Nie Yong's breath steadied as he sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, back against the wooden wall. His fingers traced his arms, then his chest, feeling the density of his muscles and bones. There was an undeniable strength within him, one that didn't match his current cultivation realm.
"Didn't I lose all of my cultivation?" he muttered, his brows furrowing. "So why is my body still this strong? Yes, I've merged with the Unyielding Golden Skeleton, but… my body shouldn't be stronger than when I was at the 7th Initial Element Stage!"
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt.
"Did my body not get any weaker when the Unyielding Golden Skeleton absorbed all of my cultivation away? That… that's amazing!"
But another thought quickly followed, and he narrowed his eyes.
"Then why is my combat power only at the 5th Tempered Body Stage?" He clenched his fists, feeling the raw power within his body. "System, why is my combat power this low?"
The familiar translucent screen appeared before him, responding instantly.
[Host, your body is indeed stronger than it was when you were at the 7th Initial Element Stage, but all of your Qi has been absorbed. Since Qi augments every aspect of a cultivator, a 6th Tempered Body cultivator can use their Qi to enhance their strength beyond yours and overpower you.]
Nie Yong exhaled sharply. "So that's why…" he murmured. It made sense. While his body remained powerful, he lacked the Qi that a cultivator at the higher stages could use to boost their physical prowess.
A grin slowly crept onto his face. "Then I just need to recover my cultivation!"
He extended his hand, his fingers curling slightly as anticipation surged within him.
"Demonic Mystic Tome, appear!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the air in the room trembled. A faint, eerie light flickered into existence, coalescing above his palm. Then, in a flash of darkness and gold, the Demonic Mystic Tome materialized before him, hovering slightly above his hand.
Nie Yong's eyes gleamed as he looked at the legendary artifact. This book had been the catalyst for Yang Kai's rise in the original story, and now, it was his.
Nie Yong carefully turned the first page of the Demonic Mystic Tome. A poem about life and death was there, but Nie Yong couldn't care less, and so he just decided to skip it.
His fingers trembled slightly from the excitement as he flipped to the second page.
His lips curled into a smirk as his eyes landed on the golden writing.
"Unyielding Golden Skeleton: Demonic Body Record"
"The Demonic Body Record..." he muttered, his excitement bubbling beneath the surface.
Then, just as his gaze locked onto the words, they trembled. The golden characters rippled as if alive, then melted into liquid and gathered into a single shimmering droplet.
Whoosh!
The golden liquid shot forward, entering his forehead in an instant. Nie Yong closed his eyes, letting the surge of information flood his mind.
A supreme body refining technique—one that utilized the Unyielding Golden Skeleton as its foundation—unfolded within his consciousness. Every principle, every refining method, every step was etched into his soul, as if he had cultivated it for years.
[The host has gained the body refining technique, Demonic Body Record!]
Nie Yong exhaled slowly, a grin forming on his lips.
"As expected, this technique is incredible..."
Opening his eyes, he glanced back at the tome. The golden text had vanished, leaving the second page completely black.
"It transferred the technique directly into my mind… just like it did for Yang Kai."
Nie Yong turned to the third page, and golden light flickered as an object emerged from the tome—a bronze incense burner with an antique design. The half-sealed lid had small perforations, allowing wisps of invisible energy to escape.
Nie Yong's excitement grew. The Antique Incense Burner!
It wasn't just any artifact—it could burn medicinal herbs and refine pills like an alchemy furnace. More importantly, it radiated an aura that enhanced cultivation and comprehension when used correctly.
Holding it in his hands, he smirked. "This will be useful."
Nie Yong chuckled as he ran his fingers over the Antique Incense Burner before placing it back inside the Demonic Mystic Tome.
"Well, when I have some Three-Leaved Spirit Flowers and Forbidden Grass to use it with. Sorry, incense burner, but for now, you'll have to stay with the old black tome."
With that settled, he exhaled, his fingers tingling with anticipation. His gaze burned with excitement as he reached for the next page.
As the paper flipped, golden words emerged, shimmering with brilliance—
"True Yang Secret Art"
The moment the words reflected in his eyes, his entire body tensed. A wave of overwhelming excitement crashed into him.
"Yes!!!!"
His voice erupted with pure exhilaration. He couldn't contain it.
"Yeahhh! I'm gonna become invincible! Hahahahaha—"
Nie Yong's laughter echoed through the room, his excitement at its peak.
But before he could revel in his triumph any further—
Bang!
His room door was thrown open.
Standing there, bathed in the dim moonlight, was Lan Chu Die.
[Image Here]
Her arms were crossed under her ample chest, her curvaceous figure accentuated by the tight fit of her High Heaven Pavilion disciple robes. The blue and white fabric clung to her body, highlighting her dangerously full curves. Her long, toned legs peeked through the slit of her skirt, and those thigh-high black stockings? Absolute perfection. Her sharp blue eyes glared at him, irritation clear on her face.
"Brother Nie Yong!" she snapped, her voice laced with anger. "Why the fuck are you yelling in the middle of the night?!"
Nie Yong's excitement was instantly replaced by something else.
His eyes zeroed in on her voluptuous chest, bouncing slightly from her sudden entrance. His mind turned shamelessly perverse.
"I never thought I'd get to see those huge, juicy knockers up close…"
Lan Chu Die's chest rose and fell as she exhaled sharply, snapping him out of his perverted daze.
"Brother Nie Yong!" she called again, her voice sharper this time.
Nie Yong coughed, quickly scratching his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry, Sister Die… I just had an enlightenment and couldn't contain my excitement. I'm really sorry…"
She huffed, still glaring at him. "Well, keep that excitement to yourself next time!"
With a final scoff, she turned on her heel and slammed the door shut behind her.
Nie Yong shook his head, pushing aside any lingering thoughts about Lan Chu Die. He turned his attention back to the Demonic Mystic Tome, flipping to the page that had made him burst with excitement.
True Yang Secret Art.
Just like before, as soon as his gaze locked onto the golden words, they trembled, then melted into golden liquid. The shimmering essence surged toward him, slipping into his forehead.
Whoosh!
His mind buzzed as the vast knowledge of the True Yang Secret Art poured into him, etching itself deep into his consciousness.
[The host has obtained the Secret Art, True Yang Secret Art!]
Nie Yong grinned, eyes shining with anticipation. "System, show me it!"
The translucent screen appeared instantly.
[True Yang Secret Art]
[The True Yang Secret Art grants many unique advantages in combat efficacy. It requires ambient Yang Attribute Energy to cultivate but holds a major advantage over several other methods in that it allows one to store massive amounts of Yang Attribute Energy within their Dantian.]
"Wow… it's just as amazing as I remembered," Nie Yong muttered, excitement evident in his tone. "Too bad I can only practice Secret Arts starting from the 7th Tempered Body Stage…"
He sighed, but the fire in his eyes didn't dim.
"Well, while I wait for the sun to rise, why don't I practice the Swirling Wind Palm of the original Nie Yong? Since I can't practice the Demonic Body Record without the sunrise's special energy, I might as well not waste time."
Without hesitation, Nie Yong stood up, made the Demonic Mystic Tome disappear, and left his room.
The night was cool, the sect silent except for the occasional chirping of insects. Under the pale moonlight, he made his way to the sect's training ground, his mind already visualizing the movements of the Swirling Wind Palm and his body following immediately.
To be continued...
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Yeah, I know, in the original version of this fic in the third chapter happened a lot of other things, but they were rushed so I decided to take it more slowly.
Hope you liked the chapter and have a great day!