"Urgh... It's so annoying!" Xin Dongyang's voice was lost amidst the chaos, but he still had the leisure to sit atop the remains of a three-headed bird, each of its heads crushed. Upon his makeshift throne fashioned by twisting the bird's wings, he sat with a grumpy expression, bluish blood covering his entire body, causing a sticky sensation that fueled his displeasure.

The blood of the lesser tainted beasts was bluish or green. However, as their ranks increased, this changed to contain traces of red. Of course, there were unusual kinds that did not possess any such traits, but for most, the colour of blood turned red with increased power. And this blood was a good source of money.

Xin Dongyang was currently not in possession of much, so he couldn’t just burn through the damn bird. Instead, he had to injure it "lightly" and ended up crushing its heads, resulting in the blood splattering all over him. The sticky, unpleasant-smelling, and even worse-looking blood covered him, but this was a unity-realm equivalent tainted beast that would fetch a lot of money. There was no way he could just burn it up completely!

As for why the Xin family's young master was lacking in funds? Well, it was all because of the shrew known as his older brother. All members of the Xin Family's main lineage had to go through a rite of passage, living on their own within a realm under the family's control. During this time, the family would not lend any aid, even if they were to die.

However, while Xin Dongyang was going through this little rite of passage, his eldest brother persuaded their father to let Xin Dongyang take part in the defence against the tainted beasts as the heiress to the Yin family and other young talents of the three esteemed families were also participating to gain experience and that their family cannot just sit back, and this time would also be considered as part of the rite of passage.

The reason for this was simple— to create an opportunity for a possible assassination. However...

"Xin Wang... The rite of passage is sacred. Any interference is blasphemy that can only be washed with blood." Recalling his father's words, Xin Dongyang sighed. 'At least that cowardly brother won’t do anything useless now. But still, to owe that old freak...'

Shaking the useless thoughts out of his mind, he redirected his gaze towards the others. "As expected, the Yins possess passable strength. Well, it makes sense for the heiress, but that Yin Huan... interesting."

The Yin family was a matriarchy, so it was only natural that someone like Yin Huan, who despite being of the main lineage was never given priority for resources, should be weak. However, despite being only around twenty years old, he was already at the middle stage of the nascent soul realm. He danced through the countless beasts, his spear striking them in a manner that resembled a dance but viciously targeted their weak spots, even manipulating their blood to cause them to explode from the inside.

"Hm... a special martial art? Or is it that spear... maybe both?" Xin Dongyang pondered but couldn't really know. After all, he was no spear expert. Moreover, Yin Huan's techniques were quite the opposite of the usual members of the Yin family.

Take Yin Meili, for example. Using her enormous Qi supply to form a water serpent and controlling it to wipe out the beasts, it was overbearing yet well-controlled. While Yin Huan's spear had a flow to it, his spells had a sense of efficiency to them. "It's more like that man from the Lin family's attack..."

It was truly interesting! Of course, there was yet another who attracted his interest—his former sworn brother and now traitor who abandoned him in fear of Yin Meili! That former sworn brother was now fighting against an ape-like tainted beast, his sword art unadorned yet sharp, which reflected his personality quite well.

"But to think he'd reach the nascent soul realm at such a young age despite being a loose cultivator..." Xin Dongyang's eyes had a glint of greed as he looked at the young swordsman. "I must recru—"

Halting his words, Xin Dongyang snapped his head in another direction, sensing a new foe approaching the battlegrounds. A humanoid creature with its entire body covered in strange stony armour and wings of dark flames on its back.

"WRAAAAAAGHH!!"

Its roar sent a feeling of domination throughout the battlefield, as nobody dared to approach.

"MONEY!" Except for one destitute young master. After all, while it might be a being almost beyond the unity realm, it was a "Unique variant". A unique variant unlike its fellow tainted does not possess the usual underlying traits Which meant...

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"It has got to be worth a lot!"

Xin Dongyang dashed at the flying creature with flames propelling him upwards. As he reached the variant beast, he threw a punch, clenching his fist with all his might. But just before impact, the beast's wings expanded, and with a swift, powerful motion, it swatted Xin Dongyang out of the skies.

He crashed into the ground, causing a dust cloud to stir up. The battlefield fell silent for a moment as everyone turned to see what had become of the Xin family's young master.

As the dust cleared, there was Xin Dongyang sitting calmly on the ground with a grin on his face. The beast suddenly looked around as its instincts screamed at it.

"Oh? You seem quite the intellectual for a mere beast," Xin Dongyang remarked, his voice tinged with amusement.

It was then that the unique variant noticed the glowing red upon its wings. Fresh blood smeared along the wings glowed ominously.

*Boom!*

The beast fell to the ground, writhing in agony. But that was not all. As its instincts roared even further, it looked around and found countless corpses of its lesser kind and blood-stained grounds. It tried to fly away, but only one of its wings had recovered.

