Chapter 20: A Golden Skeleton

The golden words forming the Life Simulator immediately flowed into one point, overwriting one another as if merging into a single entity. The golden glow condensed, transforming into a concentrated energy mass before slowly shifting shape—forming a book.

As Yan Xiu watched, the golden energy abruptly darkened, as though an unseen force had tainted it. The transformation was swift—the once-radiant glow turned into an inky black mist, coalescing into a solid object. In mere moments, a perfect replica of Yang Kai's black book had been created.

[You now have 3 years of Life Simulation Time remaining.]

Yan Xiu grinned. "It worked!"

Without hesitation, he reached for the book and flipped it open. He already knew what was coming next—there was no need to hesitate.

Just as before, most of the pages were blank. He swiftly turned them, and then, as expected, golden words began to appear, etched onto the dark surface as if written by the heavens themselves.

"Blood is cited, the golden body descends, not a miracle, but a golden immortal, proud golden body, rules the fence, indomitable spirit, will it descend!"

Yan Xiu's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He had seen this in the simulation. He bit his finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall onto the page.

The instant the blood touched the book, an overwhelming brilliance erupted. Blinding golden light surged forth, engulfing the entire hut. A thunderous hum filled the air as ancient power awakened, sending a tremor through Yan Xiu's very soul.

A skeletal figure emerged from the book—formed entirely of pure gold. Its hollow eye sockets flickered with an eerie radiance, exuding an aura of overwhelming might.

Unlike in the simulation, Yan Xiu didn't panic. He braced himself, keeping his stance firm as the golden skeleton locked its gaze on him. The oppressive force it emitted was immense, pressing down on him with the weight of centuries of accumulated willpower.

Then the skeleton suddenly dispersed, dissolving into a flood of golden energy that surged into his body.

Yan Xiu felt his bones shatter and reform in an instant. Agony tore through his body, but he grit his teeth, enduring it without a sound. He had been through this before in the simulation—he would not falter now.

Then came the invasion.

A foreign will crashed into his mind, ancient and domineering, seeking to consume his consciousness. It was the essence of the so-called 'Golden Immortal'—a lingering will determined to seize his body for itself.

But Yan Xiu was ready. His smirk never wavered.

"I told you before," he murmured, his willpower surging forth like an unstoppable tide. "You picked the wrong target!"

With an unyielding spirit, he pushed back against the invading will, repelling it with sheer determination. He would not be conquered.

He would claim this power as his own.

And this time, there was no simulation—this was reality.

Yan Xiu immediately sat in a lotus position on the hut's floor, closing his eyes as he circulated his Qi through all of his meridians. A deep breath in, a slow exhale out—his senses expanded inward, scanning his entire body for changes.

His eyes snapped open, a flash of shock crossing his face. "My meridians... they are... they are perfect!" he muttered in awe. "It's as if my body was born to cultivate."

He clenched his fists, feeling the power coursing through his limbs. "And my bones now... They are much stronger than before... much, much stronger. Did that strange golden skeleton replace my entire skeletal structure?"

A strange sensation made him frown. As he focused, he realized something unusual emanating from deep within him. "I can even feel some sort of chilling Qi coming out of it…" His brows furrowed as he traced the source. "Is this Yin Qi?"

Yin Qi. The realization sent a ripple of confusion through him. He hadn't cultivated any Yin-based techniques, yet his new skeleton seemed to radiate it. That shouldn't be possible.

As he continued guiding his Qi through his meridians, another discovery made his breath hitch. "Did it even get rid of all of my impurities?"

He inspected himself thoroughly, making sure he wasn't mistaken. His flesh, his blood, his very being—everything felt pristine, untouched by any of the usual imperfections present in a cultivator's body.

But then, his mind caught onto something odd. "No… If this golden skeleton really contains Yin Qi, then it should only create more impurities since I don't have any Secret Art to cultivate Yin Qi..."

And then—like a bolt of lightning—it struck him.

"The Purified Body!"

His eyes widened, excitement flashing in them. "Yes, that's it!" His pulse quickened as everything suddenly made sense. "I always forgot to check what that was."

Now, however, he didn't need to check. He understood it instinctively.

"So it's just that my physique is completely pure now, huh?" He exhaled in amazement. "How did I not notice this before?"

A slow grin formed on his lips. This was beyond what he had expected. The golden skeleton hadn't just integrated in his body—it had transformed him into something entirely different.

Something… far greater than before.

Yan Xiu then slowly got up, his Temporal Copy of the black book in hand. He glanced at Yang Kai, who still lay unconscious. Picking up Yang Kai's original black book, he carefully placed it back under his head.

"How did he not wake up with all the ruckus I made?"

With his black book in hand, Yan Xiu quietly left, heading towards his hut in the High Heaven Pavilion grounds.

...

Late at night, inside his hut, Yan Xiu sat on his bed, rapidly flipping through the black book's pages. He had planned to get some rest, but the sheer thought of what might be inside made sleep impossible.

Then, after skipping a few pages, something caught his eye—more golden words.

"Tempered Body Record?" Yan Xiu murmured in confusion. "Is this some kind of body refining technique?"

But... where should I read it? There's nothing written here besides its name.

He reached out and touched the golden words etched onto the black book's pages.

And to his surprise, something really happened—more pages materialized before his eyes.

To be continued...

***

***

How was this chapter? Liked it?

Also, please give me feedback on how the story is progressing so far (aside the slow updates), I know it's practically just Yan Xiu messing around, but I would still like to know of you are liking it?

Be sure to check out my original novel Hyperborea!