Chapter 505: Petty Old Villains, No Match at All
Qin Mu's face darkened, then he remembered he had no flesh and blood, so there was no face to darken.
The traditions of the Celestial Demon Sect seemed completely different from what he had imagined. Plotting against the Sect Master didn't warrant the punishment of "three knives and six holes"; instead, it was considered a traditional "virtue." Every generation of Sect Masters took pride in becoming the new Sect Master by scheming against the previous one!
"I didn't plot against anyone. I was chosen by Celestial Saint Patriarch and directly elevated to Sect Master," Qin Mu said patiently.
"Master! Master!"
Yulian Sect Master waved at a young girl, laughing, "The little Sect Master is here! He's a freak! He didn't scheme against the previous Sect Master and just took the throne directly!"
The young girl walked out of her palace and approached, surprised. "Is that so? You didn't seduce your master, corrupt his Dao heart, and make him lose to you in a duel?"
Qin Mu shook his head. "No. Celestial Saint Patriarch made the decision and passed the position to me."
"You've ruined the tradition of our Celestial Saint Sect!"
The girl was radiant and charming, wearing two large, shiny silver earrings. She looked at Qin Mu with some disdain and said, "Outsmarting your master and disciples—that's the fine tradition of our Celestial Saint Sect. You've abandoned this heritage! How boring! If you don't challenge your master, how can each generation surpass the last? Your position as Sect Master is illegitimate!"
Qin Mu was speechless, unable to respond.
This girl should be from the Si family. Based on the succession order of Celestial Demon Sect Masters, she was likely Si Yuanwei, an ancestor of Granny Si.
The Si family rarely produced Sect Masters, but there were one or two, and Si Yuanwei was one of them.
Si Yuanwei said, "I was originally the Saintess of the Holy Sect. Later, I made Fuyun Sect Master lose his composure and corrupted his Dao heart. Fuyun Sect Master sighed with emotion, saying the Holy Sect would surely be stronger in my hands than in his, so he passed his teachings to me. You relied on the Patriarch's support to become Sect Master—your position is unjustified!"
Zuyang Sect Master sneered, "Grandmaster, the one who passed the position to him was my little junior uncle. Now you see how wrong it was to plan to give the position to him, right? My little junior uncle became the Celestial Saint Patriarch and ruined our Celestial Saint Sect's long-standing tradition! This little Sect Master didn't kill or seriously injure the previous Sect Master, yet he still has the nerve to come see us!"
Si Yuanwei's face flushed slightly. "I originally thought Little Wenyuan was handsome and would corrupt my Dao heart, allowing me to seize the Sect Master position smoothly. I didn't expect your master to scheme against me. But Wenyuan doing something like this really hurt me. Isn't he dead? Let's call him over and ask... Master Hujun, have you seen Wenyuan?"
A handsome, demonic-looking man walked over, laughing. "I saw him just now. He was pestered by a big skeleton frame that claimed to be from the Yang Realm. It clung to him, crying and making a fuss, squeezing a lot of tears out of him. He's probably hiding somewhere wiping his nose now. And this is..."
"Our Holy Sect's new Sect Master."
Si Yuanwei said casually, "His position as Sect Master is illegitimate. He didn't earn it through battle but inherited it. How shameful!"
"Is that so?"
Hujun Sect Master's face turned cold, and he sneered, "Truly, each generation produces new talents, but each one is worse than the last! People's hearts are not what they used to be. If you didn't fight for the position of Holy Sect Master, can you hold your ground?"
Qin Mu said patiently, "Esteemed former Sect Masters, I was recommended by the leaders of the three hundred and sixty halls, the various protectors, and the Celestial Kings before I ascended to the position of Sect Master. To be honest, the Holy Sect has flourished under my leadership, far surpassing the past..."
"Arrogant nonsense!"
