Su Yu was not too disappointed when he couldn't find a suitable acceleration method in the library. If it were that common, the academy would have mentioned it. He was merely holding onto a slim hope, but reality proved otherwise. Since that was the case, he could only continue diligently practicing the "Kaiyuan Technique."
...
After having lunch at the academy, Su Yu returned home in the evening. Looking at the empty house, he felt a bit down. Without his father around, the house instantly felt deserted. In the past, his father would always have dinner ready when he returned from the academy, but now the cold and empty house was something Su Yu found hard to get used to.
Not in the mood to cook, Su Yu leaned back on the sofa and turned on the TV, letting his mind wander while the TV sound played as background noise. Nowadays, there weren't many channels to watch. In the Great Xia Prefecture, he could only find the Great Xia TV station and a few local channels. Due to the influence of the Battlefields of All Heavens and other war zones, signal coverage was limited, making it difficult for broadcasts to reach far, so each prefecture generally only received its own channels.
"Recently, traces of the Myriad Races Cult have been found in the Great Xia Prefecture. Citizens of the Great Xia Prefecture, if you spot any suspicious individuals, please report them promptly to the local Cifeng Hall..."
"Scum!" Su Yu couldn't help but curse upon hearing the news report on TV. A bunch of scum! Even though the humans had repelled the enemy races in the Battle of All Heavens, humans were not considered very strong among the myriad races. There were always some scumbags who had other thoughts at such times and chose to defect to other races. The Myriad Races Cult was not a single cult but comprised many, with people defecting to different races. These people gathered together to create chaos within the human race.
Influenced by his father from a young age, Su Yu held extreme disdain for these scumbags. He glanced at the TV, where a middle-aged man with a square face, exuding authority and dressed in a red battle robe, appeared on the screen. With a stern expression and a cold tone, the middle-aged man shouted, "Execute!"
"Slash!"
In an instant, over a hundred heads fell to the ground, as a group of armored guards standing behind them swung their blades. "For every member of the Myriad Races Cult we capture, we will execute one," the middle-aged man said coldly, his gaze piercing through the screen. "Anyone who dares to come to the Great Xia Prefecture will face death! From today onward, the Dragon Martial Guards will patrol the Great Xia Prefecture. Scum of the Myriad Races Cult, if you don't fear death, then stay in the Great Xia Prefecture and see how many of your heads we can cut off!"
On the sofa, Su Yu suddenly felt a surge of excitement. Xia Longwu! The Prefect of the Great Xia Prefecture! As for the beheadings, he wasn't too concerned. People were used to it. This scene often appeared on TV. The only method the humans had for dealing with members of the Myriad Races Cult was beheading them publicly to instill fear, ensuring no one would dare to betray them. The public executions were meant to deter anyone from harboring such thoughts.
Su Yu was more interested in Xia Longwu himself. This Prefect of the Great Xia Prefecture was incredibly strong and authoritative. Twenty years ago, he commanded the Demon Suppression Army on the Battlefields of All Heavens, the same army where Su Yu's father served. Over the years, whenever Xia Longwu appeared, Su Long would get excited, pointing at the TV and saying, "That's my old superior. Back in the Battlefields of All Heavens, he swept through the battlefield, unstoppable, and made the myriad races' armies flee in panic..."
Over time, even Su Yu couldn't help but be influenced, developing a sense of admiration for this formidable warrior who had carved a path through blood on the Battlefields of All Heavens.
"If only I could become as strong as Prefect Xia someday... that would be great!" Su Yu had a small yearning. These were the true powerhouses. Among the various prefects, there wasn't one who wasn't powerful. However, Xia Longwu was among the top tier even among the prefects. The key point was that Xia Longwu wasn't that old, only in his sixties. In contrast, the powerful Prefect Zhou Potian of the Great Zhou Prefecture was an early Anping Calendar figure, meaning he was over three hundred years old.
Twenty years ago, Xia Longwu was only in his forties and already commanding the Demon Suppression Army. That was what Su Yu envied the most. Truly strong! Just in his forties, which was very young for this era. What kind of strength was required to command the Demon Suppression Army? Su Yu didn't know, but he knew it had to be incredibly strong. It wasn't just because his grandfather was the Great Xia King. Other prefects, some of whom were sons of the founding kings, were not necessarily as powerful.
