NOVEL WEB Chapter 11: Annihilation Bone Scripture
Carefully, he coaxed the Yin essence out. At first, it resisted, clinging stubbornly to its hiding place. But with persistence, he managed to draw a thin stream of it upward, merging it with the swirling vortex in his chest.
To his surprise, the two energies complemented each other perfectly. The destructive force of the Nine Serpents balanced beautifully against the calming chill of the Yin essence. Together, they created a harmonious cycle, strengthening both the heartbone and the surrounding tissues.
"Perfect," he breathed, a rare smile crossing his face. "Absolutely perfect."
Once the heartbone was fully infused with the combined energies, Xiao Ning moved on to the next step: spreading the transformation across his entire skeleton. Starting with the ribs, he carefully directed the energy outward, one bone at a time. Each transformation brought new challenges, requiring precise control and unwavering focus.
By the end of the day, he had successfully converted half of his ribcage into hardened, energy-conducting structures. Though exhausted, Xiao Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. For the first time since awakening in Li Fang's body, he felt like he was truly making progress.
"Day one down," he chuckled, lying back on the cave floor. "Who knows what tomorrow will bring? But for now... not bad, Xiao Ning. Not bad at all."
Xiao Ning, feeling a renewed sense of purpose, decided to check his status panel once again. He tapped into the interface with practiced ease, his fingers moving almost instinctively as if they'd done this hundreds of times before.
Name: Li Fang
Cultivation Realm: Mortal
Body Cultivation: Fourth-Stage
Life Span:25/320 years
Spirit Root: Dark and Earth Dual Spirit Root (disabled)
Cultivation Technique: Annihilation Bone Scripture
"Hmm," Xiao Ning muttered under his breath, staring at the numbers in front of him. "Still stuck in this mortal realm... but maybe that's not such a bad thing after all." His lips curled into a faint smirk. "After all, I've got bigger fish to fry."
He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. "Enough stalling," he said aloud, though no one else was around to hear him. "Let's see if we can strike a deal—or at least find some common ground."
With a flicker of resolve, Xiao Ning activated the Paradox Meridians to their lowest setting, allowing just enough quantum foam to seep into his consciousness without overwhelming him. The sensation felt like standing on the edge of an abyss while trying to balance on a razor's edge—terrifying yet exhilarating.
"Alright, Codex," he whispered to himself, half-jokingly. "Don't keep me waiting. Show yourself."
He reached out mentally, searching for the dormant presence of the Codex within his mind. At first, there was only silence—a void so absolute it seemed to stretch endlessly. It was as if the universe itself had been muted, leaving behind nothing but an empty expanse. But then, faint whispers began to emerge, like echoes from another dimension. They coalesced into jagged patterns of text, bleeding from gold to void-black as they rearranged themselves into coherent sentences.
[Eternal Paradox Codex - Reinitialization Protocol]
Host Designation: Xiao Ning (Li Feng Shell)
Soul Integrity: 40% (Stabilized)
A wave of relief washed over Xiao Ning as he noticed the significant changes. His Voidshell state had vanished, and his Soul Integrity had climbed from its critical levels to a stabilized 40%. But the most astonishing transformation was yet to come.
[Lifespan Update Detected]
[Remainder: 473/767 years]
[Increase Granted: +200 years]
His Lifespan had increased dramatically, adding a century to his remaining days. Xiao Ning's lips curled into a satisfied smirk as he absorbed the implications of these updates. "Not bad," he murmured approvingly. "Not bad at all. Looks like you're finally starting to pull your weight, Codex."
The Codex seemed to pause, recalibrating its parameters as it detected the changes in Xiao Ning's body. A series of alerts flashed across the screen:
[ALERT: DETECTED HOST TRANSFORMATION VIA NON-CODEX METHODS]
[UPDATE: VOIDSHELL STATUS VANISHED—HOST NOW EXISTS IN STATE OF CULTIVATION]
"Ah, so you noticed that too, huh?" Xiao Ning chuckled softly, addressing the Codex as if it were an old friend. "Guess I don't need you holding my hand anymore. Though..." He tilted his head thoughtfully, "I suppose I shouldn't get cocky. You still have your uses."
[ACTIVE PARADOXES:]
- Paradox Meridians
- System Masking: Core Formation Realm (Early)
- True Power: Nascent Soul (Early)
- Quantum Collapse Available: 0/1 (Recharge: 20 days)
[EXISTENTIAL MASS: 1.7 → 2.1]
(Divine Embodiment Realm entities now 68% likely to detect anomalies.)
Xiao Ning frowned, tapping his chin as he processed the information. "So, my cultivation has stabilized somewhat, but my existential mass keeps creeping up. Great." He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Just when I thought things were looking up."
"But wait," he added, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. "This is the outer world. No Divine Embodiment Realm entities exist here. So who cares if they might 'detect anomalies'? Not exactly something I need to lose sleep over."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, almost imperceptibly, the Codex pulsed—a single, soft glow that could have been interpreted as acknowledgment. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.
Xiao Ning grinned. "Yeah, that's what I thought....Now, it's time to get out of this damned cave."
The cave he found himself in was situated deep within the bowels of the Ironspine Mountains, For reasons he couldn't quite grasp, Mie Lin had chosen this desolate location to bring Li Fang's lifeless body. Although a flicker of suspicion sparked within him, he didn't bother to dwell on it.
Unleashing the full force of his cultivation base, he exited the cave.
His destination was not far – the heavily guarded stronghold of the Shadowclaw Sect. The journey was short, his movements a blur as he traversed the rocky landscape with supernatural speed. He arrived at the imposing gates of the sect, a formidable structure of iron and dark stone.
The guards at the gate froze in place upon catching sight of him. Their eyes widened in shock and disbelief before quickly transforming into reverence. One of them dropped to his knees almost instinctively, followed by the others.
"Sect Master Li Feng!" one disciple shouted, voice trembling with awe. "It's truly you!"