Chapter 7: Encountering a Schoolmate from the Academy?

Looking at Lucian's retreating figure, Ye Hong's gaze flickered slightly, and he chose not to pursue. This decision was not made out of leniency, but rather because his blood energy had been completely depleted. Activating vampire combat mode had tripled all his base attributes, and the hybrid form of the Ghost-Wolf had further doubled those enhanced stats—a veritable burst of power. However, such a burst came with a terrifying rate of blood energy consumption. In just a short period of combat, his blood energy had been drained entirely. Had Lucian not fled, continuing the fight for a little longer would have forced Ye Hong to retreat instead.

Smiling wryly, Ye Hong felt a twinge of regret for not being able to kill Lucian, but he wasn't leaving empty-handed. He had successfully merged into the Ghost-Wolf hybrid form. Upon checking his hidden attribute panel, he noticed under the Talent Abilities section, aside from Blood Bonding and Bat Transformation, there was now a new ability—the Ghost-Wolf Hybrid.

Moreover, the most crucial takeaway from this battle was his deeper understanding of the vampire bloodline powers and combat modes. Both the vampire combat mode and the boosted Ghost-Wolf Hybrid required the sustenance of blood energy. If the blood energy ran out, he would revert to his original form.

Considering this aspect, blood energy was indeed the key. Reflecting on how to increase and strengthen his blood energy reserves, Ye Hong formulated a general plan consisting of two approaches: first, continue to enhance the vampire bloodline power within him, which was currently at the intermediate level. Advancing to a higher level, perhaps even achieving pureblood status, would certainly lead to a stronger blood energy reserve and improved combat endurance. Second, utilize the reincarnation points to reinforce his attributes. Currently, in his normal state, he was only at the E-Class Level 1, indicating ample room for improvement. When he eventually broke through to a higher rank of supernatural abilities, the effects of activating the vampire combat mode would naturally become more pronounced.

Sparkling with resolve, Ye Hong's thoughts raced through his mind.

"Suddenly, I believe what you've been saying," Selene said as she approached, suppressing her inner shock. Although she had harbored some doubts earlier, witnessing Ye Hong's impressive transformation left her no choice but to accept it. She had never imagined that fusing the blood of vampires and werewolves could unleash such potent power, thus validating Ye Hong's previous claims.

"Ye Hong, you can come back to the castle with me. With your strength, you'll definitely be highly valued by the vampire clan," Selene officially invited Ye Hong. Besides being impressed by his strength, she wanted Ye Hong to serve as a witness so they could awaken Elder Viktor and expose Kraven's lies. However, Ye Hong promptly rejected this proposal without hesitation.

Joking aside, Ye Hong, knowing the plot, understood Viktor's deep-seated hatred for the fusion of vampire and werewolf blood due to his daughter's fate. Standing before the awakened Viktor, regardless of what Ye Hong said, Viktor would surely target him.

Ye Hong had no intention of engaging Viktor and the vampires in their lair. Seeing Selene's disappointment, he smiled and explained, "Viktor is your adoptive father. Once he's awakened, I'm sure you'll find a way to convince him. Besides, we'll meet again soon."

"I'll reveal an even more astonishing secret then!" With a mischievous grin, Ye Hong speculated that Lucian must have escaped back to the werewolf underground base. Knowing that Viktor blamed Lucian for his daughter's death and held a grudge, if he discovered Lucian was still alive, he would undoubtedly erupt in fury and immediately declare war on the werewolves. That would present the perfect opportunity for Ye Hong to complete his final harvest.

Waving goodbye, Ye Hong left before Selene could persuade him otherwise. Taking advantage of the interval before Viktor woke up and started the war, Ye Hong decided to pay a visit to the exiled historian, Tannis.

Tannis, one of the earliest followers of Viktor, knew many core secrets. While Ye Hong wasn't particularly interested in Tannis's secrets, he aimed to acquire ammunition. According to his knowledge, the ultraviolet bullets that proved lethal to vampires were invented by Tannis. Three hundred years ago, after being banished by Viktor, Tannis nursed a deep resentment and eventually joined forces with Lucian, who promised protection in exchange for Tannis developing new weapons for the werewolves.

Transforming into a bat, Ye Hong soared into the sky and headed towards the suburbs outside the city. Arriving at Tannis's rural estate nestled on a hillside, Ye Hong circled overhead and was preparing to land when he noticed several familiar figures lurking in the jungle below. After rifling through his memories, Ye Hong's eyes flashed with a strange look. "Could it be that I've run into classmates from the Supernatural Academy here?"