"Xia Longwu..."
"Dragon Martial War Academy!"
"Dragon Martial Guards!"
Su Yu licked his lips, feeling a bit parched. After all, he was young and had his share of hot-blooded dreams. Had he never thought of applying to a war academy? Of course, he had! The Great Xia Prefecture had several high-level war academies, with the Great Xia War Academy being the most ancient and powerful, having a history of over three hundred years. However, there was now another top-tier war academy in the Great Xia Prefecture: the Dragon Martial War Academy!
Named after Xia Longwu himself, the Dragon Martial War Academy was established fifteen years ago. In just fifteen years, it had become one of the top academies in the Great Xia Prefecture. Most of its graduates joined the Great Xia Prefecture's strongest corps, the Dragon Martial Guards! It was said that the city lord of Nanyuan City was a former member of the Dragon Martial Guards, showing their influence.
Although his father, Su Long, came from the Demon Suppression Army, after retiring, he also wanted to join the Dragon Martial Guards to continue following his old superior. Unfortunately... the Dragon Martial Guards didn't accept him. He was a bit too old and not strong enough, so they didn't take him.
Su Long was furious and often cursed, though not at Xia Longwu but at the recruiters. Why wouldn't they accept him? It was said that a small team of Dragon Martial Guards was stationed in Nanyuan City nowadays, but Su Yu hadn't seen them yet.
"The Great Xia War Academy and the Dragon Martial War Academy... The Great Xia War Academy mainly supplies frontline soldiers, making it difficult for them to return. But the Dragon Martial Guards..."
Su Yu's eyes flickered. The Dragon Martial War Academy was different, primarily serving as a reserve for the Dragon Martial Guards. Students from the Dragon Martial War Academy would also go to the frontlines, receiving similar treatment to those from other war academies. However, the advantage of the Dragon Martial Guards was that their main duty was to defend the homeland, meaning they could spend most of their time in the Great Xia Prefecture.
Of course, in the event of a major war, the Dragon Martial Guards, being an elite corps, would be the first to be deployed to the Battlefields of All Heavens. While the Demon Suppression Army served as a standing army on the Battlefields of All Heavens, the Dragon Martial Guards were the field army.
"They have fewer restrictions and more freedom, but once a major battle breaks out, they face the most dangerous assaults and counterattacks..."
"If I really wanted to apply to a war academy, I should aim for the Dragon Martial War Academy."
Su Yu muttered to himself. Unfortunately, the Dragon Martial War Academy was even harder to get into. As the reserve for the Dragon Martial Guards, their requirements were even higher than those of the Great Xia War Academy.
Rubbing his cheeks, Su Yu smiled bitterly. He was daydreaming. Getting into an ordinary war academy was hard enough, let alone the Dragon Martial War Academy.
"How dare the Myriad Races Cult come to the Great Xia Prefecture! Are they looking for death? With the Dragon Martial Guards patrolling, I wonder if we'll see them in Nanyuan..."
Su Yu wasn't too worried. The members of the Myriad Races Cult were cowards who wouldn't dare show their faces. They only dared to cause trouble in secret. Now that the Dragon Martial Guards were patrolling the Great Xia Prefecture, these scumbags would hide even deeper than rats, not daring to appear.
Even if they did show up, Su Yu wasn't afraid. Nowadays, almost everyone was a soldier. While there were no powerful warriors in his community, there were quite a few Thousand Pound Realm cultivators. Besides his father, who was a retired soldier, there were several others, including some old soldiers who had aged out of service.
If a few Thousand Pound Realm cultists from the Myriad Races showed up, they would be courting death. Those old veterans, having retired from the battlefield, were all ruthless individuals with blood on their hands, unhesitant in killing. A single call would bring out seven or eight Thousand Pound Realm cultivators at any time.
...
After watching TV, Su Yu casually cooked some noodles for dinner. After washing up, he practiced the "Kaiyuan Technique" a few times before going to bed early. He didn't sleep much at night because his dreams would wake him up early, leaving him with insufficient rest.
