Chapter 2, Early Morning

Yin Xuege clenched his fists, raising his head to look at the solemn and imposing Yin Jiying, and with great difficulty managed to squeeze out a few words: "Third Uncle, it is them"

The nine-tiered pyramid, entirely in a dark red hue, undoubtedly reflects an exotic architectural style. Towering like a small mountain at the end of a square measuring ten miles in length and width, the pyramid exudes grandeur and majesty, instilling a profound sense of intimidation. The blood-red lights adorning the pyramid further accentuate its eerie and sinister allure, deterring anyone from approaching.

His bow was not directed towards the supreme Wahuang clan of the Eastern Demon Tribe, but rather towards the giant bat held aloft in the hands of the Wahuang. This bat, several meters in size, stood proudly in the blood-red palm of the Wahuang, a manifestation of the ancestral spirit of the Yin clan, said to be formed from a drop of the ancestor's blood.

The walls of the grand hall, constructed from massive black stones, are densely adorned with countless reliefs depicting the great achievements of the ancestors of the Yin clan

As the drumbeats sounded for the third round, Yin Xuege had arrived at the entrance of a spacious hall within the Young Master's palace. However, a foot suddenly stretched out from the side, leisurely attempting to trip Yin Xuege's foot. Yin Xuege's steps became abruptly chaotic; he quickly gathered his energy and narrowly avoided this malicious kick.

Tall and slender, he appeared a fist taller than the average eleven-year-old boy. His not yet fully developed face bore a hint of the eeriness and severity that should not be present in someone of his age. The handsome features made Yin Xuege himself feel somewhat unfamiliar.

This was originally a purely exotic-style building, but at the entrance of this pyramid, a statue of the Eastern mythical figure, the Great Sage Nüwa, who belongs to the demon clan, has been erected, standing at a height of 100 meters. With a human head and a serpent body, Nüwa stands proudly at the entrance of the pyramid. In her left hand, she holds the hilt of a uniquely shaped long sword, while in her right hand, she cradles a bat that is entirely dark red in color

Yin Xuege's heart twitched heavily, and what followed was a series of logically consistent malicious beatings

Reluctantly releasing the girl who was barely alive in his arms, Yin Xuejiao casually tossed her onto the ground, as if discarding a piece of trash

Gazing at the pale-faced Yin Xuege, Yin Jiying smiled with unparalleled grace and kindness

The drumbeats of the young lord have already reached the second round, and a large number of young members of the Yin clan are rushing in from all directions. Like the Yin Blood Song, they all bow and pay their respects to the blood-colored bat, yet they pay no attention to the Nuwa clan.

He knows who his mother is, but he has never relied on his unreliable mother! Even though Yin Xuege still harbors a glimmer of affectionate hope for her deep down, he has never placed his hope for survival on her!

Putting down the small bowl in his hand, Yin Xuege turned to look at Yin Xuejiao, who stood at the front of the first row. This bowl of blood essence, received after every full moon night, was an unwavering benefit of the Yin family. With Yin Xuejiao's limited abilities, he was still unable to deprive Yin Xuege of this advantage.

Yin Xuege closed the blood light in his eyes, turning into a faint shadow as he rushed towards the direction of the Zhi Zi Hall. The air was torn apart by Yin Xuege's swift movement, producing a long, crisp sound reminiscent of tearing silk.

The sound of the third round of drums gradually faded away. Habitually, words were used to pierce and suppress the blood-soaked song, and Yin Jiying let out a heavy sigh, satisfied as he wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, followed by a deep cough.

The Yin clan has kept countless blood slaves, and every morning, the bowl of red liquid consumed by these young ones requires the essence extracted from a full one hundred vigorous blood slaves. This essence is refined through complex secret methods and mixed with various herbs before it can be produced

The golden-haired girl shuddered slightly, suddenly dropping the tray in her hands. With an overwhelming sense of intoxication, her hands embraced Yin Xuejiao's body, and her face quickly flushed a deep red. She let out a moan of ecstasy, her curvaceous body pressing forcefully against Yin Xuejiao.

A group of children burst into laughter once again, standing at a distance while exchanging glances and engaging in playful banter.

Yin Jiying cast a reluctant glance at Yin Xuege—this wild boy was becoming increasingly "cunning." In the past, he would arrive at the Child's Hall before the first drumbeat, allowing Yin Jiying to vent his venomous taunts to his heart's content. However, now, Yin Xuege almost always entered the Child's Hall just before the third drumbeat, which deprived Yin Jiying of much of his enjoyment

"Yin Blood Song, you are not one of our Yin clan members. How can you address him as 'Third Uncle'?"