Several more former Sect Masters approached. A handsome man sneered, "Flourished? I heard that the Yang Realm is now ruled by the Yan Kingdom, which has annexed the world. How did you make the Holy Sect flourish? Could it be that you sold out the sect for glory and willingly became the emperor's puppet Sect Master?"
Qin Mu suppressed his anger and smiled faintly. "Who might you be?"
The handsome man snapped open a folding fan and said, "Haven't you been to my Sacred Mountain's Yueguang Hall? I am Yueguang Sect Master!"
Qin Mu laughed heartily. "A piece of rotten wood in the hall—I never bothered to visit. On Sacred Mountain, I only respect the Woodcutter Who Preached the Dao, the Founding Sect Master, and the Three Saint Kings. The other Sect Masters are nothing but petty, scrambling nobodies in my eyes, unworthy of my reverence."
"What audacity!"
Several more former Sect Masters arrived. Qin Mu looked over and saw they were all handsome men and beautiful women. Clearly, the Celestial Demon Sect was different from the Human Emperor Hall.
The Human Emperor Hall allowed both men and women to become Human Emperors, but the Human Emperors didn't care much about their appearance. They let themselves age naturally and rarely preserved their youth.
The Celestial Saint Sect's Sect Masters, however, were very different. The Great Nurturing Celestial Demon Sutra contained seven chapters of Creation. By cultivating these chapters, one could keep their appearance forever young, or even return to their youth.
The Sect Masters Qin Mu saw were all young men and women, radiant and youthful. Even the Young Patriarch appeared as a young boy, very conscious of his image.
"I suppose you haven't visited my Thousand Bones Hall either, little Sect Master?"
Thousand Bones Sect Master stepped forward, sneering. "Your position as Sect Master was inherited, not earned through your own strength. It's illegitimate. Yet you dare call us petty, scrambling nobodies unworthy of reverence. What is there to revere about you?"
"Exactly! Your position is unjustified. How dare you come see us, the ancestors?"
"You don't respect the Holy Sect's rules, nor do you respect us, your ancestors. At such a young age, aren't you betraying your master and ancestors?"
"Little Sect Master..."
...
"Silence!" Qin Mu's anger erupted, and he suddenly shouted.
The surroundings fell silent.
Qin Mu laughed heartily, spreading his robes wide, and declared loudly, "I inherited the position of Sect Master at the age of twenty. When I ascended, the sect was in decline, with everything in ruins—a mess left to me by the previous Sect Master, Li Tianxing. After I took charge, I reformed the good and bad, allied with the Yan Kingdom, drove the Buddhist sect westward, dealt a heavy blow to the Daoist sect, and forced both sacred lands to submit."
"I reformed the laws, expanded the doctrines, established schools, founded the Celestial Saint Academy, gathered the Dao techniques and divine powers of all sects and schools, and cleared the name of our sect!"
"I created the Eighteen Forms of the Sword and established the Six Harmonies to solidify the Primordial Spirit."
"Now, our sect's warriors dominate the east and west for a hundred thousand miles, with millions of cultivators. From the Yan Kingdom's Grand Preceptor to common laborers and soldiers, our people are everywhere in the court and the countryside!"
"With the cultivation of the Seven Stars Realm, I accomplished all this!"
He swept his gaze across the assembled former Sect Masters of the Celestial Demon Sect and sneered, "And what about you?"
"The Holy Sect, in your hands, degenerated into the demonic path, called the Celestial Demon Sect, hunted and killed by everyone!"
"The so-called 'Way of the Sage is no different from the daily needs of the people,' yet you turned the noble Way of the Sage into demonic arts and a demonic sect! The Sage established merit, words, and teachings—which of you have done that?"
"I respect the Sage Woodcutter, who passed down the teachings on the stone, transmitting the methods for ten thousand generations."
"I respect the Founding Sect Master, who spread the Dao and established the teachings."
"I respect the three Saint Sect Masters in the Hall of Three Kings, who sacrificed themselves in times of crisis to preserve the heritage."
"As for you?"
