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Chapter 565 Funeral of Heaven
There was a long silence for about ten seconds.

Then, an even louder uproar broke out.

"What? Lord Mu De? You must be joking, right? He's one of the Five Star Lords. Even if he's fallen to the mortal realm, he's not someone a mere young upstart can kill."

"Return to the origin? Chongxu, have you lost your mind or been possessed by evil spirits? You're making such a big boast, aren't you afraid of blowing yourself to death? In this world, where are you going to get the origin of a deity?"

"Even though you've lost your position as sect leader, you don't have to go this far, do you? Everyone here isn't an idiot; how could they possibly believe such a ridiculous thing?"

There were voices of doubt and mockery around him, but Chongxu Daoist ignored them all and only said one sentence to Zhou You.

"take it out."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhou You obediently played the role of a well-behaved disciple. When Master Chongxu spoke, he also took out the bone fragment.

moment.

Silence fell again.

But unlike before, this silence carried a sense of bewilderment.

For some unknown reason, the bone fragment seemed to have created a strange chain reaction with the Ancestral Hall. The moment it was taken out, a hazy aura spread around it.

These guests, including the disciples of the martial arts masters, saw many things.

—Those are my parents and relatives who have long since passed away, the girl I once regarded as my white moonlight, my ambition to roam the world freely after my cultivation has greatly increased, and the pinnacle of power to wield the world while I am drunk and rest my head on the lap of a beauty.

Although it was only for a moment, everyone still saw what they had longed for. The impact was so great that many people couldn't help but kneel on the ground, cover their faces, and weep bitterly.

Otherwise.

This beautiful dream only lasted a few seconds.

With a soft popping sound like a bubble breaking, the dream vanished instantly, and when I opened my eyes again, I was faced with the bleak reality.

what happened?
Several pairs of hazy eyes looked over, only to see that someone had already closed their palm and grasped the bone fragment.

The next moment, several heart-wrenching screams rang out.

"Give it back to me!!!"

Why did you wake me up?! Let me keep dreaming!!!

Zhou You glanced sideways at Master Chongxu.

His master instantly understood, flicked his fingertips a few times, and several seeds fell to the ground. In the blink of an eye, he pulled the few crazed people out and closed the door of the Ancestral Hall as well.

half an hour.

Applause erupted.

The one who spoke was still that overly familiar giant, who stood up while laughing loudly.

"Good, good, good, as expected of the Heavenly Sword, truly a rising star. Regardless of whether what Chongxu said is true or not, your abilities are indeed quite impressive—hey bald monk, do you think this is the real deal?"

Wangmu Khenpo, who had been silent all along, chanted a Buddhist mantra in a low voice, and then spoke.

"If I am not mistaken, this is indeed an object of the Wood Star Lord's origin, and its dreamlike power is undeniable. But how could this thing fall into the hands of a mortal?"

His doubts were immediately silenced by the giant's laughter.

"No matter how it ended up, as long as it's genuine—Chongxu, I'm truly impressed this time! You actually managed to get such a good disciple. Wait a minute."

The giant suddenly slapped his forehead, turned to look at Zhou You, and then said.

"Hey kid, let's make a deal. How about you join us? After Master Chenghua left, your Five Elements Temple basically has no future, and you're still just a disciple—I can guarantee you, if you come, you're guaranteed at least a hall master position."

However, Zhou You replied with a smile.

"I am grateful for Brother Chenluo's kindness, but I have already developed feelings for the sect and really do not want to go to another place casually. Please understand."

"Feelings? Don't try to fool me. What kind of feelings can develop in a place like your Five Elements Temple?" The giant clicked his tongue, then shook his head. "Forget it, if you want to come, just come find me anytime. Don't worry, I can easily approve the salary and benefits, not to mention anything else."

He said everything without any attempt to hide it from others, and seeing this blatant attempt to poach talent, Master Chongxu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant—however, he merely snorted coldly and did not offer any rebuttal.

After a long while, it was the old man behind the curtain who finally spoke.

