Bone Transplant

"Mother..." Little One murmured, making a faint call in his unconsciousness. Only his mother was the best; she would never hurt him, and she was the gentlest. He had been only a few months old when she left, and he had only the vaguest impression of her. But now she had become the warmth he longed for most. He wanted to lie in her arms and sleep soundly.

Tears kept sliding down his pale little face. He curled into a ball, his body trembling as he huddled in the cold corner of the bed while unconscious.

A muffled groan came from the jade bed on the other side. Though Shi Yi was still young, he felt no fear. Divine light flickered in his Double Pupil. He clenched a piece of softwood between his teeth, cold sweat covering his head, and endured the agony.

"Good boy, you must hold on. After today, you'll soar into the heavens. No one will be able to stop you from rising. You'll be the most dazzling prodigy in this vast domain." The young woman held one of the child's hands, letting him draw warmth from her to withstand the pain. She was tense, but her eyes also burned with boundless fervor.

Runes filled the glowing source, densely packed and flowing with the mysteries of the heavens. They were intricate and unfathomable, making the heart pound. One could hardly keep from prostrating before them.

Madness burned in the young woman's eyes. She was even more certain this was worth doing. Even if they were discovered and punished, implanting the bone into her son's body would still be worth it. The Supreme Bone had only just begun to grow, yet it already possessed such power. Who knew what it would become once it matured?

The ancient Golden-Winged Dapeng and True Hou were beings who dared to slaughter gods, supreme and unparalleled. A born supreme could fight them. Who could stand against her son in the future?

"Almost there, it'll be done soon. Hold on, Yi'er!" She kept encouraging him, her face full of tenderness, helping Shi Yi relax and endure this ordeal.

The glowing source shone brilliantly. Within it, a Heavenly God seemed to slumber, radiating rings of divine light that illuminated the entire secret chamber in dazzling splendor. Sacred brilliance streamed down, as though they had entered the divine realm.

Shi Yi's chest was filled with dazzling light. He struggled more violently, letting out beastlike roars. He was in unbearable agony, drenched in sweat.

"Be careful. Don't hurt my Yi'er!" The young woman's face twisted with malice as she shouted at the shadow. Her anxiety and fear intensified; she dreaded failure.

"The records are detailed, but this is the Supreme Bone. Transplanting it is extremely dangerous. One wrong move, and if it erupts, we could both perish here," the ghostly shadow said in a low voice.

"I don't care. I only want success. The Bone Scripture records it, and there's a precedent. There's no reason we can't succeed." The young woman snapped, her lovely face contorting. She gripped Shi Yi's hand. "You both carry the Shi bloodline, from the same root. That should make success more likely. Hold on, Yi'er!"

The shadow let out a low growl. Then the entire chamber erupted in a frenzy. Splendid divine radiance bloomed, filling every inch of space.

Brilliant rays burst forth, a thunderous mountain descended, lightning danced, and divine music rumbled. All manner of strange visions appeared.

At last, the auspicious light withdrew and the runes converged, forming a single Supreme Origin Bone that sank into Shi Yi's chest. The shadow moved swiftly, sending out runes that closed the wound, stemmed the bleeding, and regenerated the flesh.

"It's done!"

A low roar rang out, then the secret chamber fell completely silent. The strange visions vanished.

"Good boy, you're your mother's pride. From now on, no one can stop you. This whole land will tremble beneath your feet!" The young woman was overcome with excitement. She clutched one of Shi Yi's arms, her face beaming with joy, her eyes burning with fervor.

She took a soft quilt and carefully covered Shi Yi, who had fainted. Then she stood up and burst into laughter, a little crazed, a little hysterical.

"Great-aunt... I'm cold." Little One, curled up and shivering on the icy bed, was startled awake by her laughter. His chest throbbed with pain. Pale and weak, he called out.

The young woman spun around. She did not fetch a quilt, but stared at him for a long moment, without a trace of pity, her gaze somewhat cold. Then she spoke to the shadow. "Take all the True Blood remaining in his body and use it to nourish the Supreme Bone in Yi'er."

The part of the body where the Supreme Bone grew contained corresponding True Blood, which nurtured that unique Primitive Treasure Bone. Its divinity was astonishing.

"If we take it out, this child likely won't live past two," the shadow said.

"Two? A year or a year and a half is enough. Anything could happen in that time," the young woman said coolly.

Hearing this, the shadow said no more. It took out a jade jar and used a secret art. Runes flickered as it began drawing out the blood. A hazy radiance shone once more, making the chamber seem sacred.

"Use the spell at once. Nourish Yi'er's body with this jar of precious blood, and fuse it with the Supreme Bone as soon as possible, until they become one," the young woman urged.

"It's best to proceed gradually, little by little," the shadow cautioned.

