The Azure South Academy and the Bloodline God Refinement Art

“Is this the Azure South Star Domain?” A wide street, paved with patterned bluestone, appeared before Su Han’s eyes. The street was a surging tide of people, packed shoulder to shoulder, causing Su Han to gasp inwardly. Even the imperial capital of Luxibiya couldn’t match this level of vibrancy. It was truly worthy of its reputation as the continent’s oldest academy origin; its very name drew countless individuals to this place.

Bailuan led Su Han to the heart of the Azure South Star Domain: Azure South Academy.

“You wait here for a moment.” Bailuan conversed in a low voice with the enforcement personnel standing at the entrance. After a brief exchange, he turned to Su Han and said, “Alright, you can go in now!”

Once inside the inner campus, Bailuan meticulously explained the surroundings to Su Han. However, Su Han was already wondering what sort of scheme lay hidden behind his careful explanations, genuinely unable to fathom what Bailuan was plotting.

“Azure South Academy is divided into an outer and an inner campus. The outer campus is where we are now. New students recruited from across the continent will train here. If you believe your strength is sufficient to challenge the inner campus’s trials, then passing its assessment will grant you a spot. There are only twelve such spots available each year. However, if thirty people pass the assessment, it means you must rank within the top twelve to qualify for entry into the inner campus.” Bailuan continued, “The inner campus is entirely different from the outer. To put it bluntly, the outer campus of Azure South Academy is merely a proving ground for new students; its true core lies within the inner campus!”

Bailuan tidied his thoughts slightly, then slowly said, “You shouldn’t participate in the inner campus trials. For someone at the peak of the Archmage realm like you, it would still be quite challenging. After all, there are thousands of outer campus students, and every single one is fiercely vying for a spot in the inner campus. Ultimately, only the top twelve manage to enter.”

“Are you going to take the test?” Su Han asked, lowering her voice.

“Me? I’m already an inner campus student. Why would I need to test?”

“Alright, just stay put in the outer campus. Once you’ve grown stronger, I’ll be waiting for you in the inner campus~!” Bailuan flashed a charming smile, then tore through the air, departing for the inner campus.

‘So he just leaves me in the outer campus? Heh, even if I’m at the peak of the Archmage realm, if I can’t advance further, I’m nothing but an Archmage-level cripple! And he says he‘ll wait for me in the inner campus?’ Su Han chuckled self-deprecatingly. Nevertheless, she still yearned for the inner campus. After all, the inner campus offered more cultivation resources and would be of greater help to her. However, at present, Su Han wasn’t qualified to challenge the inner campus trials; even an Archmage at their peak was merely at the bottom of the contenders for the inner campus.

According to the academy’s rules, everyone admitted to the outer campus was granted one day to visit the Magic-Martial Library and study. What Su Han lacked, precisely, was a method for cultivating her bloodline. Thus, she made her way to the library.

With her Dantian shattered, she couldn’t cultivate Battle Qi. Her magical talent had been pushed to its limit, and her potential was now exhausted. Mech pilot was not an option for the time being. Therefore, the only cultivation system currently suitable for Su Han was the bloodline cultivation system!

The entire library building was constructed of wood, emanating a faint fragrance that spoke of elegance in every detail. Though people constantly moved in and out, the library remained utterly silent; not a single person uttered a sound. Su Han cautiously stepped inside. It wasn’t vastly different from a typical library in the 21st century, save for the fact that everything apart from the books themselves was made of wood. Su Han casually picked up a copy of ‘Basic Mage Spells’ and flipped through it. The pages were yellowed parchment, and had she not inherited some unknown memories, she truly wouldn’t have been able to comprehend the content on the parchment.

‘Even if I can understand it, what good does it do?’ Su Han’s eyes dimmed, devoid of light. With a resounding thud, she slammed the book shut. Immediately, every gaze in the otherwise silent library turned towards her. “My apologies, my apologies!” Su Han quickly bowed, then carefully returned the book to its original shelf.

“Do you need any help?” Su Han turned around to see a Gothic-style loli with blonde pigtails and blue eyes standing before her.

“Hm? And you are?”

“I’m Ailian Lilith, the administrator of this library. Big sister, I can help you find any book you need~!” she chirped. “Wandering around aimlessly like this will probably waste a lot of your time!” Lilith’s innocent smile instantly filled Su Han with a sense of warmth.

“Big sister, huh… never mind. Um~ I need books on bloodline cultivation.” Seeing such an adorable loli, Su Han couldn’t resist reaching out to pat her head, saying, “Lead the way!”

“Eh? Big sister, aren’t you a mage or a knight?” Lilith asked, looking back at her inquisitively as she walked. “Why are you looking for bloodline cultivation methods? That stuff is really niche, and human bloodlines won’t get stronger no matter how you cultivate them!”

“Who told you I had a human bloodline?”

