Chapter 6: A Fine Steed Matched with a Good Saddle, a Beauty Gifted to a Hero

Yangx Kai lay quietly on the ground for more than an hour before finally standing up. That ordeal had completely drained all his strength. Recalling every detail from an hour ago, he felt as if he were in a dream, genuinely unable to believe it was all real. He secretly pinched himself and winced at the pain.

"What exactly is going on, and what are the origins of that Black Book?" Yangx Kai muttered to himself, unable to make sense of it all.

Once he calmed down, Yangx Kai suddenly realized that he felt somewhat different. Normally, he rarely had three full meals a day and suffered severe beatings every five days, leaving his physique frail and weak. Now, however, he could clearly sense a vigorous vitality hidden within his bones. A warm energy slowly radiated from the inside out, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.

He moved slightly, and the bones within his body unexpectedly let out a crisp, melodious CRACKLE, as if playing a supreme Yingg. Furthermore, his body no longer ached; the injuries inflicted by Zhou Dingjun earlier today seemed to have completely healed.

Noticing this, Yangx Kai quickly rolled up his sleeves and lifted his clothes for a closer inspection. He discovered that the patches of Qing and purple bruises on his body had entirely vanished. Even his old, lingering scars showed signs of healing.

He was just still as thin as a rail!

He reached out and gently rubbed the spots where his injuries used to be. Dead skin flaked off with a soft RUSTLE, revealing tender new skin underneath. While not quite as supple as a newborn’s, it was far healthier than before.

"Hiss..." Yangx Kai gasped, drawing in a breath of cold air. He had never expected the Skull Golden Form that merged with his body to possess such powerful regenerative abilities!

He checked his strength again, only to find that he was still at the Third Level of Body Tempering, without any change. This realization left Yangx Kai feeling slightly disappointed.

Since childhood, Yangx Kai had heard and read countless martial world legends and the secrets of his predecessors. He knew this world had many deeply blessed individuals who stumbled upon fortuitous encounters, experiencing a Fish Leaping Dragon Gate from then on to achieve supreme renown.

But those were just stories, after all. Out of everyone in the world, how many truly found encounters that transformed a mediocre life? The stronger those senior experts were, the less they could bear to see their life’s Cultivation buried with the Earth. They would always find a legacy successor near the end of their lives. Therefore, the idea of jumping off a cliff or wandering into a cave and stumbling upon a miraculous encounter was practically impossible.

Yet, this exact thing had just happened to him. That mysterious Black Book undoubtedly had a grand origin, and the Proud Bone Golden Form was absolutely extraordinary, like thunder from the heavens.

This could be called his fortuitous encounter, or it could be seen as an inevitable result. The last four phrases on the first page of the Black Book had stated it clearly: The Proud Bone Golden Form, an overlord’s barrier; only an Unyielding Soul can tame it!

If the Black Book had been picked up by anyone else instead of him, they absolutely would not have been able to pry into its mysteries. It would have simply been discarded as trash. It was precisely because he had found it, using it as a pillow for a year, that it sensed the unyielding tenacity within his body, allowing the Black Book’s secrets to manifest today.

In other words, this event truly was his fortuitous encounter, but one earned through his own merits. Thinking of this, Yangx Kai felt a sudden rush of satisfaction. As the saying went, a fine steed deserved a good saddle, and a beautiful maiden belonged with a hero...

"Where is the Black Book?" Yangx Kai suddenly remembered the treasure he had slept on for a year. He hurriedly began searching for it but couldn’t find it anywhere.

Just as he was growing anxious, a faint stirring seemed to echo within his body. The next moment, the Black Book abruptly appeared before his eyes and dropped to the ground with a SLAP.

Astounded, Yangx Kai reached out and picked it up. He frowned in deep thought for a moment. With a shift of his will, the Black Book disappeared from his hand with a Yao. With another thought, the Black Book reappeared.

