Chapter 5: Also a Grandmaster

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Also a Grandmaster

What gives you the right?!

Those five words rang out in the memorial hall, where Chen Canxuan’s body was not yet cold.

Though the voice wasn’t loud, it sent a shock through everyone present.

For a moment, the members of the Dao Yi Sect, and even their many guests, couldn’t believe it. Li Jianzhou, who had rushed back for the funeral, was being so direct, confronting Chen Sha right in front of everyone.

"Li Jianzhou, what do you think you’re doing?!"

Zhou Santong, the man with the highest status and most profound Power in the sect, spoke in anger:

"Sect Leader Senior Brother passed the position to Chen Sha. I witnessed it myself. What objections could you possibly have?"

Facing this martial uncle, the man with the greatest Power on the mountain, Li Jianzhou’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He said coldly:

"I refuse to accept it!"

He simply couldn’t believe his master hadn’t passed the position to him!

His three senior brothers, Song Yu, Yuu Miaolian, and Zhang Liting, also spoke with grave expressions, ordering Li Jianzhou:

"Fifth Brother! What are you doing? This is our master’s memorial service."

But Li Jianzhou didn’t even look at them. It was precisely *because* this was his master’s memorial service that this was his last chance to fight for the top position. Once his master was buried and everyone had left Dao Yi Mountain, it would be as if he had silently accepted Chen Sha’s succession upon his return.

After today, he would have no reason to compete for it anymore.

Therefore, he stared at Chen Sha and said:

"My Dao Yi Sect is the greatest in the world, and Master was the world’s number one expert. After his passing, with your pathetic skills and nonexistent reputation, how can you possibly bear the weight of the world’s greatest sect?"

As soon as he said this, a small group of Elders who had been about to speak fell silent.

As for the distinguished guests, including those from the Queen Mother Sect, it was even less their place to speak. This was an internal affair of the Dao Yi Sect; they had neither the standing nor the right to interfere. They all stood there, feigning ignorance, though a few looked on with the clear intention of enjoying the show.

’Chen Canxuan just died, and the sect is already turning into such a farce. The reputation of the world’s number one expert is about to be utterly disgraced.’

Chen Sha glanced at the silent Elders.

He had long known that most people in the sect were dissatisfied with his succession.

But now that Li Jianzhou had thrown all pretenses aside, it seemed none of the Elders spoke up to support him. They all remained silent, but they didn’t speak up for Chen Sha either.

In that instant, he understood.

’Even if these Elders favor Li Jianzhou in their hearts, they won’t show it on their faces.’

’Not unless there’s a clear outcome... ’

’They’ll only decide who to truly rally behind after someone has already won.’

Chen Sha finally spoke.

He glanced at his father’s coffin, then turned to Li Jianzhou and said:

"I was already prepared for you to be dissatisfied with me becoming the Sect Leader upon your return to the mountain."

"But I never imagined you would choose to challenge me before he was even buried, turning today’s events into a laughingstock for the entire world and causing our Dao Yi Sect to lose all face."

A flicker of emotion passed through the depths of Li Jianzhou’s eyes, but it was instantly replaced by cold indifference.

"I’m doing this precisely because I’m afraid that if *you* become Sect Leader, the Dao Yi Sect *will* become a laughingstock and lose all face in the future."

The guests present remained silent.

Inwardly, however, they were all assessing the Power of the two men.

It went without saying that Li Jianzhou, the "Dao Yi Grandmaster" whose fame had spread across several nations over the years, was known by all to be powerful. Not yet thirty, he had already reached the Upper Three Grades of the Grandmaster rank, a clear testament to his extraordinary talent.

In fact, most people from the various sects and schools across the land believed that Li Jianzhou’s talent was a mirror of Chen Canxuan’s when he first made his name. It was widely rumored that the one to succeed Chen Canxuan would undoubtedly be his favorite disciple, Li Jianzhou.

If he took over the Dao Yi Sect, he might well be able to preserve the prestige the sect held during Chen Canxuan’s lifetime for decades to come.

