Chapter 6, Scout

Yin Jiyan glanced at the several foreign affairs attendants standing beside him and slowly nodded his head

Originally breaking through to become a Star Warrior, Yin Xuejiao believed that she could earn her father's recognition, thereby gaining substantial support from the family resources, and from then on, rise to prominence and smoothly grow into a core elite of the family

With his head held high, Yin Xue spoke languidly, "Think of a way to kill that brat Yin Xue Ge, while ensuring that we are not implicated. If you do this well, not only will your son receive strong support from the family, but I can also reward you with a few blood slaves, transformed into blood demon bodies by the inner hall steward, to be granted to you as concubines. Wouldn't that be splendid?"

Having consumed the last bowl of specially prepared blood essence, Yin Xuejiao let out a satisfied belch. Her complexion was rosy, and warmth radiated from her body. The quantity of essence blood within her heart had reached three drops, significantly enhancing her strength. Gasping for breath, Yin Xuejiao leaped off the bed and forcefully smashed the white jade bowl onto the ground

That wretch cannot be compared to you, young master. You consume meticulously prepared blood potions every day, which not only greatly improve your health but also enhance your strength at an astonishing rate! That wretch only has the most basic blood slave blood three times a day, and I estimate he is still suffering at this moment.

I am very pleased to know that among your group of young ones, there is already someone who has successfully broken through to become a powerful Star Warrior

Having lived within the Yin clan for eleven years, Yin Xuege has developed his own means of self-preservation

The thin lips curled slightly, and Yin Jihuan let out a few mocking laughs filled with glee.

He never dreamed that he would suffer such a significant loss at the hands of Yin Xuege! In front of everyone, he, who had just been promoted to a Star Warrior, was actually severely injured by a mere child, almost killed by a single sword strike from Yin Xuege! This not only became a joke for the entire Yin clan, turning him and his son into the laughingstock of other clansmen, but it also subjected Yin Xuejiao to a month of disdain and scolding from his father!

"Damn the Blood Song, I will not let this go!" Yin Xuejiao shouted angrily, touching his neck, which was perfectly intact, not even a trace of a scar left. He stomped his foot fiercely, and the immense power of the Star Warrior erupted, instantly shattering his bed into countless pieces

Nonsense, what is that bastard? Born of parents but raised without guidance, a wild child who doesn't even know who his real father is, how dare you compare him to me, the young master? Find a way, I don't want him to suffer, I want him dead

The young members of the Yin clan, upon just breaking through to the Star Warrior level, could only condense a single drop of Blood Fairy Essence. Subsequently, with each additional drop of Blood Fairy Essence, their strength would increase by a fraction. When a hundred drops of Blood Fairy Essence are refined within the heart, that represents the ultimate limit of a fully realized Star Warrior's power

I have never met my mother, yet she surprisingly left such a treasure for me and the *illustrated* book

According to family tradition, before the annual martial arts ceremony, you young ones have the opportunity to leave the city-state to gain experience and knowledge

The excited and abnormal Yin Xue Ge exhausted all the energy contained in the thirty-six drops of essence blood within his heart, becoming familiar with a newly comprehended blood technique and a blood art. When the drums of the Zhi Zi Hall sounded once more, Yin Xue Ge fell silent for a moment, feigning a dying appearance as he lay on the bed. Even after the three rounds of drumming from the Zhi Zi Hall had concluded, he did not rush to the Zhi Zi Hall

Follow the family scout team and infiltrate the Human Alliance's Greater Berlin city-state to gather intelligence on enemy movements

A surge of blood light flickered in Yin Jihuan's eyes as he heavily bowed to Yin Xuejiao, all his thoughts focused on how to eliminate Yin Xuege without implicating Yin Xuejiao in the matter

Seeing Yin Jihuan in such a state, Yin Xuejiao couldn't help but sneer repeatedly

Yin Jihuan, a steward of the Yin family assigned to serve Yin Xuejiao, smiled and bowed slightly. Like other members of the Yin clan, Yin Jihuan also had the appearance of a handsome young man, but his triangular eyes marred his overall image, giving him a somewhat sinister and cunning look

This qualification is unheard of within the Yin clan, and can only be described as monstrous

A foreign affairs steward immediately came out carrying a large basket: "All the children will draw lots in order to see what tasks you have been assigned! Some tasks are difficult, while others are easy. Whatever you draw is what you will have, and this is the fairest way to do it."

