Advancement to Four-Winged Marquis

　　The job of a librarian turned out to be as leisurely as expected. 

　　Caesar's life was quite comfortable. 

　　Every day, aside from his regular check-ins, he immersed himself in meditation and cultivated his energy. 

　　A month passed in the blink of an eye. 

　　During this time, one of Stephanie's maids came by to return a cartload of books that the princess had finished reading, while taking away another cartload… 

　　Caesar couldn't fathom the life of this bookish girl. 

　　Didn't she need to cultivate? 

　　Stephanie was still very young, only twenty years old. Considering the extremely long lifespan of vampires, she was practically still an infant, at most just an embryo. 

　　She had plenty of time and opportunities to squander. 

　　It must be said that Marquis Arthur was extremely indulgent with his daughter, providing Stephanie with everything he could think of that was the best. 

　　From this perspective, he was a very competent father; whatever Stephen hadn't given to Stephanie, Marquis Arthur had. 

　　One day, just like any other, Caesar lay down in his coffin and began his check-in. 

　　"Ding! Check-in successful. Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Duke's Essence Blood x1!" 

　　A drop of essence blood appeared in his palm. 

　　It contained a wild, immense, and terrifying life energy—a Duke's Essence Blood that would make any marquis covetous and envious! 

　　However, Caesar's expression remained calm. 

　　This was already the fifth drop of Duke's Essence Blood he had received from his check-ins this month. 

　　Since arriving in the Duke clan, he felt the check-in rewards had significantly improved, allowing him to obtain Duke's Essence Blood every few days. He had even received the "Thousand Masks," an eight-star magical artifact, from a previous check-in. 

　　Caesar speculated that the system's check-in mechanism was akin to "mining." When one first arrived at a new mine, the best resources were guaranteed to be found. 

　　But over time, the mining would deplete the resources, leading to less valuable rewards. 

　　Thus, the essence of this system lay in the realization that when he noticed a sudden drop in check-in rewards, it meant it was time to leave that place. 

　　…

　　He swallowed the essence blood and entered a state of meditation. 

　　The essence blood dissolved, transforming into pure life energy, akin to a rampaging dragon. However, Caesar easily subdued it, refining it piece by piece. 

　　Several hours later, after successfully absorbing the drop of Duke's Essence Blood, he felt a slight enhancement in his vitality. 

　　"Hmm?" 

　　Caesar immediately sensed a change within his body. 

　　Above his shoulder blades, he finally located two "sealed points," or rather, acupoints. 

　　A faint smile crept onto his lips. 

　　The ability to sense the presence and blockage of these acupoints meant that the accumulation of energy within him had reached a sufficient saturation point! 

　　He could now begin to progress from "Two-Winged" to "Four-Winged." 

　　Just a month ago, he was struggling against the shackles of the Two-Winged level, and now he was preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the Four-Winged level. 

　　If other marquises were to find out, they would likely be left in shock. 

　　But in reality, with the amount of Duke's Essence Blood he had absorbed, combined with the unique nature of his dual cultivation, such a rapid advancement was hardly surprising. 

　　…

　　He took a deep breath, adjusting his vitality and mental state to their peak. 

　　Then he began the breakthrough! 

　　Just like the last time he advanced to the Two-Winged level, he continuously switched forms, using the power of Yin and Yang to strike in an alternating fashion. 

　　A dual assault of Yin and Yang! 

　　Under such a contrasting offensive, the shackles could not withstand the pressure at all. 

　　Several hours later, Caesar's body trembled violently, and a crisp "pop" echoed in his mind, as if something had been broken through. 

　　Boom! Boom! Boom— 

　　The power of his blood and energy surged forth like a flood unleashed from a dam, unstoppable! 

　　It transformed into two roaring rivers, rushing toward the two ends of his back. 

　　Eventually, the energy completely connected through the two acupoints, successfully forming a cycle. 

　　"Ha~" 

　　Caesar breathed heavily. 

　　The familiar sensation of itching and pain washed over him, causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead. This was the critical moment of transformation! 

　　Finally, he let out a primal roar, summoning all his strength— 

　　Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle! 

　　Four sounds akin to spring buds breaking through the earth rang out. 

　　Caesar grew four magnificent wings on his back—one pair above his shoulder blades and another pair below. The upper pair were newly sprouted holy wings. 

　　Without a doubt, he had broken through to the late Marquis stage, advancing to the Four-Winged level! 

　　The two left wings were blood red, swirling with a crimson glow, symbolizing the power of Yin; 

　　the right wings were radiant gold, covered in blazing fire, representing the power of Yang. 

　　The vast power of blood and energy coursed through his body. Caesar savored this destructive force, carefully experiencing the changes that came with advancing to the Four-Winged level. 

　　"Upon transforming into the Two-Winged mode, my vitality, physical strength, and mental power will all be enhanced tenfold compared to normal; if I transform into Four-Winged, it will be fifty times… Hiss!" 

　　Caesar gasped in surprise. 

　　This was the true meaning of "one realm, one heaven and earth; each step ascends to the sky." After reaching the Marquis stage, crossing boundaries to kill was nearly impossible! 

　　Caesar mused that if he transformed into the Yang Flame form and used the pure Yang power that was particularly effective against vampires, he might be able to contend with a Six-Winged Marquis, but most likely, he wouldn't be able to kill them. 

　　If the Marquis was this terrifying… what about the Dukes? The Princes? 

　　He could hardly imagine how fearsome the so-called "Twelve-Winged Blood Ancestor" must be. 

　　The stronger he became, the more he realized his own insignificance and the arduous path ahead. 

　　"There's always a higher mountain, and the road is long… I must stay cautious and not act recklessly!" 

　　Caesar took a deep breath. 

　　Resolutely, he decided that until he was truly invincible, he would not step out carelessly!