Chapter 1649: Nangong Yuanfeng Arrives at the Zhang Family

The crowd's astonishment didn't last long. Sun Qiang felt he could fly without using any strength, and then... he vanished into the horizon, leaving no trace.

Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Wu Chen had merely allowed Sun Qiang to soar freely, without inflicting any serious harm.

That fool was always trying to show off. To be honest, Zhang Xuan had long wanted to give him a good beating and teach him a lesson.

He really wondered how such a low-key master like himself could have a butler so fond of showing off!

He had certainly made a poor choice in selecting a person!

It seemed he would have to choose a more reliable butler in the future, someone who, like Wu Chen, could easily handle many matters without Zhang Xuan having to intervene. Unlike Sun Qiang, who not only held him back but also caused trouble daily...

Just thinking about it was enough to exasperate him.

"Patriarch," an elder said, cupping his fists after they had entered the main hall and taken their seats. "Luo Tianya, the successor patriarch of the Luo Clan, is said to have comprehended the True Understanding of Space Sealing. He's here to challenge you, hoping to put our Zhang Clan in its place... Furthermore, they've invited the Master Teacher Pavilion to observe the event, intending for them to preside over the fairness of the challenge..."

"This..." Zhang Xuan rubbed his temples. "I'm aware of this matter. I returned precisely to handle it..."

"The True Understanding of Space Sealing is the Luo Clan's most supreme unique art. Once unleashed, it can imprison space itself, rendering opponents helpless. Even for us, breaking free wouldn't be easy... Xuan'er, you must be careful!"

Xing Jiansheng's expression was grave.

Having interacted with the Luo Clan for many years, he was well aware of their strength and trump cards. The True Understanding of Space Sealing was considered among the most formidable techniques on the entire continent. Although his son was invincible at his cultivation level and possessed unmatched combat prowess, it might not be easy for him to defeat a powerhouse with such abilities.

"The Luo Clan lost face when the engagement was publicly annulled, so their ability to come here now certainly means they have something to rely on! I haven't heard of this Luo Tianya before, but... it's said that he defeated experts from the Hundred Schools of Thought at the same cultivation level!"

The elder who had spoken earlier had a solemn expression.

"Defeated experts from the Hundred Schools of Thought? Have they appeared?"

Meng Jiansheng was unaware of this news and frowned.

"Yes, they appeared at the Luo Clan and were unmatched. This Luo Tianya emerged out of nowhere and not only defeated them at the same cultivation level, but his bloodline also reached 'nine,' instantly establishing his position as the clan's foremost expert and earning him the immediate appointment as patriarch!" the elder explained.

The Zhang and Luo Clans had a good relationship previously and maintained mutual sources of information.

Additionally, the Luo Clan hadn't deliberately concealed anything, so even though only a little over two days had passed, the elder responsible for gathering information was already aware.

"The Hundred Schools of Thought inherited Master Kong's legacy. While not invincible at their cultivation level, even battle masters would find it hard to defeat them! This Luo Tianya's ability to easily defeat them means his strength truly cannot be underestimated..."

After hearing the explanation, Meng Jiansheng's eyes were filled with worry.

"Um..."

Zhang Xuan scratched his head, his face full of helplessness. "What if I told you... Luo Tianya is me? Would you believe it?"

"Don't be ridiculous! He possesses the Luo Clan's purest bloodline. How could he possibly be you!"

Meng Jiansheng shook her head.

Her son possessed her bloodline, which had been verified before. Given that Luo Tianya could become patriarch and had his bloodline verified, they were definitely two different people and could not be confused.

"This..."

He was speechless. Why was it that when he spoke the truth, no one believed him?

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to explain, he heard a whistling sound in the air, followed by a clear, resonant voice piercing through the sky.

"Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing of the Great Confucian Hall of the Hundred Schools of Thought, along with our juniors, have come to visit the Zhang Clan Patriarch!"

"Why are they here? Have their injuries healed?"

Zhang Xuan was startled and hurried out of the hall, followed by everyone else.

Looking up at the sky, he saw Nangong Yuanfeng hovering above. Beside him was a slightly plump, stout, and rather ugly middle-aged man, followed by a group of disciples, eight in total.

"Tantai Zhenqing? Could he be a descendant of Ancient Sage Ziyu?"

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows furrowed.

Ancient Sage Ziyu had the compound surname Tantai and was not, by legend, handsome. Master Kong once said, "To judge a person by his appearance is to miss Ziyu!" Zhang Xuan hadn't expected his descendant to be similar.

Filled with doubt, he carefully observed the group. Nangong Yuanfeng's face was somewhat pale, and his four disciples, including Nangong Mo, also looked sickly, their injuries seemingly not fully healed.

"That's not right. Although I sent him flying with a single punch, it shouldn't have been that serious. Why do they look like this?"

Zhang Xuan was full of doubts.

When he competed with them, he hadn't used Master Kong's blood. Although a full-force punch had caused Nangong Yuanfeng some damage, it should have been negligible once his cultivation seal was undone.

So why did Nangong Yuanfeng appear to be severely injured now?

"I am Zhang Xuan, Patriarch of the Zhang Clan. Welcome, honored guests. Please, descend and let us speak."

Knowing this wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts, Zhang Xuan cupped his fists and spoke clearly.

"Very well!"

Seeing his complete adherence to etiquette, Nangong Yuanfeng and the others said no more. Their bodies swayed, and they descended from the sky.

"Please, come inside!"

Zhang Xuan offered a slight smile and led them into the main hall.

Once the guests and hosts were seated, Nangong Yuanfeng spoke. "To avoid any complications, I will state our purpose directly. The Temple of Confucius is about to open, and we, the Hundred Schools of Thought, also wish to enter and behold the relics left by the Ancient Sage. We've heard that the Zhang Clan possesses an Inherited Heavenly Talisman left behind from those days. We wonder if you would be willing to part with it? Should you agree, we will certainly not treat you unfairly; we are prepared to exchange it for treasures of equivalent value!"

"You want the Inherited Heavenly Talisman? Absolutely not! Our Zhang Clan also intends to enter the Temple of Confucius. There is no room for negotiation on this!"

Xing Jiansheng's expression darkened upon hearing his request.

He had wondered what they were here for, but hadn't expected this.

The Temple of Confucius was the greatest treasure left by Master Kong. Missing this opportunity would mean giving up a position of immense power... The Zhang Clan possessed the Inherited Heavenly Talisman, a congenital advantage, and there was no way they would hand it over.

Even if the other party was the Hundred Schools of Thought, they would never agree!

"In that case, let strength be the judge! Master Kong taught according to aptitude and encouraged competition among his students. Since the Inherited Heavenly Talisman was left by him, it's only natural that he would wish for the strong to possess it, so they might gain and achieve something after entering the Temple of Confucius!"

Nangong Yuanfeng seemed to have anticipated the refusal and looked up.

"Since that is the case, we challenge your Zhang Clan regarding the comprehension of time. If your juniors under one hundred years of age can surpass our descendants in their understanding of time, then the matter of the Inherited Heavenly Talisman will be dropped, and we, the Hundred Schools of Thought, will offer an apology with a treasure once used by an Ancient Sage to atone for today's presumption. However, if you lose, we hope you will entrust the Inherited Heavenly Talisman to our keeping!"

"Challenge the Zhang Clan's comprehension of time? Your disciples here?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Of course not, it's Brother Tantai's students who will challenge you!"

Nangong Yuanfeng smiled.