The meaning of these thirty-two characters was easy to understand, and Yang Kai naturally comprehended them.
However, the unclear origins of the black book made Yang Kai somewhat apprehensive. What if it was a trap? Thinking of this, he chuckled wryly. As a mere trial disciple of the Lingxiao Pavilion, who would bother to set a trap for him?
Judging by the literal meaning of the latter lines, the transformation of the black stone pillow into the black book was likely related to his dream today.
Having used the pillow for over a year without any change, its transformation today was undeniably linked to his altered state of mind during the dream.
Because of his transformation, the black stone pillow also changed.
Since he was the catalyst for the black book's creation, the book was destined for him. He was the rightful owner of this black book.
With this thought, Yang Kai hesitated no longer. The words on the black book clearly instructed him to use his blood as a guide. Embracing the idea, Yang Kai bit his finger and let the blood drip onto the first page of the black book.
At first, nothing happened. But as time passed, layers of black light emanated from the book. Yang Kai, already in poor health and having sustained injuries earlier, felt dizzy from the effort.
However, he gritted his teeth and persevered. As his blood continued to flow, the light on the book intensified.
After a tea's worth of time, just as Yang Kai was about to faint, a substantial change occurred. The swirling black light on the book's page condensed into a small vortex.
From within the vortex, a glimmer of gold emerged. Yang Kai, struggling to stay conscious, watched intently.
From the black vortex, a shining, golden object began to rise.
Yang Kai was astonished. There was indeed something within the pages. Although he had been hopeful when he decided to use his blood, he hadn't truly expected success.
But now, everything before him validated the words on the page.
Blood as the guide, the golden body descends!
What kind of golden body was it? Yang Kai's pale face was filled with anticipation.
A moment later, when the gleaming object fully emerged, Yang Kai swallowed hard. Despite his vivid imagination, he had not envisioned the golden body in this form.
It was a golden skeleton, about half a foot tall, with its head emerging first. The skeleton sat cross-legged on the page, in a meditative posture. Every bone glowed with a golden light, illuminating Yang Kai's small room with resplendent brilliance.
As the black vortex on the page gradually disappeared, everything returned to calm.
Yang Kai stared at the golden skeleton, uncertain of what to do next. The instructions only covered summoning the golden body, not how to handle it afterward.
As he observed, Yang Kai felt something was amiss. Though the skeleton had no eyes, it seemed to be scrutinizing him, and though it had no mouth, it seemed to mock his weakness.
Realizing this, Yang Kai became furious and reached out to grab the skeleton.
How dare a mere skeleton be so arrogant!
But as soon as he moved, the golden skeleton flew straight into him, passing through his hand and embedding itself in his chest.
It was a horrifying scene. The skeleton struck Yang Kai, and golden light erupted, with the skeleton dissolving into countless particles that seeped into Yang Kai's body through his pores.
Instantly, pain surged through him, not just any pain, but an agony that seemed to emanate from his very marrow. Yang Kai screamed and collapsed, writhing in spasms.
It felt as though every bone in his body had shattered. He couldn't even muster the strength to move a finger. This was no illusion. If he could see inside his body, he would find his bones truly pulverized, with each fragment encased in golden light, being continually repaired but immediately re-shattered.
The marrow in his bones contained nerves, and any slight disturbance inflicted immense pain. Yang Kai's ordeal was unimaginable.
Every bone in his body was broken, not a single one intact.
Anyone else, no matter how much stronger than Yang Kai, would have fainted from the pain, but Yang Kai did not. The intense pain kept his mind sharp, albeit at the cost of experiencing the agony magnified many times over.
His desperate cries echoed from the small house, startling a passing Lingxiao Pavilion disciple who fled in terror.
In the midst of this, Yang Kai sensed a message from the golden body: to annihilate Yang Kai's consciousness and take over his body!
Yang Kai refused to succumb. Even though he couldn't move, he struggled to maintain his consciousness, not allowing the golden body to usurp him. The golden body, undeterred, repeatedly shattered his bones and tormented his nerves to force him into unconsciousness.
It was a fierce battle between the indomitable golden body and Yang Kai's unyielding soul, a conflict where victory was uncertain until the very end.
Yang Kai knew this was a true life-and-death struggle, unlike the sparring matches with his sect brothers. Failure meant erasure from existence, so he had to persevere, no matter the pain.
His consciousness and the golden body's destructive force waged a relentless tug-of-war within his body, neither yielding nor retreating.
As time passed, Yang Kai noticed the unbearable pain gradually subsiding, lifting his spirits.
No wonder, for as the golden body shattered his bones and then repaired them repeatedly, his bones began to incorporate the golden body's properties. His skeletal structure grew stronger, while the golden body's energy diminished. This shift in balance lessened the pain. Once the golden body fully integrated into Yang Kai, the battle would end.
Victory's scale tipped slowly towards Yang Kai. The excruciating pain transformed into tolerable discomfort, then to an itchy sensation, and finally to an overwhelming relief, akin to an epiphany, making every pore on his body relax involuntarily.
Sensing the golden body's last resistance, Yang Kai, with a burst of mental strength, crushed it completely.
Peace returned within him.
A sigh seemed to echo in his ears, filled with both satisfaction and a sense of release.
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