Chapter 7: Break Your Arms and Legs, Cripple Your Own Martial Arts

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Break Your Arms and Legs, Cripple Your Own Martial Arts

"If I do not give it to you, you cannot snatch it."

These words were like a colossal deity wielding a hammer, smashing heavily into Li Jianzhou’s heart. The impact caused his already blood-and-qi congested body to instantly spew a mouthful of blood.

"Ha... Hehehe..."

Half-kneeling on the ground, Li Jianzhou let out a wretched laugh.

"Good, good, good. So this is what you truly look like, Sixth Brother."

He slowly raised his head, looking at Chen Sha’s tall figure turned away from him. Unexpectedly, he seemed to see traces of their master, Chen Canxuan.

"A person like you, who has kept his true self deeply hidden from the very beginning, is indeed the most suited to take over as Sect Leader. I am wholeheartedly convinced by my defeat.

"Today... since I have met such an end, how do you intend to deal with me?!"

Since ancient times, treason and usurpation had always been capital crimes.

In the imperial family, it was a crime punishable by the execution of one’s entire extended family.

Moreover, Li Jianzhou had launched his rebellion right before Chen Canxuan’s memorial tablet. Not only had he become a traitor to the Dao Yi Sect, but he also bore an additional First Layer of the great crime of unfilial conduct.

However, some members of the various sects within the grand hall sighed inwardly.

This was the unspoken rule that had existed since ancient times.

To the victor go the spoils, to the defeated, ruin.

If Li Jianzhou had truly struck down Chen Sha today, the outcome would not have been like this.

If he had managed to seize the Sect Leader position, his talent might have allowed him to further expand and strengthen the Dao Yi Sect over the next ten or twenty years.

By then, it would have been a completely different story.

The people of the Jianghu across the world would spread rumors that the original Sect Leader, Chen Sha, was incompetent, and that it was fortunate Li Jianzhou had stepped in to bring order out of chaos and save the sect from collapse.

Such events had already happened time and time again throughout history.

Unfortunately for him, the outcome was exactly the opposite.

Therefore, at this moment, no one dared to speak.

Since Li Jianzhou had failed, everyone had also seen that the truly formidable and terrifying person was actually Sect Leader Chen Sha.

The victor was Chen Sha!

Naturally, the victor would dictate the ultimate outcome of everything.

Even those Elders who had secretly supported and favored Li Jianzhou remained completely silent.

"Sect Leader, Junior Brother..."

At this moment, only Song Yu could brace himself and step forward in his capacity as the current Eldest Senior Brother.

"There is no need, Eldest Senior Brother."

Chen Sha raised a hand to stop Song Yu from finishing his words and said, "I know what I am doing. I will not take his life."

With that said, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he turned to look at Li Jianzhou, who was half-kneeling on the White Jade Plaza.

"Fifth Senior Brother, considering what you have done today, I should have crippled your Martial Arts and expelled you from the sect. But for the sake of our past bond as fellow disciples, starting today, you are required to build a thatched hut in front of my father’s grave. From now on, you are not to leave that place by a single step, repenting day and night."

Chen Sha’s gaze was tranquil.

He could have executed this treasonous senior brother, but today was Chen Canxuan’s funeral. If he were to personally kill someone during this solemn mourning ceremony, wouldn’t he be reduced to the same unfilial state as Li Jianzhou?

Conversely, as long as Li Jianzhou remained on the mountain, there was no fear of him turning the world upside down.

Possessing the Southern Heavenly Gate, Chen Sha could Cultivate for a single day in his dreams and achieve the equivalent of a hundred days for anyone else—one year of his time was worth decades of another’s. Why would he fear Li Jianzhou, who had already been defeated by his hands?

If he dared to refuse, Chen Sha would simply suppress him once more!

Song Yu hurriedly urged, "Fifth Brother, hurry up and admit your mistake. Thank our Sect Leader and confess you were wrong."

Seeing this, the other Elders also advised, "Sword Ship, apologize to the Sect Leader."

Wei Dashan sighed as well, "Fifth Brother..."

The implication of his words was also urging Li Jianzhou to admit his mistake. He had never expected such an outcome.

Wei Dashan cast a subtle glance at Chen Sha, feeling utterly shocked.

He hadn’t expected that the most deeply hidden person on the mountain would turn out to be his Sixth Junior Brother.

Chen Sha, who had never shown any remarkable performance among the disciples over the years, had actually astounded everyone today. He had cleanly and decisively defeated the aggressive Li Jianzhou, who had returned to seize the throne.

Such endurance and indifference...

He had only begun to reveal his true strength after becoming the Sect Leader.

