Yang Xiaotian clenched his fists tightly when he heard this.
He couldn't believe his grandfather could be so blatantly biased.
Not only had he given his entire share of Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid to Yang Ling'er for cultivation, but he had also handed over the silk business, originally managed by his father, to his eldest aunt.
Was it all because he had awakened the Tortoise Martial Soul?
Was it because he had humiliated himself in front of everyone in Xingyue City? So much so that even his father had been affected by the anger.
Yang Xiaotian returned to his room and continued to cultivate.
His grandfather had given his entire share of Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid to Yang Ling'er to cultivate, so he would show the people of Yang Family Manor that even without the Spiritual Liquid, he could still be stronger than Yang Ling'er.
As Yang Xiaotian continued cultivating, in Yang Ling'er's courtyard, Yang Ming watched his granddaughter with satisfaction. Yang Ling'er had not disappointed him. After consuming two portions of Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid last night, the results of her cultivation had exceeded hid expectations.
The Green Phoenix was truly worthy of its heritage of a Divine Beast's bloodline.
"How do you feel?" Yang Ming asked his granddaughter Yang Ling'er with a loving face.
Yang Ling'er g was filled with confidence, "Grandfather, don't worry. In one month, before the family's annual meeting, I will definitely break through and become a first-order martial artist!"
One month, one order!
Upon hearing this, Yang Ming's eyes shone brightly, and he laughed loudly, "Good, if you can break through to the first order before the family's annual meeting, grandfather will reward you generously!"
If Yang Ling'er could break through to a first-order martial artist in just one month, it would break the records of Xingyue City and create a sensation. She would be more than just the pride of the city.
Several days passed in succession.
Yang Ming went to Yang Ling'er's courtyard every day to personally instruct her in cultivation. Seeing his granddaughter make rapid progress each day, Yang Ming was overjoyed.
It seemed Yang Ling'er wouldn't even need a month to break through an order.
Meanwhile, Yang Xiaotian also stayed indoors, diligently cultivating.
One evening, as Yang Xiaotian was absorbing nature's spiritual energy, a sound like a silkworm breaking free from its cocoon suddenly resounded within him.
Yang Xiaotian was overjoyed.
After four days of hard cultivation, he had finally made a breakthrough and entered the second order.
In the Martial Soul World, even many geniuses with a level-ten Martial Soul would typically need three to four months to achieve a breakthrough to the second order, but he had done it in just four days!
Yang Xiaotian couldn't contain his excitement.
Although he didn't know if anyone in the Martial Soul World had broken through to the second order in four days, he was certain no one in the Divine Sea Country had.
When daylight arrived, Yang Xiaotian stopped cultivating, feeling clear-headed and refreshed, as if he had boundless energy.
He went out to the yard and began practicing the Taiji Scripture. Each move was executed fluently, as natural as the flowing clouds and water, and as he moved, a current of air swirled around his body.
After breaking through to the second order, Yang Xiaotian found that his internal strength had also progressed.
But while Yang Xiaotian was practicing the Taiji Scripture, he saw his younger brother Yang Chen run in from outside, crying.
Yang Xiaotian felt something was amiss and was just about to ask him what happened when he saw a red palm print on his plump little face; his entire left cheek was swollen.
Looking at his brother's swollen left cheek, Yang Xiaotian's anger surged uncontrollably, "Who did this?"
Yang Chen cried out but kept shaking his head, refusing to say.
Yang Xiaotian saw that the palm print wasn't very big, it must have been from a child his age, he said angrily, "Was it Yang Ling'er who hit you?"
Yang Chen still shook his head crying, although he didn't say it, when Yang Xiaotian mentioned Yang Ling'er, his expression still changed a bit, Yang Xiaotian's anger flared: "Let's go, big brother will go with you to settle the score with her!" Saying this, he pulled his brother up to find Yang Ling'er.
