Ning Shan frowned as he looked upon the deformed creature towering over him. It was over three meters tall and had eight long and narrow limbs that pierced the sturdy metallic floor of this room, leaving deep but narrow holes.

Countless fangs sprouted near its mouth, coated in a green liquid that dripped onto the floor, corroding it with a mere touch. Every time it moved, the floor creaked and bent under its weight, partially due to its size but also from the countless pieces of metal that plated its body and limbs.

Numerous strands of thick hair bridged the gap between the metal plates. They spewed a fine red cloud of dust around the creature's body, and the tip of its legs seemed to end in sharp points as if the beast walked on eight sharp spears.

Ning Shan audibly gulped, trying not to run away from it. He could never tolerate these types of disgusting creatures, especially ones like these who seemed to be patched together with any sort of garbage lying around. This beast seemed more like an amalgam of mutant and machine—something he had never encountered before.

As he observed his foe, doing his best to remain calm, the beast lunged forward with a speed uncanny for its size. It swung two long frontal legs in an arc, hoping to entrap Ning Shan within. He ducked, letting the beast's leg pass harmlessly over him, only to face the giant spider's opened maw. The fangs parted, showering their surroundings in this green digestive fluid, showing the dark abyss within.

While kicking the ground, Ning Shan retreated, gaining distance from its opponent, only to be met with something unexpected. A red light appeared from the depth of that darkness, growing from dim to blinding. Then, a beam of concentrated heat emerged from its maw, searing everything in its path.

Ning Shan's pupil dilated at this sight. Through instinct alone, he twisted his body instantly, avoiding the brunt of the scorching ray, yet he couldn't evade the heat generated by its passing. The beam graze the end of his long sleeve. They burst into flames instantly, eating away at the fabric as he felt the heat against his skin.

Without hesitation, Ning Shan ripped them both at the shoulder before throwing them far away; a few seconds later, all that remained was a pile of ashes blown away by the convection of this heat wave.

Ning Shan's eyes narrowed as he sought a plan to take down this beast. However, his means were limited in his current state. Without the support of his cultivation or the surrounding spiritual qi, all he could rely on was the martial art he had learned as a mortal and the impure earthly qi that may serve as a flimsy shield at best.

As he barely avoided the beast's countless piercing strikes, waving back and forth through the slightest margin, a plan finally formed within his mind. It was crude and dangerous, yet it was all he could do in his current state.

Ning Shan kicked the ground with all his strength, dislodging an already damaged floor tile. It flew a meter in the air from the impact, high enough for Ning Shan to use it as a shield as he parried one of the beast's legs as its sharpened point glided across the smooth surface.

The angle was just right, yet Ning Shan still felt the impact on his shoulder as the sharp point slid across the plate, carving a deep grove. He then tossed the plate away. It shattered into two halves. He then dove below the beast's thorax. This seemed to be the beast's only unarmoured part and was his only chance to take it down.

Through a peculiar breathing technique, Ning Shan prompted the scarce earthly qi to rise from the ground through his feet, only to swirl around his hand. He sought to pierce through the spider's hide through a quick and precise movement, aiming for the seam where one of the legs met its body.

His hand collided with its hide, ripping it apart as the swirling qi drilled into its flesh. At least, that was what Ning Shan expected, yet reality proved to be disappointing. His qi-infused hand was stopped by a wall of countless red dust particles spewed from the beast's every pore—if such things even existed on that creature. It seemed as if this substance was formed of its very flesh.

The swirling qi met the red dust and was stopped in its tracks; his hand was not even an inch deep, and he was prevented from reaching any further. His heart dropped as he saw another leg poised to pierce through him. The qi surrounding his hand dissipated as he retracted his limb in a futile effort to at least protect his vitals from the incoming danger.

Damn it! If only that stupid Heavenly Dao didn't char my storage ring during that tribulation, this creature would only be a pile of disgusting flesh right now...

The pointed tip of the spider's leg collided with his chest, yet Ning Shan reacted fast enough to prevent it from burrowing any deeper. His fingers coiled around the smooth surface before squeezing with all his might. Sweat poured from Ning Shan's forehead as his muscles quaked under the strain. Fortunately, the thin spider limb was stopped dead in its tracks.

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However, Ning Shan was squeezed against the ground, the point of that spear millimetres from his heart. Blood flowed from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. His gazes darted all around, seeking relief from this tight spot, yet all he saw were two more legs aimed at him. He barely had time before they would be upon him.

Then, something peculiar came to his sight. His blood that stained the ground produced countless arcs of lightning on its surface. His eyes grew wider as he stared at this phenomenon, wondering what had changed for it to exhibit such a strange shift from how he remembered.

