The Book Volume Opens

"Moonlight!"

The massive Iron Winged Bird shrieked. It was clearer than in the previous dreams; this time, he could distinctly see what it looked like.

And this dream was still somewhat different. At that moment, an incomparably enormous drop of golden blood floated within it—the Iron Winged Bird Essence Blood.

The Iron Winged Bird that had originally been hunting Su Yu seemed to have been drawn in.

The next moment, its bird eyes turned toward the golden blood, somewhat bewildered.

Very quickly, the Iron Winged Bird gave up chasing Su Yu and flew toward the golden blood in midair.

The Iron Winged Bird flew faster and faster. In the blink of an eye, it landed before the golden blood, then let out a shriek and swallowed the Essence Blood in one gulp.

Boom!

At that moment, the Iron Winged Bird was like a golden blazing sun, dazzling radiance erupting from its body and illuminating the entire dream.

Su Yu watched the Iron Winged Bird with anticipation on his face. What would happen next?

The Essence Blood really worked!

Just as he was thinking, the Iron Winged Bird suddenly began to grow larger in the next instant, bigger and bigger, as if it were about to explode.

Su Yu's expression changed. Sure enough, with a thunderous boom, the dream began to collapse. The Iron Winged Bird burst into countless points of golden light, vanishing from the dream in an instant, while Su Yu himself was blown to pieces by the explosion.

In the final instant of the dream, a Book Volume that blotted out the sky and covered the earth abruptly appeared.

The Book Volume rapidly flipped through its pages. Every other page was a vast expanse of blank whiteness. Soon, it turned to one page, and the Iron Winged Bird's golden light points merged into it, instantly lighting up that page. An image of an Iron Winged Bird appeared upon it.

The dream ended there, and Su Yu instantly awoke.

"Hiss!"

Pain—pain as though his head were splitting apart. His entire body hurt, as if he had truly just been blown to pieces.

Su Yu was awake.

At this moment, Su Yu's eyes flickered uncertainly. The dream had been solved.

Right then, a faintly visible book appeared in his mind.

That Book Volume that had appeared in the dream!

"Has the dream become reality...?"

Su Yu's expression was somewhat solemn. After all these years, solving the dream should have been cause for joy, but why had this dream become reality?

That volume which had absorbed the Iron Winged Bird's light points had actually appeared in his mind.

Was it a phantom, or was there truly a book inside his head?

Su Yu visualized the Book Volume in his mind. With a thought, the Book Volume began to turn its pages. Soon, it reached the page lit by the Iron Winged Bird.

Iron Winged Bird (Qianjun Seventh Level):

Racial Skills: Tear Level 1 (Essence Blood activated), Iron Wing Slash (Essence Blood activated)

Basic Essence Art: Essence Gathering (Essence Blood activated)

There were only these brief three lines, and they were not written in the human language, but in the language of the Iron Winged Bird race.

If Su Yu had not learned it before, he probably would not have been able to understand it at all.

"Qianjun Seventh Level... racial skills, basic Essence Art..."

Su Yu frowned. What was this Book Volume?

This so-called Essence Blood activation, judging by the words themselves, meant he needed to continue absorbing Essence Blood. Activate... activate what?

Activate skills?

Qianjun Seventh Level presumably meant that the Essence Blood absorbed earlier had belonged to an Iron Winged Bird at the Qianjun Seventh Level. That part was easy enough to understand.

What did the rest represent?

Su Yu's thoughts raced. "Could it be that as long as I have enough Essence Blood, I can activate the Iron Winged Bird's skills?"

"Then after activating those skills, can I use them?"

"Even if I can use them, what level of strength would I display—Kaiyuan Three Stages or Qianjun Seventh Level?"

"How long can it last? Will there be any aftereffects?"

"And where did this book come from?"

Su Yu's eyes flickered incessantly. This dream had begun more than a decade ago. Could this book have been in his mind for more than a decade already?

And who had placed it in his head?

Was there some conspiracy behind it?

There were many powerful races among the Myriad Races of the Heavens. Could this be the conspiracy of some race, intending to use him to stir up chaos within the human race?

Su Yu could not help thinking that way!

Some races among the Myriad Races of the Heavens were exceedingly sinister. It was not as though such things had never happened among humans. Quite a few human powerhouses had been plotted against, influenced by the Myriad Races of the Heavens, bewitched and tempted, eventually becoming members of the Ten Thousand Races Cult.