"It's fine. Yi'er was born with a Double Pupil. How could he be compared to an ordinary child? Besides, the sooner they fuse, the easier I'll sleep. At least for the next six months, even if someone discovers it, the Supreme Bone can't be transplanted. Repeated transplants will surely make it wither."

"So cold..." Little One lost consciousness again. His lips had turned white, and his tiny body curled into the corner of the bed, shivering uncontrollably.

When everything was over, the secret chamber fell quiet. The shadow departed, leaving the vast, empty underground palace looking gloomy and sinister.

The young woman paced back and forth alone, frowning as she considered how to explain herself. Surely no one in the clan had discovered the secret of the Supreme Bone in Little One's body. Only someone who held him constantly and possessed profound cultivation could sense it. The only people who fit that description were his parents, and he was already several months old, long past the age when he needed to be carried.

"Yi'er was born with a Double Pupil and can see through many origins. Others don't have that ability. They shouldn't notice." The young woman relaxed her brow, thinking about what to do next.

"If that couple died beneath Pixiu's claws, or perished outside for some other reason, everything would be perfect." She murmured to herself, a trace of coldness at the corner of her mouth.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a terrifying crash sounded. The underground palace collapsed, its entrance smashed open by a tremendous force. An elderly man with a full head of white hair, yet a tremendously robust build, charged inside, his whole body blazing with light like burning golden divine flames.

The young woman was startled. The underground palace entrance was no ordinary thing to break through by force. Only the clan's strongest could do it.

Divine radiance gushed out, and countless auspicious rays filled the air. An old man burst into the secret chamber like a furious lion. Seeing what had happened, his eyes nearly split with rage, and he let out a thunderous roar. "You wretched woman! You venomous snake!"

He was one of the two clan elders in charge, an extremely senior and powerful figure. He rarely appeared in public, spending his days cultivating in an ancient cave and contemplating the mysteries of the Dao.

Shi Hao's parents had entrusted their child to him and another elder. Only the two of them knew that Shi Hao had a Supreme Bone; the secret had been classified as top-level.

He and the other elder had originally been responsible for watching over Shi Hao and keeping him safe. But they were old, and they were men who did not know how to care for a child. That was why they had agreed to let the younger generation help look after him.

The clan had always lived in harmony. The wives of the grandsons had all done their best, and over the past few months, they had raised Little Shi Hao until he was plump and rosy, with soft, fair skin. This had put the elders at ease. They never would have imagined that such a tragedy would happen today.

The old man had always been vigilant. He had sent experts to keep an eye on Little One. Today, the young woman had taken the two children to see the descendants of ancient divine birds and stayed too long. The expert he had sent rushed back in a panic, reporting that they had entered the underground palace and that its door could not be opened. Shocked, the old man had sped over at once. "You venomous woman, I'll kill you!" The old man's hair and beard blazed with light. Like a golden lion, he lunged forward in an instant, seized her by the neck as if she were a chick, and lifted her into the air.

The young woman's cultivation was high and her strength formidable, but compared to the old man, she was nothing. Her face immediately turned pale as the runes around her body threatened to shatter.

"Fourth Granduncle, don't kill my mother!" Shi Yi had been awakened by the roar. He grabbed the silver knife beside the bed and held it to his own throat, instantly drawing a line of blood.

"You... you little beast!" The old man roared in fury.

"Fourth Brother, put her down first." Another old man entered, his body radiating scarlet light like an aged fire phoenix. Though advanced in years, he was vigorous, his eyes shining like golden lamps.

"Fifth, what do you mean? She's a descendant of your branch. Do you intend to show her favoritism and let her off?" The old man who resembled a Golden Lion demanded.

"Fourth Granduncle, please don't kill my mother!" Shi Yi spoke again from the other side, the silver knife bloodied as it cut his neck.

"Look at that. We've lost a born supreme. Are we supposed to watch another child with a Double Pupil die, too? In ancient times, he could have been a saint or a god! Let her go first. We can discuss this calmly," said the old man who resembled a blood phoenix.

"Boom!"

The old man who resembled a Golden Lion flung her with all his might. She crashed into the opposite wall with a deafening thud, sending rocks tumbling down. She was unable to get back up for quite some time.

"Zi Ling, I've failed you and your wife. I didn't take good care of Hao'er and let him suffer such injustice and hardship." The old man threw his head back and roared.

"Fourth Granduncle... I'm cold. It hurts." Little One, curled up in the icy corner of the bed, spoke weakly.

"Good child, it's all my fault!" The old man swept him into his arms, his eyes nearly spilling over with tears. He circulated the power of the Treasure Rune, releasing auspicious light that enveloped Little One.

"Where is the Supreme Bone?" asked the old man, his body crimson, divine radiance surging around him like a blood phoenix.