Inside the grand hall, nearly one hundred children, including Yin Xuege, instinctively arranged themselves into a neat formation. Even Yin Xuege, who was lost in thought and quietly admiring the reliefs on the wall, seamlessly joined the line out of habit without any error. The last child in the final row, given the suppression and exclusion Yin Xuege faced within the Yin family, could only stand in the farthest corner of the group

Yin Xuejiao greedily swallowed the girl's blood, until her face turned pale, her body weakened from excessive blood loss, and she began to convulse. Only then did Yin Jiying gently cough beside her.

What can you expect from a woman who is pregnant and does not even know who the father of the child is

In a dormitory area spanning over ten square miles, thousands of uniformly styled two-story buildings loomed like bloodthirsty monsters beneath the twisted tree shadows. The building where Yin Xuege resided was located in the most remote corner of the dormitory area, farthest from the Child Palace, and it was also the most dilapidated among all the buildings.

However, two shadows suddenly collided with him from behind, both striking his shoulders simultaneously. The immense force caused Yin Xuege to lose his balance, and he awkwardly flew forward, landing heavily on the ground after being propelled over twenty meters.

The young master stands in the northern part of this dormitory area, where there is a strangely shaped building that is almost incongruous.

Gritting her teeth, with a peculiar smile, Yin Xuege disdainfully shook her head and spat forcefully onto the ground

With the formidable and sinister body of a blood demon, during the end of the law era when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had completely dissipated, Yin Tianjue led his clan to raise blood slaves, seizing endless human blood essence to attain immortality and continuously strengthen the family's power. Over hundreds of years of alliances and strategies, the Yin clan was forcefully developed into a top-tier powerful force in both the eastern and western regions.

Every cell in his body was rejoicing, eagerly absorbing the miraculous vitality contained in this bowl of blood essence. Yin Xuege felt as if he were a small blade of grass, receiving ample sunlight, rain, and nutrients, and his body was growing rapidly.

Yin Xuege also picked up the small white jade bowl, which was carved to be as thin as a piece of paper and the size of a fist. The red liquid inside the bowl appeared unremarkable, yet this small bowl contained a full two pounds of liquid

In the past two years, Yin Xuege has lost the opportunity to absorb the essence of the full moon on the night of the full moon, and consequently, he has also lost the chance to rapidly enhance his strength by integrating the innate lunar energy contained within that essence. Every month, on the morning following the night of the full moon, a bowl of blood essence infused with powerful medicinal properties, which is a necessity for everyone, has become Yin Xuege's only external aid for self-improvement.

The Eastern palace-style architecture with its flying eaves and the strangely towering pyramids are intermingled, creating an odd yet indescribably harmonious atmosphere amidst the eerie and bizarre. Large groups of handsome and delicate members of the Yin clan, exuding an aura of gloom and possessing pale complexions, move about within this setting. Upon seeing the swiftly striding Yin Blood Song, they all silently mock him with a cold smile, reveling in his misfortune.

Half of his face smeared with fresh blood, Yin Xuejiao chuckled softly, spreading his arms towards Yin Jiying

A group of young female blood servants, dressed in light red robes, with slender figures and beautiful faces, silently entered the grand hall while holding trays. They lowered their heads and, trembling with fear, approached the young members of the Yin clan standing in the hall, kneeling respectfully before them and raising the trays high in their hands

This is the first round of drumbeats before the lecture in the Hall of the Young Master. After the three rounds of drumbeats sound, the young ones who have not yet appeared in the Hall of the Young Master will face extremely severe punishments according to the strict family laws of the Yin clan, a punishment that no rational person would wish to experience.

This is the great achievement that every member of the Yin clan is intimately familiar with, an immortal merit belonging solely to the ancestor of the Yin clan, Yin Tianjue. Since Yin Xuege became aware of his surroundings, he has heard countless stories about the glorious deeds of Yin Tianjue. He remembers even the most minute details of the vivid reliefs on the walls of the grand hall clearly.

With a loud thud, Yin Xuege fell heavily to the ground. The impact nearly turned his insides upside down, and his head spun in chaos, with stars flashing before his eyes, almost causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood

He does not know who his father is, which is the primary reason he is referred to as a "bastard"

"No!" Yin Jiying hurriedly shook his head, covering Yin Xuege's mouth with one hand, and exaggeratedly shook his head repeatedly: "I cannot accept your address of 'third uncle'! If others in this grand hall call me third uncle, I would naturally be delighted! But for you, Xuege, how could I possibly accept it?"