Nowadays, Su Yu had figured out that he usually had dreams in the early hours. Before dawn was his most restful sleep, so he cherished that time.
...
Night.
In the darkness.
In his dream.
A scene that had repeated countless times appeared once again. A gigantic bird was chasing Su Yu.
"Damn it!" Su Yu hated bird-like races the most. They flew so fast that he couldn't outrun them. When he encountered land-based monsters, he sometimes had a chance to escape without being caught and chewed up. But with bird monsters, he never escaped, always getting chewed into bits and waking up in pain. He hated these flying creatures!
This time was no exception. The gigantic bird flew at an incredible speed, the terrain in the dream posing no obstacle to it, closing the distance rapidly. Su Yu ran as fast as he could while glancing back to try and identify the bird.
"Hmm?"
With a glance, Su Yu recognized the bird. While there were many bird-like races, he only knew about ten or so. However, this one... it looked familiar! Though it was vague, he could faintly see a large lump on its head.
"This is... the Ironwing Bird race!"
"Damn, after so many years, I've finally encountered a familiar one!"
At this moment, Su Yu felt a bit excited. He knew eighteen different languages of the myriad races, but it didn't mean he had encountered all these races. Even in his dreams, he hadn't met them all. He only felt some familiarity and learned the languages because some people at the Nanyuan Intermediate Academy knew them.
Though he hadn't encountered the Ironwing Bird race before, he did know their language! Among the eighteen languages he knew, Ironwing Bird language was one of them. Someone at the Nanyuan Academy knew it because, on the Battlefields of All Heavens, these birds were often used as air force by the powerful races of gods and demons.
Su Yu quickly turned his head and shouted, "Weixi Xijiuyun (Why are you chasing me)?"
The gigantic bird didn't respond, seemingly unable to hear him, continuing its charge.
"Luoyijiyou... (We are friends)!"
Still no response.
Su Yu cursed inwardly. Seeing the gigantic bird's claws descending, he knew he was done for again. This was likely an Ironwing Bird, but it seemed to have no intelligence, being just a figment of his dream.
"Crunch!"
Sure enough, intense pain shot through his head as the bird's claws crushed it. The dream began to fade. Su Yu knew he was about to wake up in pain.
However, at that moment, the gigantic Ironwing Bird, just after crushing his head, suddenly let out a sharp cry.
"Yuesa!"
Su Yu was slightly startled. The next moment, he woke up abruptly, drenched in sweat.
"Yuesa... no, not 'Yuesa,' it's 'blood!'"
Su Yu's eyes widened. He had heard it clearly. The Ironwing Bird had killed him, yet it was very angry because killing him didn't give it what it wanted.
"Blood!"
"It wanted blood. What does that mean?"
"My blood? But I've bled before in dreams, with no reaction. What does it mean?"
Su Yu's head ached. Ignoring the nightmare, his mind raced.
"It needed blood, but it didn't get it from killing me. My blood doesn't seem to work. Could it be... it needs blood of its own kind?"
"Ironwing Bird blood?"
"If I had Ironwing Bird blood, what would happen?"
"A dream is just a dream. Even if I had it, could I bring it into the dream?"
Rubbing his temples, Su Yu's hands were sweaty. He couldn't bother with that now. This dream... it seemed to be revealing itself. After so many years, he felt like he could finally understand it.
Learning the languages of the myriad races wasn't in vain. Even hearing just one word today was enough.
"No, I have to try. No matter what, I have to try. If I had Ironwing Bird blood, what change would it bring? Also, the dream might change tomorrow, not featuring an Ironwing Bird. Would having Ironwing Bird blood still work?"
"Doesn't matter!"
Su Yu suddenly sat up, deciding he had to try. After being chased in dreams for so many years, he was fed up and exhausted. He needed to resolve this dream quickly. Otherwise, carrying this burden and being killed every day would be unbearable for anyone.
"When it gets light, I'll go to the Xia's Trading Firm and see if they have Ironwing Bird blood. They sell everything, and Ironwing Birds are quite common on the Battlefields of All Heavens. Maybe they have it!"