In contrast, Chen Sha, the one who had actually taken over as Sect Leader, was only a First-class Expert. He lacked sufficient reputation both within the sect and in the Jianghu. With Dao Yi Mountain in the hands of this biological son with mediocre skills, its future was truly worrying.

If they were in his shoes, they could completely understand Li Jianzhou’s motives for seizing the position today.

If he didn’t seize it today, then once Chen Canxuan was buried and the matter was set in stone, he would never have another chance.

In the face of Li Jianzhou’s aggressive pressure, Chen Sha shook his head and said:

"In the end, it’s because you believe that having reached the Grandmaster Realm, you can look down on all your peers and think no one is your equal. Fine..."

As he spoke, he walked out of the memorial hall on his own accord, striding toward the White Jade Plaza outside.

"I’ll give you this chance. Use your proud Grandmaster Skill, and defeat me here, in front of everyone today. If you do, I will hand over the Sect Leader’s Seal to you personally."

This declaration stunned the crowd. No one had expected the young new Sect Leader to have such a fiery temperament.

"Little Chen Sha, don’t do this! You’re no match for him!"

Zhou Santong shouted:

"That damn kid, Fifth Brother, has already reached the Grandmaster Level! The gap between the Lower Nine Streams and the Upper Three Grades is as wide as the heavens. Don’t let him provoke you! Your father said he was passing the position to you, not him! If he wants to be Sect Leader, he’ll have to get my permission first!"

As he finished speaking, Zhou Santong’s True Qi, as vast as mountains and seas, surged outward, forming a tangible pressure that made everyone’s robes rustle and filled them all with terror.

Xue Xiuxin was shocked. She thought:

’I’d long heard that Canxuan’s junior brother was obsessed with Martial Arts and was often taught by him personally. His skills were said to be unfathomably deep, perhaps not even inferior to the top ten experts in the world. He just never fought anyone. But seeing this aura today...’

Li Jianzhou felt the pressure and, though his body swayed, the gleam in his eyes remained undiminished.

The authority of the world’s greatest sect—what man alive wouldn’t fight for it? Not to mention, the position should have been his in the first place. It was absolutely impossible for him to give it up.

Not unless Zhou Santong killed him with his own hands today!

"Junior Martial Uncle, you can stop him for a moment, but can you stop him for a lifetime?"

Chen Sha was already standing on the White Jade Plaza, his back to the crowd. He said:

"The arrangement my father left for the Sect Leader position before his death was a seed of conflict from the start. This conflict has to be resolved by someone. If not today, then tomorrow. So let’s settle it today, in front of everyone. I ask you all to bear witness."

Zhou Santong was so anxious he was pulling at his beard and hair, not knowing what to say.

Wei Dashan came over from the side and said quietly, "Junior Martial Uncle, why not watch for now? If Sect Leader Junior Brother seems to be losing, it won’t be too late for you to intervene."

Zhou Santong thought about it, decided it made some sense, and shouted, "You two are family! Can’t you just talk things out properly?"

Everyone thought the old man was adorably naive.

Since ancient times, the struggle for a high position has always been where familial bonds mean the least.

Even the Imperial House is merciless in such matters, let alone the position of Sect Leader of the world’s greatest sect.

The two were clearly as incompatible as fire and water, yet he was still worried about them being brothers and didn’t want them to get truly angry. He really was an old innocent.

Meanwhile, Song Yu, Yuu Miaolian, and the others shot a complicated glance at Wei Dashan.

’Fourth Junior Brother is clearly siding with Fifth Brother to say something like that... ’

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Standing on the White Jade Plaza, Chen Sha turned back toward the hall and said to Li Jianzhou:

"Since you’ve been dreaming of this day and night, why don’t you come down and make your move?"

Li Jianzhou was quite surprised. He hadn’t expected Chen Sha to be the one to propose a fight.

He just sneered and walked, step by step, onto the White Jade Plaza.

Li Jianzhou and Chen Sha stopped at the edge of the plaza, his gaze profound. "Sixth Brother, I have to say, your actions have made me see you in a new light."

