Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

The last time Li Chenggang came back to the Calligraphy Sect, he arranged for disciples who had met Long Chen before to take turns guarding the gate. He worried that if no one recognized Long Chen, something could go wrong.

However, he didn’t expect Long Chen to arrive so early, or for the Painting Sect’s experts to show up out of nowhere.

Li Chenggang couldn’t make it. But then, the sect master was in seclusion, and one vice sect master was busy with the Painting Sect, so they had to ask the other vice master to greet Long Chen.

After all, Long Chen’s status was too special. He was incredibly powerful, or it would seem like they were looking down on him.

There was another important reason: he was the dean of the High Firmament Academy. They couldn’t treat him like just any young genius.

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, please wait a moment! I’ve already informed the vice sect master, and he will arrive shortly to welcome you!” said that disciple of the Calligraphy Sect.

“It’s fine. It’s a coincidence that the Painting Sect is here discussing the Dao, and I would like to watch. Why don’t you just lead the way?” Long Chen replied.

He had never cared about such formalities.

“Uh, I suppose I can...” said the disciple awkwardly.

From the disciple’s point of view, if no important figure welcomed Long Chen, the Calligraphy Sect would become a laughingstock if word got out.

“It’s fine. Come on!”

When the disciple hesitated, Long Chen simply walked through the gate. The disciple decided not to report it. He glanced at the other fellow disciples and quickly led the way.

“A new era is coming. The Painting Sect showing up to discuss the Dao now seems suspicious to me. What do you think?” Long Chen asked as they walked.

Seeing no one else around them, the disciple cautiously said, “I won’t hide it from Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen. The Painting Sect truly did come with ulterior motives. They say it’s a Dao discussion, but they’re actually challenging us. Their disciples are rude and extremely strong. I don’t know how they raised so many monsters.”

“The Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting Sects. In theory, the Calligraphy Sect and Painting Sect should be the most similar. Is your relationship really that bad?” asked Zi Nuo.

“Senior apprentice-brother is right in theory. But out of the four ancient sects, three now follow the path of killing. Only our Calligraphy Sect still passes down the Dao through calligraphy. As a result, the other three sects mock us for being old-fashioned. The Painting Sect used to be closest to us, but after they changed, they started seeing our way as false. They kept telling us what to do, so we eventually stopped talking. I think they brought so many experts this time to prove we made the wrong choice.”

Long Chen nodded and said, “I’ve exchanged blows with the Painting Sect’s experts. Their murderous intent is strangely strong. It does feel like they’ve abandoned their legacy and gone off on a false path.”

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, you’ve fought with the Painting Sect’s people?” asked that disciple, shocked.

“Hm, I’ve killed a few.”

The disciple paused. Since Long Chen had an enmity with the Painting Sect, if he were to go now...

Just then, a group of figures hurried over, led by an elder with white hair. He said, “Dean Long Chen, I apologize for my tardiness! It must have been a long journey for you!”

“Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, this is our Calligraphy Sect’s vice sect master, Wen Shanyuan,” introduced that disciple.

After the introductions, he left right away. The new group was made up of important sect members, so it wouldn’t be right for him to stay. He had done his duty by bringing Long Chen here.

“Sect Master Shanyuan, you are too courteous. Li Chenggang is my good brother. I hope I didn’t cause your sect too much trouble by coming here today,” Long Chen replied.

“No, no, of course not! Dean Long Chen’s arrival is an honor for the Calligraphy Sect! Please, come with me,” Wen Shanyuan said, gesturing for him to follow.

As Wen Shanyuan and the others led the way, he couldn’t help but glance at Zi Nuo and the others. But since Long Chen didn’t seem to want to introduce them, he didn’t say anything.

Dark red lines flickered in Zi Nuo and the others’ eyes. While they had gotten used to this after a few days of practice, and the Calligraphy Sect’s disciples didn’t notice anything strange, the elders could sense a powerful Sword Dao will from them.

As soon as they used the transportation formation, loud explosions shook the area. Long Chen and the others appeared on a huge spectator stand.

This place was like its own small world. Mountains surrounded a huge martial stage, and the spectator stands were built into the mountains. The stands were packed with people.

Divine light shone on the martial stage. Qi waves surged as two figures fought like wild lightning.

Countless Calligraphy Sect disciples cheered, making so much noise that Zi Nuo and the others felt uncomfortable. They nearly lost control of their sword-intent fluctuations.

“Dean Long Chen...”

The moment Long Chen arrived, another elder greeted him. He was the Calligraphy Sect’s other vice sect master, Liuyun.

Long Chen stood at the center of the spectator stand, which had only eight seats. Four were taken by the Calligraphy Sect, with vice sect master Liuyun and three elders sitting there.

All four of them immediately rose to greet him. On the other four seats were three men and a woman.

The four of them looked surprisingly young to sit there with these elders. They all looked to be under forty, a stark contrast to the Calligraphy Sect’s white-haired elders.

“Senior Long Chen greets Senior Liuyun!” Long Chen did not mention the title of sect master, instead greeting him as a junior to a senior.

“Dean Long Chen is too courteous. Let me introduce you—” Liuyun said, looking toward the three men and one woman.

However, that middle-aged woman coldly interrupted, “No need! Vice Sect Master Liuyun, you should worry more about your disciples. This is already the third bout. One more loss and it’s a complete loss for your side.”

Long Chen looked at them. All four were double manifestation Divine Sovereigns. Even though they hid their auras, Long Chen still felt a strong pressure from them, pulsing like a heartbeat. They were clearly hiding their true strength with some kind of seals. These four were definitely not ordinary.

However, when Long Chen arrived, the four of them barely glanced at him before ignoring him.

This enraged Chi Yutong and the others. How could someone the Tea Saint called brother be treated this way? Were these people blind?

Even Zi Nuo thought the four were going too far. The two vice sect masters had greeted Long Chen, showing his status. Ignoring him was an insult not just to Long Chen, but to the Calligraphy Sect too.

Vice sect master Liuyun felt a bit embarrassed at first, but after her provocation, he just shook his head calmly.

“This competition is just a friendly exchange of pointers. Victory or defeat is meaningless,” said Liuyun.

He was about to invite Long Chen to sit, but the others deliberately interrupted him again.

“Is that so? But if you were to lose all five matches, well, I don’t know about you, but I would be embarrassed!”

Liuyun frowned at that. The Painting Sect was really irritating. Ignoring the annoying woman, he said, “Dean Long Chen, you should sit here.”

“Zi Nuo, you should sit with me,” Long Chen said, dragging Zi Nuo over.

Zi Nuo wanted to refuse, but Long Chen did not give him the chance.

The moment Long Chen was about to sit down, one of the Painting Sect’s men spoke up.

“The Calligraphy Sect has really declined. Now any kitten or puppy can sit here?”

Just like that, Long Chen’s patience snapped, and he immediately slapped this man in the face.

“I gave you too much face, is that it?”