With his decision made, Su Yu couldn't sleep. He eagerly awaited the morning to buy Ironwing Bird blood. Even if there was only a slim hope of resolving the dream, it was worth it. He was tired of such days—it was too torturous.
**Xia Trading Company.**
The largest trading company in the Great Xia Prefecture, run by the Xia family of the Great Xia Prefecture.
The Nanyuan branch was located in a five-story mall on the commercial street. The first floor sold common pills, the second floor sold weapons, the third floor sold cultivation techniques, the fourth floor sold miscellaneous items from various races, and the fifth floor was for major transactions.
...
Su Yu headed straight for the fourth floor of Xia Trading Company after leaving home.
He had been here before with Su Long. Although Su Long was a ninth-level Thousand Pound Realm cultivator, the lack of sufficient Yuan Qi in Nanyuan meant that external aids were necessary for continued cultivation.
The fourth floor was divided into several areas: "Unknown Cultivation Techniques Area," "Demon Race Flesh and Blood Area," "Broken Magical Treasures Area," and "Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures Area."
Since it was only a branch in Nanyuan, most of the items were for the Thousand Pound Realm, with almost nothing for the Ten Thousand Stone Realm.
**Demon Race Flesh and Blood Area.**
A trained, attractive young woman with a professional smile greeted him enthusiastically, "What can I help you with, sir?"
"Ironwing Bird blood!"
"Ironwing Bird..." The employee thought for a moment before quickly responding, "Ordinary blood or essence blood?"
An Ironwing Bird was enormous, with a vast amount of blood. Apart from a few drops of essence blood, the rest was ordinary blood, which had limited use. Essence blood, on the other hand, had significant value.
Su Yu wasn't sure what he needed, so he hesitated and said, "Show me both."
"Sure!" The employee didn't ask further questions. The Ironwing Bird was a common race, a regular aerial force on the Battlefields of All Heavens. If it were a stronger flying race, the Nanyuan branch might not have it in stock.
Soon, another male employee retrieved two transparent glass bottles from the display case.
"This is ordinary blood, and this is essence blood, both from Thousand Pound Realm Ironwing Birds," the female employee explained as Su Yu stared at the glass bottles. "If you need Ten Thousand Stone Realm Ironwing Bird blood, the Nanyuan branch doesn't have it. You'd have to go to the Great Xia Prefecture to purchase it."
"Thousand Pound Realm is fine!"
He couldn't afford Ten Thousand Stone Realm blood, nor did he need it.
"How much does it cost?"
"The ordinary blood is cheap, 5000 coins per bottle. Essence blood is much more valuable. An adult Ironwing Bird can yield less than ten drops of essence blood, priced at 50,000 coins per drop."
Su Yu frowned slightly. So expensive?
"Thousand Pound Realm beings are cannon fodder on the Battlefields of All Heavens. They die in droves. Is essence blood really worth that much?"
The employee maintained her smile and explained, "You're right, sir. But transporting them from the Battlefields of All Heavens to the Great Xia Prefecture involves high costs! Extraction, preservation, sales... multiple processes, including taxes... So 50,000 coins isn't expensive."
She continued, "On the Battlefields of All Heavens, Thousand Pound Realm Ironwing Birds are indeed cheap. You might get lucky and find one easily. But this... isn't the Battlefields of All Heavens."
Su Yu was silent.
Indeed, Thousand Pound Realm beings from various races were worthless on the battlefields. The key issue was that during major battles, who had time to collect them? Even if you did, could you transport them back?
Only a powerful trading company like Xia Trading Company could handle transportation.
Therefore, the prices were naturally high in the rear.
"I'll take one bottle of ordinary blood... and one drop of essence blood!"
Su Yu felt a bit of pain. If his father were here, knowing that he spent over 50,000 coins right after he left, he might have been beaten to death.
"Sure. Will you be paying by card or cash?"
"Card!"
Su Yu maintained his composure, but his heart bled. 50,500 coins! That was a sixth of his father's years of savings, gone in an instant.
"I'm just guessing. If it turns out useless... I'll be at a huge loss."
