Heaven and Earth Had Better Not Lay a Finger on My Woman!

"Smack!"

The Centurion was caught completely off guard and sent flying several meters. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and several teeth had been knocked out.

The whole courtyard erupted in an uproar.

The others grew wary, never expecting Xiao Yang to suddenly make a move!

"Damn it, you little brat! That was a despicable sneak attack! I just wasn't paying attention!"

The Centurion who'd been hit was still refusing to back down.

"Well, are you ready now?"

Xiao Yang strode toward him, raising his right hand again.

"What, you're going to—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Yang slapped him again. The man's head snapped to the side, and he passed out on the spot.

"Hmph! So much for the elite of the Vermilion Bird Army. You're nothing special," Xiao Yang remarked.

His words enraged the rest of the men.

"What are you putting on airs for, brat?"

"He's the weakest among us! I could beat you flat on your back with one hand tied behind my back!"

"And this is the Vermilion Bird Army's camp. What gives you, an outsider, the nerve to cause trouble here?"

"If you don't want to die, get out. Now!"

The Centurions drew their sabers and pointed them at him.

They were all troublemakers in the army. They didn't care who Xiao Yang was—once their tempers flared, they'd cut down even a prince!

"Idiots!"

Xiao Yang snapped, then continued, "Forget this camp—even the whole city belongs to my Xiao Family!"

"And the woman you just insulted isn't only a general of the Vermilion Bird Army. She's also my fiancée!"

"Even Heaven and Earth had better not lay a finger on my woman!"

His words rang out, each one sharp and forceful.

For a moment, the Centurions were stunned.

They hadn't expected Xiao Yang to be so passionate, boldly standing up for his woman. He was nothing like the useless Ninth Young Master in the rumors.

[ Ding! Ning Hongye's Affection +5. Total: 25. ]

Just then, the system's notification sounded in Xiao Yang's ear.

He'd bet right again!

Xiao Yang was secretly delighted.

For someone as proud and prickly as Ning Hongye, no matter how precious a gift he gave her, it probably wouldn't win her heart.

The last time he'd gained Affection was when he'd promised to help her raise an army and rebel.

Now his bold declaration had earned him another five points.

The Centurions still weren't satisfied, though. They continued cursing under their breath.

"Ninth Young Master, even so, you injured our brothers!"

"How are you going to answer for that?"

"Don't even think of leaving this camp without an explanation!"

Xiao Yang looked at them coldly and said with a proud air, "All this talk—you just want to fight me, don't you? Then come on!"

"Let me take him on!"

A burly man stepped forward.

"Gazi, you went drinking at a brothel just yesterday and wore yourself out. Don't embarrass yourself—let me handle this!" someone else said.

"Panzi, you're good at leading troops, but when it comes to fighting, you're the little brother here!"

Before long, they were arguing among themselves over who got to fight.

"That's enough!"

Xiao Yang frowned, swept his gaze over the crowd, and said, "I'm in a hurry. Come at me together!"

What?!

The Centurions were furious.

To become a Centurion in the Vermilion Bird Army, one had to be a Third-grade Martial Artist. They'd also survived countless battles on the front lines, making them far more capable in a real fight than ordinary martial artists.

Now Xiao Yang meant to fight them all at once. It was an enormous insult—he clearly didn't take them seriously at all.

"You're asking for it!"

"How dare you look down on us?"

"Everyone, attack together! Defend the Vermilion Bird Army's honor!"

The Centurions were incensed. They drew their War Sabers and charged at Xiao Yang from all directions.

Not far away, Ning Hongye furrowed her brow and was about to step in.

But Xiao Yang moved first, plunging into the crowd as he activated the power of his Invincible Twin Pupils.

In an instant, his opponents seemed to move in slow motion, as sluggish as turtles. Weaknesses and openings were everywhere.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Every time Xiao Yang threw a punch, it struck someone in a vital spot.

A few breaths later, they were all on the ground, groaning in pain and unable to fight on.

"So this is what Double Pupils can do? It's ridiculously overpowered!"

Xiao Yang was secretly astonished. This was his first time using the power of his Double Pupils in a real fight.

Among those of the same realm, they made him practically invincible!

No wonder only Great Emperors possessed such a gift.

Nearby, Ning Hongye's beautiful eyes shone with astonishment.

She could have handled a few Centurions without difficulty.

But Xiao Yang was only a Third-grade Martial Artist, and he'd beaten them with such ease.

It seemed her fiancé was even more powerful than she'd imagined!

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Just then, someone behind them began applauding.

A middle-aged man in armor strode forward, his imposing presence evident even without a trace of anger. His eyes fixed intently on Xiao Yang.

"So you're Xiao Yang? Impressive, indeed. But this is the Vermilion Bird Army. You're too young to come here and throw your weight around!"

The next moment, a powerful aura burst from within him. Light shone from his skin, making him look like a golden Buddha.

"Fifth Grade Vajra Realm?!"

Xiao Yang frowned.

With strength like that, he'd count as a formidable expert throughout Great Xia.

His body had been tempered over and over, and his bones were as hard as refined steel. He was impervious to blades and spears. That was the Vajra Realm.

His Eldest Brother, Xiao Junlin, had been born with a Supreme Bone. Even after more than twenty years of arduous cultivation and access to the royal household's vast resources, he'd only reached the Fifth Grade.

This middle-aged man must have come from a powerful background.

"Commander Huo!"

The Centurions sprawled on the ground looked as if they'd seen their savior.

"Uncle Huo, what brings you here?"

Ning Hongye addressed him respectfully.

The man was Huo Gang, a commander in the Vermilion Bird Army. He wasn't the strongest in cultivation, but in his youth, he had served as Great General Ning Xiong's personal guard. He was fiercely loyal and widely respected.

Even Ning Hongye held him in high regard.

"General Ning, I'm just an old soldier. I'm hardly worthy of being called 'Uncle.'

"Still, even if Xiao Yang is King Zhenbei's Ninth Young Master and your fiancé, the kingdom has its laws, and the army has its rules!"

"He injured my men, so he must answer for it today. If the old general were still alive, I'm sure he'd agree with me!"

Huo Gang's argument was watertight, leaving Ning Hongye unable to object.

"Commander Huo, you want to stand up for your men, and I want to stand up for my fiancée. So tell me, how are we settling this?" Xiao Yang asked.

"Why not follow military tradition? If this grudge can't be settled, then step onto the Life and Death Stage. Do you dare?" Huo Gang demanded.

His words sent a wave of shock through the crowd.

The Life and Death Stage!

There, they would settle who was stronger—and who lived or died!

Anyone who stepped onto the Life and Death Stage had a grave grudge to settle. They had to fight until one of them was dead.

"Commander Huo, you're a Fifth-grade Martial Artist. Isn't this going too far?" Azure Luan protested on Xiao Yang's behalf.

Huo Gang replied, "I'm not forcing Xiao Yang to accept. If he's afraid, he can admit defeat and leave. But from now on, he must never set foot in the Vermilion Bird Army's camp again—and he must hand over the Tiger Tally Gold Seal!"

"The Vermilion Bird Army has always respected the strong. We won't follow the orders of a coward!"

That was Huo Gang's real goal.

He wasn't trying to kill Xiao Yang on the Life and Death Stage. He wanted to force him to hand over the Tiger Tally.

After all, he thought it was absurd for Ning Hongye to entrust such a precious token to Xiao Yang.

"It's just the Life and Death Stage, isn't it?"

But in the next moment, Xiao Yang showed no fear. Instead, Battle Intent blazed in his eyes.

"Fine. This young master accepts!"