C4 Killing Him on the Spot!

As Yang Xiao approached him step by step, E Tiangan, with his hands rendered useless and the excruciating pain unabated, cried out in desperation, "Prince, save me!"

"Yang... Yang Xiao! My father is the senior steward of the mansion. Don't be rash! He will never forgive you!" Even at this moment, E Tiangan continued to threaten Yang Xiao, convinced that Yang Xiao wouldn't dare to kill him.

"Everyone present! You've all heard it with your own ears!"

Yang Xiao didn't rush to act, instead he declared, "E Tiangan has committed heinous acts against his betters time and again! He even sought to murder me, a member of the Yang family! Does such a despicable slave deserve to remain in our Yang family?"

Confronted with this challenge, Yang Xuan wore a grim expression, while the crowd fell deathly silent, too afraid to even breathe.

Yang Xiao was well aware that no one would dare to give him the response he sought. He coldly gazed at E Tiangan, who was sprawled on the ground, and suddenly stomped on his chest.

"Pfft!"

E Tiangan coughed up blood with difficulty, lying limp on the ground, emitting feeble groans.

"Brother... You..." Yang Weiyue, standing nearby, was so frightened by Yang Xiao's actions that she struggled to regain her composure. She wanted to intervene but was too afraid to move closer.

Yang Xiao remained indifferent to E Tiangan's plight. He picked up the machete he had used earlier and stated icily, "E Tiangan! Your crimes are unforgivable. Today, I shall set an example for all! Let the servants of Yang Mansion learn one thing clearly!"

"Those who defy their superiors shall be executed without mercy!"

With those final words, Yang Xiao lifted the machete and brought it down on E Tiangan.

"Save... no, Yang Xiao..." E Tiangan was petrified.

In the midst of the onlookers' astonishment, the blade swept across E Tiangan's neck, blood gushed forth, staining the ground crimson.

For a long while, an eerie silence hung over the scene.

All the Yang family disciples and servants were profoundly shaken by the gruesome spectacle.

Liu Zhou and his companions, who had been loyal to E Tiangan, shivered uncontrollably, their clothing soaked with sweat born of sheer terror.

E Tiangan... is actually dead!

He was slain right before their eyes, with Liu Zhou and the others directly involved. They couldn't begin to fathom the punishment that awaited them once the steward found out about this incident.

"He got what he deserved!" Yang Xiao's blade fell as effortlessly as if he were simply having tea. His face remained expressionless.

"Brother... Brother, what have you done? We... we've caused a terrible calamity." Yang Weiyue's eyes brimmed with tears. She was young and had never witnessed such violence before, especially not from her own brother.

"Weiyue! Don't worry. No one will dare to bully us again. If the sky falls, I'll be there to hold it up!" Yang Xiao tried to offer comfort to the frightened girl, but she recoiled in fear. He stopped, realizing that his actions since his rebirth had been too extreme, even for his sister to accept.

"This won't be settled easily!" Yang Xuan said, his eyes narrowing. The man he had killed was a servant from his own courtyard, and today's events had completely disgraced him as the prince.

"Settled? Far from it!" Yang Xiao stood his ground, stepping forward. "In the Yang family, the chosen prince must accept any challenge from a Yang family disciple to prove his worth!"

"I, Yang Xiao, issue you a challenge today!"

"Oh?" Yang Xuan's eyes narrowed further. "You've just killed a servant from my courtyard, and now you challenge me? You've got nerve. Very well, Yang Xiao, I accept your challenge. But first, you must sign the Life-death Contract. Do you dare?"

The Life-death Contract!

The crowd erupted into murmurs of disbelief. Once signed, not even Sect Master Yang could interfere with the duel. The signees would be solely responsible for their own fate.

"Yang Xiao has lost his mind! Yang Xuan is no E Tiangan. Even though Yang Xiao managed to withstand one of Yang Xuan's punches, that doesn't come close to the power of someone at the Vital Spirit Stage!"

"We need to keep our distance from that madman Yang Xiao in the future. He's not someone we can afford to mess with!"

"I reckon Yang Xiao has been oppressed for too long and has finally snapped. He's even driven himself mad!"

Ignoring the skeptics, Yang Xiao retorted with a smile, "Why wouldn't I dare? One week from now, we'll sign the Life-death Contract!"

"Fine! I'll see you in a week!" Yang Xuan accepted the challenge with gusto and departed with his servant.

Yang Xiao prudently scheduled the duel for a week later, well aware that his current abilities post-rebirth were no match for someone at the Vital Spirit Stage. Taking Yang Xuan's punch had exhausted all of his Vital Spirit. It may have appeared effortless, but it was the Four-dragon Ring that absorbed much of the blow.

Following Yang Xuan's exit, the other Yang family disciples and servants dispersed. Yang Xiao paid them no mind and began rummaging through the deceased E Tiangan's belongings, causing the lingering servants to hasten their steps in alarm.

"Good heavens... This is twisted. To desecrate the person he killed with his own hands even after death."

"Hush! Keep it down! Don't let that freak hear you, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself."

Even Yang Weiyue watched Yang Xiao's actions with a mix of emotions.

She soon understood, however, as Yang Xiao had been searching E Tiangan for some silver and a few vials of medicine.