"You've got potential! You've really got potential! I never expected that our Five Elements Temple would produce such a promising disciple. Just like what little Chen Luo said, no matter how you got it, even if you found it on the roadside, this is still the remains of a deity. That alone is enough to prove your ability."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"Both of what you presented were quite good, very good indeed. Chongxu, yours is of significantly higher overall value, and considering your disciple, I personally favor yours. However, you must also know that our sect does not possess any cultivation techniques suitable for these two items, and we might even be guilty of possessing something of great value."

Master Chongxu offered no explanation, only bowing his head in agreement.

Then, the old man turned his gaze to Qingxia.

"Qingxia, you've really put your heart into this. To find the only surviving artifact and discover such a method, you must have put in an immeasurable amount of effort. Moreover, you've always been meticulous and have cultivated many good relationships, making you a very good successor."

Upon hearing this, Qingxia, whose face had been ashen, suddenly raised her head and her expression became expectant again.

It seems there's still hope for me?

After explaining the situation to both sides, the old man behind the curtain coughed a few times and then said breathlessly.

"As you all know, this sect's grand ceremony is also considered my time of passing. I originally intended to use this opportunity to choose the next sect leader. Chongxu and Qingxia, you are the only two contenders, each with your own strengths and weaknesses. But rest assured, I have now made my decision. I have decided that the next sect leader will be..."

The conversation abruptly stopped at this crucial point.

This time, not only the sect members, but even the visiting guests looked up in bewilderment.

Speaking in such a breathless manner at this point to whet people's appetite is a bit much, isn't it?

However, due to the prestige of Mr. Chenghua, no one dared to speak up for a time.

The wait went on for a long time, one minute, two minutes, until half an incense stick had burned out, when everyone suddenly felt that something was not right.

—Has this been going on for far too long?

Master Chongxu's face grew increasingly grim, and finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he strode out amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

"Chongxu, what do you want to do!"

Ignoring the scream from a female disciple behind him, Master Chongxu forcefully yanked open the curtain—and a emaciated body, seemingly devoid of form, was revealed to the public.

—This is none other than Mr. Chenghua, the former sect leader of the Five Elements Temple, who has now fallen into such a state.
But Master Chongxu showed no sadness whatsoever; on the contrary, his expression was extremely unpleasant. He reached out and placed his hand in front of the other person's nose, gently probing it.

After a few breaths.

He said ferociously, as if he wanted to grind his teeth to pieces.

"Our sect leader has passed away!"

"what!!!"

Upon hearing this, before anyone else could react, Martial Aunt Qingxia suddenly stood up. In a few flashes, she also arrived in front of the old man—but instead of simply checking his breath like Venerable Chongxu, she unleashed a beam of azure light, covering the skinny, monkey-like body.

next moment.

She was also stunned.

As the azure light dissipated, Martial Aunt Qingxia stared wide-eyed, still unable to believe it.

"He is indeed dead. But that shouldn't be the case. No matter how close his lifespan was to end, he should have been able to hold on until the grand ceremony was over. How could he have died halfway through?"

Zhou You, standing nearby, remained silent.

That cunning old man, who held sway over the region, died just like that, as if it were a joke?!
What the hell! My plan had only just begun, and now it has to change again?
Of course, his reaction was relatively calm. After being confirmed by Master Chongxu and Martial Aunt Qingxia, it was already a done deal.

then.

A disturbance suddenly broke out.

Those senior and junior disciples were either in despair, equally incredulous, thoughtful, or had ulterior motives—but the disciples were already in chaos.

As for other people
The giant was utterly astonished, his mouth seemingly big enough to fit an egg. Ming Xiangu continued to stuff her mouth with food, but the pastries in her hands were clearly aimed at her own nostrils. Only the Tantric abbot remained calmly chanting scriptures—completely unaware that he was holding his ritual implements upside down.
If they are like this, then other smaller sects are even more so. The smarter ones have already started preparing to flee, while those who really can't escape are trying to stick together with their own powerful backers so that they have a place to unite if something really happens.
Seeing this chaos, Master Chongxu's expression grew increasingly grim, and he finally couldn't help but roar.

