, toughening the body's surface and enduring sharp, external physical pain.

Muscle fiber tears and extreme tendon stretching all brought searing pain.

It was amidst this agony of torn skin and screaming tendons that the body's foundational strength, speed, and defense significantly improved.

The middle three stages focused on bones, membranes, and organs, with pain shifting from external to internal, penetrating the marrow and jolting the organs.

This was the dull, heavy ache of bones groaning under immense pressure and internal organs churning violently from impacts.

Only by enduring this internal torment could one temper bones as hard as iron and develop fascia imbued with explosive power.

The final three stages focused on blood, marrow, and acupoints, with pain reaching a microscopic level, touching the very essence of life.

Exchanging blood and cleansing marrow was akin to placing all the blood and marrow in the body into a raging fire for forging—an ultimate pain of transformation, like being reborn.

And opening the body's hidden acupoints pushed this pain to its extreme.

It used boundless agony as a hammer to refine each acupoint into a great mountain within the human body, capable of bearing immense, unparalleled strength.

Only by enduring, adapting to, and surpassing all this pain, from external to internal, from surface to core, could the physical body be forged to a state of flawless perfection for the current stage, laying the foundation for condensing a Bedrock body.

This was the perfect synergy of [Intentional Blast Punch] and [Innate Qi].

One transformed pain into Grand Intent that amplified attacks, while the other granted him infinite adaptability to endure and surpass all pain.

It was precisely because of this that his years of arduous cultivation were limited by his body's endurance and recovery speed, barely reaching the peak of Body Tempering's first stage, skin refinement.

It wasn't until last night, upon equipping the orange attribute [Innate Qi], that he broke through the bottleneck in one go and entered the second stage, muscle refinement.

He estimated that at this pace, he would break through to the third stage, tendon refinement, by tonight.

After all, with the boost from [Innate Qi], he could maintain this highly efficient pain-tempering almost endlessly.

However, by the afternoon, Wang Lang clearly felt the accumulation speed of Grand Intent slowing down.

The extreme adaptability brought by [Innate Qi] caused his body to begin shielding itself from repetitive pain signals that had already been conquered.

This directly led to a decrease in the efficiency of Grand Intent conversion.

Nevertheless, this shielding only affected the perception of pain; his muscles, fascia, and even the deeper origins of his body

were still enduring immense load in reality, and thus undergoing purer, more efficient tempering.

"Troublesome..." Wang Lang thought to himself.

He knew there were more extreme methods, like self-harm, to accumulate Grand Intent efficiently, but that could easily foster peculiar habits, which was not ideal. He didn't want to become a lunatic.

"Oh well, whatever I can accumulate is fine. The main goal is still body tempering."

He was very clear-headed: the core attribute [Innate Qi], which allowed him to become infinitely stronger, was absolutely impossible to remove.

Grand Intent was just a bonus; it was better to have it, but not worth forcing if it wasn't there.

"Hoo!"

Wang Lang exhaled a long breath of hot, turbid air and gently placed the simple barbell down, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

He walked to the large water vat in the corner of the courtyard, picked up a bamboo tube, scooped up some cool water, and drank it all in one go.

At the same time, he observed the Grand Intent accumulating within his body.

He roughly estimated that he had accumulated eight hundred points of Grand Intent.

This meant he had endured hundreds of standard units of pain.

Most of this came from the efficient accumulation period between dawn and noon, with growth slowing significantly in the afternoon.

The power contained within these eight hundred-plus points of Grand Intent made him feel as if a volcano was dormant within him, ready to erupt at his command.

Just as he took a short break, preparing to re-engage in this painful yet pleasurable cultivation, a clamor of shouting came from the direction of the manor's gate.

A voice with a hoarse, duck-like tone was the loudest:

"Wang Lang! Get your ass out here! If you don't open the door, your Changle Gang grandpas are going to give your broken gate a new style!"

Another voice immediately chimed in:

"That's right! We heard Old Wang died, so open the door quickly and let us big brothers teach you how to run things!"

This was followed by a burst of laughter and vulgar insults.

Wang Lang frowned, his eyes turning cold. "The old man was just buried yesterday, and these dogs are already showing up… They sure get the news fast."

His figure flickered as he rushed towards the manor's gate.

In front of the Listening Waves Mountain Manor's gate, twelve burly men in varied attire, brandishing weapons, were blocking the way.

The leader was a man with a scar on his face named Liu Biao, a minor leader from the nearby Changle Gang.

The Changle Gang was based in Qinglin City, thirty miles away, and specialized in bullying businesses and extorting protection fees.

When Old Wang was alive, he had taught Liu Biao and his men a lesson for oppressing the innocent.

At the time, Wang Lang had suggested cutting their losses, but Old Wang, seeing them beg for mercy and promise not to cause trouble again, had only given them a light punishment and not pursued them further.

"Wang Lang, kid! Hurry up and get out here!" Liu Biao continued to shout, his tone arrogant.