Qin Mu sneered. "What merit have you established? What words have you left? What teachings have you founded? You twisted the doctrines, recklessly cultivated demonic arts, and burdened the Celestial Saint Sect with the name of a demonic sect! How dare I come see the ancestors? The merit you've established—is it even as big as my pinky finger? Are you worthy of being Sect Masters? Worthy of being Saint Masters? I didn't come to see you. You are nothing but mediocre talents, unworthy of my visit!"
The surroundings were dead silent.
The Celestial Demon Sect had more former Sect Masters than the Human Emperor Hall had Human Emperors, but many had died tragically, their cultivation and strength at death insufficient to enter Fengdu. Thus, the number of Celestial Demon Sect former Sect Masters in Fengdu wasn't greater than the Human Emperors in the Human Emperor Hall.
Even so, nearly thirty Sect Masters had gathered here, forming another major force in Fengdu that few dared to provoke.
Qin Mu's lengthy speech left everyone stunned, but the atmosphere also turned terrifyingly cold.
Suddenly, the Young Patriarch's voice rang out, laughing, "What's going on? Everyone's here! I'm late, I'm late!"
Qin Mu looked over and saw the Young Patriarch sweating on his forehead, rushing over hurriedly. The big skeleton frame of Dragon Qilin was trotting behind him, looking very affectionate.
The Young Patriarch quickened his pace, squeezed into the crowd, sweating even more profusely. He greeted everyone in a circle, chuckling, "Esteemed Sect Masters, why are you arguing? This is the current Celestial Saint Sect Master, a true genius of this era. He carries the stone-carved teachings of the Great Nurturing Celestial Demon Sutra, so he can't die. Sect Master Qin came to visit me. Come, come, let's go to my place and sit. The sect's disciples have burned quite a lot of good things for me."
The surrounding Celestial Demon Sect Masters didn't move.
The Young Patriarch's cold sweat dripped. He tugged at Qin Mu's clothes and gritted his teeth, whispering, "You were too harsh. Bow your head and apologize to the ancestors..."
"Apologize? No need."
Zuyang Sect Master laughed heartily, saying leisurely, "Sect Master Qin's small frame erupted with earth-shattering words that deafened us all. We're all stunned."
The Young Patriarch's expression changed. Zuyang Sect Master was clearly angry. The more cheerfully he laughed, the heavier his anger.
Qin Mu smiled faintly. "Zuyang Sect Master, your words carry hidden meaning. Feel free to speak directly."
The Young Patriarch grew anxious. Zuyang Sect Master smiled slightly and said, "The Sect Master of the Celestial Saint Sect is earned through battle, not through words. Your position as Sect Master is illegitimate. Since Li Tianxing is dead and you didn't defeat him to become Sect Master, why don't we old bones take his place and test you, to see if you're worthy of being the Sect Master and Saint Teacher!"
The Young Patriarch quickly tugged at Qin Mu's sleeve, signaling him to refuse.
"Is it a battle at the same cultivation level? To be honest, I just fought the Human Emperor Hall."
Qin Mu gently pushed his hand away and smiled. "The Human Emperors of the Human Emperor Hall were all unparalleled figures of their time. Beating them was quite exhausting. As for you, esteemed former Sect Masters, if we fight at the same level..."
He said calmly, "Come at me all at once."
The Young Patriarch's sweat fell like rain.
The expressions of the former Sect Masters changed drastically. Yulian Sect Master chuckled darkly, "Sect Master Qin has quite the spirit. But asking us all to come at once is a bit too arrogant. Let me test your skills first."
Qin Mu shook his head. "It seems your realm isn't high enough. One realm, one level of heaven; one state of mind, one barrier. I stand at the barrier, looking down at you below, as clearly as reading a book in the palm of my hand. Telling you all to come at once is out of respect for your age. Yulian Sect Master wanting to fight alone overestimates yourself."
