One Sword!

Shen Tiandou trod the Seven Star Steps, the Bedrock Sword carrying a heavy, imposing momentum as he slashed directly at Li Xiaoyu.

Before the blade even arrived, a crushing pressure surged toward him.

This move was a specialty he had painstakingly practiced for years; it was powerful and heavy, and ordinary disciples of the same rank would never dare to meet it head-on.

Facing this heavy, powerful strike, Li Xiaoyu revealed a strange smile.

Comparing strength?

If this had been a month ago, he might have had to avoid the brunt of the attack.

But things were different now.

The spiritual energy within his body, having been refined by the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, far exceeded those of his peers in both quality and density.

He didn't even use any flashy sword techniques.

He simply raised the Autumn Water Sword in his hand and thrust it forward to meet Shen Tiandou's Bedrock Sword.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang throughout the Martial Arts Arena.

The tips of the two flying swords collided with absolute precision.

Everyone expected to see Li Xiaoyu and his sword sent flying.

However, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The moment the two swords made contact, the smug smile on Shen Tiandou's face froze instantly.

He felt a terrifying, irresistible force surging from the tip of his opponent's sword.

That power was not violent, but it was refined to a degree he could not comprehend.

The immense force behind his Mountain Crushing Style was like a house of cards before this power, instantly collapsing.

"Crack!"

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, a crack appeared at the tip of Shen Tiandou's sturdy flying sword!

The crack spread rapidly across the entire blade.

"No, impossible!"

Shen Tiandou shrieked.

His magic treasure was actually going to shatter?

Li Xiaoyu gave his wrist a light flick.

"Bang!"

With a loud explosion, Shen Tiandou's Bedrock Sword could no longer hold together; it shattered into a sky full of metal fragments that scattered in all directions.

With his magic treasure destroyed, Shen Tiandou's mind suffered a massive shock, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

Yet, Li Xiaoyu's Autumn Water Sword remained as clean and new as ever, its tip trembling slightly as it pointed steadily at the center of Shen Tiandou's brow.

A cold sword intent made Shen Tiandou's entire body stiffen, unable to move a muscle.

The victor had been decided.

The entire Martial Arts Arena fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was completely stunned by the scene before them.

One strike!

A simple, straightforward strike!

Shen Tiandou, a fifth-layer Jade Purity Realm cultivator wielding a heavy sword, had actually had his magic treasure shattered by Li Xiaoyu, a fourth-layer Jade Purity Realm cultivator, in a single blow!

This could no longer be explained by cultivation levels!

This was an absolute crushing of power!

Just how immense was the spiritual energy within Li Xiaoyu?!

Silence.

A deathly silence.

On the Morning Sun Peak's Martial Arts Arena, all the disciples, including those from other peaks who had come to watch the spectacle, were dumbstruck, unable to make a sound.

In their minds, they were still replaying that shocking scene over and over.

It had been just one strike!

No flashy sword moves, no profound spells—just the purest, most direct clash of power.

Shen Tiandou, a fifth-layer Jade Purity Realm cultivator, had been completely crushed, along with his sword!

His magic treasure was destroyed, he had vomited blood, and he lay on the ground in a wretched state.

As for Li Xiaoyu, who was rumored to have just broken through to the fourth layer, he stood there holding his sword, calm and composed, not even a corner of his robe ruffled.

This Li Xiaoyu was truly terrifying.

"Gulp."

Someone struggled to swallow, the sound ringing out with startling clarity across the silent Martial Arts Arena.

It was this very sound that pulled everyone back from their endless shock to reality.

"Whoa!"

The next moment, a roar of discussion erupted!

"What did I just see? Senior Brother Shen's Bedrock Sword just shattered like that?"

"Good heavens! Just how deep is Senior Brother Li's spiritual energy? This doesn't look like the power of the fourth layer of the Jade Purity Realm at all!"

"Too terrifying! Is this what a true genius is? Six years of silence, only to soar into the sky!"

"The genius has returned! Our Morning Sun Peak is finally going to rise again!"

Every gaze was focused on the upright figure in the center of the arena.

There was no longer any trace of the previous skepticism in those eyes.

Only shock remained.

In this world, the strong are respected.

With that single strike, Li Xiaoyu had shattered all doubts and cemented his status.

Shen Tiandou lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, muttering to himself, "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

He could not accept this reality.

The cultivation and power Shen Tiandou had taken such pride in after years of bitter practice had proven fragile and weak before his opponent.

It was laughable, and pathetic.

Li Xiaoyu slowly sheathed his Autumn Water Sword.

The cold sword intent at the tip dissipated along with it.

He glanced at the devastated Shen Tiandou, not saying another word of humiliation.

For a loser who had completely lost his confidence, any words were superfluous.

He turned and bowed slightly toward Shang Zhengliang, who was also in a state of shock on the high platform.

"Master, this disciple has fulfilled his mission."

Shang Zhengliang's lips trembled slightly as he looked at his disciple, his eyes filled with excitement and ecstasy.

He had anticipated that Li Xiaoyu might win.

But he never imagined it would be so effortless, so shocking!

"Genius" was no longer enough to describe him!

He was a monster!

"Good! Very good!"

Shang Zhengliang stood up abruptly from his seat, his usually stern face breaking into a wide grin as he cheered repeatedly.

The guilt in his heart had now transformed into gratification and pride.

With such a disciple, what more could he ask for!

The rise of Morning Sun Peak was just around the corner!

He waved his hand and announced loudly, "In this minor competition, Li Xiaoyu is the victor!"

"According to the rules, all of Shen Tiandou's cultivation resources for the next two months shall belong to Li Xiaoyu!"

He swept his gaze across the crowd and announced with authority.

"From this day forward, Li Xiaoyu is the new Head Disciple of our Morning Sun Peak!"

"Does anyone have any objections?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted once more.

Head Disciple!

This position was not just a title; it represented status, power, and resources.

Shen Tiandou's expression turned ghastly.

Not only had he lost the match and his face, but now, even his position as Head Disciple was being stripped away.

However, facing Shang Zhengliang's stern gaze and the expectant eyes of all the disciples below, he could not bring himself to utter a single word of dissent.

The winner is king, the loser is the bandit.

This was the most cruel, yet most fair, law of the cultivation world.

"This disciple obeys."

Shen Tiandou squeezed these words out through his teeth, using every ounce of his remaining strength.

The other disciples, meanwhile, bowed in unison toward Li Xiaoyu and shouted aloud:

"We pay our respects to the Senior Martial Brother!"

The voices were uniform and synchronized, resounding through the clouds.

Li Xiaoyu stood in the center of the field, listening to the honorific with a calm heart.

He did not care about the position of Senior Martial Brother.

What he cared about were the two portions of cultivation resources he had won back.

His Immortal-Slaying Gourd had long been "famished and impatient."