C16 Spirit Fire Golden Cauldron

However, just a stone's throw away from the Pill Refining Building, a group of seven or eight people had already congregated.

Among them were Wang Zeyu, Ye Kaifeng, and Zhao Lin—no one else of note. The rest were simply their lackeys.

"Sigh, I knew these buffoons would be lying in wait for me to come out so they could be slaughtered. I was fretting over running low on Qi Refining Pills, but they played right into my hands. How convenient, they've delivered the Qi Refining Pills right to me."

Yang Xiao was in high spirits, chuckling as he approached a menacing figure ahead.

"Yang Xiao, you bastard, stop right there!"

Wang Zeyu had been seething with anger for quite some time. Upon seeing Yang Xiao boldly approach, his face turned icy cold, and he was the first to lash out at him.

Unfazed by the insult, Yang Xiao didn't miss a beat and kept walking straight toward the center of the group.

"Damn it! I told you to stop! Are you deaf?!" Wang Zeyu, initially taken aback by Yang Xiao's nonchalant demeanor, quickly regained his composure and shouted even louder in frustration.

Passersby, drawn by Wang Zeyu's outburst, turned their attention to the scene, slowing their pace to catch a glimpse of the unfolding drama.

"That raving man, isn't he the prince of the Wang family? And those two with him are from the Ye and Zhao families. Hmph, relying on their family's influence, they're surely bullying someone again."

"It's the same old story! See that young man they've cornered? He's a member of the Yang family, isn't he? His cultivation has been stagnant at the Essence Condensation Stage for over a decade, and he's often the target of their harassment. Sigh, even the Yang family seems to have given up on him. It looks like he's been cast aside."

"This world is all about survival of the fittest. Without strength, you're easily oppressed. To take charge of your fate, you must hone your skills. Once you're powerful, no one will dare to bully you. That young man from the Yang family is likely in for another round of humiliation today."

"Today, those young nobles seem different from usual, each one looking ready to devour someone. It could turn deadly. I wonder what Yang Xiao has done to provoke them this time."

Many bystanders and street vendors couldn't resist murmuring among themselves, casting sympathetic glances at Yang Xiao.

Everyone in Azure Connection City was aware that the Wang, Ye, Zhao, and Yang families were the four major families. However, the Wang, Ye, and Zhao families were not only on good terms privately but also connected by marriage alliances. This left the Yang family at a disadvantage.

As a result, the young members of these three families often acted with impunity throughout the city, disregarding any sense of fairness or reason in their conduct. The Yang family, lacking in strength, was consistently oppressed by them.

Thus, even when witnesses saw the Yang family's younger members being harassed in public, no one dared to speak up. To provoke the wrath of these three families was to flirt with disaster.

The crowd's response was one of chilling indifference. Wang Zeyu and his companions, noticing this, couldn't help but smirk triumphantly.

Inside the Pill Refining Building, they had already entertained the thought of crippling Yang Xiao. Now, as they emerged, that intention hadn't faded; it had only intensified. The trio exchanged glances, each clearly sharing the same vicious intent.

Their goal was to publicly humiliate Yang Xiao and break him, thereby cementing their families' untouchable status in Azure Connection City.

"Damn it! Yang Xiao, you were so full of yourself in the Pill Refining Building earlier, weren't you? Acting all high and mighty? Come on then, show me how cool you can be!" Wang Zeyu stepped closer to Yang Xiao, his voice dripping with scorn.

"You seem to have forgotten the lessons of the past. Let us refresh your memory and remind you that you've crossed someone you shouldn't have!" Ye Kaifeng added, his tone icy.

Hearing this, Yang Xiao's smile only grew broader, and he didn't miss a step.

"The more you speak, the bolder you get, laughing in the face of danger! Kneel down now, and maybe I'll consider sparing your life!" Zhao Lin said, tilting his head and smirking at Yang Xiao.

"Haha, Brother Zhao is spot on! If you're willing to kneel and crawl between our legs, crawl back, and call us 'daddy', admitting you're our son, then we'll let bygones be bygones and let you off the hook. Otherwise..." Ye Kaifeng was gloating mid-sentence when suddenly, he felt a powerful gust of wind rushing toward him. In a panic, he involuntarily shut his eyes.

"Brother Ye! Watch out!"

"Block Yang Xiao!"

As Ye Kaifeng's eyes snapped shut, Wang Zeyu and Zhao Lin's shouts of alarm filled his ears. Overcome with fear, Ye Kaifeng opened his eyes, only to be greeted by an enormous fist hurtling towards him, growing larger by the second!

A loud 'bang!' accompanied by the sickening crack of breaking bones echoed in everyone's ears.

