Shen Tiandou curled his lip and said dismissively, "What else could it be? Just some trivial sect matters, or a lecture telling us to cultivate harder."
His words carried an air of superiority.
While everyone was still chattering, Shang Zhengliang appeared atop the high platform in the Martial Arts Arena.
His gaze swept over the hundreds of disciples below, his expression stern. The noisy arena fell silent in an instant.
"I have gathered you all today to announce something."
Shang Zhengliang's voice rang clearly in everyone's ears.
He paused, then found the figure standing calmly among the crowd.
"My disciple, Li Xiaoyu, had an epiphany last night and saw through his inner demon. After years of deep accumulation, his Cultivation has finally broken through to the fourth layer of the Jade Purity Realm!"
His words sent the entire Martial Arts Arena into an uproar.
"What? Li Xiaoyu broke through?"
"The fourth layer of the Jade Purity Realm? Did I hear that right? Wasn't he stuck at the second layer for six years?"
"Two realms in one night? How is that possible! Is the Chief Seat joking?"
Every disciple stared wide-eyed, their faces written all over with astonishment.
Their gazes swung as one toward Li Xiaoyu in the crowd, as if they were looking at a monster.
The smile on Shen Tiandou's face froze, replaced by shock and jealousy.
He stared daggers at Li Xiaoyu, his eyes filled with resentment and venom.
Once, Li Xiaoyu had been Morning Sun Peak's most dazzling genius, the one everyone looked up to. He had completely overshadowed Shen Tiandou, the senior brother.
It had taken Shen Tiandou six whole years to get used to having that genius beneath his feet.
But now, that so-called good-for-nothing had returned?
And in such an utterly unbelievable way!
No!
He absolutely refused to believe it!
There had to be something fishy going on!
Amid the crowd's astonished stares, Shen Tiandou pushed his way forward and bowed to Shang Zhengliang on the high platform.
"Master, this disciple has something to say!"
Shang Zhengliang looked at him and said flatly, "Speak."
Shen Tiandou straightened and turned his gaze toward Li Xiaoyu, a cold smile curling his lips.
"This disciple congratulates Junior Brother Li on his great advance in Cultivation."
He began with a false show of congratulations, then abruptly changed tack, his words turning sharp.
"However, breaking through from the second to the fourth layer of the Jade Purity Realm in a single night is simply too unbelievable. In the thousands of years of Green Cloud Sect history, nothing like this has ever been heard of."
"This disciple is dull and truly cannot understand. For the sake of Morning Sun Peak's good name, and to keep anyone from straying down the wrong path, I beg Master to investigate this thoroughly!"
His words sounded lofty and righteous, every sentence invoking "Morning Sun Peak's good name." In truth, every word was aimed at Li Xiaoyu, insinuating that he had cultivated some unorthodox art.
Quite a few disciples nodded along, thinking Shen Tiandou's words made sense.
After all, this really was too strange.
Shang Zhengliang's expression darkened, and he gave a cold snort. "How dare you! Are you saying I can't tell right from wrong, and would shelter someone who cultivates the Demon Sect's wicked arts?"
The pressure of the Upper Purity Realm descended over Shen Tiandou in an instant. His face paled, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"This disciple wouldn't dare!"
Shen Tiandou hurriedly knelt. "I was only worried that Junior Brother Li's foundation might be unstable and that he'd been deceived."
Though he said he wouldn't dare, the defiance in his eyes was plain to see.
Shang Zhengliang was seething and about to lash out when a calm voice sounded.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Shen."
Li Xiaoyu slowly stepped out of the crowd and came to stand before Shen Tiandou.
He looked at Shen Tiandou kneeling on the ground, his gaze calm.
"For the past six years, though my Cultivation made no progress, I've worked every day to temper my spiritual energy. I never dared slack off."
"Six years of accumulation, followed by an epiphany—that is how I achieved this small success today. It may have been good fortune, but it didn't come out of nowhere."
"As for whether my foundation is stable, I know that best myself. There's no need for Senior Brother to worry."
His reply was neither servile nor overbearing, and he backed Shen Tiandou's "concern" away with calm reason.
Shen Tiandou rose from the ground. Looking at Li Xiaoyu, whose bearing had changed so completely, he felt the fire of jealousy burning hotter and hotter.
"Easy to say!"
He sneered. "Who knows whether this so-called epiphany of yours is real?"
"The path of cultivation demands one steady step at a time. The greatest taboos are reaching beyond your grasp and taking shortcuts!"
"Junior Brother Li, you've only just broken through to the Object-Driving Realm. I imagine you're still clumsy at controlling your spiritual energy, right? How about I, your senior brother, give you some pointers and help you 'stabilize' your realm?"
As he spoke, spiritual energy began to surge within him. A powerful aura belonging to the fifth layer of the Jade Purity Realm pressed toward Li Xiaoyu.
It was an open challenge!
Everyone present held their breath. The atmosphere in the Martial Arts Arena turned instantly tense, like a sword drawn and ready to strike.
On the other side of the crowd, a stocky young man with an honest-looking face watched Li Xiaoyu with worry.
His name was Chu Yuhong. He was at the fourth layer of the Jade Purity Realm, and one of the few people on Morning Sun Peak who hadn't kicked Li Xiaoyu while he was down.
Chu Yuhong wanted to step forward and say something for Li Xiaoyu, but Shen Tiandou's imposing presence gave him pause. For a moment, he hesitated.
Yet Shang Zhengliang, atop the high platform, remained silent.
He watched coldly without stopping Shen Tiandou's provocation.
Shang Zhengliang also wanted to see how this precious disciple he had regained would handle the situation before him.
Would he swallow his anger?
Or would he show his edge?
Li Xiaoyu felt Shen Tiandou's aura pressing down on him, but his expression did not change.
To him, the pressure of the fifth layer of the Jade Purity Realm was no more than a breeze brushing his face.
He looked at Shen Tiandou's haughty expression, his heart calm.
Li Xiaoyu didn't take this clownish provocation seriously at all.
He couldn't even be bothered to fight him.
"Thank you for the offer, Senior Brother."
Li Xiaoyu smiled faintly. "But there's no need for you to give me pointers. I believe cultivation is a personal matter. Like a person drinking water, only they know whether it's warm or cold."
"As for a spar, if you're truly in the mood, why not wait until the sect's small tournament at the beginning of next month? Then we can meet on the platform and settle things fairly."
Li Xiaoyu didn't accept the challenge outright, instead pushing it back to the sect's small tournament.
It was a clever move.
It kept him from having to respond in haste, which might have made him seem eager to show off.
It also framed the matter as a normal spar between fellow disciples, rather than a clash driven by wounded pride.
More importantly, his composure and confidence made Shen Tiandou's provocation look like the ridiculous tantrum of a sore loser.
Shen Tiandou's face instantly turned the color of pig liver.
He hadn't expected Li Xiaoyu to respond like that, leaving all the insults he'd prepared bottled up inside him.
Shen Tiandou felt as if he'd punched a wad of cotton—his strength had nowhere to go.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!"
Shen Tiandou laughed in fury. "Li Xiaoyu, you're just as sharp-tongued as ever!"
"I'll be waiting for you at next month's tournament! Don't you dare back out when the time comes!"
Before you continue