Yang Kai as he sat cross legged on his simple wooden bed.
The night had been long. His body still ached from the golden skeleton's integration. His mind buzzed with questions about the Black Book. But exhaustion had finally given way to curiosity.
After confirming there were no extra things popping out of the first page, he started to read the second page.
The first page had revealed the Unyielding Golden Skeleton. What secrets did the second page hold? More importantly, would it try to possess him again?
With his previous experiences, his actions seemed more natural and knowledgeable. And then Yang Kai's eyes slowly widened as golden words emerged on the dark pages.
The transformation was slower this time. Less dramatic. The characters appeared gradually, materializing stroke by stroke until they formed complete sentences glowing with golden light.
"Proud Golden Body: Tempered Body Record!"
Yang Kai's heart pounded.
A cultivation technique. Not just any technique, but one specifically designed for the Tempered Body realm. This was exactly what he needed most.
Sure enough, as he suspected, every page had something hidden.
The pattern was clear now. Each page of the Black Book contained a different legacy. Different knowledge. Different power. The book was not a single treasure but a collection of them.
How many pages did it have? What other secrets waited to be unlocked?
Almost without thinking, Yang Kai's entire mind was focused on the second page of the book.
His consciousness dove into the golden text. This time he was prepared. This time he knew what to expect. No ancient consciousness would catch him off guard again.
Abruptly, the golden characters flew off the pages like a fish and swiftly drilled themselves in Yang Kai's brain. The glow enveloped the darkness around him and then disappeared. After it was gone, he felt as if his brain had gained new information. This had all come from the golden characters.
The sensation was less painful than the golden skeleton's invasion. More like information being copied rather than forced in. Knowledge flowing naturally into his consciousness.
Calming his heart, Yang Kai closed his eyes and began to digest the information.
He needed to understand what he had been given. Cultivation techniques were complex. One wrong step could damage meridians or cripple his foundation permanently.
In fact, he did not need to digest and absorb the information. For when the characters imprinted themselves into his brain, he was already able to comprehend their meaning with ease. A full mastery in another sense.
Complete understanding. As if he had practiced this technique for years. The movements, the breathing, the energy circulation patterns, all of it was already familiar.
This was the Black Book's true power. Not just giving knowledge but granting mastery.
Yang Kai found that it was a fist technique.
His initial impression was simple. Another martial art. High Heaven Pavilion had dozens of basic fist techniques available to disciples. What made this one special?
At first glance, it seemed to be a simple fist technique. However, as he delved deeper into the information in his mind, he realized it was much more profound. This was not merely a combat art. It was a body refining method, one that could temper both flesh and bones by channeling the essence of the world through specific movements.
The technique was dual purpose. Combat and cultivation merged into one. Every punch strengthened his body. Every stance gathered World Energy. Fighting and training became the same action.
This was not just superior to normal techniques. This was revolutionary.
But there was a strict requirement.
It must be cultivated while facing the rising sun.
Yang Kai frowned slightly. That meant he could only practice for half an hour each morning. Right now, it was still deep into the night, so he had no choice but to wait.
The limitation was frustrating but made sense. The technique drew on solar energy. The rising sun's Yang essence was the purest, most potent energy source available each day.
Still, only thirty minutes of cultivation time per day? That seemed restrictive. Most disciples could cultivate whenever they wanted, for however long they wanted.
This frustrated Yang Kai, for he had exerted himself all day and only ate one measly sweet potato. Nonetheless, he had obtained a priceless treasure, and was jubilant.
The hunger gnawed at his stomach. The exhaustion weighed on his body. But the excitement overshadowed everything else. He had a real cultivation technique now. A method to grow stronger.
His path forward was clear.
After trying to sleep for half an hour, he decided to analyze the third page of the Black Book.
Sleep would not come. His mind was too active. Too many questions. Too much excitement. Better to investigate further while he had the chance.
But it just let him down, no matter how much he checked and flipped, there were no changes to the page. While doing this, he fell asleep.
