Provocation

The disciples of Morning Sun Peak were livid, their faces turning a sickly shade of green as they clenched their fists tight.

Shang Zhengliang's expression was so dark it seemed as though water might drip from his face.

Tian Ling'er stood beside Qi Hao with her head bowed, not daring to meet Li Xiaoyu's eyes.

Her heart was a chaotic mix of complex emotions.

When she had first heard from Qi Hao that Li Xiaoyu had defeated Shen Tiandou with a single sword strike to become the new head disciple of Morning Sun Peak, she had been filled with shock and disbelief.

Seeing Li Xiaoyu in person today, that shock only intensified beyond measure.

The young man before her still possessed that same refined face, but his temperament had undergone a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering transformation.

He stood there quietly, his gaze as calm as an abyss, radiating an aura of restrained confidence.

He was no longer the dejected, silent youth from her memories.

For the first time, a sense of regret sprouted in Tian Ling'er's heart.

Perhaps her decision back then had truly been wrong?

However, when she looked at the high-spirited Qi Hao beside her, she forcibly suppressed that regret.

She couldn't be wrong!

Senior Brother Qi Hao was an expert at the eighth level of the Jade Purity Realm; he was a future peak master, perhaps even the sect leader.

Even if Li Xiaoyu had reclaimed his reputation as a genius, he was currently only at the fourth level.

The gap between them remained as vast as the clouds and the mud.

She had not chosen incorrectly!

The atmosphere in the Martial Arts Arena turned stagnant.

Everyone's gaze was fixed upon Li Xiaoyu.

They were all waiting to see how this new head disciple would respond to such a lethal humiliation.

Would he fly into a rage?

Would he endure it in silence?

Or would he lose his composure?

Li Xiaoyu's reaction once again defied everyone's expectations.

He looked at the man and woman performing their clumsy act, his face devoid of any expression.

He simply watched them quietly, as if observing two clowns who had nothing to do with him.

That indifference made Qi Hao and his companion look like a joke.

The smile on Qi Hao's face began to falter.

He felt like a fool punching at thin air.

His meticulously crafted apology appeared pale and ridiculous before the other man's unruffled gaze.

Qi Hao could not accept being ignored so thoroughly.

He had to see the expression he wanted on Li Xiaoyu's face—whether it was anger, jealousy, or pain.

"Junior Brother Xiaoyu, why aren't you saying anything?"

Qi Hao forced a smile.

"Let the past be the past. You and I are both disciples of Qingyun; we must work together in the future to defend against external enemies."

"Ling'er and I are truly in love, and we hope to receive your blessing."

As he spoke, he deliberately reached out to pull Tian Ling'er's shoulder in an intimate gesture.

Tian Ling'er's body stiffened, but she did not resist.

This scene was undoubtedly rubbing salt into Li Xiaoyu's wounds.

The disciples of Morning Sun Peak were barely able to suppress their fury.

Even Shang Zhengliang was preparing to speak up and drive these two shameless individuals off the mountain.

At this moment, the silent Li Xiaoyu finally spoke.

Li Xiaoyu did not look at Qi Hao, but instead cast his gaze toward the young woman held in Qi Hao's arms.

"Junior Sister Tian and I have long since settled our accounts; there is no need for Senior Brother Qi to concern yourself."

Qi Hao's face turned ash-gray in an instant.

Tian Ling'er's face went deathly pale in a flash.

However, Li Xiaoyu's words were not yet finished.

His gaze shifted away from Tian Ling'er and finally landed on Qi Hao's face.

"Your path is yours."

"My path is mine."

"Our paths are different; we have no common ground."

"Senior Brother Qi Hao, please return."

This final sentence exploded in the minds of Qi Hao and Tian Ling'er like a thunderclap from the nine heavens.

If the preceding words had merely stung their hearts, then this sentence tore everything they had taken for granted to shreds and trampled it underfoot.

Your path is yours; my path is mine.

This was not just about the path of cultivation; it was about the realm of life, one's vision, and one's character.

What you care about is romantic entanglement, petty jealousy among fellow disciples, and that pathetic vanity.

What Li Xiaoyu cares about is the sea of stars, the longevity of the immortal path, and the supreme peak.

We are simply not people from the same world.

Our paths are different; we have no common ground!

"You..."

Qi Hao pointed at Li Xiaoyu, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

All his pride and sense of superiority vanished in that instant.

Qi Hao felt like a clown jumping about, performing for ages, only to realize that the audience below had viewed him as nothing more than a joke from the very beginning.

Tian Ling'er was struck as if by lightning, her body trembling and swaying as if she might collapse.

She looked at the unfamiliar young man before her and finally understood what she had lost.

She had not lost a down-and-out fiancé; she had lost a true powerhouse with a supreme Daoist heart.

Tian Ling'er had once been so close to that brilliant starry sky.

Yet, she had pushed it away with her own hands.

Endless regret washed over her, leaving her feeling suffocated.

"Let's go!"

Qi Hao could no longer bear to stay.

He grabbed the soul-shattered Tian Ling'er, summoned his flying sword as if fleeing for his life, and left Morning Sun Peak in a sorry state.

Watching their retreating figures as they fled in panic, the disciples of Morning Sun Peak were stunned for a moment before erupting into cheers.

"Senior Brother is mighty!"

"Well said! Our paths are different; we have no common ground!"

They looked at their Senior Brother, their eyes filled with fanatical worship.

To subdue the enemy without a fight!

A single sentence that pierced the heart!

This kind of demeanor and bearing was what a true Senior Brother of Morning Sun Peak should have!

Shang Zhengliang stood to the side, watching his disciple with eyes full of gratification.

He knew that from this day on, the knot in Li Xiaoyu's heart had been completely untied.

Nothing could ever stop him from soaring toward the nine heavens again.

Li Xiaoyu paid no mind to the cheers around him.

He simply raised his head, gazed at the cloudless sky, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

The past is like smoke.

The future is full of promise.

After Qi Hao and Tian Ling'er slunk away, Li Xiaoyu's life returned to tranquility.

He lived a secluded life, focusing on nothing but stabilizing his cultivation and contemplating sword techniques with undivided attention.

Months passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Xiaoyu's cultivation had made further progress.

Furthermore, the Green Cloud Sect's grand event, held once every sixty years, the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament, had finally officially begun.

On this day, Heaven-Reaching Peak, the main peak of Green Cloud Mountain, was packed with people and bustling with excitement.

Disciples from the seven meridians gathered here.

Eight arenas had been erected on the martial arts plaza, surrounded by fluttering colorful flags, creating a solemn and fervent atmosphere.

The heads and elders of each meridian sat high on the viewing platform in front of the Jade Purity Hall, looking down at the Young Generation below with expectant smiles on their faces.

As the senior brother of Morning Sun Peak, Li Xiaoyu was naturally among them.

His appearance immediately drew attention from all sides.

"Look, that's Li Xiaoyu from Morning Sun Peak!"

"Is that the guy who was silent for six years and then had a sudden epiphany?"

"I heard he crippled the former senior brother, Shen Tiandou, with a single sword strike and left Qi Hao of Dragon Head Peak speechless. I wonder if it's true."

"Hmph, I think it's mostly hearsay."

"No matter how much of a genius he is, he's only at the fourth or fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm. How strong could he really be?"

The discussions of the disciples from various branches reached his ears.

They all wanted to see exactly how much weight this "returning genius" carried.

Li Xiaoyu did not care about this in the slightest.

He stood calmly in the Morning Sun Peak formation, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue.

Soon, his eyes rested on the group from Big Bamboo Peak.