Chen Sha’s hands hung at his sides. Dressed in a wide white robe, he spoke with a cold, commanding tone:

"I said, make your move!"

"Fine!"

Li Jianzhou’s eyes narrowed, and his voice boomed:

"Sixth Brother, if you must blame someone, blame yourself for not being able to shoulder the weight of the world’s greatest sect!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he let out a long cry and his body moved. A powerful Grandmaster’s aura erupted from within him and spread outward.

WHOOSH—

In that instant, the air around Long Sky Hall hummed as if a great wind was stirring the earth. Clouds of energy seemed to gather around him, causing the very atmosphere to roil!

Li Jianzhou stomped his foot, and his body seemed to tear through the sky, appearing before Chen Sha in a flash. He struck down with an aerial palm strike, his immense True Qi churning the air and flattening the currents around it!

"The Dao Yi Seal!"

In that instant, the crowd was utterly horrified.

"Is he using a finishing move right from the start?!!"

The Elders of the Dao Yi Sect were especially filled with awe and fear.

"That kid, Jianzhou..."

They couldn’t believe that Li Jianzhou had held nothing back with his very first move, directly using the Dao Yi Sect’s Supreme Martial Arts, the "Dao Yi Seal."

This Seal could be said to be the fundamental martial philosophy of the Dao Yi Sect.

It was based on the principle: The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and All Things Arise from the Three. My Dao is the One that unites all.

The Dao Yi Sect’s Inner Power was the Yellow Court Scripture. Whether it was fist, palm, finger, claw, leg, saber, sword, staff, club, or halberd, when practiced to the highest level, all would ascend to the two words "Dao Yi."

This Supreme Martial Arts technique was only taught to True Disciples. The technique itself had no levels of high or low; what made it powerful was the person using it.

Chen Canxuan had been unrivaled in the world because he had already reached the Realm where in all of Martial Arts, "the One is the Whole, and the Whole is the One."

A single strike could contain the Myriad Phenomena, encompassing everything.

The power of this Seal lay in using "one’s own Dao" to "unite all the Martial Arts of the world as one."

This was the very foundation upon which the Dao Yi Sect was built.

For Li Jianzhou to use the sect’s Supreme Martial Arts from the very start clearly showed his intention to overwhelm Chen Sha in a single blow, while also cutting off any chance for Zhou Santong to intervene.

Song Yu and the others’ faces paled in horror. Li Jianzhou was already a young expert among Grandmasters, and now he was using the sect’s Supreme Martial Arts with all his strength. They feared he was about to kill their Sect Leader Junior Brother in a single strike!

Zhou Santong was about to intervene at once, but just as his toes twitched, a flicker of curiosity appeared in his eyes. "Huh...?"

The crowd didn’t notice.

They were all anxiously awaiting the next moment.

Under the descending blow, it was as if Chen Sha’s eyes saw countless different moves within it: the slash of a saber, the thrust of a sword, the chop of an ax, the sweep of a staff—all the dozen or so profound Martial Arts techniques that Li Jianzhou had mastered and integrated.

An ordinary person would be considered a prodigy if they could master even one form of Martial Arts to the highest level in their lifetime.

But the philosophy of the Dao Yi Sect allowed one to master ten, a hundred, or even a thousand different Martial Arts.

However, if Li Jianzhou knew the Dao Yi Seal, how could Chen Sha, the Sect Leader’s own son, not know it as well?

BOOM!

Just as it seemed Chen Sha was about to be killed by the palm strike descending on his head...

ROAR—

Suddenly, the terrifying sound of a dragon’s roar and a tiger’s howl faintly echoed across the White Jade Plaza!

An arm shot out from a wide sleeve, five fingers spread wide, and raised a single hand toward the sky as if to prop it up!

The next instant!

Their palms met, like ancient warlords striking hands to seal an oath.

A terrifying collision of Power.

The white jade flagstones beneath their feet instantly caved in, sinking a foot deep in a ten-foot radius as rubble and dust flew into the air!

"A Grandmaster!"

"Sect Leader Junior Brother..."

Seeing this, Song Yu cried out in astonishment:

"He’s a Grandmaster too!"