Closing his eyes, he took a gulp of the blood essence from the bowl. Yin Xuege felt a surge of hot liquid rush into his abdomen, which quickly transformed into a gentle, swirling vapor that circulated throughout his body. The accumulated malevolent energy within him was swiftly dispersed, leaving him feeling warm and immensely comfortable.

Moreover, it is unclear whether intentionally or unintentionally, the dozens of small buildings near Yin Xue Ge have not been assigned any residents, and even the few closest buildings have been reduced to rubble. Consequently, Yin Xue Ge's residence has been isolated from the other dormitories of the Zhi Zi Hall.

This bowl of blood essence, refined from the vital blood, holds immense value and requires significant resources to produce. It is an essential item for the young members of the Yin clan and even for the clan's people in their cultivation. Only this blood essence, which contains vast life force, can dispel the malevolent energy within the bodies of the Yin clan members, allowing them to live normally, cultivate, and even bear children.

Countless indifferent smiles resembled flying daggers, piercing through Yin Xuege's body in a chaotic manner, chilling him to the bone and forcing him to raise his head even higher. Braving the multitude of malicious gazes and smiles, Yin Xuege swiftly navigated through the dark and profound Yin family city-state. After a full quarter of an hour, he finally returned to his residence near the "Child's Hall".

Yin Jiying, the chief steward of the Yin family, approached Yin Xuege with a gloomy expression. He gently patted Yin Xuege's shoulder. Standing two heads taller than Yin Xuege, he shook his head and let out a long sigh

Without looking aside, she walked into her residence, hurriedly wiped her body, and changed into a tight leather outfit. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the bathroom, Yin Xuege forcefully slapped her cheeks with both hands, then quietly gazed at the reflection in the mirror.

The children laughed as they picked up their small bowls, drinking the liquid inside in one gulp. A sudden flush of brilliant red appeared on their pale faces, and then their skin turned as red as if it were on fire. A layer of fine beads of sweat emerged from their bodies, and the children exhaled with immense relief, filling the grand hall with a rich fragrance of medicine.

Third Uncle, my little nephew successfully broke through the bottleneck last night, but he has accumulated too much Yin energy in his body. This morning, he truly could not hold it in any longer! I ask for your forgiveness, Third Uncle

The city-state of the Yin clan under the barrier is shrouded in a faint blood light

The exotic stepped pyramid, along with the statue of the Eastern demon clan's great sage, Nuwa, and the enormous bat held in Nuwa's hands, all combine to create a sense of strangeness and distortion. Coupled with the faint blood light cast down by the rolling blood mist barrier in the sky, the Yinzhu's young prince hall resembles a giant monster bathing in a sea of blood, poised to erupt and destroy everything around it at any moment

With a cold snort of displeasure, Yin Jiying waved towards a door in the corner of the grand hall

How could the third uncle dare to respond to such a call when he doesn't even know who the father of this wild child is

The Hall of Young Ones, also known as the Hall of Inheritance, is a place established by the Yin family to teach the young ones various extraordinary techniques and secret methods of cultivation. All young members of the family under the age of eighteen, regardless of their background, must reside in dormitories located near the Hall of Young Ones.

In this cold and unfeeling Yin family, amidst these heartless demons, Yin Xuege has repeatedly motivated himself, struggling to survive in this harsh environment and under relentless oppression. To survive is to have infinite possibilities; if one dies, no one will speak on behalf of Yin Xuege

Yin Jiying seemed to have not heard the term "forgiveness of sins" spoken by Yin Xuejiao. He exclaimed in surprise, "Xuejiao, you actually broke through? Good, among the younger generation of our family, you are the first! Hmm, it seems that the future of the Yin clan is boundless, all resting on you!"

Countless times when he was attacked by harsh words, countless times when he was knocked down by the children of the Yin family, and countless times when he was ridiculed by the stewards of the Yin Extreme Shadow and other young masters, Yin Xuege silently gazed at that relief, encouraging himself time and again.

At that moment, a deep drumbeat resonated from the nearby Zhi Zi Hall in the dormitory area. The sound of the war drum, made from the hide of the legendary Thunder God's son, was incredibly deep, yet it struck the mind like rolling thunder, causing Yin Xue Ge's body to sway violently.

