Su Yu didn't feel too disappointed when he couldn't find a suitable acceleration method in the library.
If such techniques were truly common, the academy would've already mentioned them.
He had only been holding onto a sliver of hope. As expected, he'd been overthinking it. Since there was no shortcut, he could only continue grinding away at Opening Origin Art.
…
He had lunch at the academy, but when he returned home that evening, the empty house left him in silence.
Without his father around, the place felt cold and lifeless.
In the past, whenever he came back from the academy, his dad would've already prepared dinner, waiting for him to start eating. Now, with nothing but silence, Su Yu felt a bit lost.
Not in the mood to cook, he slumped onto the couch and turned on the television, zoning out as the sound played in the background.
There weren't many channels left to watch these days.
In Great Xia Prefecture, the best you could get was the local Great Xia News Channel and a few regional stations.
Due to interference from the All-Heavens Battlefield and other fronts, signal coverage was poor and transmission was difficult. Most prefectures could only receive their own broadcasts.
"Recently, traces of the Myriad Clans Cult were discovered in Great Xia Prefecture. Citizens are advised to report any suspicious individuals to their local Windcatcher Hall immediately…"
"Scum!"
Su Yu couldn't help but curse under his breath as the news played.
Bastards!
With the war across the heavens raging on, the human race was barely holding the line against the enemy races. And yet, some cowards saw an opportunity and chose to betray their own kind for power, siding with other races.
The Myriad Clans Cult wasn't a single organization. It was a conglomerate of traitors, each one pledging loyalty to a different enemy race, working together to wreak havoc within humanity's ranks.
Su Yu had grown up listening to his father curse them, and over time, developed an intense hatred for these turncoats.
He glanced up at the screen. A middle-aged man with a square face, clad in a crimson battle robe, appeared. His stern expression radiated authority and power.
With a chilling tone, the man barked, "Execute them!"
Swish!
A hundred kneeling prisoners were shown next. Behind them stood armored guards, swords raised. In an instant, a hundred heads rolled.
"Every Myriad Clans traitor we catch—kill them on the spot!"
The man's voice was cold as ice. His gaze pierced through the screen like a blade. "You dare step foot into Great Xia? Only death awaits you! From this day on, the Dragon Martial Guard will patrol every inch of our prefecture. Let's see how many of your worthless heads are left to take!"
Su Yu's heart stirred with excitement as he sat on the couch.
Xia Longwu!
The Lord of Great Xia Prefecture!
As for the public executions, he was used to it by now. Scenes like this were regularly broadcast. The only punishment for traitors was execution—swift and brutal, leaving no chance for future betrayal. The government's stance was ironclad.
Public executions served as a warning to all. A reminder: betray humanity, and there's only one ending.
But Su Yu wasn't focused on the executions. What caught his attention was Xia Longwu himself.
A dominant and terrifyingly powerful figure.
Twenty years ago, Xia Longwu led the Demon Suppression Army on the All-Heavens Battlefield—the very legion Su Yu's father once served in. That made him Su Yu's father's commanding officer back then.
Over the years, whenever Xia Longwu appeared on TV, Su Yu's father would get visibly excited, grabbing Su Yu and saying, "That's my old commander! Back in the day, he swept across the battlefield like a god of war! The enemy scattered before him!"
Hearing it so often, even Su Yu had been subtly influenced, growing a bit of admiration for the man who carved a path of blood through enemy lines.
"If I could become as strong as Lord Xia one day… that would be incredible."
The thought burned in Su Yu's mind.
These were true powerhouses. Every Prefecture Lord was immensely powerful, but Xia Longwu stood among the elite even in that group. What made him truly exceptional wasn't just his strength—but his age.
He was only in his sixties.
By contrast, someone like Lord Zhou of Great Zhou Prefecture had lived since the early An Yuan era—he was over 300 years old.
Twenty years ago, Xia Longwu had already commanded the Demon Suppression Army—while still in his forties.
Su Yu didn't know the exact strength required to lead such a force, but it had to be unimaginable. This wasn't something even royal blood could guarantee. Many sons of kings and legendary warriors hadn't achieved what Xia Longwu had.