Thinking of this, Su Yu quickly asked, "Do you buy back Ironwing Bird blood?"
The female employee was slightly surprised but quickly smiled, "Yes, we do. Ordinary blood is 1000 coins per bottle, essence blood is 10,000 coins per drop."
"I..."
Su Yu wanted to curse!
Rip-off!
Even though Xia Trading Company belonged to Xia Longwu's family, he had to call it a rip-off.
A fifth of the buying price. What a scam.
Forget it. There's no point arguing with them. These employees are just following rules; they can't make decisions. Talking to them is useless.
After swiping his card, he received a box containing two glass bottles.
One bottle had a single drop of golden blood, which seemed to be boiling, with a faint image of a small Ironwing Bird spreading its wings.
This was essence blood!
Essence blood from demon-like races generally had some benefits for cultivation.
Consuming Ironwing Bird essence blood could help Thousand Pound Realm cultivators enhance their physical strength.
After the Kaiyuan stage, human cultivators formally embarked on the path of cultivation, focusing on physical strength in the Thousand Pound and Ten Thousand Stone stages.
Essence blood was useful for the Thousand Pound Realm but not for the Kaiyuan stage. Consuming demon essence blood at that stage could harm the body. Otherwise, there wouldn't be cases of bodies exploding from bathing in the blood of gods and demons.
Kaiyuan's nine orifices were not connected, making it impossible for Yuan Qi to circulate. Accumulating it in the body was lethal.
Heaven Yuan Fruits and similar treasures contained pure Heaven Yuan Qi, which was mild, unlike the potent Yuan Qi.
As Su Yu was thinking, the salesperson reminded him, "Sir, if you haven't reached the Thousand Pound Realm, consuming Ironwing Bird essence blood would be very dangerous!"
"I know, thank you!"
Su Yu casually asked, "Do you have Heaven Yuan Fruits here?"
"What?" The salesperson looked puzzled, then quickly said, "Sorry, we don't have those. I'm not familiar with Heaven Yuan Fruits."
Su Yu didn't mind. With so many races and treasures, he couldn't expect a salesperson to know everything. It was good enough that she knew what they sold.
"What about Yuan Qi Liquid?"
"We don't have that either... Yuan Qi Liquid is hard to store and tends to dissipate, making storage costs too high!" The salesperson quickly explained, "The Great Xia Prefecture has it. We used to sell it here a few years ago, but the high costs and low demand made us stop stocking it."
"Oh, what's the price?"
"In the Great Xia Prefecture, it should be 100,000 coins per drop, though the price might have changed," the salesperson said, quickly recommending, "Sir, are you looking to speed up your Kaiyuan stage cultivation? We have many treasures and pills that can help, like Fire Pig blood and Kaiyuan Pills..."
Su Yu rolled his eyes. He wasn't a novice. These things claimed to help but only provided a marginal increase in speed. If his original cultivation speed was 100, these would increase it to about 101. He had long known about these options, but only a fool would spend extravagantly on them. Spending thousands on these items would only result in about one extra day of cultivation each month. Did he have so much money that he didn't know how to spend it?
Of course, some people bought these items; otherwise, they wouldn't be produced. There was a considerable market for them, and buying a small amount wasn't too expensive.
Su Yu didn't ask any more questions and left with his wooden box. He had the items in hand, but whether they would be useful was another matter. If they were useless, he could still sell them, albeit at a significant loss.
...
Downstairs in the residential area, Chen Hao, who was waiting for Su Yu, saw him returning from outside and asked curiously, "Ayu, where did you go?"
"Bought something."
"Oh, let's go to school then..."
"I'm not going!"
"..."
Chen Hao looked aggrieved, "Not going? Didn't you say earlier that you definitely wanted to go to school? Why the change?"
"I'll study at home!" Su Yu smiled, "You go ahead. Train well and aim to reach the fourth level of the Kaiyuan stage soon!"
Chen Hao was also at the third level of the Kaiyuan stage. Since he couldn't aim for the Civilization or Research Institutes, failing to get into the War Institute would mean going to the Administration Institute.
