"The Holy Son did not steal the Millennium Fire Lingzhi!"

"Upon hearing that Young Master Xuan required this Millennium Fire Lingzhi to shatter his Bottleneck, the Holy Son ordered this old servant to deliver it to the alchemy room. He commanded it to be refined into Millennium Fire Spirit Pills to aid Young Master Xuan's breakthrough."

As he spoke, terrified that Ye Ding and the others would not believe him, Uncle Fu pulled the stopper from the jade bottle and poured out two perfectly round, crimson-red Millennium Fire Spirit Pills.

The moment the two Pills appeared, dense fire-attribute Spiritual Qi cascaded from Uncle Fu's palm. The vast medicinal efficacy rippled outward like waves on a serene lake, drowning the entire great hall.

Anyone with eyes could see these two Millennium Fire Spirit Pills were priceless treasures!

Naturally, a heaven-and-earth spiritual item like the Millennium Fire Lingzhi was infinitely rarer. It was a fated treasure that only those with profound Providence could ever hope to encounter.

Ye Xuan's eyes locked onto the Pills, his body going completely rigid as his breathing grew ragged.

With just a single Millennium Fire Spirit Pill, he could successfully shatter his Bottleneck!

If not for the presence of Patriarch Ye Ding and his sisters-and his desperate need to maintain his fragile, pure, and innocent facade-Ye Xuan would have tapped the black ring on his finger, unleashed his hidden power, and violently snatched them!

"Although the Millennium Fire Lingzhi contains a boundless sea of fire-attribute Spiritual Qi, consuming it raw wastes its potential."

"Refining it into a Pill purifies the Spiritual Qi, making it far easier to absorb. Furthermore, a single Lingzhi yields two Millennium Fire Spirit Pills!"

Uncle Fu explained frantically. This elderly steward was the absolute last person in the entire Ye Family who still referred to Ye Chuchen as the 'Holy Son'.

Watching Ye Ding and the others fiercely interrogate Ye Chuchen earlier, Uncle Fu had been burning with anxiety. He had bolted from the great hall, sprinted to the alchemy room, and rushed back to present the Millennium Fire Spirit Pills to the Patriarch.

Facts spoke louder than words. In Uncle Fu's mind, producing the Pills would surely spare the Holy Son from the Patriarch's wrath.

But what was the cruel reality?

"Millennium Fire Spirit Pills! This is wonderful!"

"With just one of these Pills, I can finally break through into the Sea Cleaving Realm!"

Ye Xuan stared obsessively at the two crimson Pills. His excitement overflowing, he actually began to sing Ye Chuchen's praises:

"Brother Chuchen, you are far too kind! I knew you would never steal my... I mean, your Millennium Fire Lingzhi!!"

"..."

Watching the ecstatic Ye Xuan, a wave of sheer revulsion washed over Ye Chuchen.

He never anticipated Uncle Fu rushing in with the Pills at this exact moment.

A severe miscalculation.

He had indeed delivered the Millennium Fire Lingzhi to the alchemy room for Ye Xuan's breakthrough. However, that was a foolish decision made before his rebirth-back when Ye Chuchen still harbored pathetic slivers of hope for his father, his sisters, and this rotting clan.

He had overheard Ye Ling'er mention that Ye Xuan desperately needed this Lingzhi to breach the Sea Cleaving Realm, and that refining it would maximize its absorption.

Ever since Ye Chuchen was crippled, Ye Xuan had been crowned the absolute future of the Ye Family. He became the supreme treasure in the eyes of his sisters, and even Patriarch Ye Ding.

They exhausted themselves catering to Ye Xuan's cultivation, scouring the continent for every Pill and heavenly treasure required for his breakthroughs.

Their obsessive love blinded them entirely.

Learning of Ye Xuan's Bottleneck, the old Ye Chuchen had gritted his teeth and offered up the Millennium Fire Lingzhi he painstakingly cultivated on his own windowsill, sending it to the alchemy room to aid the boy.

Yet, he never imagined that before the furnace even cooled, Ye Ling'er would notice the Lingzhi missing. She had flown into a hysterical rage, falsely accusing Ye Chuchen of stealing the very spiritual herb that belonged to him.

Which culminated in this wretched family tribunal...

Now, with the Millennium Fire Spirit Pills in hand, Ye Xuan would effortlessly step into the Sea Cleaving Realm. If Ye Ding was overjoyed by this and refused to sever their blood ties or expel him, what then?!

Absolutely not!!

Remaining in the Ye Family meant endless humiliation until he choked on his own despair and died.

He was thoroughly disgusted by this clan. He had to leave!!

He needed to pour oil onto this fire!!

"Hmph, what did I tell you?"

One might assume that Ye Ling'er and the others would feel a shred of shame after falsely accusing him. Instead, Ye Ling'er let out a frigid snort. Pointing her finger at Ye Chuchen's nose, she instinctively barked:

"I knew this crippled dog lacked the guts to steal Xiao Xuan's Lingzhi! So what if he sent it to the alchemy room? Why did he maliciously hide it from us?"

