Chapter 66: The First Law of Runes

Su Hao's early work consisted of breaking down the complex beast veins into smaller fragments, carefully chosen from the vast collection that [Cosmic Light] had cataloged for him.

The criteria for selecting these fragments were simple: if blood qi flowing through the fragment caused any change—whether it led to an unexplained consumption of blood qi, a slight vibration, or triggered his perception—Su Hao would mark that fragment as significant.

After a long period of accumulation, Su Hao's rune library expanded with an extensive collection of these fragments, all categorized by their behavior under various conditions.

With [Cosmic Light]'s assistance, he meticulously compared and analyzed them under different conditions repeatedly until he made an exciting discovery.

Among the fragments that caused subtle changes, there was a specific subset that consumed a significantly larger amount of blood qi. When the qi flowed along a particular path through these fragments, it seemed to vanish without a trace.

Intrigued, Su Hao began to arrange these fragments in sequence, following the paths that caused the blood qi to disappear. Eventually, he uncovered a common structure among them.

He then simplified this common structure by removing the redundant parts, leaving behind a simple pattern resembling four ribbons intertwined into a flower.

When he tested it by channeling blood qi through the simplified structure, the qi vanished once again, just as it had before.

'This flower-like pattern must be key part to the workings of beast veins', Su Hao realized. If he could understand its function, it could serve as a foundation for his rune research.

But the question remained: where exactly did the consumed blood qi go?

If he could unravel this mystery, Su Hao would take a significant step toward uncovering the secrets of runes.

Su Hao wasn't in a hurry. With a clear "path" forward, he knew the truth was within reach.

For the next five days, Su Hao maintained his routine—hunting fierce beasts in the mornings and experimenting with the flower-like structure in the afternoons.

However, despite trying various methods, after five days of effort, he was no closer to any answer. The blood qi continued to disappear without a trace.

"This means the energy is being converted into something that can't be directly observed!" Su Hao mused, growing frustrated, repeatedly experimenting and contemplating.

But what could it be?

Two more days of fruitless experimentation passed until a sudden realization struck him.

"Force!" Su Hao couldn't help but shout out loud. The answer that had eluded him now seemed obvious. His entire body trembled with excitement.

Yes, the disappearing blood qi was being converted into "force." This force, invisible and intangible like electromagnetic or gravitational fields, existed in reality but couldn't be directly sensed.

It was similar to gravity, magnetism, or tension but didn't belong to any known category. Instead, it was a unique force generated by the conversion of biological energy—blood qi. This "force" was central to how runes operated.

The structure of this "force" by itself was of little use. but combined with other structures, it could produce astonishing effects.

Exhilarated, Su Hao went without sleep for two full days, consumed by his research. When exhaustion finally overtook him, he paused to reflect on his discovery.

"Hoo~" Su Hao exhaled a long breath. Although he was utterly fatigued, the light in his eyes didn't diminish one bit.

"Let's temporarily call this force [Force one]."

He named it [Force One] because Su Hao had also discovered another type of "force", generated by a different rune structure. The rune structure was completely different, while the mechanism was similar, it converted blood qi into a different type of energy. Su Hao decided to name this structure [Force Two] .

These two forces weren't the same, but they were related. Through several experiments, Su Hao discovered that they could either counterbalance or amplify each other, depending on how they were combined. Different combinations would result in a range of effects.

'I'll need to run more experiments to gather data before I can draw any preliminary conclusions,' he thought, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

Putting his thoughts aside, Su Hao set down his tools and cleaned up his workspace. He lay down on his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

....

Su Hao slept until the afternoon of the next day. After waking and washing up, he began organizing his tasks.

First, he planned to simplify [Force One] and [Force Two] as much as possible, breaking down the rune fragments into basic segments.

Second, he would summarize a principle describing how blood QI was converted into force, which would become the first theorem inner workings of Blood Qi and Force—[The First Law of Runes].

Finally, he needed to return to Lingyun Town for resupply and to visit his father, Wu Yuntian.

Half a month later, Su Hao completed the simplification of both Forces and succinctly outlined the two forces into what he termed the [First Law of Runes] and the [Second Law of Runes], collectively known as the [Force and Blood Qi Effect].

He created a dedicated section in his Marble Space, dedicated to recording the laws/Rules of blood qi runes. So far, it contained the two laws he had derived.

After packing his belongings, Su Hao prepared to head back to Lingyun Town.

He had decided to abandon his base, as he had nearly wiped out the fierce beasts in the surrounding area. Even the beasts from farther away no longer dared to approach, making this place a small no-man's land for the beasts.

His plan was to return to Lingyun Town for resupply. Afterward, he would venture deeper into the wilderness to collect more beast veins and further his research in runes.

....

Upon arriving in Lingyun Town, Su Hao inscribed three beast veins he had gathered and sold them again to the Qilian Merchant Association, pocketing a hefty sum of gold crowns. He then went on a shopping spree to stock up various supplies.

He also bought essentials for his father, Wu Yuntian, including a full set of hunting armor, a long blade, and a round shield.

In addition, Su Hao purchased large amounts of food for the villagers at Chashan Outpost and hired someone to deliver it.

Su Hao felt a deep sense of gratitude for the small outpost. During his weakest and most helpless moments, it had been his father, Wu Yuntian, and the warriors of that outpost who had provided him with a safe place to grow. From his father, he had learned how to become a powerful warrior.

Out of all the worlds he had experienced, this world was special. It was the first where he had gained the power to protect himself, the first where he had truly felt safe.

Though he had died countless times in other lives—stabbed, blown up, drowned, swept away by floods and more—here, he was no longer weak.

The uncertainty of when and how he would die again had left him deeply shaken. If given the choice, he would much prefer to choose the method of his own end, rather than weakly and helplessly awaiting death's sudden arrival.

He had a choice now.

And if he had the chance to be transmigrated again in the future, the knowledge he had gained would serve as his foundation for survival.

That night, Su Hao lay on the roof of his home, savoring the peace in his heart.

....

Wu Yuntian sat in the courtyard, quietly sipping tea when Su Hao suddenly appeared.

Pulling out a heavy bag of gold crowns, Su Hao tossed it to his father and said, "Father, here are ten gold crowns. You should use it to find yourself another wife!"

"Poof—" Wu Yuntian spat out his tea.

....

Three days later, after leaving a few beast veins with his father, hoping they would help him reach the Master level, Su Hao set out once more, heading deep into the wilderness.

After traveling for more than ten days, Su Hao discovered a White-Fox pack and decided to stay in the area to hunt.

His plan was simple: exterminate the entire pack.