Young Master Xuejiao, Yin Xuege has also been having a hard time these days. Last time, the Second Master struck him with a palm; although it did not kill him on the spot, he has been lying in his small building and has not gone out for a month.

The Autumn Cicada Concealment Technique has deeply imprinted itself in the heart of Yin Xuege, and with each breath, this secret art operates naturally, requiring no effort or mental energy from him. His entire aura remains as obscure as before, indistinguishable from that of an ordinary child.

In just over a month, it will be the annual family martial arts ceremony. Yin Jiyan's smile was quite eerie, and his deep gaze flickered across everyone's faces like the tongue of a venomous snake.

He received a set of soft armor made from the hides of low-tier demon beasts, a soft sword that was exceptionally sharp after being forged a thousand times, and surprisingly, the Internal Affairs Hall allocated him five hundred merit points in his name for defeating Yin Xuejiao

Yin Xuejiao's two rows of sharp teeth clicked ominously as he fixed his gaze on Yin Jihuan, delivering a fierce kick to Yin Jihuan's face.

When each young member of the Yin clan breaks through to become a Star Warrior, they will awaken one or two extraordinary skills from their bloodline. If the skill is a melee technique, it is referred to as "Blood Technique"; if it is a ranged spell, it is called "Blood Art"

Yin Xuejiao raised an eyebrow and suddenly burst into loud laughter with the librarian. He shot a fierce glance at Yin Jihuan and, with a swift motion, slapped Yin Jihuan across the face.

Thus, another half month has passed, and it has been a full month since Yin Xue Ge dealt a heavy blow to Yin Xue Jiao in the Zhi Zi Hall

Half a month has passed in a hurry, and Yin Xuege has discovered with some surprise that his body seems to have undergone some marvelous changes. Even though he does not consume fresh blood daily, his body is no longer affected by the cold, dark energy. Moreover, the efficiency with which he absorbs the essence of moonlight has increased to a degree that astonishes him; it is as if there is an endless black hole within him, not merely absorbing the essence of moonlight, but rather plundering and devouring it.

The Blood Claw is merely a close-combat blood technique used by lower-tier warriors, a desperate move in hand-to-hand combat. Although the lethality of the Blood Claw is astonishing, its significance is limited. In the Yin clan, only those low-tier vassal warriors would employ the Blood Claw to fight to the death against their enemies

Yin Blood Song consumes fresh blood extracted from blood slaves at regular intervals each day, absorbs the essence of the moon every night to refine himself, and exhausts the power of the blood fairy within his heart daily. He strives to familiarize himself with the two newly comprehended techniques: Blood Claw and Blood Shadow.

After the ordinary Yin Clan star warrior successfully condensed the first drop of essence blood, they must endure great hardships to refine the blood within their body and extract blood energy in order to generate a new drop of essence blood. However, in just half a month, Yin Xuege surprisingly produced three new drops of essence blood within his body, a level of efficiency that startled even him!

Twelve thousand seven hundred low-ranking warriors stood in neat rows on the eastern side of the plaza in front of the Foreign Affairs Hall, while six thousand four hundred children stood on the eastern side. On the steps in front of the Foreign Affairs Hall, the chief steward Yin Jiyan stood with his hands behind his back, proudly towering over the crowd.

The afterimage suddenly retracted, and Yin Xuege stood calmly in the center of the room. The blood energy that pervaded his body converged towards his heart, and the surging blood energy immediately stimulated the recently condensed essence blood. A flash of blood light flickered in his eyes, and within his heart, thirty-six drops of blood essence simultaneously glimmered with a hint of azure light. A subtle aura surged into his mind, and Yin Xuege suddenly comprehended two remarkable skills

Due to the successful breakthroughs of many young individuals this year, the difficulty of this year's training tasks has also been increased

Moreover, Yin Xuege is well aware that enemies are everywhere in the Yin clan. A secret technique for self-preservation is far more practical than fighting skills that risk one's life! Not everyone among the young of the Yin clan can comprehend a life-saving technique like Blood Shadow Technique, even if they have broken through to Star Warrior. This Blood Shadow Technique can completely serve as a trump card for Yin Xuege's survival

Subsequently, an even more astonishing event occurred for Yin Xuege—his treatment was unexpectedly elevated to a level comparable to that of the other legitimate sons

With a crisp sound, the solid and heavy bronze paperweight was split into six segments by Yin Xuege's claw. The polished surfaces of the bronze fragments fell to the ground, making a ringing sound. Yin Xuege's small face twitched involuntarily; the blood technique he had awakened, known as "Blood Draining Claw," possessed such immense power, far exceeding the lethality of the soft sword he usually wielded, which was at least ten times less effective.