His hands itched for a fight, but looking at the sturdy gate, he felt a twinge of regret.

This would be his property in the future; wouldn't he have to pay for repairs if he broke it?

With a creak, the manor gate was pulled open.

Wang Lang had just finished his training, his body still radiating heat. His muscles bulged beneath his bronze skin, and an invisible, scorching aura emanated from him, the natural overflow of the Grand Intent accumulated within his body.

He stepped forward, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd.

The gang members, who had been arrogant moments before, suddenly lost their nerve when met with his gaze and the faint, oppressive aura.

Wang Lang looked at Liu Biao, the leader. "Liu Biao, what brings you to my Listening Waves Mountain Manor?"

Seeing his subordinates falter, Liu Biao lost face and forced himself to step forward.

"Wang Lang! I heard Old Wang was buried yesterday, so I rushed over immediately!"

He grinned, his eyes greedily scanning the manor's gatehouse.

"Look at you, poor thing, you can't even afford a decent funeral banquet, can you? Letting Old Wang leave so lonely, you're a truly filial grandson!"

He spat on the ground and continued, "Don't say I'm not looking out for you. This broken manor of yours, I'll buy it for a hundred taels of silver!

A hundred taels is enough for you to hold a grand funeral banquet with dozens of tables for Old Wang. What do you say, am I generous?"

Wang Lang was so amused he actually laughed. "You want to buy Listening Waves Mountain Manor for a hundred taels?"

Listening Waves Mountain Manor was Old Wang's ancestral property.

The main buildings of the manor covered over ten acres, with high bluestone walls and a deep courtyard.

More importantly, it included a large area of mountains and forests behind it, exceeding a hundred acres!

Not to mention the location of the manor itself, with its serene environment and grand scale, far surpassing ordinary residences.

"This manor isn't worth a hundred taels, let alone ten thousand! If you have nothing else to do, get lost. Don't dirty the road in front of my gate."

Liu Biao was furious upon hearing this. "Wang Lang! What are you acting so high and mighty for! When Old Wang was alive, we showed him some respect because he was at the third level of Qi Induction Realm!

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

Now that he's kicked the bucket, do you, a little trash at the first level of Body Tempering, think you can hold onto this massive estate?

I plan to turn this manor into a gambling house later. If you know what's good for you, nod your head. Otherwise, you won't have a good time today!"

Wang Lang casually picked at his ear, looking puzzled. "Nod? Nod what? Nod to pay respects at your grave?"

"Damn it! You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Brothers, grab your weapons!"

Liu Biao completely lost his temper and roared.

The subordinates behind him drew their weapons, including wolf-tooth clubs.

Except for Liu Biao, who was at the second level of Body Tempering, the others were just ordinary people who had practiced some rudimentary martial arts for a few days, not even reaching the threshold of the first level of Body Tempering, but they were all stout and strong.

But before they could make a move, Wang Lang was already moving!

Without warning, his body flickered slightly, and he threw his right fist forward at Liu Biao from a distance with simple, direct force!

The eight hundred-plus points of Grand Intent within his body evaporated in an instant as he willed it, transforming into a scorching, explosive, invisible fist energy that burst forth from his body!

Pfft!

Liu Biao, who had been spewing arrogant words moments before, had his head explode!

Gore splattered everywhere. The headless corpse swayed for a moment before falling to the ground with a thud.

The remaining members of the Changle Gang were stunned by the sudden, incredibly brutal strike.

They had seen clearly that Wang Lang hadn't even touched Liu Biao!

It was fist energy detached from the body!

And he had blown away Liu Biao, who was at the second level of Body Tempering, with a single punch?

What kind of strength was this? Third level of Body Tempering? Or higher?

Or perhaps it was a Qi Refinement technique?

The unknown brought immense fear.

To Wang Lang, these ordinary men were like lambs awaiting slaughter!

Wang Lang slowly retracted his fist and said, "You'd best not think about running. Whoever runs first, I'll kill first."

These calm words made the remaining eleven burly men's legs go weak. Forget running; they could barely stand straight. Some had already wet themselves, the foul odor spreading.

"M-Master Wang, spare us!"

"It wasn't our fault! Liu Biao forced us to come!"

Pleading voices erupted in unison.

However, Wang Lang felt no pity.

If his strength hadn't advanced so much, he could imagine his fate today.

He wouldn't naively believe the other party would actually pay to buy the manor, nor would he believe they would kindly let him host a feast.

He feared that when they attracted the villagers, they would use even more vicious methods to humiliate him and the deceased Old Wang.

In this world, being merciful to the wicked is being cruel to oneself.

Wang Lang thought to himself, Old man, if you're watching from the heavens now, you should see clearly, right?

Your past soft-heartedness didn't earn you repentance, but rather intensified resentment. The moment you left, they came for revenge.

Never mind. The lesson you failed to finish, I will complete for you today.

