Chapter 167 - The Astral Sovereign’s Skeleton

As they entered this new chamber, Cale’s eyes widened.

"’Hahaha, there it is!’" he shouted in joy.

There was a massive pile before them — tens of artifacts, alongside glittering spiritual stones and numerous monster cores. The accumulated wealth of ages lay scattered like discarded trinkets.

"Hehe... we sure hit it big!" Sesrir laughed as well, his voice filled with the excitement only an adventurer could experience at such a sight.

Suddenly, Cale felt a presence.

Sesrir felt it too.

Both of them took a leap backward, weapons summoned instantly into their hands.

"Who is it? Is it one of them?" Cale asked, was it one of those who entered behind them?

"No, it’s not... rather, it’s a very strong entity! I... I can’t even pinpoint who..." Sesrir’s confidence replaced with a bit of uncertainty.

Cale’s brows twitched. Could it be him — the Sea Serpent King himself? There was a thin chance of him being here in the core, but still... there was a chance.

They slowly approached ahead, moving through the darkness with caution.

In that gloom, they spotted several technique scrolls and—

’A skeleton!’

"Pheww..." Cale let out a relieved sigh. As long as it wasn’t some living monster, it was manageable.

Sesrir remained tensed, his muscles coiled.

"What happened? Isn’t that just a dead skeleton?" Cale asked.

"No... I’m still feeling energy from that thing..."

"What?! No... how is that possible? Hell, I don’t even sense any soul in that thing. How is it still alive? Let alone it’s a damn bag of bones."

Was it really possible to live without skin and flesh? But then again, there could be some necromancer involved, or perhaps something else entirely.

Cale walked toward it slowly, step by step. He crouched down, and now even he could feel the potent energy radiating from the skeleton... but there was no qi in this body at all.

’Sigh... I guess it’s not dangerous right now.’

A scroll lay clutched in its hand... well, skeleton hand.

Cale took it carefully and opened it. If it was left by someone this strong, it had to be some exceptional technique.

He touched it and asked the system, "Identify this thing. It’s not just some random dead guy, right?"

The system took considerable time processing.

[From the details in the scroll, this body belonged to a person from 3 million years ago.]

’W-what? 3 million years? Well, of course he’d be a skeleton now!’

He corrected himself internally.

[This is an Astral Sovereign’s Body.]

"Whoa! Seriously!" Cale was shocked and surprised.

Didn’t he just learn what that race even was? What the hell was this body doing here?

"Why is this skeleton here then...?" he asked to himself.

Then again, maybe because those runes were here... was also the reason this body was here.

[The Nine-Headed Sea Serpent King must have died while trying to refine this body. There is a possibility that he knew he would likely die attempting to refine it.]

While Sesrir stared at him, muttering to himself while filling his own bag with treasures, Cale asked:

"He... tried to refine this skeleton? Can it... can it be...?"

Was it actually possible? If someone could refine this skeleton and integrate it into their current body, wouldn’t they become a literal powerhouse?

"No... but they don’t cultivate!" he said aloud after some thinking.

If they didn’t cultivate, how the hell could Cale even use it?

And given its legendary background, wouldn’t he become a walking target for the entire world — no, even the goddamn heavenly court and all three thousand worlds?

He was used to taking risks, but this was way too much. If possible, he would rather take it in the future.

[Affirmative. It is a body belonging to the ancient Astral Sovereign Race, naturally attuned to Astral Energy. Unlike ordinary human bodies, an Astral Sovereign possesses an exceptionally powerful physical constitution and an unparalleled capacity for containing and manipulating mana.

Innate Traits:

Astral Affinity: Possesses an innate affinity toward Astral Energy — starlight; allowing the body to absorb and refine it with exceptional efficiency.

Astral Physique: Astral Energy can be used to continuously strengthen the flesh, bones, blood, organs, and soul, allowing the body to undergo physical refinement far beyond ordinary limits.

Perfect Mana Vessel: The body can contain enormous quantities of starlight — potent mana, without suffering the physical strain normally experienced by human mages.

Astral Perception: Grants extraordinary perception of mana, energy fluctuations, magical formations, and spatial disturbances.

Mana Circle Compatibility: Can form and sustain Mana Circles beyond the natural limit of ordinary human mages.

Sovereign Potential: The body’s potential has no predetermined upper limit. As long as the body continues to be refined and sufficient Astral Energy is obtained, both its physical strength and magical capacity can continue to increase indefinitely.

Unique Restriction:

The Astral Sovereign Body cannot cultivate conventional Qi. Its power is derived exclusively from physical refinement and Mana Circles.

Evaluation:

Apex-grade physique.

Physical Growth Potential: Unknown

Magical Growth Potential: Unknown

Maximum Mana Circles: Unknown

Compatibility: Extremely High]

Cale narrowed his eyes at the system notification.

"By the way you’re telling me all this... are you hoping me to take it?" he asked suspiciously.

[Is host not going to—]

"Yeah, right, as if! You want me to die in the next few days or something!" he cut the system off.

Was this thing getting dumb?!

He sighed heavily. It was indeed quite the tempting offer, but he was currently attuned to his own new body; the one he’d obtained several years ago during his transformation. And this Astral body didn’t even have any kind of cultivation technique, let alone a path of cultivation to follow.

Even if he wanted to, there was still a chance he might not level up after a certain point. It was a known fact that there were near to no mages above the seventh or eighth circles.

And starlight? Although he knew what it was conceptually, how the hell was he supposed to use it practically?

It was all one big mess.

Yes, it could potentially be the strongest body in the entire world, but wasn’t using starlight as a source to strengthen itself essentially cultivation itself? Wasn’t that what it was?

’Sigh... so maybe the ancient people didn’t discover conventional cultivation back then... but this...’

[Host can use both bodies!]

’...huh?!’

What the hell was his system saying?

"Are you... sure...?"

Although he had been the one who wanted to create an avatar of his own before and give it sentience, he was now questioning that thinking too.

[Yes. The scroll gives a technique to control both bodies simultaneously. And isn’t host the best and strongest dual cultivator of this world?]

"Stop buttering me!" Although it did feel quite good.

He looked at the skeleton, then at the scroll in his hands, then back at Sesrir who was still collecting treasures without paying attention to their conversation.

The risk was immense. But then again... when had risk ever stopped him?