Never before has there been a child who, upon breaking through to the Star Warrior level, could condense thirty-six drops of essence blood within their heart! This is unprecedented and unheard of! The current strength of the Blood Song has already reached a level comparable to those members of the Yin clan who have broken through and then diligently cultivated for three to five years.

He must die! Yin Jihuan, stop talking nonsense to me!

The blood mist barrier surged forth, and the light within the Yin clan city-state suddenly dimmed

Slowly rising to his feet, Yin Xuege's figure swayed, and suddenly six afterimages appeared in the small room. His form flickered like a ghost, appearing and disappearing throughout the room, occasionally dashing along the walls and ceiling. Having broken through to the Star Warrior level, whether he was rushing forward along the walls or simply running on the ceiling, it felt as easy as walking on flat ground, without the slightest discomfort

However, as he focused inward, the thirty-six drops of azure light flowing from the heart of the blood song were continuously expanding and contracting with each heartbeat. The azure halo spread throughout his body along with the blood, meticulously sculpting his physique and enhancing his strength

Clearing his throat gently, Yin Jiyan said slowly: "Some of you young ones will accompany the family warriors to hunt blood slaves, enhancing the family's foundation! Others will join the family hunting team to slay demon beasts, clearing the surrounding environment for the family! Of course, there are various other tasks as well, and under the protection of the family warriors, you will all gain a wealth of experience!"

The pristine skin of the dumpling turned a shade of red, as the excited Yin Xuege dissipated the power of the blood-stained claws. A trickle of vitality surged back to the heart, and the dim azure essence of blood instantly regained its luster. However, Yin Xuege had torn apart the bronze paperweight, expending considerable energy, and the previous bright azure glow of this drop of essence had dimmed significantly.

The Yin clan faces difficulties in procreation; influenced by the cold energy inherent in the blood demon's body, it takes an average of a hundred years for the Yin clan to produce a new generation. Yin Jihuan, lacking power and influence within the Yin clan, naturally has few wives and concubines. It was only six years ago that he managed to conceive a son, who is as precious to him as his own heart. Yin Xuejiao threatens him with his only offspring, confident that he will not resist.

With a sudden sway of his figure, Yin Xuege began to recite a strange incantation. The three drops of azure blood within his heart suddenly dimmed in brilliance. His body transformed into a hazy shadow of blood, and then abruptly vanished without a trace. In the next moment, his body reappeared in the corner of the room several meters away, and Yin Xuege's face turned a deep crimson once again

He lowered his head at the first moment and grasped the silver jade cicada hanging from his chest. Feeling the smooth and warm texture of the silver jade cicada, a strange expression that was neither a smile nor a frown appeared on the youthful face of Yin Xuege.

The azure light from a drop of azure blood suddenly erupted all at once, enveloping Yin Xuege's body in a dense mist of blood. His right hand's five fingers suddenly shot out sharp blood light three inches long. He glanced around his room, grabbed a piece of bronze paperweight that he usually used from the table, and fiercely clawed down at the bronze paperweight, which was over a foot long and about an inch thick.

After a long pause, Yin Jihuan took out a black scroll from his sleeve, unfurled it, and gestured at a line of blood-red characters on it.

Poor Tian, in recent years, Yin Xuege has been constantly tasked with various chores by the Yin clan, accumulating only three to five merit points at a time. This time, the Internal Affairs Hall has awarded him a one-time bonus of five hundred merit points. Is the moon really rising from the west?

Although Yin Jihuan is a steward of the Yin clan, he is merely the lowest-ranking steward within the clan, engaged in menial tasks that serve others. Despite being of the same generation as Yin Jiying, the young master of the Yin clan, he hails from a distant branch of the family. His status within the Yin clan is only slightly higher than that of blood servants and blood slaves.

With a fierce glare at Yin Jihuan, who lay on the ground too afraid to move, Yin Xue snarled, "Think of a way to kill him. I know your son is about to reach the age to join the Zhi Zi Hall, and I will naturally ensure he is well cultivated! Or you can continue to play dumb, and I will have the people from Zhi Zi Hall kill your son! You decide what to do!"

