Downstairs, Zhao Lieyang's expression instantly froze when he saw this scene.
His pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with utter shock and disbelief!
"How is that possible?!"
He almost cried out in a strangled whisper, drawing astonished looks from the people beside him.
"He... he actually broke through to the Core Formation Realm?! How is that possible?! Wasn't his natural aptitude only mediocre-to-poor?!"
"My natural aptitude is top-grade, yet I still haven't broken through... What does he have that I don't?!"
A tremendous sense of disparity, an absurdity he could not comprehend, and a trace of humiliation at being utterly outshone instantly flooded Zhao Lieyang's heart!
Zhao Lieyang stood rooted to the spot, his expression shifting unpredictably as he remained unable to recover for a long time.
All this time, whenever he faced Fang Chen, he had always harbored a faint sense of superiority.
That superiority might have come from their natural aptitudes.
It might also have come from the attitude of their neighbor, Zhang Yuan. After all, Zhang Yuan was extremely warm toward him but rather cold toward Fang Chen.
That difference in attitude had made Zhao Lieyang feel very comfortable.
Moreover,
The senior and junior disciples of the Purple Thunder Institute often invited him to small gatherings.
By comparison, Fang Chen's residence seemed incredibly deserted!
Whenever Fang Chen was at the sect, he was always in the quiet room. Very few people came to visit him or invited him out to do anything!
That desolation was worlds apart from the liveliness surrounding Zhao Lieyang.
The contrast between all these things had given Zhao Lieyang an unspoken sense of superiority all along.
But at this moment, that superiority seemed to have been shattered to pieces...
On the second floor, Secret Manuals filled the shelves in dazzling profusion, making