Monsters! The so-called Yin clan is nothing but a group of monsters! You are merely a bunch of monsters!

Since Yin Xuejiao has made a breakthrough, it is likely that there will be no shortage of individuals who have also achieved breakthroughs

Inside the hall stood dozens of young members of the Yin clan. Upon seeing Yin Xuege fall into the grand hall in such a disheveled state, everyone burst into laughter simultaneously. "Hee hee," "Ha ha," "Hey hey," the laughter, filled with boundless malice, surged like a tidal wave towards Yin Xuege, causing his face to flush red and pale in succession, forcing him to scramble to his feet as quickly as possible.

After a deep bow, all the children of the Yin clan transformed into shadows, rushing into the Hall of Children like a wild wind

Recalling the arrogant and domineering laughter of Yin Xuejiao from last night, and reflecting on the frenzied suppression and covert scheming by Yin Xuejiao and other legitimate sons of the Yin family over the past few years, Yin Xuege's complexion grew increasingly pale, gradually becoming almost translucent. A hint of bloodlust in his eyes intensified, filling even the small bathroom with a faint scent of blood.

Yin Xuege stopped in front of the statue of the Empress Nuwa, his small face tense as he deeply bowed to the statue in greeting

Cold words and malicious speech are like countless swords, stabbing repeatedly at Yin Xuege's heart. At merely eleven years of age, Yin Xuege has already heard these venomous words countless times. He simply grits his teeth, raises his head, and no longer looks at Yin Jiying, but instead directs his gaze towards the walls of this grand hall.

Blood Song, your qualifications are truly the worst I have seen among the young ones. Do you think there is still a need for you to continue wasting the family's resources in the Young Master's Hall? If the resources wasted on you were given to any of the collateral young ones, their current strength would at least be more than double yours!

The hopes of the Yin clan rest upon you. In today's practical training session, Third Uncle hopes that you can demonstrate your true abilities

What he is capable of doing, I can certainly do myself

Feeling the gaze of Yin Xuege, Yin Xuejiao heavily set down the white jade bowl in his hand. Then, he grinned widely, revealing his sharp teeth, and extended his crimson tongue to lick the trace of blood that had dripped from the corner of his mouth. In front of Yin Jiying and numerous young ones, Yin Xuejiao abruptly seized the beautiful golden-haired girl before him, his canine teeth suddenly elongating more than three times, and then he bit down forcefully on the girl's carotid artery.

A head of smooth long hair was tied back with a blood-red headband, with two long strands falling from the forehead, perfectly obscuring slightly dark red eyes. Yin Xuege picked up a strand of hair, squinted one eye, and his pupils rapidly expanded and contracted. After repeating this seven or eight times, his pupils suddenly transformed into a bright blood-red dot

The old man Yin Tianjue can accomplish things, and I will not be inferior to him

Is he the legitimate son of the Yin clan? Who would cherish such a monstrous lineage? The Yin clan, the Yin clan, the Yin clan

Indeed, just as the foreign affairs steward had said, Yin Jiying clapped his hands and announced today's course agenda

Isn't that so? Only we can call it that

For instance, the origin of the Yin family—at the beginning of the end of the Dharma age, the laws of heaven and earth collapsed, the spiritual energy of the universe dissipated, and the path to immortality for cultivators was severed, leaving no hope for longevity. The founding ancestor of the Yin family, Yin Tianjue, boldly rebelled against the path and entered the realm of demons. Disguised as an Eastern cultivator, he led the elders of the Yin family, known as the "Tian" generation, to launch a surprise attack on the Blood Demon Holy Temple, seizing the sacred blood of the blood demon from the upper realm and forcibly transforming himself into a blood demon body. The founding ancestor of the Yin family, Yin Tianjue, boldly rebelled against the path and entered the realm of demons. Disguised as an Eastern cultivator, he led the elders of the Yin family, known as the "Tian" generation, to launch a surprise attack on the Blood Demon Holy Temple, seizing the sacred blood of the blood demon from the upper realm and forcibly transforming himself into a blood demon body

Since everyone has made breakthroughs, today's lesson will naturally be practical training

On the tray is a small bowl made of white jade, about the size of a fist, filled with a bright red, viscous liquid.

That flash of blood in the eyes lasted for three seconds, then quickly vanished without a trace

With a cold glance at the expressionless Yin Xuege, Yin Jiying suddenly burst into laughter