After quietly lying on the ground for more than an hour, Yang Kai woke up, although he had just used up all his strength.
The exhaustion from the battle should have left him unconscious for days. Normal cultivators who experienced what he just endured would need weeks of bed rest. But Yang Kai's immortality was working overtime, rapidly repairing the damage.
A faint golden light flickered across his vision before fading away.
The afterimage of the golden skeleton. Or perhaps it was the power now integrated into his bones manifesting in his sight. Either way, the light disappeared quickly, leaving only normal vision.
Lying on the wooden bed in his small hut, he remained still for a moment, as if savoring the strange sensation coursing through his body. Unlike before, his entire being felt renewed. His limbs brimming with strength, his bones filled with an indescribable vitality.
Everything felt new. Fresh. Alive in a way his body had never been. The constant ache of malnutrition was still there, but beneath it, something fundamental had changed.
He clenched his fist.
Crack!
A crisp, crystal clear sound echoed from his knuckles, as if his very bones had transformed into something beyond mortal flesh.
The sound was musical. Pure. Like striking fine jade or tempered steel. This was not the normal cracking of joints. This was the sound of power condensed into physical form.
This...
Yang Kai sat up swiftly, rolling up his sleeves to examine himself. His once frail, scar riddled arms now looked different. His skin was smooth, his muscles lean yet firm. He pressed his fingers against his forearm, feeling the compact strength beneath the surface.
The scars from years of beatings had vanished. Burns from the kitchen. Cuts from hunting. Bruises that never fully healed. All gone. His skin looked almost reborn, unmarked by the suffering the original Yang Kai had endured.
Gone were the bruises, the scars, and the malnourished weakness that had plagued him for years.
His body looked healthy for the first time since arriving at High Heaven Pavilion. Not muscular. Not imposing. But functional. Capable. No longer on the edge of collapse.
He took a deep breath.
Warmth surged within his body, a gentle current of energy circulating freely through his meridians. It was his body, yet something about it felt different. Stronger. More refined.
The World Energy that had always struggled to enter his body now flowed smoothly. His meridians, previously narrow and clogged, had been cleared and widened. Cultivation would be easier now. Much easier.
He focused inward.
His consciousness dove into his body with practiced ease. The original Yang Kai had done this countless times, checking for breakthroughs that never came. But this time was different.
And there, embedded deep within his bones, was something new.
The Golden Skeleton.
Not literally embedded as a separate object. But fused. Integrated so completely that Yang Kai could not tell where his original bones ended and the golden power began. They were one now.
This Golden Skeleton had fused into his very foundation, strengthening his physical body beyond recognition.
Yang Kai exhaled sharply, his heart pounding with excitement.
The implications were staggering. His skeletal system had been fundamentally transformed. Reinforced with power from an ancient being. This was not normal cultivation progress. This was a complete restructuring of his physical foundation.
Although his strength was still at the Tempered Body Third Stage, his physical endurance, recovery, and resilience had grown to an unimaginable degree. This meant that even against stronger opponents, he would not break so easily.
His cultivation level had not changed. He was still Third Stage. Still weaker than most outer court disciples. But the quality of his body had transformed completely.
A Fifth Stage cultivator like Zhou Ding Jun would still be faster and stronger. But Yang Kai could endure now. Could take hits that would shatter normal Third Stage bodies. Could fight longer without tiring.
He stood up.
His movements were smooth, effortless, far beyond what his body was capable of just a day ago. Even the old aches and pains from past injuries had vanished.
No wobbling. No shaking. His legs held his weight easily. His balance was perfect. The weakness that had defined his existence was gone.
It was real.
The golden skeleton. The transformation. The power now residing in his bones. All of it was real and permanent.
This was his body now.
His foundation for climbing to the peak of the Martial Dao. The starting point of his true cultivation journey.
But...
"What about the Black Book?"
Yang Kai immediately searched for it. This book had changed his life, yet now, after everything that had happened, he was not sure where it had gone.
He looked around the small hut. The book was not on the bed. Not on the floor. Not anywhere visible. Had it vanished when the golden skeleton entered his body?
