At Superpower Academy, the afternoon was once again self-study.
The teachers had already drilled the material for senior year countless times. Aside from various quizzes and exams, all that remained were self-study periods. Of course, the primary reason was that teachers from every school were either dead or crippled; the handful who could still teach simply couldn't stretch themselves thin enough.
Inside the classroom, Zhang Shou lay slumped over his desk, fast asleep. His head was covered by a book, and his soft snores could be heard.
Sunlight streamed through the window. Beside him, Yu Xian was "playing" with Blood Energy. Keeping his hands beneath the desk, he condensed a ball of Blood Energy in each palm and shaped the energy into two crude humanoid figures.
The two crimson figures held spears, dueling right in the palms of his hands as their weapons clashed over and over.
The Blood Clan's strength rested on two main pillars, and one of them was Blood Energy. Any vampire who awakened the Blood Energy talent would be groomed with the highest priority by the clan.
Yu Xian understood its importance all too well.
Besides, back in middle school, he had read plenty of web novels about vampires.
The one that left the deepest impression was titled *After Awakening Blood Energy, I Reached the Pinnacle of Life*.
The protagonist had accidentally saved a high-ranking member of the Blood Clan and earned the chance for an Embrace. Because his initial talent was terrible, he was looked down on and mocked by other vampires—only for his very first major talent to turn out to be Blood Energy. Hailed as a once-in-a-century genius of the Blood Clan, he went on not only to slap down every vampire who had sneered at him, but also got promoted, married a wealthy Blood Clan beauty, and reached the pinnacle of life.
Notably, the novel featured a great deal of fictional blood magic.
During eighth grade, Yu Xian had been utterly obsessed with the book, even fantasizing that he was the protagonist.
His eighth-grade self could never have dreamed that one day he would not only become a vampire, but also awaken Blood Energy as his third talent. It was less scientific than the wildest power fantasy.
One had to admit, the old saying kept proving its worth: reality was sometimes stranger than fiction, because fiction had to make sense, whereas reality often had no logic at all.
Ever since awakening Blood Energy, Yu Xian had been pondering blood magic.
The Qilin app contained quite a few video records of vampires utilizing Blood Energy. For instance, using Blood Energy to summon a massive Blood Scythe, Blood Chains capable of locking down an entire area, Blood Wings used for flight, a Blood Cloak used to block sunlight during the day, and even the Red Cloud Black Sky Art used by the Progenitor in daytime combat.
For many of these blood spells, watching the effects alone gave no clue as to how they were actually performed.
In the end, Yu Xian turned his attention to the Blood Scythe. Though it was by no means simple, he felt he might be able to craft an imitation.
Controlling the little blood figures to duel was actually his way of training his shaping ability, while the spears in their hands trained the stability of Blood Energy once formed into weapons.
With no one to guide him, he didn't know whether his approach was right or how far it fell short of the Blood Clan's authentic magic.
In truth, he had also developed another application: bubbles.
Once he made the Blood Energy viscous, adding just a tiny bit of air allowed it to blow into bubbles as easily as chewing gum.
If he gathered a layer of bubbles beneath his feet, they could produce tremendous elasticity, boosting his speed to an absurd degree.
Beyond that, he envisioned lining the inner layer of his Silver Blood armor with a dense cushion of tiny bubbles. Facing opponents with overwhelming physical strength, that should provide substantial shock absorption.
The bell rang for the end of the period.
Yu Xian drew the Blood Energy back into his body and pulled out his phone to browse trending news, giving his mind a brief rest.
Although sunlight prevented physical fatigue, maintaining intense concentration still wore him down in a different way. It was like working an assembly line in a factory: even if your body didn't ache, the mental exhaustion still crept in.
It was always best to balance work and rest, taking a break when it was time to relax.
"Salty Fish, do you have plans tonight?" Chen Ling asked, turning around after whispering with Nora for a moment.
Yu Xian nodded. "I'm free. What's up?"
Night patrols didn't happen every day.
He and Zhang Shou were only scheduled twice a week; the combat police covered the rest on rotation.
Since he and Zhang Shou had already served a patrol shift the night before, they certainly wouldn't be called up tonight. He genuinely had free time.
"The Beast Arena has a headlining show tonight. Nora wants to invite us to watch it together. Do you and Zhang Shou want to go?" Chen Ling asked.
Yu Xian glanced at Nora. Seeing her pretend not to care, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Since the silly goose is treating, of course I can't pass it up."
The Beast Arena was where Transcendents captured extraordinary beasts in the wilderness and pitted them against fighters inside a cage. It was somewhat like a bullfight, almost always ending in the beast's death.
Yu Xian had never seen a live match, but there were plenty of paid videos online, and he had watched his fair share in the past.
Famous beast gladiators were essentially superstars. They endorsed products, commanded massive fan followings, and could pull in fortunes just from merchandise sales.
If he hadn't joined Qilin, Yu Xian figured that once he grew strong enough to stop fearing the Blood Clan, he might very well have become a beast gladiator.
"You're the silly goose!"
Nora rolled her eyes at him, though the corners of her lips curved upward in secret.
Lately, thanks to Yu Xian, Nora's standing within the Blood Clan hadn't dropped at all; in fact, it had skyrocketed. If she had once merely been teased by the academy as the little princess of the Blood Clan, now she was genuinely on the verge of becoming one.
Yu Xian had turned into a vampire using her blood, yet he didn't fear sunlight. That was a colossal breakthrough. If every vampire she Embraced shared that immunity, the Blood Clan would no longer be confined to the shadows; they could assert their presence in broad daylight.
One could say Nora had become the clan's new hope. Even the Progenitor had taken notice, reportedly considering granting her the Progenitor's Blood.
The next period was self-study as well.
After agreeing on a meeting spot for the evening, the three fell quiet and went back to their own business.
Yu Xian put his hands back under the desk. This time, he condensed a small crimson knife. Pressing it into his palm, he gauged its hardness and sharpness.
*If I compress the Blood Energy further...*
Judging by the feel, the blade was only on par with ordinary iron. He began compressing the Blood Energy with his intent.
While most vampires were fragile glass cannons, Yu Xian was an exception.
For reasons unknown, his physique resembled that of a normal vampire—lean, slender, perhaps even slightly thin. Looking at his face and muscle tone, no one would ever suspect he could casually lift one or two tons.
To withstand his own power and speed, his skin, sinews, and bones had become remarkably tough.
Especially after awakening Blood Energy, an ordinary kitchen knife couldn't even break his skin, and blunt weapons like iron rods could hardly inflict meaningful harm.
By now, the fifteen-centimeter knife had been compressed down to ten centimeters.
He gave his palm a gentle slice.
A thin red line appeared on his skin, but beneath the sunlight, the cut vanished in an instant.
Chapter 26