"What are you all doing! Our Grandmaster has only passed away, but the Five Elements Temple hasn't collapsed yet! What kind of disorderly scene is this? Quiet down!"

As a candidate for sect leader, he still possessed some authority, and upon hearing this roar, all the sounds ceased.

But this was only a temporary measure. Master Chongxu turned to look at Qingxia again—she had finally recovered from her shock and hurriedly called on her disciple to help maintain order.

It took quite a while for the situation to finally stabilize.

However, compared to before, the place is now a scene of utter chaos, and there are far fewer people here—but those who remain are mostly people involved in the business.

Master Chongxu took a deep breath and spoke.

"Now that our Grandmaster has just passed away, and the sect is in grave danger, I, in the name of the new sect leader, hereby issue the following orders: First, everyone must return to their respective sects to prepare for any future conflicts. No one may leave without orders. Second, all guests are requested to descend the mountain immediately. Our sect is preparing to close the mountain for renovations. Invitations will be sent to everyone when the mountain reopens. Third..."

Before he could finish speaking, Brigitte Lin interrupted him angrily.

"Wait, Chongxu, when did you become the sect leader?!"

Master Chongxu gave him a cold look.

"You heard what Grandmaster said before. He clearly intended to make me the sect leader—Qingxia. It's one thing for you to be willful on a daily basis, but are you going to oppose Grandmaster's dying wish?"

"There's a limit to nonsense! My master clearly favored me, saying I was a very good successor. How can you lie through your teeth like that?!"

The two sides glared at each other, neither willing to give in.

Of course, everyone knew that the truth was that the old man had died before he could make his appointment, but both Chongxu Shangren and Qingxia had already decided in their hearts that they would be the next sect leader.

"A single word is too much when people don't see eye to eye," and after a brief standoff, Master Chongxu suddenly spoke up.

"apprentice."

"I'm here."

"Come back with me."

Having said that, Master Chongxu disregarded the old man who had just died, and instantly retreated, swiftly returning to his seat.

After a moment of surprise, Aunt Qingxia understood the situation and immediately retreated as well.

Thus, the two sides reached a stalemate.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, as if a fight could break out at any moment.

However, it is clear that in terms of strength, Qingxia's side still has the advantage—not only because of her fellow disciples who have already sided with her, but also because of Ming Xiangu, whose strength is obviously not weak;
On Chongxu's side, apart from Zhou You and Yun Zhongzi, there were only a few cats and dogs left.

After a while.

Unexpectedly, it was Yun Zhongzi who spoke first.

The amiable fat man stood up, first bowing to Master Chongxu and Qingxia, and then said with a smile.

"Senior brothers and sisters, we're all family. Let's not be so tense. Our grandmaster has only been gone a short while ago; his body is barely cold. Why make it seem like we're about to fight to the death?"

No one paid him any attention, but Yun Zhongzi didn't feel awkward and continued to persuade him.

“And there are still so many people around, including some who are... well... indistinguishable from enemies.” He glanced at the giant and Wangmu Khenpo—Wangmu Khenpo was just chanting the Rebirth Sutra with his head down, while the giant made no attempt to hide his malice and glared back at him.

Yun Zhongzi said sincerely.

"If the two of you were to fight, it would be like the snipe and the clam fighting, while the fisherman benefits. Choosing a sect leader isn't urgent. Why don't we temporarily cease hostilities, arrange everything properly, and then make a decision?"

Upon hearing this, both Chongxu and Qingxia relaxed slightly.

Seeing this, Yun Zhongzi's smile became even brighter.

"Then let's act as peacemakers. Let's follow Senior Brother Chongxu's instructions and get these outsiders to come down the mountain to avoid being taken advantage of, and then we can make our move!"

The words came out so abruptly that no one even had time to react.

however.

Suddenly, Qingxia felt a sharp pain in her waist.

Looking again, all she saw was a thin, bony hand inserted into her body. Then she slowly raised her head and saw only Ming Xiangu's smiling face.

(End of this chapter)