Chapter 11: The Dragonblood Codex (Part 2)
“The Dragonblood Codex?” Linley looked up at his father in surprise.
Hogue said with a smile, “Not just the Dragonblood Codex. This book records many things related to our Baruch clan, including the Dragonblood Codex, the method for making Dragonblood Needles, and the deeds of our clan’s ancestors through the generations.”
Linley carefully flipped through it.
Sure enough, the first quarter of this book was about the Dragonblood Codex, while the remaining three-quarters covered various other clan matters.
“Linley, this book is useless to outsiders. No one else can practice the Dragonblood Codex, and what use would knowing some clan history be to them? So there’s no need to worry too much. Besides, there are several copies within the clan. In fact, this one you have is also a copy. As for the original, it turned to dust long ago with the passage of time,” Hogue said with a smile.
Linley immediately grinned.
“That’s true. It’s useless to anyone else.” Curious, Linley began reading the opening content of the Dragonblood Codex.
Chapter One of the Dragonblood Codex—
“To cultivate the Dragonblood Codex, one must first awaken the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline within the body. There are two methods to awaken the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. The first is to have a sufficient concentration of Dragonblood Warrior blood. If the concentration is insufficient, there is a second method…”
Seeing this, Linley was stunned.
Besides reaching a certain concentration of Dragonblood Warrior blood, there was another way? Why hadn’t anyone in the clan succeeded in all these years?
“The second method is to drink the blood of a living dragon, or a dragon that has been dead for no more than a few minutes. If the blood has been dead for too long, its effects are greatly diminished. Drinking dragon blood can awaken the latent Dragonblood Warrior bloodline. It is best to drink the blood of a Saint-level dragon, as the effect is most potent. If it is the blood of a rank 9 magical beast dragon, the chance of awakening the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline is relatively low.”
Linley was dumbfounded after reading this.
“Our clan’s ancestors really were something else, thinking of drinking live dragon blood to cultivate the Dragonblood Codex,” Linley said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Drinking live dragon blood, and Saint-level at that? Linley, your clan’s ancestors were truly formidable,” Doehring Cowart said, appearing beside Linley. Seeing the opening lines of the Dragonblood Codex, he was also surprised.
Hogue, unable to perceive Doehring Cowart at all, said to Linley with a bitter smile, “See, Linley? According to our ancestors, the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline lies dormant deep within our blood. There are only these two ways to awaken it. But the second method—drinking live dragon blood—how easy is that? And… Linley, turn to the back and look.”
Linley flipped the page.
“However, the second method of drinking live dragon blood is extremely dangerous. Dragon blood is incredibly potent and has the effect of improving one’s physique. Pouring dragon blood over the body can drastically enhance physical constitution. But it also causes pain akin to being flayed alive. That’s just on the skin. If drunk, it feels like fire burning inside the body, to the point of being burned alive, blood vessels bursting, and dying on the spot.”
After reading this passage, Linley was speechless.
“Father, who wrote the Dragonblood Codex? If it’s so dangerous, why did they even include it?” Linley didn’t know what else to say.
Hogue’s expression turned serious. “Linley, the Dragonblood Codex was written by the founder of our clan, the first Dragonblood Warrior of the entire Yulan continent, ‘Baruch.’ Since he wrote it, there must have been a reason. Even so, in the clan’s history, two members tried drinking Saint-level live dragon blood, and both died on the spot from burst blood vessels.”
“Someone in history drank Saint-level live dragon blood?” Linley was somewhat surprised.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Back then, the first, second, and third generation clan chiefs were all Dragonblood Warriors. The Baruch clan was at its peak. Capturing a Saint-level dragon for its blood wasn’t impossible at that time.
“Those events are too far in the past. The true secrets aren’t recorded in detail in this book. I only know that because of this, the dragon race negotiated with our Baruch clan. But after that, no one tried again… By the time the clan declined, there wasn’t even a chance to drink dragon blood,” Hogue said with a sigh and a shake of his head.
Linley nodded.
Dragons were proud, as recorded in many books. Capturing a Saint-level dragon alive and bleeding it was a tremendous humiliation for the dragon race. It was fortunate that the Baruch clan wasn’t annihilated by the furious dragons. But this also showed how powerful the Baruch clan was back then.
“Wait, Father. Since no one has ever succeeded in becoming a Dragonblood Warrior by drinking dragon blood, why did the ancestor write this codex, saying one could drink live dragon blood to cultivate? And that even rank 9 magical beast dragon blood had some effect?” Linley was truly puzzled.
Hogue was taken aback.
“Linley, don’t ask too many questions. I only know the general outline of the clan’s history from this book. As for what really happened four or five thousand years ago, we can’t figure it out,” Hogue said to Linley with a smile.
Linley nodded.
But deep down, he still had doubts. Since the book recorded that no one had succeeded by drinking dragon blood, why did the Dragonblood Codex still include this method?
“Linley, it’s late. Go back and rest for today,” Hogue said with a smile.
Linley nodded.
Night.
Linley returned to his bedroom, holding the book in his hands, but still filled with confusion.
“Grandpa Doehring, if no one has ever succeeded with this method, how was it discovered?” Linley couldn’t understand this problem at all.
Doehring Cowart, as cunning as an old fox, stroked his white beard and said smugly, “Linley, this problem is simple. As far as I know, the dragon race is very proud and extremely powerful. My guess is that drinking live dragon blood for cultivation should be effective. Your clan was probably pressured by the dragon race, so some content in this book was altered.”
Linley immediately understood.
That was very likely.
Under pressure from the dragon race, the Dragonblood Warriors of the Baruch clan could no longer capture live dragons to drink their blood for cultivation.
“Of course, this is just my guess,” Doehring Cowart said calmly with a smile. “And Linley, as far as I know, drinking live dragon blood isn’t necessarily a death sentence. If taken together with ‘Blueheart Grass,’ it can counteract the harm of the dragon blood. But this secret recipe is probably known by very few people now.”
Linley was stunned.
Then he was overjoyed. “Grandpa Doehring, you’re saying that drinking live dragon blood with Blueheart Grass is safe?”
Doehring Cowart nodded confidently. “Of course. Back in the Pruen Empire, a princess was seriously ill, and she was cured by drinking live dragon blood with Blueheart Grass. And that time, I was the one who caught a Saint-level dragon.”
“I remember the old court physician who provided the recipe once said that everything in the world has a counterbalance. No matter what material, there is another that can neutralize it. This recipe was known only to that old physician and me back then. Now, six thousand years later, probably very few people know it,” Doehring Cowart said calmly.
Linley nodded.
“Live dragon blood, Blueheart Grass…” Linley’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “When I improve my strength and reach the rank 9 magus level or higher, I’ll use live dragon blood and Blueheart Grass to make little Wharton a Dragonblood Warrior.”
Linley even thought…
If he had the chance, he might take it himself.
If he could become a Saint-level magus in the future and also a Dragonblood Warrior, that would be a dream. But first, capturing a Saint-level dragon alive was a distant, unreachable dream.
“The road is still long. Sleep, sleep. I have to keep training tomorrow morning.”