“Eh? Is big sister a hybrid of human and other races?” Lilith giggled. “Hehe~ I am too, actually! But I didn’t choose the bloodline system; I opted for magic instead~!”

‘An elf? No, elves have pointed ears.’ Su Han mumbled, puzzled.

“No~! I’m a hybrid of High Elf and human!”

‘High Elf? Beings that transcended fae and elves, High Elves who once unified the four great empires of fae, elves, gnomes, and dwarves? Didn’t they vanish nearly a thousand years ago?’

“Big sister, you sound very interested in High Elf history! But Daddy told Lilith not to tell strangers just anything!” she said, puffing out her cheeks. “Still, once you and I get to know each other better, I can quietly tell you!”

“Ugh…” Su Han awkwardly scratched her head, feeling as though she were trying to abduct a young loli. Though curious about High Elf history, her most pressing task was to find a cultivation manual suited to her. So Su Han said to Lilith, “Um… you should probably just find me the bloodline cultivation books first.”

“Alright, this is the bloodline system book section!” Lilith announced. “Big sister, you go ahead and look; I’m going to help others!”

“Mhm!” Before Lilith left, Su Han didn’t forget to give her soft, fair cheek a gentle pinch.

‘Is this it? Methods for cultivating bloodlines?’

Su Han knew that each race possessed unique cultivation methods, and their bloodline cultivation techniques varied greatly. Although Su Han currently possessed the bloodline of a Destruction Dragon, she had yet to acquire the specific cultivation method of the Destruction Demonic Dragon clan. Therefore, she intended to read books, drawing upon the cultivation methods of other races to attempt her own practice.

Su Han first chose ‘Basic Bloodline Cultivation Method’. Upon opening it, she found it described how to continuously devour other bloodlines to strengthen one’s own, requiring consumption while the target was still alive. Su Han was surprised that such a book hadn’t been classified as forbidden. But then again, she realized, once you cultivated such a system, you’d become a public enemy to everyone under heaven, destined for certain death. Furthermore, this method had flaws. Devouring the bloodlines of various races into one’s body would ultimately form ‘Perfect Blood’. While Perfect Blood, a mixture of various racial bloods, was powerful, it was also extremely unstable and impure. It was like taking pieces from several different puzzles to form a new one—ultimately, it would never be stable.

Su Han returned the book to its place and continued her search.

About an hour later, Su Han held a black diary in her trembling hands. It began by describing how vampires could absorb all of an opponent’s bloodline power and transform it into their own. Su Han glanced at it and was about to put it back. However, the diary accidentally slipped from her grasp, falling to the floor, which coincidentally revealed its last page to Su Han.

It stated that individuals lacking talent in magic, Battle Qi, or mechs, yet possessing a powerful bloodline but no special cultivation method, could try the following: Nourish a Heavenly Flame with one’s own soul (at least a low-grade Heavenly Flame!). Form an equal contract with the Heavenly Flame, rather than a domineering s*ave contract (as Heavenly Flames already possessed intelligence not inferior to humans). Then, use the essence blood condensed from one’s own bloodline to feed the Heavenly Flame. When the Heavenly Flame was on the verge of advancing, it would reciprocate, refining one’s own bloodline. Just as Su Han tried to read further, she discovered that the last half-page had been torn off by an unknown hand.

“Who tore off that damned page?!” Su Han felt a surge of frustration, but more than that, utter helplessness. She had flipped through almost all the bloodline system books, and only this one offered any hope.

Although Su Han possessed a Divine Flame, she didn’t trust Bailuan’s words at this moment. Would that cunning and malicious woman truly be so kind as to give her a Divine Flame? Unbeknownst to her, Bailuan’s words were true, and giving Su Han the Divine Flame was merely compensation, as she would soon be erased by the system.

Su Han hung her head, dejected. Accidentally, her forehead bumped against the sharp corner of a bookshelf. “Ow, ow, ow~!” A dusty book then tumbled from the top shelf, landing on her head.

Su Han clutched her head and picked up the book. Its title consisted of four bold characters: ‘Bloodline God Refinement Art!’ Upon seeing it, Su Han forgot the bump on her forehead, her eyes gleaming as she eagerly opened the book…

“Excellent, this is it!” Su Han exclaimed, overjoyed. “This book is definitely for me!”

It was almost evening when Su Han, enduring the pangs of hunger, finally absorbed all the knowledge from the book. The only pity was that this was only the first half; the second half was nowhere to be found.

The first half described cultivation methods for bloodlines from the first to sixth ranks. While it lacked the seventh to tenth ranks, it was more than sufficient for Su Han’s current needs, proving to be immensely beneficial.

Su Han returned to her dorm, took out some dry rations from her ring, and took a few bites to alleviate her hunger. Then, she hastily sat cross-legged, entering a meditative state…