The third page remained stubbornly blank. No golden characters. No hidden secrets. Just empty white paper mocking his attempts.
Perhaps his cultivation base was still insufficient to reveal its secrets.
That was the most logical explanation. The Black Book was layered. Progressive. Each page required certain conditions to unlock. He had only just reached Fourth Stage. Maybe the third page required Fifth Stage or higher.
After all, he had only just obtained the first technique.
Patience. He needed patience. The Black Book had already given him more than he could have hoped for. Demanding more immediately was greedy.
Letting out a breath, he closed the book and set it aside.
The Black Book vanished into his body with a thought. Stored safely where no one could find it. His greatest secret protected.
Despite his curiosity, exhaustion was creeping up on him. His body had been pushed to its limits, and the meager sweet potato he had eaten earlier was not enough to sustain him.
The hunger was catching up. His body needed fuel. Needed rest. Needed recovery time. Even with the golden skeleton's enhancements, he was still mortal.
He lay back down on his bed and, before he knew it, drifted into a deep sleep.
Unconsciousness claimed him quickly. No dreams. No nightmares. Just the deep, dreamless sleep of complete exhaustion.
When Yang Kai then woke up, it was nearly sunrise. The pre dawn darkness was clouded and stillness covered the whole area, with the occasional insect and bird noises.
His internal clock had woken him perfectly. Years of rising early for sweeping duties had trained his body well. Even in sleep, he knew when dawn approached.
With anticipation in his heart, Yang Kai quickly leaped out of bed and went to the front of the cabin. Standing there, he took a few deep breaths and let his body slowly relax.
The morning air was cold and crisp. Dew covered the grass. The sky showed the first hints of grey on the eastern horizon. Perfect timing.
Taking a deep breath, he faced east, toward the rising sun.
The technique's knowledge guided him automatically. Stance width. Foot positioning. Hand placement. Everything fell into place naturally.
As the first golden rays broke through the darkness, Yang Kai positioned himself according to the Tempered Body Record.
The sun's first light touched his face. Warmth spread across his skin. Energy began to flow. This was it. The moment of truth.
He raised his fists.
The opening stance. Simple but precise. Every angle mattered. Every muscle engaged properly.
The first movement, a slow palm push forward.
His arms extended smoothly. The motion looked basic but felt profound. World Energy stirred around him, drawn by the movement.
The second, a sweeping motion to the left, then the right.
His body flowed from one stance to the next. Each transition seamless. Each position gathering more energy from the rising sun.
With each technique, his body felt strangely heavy, as if something was weighing down on him. At the same time, an unfamiliar warmth surged through his limbs, filling him with an overwhelming sense of vitality.
The weight was World Energy condensing around him. Pressing against his flesh. Testing his foundation. Only bodies strong enough could contain this power.
Left foot forward, step into the horizon.
The stance grounded him. Connected him to the earth below. His foundation solidified.
Right foot planted, firm like the underworld's king.
Immovable. Unshakable. His will manifested physically through proper positioning.
A rhythmic flow began to form. Each movement resonated with something unseen, as if he was communing with the world itself.
He was not just exercising. He was conversing with the universe. Drawing on its power. Becoming part of its natural order.
Then...
Crack!
Yang Kai winced as his bones let out a sharp popping sound, as if firecrackers were going off inside his body.
The sound was startling. Loud. His entire skeletal system was adjusting to the energy flowing through it.
A sharp pain tore through his limbs, making him grit his teeth.
Different from the golden skeleton's torture. This was growing pain. The discomfort of rapid advancement. His body struggling to keep up with the power being forced into it.
For a brief moment, he thought he had broken something. But when he focused inward, he realized...
His body was transforming. Strengthening.
The bones were not breaking. They were condensing. Becoming denser. The golden skeleton's foundation was being activated, reinforced by the technique's energy.
A grin tugged at his lips.
Through the pain, excitement surged. This technique worked. Really worked. In just minutes he could feel tangible progress.