The young woman's face was pale. She stood up but said nothing.

"Granduncle, it's inside me," Shi Yi said calmly, dropping the silver knife.

The old man who resembled a blood phoenix heard this, and a strange light appeared in his eyes. He remained silent for a long time.

The old man holding Little One grew even angrier. He said coldly, "My Shi Clan has an ancestral rule: we must not kill one another, but stand together against outsiders. Otherwise, how could we have left our ancestral homeland, a place no larger than a village, conquered this vast territory, ruled over countless people, and claimed the Human Emperor's throne, with countless others granted the title of marquis? You woman, you're too cruel. The clan rules will not tolerate you!"

"Things are complicated. The Supreme Bone is involved, and this is the clan's highest secret. It can't be leaked. This isn't the place to discuss it. We should return to the manor first," the other elder said.

"Fifth, are you trying to shield her?" the old man who resembled a Golden Lion demanded.

"No matter what, the born supreme must not be lost. We'll discuss it again at the manor," said the old man surrounded by scarlet light.

"Even if I don't act now, Zi Ling won't let this go when he returns. With his temper, he'll either wipe out your entire branch or slaughter nine out of every ten. He won't swallow this unless you give him justice!" said the mighty old man who resembled a Golden Lion.

The grand manor was magnificent, its halls and pavilions stretching as far as the eye could see. It stood like a heavenly palace among mortals, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Solemn and imposing, it stirred a yearning for pilgrimage, as though one ought to bow before it. Yet beneath the auspicious haze and splendid architecture, undercurrents surged and murderous intent lurked. In a vast hall, the atmosphere was tense. More than a dozen elders sat in place, runes flickering in waves, ready to erupt at any moment.

Little One's life hung by a thread, and his Supreme Bone had been ripped out. The matter had shaken the clan's upper ranks, and these elders had been summoned. They were all figures of the highest seniority; this was too serious to hide from them.

More than a dozen of them usually spent their days in seclusion, paying no heed to worldly affairs. Some of the ancestors had not appeared before the clan for twenty or thirty years, yet they had all been disturbed and summoned from their caves.

"A born supreme was harmed within the clan? Have you all lost your minds? What's there to discuss? Execute the venomous woman by slicing her to pieces!" one elder roared.

"Her grandfather and clan members are no ordinary people. They've always been domineering. If we execute her without a word, it'll cause endless trouble. The imperial capital will be full of rumors and gossip, and explaining the matter would inevitably expose the Supreme Bone to the world," another elder said evenly.

"Even if the Human Emperor did such a thing, he'd owe the world an explanation, let alone her family. Are you trying to protect her, putting personal ties above reason and bending the law for her sake?" The elder across from him asked coldly. Sun, moon, and stars appeared in his eyes, and the energy he unleashed crushed the table to pieces.

Runes covered the great hall, and lightning intertwined. The atmosphere was terrifying, thick with the stench of gunpowder.

Little One was at death's door, there in the hall as well, held in someone's arms and protected by their vast, surging Divine Radiance, which nourished his life force and kept him from dying of weakness.

The clan members had found many spirit medicines, but none had helped him recover. His small face grew paler by the day. He coughed constantly and often shivered, his whole body ice-cold.

"Of course we'll punish her. That can be dealt with later. The priority now is the Supreme Bone. It must not be lost. The supreme of the Shi Clan must not vanish because of this." The elder wreathed in scarlet light, as if bathing in heavenly flames, spoke. His gaze was piercing, his manner calm and collected.

"Fifth, what do you mean?" the old man who resembled a Golden Lion demanded, springing to his feet. "Of course we have to dig it out and reattach it to Hao'er. It belongs to him. No one else can claim it!"

"Once it's taken out, it'll be difficult to reattach it right away."

"Are you shielding her to the end just because Yi'er belongs to your branch? The Supreme Bone belongs to whoever it belongs to!"

Divine Radiance flickered between the two men. The hall rumbled like a roaring mountain sea, and the entire sacred building shook.

"Fourth Brother, I'm not acting out of favoritism." The old man who resembled a blood phoenix stood up and pointed at Little One. "Look at this child. He's so weak that even taking precious medicines every day won't restore him. How could he nourish the Supreme Bone?"

At these words, the arguing quieted. Many fell silent. It was a fact: no one knew whether Little One would even survive.

"In my view, we should rather lose the Supreme Bone than fail to uphold the clan rules. Kill both the mother and son!" the most hot-tempered elder said.

Everyone was startled. The clan had already lost a born supreme. Were they supposed to let the child with the Double Pupil die, too?

"Second Brother, calm down. Yi'er is still an ignorant child. This has nothing to do with him. He has the potential of an ancient saint or god, and will surely look down upon all races in the future. He shouldn't be dragged into this," someone urged.