"Xia Longwu…"
"Dragon Martial War Academy…"
"Dragon Martial Guard…"
Su Yu licked his lips. His mouth felt dry. He was still young—how could he not feel that surge of passion?
Had he ever dreamed of entering a war academy?
Of course, he had!
Great Xia Prefecture had several advanced war academies. The oldest and most prestigious among them was the Great Xia War Academy, with over 300 years of history.
But now, there was another top-tier academy.
The Dragon Martial War Academy.
Named after Xia Longwu himself, it was founded only fifteen years ago. Yet in that short span, it had become one of the leading academies in the prefecture.
Most of its graduates entered the Dragon Martial Guard—the most elite legion in Great Xia.
It was rumored that the City Lord of Nanyuan himself came from the Dragon Martial Guard. That alone spoke volumes.
Su Yu's father had once tried to join the Guard after retiring from the Demon Suppression Army. He wanted to keep following his old commander. But… the Guard turned him down.
Too old. Not strong enough.
Su Yu remembered how furious his father had been. Not at Xia Longwu, of course—but at the recruiters. "Why the hell wouldn't they take me?"
He'd cursed them for days.
Apparently, there was a small Dragon Martial Guard unit stationed in Nanyuan, but Su Yu had never seen them. Maybe it was just a rumor.
"The Great Xia War Academy sends most of its students straight to the front lines. Few ever come back. But the Dragon Martial Guard…"
Su Yu's eyes flickered.
The Dragon Martial War Academy was different. It was the training ground for the Guard's reserves.
Yes, its graduates also fought on the front lines and received similar treatment to other academy graduates. But the Guard's primary duty was home defense. That meant more time within the prefecture—at least in peacetime.
Of course, when war broke out, they were the first to deploy—shock troops, special missions, spearhead assaults.
If the Demon Suppression Army was the standing force on the battlefield, then the Dragon Martial Guard was the elite strike force.
"Fewer restrictions… more freedom… but once war begins, they're the first to charge into the fire."
"If I ever really aim for a war academy… the Dragon Martial War Academy would be the better choice."
Su Yu muttered to himself.
Unfortunately, it was even harder to get into.
Because it served as a reserve pool for the Guard, the requirements were even stricter than the traditional academies.
He rubbed his face with a bitter smile.
He was daydreaming.
Getting into a regular war academy was already a huge challenge, let alone Dragon Martial.
"What are the Myriad Clans Cult even thinking, coming into Great Xia's territory? Courting death… The Dragon Martial Guard has been mobilized. I wonder if they'll show up here in Nanyuan…"
Certainly! Here's a polished and emotionally faithful English translation of your passage:
Su Yu wasn't particularly worried—those Myriad Clans Cult bastards were too afraid to show their faces.
They could only stir up trouble in the shadows. Now that the Dragon Martial Guard was patrolling Great Xia Prefecture, these rats were burrowed deeper than ever. No way they'd dare make a move.
And even if they did, Su Yu wasn't afraid.
At this point, the entire population was practically armed. While there weren't any Ten-Thousand Stone realm experts living in his residential complex, there were still quite a few Thousand-Pound realm cultivators around.
Some were retired veterans like his father, others had stayed behind after their service, and a few were elderly fighters who'd once stepped onto the battlefield in their prime.
If a few Thousand-Pound level cultists dared show up, it would be a death sentence.
Those old men had bathed in blood before—each one a hardened killer. If a fight broke out, they'd respond without hesitation.
One shout, and seven or eight Thousand-Pound cultivators could jump out in a heartbeat.
…
After watching some TV, Su Yu made himself a quick bowl of noodles, cleaned up, and ran through a few rounds of Opening Origin Art before going to bed early.
He needed to sleep early—because his dreams came early. And once the dreams started, rest was pretty much over.
Over time, Su Yu had learned a pattern: the dreams always came around the pre-dawn hours. Before that was his most restful sleep—precious and not to be wasted.
…
Night fell.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And once again, he found himself dreaming.
It was the same nightmare that had haunted him countless times.
A massive avian beast was chasing him down.