This technique, it was not just a mere martial art. It was a method of rebirth!
Complete body transformation. Not gradual improvement over years but rapid enhancement in hours. This was what separated genius cultivation techniques from ordinary ones.
The weight vanished.
His body felt light.
Almost too light.
The heavy pressure of gathered World Energy disappeared. Where did it go? Then Yang Kai understood. It had been absorbed. Integrated into his body completely.
At that exact moment, something shifted within him.
A subtle aura coursing through his meridians, one that had not been there before.
Energy flowed where only emptiness had existed. His meridians, previously clear passages, now contained something. A presence. A power.
Yang Kai's breath hitched.
Realization struck like lightning. This sensation, he knew what it meant. The original Yang Kai's memories provided the answer immediately.
"This is..." His voice was barely above a whisper.
The Fourth Stage!
He had broken through the Tempered Body Third Stage and stepped into the Fourth Stage!
Three years. The original Yang Kai had been stuck at Third Stage for three years. Countless hours of cultivation. Endless training. Scarce resources poured into a bottomless pit.
And in thirty minutes, the new Yang Kai had surpassed that barrier.
The Tempered Body had nine stages. Until the Third Stage, it really just enhanced one's physical capabilities. But after the Fourth Stage, it would generate a presence within the meridians.
The difference was fundamental. First through Third Stage were purely physical. Strength, speed, endurance. But Fourth Stage marked the beginning of true energy manipulation.
Only with the birth of atmosphere sense, are you considered a true cultivator.
Before Fourth Stage, you were just a strong mortal. After Fourth Stage, you entered the world of cultivation. You could sense World Energy. Could begin to manipulate the forces of heaven and earth.
Although at this time you will have the atmosphere sense, the body will still have no real strength. You could only wait for the Seventh Stage, where the body will develop its own strength, all the way until the Ninth Stage. That is when the body breaks through and opens or creates a door to strength to the Initial Element Stage. Only then will you truly have strength.
The progression was clear. Fourth Stage sensed energy. Seventh Stage generated Yuan Qi. Ninth Stage broke through to the next Great Realm. Each milestone represented a qualitative leap in power.
Initial Element Stage, is a true warrior's start.
Everything below Initial Element Stage was foundation building. Real combat strength began at Initial Element Stage where cultivators could use Yuan Qi in techniques.
Everything in the Tempered Body territory, was laying the foundations for the future of the Initial Element Stage. This foundation was not finalized, like with a man's strength. For your bones, skin would grow continuously, until you reach the peak.
The better your foundation in Tempered Body, the stronger you would be in Initial Element Stage and beyond. Each stage built upon the previous. Shortcuts taken early became weaknesses later.
Three long years in High Heaven, and predecessor had been stuck at the Third Stage. No matter how hard he trained, progress had been painstakingly slow.
The original Yang Kai's talent had been mediocre at best. His meridians narrow. His body weak. His foundation poor. Three years of effort had barely moved the needle.
But now...
After only thirty minutes of practice...
He had advanced an entire stage!
The impossibility of it hit Yang Kai fully. This was not normal. This defied everything he knew about cultivation speed. Geniuses might advance from Third to Fourth Stage in six months. Yang Kai had done it in half an hour.
The Tempered Body Record was extraordinary. The golden skeleton's foundation was extraordinary. Together, they created something unprecedented.
Yang Kai looked at his hands. They appeared the same. But he could feel the difference. The subtle energy flowing through his meridians. The heightened awareness of World Energy in the air around him.
He was Fourth Stage now.
Still weak by High Heaven Pavilion standards. Still a Trial Disciple at the bottom of the hierarchy. But no longer stagnant. No longer hopeless.
This was just the beginning.
With the Tempered Body Record, reaching Ninth Stage was only a matter of time. And after Ninth Stage came Initial Element Stage. Then higher realms beyond.
The path to the peak was long. But Yang Kai had finally taken his first real step forward.
He smiled, looking at the rising sun that bathed the world in golden light.