The Young Patriarch sighed, then took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Esteemed Sect Masters and Saint Teachers, as a Sect Master, one must keep their word. Please seal the Heavenly Man, Life and Death, and Divine Bridge divine treasures. Whether you fight one-on-one or all together, it's up to you. I'm not the Sect Master anyway. Do as you please."
Yulian Sect Master was the first to seal his three divine treasures. He stepped forward, roared, and erupted with demonic power. His Great Nurturing Celestial Demon Sutra followed the demonic path, making him a true master of the demonic way. He had comprehended the Dao techniques and divine powers in the sutra to the extreme of the demonic path. With one step, a series of demonic shadows appeared!
"The Great Nurturing Celestial Demon Sutra is merely a fragment of my Overlord Body Three-Dan Art, and you've turned it into the demonic path."
Qin Mu narrowed his eyes and struck out with a palm, as fast as lightning, hitting the demonic shadow square on. "Great Luo Celestial Star Palm Force!"
Boom—
Yulian Sect Master flew backward, smashing a human-shaped hole through Zuyang Sect Master's Zuyang Hall. Then, a series of loud crashes echoed from inside the hall as Yulian Sect Master blasted through more than a dozen palace walls without stopping. Finally, a mushroom cloud rose more than ten miles away. No one knew what he had hit, but he finally stopped.
Before everyone could recover, Qin Mu sidestepped behind Zuyang Sect Master. Zuyang Sect Master reacted quickly, lunging forward and turning into a black shadow that clung to the ground.
Qin Mu stomped the ground. The earth cracked with a loud bang, forming ravines. Zuyang Sect Master was shaken out of the shadow, revealing his true form. A blade came slashing down at him. He roared in fury, manifesting his Black Tortoise body. His great shield split under the blade, and he was sent flying along with the two halves of the broken shield.
Qin Mu charged into the midst of the former Sect Masters, his figure flickering like a ghost. Everyone's heart skipped a beat, feeling as if he was attacking them, so they had no choice but to fight back.
A series of explosions rang out. Yueguang Sect Master's divine power collided with Thousand Bones Sect Master's body, and Thousand Bones Sect Master's demonic sword stabbed into Si Yuanwei's chest. In an instant, chaos erupted.
The Young Patriarch quickly retreated to avoid being caught in the fray. He saw the ground shatter instantly, the entire Zuyang Hall crumbling under the assault of countless divine powers. The broken hall floated into the air as figures leaped and bounded among the floating debris, sometimes upside down, sometimes right-side up, sometimes clinging to pillars, sometimes transforming into birds and beasts!
"You're using the Daoist sect's Dao Sword! You traitor!" a former Sect Master roared, struck by hundreds of swords before falling headfirst.
"Damn it, this is the Great Thunderclap Monastery's technique!"
"The Little Jade Capital's divine power!"
"What sword technique is this?"
Boom, boom, boom—
Figures fell one after another. The shattered palace rose higher and higher. On the green tiles and red ridges of the roof, Qin Mu and Hujun Sect Master crossed paths. A single "Seal" character technique sealed Hujun Sect Master's five senses. Qin Mu turned and used the Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand, striking Hujun Sect Master with a palm that sent him flying, spitting blood.
The green tiles of the hall cracked. Yanji Sect Master launched a sneak attack, only to be met by Qin Mu's great divine power: "Heavenly Cave, Silver River Hanging in the Azure Sky!"
Countless stars, carrying his terrifying palm force, descended from the sky, shattering Yanji Sect Master's divine power with irresistible force. A single palm, along with a cascade of the Silver River, slammed him heavily into the ground.
Boom!
The countless broken walls and debris in the air crashed down together, the earth trembling violently. The place where the many Celestial Demon Sect Masters landed formed a giant palm print covering three to five acres.
"Petty old villains, no match at all."
Qin Mu landed, shook his clothes, and smiled at the stunned Young Patriarch. "Patriarch, let's go to your place and chat."
—A four-thousand-one-hundred-character chapter. Happy New Year, everyone!