But as soon as he pulled his brother up, his brother Yang Chen said it hurt, Yang Xiaotian puzzled, couldn't help but roll up his brother's sleeve, to see both his arms were covered in shocking whip marks.
Although there was no bleeding, it looked painful.
Yang Xiaotian's fury soared to the skies: "Yang Ling'er even whipped you with a whip?"
His brother, Yang Chen, with tears in his eyes, finally nodded, crying out, "Yang Ling'er insulted you as a 'tortoise', I couldn't bear it and called her a name."
What happened next goes without saying.
Yang Xiaotian was furious, pulling his brother out of the courtyard to find Yang Ling'er. They had only got a short distance from the courtyard when they saw Yang Ling'er and several daughters of the Yang Family Manor's stewards, walking along arm in arm, laughing and carrying whips.
"Yang Ling'er, was it you who hit my brother?" Yang Xiaotian charged up to her.
Yang Ling'er, seeing Yang Xiaotian coming in a fury, didn't take it to heart and laughed mockingly, "That's right, it was me who hit him. What about it? You 'tortoise' want to stand up for your brother?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Yang Xiaotian charged forward, a slap flying straight to the mark.
Yang Xiaotian, who had practiced the Taiji Scripture, was quick and agile, and Yang Ling'er couldn't dodge in time, immediately being struck across the left cheek by Yang Xiaotian's slap.
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed, and Yang Ling'er staggered wildly, almost falling to the ground.
Yang Ling'er was dazed by the slap, her ears ringing, tinging with disbelief. Ever since her Martial Soul Awakening, she had been the favored daughter of the Yang Family Manor, her grandfather doted on her immeasurably, afraid even to let her fall when holding her in hand. Yang Xiaotian actually dared to hit her!
A Yang Xiaotian who had awakened a second-grade Martial Soul actually dared to hit her!
"You dare to hit me!" Yang Ling'er covered her face, yelling angrily, then shouted to the children of the Yang Family Manor standing around, "What are you standing there for, beat him up!"
Hearing this, several children of the Yang Family Manor advanced to encircle Yang Xiaotian, but these peers were no match for Yang Xiaotian, who quickly knocked each one to the ground with a single move.
Seeing this, Yang Ling'er picked up a whip and lashed toward Yang Xiaotian's face. If the lash connected, it would certainly not be light, but Yang Xiaotian dodged swiftly, grabbed the whip, pulled it away, and then struck back with it.
Yang Ling'er's arm was whipped, and the pain made her cry and scream: "Yang Xiaotian, wait until I break through a rank, at the end-of-year clan gathering, I won't let you off!"
The end-of-year clan gathering?
At that moment, a flurry of footsteps sounded, clearly Yang Ling'er's crying had alarmed the people of the Yang Family Manor.
The first to arrive was Yang Shu, who upon arriving at the scene saw Yang Ling'er crying and screaming.
Seeing her mother coming, Yang Ling'er pointed at Yang Xiaotian, crying out, "Mother, Yang Xiaotian hit my face." She then rolled up her sleeve: "He also whipped me."
Yang Shu, seeing her daughter's swollen face and the whip marks on her arm, was immediately furiously enraged, and without asking for explanations, berated Yang Xiaotian, "So young, yet you strike with such cruelty. If your parents don't teach you, then I shall teach you properly!" With that, she raised her hand to slap Yang Xiaotian's face.
"Big sister, stop!" Yang Chao came running, seeing from afar, he cried out in alarm.
When Yang Shu saw Yang Chao arriving, she had to stop and was about to angrily question him, but then she saw that her father, Yang Ming, had also arrived.
"What happened?" Yang Ming asked from a distance.
"Father, it was Xiaotian, he struck Ling'er's face and whipped her with a whip," Yang Shu stepped forward and reported: "Ling'er's face is swollen."
"What?!" Yang Ming's face changed, he stepped forward and saw his granddaughter Yang Ling'er's face indeed swollen.