That Black Book must have had some great background, and that Golden Skeleton must be extraordinary.
Items that could transform souls. Artifacts that carried ancient consciousnesses. Powers that rebuilt bodies from the foundation. These were not things found in ordinary inheritances.
This can be said as his good fortune. It could also be said as fate.
The old man in the void had called his death a mistake. Had granted him immortality and sent him to this world. Was the Black Book also part of that arrangement? Or was this truly random luck?
Yang Kai did not know. Perhaps he would never know.
The four sentences on the black book's first page: Proud Gold Body, rules the fence, indomitable spirit, will it descend!
He remembered the golden words clearly. They had burned into his consciousness. A declaration of dominance. A challenge to all under heaven.
He focused his thoughts.
And in an instant, the Black Book appeared before him, materializing out of thin air and falling to the ground with a soft thud.
One moment empty air. The next moment a solid object. The transition was seamless, impossible, yet undeniably real.
"I can summon it with a thought?"
The implications hit him immediately. This was not just an artifact he possessed. This was an artifact bonded to him. Connected to his consciousness so deeply he could call it at will.
Shff!
The book vanished.
Yang Kai blinked.
One moment it was there. The next it was gone. Not hidden. Not moved. Simply ceased to exist in physical space.
Then, summoning his will again, the book reappeared in his palm.
The weight felt familiar. Solid. Real. As if it had always been in his hand despite appearing from nowhere.
It was like a trick of magic.
Storage artifacts existed in this world. Yang Kai's memories confirmed that. Universe Bags. Spatial Rings. Items that could hold far more than their physical size suggested. But those required manual activation and had physical forms.
This was different. The Black Book did not just store things. It stored itself. Inside his body somehow.
"This Black Book, could it possibly be made from a Soulstone?!" After saying it, he nearly gave himself a fright.
The realization hit like lightning. Everything suddenly made sense. The ability to merge with his body. The dimensional properties. The impossible nature of its existence.
Soulstone! This was considered a legendary gem.
Emphasis on legendary. As in, most people thought they were myths. Stories told to children. Treasures that existed only in ancient texts.
Only when hundreds of millions of ghosts gather in the abyss and with the help of vast amounts of human vitality, will it start to form.
The creation process was horrific. Millions of deaths. Resentment so thick it solidified. Human vitality drained on a scale that could depopulate entire kingdoms.
Rumor has it, that this is how it was formed.
No one knew if the rumors were true. Soulstones had not been seen in the Great Han Dynasty for generations. Maybe longer. Perhaps the legends had exaggerated the creation process.
But the core truth remained. Soulstones required death on a massive scale.
Inside the black stone, with misery of a hundred million lives, the living cannot enter, and green grass can only hope they can grow on it!
The poetic description carried dark meaning. Nothing living could survive near a forming Soulstone. The death energy was too concentrated. Plants withered. Animals fled. Even insects died.
Those words were somewhat exaggerated. But for a Soulstone about 3.5 cm by 3.5 cm to form, how many lives must be taken? The formation of this mythical rock was really cruel and bloody. What every life near it during its creation, will be dead within milliseconds.
The smallest recorded Soulstone in history was about that size. Roughly the dimensions of a playing card. And its creation had allegedly consumed an entire city during a demonic sect's ritual.
Also the formation time is unimaginable, it could take up to a millennium or even ten millenniums.
Thousands of years. Tens of thousands maybe. The time scales involved in Soulstone creation were beyond normal comprehension. Entire civilizations could rise and fall during a single Soulstone's formation.
Putting the formation process aside, this Soulstone can be considered a supreme treasure. That is because it has a very unique ability, for it can be melded with one's body and also open up a dimension. This space is quite flexible; storing things will be no hassle.
The practical applications were incredible. A storage space that required no external artifact. That could be accessed instantly through thought alone. That was impossible to steal or lose.
Even though Yang Kai is only a Trial Disciple, a humble position, his experiences were not lacking. Not to mention, the story of the legendary Soulstone has been around for many years, anyone would know the story.