During these ten days, he received a daily dose of a refined blood potion infused with the essence of a hundred herbs to nourish his body. Not to mention that his injuries have completely healed, even in the two days immediately following his injury from Yin Ji's attack, if he had received a daily dose of the refined blood potion, his body would have nearly recovered by then

Faint footsteps echoed all around, belonging to the Yin warriors on night patrol changing shifts. The sound of fluttering garments swept through the air as the skilled Yin warriors responsible for the night watch returned to the Outer Affairs Hall to hand over their patrol duties after the blood mist barrier was activated

Five days later, the Foreign Affairs Hall of the Yin Clan suddenly rang the bell to gather all low-ranking warriors and children. Over ten thousand low-ranking warriors and several thousand children of the Yin Clan quickly rushed to accept the summons of the Foreign Affairs Hall

Half of his neck was slashed open, resulting in a significant loss of blood and energy, nearly causing Yin Xuejiao, who had just broken through to the Star Warrior level, to fall back to the Child Realm. However, with the nourishment from a large amount of precious blood essence, he fully recovered his health

Yin Xuejiao suddenly felt a surge of joy; he cheerfully patted Yin Jihuan's shoulder, wrapped himself in a long robe, and hurriedly exited the small building. Yin Jihuan, feeling quite pleased with himself, shook his head and called out loudly to the library, shouting "Young Master Xuejiao," and hurriedly followed after him.

Yin Jihuan's body trembled violently, and his sinister triangular eyes began to dart around rapidly, racking his brain to figure out how to eliminate Yin Xuege. As for whether there would be any repercussions after killing Yin Xuege, he no longer cared at all

Yin Xuege awakens from a state of ethereal cultivation

Enough nonsense! I, the young master, broke through to become a Star Warrior at the age of fourteen. I am the first genius of the Yin family in hundreds of years! He is just a bastard who doesn't even know who his father is, a wild child. How dare he almost cut off my head in front of so many people!

The Blood Song of Yin is even clearer; if what happens to him were to be known by Yin Jiwu, Yin Jihuang, and others, what awaits him would undoubtedly be a fate of being cut into a thousand pieces or simply disappearing without a trace. Therefore, each day, apart from cultivating, he continuously practices the Autumn Cicada Concealment Technique, ensuring that not a trace of his aura is revealed.

After receiving a slap from Yin Xuejiao, Yin Jihuan not only did not get angry but instead approached Yin Xuejiao with a bright smile, gently advising: "Young Master Xuejiao, although that illegitimate child is worthless, we all wish for his death! However, he does carry the title of the legitimate son of the Yin family. If we were to truly kill him, it would likely implicate you as well, Young Master!"

Yin Xuege has received the most orthodox teachings of the Yin clan since childhood in the Child Palace, and he naturally places even greater importance on this life-saving Blood Shadow Technique

The Blood Shadow Technique, which requires a tremendous cost of at least three drops of blood essence to unleash its full energy, is highly valued by the direct descendants of the Yin clan. The Blood Demon clan is cunning and unpredictable, emphasizing the importance of retreating a thousand miles if a strike fails. This escape technique for preserving life is of utmost significance to them

Thus, another ten days have passed. During these ten days, Yin Xuege unexpectedly received unprecedented favorable treatment

Every day, a blood servant delivers the daily prescribed share of blood to the room of the Yin Blood Song, consisting of fresh blood drawn from the blood slaves. This is the essential sustenance for the young members of the Yin clan. Without the fresh blood to dispel the dark energy within their bodies, these young ones would perish due to the freezing of their bloodlines.

Yin Xuejiao became increasingly enraged, his entire body surging with a mist of blood, and his long hair stood up straight, each strand like a needle!

For several consecutive days, he had not made an appearance. Everyone in the Yin clan knew that he had been severely injured by a powerful strike from Yin Ji. Yin Xuege had been missing for several days without a trace, and no one found it surprising. Even those direct descendants who usually troubled Yin Xuege did not come to his small building to make a fuss.

One by one, the children drew task slips from the large basket, and Yin Xuege, as per tradition, remained the last among all the children. When he drew his task slip, only the final slip remained in the large basket

This is a very rare escape secret technique, "Blood Shadow Technique," which transforms into a blood shadow, a life-saving secret method that allows for instantaneous evasion