But Instead he grinned.
Through the agony, through the terror, through the impossibility of his situation, Yang Kai smiled. Not a smile of joy. A smile of defiance.
"You think I am scared?"
The words echoed in his mind, directed at the invading consciousness. Let it hear. Let it understand. Yang Kai would not surrender.
If this thing wanted to take his body, then he just had to take it first.
The logic was simple. If the skeleton could invade him, he could invade it. If its consciousness could try to consume his, his could consume it right back.
His awareness locked onto the golden presence invading him, his spirit lashing out with all its might.
Yang Kai's consciousness, tempered by two lifetimes, reinforced by immortality, struck back. Not defending. Attacking. Trying to devour the invader just as it tried to devour him.
The golden entity flinched.
Surprise rippled through the foreign consciousness. It had not expected resistance. Certainly not a counterattack. Mortals were supposed to be helpless against beings like it.
The bones inside him shattered once more, but this time they were stronger when they reformed.
The cycle continued. But the balance had shifted. Yang Kai was not just enduring anymore. He was adapting. Growing. Each destruction made him stronger. Each rebuild incorporated more power.
It is no wonder, after Yang Kai and the golden body clashed time and time again, the numerous crushing of his bones had strengthened them. With his bones becoming stronger and stronger, and the golden body's powers becoming weaker and weaker, the pain thus naturally alleviated. The struggle will soon end.
The pattern became clear. This was not a one sided invasion. This was mutual destruction and reconstruction. Both sides were being broken down. But Yang Kai's immortality gave him an advantage.
He could endure longer. Could rebuild faster. Could maintain consciousness while his opponent's will fragmented under the strain.
With the scales tipping in his favor, the unbearable pain slowly became bearable. Transforming into light tickles, then becoming like splashes of cold water. This feeling was like applying cream, allowing his millions of pores to open and relax.
The agony that had threatened to shatter his sanity became uncomfortable. Then merely unpleasant. Then oddly soothing. His body was being fundamentally transformed, and the process no longer fought against him.
Aware of the golden body's desperate struggle, made Yang Kai furious. Cursing loudly, he crushed that presence within him.
The invading consciousness thrashed. Fought with everything it had. Tried every technique, every method it knew to reclaim dominance. But Yang Kai's will was absolute.
This was his body. His second chance. His future. No ancient remnant would steal that from him.
Inside his body, it had finally calmed down.
The struggle ended. The foreign presence stopped resisting. The golden energy stopped fighting Yang Kai's consciousness and instead began integrating with him.
A sigh could be heard, a sigh full of comfort and trace of great relief.
The sound came from Yang Kai's own lips. Relief so profound it bordered on ecstasy. The battle was won. He had survived. The body was his.
The battle was over.
The golden presence had been erased.
Only Yang Kai remained.
His consciousness stood alone in his own body. No foreign invader. No ancient will. Just him. The transmigrator who refused to give up. The Trial Disciple who would not accept defeat.
Yang Kai lay on the floor of his hut, gasping for breath. His body felt different. Stronger. Denser. The golden skeleton had not just been defeated. It had been consumed. Its power integrated into Yang Kai's very bones.
The Unyielding Golden Skeleton was his now. Not as a master, but as a tool. Its strength reinforced his body. Its legacy became his foundation.
He had won his first real victory in this world. Not in a challenge. Not in competition. But in a battle for his very existence.
And he had emerged victorious.
Yang Kai pushed himself up slowly. His body moved with new strength. The malnourishment was still there, but underneath, his bones had been fundamentally transformed. Golden energy pulsed through his skeletal system.
He looked at his hands. They appeared the same. But he could feel the difference. The power lurking beneath his skin. The foundation that would carry him to heights the original Yang Kai could never have reached.
The Black Book has disappeared.
But Yang Kai knew better. This was just the beginning. The Black Book held more secrets. More power. More tests.
He had passed the first one. Claimed the Unyielding Golden Skeleton. Survived possession by an ancient consciousness.
What came next would test him even further.
But Yang Kai was ready. He had immortality. He had knowledge from two worlds. And now he had a cultivation foundation that defied normal limits.
The journey to the peak of the Martial Dao had truly begun.
And this time, Yang Kai would not lose.