The original Yang Kai had heard the tales. Every child in the Great Han Dynasty grew up with stories of legendary treasures. Soulstones featured prominently in those stories as the ultimate storage artifacts.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he felt his heart tighten.
A Soulstone. A mythical treasure, long extinct in this world. Even the smallest Soulstone, a mere 3.5 cm fragment, was beyond priceless.
Kings would go to war over such a treasure. Sects would slaughter each other for possession. Immortals would descend from the heavens to claim it.
Yet the Black Book before him...
It was 30 cm long and 7 cm wide.
The dimensions were staggering. Dozens of times larger than the legendary 3.5 cm Soulstones from ancient records. The amount of death energy required to form something this size was unimaginable.
If it truly was a Soulstone...
His breath hitched.
The math was simple. Devastating. Terrifying. If a small Soulstone required millions of deaths, this one might have consumed billions.
Its value was immeasurable!
Not just valuable. Not just priceless. But truly beyond measure. There was no amount of gold, no number of spirit stones, no quantity of resources that could match a Soulstone of this size.
If this news were to spread out, even if it is the entire Han Dynasty, not mention a mere martial school, they will probably be crushed overnight to obtain it.
High Heaven Pavilion would be obliterated. Every disciple killed. Every elder slaughtered. The sect erased from existence just to claim this treasure.
And the Han Dynasty itself? The imperial family would mobilize every army. Every cultivator. Every resource at their disposal. They would level mountains and drain seas to possess this Soulstone.
Yang Kai could not help but feel his hands heat up. His heart still carried fear, but luckily, he could store the book inside his body. Otherwise, he would be in grave danger.
The ability to hide the Black Book was literally the only thing keeping him alive. If it was a physical object he had to carry, someone would discover it. Steal it. Kill him for it.
But inside his body? Undetectable. Invisible to scanning techniques. Safe.
His body hiding this treasure, he swiftly escaped back into his hut. He dared not be careless, while his heart beat wildly.
Wait. He was already in his hut. The thought was confusing for a moment. Had he left? No. He had been inside the whole time. The panic was making him disoriented.
Yang Kai forced himself to calm down. Deep breaths. Steady thoughts. The treasure was hidden. No one knew. He was safe for now.
But...
"This book, what exactly is its origin?"
The question haunted him. Soulstones did not just appear. They were created deliberately. By powerful beings with dark purposes. Who made this one? When? Why?
He recalled the Golden Skeleton, the words on the first page, the power that had transformed his body. Everything about this was beyond his understanding.
The golden skeleton had carried consciousness. Will. The remnant of some ancient being. Someone who had transcended mortality. Someone powerful enough to leave behind an inheritance that spanned millennia.
One thing, however, was clear.
The Black Book was no ordinary treasure.
Its origin involved death on a scale that defied imagination. Its power came from sources he did not understand. Its purpose remained mysterious.
It was not just his luck that had brought it to him.
The Black Book had been waiting. For what? For someone with an unyielding spirit. Someone stubborn enough to use a random stone as a pillow for a year. Someone whose soul matched whatever criteria the artifact required.
It was fate.
The old man in the void had sent him to this world. The Black Book had waited for him. The golden skeleton had tested him. Everything had aligned perfectly.
Too perfectly to be coincidence.
Yang Kai did not believe in destiny. Did not believe some cosmic force guided every event. But this? This felt orchestrated. As if pieces had been moving into place long before he arrived.
He looked down at his hands. Felt the power in his bones. Sensed the Black Book merged with his body.
Whatever the truth was, whatever grand design might exist, one thing was certain.
Yang Kai had been given tools. Resources. Opportunities. What he did with them was his choice.
He would not waste this second chance. Would not squander the gifts he had been given.
The Black Book held more secrets. More pages. More power. He had only unlocked the first page. How many remained? What other abilities waited to be discovered?
Yang Kai smiled. The fear and doubt faded, replaced by determination.
He had a Soulstone artifact. He had the Unyielding Golden Skeleton. He had immortality. He had knowledge from two worlds.
The path to the peak was long. The obstacles would be numerous. The enemies would be powerful.
But Yang Kai was ready.
His true cultivation journey began now.