Duke's Essence Blood (Part 2)

Yin Xuege's body, which had just become a little fuller, turned exceptionally slender and weak again. Countless impurities absorbed by him in his acquired life were expelled. He felt a sense of clarity all over his body, as if he were an empty bamboo segment. A gentle breeze brushed past him, bringing a refreshing and pleasant sensation, as if he had flown to the highest heavens with the wind, looking down upon mountains and rivers stretching for miles with immense satisfaction.

The distant cries of the giant Purple Gold Bat from his illusion echoed in his ears. Yin Xuege's mind flickered, and his Blood Essence churned and pulsed. All the blood in his body surged uncontrollably towards his back.

A tingling, sharp pain spread through the muscles, bones, nerves, and marrow of his back. Yin Xuege's eyes widened as six mysterious Archaic Demonic Script characters flashed before him. By sheer inspiration, without any prior teaching, he uttered the original sounds of these characters and instantly grasped the infinite mysteries contained within them.

With a whoosh, a pair of bat wings, spanning about three meters when fully spread, unfurled gracefully behind Yin Xuege.

A faint halo enveloped the pair of bat wings. The slightly translucent, blood-red wings appeared exquisite and magnificent, like works of art carved from red jade, bearing no resemblance to flesh and blood. The supple yet powerful wings moved gracefully with Yin Xuege's will, stirring up silent gusts of strong wind around him. He could take to the air at any moment with the help of these wings!

Among the Blood Demon Clan, only those who reached the strength of a Baron could 'possibly' activate their bloodline power and grow a pair of Natal Bat Wings. However, it was typically only the Blood Demon descendants with the purest bloodlines and best talent who could develop bat wings upon becoming Barons!

For some Blood Demons with impure bloodlines, humble family origins, and less promising talent, they might have already ascended to the rank of 'Duke' and still be unable to activate their bloodline to possess these bat wings, which held a status in the Blood Demon Clan almost equivalent to imperial seals!

Blood Demons who possessed bat wings were the true Blood Demons recognized by countless others! Their status within the Blood Demon Clan was inherently a notch higher than other Blood Demons. Even powerful Dukes, if they lacked a pair of bat wings, would not even qualify to attend gatherings of the influential Blood Demon families!

Yet, Yin Xuege possessed a pair of bat wings the moment he broke through to become a Moon Warrior!

Furthermore, the Natal Bat Wings of other Blood Demons in their nascent state were often like ordinary bats, black and covered in fine fur, ugly and ferocious. Their size was also extremely small, with a wingspan rarely exceeding two meters!

The pair of bat wings that grew on Yin Xuege were a beautiful, light red throughout, with near-transparent wings that looked as if carved from red jade and glass. They were exquisitely beautiful, exuding an aura of noble majesty, and their wingspan reached about three meters! If the influential families of the Blood Demon Clan were to learn of this, Yin Xuege would undoubtedly face immense trouble!

He would either be hunted down by countless assassins dispatched by the powerful families or be besieged by proposals from the most beautiful maidens of these families. In any case, Yin Xuege would face endless troubles!

Unaware of his future fate, Yin Xuege happily flapped his newly formed bat wings, wrapping his body securely.

The pair of wings perfectly enclosed him, including his head. These wings were naturally exceptionally supple and their defensive power was more than ten times greater than Yin Xuege's body! For Blood Demons who possessed bat wings, these Natal Bat Wings were not only a powerful tool for escape but also their strongest protective armor in combat!

As for the six complex and mysterious Archaic Demonic Script characters that had flashed before Yin Xuege's eyes, he now clearly understood their functions! Just like the two skills he comprehended when he broke through to become a Star Warrior, these six demonic script characters were the powerful abilities bestowed upon him by the awakening of his Natal Bat Wings!

For instance, one of the demonic script characters resembled lightning and fire descending from the sky. This character represented 'Speed'. Once Yin Xuege stimulated his Essence Blood to empower his bat wings, he could increase his flight speed tenfold for a short period! Although this would continuously burn Yin Xuege's blood, it was undoubtedly an extremely useful life-saving skill!

Another character was rugged and sharp all over, like countless swords twisted together. This character represented 'Sharpness'. As long as he stimulated his Blood Demon Essence Blood and empowered his bat wings with the power of this character, Yin Xuege's exquisite bat wings would become comparable to divine weapons. With a single sweep, even a solid wall of bronze would be easily torn apart.

The remaining four characters represented 'Wind', 'Fire', 'Lightning', and 'Shadow', respectively, all containing profound and sinister powers.

After quietly sensing the mysterious and powerful energies contained within his Natal Bat Wings, Yin Xuege nodded with satisfaction and retracted the conspicuous pair of wings. Once the Natal Bat Wings awakened, Yin Xuege could borrow their power even in his human form without displaying them. However, compared to their full state, the borrowed power would only be thirty percent of their full potential.

"Thirty percent is enough!" Yin Xuege clenched his fist forcefully.

The Natal Bat Wings would become Yin Xuege's trump card. He would absolutely not reveal his full strength unless absolutely necessary.

His heart beat violently once more. The Duke's Essence Blood, having only consumed a little over half of its power, transformed into a misty essence and merged with Yin Xuege's body. This time, the drop of Duke's Essence Blood did not grant him any increase in strength; it simply integrated perfectly with his body, significantly enhancing his life essence.

If Yin Xuege's original life essence was a small pool, it had now expanded tenfold, becoming a gushing spring.

Raising his head and looking at the bright moon high in the sky, Yin Xuege took a deep breath and activated the second drop of Duke's Essence Blood!

"In just over a month, it will be the annual family martial arts competition! All the young disciples of the family must participate to compete for the various treasures and generous rewards offered by the family. Yin Xuejiao, and all the others, just wait!"

This year, several exceptionally talented young disciples of the Yin Clan had broken through to become Star Warriors. The treasures and benefits offered by the family this year would undoubtedly be a hundred times more abundant than in previous years! Yin Xuege already possessed extraordinary treatment, but he would not leave these good things for Yin Xuejiao and the others!

The Duke's Essence Blood slowly dispersed within Yin Xuege's heart, and pure, powerful blood energy once again filled his entire body!

A faint, blood-red flame enveloped Yin Xuege's entire being. (To be continued)