"Blood ignition," Xin Dongyang whispered, his voice cold and resolute.

With that, a bright light covered the beast's vision. The blood-stained land and corpses ignited, burning with an intensity that made the creature screech in pain and fury. The flames spread rapidly, consuming its body and leaving it no chance to escape.

Xin Dongyang looked at the explosion and prepared to escape at a moment's notice.

As for fighting the variant? 'Why should I when I can just get enough profits for having "contributed" enough.'

While not exactly fond of his family, Dongyang wasn't one to hesitate to throw his family's name around whenever needed and with that nobody will dare to question his rights over the spoils of battle.

"Ah... But I do want to fight this guy..." The temptation of a satisfying fight lured him but, as who was currently not in possession of any life-saving treasures from the Xin family... "It's not worth it but..."

"Unfortunately" for Dongyang the tainted variant just so happened to have steadied itself and had launched itself towards him... Truly how "unfortunate."

The unique variant rushed at him with its claw outstretched and Xin Dongyang responded in kind with his own fist.

It wasn't that Xin Dongyang was confident in his fist arts, forget about forming something like an intent he could barely form fist qi. His talents in this field were average at best.

Usually, a "human" cultivator like him would rather avoid such a simple attack and counterattack instead of facing it head-on. Of course, for races such as dragons, giants, or such it is a completely different matter as they were born with strong physiques much like the tainted and the unique variant ahead of him.

However, Dongyang was confident in his strength. Why? It’s simple, his body has been trained since he was a mere child.

The amounts of elixirs and treasures of heaven and earth he has consumed for his body cultivation would easily form a mountain.

As the fist met claw, the slightly stunned "expression" of the unique variant who had a mask construct for its face amused Dongyang.

...

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

...

"You fucking worm!"

There was no amusement nor any excitement left, all that was within him was unbridled contempt. His gaze scowled at the "worm" as it crawled back from the ground for the third time.

First was when Dongyang detonated the blood within corpses using blood ignition, a technique commonly used among his family's main lineage by those who possess affinity for two of the three main attributes of their founder, blood and fire.

The second time was when Dongyang smashed the fucker with a fist overloaded with flame qi. Which broke the unique variant a.k.a. worm's armor-like skin revealing shadowy mist which was probably its true form.

This was no surprise to Dongyang as he already sensed that the creature lacked blood, this was also how he knew that it was a variant after all. Anyways, it got up and grew another limb a deformed arm with three claws.

And now it was crawling back again... even though Dongyang had ripped off its original two limbs...

"Haa..." Dongyang sighed wearily, this was quite mentally exhausting to him, 'Should I just blow him up?'

Although he seemed like a fierce man which he somewhat was, Dongyang was actually a bit calculative. He didn't usually let his abundant qi blind him and only used the amount necessary.

This was something he had been taught since his birth to never be in a state where he had to show weakness, so he always made sure to avoid a situation like depletion which would leave him vulnerable.

This over the past years turned into a habit that caused him to be more efficient in his qi usage.

'How can something be so annoying... Even if tainted beasts have great vitality this is just bul- Fuck!'

Shadows traveled throughout the battleground gathering towards the unique variant. Its body curled and healed and there was a lump forming upon its head...

Dongyang ran towards it, his hand in a claw covered in crimson flames. "As if I'd let you!"

Alas, the worm was too lucky, just like every other time. It avoided a fatal hit as darkness pulsed out of its body, sending Xin Dongyang flying away.

Landing on his feet dozens of meters away, Xin Dongyang looked at the worm, now in a fully armoured form with a single horn atop its head. "What is that?"

Xin Dongyang's muttering received an unexpected answer as someone approached him. "It's a crowned one... Once a tainted beast gains a horn, it’s called so. As it grows and gains three horns, it gains a chance to become a true abyssal fiend..." The response came from Yin Huan, who came to help.

"That means..." Xin Dongyang's voice wavered. Yin Huan also understood such behaviour. After all, an abyssal fiend is a true calamity—

"It must be worth a lot!"

Xin Dongyang's words left Yin Huan speechless, wondering if this young master of the Xins had lost his mind.

However, Dongyang was still somewhat sane. He was sure of his easy victory as he looked at the worm with a crimson flaming claw mark on its chest.

"Bleeding flames," Xin Dongyang's own unique spiritual flame that could cause anything possessing a soul or even a primitive spirit to bleed even if they did not have blood.

"As long as I remain defensive, I can win this without damaging it and then..."

Dreams of a luxurious bed, beautiful girls, and fine wine filled his mind, only to be shattered as that ill-omened voice appeared.

"Take this!"

An overbearing gigantic serpent made of water that reflected the greatest depths smashed into the worm and alongside it all of Xin Dongyang's dreams.

"YIN MEILI!!!"