He wondered if their master had seen through the true depths of Chen Sha, his only son, right before his death, and if that was why he had so firmly passed the position to his sixth disciple.

These thoughts flashed through Wei Dashan’s mind.

But suddenly, he heard Li Jianzhou burst into a wretched laugh on the White Jade Plaza.

"Hahaha, Chen Sha, a victory is a victory, and a defeat is a defeat. Since I dared to commit such a grave transgression today, I had long prepared myself for utter ruin upon defeat. There is no need for your hypocritical pity!"

As he spoke, he abruptly raised his palm and struck viciously at the Qi Points around his body, laughing in despair.

"I, Li Jianzhou, committed treason before my mentor’s spirit and failed his teachings. I no longer deserve to use a single move of the Dao Yi Sect’s Martial Arts. Today, I shall return them all to my mentor."

BANG!

With a heavy palm strike to his own body, he completely shattered his Grandmaster Level qi dynamics!

The entire crowd gasped in shock.

It was Grandmaster Cultivation. He had crippled it just like that.

In an instant, two streaks of white hair appeared at Li Jianzhou’s temples. Looking up at the sky, he declared:

"I was raised by the Dao Yi Sect since I was a child. Today, I shall also return an arm and a leg to the Sect..."

Immediately, he grasped the Treasure Sword that Chen Sha had just knocked to the ground. With a flash of the falling blade, he severed his own arm and leg...

Blood splattered everywhere!

The onlookers were absolutely horrified.

Li Jianzhou’s movements were simply too fast; crippling his Martial Arts and severing his limbs had all happened in the blink of an eye!

"Fifth Brother!" Song Yu shouted, his expression changing drastically.

Wei Dashan’s face was also filled with shock. "Fifth Brother, why must you go this far..."

"Master!"

The teenage boy and girl whom Li Jianzhou had brought up the mountain also ran over in terror.

The ground beneath Li Jianzhou’s body had already turned into a pool of blood.

His face was as pale and translucent as paper, and he could no longer stand. With his messy hair falling over his face, he stared straight at Chen Sha.

"I don’t need you to expel me from the sect. I will leave on my own.

"Lin’Er, Yunkong, escort your master down the mountain."

Li Jianzhou’s lips twitched. Gazing at the setting sun on the horizon, he added, "From today onward, the man known as Li Jianzhou of Dao Yi Mountain ceases to exist."

"Yes, Master..."

Chengg Lin and Zhao Yunkong helped Li Jianzhou up, tears streaming unstoppably from their eyes.

"We are going down the mountain."

At the entrance of the grand hall.

Watching the one-armed, one-legged, and blood-soaked Li Jianzhou being supported down the mountain by the two disciples he had brought with him, some of the Elders ultimately could not bear it. They looked toward Chen Sha.

"Sect Leader, please show mercy..."

Their address to Chen Sha this time was completely genuine, filled with both fear and admiration.

Most of the Elders didn’t possess Grandmaster Level strength, either.

Chen Sha had already thoroughly convinced everyone with his sheer power.

At this moment, they watched as Li Jianzhou acted with such resolute fierceness, preferring to sever his arm and leg and cripple his own Martial Arts rather than beg for Chen Sha’s forgiveness and repent before the old Sect Leader’s grave.

Chen Sha did not respond to the Elders’ pleas.

"He would rather turn himself into a cripple than have me watch over him like a dog every day. Since that is the case, why should I strip away his remaining dignity and force hypocritical gestures upon him?"

Chen Sha flicked his sleeves and walked toward the grand hall.

"The trivial matters are settled. Let us bury the former Sect Leader."

In his opinion, keeping Li Jianzhou on the mountain was the best course of action.

First, with himself keeping watch, there was no fear of Li Jianzhou overturning rivers and seas; he couldn’t possibly turn the world upside down.

Conversely, if he were allowed to descend the mountain, it would be hard to guarantee that nothing would happen.

But now, Li Jianzhou had given an account for today’s events at the cost of crippling his Martial Arts and severing his limbs.

With such a result, whether he stayed or left made no difference.

Martial Uncle Santong wouldn’t want him to kill anyone today either, especially his own martial brother.

That old man didn’t have so many worldly complications in his heart; he would simply step in to stop him.

Now Li Jianzhou had descended the mountain, his Martial Arts entirely ruined, his arm and leg severed.

Although it was a tragic sight, if he had successfully seized the throne, the one being driven down the mountain would probably be Chen Sha himself.

Therefore, strength was paramount.

Chen Sha’s eyes flickered with a sharp light.

"I will only grow more tyrannical than I am today. If I want to suppress the entire world like my father did, it will take far more than just one Li Jianzhou!"