"Ah!" Ye Kaifeng clutched his face and toppled backward, letting out a pained howl. The ground where he landed was smeared with the fresh blood from his mangled nose, clearly broken.

"Damn it! You animal, we hadn't even settled the score with you, and you dare to strike first? You're defying the heavens!"

"Yang Xiao, you're a dead man walking. We put up with you at the Pill Refining Building, but do you really think I'll put up with you now?"

"Enough talk! Let's take him down together. I'm going to kill him! Ah, my nose!"

Wang Zeyu and Zhao Lin's furious curses filled the air as Ye Kaifeng, bloodied and enraged, scrambled to his feet and lunged at Yang Xiao.

"Hiss, hiss, hisiss."

Waves of Vital Spirit energy erupted from Wang Zeyu and the others, all radiating the power of the Spirit Gathering Stage.

Thanks to several nights of cultivation and the aid of the Four-dragon Ring, Yang Xiao had not only opened his Essence Vein but had also advanced to the Qi Refining Stage. With the Four-dragon Ring's enhancement, his mastery over the Vital Spirit, the speed of his cultivation, and his ability to absorb the essence of Heaven and Earth had far exceeded that of ordinary people.

"Three Spirit Gathering Stage cultivators, huh? Heh." In the blink of an eye, Yang Xiao evaded the attacks of the three men, his face showing not a hint of fear.

Yang Xiao was not only unfazed by the attack of the three Spirit Gathering Stage cultivators but was actually eager to see how much the Four-dragon Ring could enhance his abilities. Today, he felt particularly fortunate; after successfully passing the Pill Refining Building's assessment and securing a pill, he encountered three individuals whose cultivation levels surpassed his own. Despite their lack of cunning, they were perfect for testing his own strength.

"The first layer of the Four-dragon Ring enables one to become an afterimage in an instant. It's not just for defense and offense; the speed it grants is incredibly fast," Yang Xiao mused as he stepped forward, his body darting away like a specter.

Relying solely on the speed provided by the Four-dragon Ring, Yang Xiao's prowess was such that even those a realm above him couldn't discern his movements. Moreover, the Yang family's butler, E Zhengqing, who possessed a much higher cultivation level than these three, had already proven unable to best Yang Xiao, which served as the ultimate testament to his strength.

Not even the three Spirit Gathering Stage cultivators could track Yang Xiao's actions, let alone the ordinary, cultivation-less followers brought by Wang Zeyu and his companions. It all happened in the span of a single breath.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Ouch!"

"Help!"

"Ha-ha, Master Wang, save me!"

The four followers, devoid of any cultivation, were swiftly knocked away by Yang Xiao, their screams of pain filling the air as blood sprayed from their mouths.

By the time the four followers hit the ground, they had already lost consciousness, overwhelmed by an assault no ordinary person could endure.

"Yang family scum! You're not leaving here alive today!"

Wang Zeyu's eyes seethed with murderous intent as he watched his followers suffer a brutal beating at the hands of Yang Xiao.

"Dragon Shocking Fist!"

Ye Kaifeng bellowed in rage, his hands clenched into fists as he channeled Vital Spirit into the core of his fists. His stance suggested a power capable of cleaving mountains and shattering stones, as he launched a mighty blow towards Yang Xiao.

This advanced martial technique of the Ye family was designed to temper muscles and bones, achieving a level of strength that could split mountains and break stones at its pinnacle.

Facing Ye Kaifeng's ferocious attack that seemed to swallow mountains and rivers, Yang Xiao made no superfluous movements. He didn't even bother to dodge; instead, he casually lifted a hand, fingers spread, ready to catch the incoming punch that boasted unparalleled might.

"You must be tired of living! You actually dare to catch my Dragon Shocking Fist with your bare hands? I'll see if your arm survives this!" Ye Kaifeng gloated, almost visualizing the next moment when Yang Xiao's arm would be shattered by his own hands. But who could predict what the next second held?

As Ye Kaifeng imagined Yang Xiao's arm being brutally broken, his punch hadn't even landed when it was effortlessly blocked by a palm. He couldn't contain his disbelief, exclaiming, "How... How is this possible!"

"He actually withstood the Ye family's Dragon Shocking Fist!"

"Well played, Yang Xiao! Were you just biding your time before?"

Witnessing the scene, Wang Zeyu and Zhao Lin's expressions shifted dramatically.

The nearby vendors and bystanders showed their astonishment.

Meanwhile, not too far away, at the third-floor window of the Pill Refining Building, Yuu Lezhan and Sheh Cheng'an stood together, their gaze intently fixed on the street fight involving Yang Xiao and Wang Zeyu.

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