Morning Sun Assembly

Shen Tiandou curled his lip and said dismissively, "What else could it be? Nothing more than trivial sect matters or lecturing us to be diligent in our cultivation."

His tone was laced with a sense of superiority.

Just as the crowd was buzzing with discussion, the figure of Shang Zhengliang appeared on the high platform of the Martial Arts Arena.

He swept his gaze over the hundreds of disciples below, his expression stern, and the previously noisy arena fell silent in an instant.

"I have summoned you all today to announce something."

Shang Zhengliang's voice reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

He paused, his gaze finding the figure standing calmly within the crowd.

"My disciple, Li Xiaoyu, achieved enlightenment last night. Having broken through his inner demons and accumulated strength over time, his cultivation has now reached the fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Martial Arts Arena erupted in chaos.

"What? Li Xiaoyu broke through?"

"The fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm? Did I hear that right? Hasn't he been stuck at the second level for six years?"

"Breaking through two levels in a single night? How is that possible! Is the Sect Leader joking?"

All the disciples widened their eyes, their faces filled with astonishment.

Their gazes turned in unison toward Li Xiaoyu in the crowd, as if they were looking at a monster.

The smile on Shen Tiandou's face froze instantly, replaced by shock and jealousy.

He stared fixedly at Li Xiaoyu, his eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness to accept the truth.

There was a time when Li Xiaoyu was the most dazzling genius of Morning Sun Peak, a figure everyone looked up to, completely overshadowing him as the senior disciple.

It had taken Shen Tiandou six whole years to get used to the feeling of stepping on that genius.

But now, this person he considered a waste had actually returned?

And in such an unbelievable way!

No!

He absolutely did not believe it!

There must be something fishy going on!

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Shen Tiandou pushed through the people and bowed to Shang Zhengliang on the high platform.

"Reporting to Master, this disciple has something to say!"

Shang Zhengliang looked at him and said indifferently, "Speak."

Shen Tiandou straightened up, turned his gaze toward Li Xiaoyu, and wore a cold sneer on his lips.

"This disciple congratulates Junior Brother Li on his great progress in cultivation."

He offered his hypocritical congratulations first, then his tone sharpened.

"However, breaking through from the second level to the fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm in a single night is too inconceivable. Throughout the thousands of years of our Green Cloud Sect's history, it has never been heard of."

"This disciple is dull-witted and truly cannot understand. For the sake of Morning Sun Peak's reputation, and to prevent anyone from going astray, I implore Master to investigate thoroughly!"

His words sounded high-minded and righteous, every sentence invoking the "reputation of Morning Sun Peak," but in reality, every word was aimed at Li Xiaoyu, implying that he had practiced crooked, heretical arts.

Many disciples nodded upon hearing this, feeling that Shen Tiandou's words made sense.

After all, the matter was indeed too bizarre.

Shang Zhengliang's face darkened, and he let out a cold snort. "Presumptuous! Are you implying that this seat cannot even distinguish between right and wrong, and would shield someone who practices the evil arts of the Demon Sect?"

The pressure of the Upper Purity Realm instantly enveloped Shen Tiandou, causing his face to turn pale and cold sweat to seep from his forehead.

"This disciple would not dare!"

Shen Tiandou knelt down in a hurry. "This disciple is merely worried that Junior Brother Li's foundation is unstable and that he has been deceived by others."

Although he claimed he would not dare, the defiance in his eyes was obvious.

Shang Zhengliang was annoyed and about to lash out, but he heard a calm voice ring out.

"Many thanks for your concern, Senior Brother Shen."

Li Xiaoyu walked slowly out of the crowd and came to stand before Shen Tiandou.

He looked at Shen Tiandou, who was kneeling on the ground, his expression calm.

"Although my cultivation has not advanced in the past six years, I have been painstakingly polishing my spiritual energy every day, never daring to slack off."

"Six years of accumulation led to a moment of enlightenment, resulting in today's minor success. While it is a stroke of luck, it is not without reason."

"As for whether my foundation is stable, I have my own judgment and need not trouble Senior Brother to worry."

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, logical and well-founded, gently blocking Shen Tiandou's "concern."

Shen Tiandou stood up from the ground, looking at the Li Xiaoyu before him whose temperament had changed so drastically, and the fire of jealousy in his heart burned ever brighter.

"That sounds nice!"

He sneered, "Who knows if this so-called enlightenment of yours is real or fake?"

"The path of cultivation requires taking one step at a time; the greatest taboos are aiming too high and seeking shortcuts!"

"Junior Brother Li, you have just broken through to the Object Manipulation Realm, so you must still be quite unfamiliar with controlling spiritual energy, right? How about I, as your senior brother, offer you some guidance to help you 'stabilize' your cultivation base?"

As he spoke, the spiritual energy within him began to surge, and an aura belonging to the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm pressed down toward Li Xiaoyu.

This was an open provocation!

Everyone present held their breath, and the atmosphere in the Martial Arts Arena instantly became tense and hostile.

On the other side of the crowd, a young man with an honest face and a slightly chubby build was watching Li Xiaoyu in the center of the arena with a worried expression.

His name was Chu Yuhong, a fourth-level Jade Purity Realm cultivator, and one of the few people on Morning Sun Peak who had not kicked Li Xiaoyu while he was down during his lowest point.

Chu Yuhong wanted to step forward to say a few words for Li Xiaoyu, but he was intimidated by Shen Tiandou's imposing manner and hesitated.

Meanwhile, Shang Zhengliang, who was on the high platform, remained silent.

He watched coldly from the sidelines, making no move to stop Shen Tiandou's provocation.

Shang Zhengliang also wanted to see how this precious disciple of his, who had been lost and then regained, would handle the situation before him.

Would he swallow his pride?

Or would he reveal his sharp edge?

Li Xiaoyu felt the aura Shen Tiandou was pressing down with, but his expression did not change.

To him now, the pressure of the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm was nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against his face.

He looked at the arrogant Shen Tiandou, feeling indifferent in his heart.

Li Xiaoyu did not even take such clownish provocations seriously.

He could not even be bothered to fight him.

"Many thanks for your kind intentions, Senior Brother."

Li Xiaoyu smiled faintly. "However, guidance is unnecessary. I believe that cultivation is a personal matter; it is like drinking water—only the one who drinks knows whether it is cold or warm."

"As for a spar, if you truly have the interest, Senior Brother, why not wait until the internal competition early next month? We can then determine who is superior on the stage, fair and square."

Li Xiaoyu did not directly accept the challenge, but instead pushed the timeline to the internal competition.

This move was quite clever.

It not only avoided a hasty battle that would make him appear eager to show off, but it also framed the matter as a normal spar between fellow disciples rather than a dispute born of pride.

More importantly, the composure and confidence he displayed made Shen Tiandou's provocation look like an unreasonable joke.

Shen Tiandou's face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver.

He had not expected Li Xiaoyu to respond this way, leaving all the insults he had prepared with nowhere to be vented.

Shen Tiandou felt as if he had punched a pile of cotton, his strength finding no target.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Shen Tiandou laughed in extreme anger. "Li Xiaoyu, you are indeed as sharp-tongued as ever!"

"I will be waiting for you at the competition in a month! When the time comes, don't you dare refuse to step onto the stage!"