Chapter 4: Black Book

After washing himself clean, Yang Kai finally picked up the bottle of Blood Coagulation and Bruise Removal Ointment. He placed it beneath his nose and took a gentle sniff. The medicine indeed smelled fragrant, immediately leaving him refreshed and swaying his head in bliss.

Uncorking the bottle, he scooped out a small portion. Just as he was about to apply it to his wounds, he paused. Hurrying to fetch a bowl of water, he dipped his ointment-coated finger into it and stirred carefully. Only then did he begin treating his injuries with the diluted medicinal water.

Although the Blood Coagulation and Bruise Removal Ointment was highly effective for external injuries, diluting it would inevitably reduce its potency. However, since this was his only bottle, he naturally had to use it sparingly.

By the time the bowl of medicinal water was empty, he had finally finished treating his wounds. Yet, he was somewhat puzzled. The ointment smelled different from before—it was no longer fragrant, but rather pungent and spicy.

He put his clothes back on, grabbed a charred, roasted sweet potato from the stove, and wolfed it down. Then, he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Sunlight streaming through several holes in the roof brought a touch of brightness to the small hut. The furnishings were exceptionally simple. There was only a bed, without even a single table or chair. The bed itself held nothing more than a deerskin blanket the size of a tabletop and a perfectly square Black Stone Pillow. This was the entirety of Yang Kai’s earthly possessions.

The deerskin blanket had been made from a deer he had once hunted, skinned, and dried himself. Though thin, it was just enough to keep the cold at bay. As for the Black Stone Pillow, he had found it during a hunting trip into the Heifeng Mountain Range behind Lingxiao Pavilion.

The black stone was perfectly square, about a foot long and three fingers thick. It looked like stone, but to the touch, it didn’t feel like stone, nor did it carry the weight of one. Yang Kai had no idea what it actually was, but since it made a perfect pillow, he never gave it much thought.

He had been sleeping on this Black Stone Pillow for over a year. He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but resting his head on it always helped him fall asleep easily.

In his sleep, Yang Kai dreamed of today’s battle. He saw himself being sent flying over and over by Junior Brother Zhou, Zhou Dingjun, and standing back up time and time again. The unyielding determination in his heart fermented, and a surge of hot blood boiled in his chest.

As the dream continued, the blood boiling in his chest grew more intense. His sleeping face twisted in pain, yet his expression remained incredibly resolute. A stubborn conviction anchored his heart—even if he had to wade through mountains of blades and seas of fire, he would remain utterly fearless.

Deep in slumber, he remained oblivious to the fact that the Black Stone Pillow beneath his head was now emitting a profound, dark glow. As his emotions surged, the light grew increasingly brilliant.

In his dream, he relived the morning’s encounter, repeatedly knocked to the ground by Zhou Dingjun. When he stood up for the thousandth time, the unyielding perseverance fermenting in his heart instantly erupted. He charged forward with unstoppable momentum, ruthlessly tackling Zhou Dingjun to the ground. The moment Zhou Dingjun fell, his features blurred and transformed into Yang Kai’s own face.

At that moment, Yang Kai’s emotions settled. This peace didn’t stem from defeating his opponent in a dream, but from conquering himself—conquering the cowardice and submission in his own heart. A subtle realization swelled within him. It felt as though nothing and no one in this world could ever make him yield again.

In the waking world, the Black Stone Pillow beneath his head suddenly erupted with a mass of black light. The light spiraled out of the stone, hovered in the air for a few seconds, and then drilled directly into the Baihui Acupoint at the crown of his head, vanishing instantly.

Simultaneously, an ancient and desolate aura of the Barbaric Wilderness descended. It carried the crushing force of a tidal wave and the devastating might of an avalanche. Before this aura, any human being would seem completely insignificant.

Yang Kai snapped his eyes open. He was drenched in sweat, his heart pounding with lingering dread.

He had been jolted awake by that terrifying aura.

Calming himself, he let out a dry laugh. It was utterly ridiculous to be frightened by his own dream. He rubbed his face and judged the time by the light filtering through the roof. Instantly, a wave of annoyance hit him—he had slept for two whole hours, and evening was fast approaching.

He hurriedly got up, throwing off the deerskin blanket. After carefully folding it, he reached out to straighten the Black Stone Pillow. Just as he was about to get out of bed, he frowned and turned his head, staring blankly at the pillow.

It felt... different.

Perplexed, he reached out and picked it up. As he weighed it in his hands, he confirmed the difference. The object had become significantly lighter.

He wondered how a solid rock could suddenly lose weight. He casually tossed it into the air, and that single toss immediately revealed the problem.

It was exactly like a thick, heavy book being tossed into the air. FLUTTER! The pages fanned open. Dumbfounded, Yang Kai completely forgot to reach out and catch it.

THUD. The Black Stone Pillow hit the floor. Still unable to believe his eyes, Yang Kai stared at it. To his shock, the stone was genuinely splayed open on the ground, exactly like a book.

He couldn’t fathom how a solid stone had suddenly transformed into a book. He had slept on this Black Stone Pillow for over a year and knew exactly what it looked like. He had never noticed it was a book before. How had it suddenly shed its disguise and revealed a completely different form today?

After a long pause, Yang Kai bent down to pick up the Black Book. The moment his fingers brushed against it, an inexplicable sense of bloodline connection welled up in his heart.

After flipping through it carefully, he had to admit that the Black Stone Pillow was indeed a book. It had a thick cover and thick pages. However, to his utter speechless dismay, this Black Book didn’t contain a single word; its pages were completely blank. Moreover, he couldn’t figure out what the pages were made of. He gave one a gentle tug, but it wouldn’t tear.

"This is truly fascinating," he mused. He had been sleeping on it for over a year, yet only today had he discovered its true nature.

But what use was a Wordless Black Book? He turned it over and over, inspecting it from every angle, but found absolutely nothing.

Driven by some inexplicable urge, he flipped to the first page. Refusing to believe there was nothing there, he widened his eyes and glared fiercely at the blank paper.

Just moments later, he was shocked to see a slight change on the page. As he focused his gaze, the aura of the Barbaric Wilderness that had descended in his dream reappeared. A line of large, gilded characters gradually surfaced before his eyes.

"With blood as the guide, the Golden Form descends! Until the Divine Technique is mastered, the Golden Form remains indestructible!"

The intense aura pierced straight to his core. Yang Kai violently slammed the Black Book shut, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably. He took several deep breaths before his racing heart finally began to settle.

He had no idea what kind of secrets this Black Book hid. All he knew was that this object he had picked up in the Heifeng Mountain Range likely possessed a profound and terrifying origin.

After a long silence, Yang Kai opened the Black Book once more. This time, he immediately saw the line of gilded characters on the first page.

So... it wasn’t an illusion.

Gradually, a few more lines of text slowly emerged.

"The Proud Bone Golden Form, unyielding as a tyrant! Only an Unyielding Soul can subdue it!"

Thirty-two characters across eight lines occupied the entire page. They exuded an aura of absolute supremacy across heaven and earth, as if the words themselves were overflowing with an imposing, tyrannical might.