Yang Xiao hadn't overthought the situation. He felt that since he had taken over the young man's body and memories, he was responsible for caring for his sister as if she were his own.

With that in mind, Yang Xiao pocketed the silver and medicine bottles, then scooped up the still bewildered Yang Weiyue and carried her back to their wooden house within the courtyard.

Liu Zhou and his companions had been watching from afar and only emerged after Yang Xiao had left. They quickly picked up E Tiangan's body and ran towards the Yang family's steward's office, determined to seek justice for the day's events.

Yang Xiao gently laid the girl down on the plank bed and tenderly massaged Yang Weiyue's slightly swollen cheeks, asking softly, "Does it still hurt?"

Although Yang Weiyue sensed something was off about her brother today, she didn't dwell on it. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she said, "The pain's gone, brother. But what do we do now? You avenged me by killing that villain, but..."

"Leave it all to me, okay?" Yang Xiao cut in, soothing her concerns as he gently patted her head. "I haven't looked after you well enough in the past. I promise, from now on, we won't suffer anyone's abuse!"

Despite her young age, Yang Weiyue was often much stronger than other children her age, keeping her grievances bottled up inside. But hearing Yang Xiao's words, she couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears in his embrace. "It's all my fault for being so weak. I've only held you back, brother. I've never been able to help you with anything. I..."

Yang Xiao looked at his sister with a pang of heartache and comforted her as he stroked her back. "You're my sister, and we're here to support each other, not weigh each other down. You understand, don't you, my little fool?"

Nuzzling into his chest, Yang Weiyue replied earnestly, "Brother, once I'm well, I'll practice cultivation too. I want to protect you!"

Yang Xiao observed Yang Weiyue. Her face remained pallid, and despite the stifling heat of the room, her body was still chillingly cold.

He remembered that ever since she was young, Yang Weiyue had been like a walking icicle, her body constantly weak. If not for their father, Yang Yi, the former Sect Master Yang, who ensured she received monthly pills and treatment, she might not have survived this long.

But with Yang Yi away on missions and rumored to have perished, the Yang family had gradually stopped providing the pills. Thankfully, Yang Xiao had tirelessly gathered enough pills to keep Yang Weiyue going until now.

Yang Xiao had no clue what illness plagued Yang Weiyue, and with his current level of cultivation, he was powerless to cure her. His only option was to earn money quickly to afford her treatment.

Moreover, after using his Vital Spirit to examine her, Yang Xiao discovered that her condition was worsening. Without prompt treatment, she wouldn't last much longer, and the Yang Mansion lacked the precious medicinal herbs needed to fend off her chilling ailment.

Our only option now is to head to the Four-dragon Pavilion, as it boasts the finest healers in the Eight-wasteland and a collection of the rarest and most comprehensive medicinal herbs!

With this in mind, Yang Xiao gazed at the girl sleeping peacefully in his arms and made a silent vow: "No matter the cost, I will heal you!"

But to achieve this, he needed ample strength. Yang Xiao realized that his immediate priority was to enhance his current level of cultivation; without it, he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything in the future.

"Perfect! The Vital Spirit within me is far too scarce. Time to begin my cultivation!"

After tucking Yang Weiyue into bed, Yang Xiao closed the door and proceeded to the inner chamber of the wooden house.

In my past life, I reached the unparalleled Magic Heaven Stage through the Divine Demon Art. Now, with the mystical Four-dragon Ring scripture in my possession, grant me some time, and once again, I will traverse the entire Eight-wasteland.

Seated on the wooden bed in a meditative posture, Yang Xiao started to activate the Four-dragon Ring within himself.

"The Four-dragon Ring, a battle for each ring. To kill within a ring, to forge an undying body, to pave the great path of the Immortal Dao..."

Vital Spirit surged within him, a fierce tide of energy assaulting his dantian, ready to break through the Essence Vein.

Yang Xiao swiftly opened up a significant portion of the Essence Vein connecting his brow to his dantian. Accompanying this progress was an onslaught of excruciating pain that wracked his body, causing him, even in deep concentration, to shudder involuntarily. Clearly, his body was still too frail and required further conditioning.

To open an Essence Vein is to create a new channel within the body from scratch, allowing a cultivator to draw in more Vital Spirit and convert it into personal power.

This rite of passage, the opening of the Essence Vein, is a trial every cultivator must endure, with each new level bringing about a pain far greater than the last.

This kind of agony was soul-crushing, piercing straight through the heart. Without sufficient physical strength, one's body could easily rupture and lead to death! Hence, as one condenses their Vital Spirit, the body's fortitude must keep pace; otherwise, breaking through to the next realm would be impossible. And with each new level, the difficulty of the breakthrough increases exponentially, becoming tens of thousands of times more challenging than the last!

The torment of cultivation is unbearable for the average person. Yet, Yang Xiao had endured this excruciating pain countless times in his past life. Despite being drenched in sweat from the agony, he clenched his teeth and, with formidable willpower, continued to persevere.

With the advantage of his past life's experiences, Yang Xiao's cultivation and the enhancement of his Vital Spirit were advancing far beyond that of an ordinary person.

"The final Essence Vein! Open for me!"

With all the Vital Spirit he had mustered, Yang Xiao was ready to give it his all and break through in one fell swoop.