"Ah, I never expected the young master to do something so outrageous. I thought he was the future hope of the Xiao family, but beneath his gentlemanly appearance lies such a filthy and despicable heart."

"I told you, this young master is no good. He used to pretend to be kind to the clan members, but you all didn't believe me and said I was jealous of him."

"Now do you believe it? As soon as the little young master returned, he felt neglected and immediately showed his true colors."

"Pooh, he's really worthless. I used to admire him so much, but I never thought he was this kind of person, pooh!"

"......"

After Xiao Yating's words, whispers spread around the hall.

Many clan members began to secretly despise and scorn the young master who once made them proud.

This is perhaps what they call kicking someone when they're down.

"Xiao Ming, do you have anything to say?!!"

Xiao Tiance, without discerning the truth of these words, once again shouted angrily at Xiao Ming.

A terrifying aura swept through the hall, and Xiao Ming felt as if a mountain was collapsing upon him.

Yet he showed no fear, standing tall like a pine tree.

"Hahaha, the world is declining, and people's hearts are no longer pure!!"

"I thought my goodwill could earn the clan's support, but instead, I was backstabbed. It's truly a tragedy!"

Xiao Ming laughed wildly, his gaze icy as he looked at Xiao Yating.

That look made Xiao Yating shiver, and she quickly turned her head, not daring to meet Xiao Ming's eyes.

"What do you mean?!"

"Are you suggesting that Yating would compromise her reputation and join forces with your brother to frame you?!"

"Utterly ridiculous, beyond redemption!"

Xiao Tiance's face turned extremely dark upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, and he spoke even more coldly.

"Considering you are my son, I'll give you one last chance."

"As long as you admit your mistake honestly and seek forgiveness from your brother and the clan, I can still be lenient with you..."

"Forgiveness?"

"Utterly laughable!!"

Before Xiao Tiance could finish, Xiao Ming interrupted with a cold laugh.

"I, Xiao Ming, dare to swear to the heavens. If what they say is true, then I am willing to be struck by lightning."

"Do they dare?!"

His words echoed like thunder in the Xiao family hall, causing Xiao Tiance, Lin Wanqing, and others to change their expressions drastically.

In the Cangyuan Realm.

Swearing to the heavens involves karma, and if the oath is false or broken, even if not struck by lightning, one would be plagued by inner demons, hindering future cultivation.

Therefore.

Unless one's heart is clear, no one dares to swear to the heavens!

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"Presumptuous!!"

"Who allowed you to speak to your parents like this, and to slander my character?!"

After Xiao Ming's words fell.

The previously silent Xiao Ren suddenly shouted, unleashing his cultivation and striking at Xiao Ming with his palm.

"Dare to slander me, kneel before me!!"

This sudden change caused everyone's expressions in the hall to change. Anyone could see that Xiao Ren was in a hurry.

"Daring to strike your own brother, truly worthy of being your parents' favorite!"

Xiao Ming sneered and also unleashed his cultivation, striking back. The two brothers clashed instantly.

A deafening explosion echoed in the hall, and Xiao Ren screamed as he was sent flying.

Fortunately, Lin Wanqing was quick to catch Xiao Ren, preventing him from crashing into the wall.

Although Xiao Ren was born with a Supreme Bone, making him physically stronger than his brother, he started cultivating two years later, and his Supreme Bone hadn't fully matured.

Currently, his cultivation had just broken through to the first level of the Spirit Sea, far inferior to his brother.

"Presumptuous, daring to injure your own brother in front of the clan."

"The family raised you, not for you to be a tyrant at home!!"

Seeing Xiao Ren being sent flying, Xiao Tiance was utterly enraged.

"Someone, drag this unfilial son away, execute the fire whip punishment according to clan rules, and then imprison him in the dungeon to reflect for half a year!"

Hearing Xiao Tiance's order, everyone's expressions changed.

The fire whip punishment.

This is the most brutal punishment in the Xiao family.

If Xiao Ming were taken for punishment, even if he didn't die, he'd lose a layer of skin!

It seems the family head is serious!

"Haha, he struck first, yet I'm the only one punished. You truly are a good father, a good family head!!"

Hearing Xiao Tiance's order, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Ming's eyes, and he continued speaking emotionlessly.

"In that case, from today on, we sever all ties. I, Xiao Ming, am no longer part of the Xiao family!!"

"You want to leave the Xiao family?!"

As these words fell, the faces of the Xiao family members changed.

Xiao Tiance's expression was extremely dark, his gaze coldly fixed on Xiao Ming.

"The family raised you for so many years, spent a lot of resources to nurture you to this point, and you want to leave the family over a small matter?!"

After Xiao Tiance's words, Lin Wanqing was also full of disappointment.

"Ming'er, you've truly disappointed your mother!"

"Your brother was a bit impulsive just now, but you shouldn't have struck him."

"Now you've injured him, and you want to sever ties with us?"

"Where do you place your father and mother's efforts, and do you repay the Xiao family's years of nurturing?!"

Hearing Xiao Ming's rebellious words, Lin Wanqing didn't take it seriously.

She merely adopted a motherly stance, harshly reprimanding Xiao Ming.

After all.

Xiao Ming had always been sensible and obedient, with deep feelings for the Xiao family, so how could he easily sever ties with them?

"Hahaha, so much talk."

"Isn't it just because you think you gave birth to me, raised me, and everything I have comes from you, so I'm inherently indebted to you?"

"So you can stand on moral high ground and force me to do anything."

"Even impose false charges on me, forcing me to take the blame for this beast, becoming a sacrificial pawn to favor your younger son and please the Taiyi Sacred Land."

Facing this moral coercion from his parents, Xiao Ming mercilessly mocked.

"Silence!!"

Exposed by Xiao Ming, Xiao Tiance and Lin Wanqing couldn't help but shout.

"Hahaha, can't be spoken of?!"

Xiao Ming didn't stop, instead laughing mockingly.

"You know very well what kind of person he is."

"But because he has a Supreme Bone, backed by the Taiyi Sacred Land, and mysteriously disappeared for eleven years, you feel you owe him too much."

"So you want to please him, cover up his misdeeds, hoping he'll feel a sense of belonging to the Xiao family."

"When he becomes a saint of the Taiyi Sacred Land, or even a strong figure, the Xiao family can rise with him."

"Not just you two, but all of you."

As Xiao Ming's words fell, the Xiao family was in an uproar.

Several elders' faces turned livid, each shouting coldly.

"Daring to slander the Xiao family's elders, this child is utterly disrespectful, his cultivation should be abolished, and he should be expelled from the Xiao family!"

"Disrespectful to parents, disrespectful to the clan, this child is inherently rebellious and cannot be kept!"

"We thought, considering he was the young master and had contributed to the family, we could be lenient."

"But since he shows no remorse, if the Xiao family doesn't punish him severely, how can we command respect in the future?!"

Proofreader & Editor: Howard Wong