Just like many people thought, Su Yang succumbed to his injuries shortly after he killed the two Patriarchs.
Originally, he believed that everything was over and he would never wake up again.
But to his shock, Su Yang realized that he could still think.
Opening his eyes, he observed his surroundings, only to find himself floating in a dark space.
When he looked down, he found that his figure was illusory and semi-transparent, just like the souls of the powerful cultivators mentioned in the stories.
"Did I survive as a remnant soul?" he wondered.
But soon, he shook his head.
He understood that a cultivator at the 7th Level of the Spirit Gathering Realm didn't possess the power to become a remnant soul.
This was an ability that only powerful cultivators possessed.
"So... Does that mean that I've finally awakened my goldfinger?"
As soon as this thought formed, Su Yang turned to the only other object within this dark space.
It was a book, floating on its own, not far away from him.
Su Yang had a thought, and his body moved towards it.
Before long, he had reached it.
The book's appearance was revealed to him as he narrowed the distance between them.
Its cover was dark, covered with thin silver lines, while its pages were yellow and withered, similar to the diary he had kept for decades.
Su Yang stood in front of the book and noticed that it did not react to his arrival.
Mustering up his courage, he reached out to touch it.
But the moment his illusory body came into contact with the cover, the entire dark space trembled.
A silver light flew out of the book and stopped above it.
Then, the light turned into images.
The images flashed one after another, with the central protagonist of them all being the same man.
The images followed his story, from his young teenage years to his middle age and death.
While this was happening, many words appeared in Su Yang's field of vision.
...
"At an early age, you chose to leave your family alone to chase after your dreams..."
"For the next few decades, you fought monsters, battled against cultivators, only to try and grasp that faint light of hope..."
"Unfortunately, man cannot change God's Will. Injured and unable to make further progress, you were forced to give up your dream and settle down..."
"Still, at the end of your life, you accomplished something stunning. Your life's story quickly spread, and you became a hero in many people's minds..."
Reward: Ten Samsara Points
...
When the summary was completed, the many images outlining his life also faded away.
Looking back at his own life from a third-person perspective and seeing the evaluation given to him by the book, Su Yang felt a little emotional.
But soon, he suppressed these emotions. He turned his head and glanced at the book, which was now wide open.
Its first page was revealed before him, with its contents clear.
...
"Book of Samsara"
"Soul Lifespan: 46 / 151"
"Talent: 0 (+)"
"Comprehension: 0 (+)"
"Background: 0 (+)"
"Will: 4"
"Samsara Points: 10"
...
Su Yang stared at this seemingly inexplicable information, but he wasn't surprised.
The moment he touched the book, its details had been passed on to him, letting him understand its identity and functions.
Book of Samsara.
This was the name of the object that had allowed him to reincarnate in the world of cultivation.
One could consider it as his goldfinger.
It's just that, unlike the goldfingers that the protagonists in the stories possessed, the Book of Samsara would only activate upon its user's death.
"According to the information I received, the Book of Samsara can allow me to continuously reincarnate. Each time I die, I will be brought here and be rewarded with a certain amount of Samsara Points depending on my life achievements."
"These Samsara Points can be consumed to increase the Talent, Comprehension, and Background of my next life."
This ability was quite heaven-defying and fully displayed the value of the Book of Samsara.
It seemed that anyone could reach the apex of the cultivation world as long as they got it in their hands.
But this was not really true.
Although one could continuously reincarnate, this didn't mean that they were invincible.
The lifespan of their physical body was indeed infinite, but the lifespan of their soul was not.
As a cultivator, Su Yang understood this very well.
"An ordinary person will experience countless little events in their lives. By the end of their lives, most people will end up senile. This is because of the heavy toll that memories and feelings have on their minds."
"Now imagine how heavy the toll would be if they lived for hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years."
The best result would be to go insane, while the worst would be to die.
Of course, there was a way to prevent this.
That was breaking through a higher cultivation realm.
For example, Su Yang had reached the Spirit Gathering Realm, and his Soul Lifespan had increased to 151 years. As long as he broke through a higher realm in any of his next lives, that lifespan would increase even further.
Su Yang didn't rush to activate the Book of Samsara.
He exhaled softly and took in all the information.
It was only after he was certain that he had not missed anything that he finally moved.
Looking at the Book of Samsara, he stretched his hand and pressed the (+) buttons behind the various columns.
"Talent and Comprehension are equally important. With talent, one can cultivate faster, while comprehension can allow one to more easily master cultivation techniques and skills."
"Background is also very important. Though the background of my previous life was not very high, it was enough to allow me to come into contact with cultivation quite early. This already put me at a massive advantage compared to most people."
Su Yang thought for a brief moment and then made his decision.
Soon, the words in the Book of Samsara changed.
...
"Book of Samsara"
"Soul Lifespan: 46 / 151"
"Talent: 4"
"Comprehension: 3"
"Background: 3"
"Will: 4"
"Samsara Points: 0"
...
After he made sure that there was nothing wrong, Su Yang confirmed his decision.
Immediately, the Book of Samsara closed on its own.
Then, a silver light flashed on its cover and shot at him.
Soon, Su Yang's vision went dark, and he slowly drifted unconscious.