"But there are tens of billions of humans. I'm merely one of the most ordinary among them. Even if they wanted to bewitch someone, there was no need to scheme against me for more than a decade, right?"

Su Yu still did not understand, yet his heart soon began to stir restlessly.

Should he try it?

Also, the Book Volume felt extremely thick. Only one page had been opened so far. Did that mean other pages could be opened as well?

Just as he was thinking, Su Yu suddenly sensed a faint ripple.

The next moment, Su Yu understood. The ripple came from the Book Page. It was not language, but a wave resembling a mental explanation.

"It can be opened. As long as it is a race I have dreamed of, I can open it by finding the corresponding Essence Blood. However, I am only in the Kaiyuan Realm right now, so when consuming Essence Blood, I must consider what my body can endure..."

Su Yu understood. For example, he currently felt as though his body were about to explode, in terrible pain, even though he had only consumed Iron Winged Bird Essence Blood from the Qianjun Seventh Level.

If it were Essence Blood from the Wanshi Realm, Su Yu would likely be crippled even if he did not die.

"I understand!"

Su Yu murmured. He finally understood somewhat. Every dream he had experienced over the years represented a race.

This time, the Book Volume had opened not because the Iron Winged Bird Essence Blood was so special, but because any Essence Blood from a race he had dreamed of could open it.

However, Su Yu had not recognized those racial creatures in the past. Besides, as someone at Kaiyuan Three Stages, how could he possibly have consumed Essence Blood?

If he had not understood its meaning this time, he would not have taken such a risk.

One careless mistake could cost him his life.

"Basic Essence Art, Essence Gathering..."

Su Yu did not think further about it. He suddenly recalled the third line. The Essence Gathering Art was the basic cultivation art of the Iron Winged Bird race. Its only function was to absorb a portion of essence qi.

"Essence Gathering Art... Essence Blood activated?"

Su Yu's eyes flickered. "What does that mean? Could it be that I can use Essence Blood to activate the Essence Gathering Art and absorb essence qi?"

"But those in the Kaiyuan Realm cannot actively absorb essence qi. They can only passively wait to be tempered."

He did not care much about the racial skills. Tear and Iron Wing Slash were both basic Iron Winged Bird skills, and the human race had similar techniques. Essence Blood activation might allow Su Yu to learn them, or attain the strength of Qianjun Seventh Level. He did not pay much attention to that.

But this Essence Gathering Art could also be activated by Essence Blood. What did that mean?

Before reaching the Qianjun Realm, humans could not actively absorb essence qi. The Kaiyuan Jue merely allowed humans to gather some essence qi and make the surrounding essence qi denser, extending the duration of passive tempering and making it somewhat more effective.

"Essence Gathering Art..."

Su Yu suddenly could no longer suppress his excitement. If he could activate the Essence Gathering Art, did that mean someone in the Kaiyuan Realm like him could actively absorb essence qi?

The Kaiyuan Ninth Stage took a long time. The key was that one could not actively guide essence qi into the body, because the human body could not form a connected system of acupoints.

But what if he could actively absorb it?

"However... the consequences remain to be discussed!"

"What are the consequences of absorbing essence qi? Also, how much Essence Blood is needed for activation? If it takes one drop, how long can it last?"

"What is the efficiency?"

"This stuff is expensive—50,000 per drop. If one drop can only last a few minutes, there's no need to waste that money at all."

Countless thoughts flashed through Su Yu's mind. Moreover, opening the pages of other races also required Essence Blood. Where would he find so much Essence Blood?

With a thousand tangled threads in his mind, Su Yu felt that his brain was not quite enough.

"Perhaps... I should conduct a test."

"Also, where exactly did this thing come from? Should I ask my teachers?"

After thinking it over, Su Yu swiftly dismissed the idea.

Even if this thing had been placed there deliberately, his teachers would not know. Their strength was too low; this was not something they could come into contact with. This thing had remained undiscovered for more than a decade. Let alone Qianjun or Wanshi, even those in the Soaring Realm might not know of it.

"Empty thinking won't lead to an answer. It would be best to give it a try."

Just as Su Yu was thinking, a massive bang suddenly came from the front door!