Only one thing came to mind: the skill that strange window of light had reported. Without even thinking, Ning Shan spit on his hand, covering the entirety of it in his blood. He could feel the arcs of lightning dance on his sky, reminiscent of the tribulation he had endured some time ago.

Every moment was like an eternity as he saw the deadly limbs inches closer toward him, trying to reap his life. Ning Shan only had a vague idea of what this blood could achieve; he could only gamble. Still, desperate struggle was always much better than rolling over and dying.

He stretched his blood-covered hand outwards, hoping to use the lightning as a blade to free himself. Yet, something unexpected happened once it collided with the red dust.

A flash of light covered the world as an explosion rang less than a meter from Ning Shan's face, originating from the violent collision of his blood and the red dust. Surprisingly, Ning Shan didn't feel any heat on his skin, nor the expected pain of such an explosion. In fact, the only thing he felt was the pressure on his chest receding.

Without even thinking, Ning Shan rolled to his side, barely avoiding the two limbs crashing where he once lay. As he stood up, he removed the pointy object from his chest, yet surprisingly, there was barely any blood falling from the wound. In fact, he could see countless arcs of lightning cauterizing the wound shut.

He ducked again, barely avoiding another swipe, then rolled under the beast as its fangs sought to gobble him. A massive amount of corrosive substance splattered onto the ground, boring through it as blackened smoke engulfed the room.

Using the leftover limb in his hand, Ning Shan thrust the pointy end into one of the mechanical spider's leg joints, shattering it. The limp appendage fell to the ground, crumbling into a mound of dust.

Ning Shan frowned before looking at the limb he had used as a weapon. While slightly damaged, it was still very much corporeal and not dust. He put it out of his mind as he barely avoided another swipe. It grazed him, leaving a small cut on his cheek that bled but disappeared almost instantly.

Something caught his eye. Before this injury, the indicator in the corner of his eye had read four dust points, but now it was down to three. He felt this was important, yet he had little time to ponder it.

He avoided another swipe before offering a counter, striking another limb off the beast. He took his distance as the creature stared him down, barely standing on his now remaining five long legs. Of the three Ning Shan had broken, one was in his hands, while two had crumbled into piles of red dust that covered the ground. He could finally take a moment to regain his breath.

However, his respite would be brief as he dove back in, unwilling to let this prey escape after what it had done to him. After all, he could see from its body language that it wished to run away. Its head was aimed toward the opened door, and its legs bent like springs waiting to be unleashed.

Ning Shan reached it first before it could take action. He avoided the singular limb aimed at his heart and the fangs covered in a corrosive liquid that sought to rip his head off and plunged his makeshift spear right into the creature's abdomen, making sure to slather his blood over the tip of the claw.

He then jumped and rolled into a ball, covering his head. This was a gamble, yet it had paid off.

The beast's screech echoed off the walls, deafening him as Ning Shan rose to his feet, and what he saw stunned him. Piles of red dust tumbled from the spider's thorax instead of the blood he had expected. It was only then that he remembered that none—except red dust—was seen when he severed the limbs earlier.

When his own blood collided with the dust pouring out of the beast, sparks of lightning burrowed into the beast's flesh, ravaging it. The two substances then created a miniature explosion.

A giant burst of wind followed as the creature collapsed after countless cracks appeared on its hide, shattering even the metal plates that covered it. Ning Shan covered his mouth with his hand, preventing himself from inhaling the red dust that now covered the room.

He remained immobile as he watched the remains of the creature he had fought to the death, relishing in his well-earned victory. Yet, nothing could prepare him for what happened next.

The piles of red dust scattered on the floor rose in the air before they began to spin amidst a vortex of their own making. Ning Shan could feel the dust that clung to his skin being attracted towards this vortex, converging into its centre before collapsing into a singular object: a deep red crystal the size of a grape.

Ning Shan stepped back, feeling a sense of impending doom as he looked at this artificial construct. It was only then that something outside of his expectations happened. The window of light that had remained inert ever since something had been downloaded into his brain emerged again—this time, with a different message.

Dust Crystal will be awarded for the user's first victory against the Dustborns...

Initiating Evolution Protocol...

Now it shows up again? What kind of evolution is it talking about?

Ning Shan took a step back. Yet before he could, the red crystal was launched toward him. He raised his hands to block, yet it seemed to pass right through him, burrowing into his abdomen where his qi centre used to be located. He felt a scorching heat assault him as the dust infiltrated his body. He collapsed, unable to move as the dust spread to every part of his being, rejecting his will upon his own body. He remained on the ground, unable to prevent what would happen next.