"An ignorant child? Look at him. Does he seem like one? After he came back, he threatened to kill himself, even cutting his own throat with a knife. He said that if his mother were killed, he would die with her. And you still want to spare that wicked woman just because of him?" the elder said coldly. His whole body blazed with light like the stars in the sky, surging with terrifying energy.

"What to do with the wicked woman can wait. We'll decide later. For now, let's discuss the Supreme Bone."

Many in the hall fell silent. Things had come to this, and they could not bear to see both children ruined. The strongest bloodline had to be passed down.

"The Supreme Bone has been implanted in Yi'er. What's the result?" Just then, the oldest elder, who had not left his cave in thirty years, abruptly opened his eyes. They shone like two golden suns, blazing with light and rumbling with an intimidating force.

Everyone immediately quieted down and stopped arguing.

"It has fused with Yi'er, nourished by his flesh and blood, becoming one with him. The result is astonishing. It's as if it had been born inside him in the first place," Fifth Elder said. Everyone was shaken and moved. It had actually worked. If the child with the Double Pupil also had the Supreme Bone, how high could he rise in the future? Such an achievement was almost unimaginable!

"We'll discuss it again in a few days. That's enough for today," another elder said. He, too, was of great seniority and had not appeared for twenty or thirty years.

Everyone nodded. Fourth Elder, who resembled a Golden Lion, and the hot-tempered elder exchanged a silent look. They knew the clan would not allow the supreme to vanish or the child with the Double Pupil to perish.

Several days later, word came that the Supreme Bone was unharmed inside Shi Yi. It was wrapped in a powerful life force, and had essentially been smelted together into one.

"Damn it!" Fourth Elder growled. He knew there was no turning back. What it meant was obvious. Holding the frail Little One in his arms, he felt wretched.

Little One's breathing was faint, and his eyes were dim and lifeless. Although the clan's experts nourished him with their own vital energy, he remained beyond recovery. Everyone sighed inwardly.

The clan members found many spirit medicines, but none helped. Little One could not recover. His little face grew paler and paler; he kept coughing, often shivering, his whole body cold.

Half a month later, his condition worsened. His big eyes had lost all their light. He was sickly, as if he could die at any moment.

Moreover, every night at midnight, his bones crackled. His tiny body shrank, losing all its vitality and spirit. His whole being underwent a severe regression.

He was clearly several months old, but after suffering such severe damage and a drastic transformation, he seemed several months younger. His body grew worse by the day.

"Are you... my Fourth Granduncle?" Little One lay on his small bed, his dull eyes open as he asked weakly.

He kept regressing. It was as if his body held a bottomless pit that devoured his blood essence and dissolved his bones. He seemed only a few months old, and had lost the quick wit he once possessed. He could barely recognize the people around him.

The old man's heart ached. He kept patting Little One gently, soothing him to sleep.

"Why can't I remember the people around me? Everything's getting blurrier..." Little One tried hard to recall, but his eyes grew even more confused.

He had been a clever, lively child, but now he had become like this. Many servants felt their hearts ache, unable to bear the sight.

Several days later, even speaking had become difficult for him. There was not a trace of light in his big eyes. Looking at the little girl standing by the bed with tears in her eyes, he asked in confusion, "Big Sister, who are you?"

The pretty little girl wiped away her tears and whispered, "I'm Aman. Young Master, why don't you remember me?"

"Aman... that sounds familiar. Why can't I remember?" Little One tried hard to recall. His dull eyes stared at the ceiling, having lost the liveliness they once held.

The little girl cried, afraid someone would hear. She covered her mouth, tears streaming down her big eyes. Then she whispered, "I heard Fourth Ancestor talking to himself. He said you're a supreme, second to none, but someone harmed you."

"I'm a supreme..." Little One murmured.

"That's right, you're a supreme, born a supreme. Little One, you have to get better!" the little girl cried.

"I will. I'm a supreme. I'll get better," Little One whispered.

"Ah, I remember now. You're Sister Aman. You told me lots of stories and said you'd take me to see the Red-Feathered Crane. You were so good to me." Little One suddenly remembered who the little girl was.

"Yes, Young Master, you must remember. You're a supreme. And don't forget, I'm Aman. Everything will get better." The little girl cried as she urged him.

"Mm!" Little One nodded firmly, then seemed to remember something else. "I think I remember some more. There were other big brothers and big sisters, too. Why haven't they come?"

"The other servants' children can't come here. Young Master Shi Bin... they all went to cultivate." The little girl forced a smile.

These days, fewer and fewer of the clan's other children came to see him, until they stopped coming altogether. The clan uncles and aunts he had known were almost never seen either; they no longer came to care for him.

Little One grew weaker by the day. He was no longer the clever, dazzling child destined to rise and become a peerless powerhouse.