The next moment, Chen Hao waved his schoolbag and roared, "I've already notified Jifeng Hall! If you don't fear death, then stay! There are powerhouses upstairs and downstairs—get the hell out!"

"..."

Su Yu went blank.

Chen Hao's schoolbag whooshed through the air as he swung it. After his roar, there was movement upstairs and downstairs.

Very soon, someone upstairs shouted, "What's going on?"

"Have those beasts from the Ten Thousand Races Cult come?"

"How presumptuous!"

"Surround them!"

"..."

Su Yu no longer stood there blankly. He hurriedly shouted, "It's nothing, it's nothing! Grandpa Zhou, Chen Hao and I were just joking around. Sorry, sorry!"

Very soon, an elderly man came hurtling through the air, a kitchen knife in hand. He pushed aside Chen Hao, who was blocking the door, and only relaxed after seeing that Su Yu was fine. "I thought those beasts from the Ten Thousand Races Cult had come. Your father just left, so be careful. If anything happens, call for us anytime!"

With that, he slapped Chen Hao so hard that his head buzzed.

"Damn it, who told you to shout? Don't shout nonsense when nothing's happening. If those Ten Thousand Races Cult bastards really come next time and we don't take it seriously, wouldn't that harm someone?"

The old man was furious, though not at Su Yu, but at Chen Hao.

"Brat from the Chen Family, if you dare raise a false alarm again, I'll have your father drag you downstairs, strip you naked, hang you up, and beat you!"

Chen Hao wore a mournful expression, wanting to explain. It wasn't me!

It was Su Yu!

That guy had suddenly sent him a message telling him to break down the door and rush in. How could he not overthink it?

He was wronged!

Su Yu stood up. His body still hurt somewhat, but it was fine. Most of the Essence Blood's power had probably been absorbed by the Book Volume. He was merely sore, not injured.

Without caring about that, Su Yu hastily apologized. Grandpa Zhou looked gratified, then could not resist smacking Chen Hao on the head again.

Look at that. Why was the gap between you and the Su Family kid so enormous?

So foolish!

Chen Hao was on the verge of tears!

Su Yu also smiled bitterly to himself and quickly asked, "Did you really notify Jifeng Hall?"

"No, I was just trying to scare them!"

Chen Hao was sullen. He did not know whether something had really happened, so how could he have notified Jifeng Hall?

"That's good."

Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Hao said unhappily, "What's good about it? Why did you send me that kind of message? I thought something had happened to you."

At that moment, the uncles and aunties upstairs and downstairs saw that nothing was wrong and gradually left as well.

Su Yu relaxed, pulled Chen Hao inside, closed the door, and said, "I suddenly felt a little dizzy just now and was afraid I might faint, so I sent you a message. Didn't I tell you to knock first?"

"Oh, are you all right?"

Chen Hao did not press the matter further. Instead, he asked worriedly, "You're not hungry, are you? Uncle Su has left. Do you not have anything to eat?"

"How about you come eat at my house from now on? My dad told me to invite you before, but I was afraid you'd be too embarrassed to accept, so I didn't say anything..."

Su Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. Was he really going to starve himself to death?

Still, he was somewhat touched. This guy might be long-winded and thick-nerved, but he truly cared about Su Yu as a friend.

"It's nothing. I practiced the Kaiyuan Jue for too long last night, so I felt a little unwell when I got up this morning. I'm fine now."

"That's good!"

Chen Hao sighed in relief, then quickly said, "Then are you still going to school today? How about... you call the instructor and say you're sick, and that I accompanied you to the medical office, so you can ask for leave for me?"

"..."

Su Yu's earlier gratitude vanished without a trace!

This guy was beyond saving!

He did not dare skip class himself, yet he actually thought of making Su Yu ask for leave for him.

"Get lost!"

Laughing as he cursed, Su Yu thought for a moment and said, "No leave. I'm going to school today. I happen to have something to do at the academy."

"You're going too?"

Chen Hao looked confused. Why were you so changeable?

Earlier, he had asked and Su Yu said he was not going. Now he was going again. Were smart people all this changeable?

Su Yu could not be bothered with him. He wanted to go to the academy to look for a way to obtain some Iron Winged Bird Essence Blood or other Essence Blood—something cheap.

The Xia Family Merchant Guild was far too black-hearted!

One drop cost 50,000. With the little money Su Yu had left, it was not even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.