As the shallow night drew to a close, Qin Ming awoke. The sunstone in the copper basin emitted a soft, warm glow, and the house was silent. His thirst was unbearable, and his throat felt like it was on fire. After downing several large bowls of ice water, he finally exhaled a long breath.
Soon, he noticed something strange. His underclothes felt tighter, as if they were no longer fit properly. Realizing something had changed, he walked over to the door frame and measured himself against it. Sure enough, he had grown taller.
Qin Ming was a little dazed. It was just one night's sleep, but the experience had far exceeded anything he could have imagined. In a short time, a potent vitality had been born within him, and his innate foundation had developed further.
He stretched his limbs and felt as though he had endless energy. In the courtyard, he lifted two heavy millstones easily. Next, he tried holding one up with a single hand. Though it felt heavy, he managed to sustain it briefly.
Even Qin Ming himself was startled. He could just barely lift something weighing over four hundred pounds with one hand. Didn't that mean he was no weaker than the famed prodigies from that bright, distant city?
He took off the now ill-fitting clothes and found that the scabs on his shoulders had already fallen off, leaving not even a scar—a clear sign of renewal.
Then he began preparing dinner.
Qin Ming cooked a pot of meat broth and grilled wolf ribs until their rich aroma was irresistible. Using mutated beasts as ingredients was more than enough to satisfy the needs of his "rebirth."
He devoured the meat and drank the broth in big gulps. His body was burning hot, and now he was drenched in sweat. A wave of heat surges through him and spreads to every corner of his body.
Though his rebirth was in its final stages, it wasn't yet complete. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot, fully activating his body and accelerating the process.
His physical constitution was rapidly improving. Actions that were once extremely difficult now came easily and naturally. It felt like a ball of fire was burning inside him, ready to shine through his skin.
Eventually, golden "points" began appearing on his skin, then "broke through the surface". Tiny threads of golden bristles emerged. Though extremely fine, they were just barely visible.
This was unusual, something that had never happened before.
The golden bristles poked out from his flesh, drawing a faint trace of blood. It looked alarming at first, but caused no real harm.
Qin Ming felt a sense of relief. His inner vitality was becoming fresher, more vibrant. This process felt like detoxification.
He soon realized this was a full-blown rebirth, purging harmful elements. It was as if his original pores weren't enough. Clusters of golden bristles sprouted, piercing through his body, bringing out impurities mixed with thin strands of blood.
Golden lights continued to surface, countless fine bristles like golden needles moved across his body, echoing one another, weaving a strange and marvelous sight across his skin.
With the faint white mist surrounding his body, he looked almost ethereal, like an immortal.
Tirelessly, he consumed vast energy. Whenever he was hungry, he ate wolf ribs. After brief rests, he resumed stimulating his bodily vitality. Occasionally, he studied Lu Ze's "Intro to Midnight Meditation Technique."
All through the night, Qin Ming sweated profusely. His metabolism surged beyond normal limits. His body tingled as if branches were sprouting, brimming with vitality and the aura of new life.
When intense drowsiness swept over him, he stopped moving. He realized he was about to enter the final phase: hibernation. After a simple wash, he lay down on the heated brick bed. His eyelids were already too heavy to keep open.
In the haze, he saw a faint silver glow on his skin. More golden bristles emerged, like golden threads flying and weaving within the silver-white mist.
Though extremely sleepy, Qin Ming was deeply astonished. The golden threads wove across the silver light, segmenting it into a dense lattice pattern. Altogether, his body seemed wrapped in a "golden-threaded jade garment."
His mind wandered, and he thought of many things.
In ancient times, emperors were buried in pearl jackets and jade coffins, their remains stitched with golden threads, symbolizing their longing for immortality, a pursuit even in death.
Could the wild technique he memorized as a child truly be this special? During rebirth, a layer of pristine mist flowed over him, golden threads interlacing. It was like donning a golden-threaded jade shroud.
Could it be that ancient emperors had heard rumors of such things and ordered the crafting of golden burial garments? He shook his head, thinking he was probably overthinking it. Before he could reflect further, sleep overwhelmed him, and then he sank into the deepest layer of slumber.
As Shallow Night returned, Qin Ming awoke again. His body felt tight. He quickly realized what had happened. During the night, he had sweated profusely, and the fine blood from the golden thread weaving had left a layer of dried impurities on his skin, forming a thin cocoon.
The water tank held a solid block of ice. After smashing it into pieces and boiling a pot of water, he washed up and changed into clean, loose clothing, instantly feeling refreshed.
His body temperature had dropped, a sign that the "rebirth" was almost complete.
Qin Ming returned to the courtyard and once again lifted the two millstones. This time, it was easier. He could now hold them one-handed for an extended period. Then he added a stone lock weighing over a hundred pounds.
"So heavy!" he muttered, straining under its weight. Two rough millstones, plus a heavy stone lock used to train arm strength, totaling over five hundred pounds. Yet, he could still hold it up with one hand.
Lu Ze had once told him that in that bright, faraway city, there were young men who could lift cauldrons weighing six hundred pounds.
Qin Ming's eyes were clear and bright. He grinned with a radiant smile. His arms now held the strength of a thousand pounds. Though he didn't know how powerful the reborn youths in those distant, mysterious cities at the edge of the world were during their golden age.
Qin Ming picked up half the carcass of a blade-antler deer, the hind leg of a donkey-headed wolf, and some of its ribs, then walked into the courtyard next door.