"I..."
Su Yu cut him off, eventually persuading Chen Hao to leave.
...
In the living room, Su Yu stared at the two bottles of blood, frowning.
He had the blood, but how should he use it?
"Swallow it?" he wondered. "The blood of a Thousand Pound Realm being won't cause me to explode, but it will definitely injure me."
"Wait for another dream and let the Ironwing Bird kill me? But... it took more than ten years for one dream, do I have to wait another decade?"
Su Yu was frustrated. He had been excited before buying the blood, but now he was hesitant. The hint he got last night was hard-won. He had made up his mind to try it out if necessary, but now he was wavering. Getting injured would be very painful.
"Maybe apply it to my skin?" Su Yu thought and decided to try. Testing ordinary blood shouldn't be a big issue, unlike essence blood.
He opened the bottle of ordinary blood, dipped his finger in, and smeared some on the back of his hand, waiting for a reaction.
A few minutes later, Su Yu frowned. Nothing happened. The blood was slowly evaporating.
It cost 5,000 coins a bottle, and even if it was not essence blood, consuming small amounts could still be beneficial for health. It felt like a waste.
"Useless..."
"Should I drink a little?"
Su Yu licked a bit from his hand and waited again. Still no effect.
"Ordinary blood is useless, or is it that I'm using it wrong? Or perhaps my understanding is wrong?" Su Yu was getting a headache. He had spent tens of thousands of coins.
Was he being impulsive?
But the nightmares had tormented him for so long that he desperately wanted a solution. If spending a few thousand coins could solve it, he wouldn't mind.
His gaze fell on the drop of essence blood. He couldn't make up his mind.
Essence blood was indivisible, like a gemstone. It had to be consumed; applying it would be useless.
"Should I really swallow essence blood? I'm only at the Kaiyuan stage. Even if it doesn't kill me, it will severely injure me. Originally aiming for the fourth level, getting injured might mean I can't even maintain the third level."
Su Yu was indecisive.
Over the years, the nightmares had made him more mature and decisive than his peers. He wouldn't have considered applying to the War Institute if it weren't for his father being on the battlefield.
But the nightmares had been too many years. He really wanted to understand them.
"Just one drop, it won't kill me..."
"Should I give it a try?"
"If I get injured, I can just aim for the Civilization Institute. For the Civilization Institute, being at the third, second, or even first level of the Kaiyuan stage doesn't make much difference."
Su Yu stared at the glass bottle. The golden blood was dazzling.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Yu took out the essence blood. It was like a gemstone, slightly heavy in his hand.
He held the essence blood tightly, still no reaction.
"Should I wait another day and try dreaming again? Maybe another monster needs Ironwing Bird blood?"
"Or maybe the Ironwing Bird blood is only useful today?"
Each night's dream would change, usually around midnight. If it was only useful today, who knew when the next opportunity would come? Maybe never, or maybe in decades.
His breathing became uneven.
"Then... let's try it!"
"At worst, I'll get injured. If that happens, I'll apply to the Civilization Institute. I'll research the myriad races and eventually find the correct answer!"
As for the War Institute, the chances were slim. Faced with the choice between deciphering the dream and an uncertain acceptance to the War Institute, Su Yu gritted his teeth and decided to try deciphering the dream.
If the dream could be deciphered, there might be unexpected gains.
With one hand holding the essence blood and the other his communicator, Su Yu quickly sent a message: "Come to my house, I have something to tell you. If I don't answer, break in!"
The message was sent to Chen Hao. If he got injured or even fainted, he wouldn't have time to call for help. Chen Hao could take him to the hospital.
Having made these arrangements, Su Yu gritted his teeth and quickly swallowed the essence blood.
At worst, I'll get injured. Am I afraid of pain?
"Ah!"
A scream escaped as Su Yu almost cried in pain. It hurt so much!
Boom!
The next moment, his head buzzed, and Su Yu blacked out.
"Moonlight!"
A giant Ironwing Bird covered the sky once again, just like last night, but also different.
This scene was unprecedented in Su Yu's decade-long experience of non-repetitive dreams.
The Ironwing Bird reappeared!
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