"Damn it!"
Su Yu hated flying creatures the most. They were too fast—running away was useless.
When the pursuers were land-based monsters, he sometimes had a slim chance of escape. But the flying ones? Never. Every single time, he'd be caught and torn to shreds—waking up in agony.
He truly loathed these flying beasts.
This time was no different. The monstrous bird was gaining on him rapidly, the terrain offering no hindrance to its speed. The distance between them was closing fast.
Su Yu sprinted while glancing back, trying to identify what kind of creature was hunting him this time.
"Huh?"
He caught a glimpse—it was blurry, dreamlike—but he could just make out a bulbous lump on the creature's massive head.
"That's… an Ironwing Bird!"
"Holy crap, after all these years—I finally recognize one!"
Su Yu's heart leapt.
He knew eighteen different Myriad Races languages, but that didn't mean he'd encountered those races before. Even in his dreams, it was rare to meet one he could clearly identify. Most of his learning came from books and instructors at Nanyuan's intermediate academy.
But this time… he was sure. He hadn't seen one before, but he recognized it—because he had studied the Ironwing Bird language.
Ironwing Birds were commonly used by gods and demons on the All-Heavens Battlefield, serving as flying mounts. That's why it was one of the languages taught at the academy, and one Su Yu had chosen to learn.
Without hesitation, Su Yu turned his head and shouted, "Wei yi xi jiu yun!" (Why are you chasing me?)
The giant bird gave no response. It didn't even seem to hear him, continuing its relentless pursuit.
"We're friends! Lu yi ji you!"
Still no reaction.
Su Yu cursed under his breath.
The massive bird swooped down with its talons bared. He could already see the ending coming—again.
It was likely an Ironwing Bird, but clearly just a mindless phantom. No intelligence. Just part of the dream.
CRACK!
Just as he expected, pain exploded in his skull as the bird crushed his head. The dream began to dissolve.
Su Yu knew what came next—he was about to wake up.
Woken by pain. Again.
But just before he woke, something strange happened.
The Ironwing Bird, which had just crushed his head, suddenly let out a sharp, angry screech.
"Yue se!"
Su Yu's eyes widened. A beat later, he jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
"Yue se… No… not 'moonlight'—'blood'!"
His eyes went wide with realization.
He had understood it.
That Ironwing Bird had screamed in frustration. It hadn't gotten what it wanted—even after killing him. It was angry.
"Blood!"
"It wanted blood!"
It had spoken in the Ironwing Bird language—and this time, Su Yu had understood.
He'd had experiences like this before. But back then, the monsters in his dreams spoke languages he didn't know, and their words were lost on him.
But this time, it was clear.
"Blood!"
"It was after blood. But why? My blood? I've bled in dreams before—never triggered anything. What's different now?"
Su Yu rubbed his temples, his mind racing despite the fresh wave of nausea from the nightmare.
"It needed blood… but it didn't get any. My blood doesn't work? Could it be… it needs blood from its own kind?"
"Ironwing Bird blood?"
"What would happen if I had Ironwing Bird blood?"
"But it's just a dream—how could I bring something into a dream?"
He wiped his forehead, hand coming away soaked with sweat.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing. For the first time, the dream seemed… solvable. Tangible.
Those years of learning Myriad Races languages hadn't been a waste. Even if he'd only understood one sentence—it was enough.
"No matter what, I have to try. If I had Ironwing Bird blood… would the dream change?"
"But what if the next dream isn't about the Ironwing Bird? Would the blood still help?"
"I don't care!"
Su Yu sat up abruptly, eyes sharp with determination.
He'd had enough of these nightmares. Enough of being hunted, killed, waking up in cold sweat.
He had to find a way out.
"First thing in the morning, I'll head to Xia Trading Company. They sell everything—maybe they have Ironwing Bird blood. It's a common beast on the battlefield. I might actually get my hands on some!"
With his mind made up, there was no hope of falling back asleep.
He stared out the window, impatient for dawn to break.
Even if there was only the slimmest chance this could end the nightmare—it was worth trying.
He was done living like this. It was eating him alive.