This scene looked just like a street performer’s magic trick, but Yangx Kai’s expression was incredibly solemn. He could tangibly feel that the Black Book could be withdrawn into his body at his mere command.

"Could the material of this Wordless Black Book be... a Soul Suppressing Stone!" Yangx Kai nearly scared himself just speaking the words aloud.

A Soul Suppressing Stone! That was a Reversed Treasure from legends. It was an Exotic Stone that only had a chance of forming in a place where billions of Yin Souls gathered, deep within a Nine Yin Abyss that never saw the light of day, by absorbing the power of countless Creatures.

There was an ancient rumor describing exactly this kind of item: A square inch of black stone, devastating tens of thousands of miles; Creatures cannot approach, and not a single blade of grass can grow!

This statement carried a hint of exaggeration. How could a square-inch Soul Suppressing Stone devastate a territory of tens of thousands of miles? Yet the formation process of such a bizarre stone was undeniably cruel and bloody. Any lifeform that drew near to its vicinity would drop dead in the very first instance. Furthermore, its formation Time was incredibly drawn out, ranging from a few millennia at the shortest to tens of thousands of years at the longest.

The formation process aside, once a Soul Suppressing Stone formed, it was an unparalleled, supreme treasure. This was because the item possessed a highly peculiar ability: it could be stored within a person’s body. Moreover, a unique space could be carved out inside the stone. This space could be large or small, making it an absolute godsend for storing items.

Although Yangx Kai was merely a Trial Disciple of the Lingxiao Pavilion with a lowly status, his personal knowledge wasn’t lacking. Not to mention, the legends of the Soul Suppressing Stone had circulated for so many years that everyone had heard of them. When he first obtained the Black Book, he hadn’t thought of this level. But seeing it absorbed into his body now, and recalling the Skull Golden Form erupting from its pages, how could he fail to recognize the Black Book’s material?

Yangx Kai instantly broke out into a profuse sweat.

Things like the Soul Suppressing Stone existed only in legends and had long vanished from the world. Yet he had never imagined he would actually encounter a piece, let alone such a massive one!

That legendary saying only spoke of a square-inch Soul Suppressing Stone. Even at that size, it would be invaluable. Yet the one right before his eyes had been crafted into a Wordless Black Book—a Black Book that was a foot long and three fingers thick!

Its value was... immeasurable!

If word of this were to spread, let alone a mere Lingxiao Pavilion, even the entire Great Han Dynasty would probably be leveled to the ground overnight.

Yangx Kai couldn’t help but feel as if the object in his hand was scalding hot. Amidst his shock and terror, he didn’t forget to wipe away his sweat. Fortunately, this thing could be stored inside his body; otherwise, he’d be in immense trouble. Carrying such a Reversed Treasure, he didn’t dare to be careless. He hurriedly shut his door like a thief and hid inside his room, his heart pounding THUMP THUMP THUMP.

He was overwhelmingly excited, yet fraught with anxiety. With his strength currently so low, how could he possibly protect such an invaluable treasure? Even though the Wordless Black Book could be taken into his body, mitigating the risk of exposure, Yangx Kai still felt uncertain.

Only through Cultivation, only by becoming stronger, could he safeguard what was his!

Thinking back to his experiences three years ago, Yangx Kai’s panicked gaze gradually cooled into a steady calm. Hadn’t he traveled thousands of miles, suffering through a vagrant life to reach this Lingxiao Pavilion, purely for the sake of Cultivation?

Since he had obtained the Wordless Black Book, he might as well start with it. The first page of the Black Book had granted him the Proud Bone Golden Form. Though he didn’t know its exact purpose, it certainly wouldn’t be weak. Furthermore, the Black Book had so many other pages—could it really only contain a single Golden Form?

*****

Just a quick update on the release schedule: I will temporarily be posting two Chapters a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. In a few days, when we make a push for the leaderboards, I’ll release more. The word count for this new book is still low, so everyone can let Chapters pile up for now.