"If he had just spoken up earlier, none of this would have happened!"

Ye Han and Ye Qingqing eagerly chimed in, their faces plastered with undisguised contempt:

"Exactly. Acting so mysterious. It is pathetically childish."

"I bet this waste planned to dramatically reveal the Pills later just to beg for credit. Sacrificing his resources for Xiao Xuan's cultivation is his fundamental duty anyway!"

"Does he actually think this makes him look profound? How laughable!"

...

Cutting through their nauseating mockery, Ye Chuchen violently stepped forward. He snatched the two Millennium Fire Spirit Pills from Uncle Fu's palm. Then, under a hall full of incredulous stares, he tossed one Pill into his mouth and swallowed it.

Grievously injured by Ye Ling'er's glacial palm and bleeding internally from Ye Ding's crushing Saint Pressure, Ye Chuchen desperately needed it. Beyond aiding breakthroughs, the Pill possessed immense healing properties.

"Ye Chuchen!! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Spit it out! Who gave you permission to consume Xiao Xuan's Pill?!"

"You useless cripple, don't you know-"

Ye Chuchen completely ignored their shrieking. The instant the Pill slid down his throat, it erupted into torrents of blazing warmth, washing through his ruined body and rapidly restoring a fraction of his strength.

"Bro... Brother Chuchen, it's... it is perfectly fine!"

Ye Xuan frantically suppressed his volcanic rage and surging Killing Intent. Throwing his arms out to physically block his sisters from charging Ye Chuchen, he squeezed out a sickeningly gentle smile:

"It... it pains me to see everyone argue. There are two Pills, after all. One for Brother Chuchen to heal, and one for me. That... that is perfectly fair..."

Ye Ling'er, Ye Han, and Ye Qingqing glared at Ye Chuchen with pure venom. Their hands instinctively clamped onto their sword hilts. If Ye Xuan had not blocked their path, they would have drawn steel and butchered him on the spot.

Ye Ling'er let out a frigid snort, turning to Ye Xuan with a gaze melting with heartache:

"Xiao Xuan, you are just too gentle. Even after he robs you, your only thought is to protect this rotting waste!"

"..."

Although Ye Ding remained silent, his face was black as the abyss. His bloodshot eyes drilled lethally into Ye Chuchen below.

Aside from Ye Xuan, who stood with an outstretched hand waiting for the final Pill, no one dared to make a sudden move. They were terrified of provoking Ye Chuchen. After all...

There was only one Millennium Fire Spirit Pill left in existence!!

None of them could fathom what had possessed Ye Chuchen today.

In the past, he may have been a cripple, but he was pathetic, obedient, and thoroughly broken.

But now...

"You want this Millennium Fire Spirit Pill so desperately?"

Staring at Ye Xuan's outstretched hand and his nauseatingly fake smile, Ye Chuchen's lips curled into a sharp smirk. Pinching the crimson Pill between two fingers, he held it out toward Ye Xuan:

"If you want it, then take it!"

The collective Ye Family simultaneously exhaled a heavy breath of relief. Ye Xuan beamed with triumph, eagerly stretching his hand out just a fraction further.

Plop.

Yet, a split second before the Pill graced Ye Xuan's palm, Ye Chuchen's fingers snapped open. The crimson Pill plummeted to the stone floor.

Ye Xuan's face warped in horror. He instinctively dove to grab it, but Ye Chuchen was infinitely faster. He ruthlessly slammed his boot down!

Crunch!!

His heavy, mud-stained boot violently pulverized the priceless Pill into a smear of red paste, grinding its supreme medicinal efficacy into the filthy stone.

"If you want a Spirit Pill, go refine it your damn self!"

Under the horrified, unblinking stares of the entire clan, Ye Chuchen pointed straight at Ye Xuan's rapidly paling face and ruthlessly declared:

"What is mine, I would rather grind into dust than ever hand to you!!"

He had played them all for absolute fools!!

BOOM!!

Patriarch Ye Ding's patience violently detonated. Apocalyptic Saint Pressure crashed down like a collapsed mountain, instantly launching Ye Chuchen's body through the air. He smashed through a row of heavy sandalwood chairs before collapsing to the floor, vomiting a mouthful of blood!

"You treasonous bastard! How dare you humiliate us like dogs!"

"Do you think your past merits give you the right to act like a lawless tyrant?! Do you truly believe I lack the iron to expel you?! I have no such bastard for a son!!"

Ye Ding shot up from the patriarch's throne. Channeling his boundless True Essence and Saintly might, his voice boomed like a divine bell, his apocalyptic roar shaking every corner of the Ye Family estate:

"I, Ye Ding, invoking my absolute authority as Patriarch, hereby decree!"

"From this breath onward, my blood ties with Ye Chuchen are completely severed! This rotting waste is permanently expelled from my Ye Family!!"