His gaze shifted, landing on the group of wailing, begging thugs. He said, "If I kill you all, perhaps a few who aren't deserving of death will remain, making me seem as inhumane as you are."

"Therefore, among you eleven, I will spare six who committed the least heinous acts and send them to the City Lord's Mansion for judgment. The rest... you can only blame yourselves for your excessive wickedness. I will personally send you to the Western Heavens."

As soon as he spoke, the despair in their eyes instantly erupted with wild joy.

Sent to the City Lord's Mansion? What difference was that from being let go!

Their gang leader had connections everywhere in the city; getting them out would be as easy as flipping a hand!

"Now, take turns confessing your wrongdoings. I will judge the severity."

Wang Lang casually pointed to the pale-faced, burly man at the front. "You first."

The burly man, terrified, kowtowed rapidly. "I'll tell! I'll tell! Last month, in the south of the city, to snatch an old farmer's heirloom jade pendant, I... I crippled him. His son came to reason with us, and we broke his legs too..."

Wang Lang's eyes turned cold as he looked at the others. "Is what he said true? You can corroborate each other. Those who voluntarily expose others for lying or add to their evil deeds, I will also consider sparing their lives and handing them over to the authorities."

"And those who dare to lie or conceal..."

Wang Lang glanced at Liu Biao's corpse on the ground. The unspoken words were self-evident.

"Sir! He's not lying!" someone immediately scrambled to expose him. "But this brat also forcibly occupied the daughter of Old Li, the tofu maker on West Street. After he got tired of her, he sold her to a brothel in the next city!"

"Zhao Si, you damn liar!" The burly man, as if his tail had been stepped on, his eyes turned red with agitation. "I just hadn't gotten to it yet! Sir, please see clearly! Last month, Zhao Si, to extort usury interest, dragged Old Mrs. Chen, the traveling merchant's mother who was ill in bed, from her bed and buried her alive in the dirt. He's the one who's lost all humanity!"

"You're slandering me!"

"You dare do it but not admit it?!"

The two roared and wrestled with each other, the scene instantly spiraling out of control.

"Sir! Neither of them are good people!" A man with a sharp mouth and monkey-like cheeks seized the opportunity to crawl forward and said, "Zhao Si also raped and murdered the woodcutter's daughter outside the city last year, dumping the body in the mass grave! Li Laowu, two years ago, to fight for territory, he personally smothered two fellow laborers to death!"

"And Zhang Mazi!" another person immediately pointed to a companion beside him. "He specializes in robbing and killing night watchmen at night, just to snatch those few coins for night shift work!"

"Liu San, stop pretending to be a good person! Last year you pushed Widow Wang's son into the well and drowned him just because she wouldn't sleep with you!"

"Qian Lao Ba, you're a child trafficker!"

"Sun Quezi poisoned the well!"

"Zhou Pangzi eats hearts and livers!"

To survive, the group of scoundrels, who usually called each other brothers, completely dropped their pretenses and started exposing each other.

Horrifying crimes were revealed one after another, as if anyone who spoke too slowly would immediately lose their life.

Wang Lang watched the escalating farce coldly, his killing intent boiling like Grand Intent, constantly rising.

He had initially considered whether to leave a few alive to hand over to the authorities, but now... it seemed completely unnecessary.

"The law of the jungle is not wrong in itself, but it shouldn't be the food of maggots who have no bottom line and trample on everything!"

A thought, a line of poetry from his past life's memory, now perfectly fitting his state of mind, resounded like thunder in his heart:

"Soul…"

Hearing this, a few of them thought Wang Lang was calling them bastards and quickly knelt down to answer:

"We are bastards!"

"We are worse than pigs and dogs!"

"We have lost all conscience! We deserve to die!"

"Please, sir, just let us go like a fart!"

"I'm willing to be your ox or horse!"

"I still have an eighty-year-old mother at home!"

"It was all Liu Biao's fault for forcing us! We are honest and upright people, we just made a mistake in a moment of confusion!"

To survive, they pleaded, debased themselves, shifted blame, and played the victim… various voices mingled together, displaying the ugliest survival instinct of human nature to the fullest.

Wang Lang looked at their pathetic state and couldn't help but laugh out loud, saying:

"Soul lingers, dreams are tossed by the wind, stars align, earth forms, the three realms' altar!"

"The cycle of life and death opens a gate, restarting the bloody calamity to wash away the dust!!"

With that, his figure exploded into the crowd like golden lightning!

The Grand Intent within him erupted, pouring entirely into his fists!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fist shadows flew, the sound of cracking bones and brief screams were endless.

Zhao Si and the strong man, who had been fighting each other, were pierced simultaneously by a single punch, becoming the first to depart.

A moment later, the area in front of the manor fell completely silent.

Eleven members of the Changle Gang lay neatly on the ground, devoid of life.

Wang Lang stood amidst the corpses, heat steaming from his body.

His expression was calm, his eyes deep.

He had intended to leave half alive, but it turned out there was no one left to spare.