Golden Threads and Jade Armor

As twilight receded, Qin Ming awoke to the gentle glow of sunstones flickering in a bronze basin. The house lay silent.

His throat burned with thirst. After gulping down several bowls of icy water, he exhaled deeply.

He soon noticed his snug-fitting clothes—they no longer fit properly. Standing against the doorframe, he confirmed his height had increased overnight.

The Newborn Transformation had reshaped him. His primordial vitality had surged during sleep, reconstructing his foundational physique. Stretching his limbs, he felt boundless energy. In the courtyard, he effortlessly lifted two stone millstones.

Testing further, he balanced them on one palm. Though the weight strained him, he held it briefly. Four hundred catties with one arm? Astonished, he realized his strength now rivaled prodigies from the distant luminous city.

Removing his shirt, he found the scab on his shoulder had vanished without a scar—another mark of perfect regeneration.

For dinner, he simmered mutant beast meat into broth and roasted wolf ribs, fueling his ongoing metamorphosis. Sweat poured as heat surged through his veins. Though nearing completion, he pushed his body further, performing acrobatic feats once impossible.

Golden specks emerged beneath his skin. Needle-thin filaments pierced through pores, trailing faint blood yet causing no pain. This "detoxification" expelled impurities, leaving him invigorated.

By midnight, golden threads wove across his body like celestial embroidery. Combined with the mist shrouding him, he resembled an immortal clad in shimmering armor. Exhausted, he collapsed into hibernation.

At dawn, Qin Ming awoke coated in a crust of dried blood and sweat. After melting ice for a bath, he donned fresh clothes. His temperature normalized—the transformation complete.

In the courtyard, he single-handedly lifted two millstones (500+ catties) with ease. Lu Ze's words echoed: "The Crimson Radiance City's elite youths lift 600 catties." Qin Ming smiled—his arms now held a thousand catties.

Delivering meat to Lu Ze's family, he dismissed their protests: "I'll hunt more. Wen Rui won't starve." The boy cheered while a caged mutant squirrel chittered indignantly.

Village Chief Xu Yueping arrived, testing Qin Ming's reflexes with a surprise strike. Qin intercepted his wrist effortlessly. "Your speed surpasses any Newborn's," Xu marveled. Estimating Qin's strength neared 600 catties, the crowd gasped—local records shattered.

News arrived: Mountain Rangers warned of upheavals in the wilderness. At Xu's house, ranger Feng Yi'an described magnetic anomalies and fleeing beasts. "High-rank fire-springs vanish while new ones form in night fog," he said, downing ant-infused tea.

Though tensions simmered, Feng assured them: "City lords and mystics will negotiate with mountain overlords. Even if war comes, Crimson Radiance's nobles will aid us."

Amid roasted goat and liquor, Feng studied Qin Ming. "A golden-era Newborn? Rare indeed." Xu boasted of sending Qin to Crimson Radiance for training.

As the feast continued, Feng whispered of eerie mountain phenomena: "Golden crops glow through mist… Whose harvest devours such light?"