Chapter 1751: Great Achievement Hall

“Go in!”

All the Sacred Beasts had acknowledged their master. Zhang Xuan nodded with satisfaction, collecting the numerous Sacred Beasts into his folding space, and once again rushed inside.

However, this time was different; upon contact, he was blocked.

“What’s going on?” His mouth twitched. Could it be that he was now unable to enter, simply because of this slight delay? If that were true, he could only cry.

“Master, you’re carrying too many Sacred Beasts…” Xiao Fufu’s voice rang out. “A normal Legacy Heavenly Token can carry ten people. As the mother token, I can carry a maximum of fifteen. The ones you just tamed already exceed twenty…”

Relieved that he wasn't completely blocked from entering, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask, “Not even if they’re in the folding space?”

“No!” Xiao Fufu explained. “If that were possible, Xing Jian Sheng and Meng Jian Sheng would have brought everyone with them earlier!”

“You’re right!” Zhang Xuan realized. How could something personally left by Master Teacher Kong be so simple? If there were established limits, then there would be limits. Otherwise, wouldn't everyone exploit loopholes and cause great chaos?

He released the Sacred Beasts with lower cultivation, keeping the number around fourteen. When he tried again, he passed through smoothly, unhindered.

Having just entered the light barrier and walked a short distance, Zhang Xuan suddenly said, “Wait, Qiong Mu Azure Dragon and the others are also in the folding space. That means the total already exceeds fifteen, doesn’t it?” The fourteen he kept were all newly tamed, not counting beasts like Qiong Mu Azure Dragon, Golden Spirit Cloud Tiger, or even the Crimson-Browed White Tiger he had subdued earlier. All told, the actual number had long exceeded twenty.

“They are intrinsically life forms from the Confucius Temple ruins; they can enter freely and don’t count towards the limit!” Xiao Fufu said.

“There’s such a rule?” Zhang Xuan gave a wry smile, surprised that Sacred Beasts from the Confucius Temple ruins received such special treatment. He said no more, accelerating as he flew deeper into the seal. Everyone else had been inside for over a minute; he needed to hurry.

Behind the wide gates lay a massive hall. On either side stood two rows of statues—some in contemplation, some gazing into the distance, some reading, some cultivating… They were strikingly lifelike, as if they could come alive at any moment, each with a different posture and expression.

“These are… the Seventy-Two Sages?”

Soon, Zhang Xuan recognized the statues; they were none other than the Seventy-Two Sages of the Confucius Sect. Master Teacher Kong had three thousand disciples, seventy-two of whom were his direct personal students, known as the Seventy-Two Sages. As for Ancient Sage Ran Qiu and Ancient Sage Bu Shang, they were among the Ten Great Sages, who possessed even greater strength.

Each of the seventy-two direct disciples had a biography and an astonishing past, remembered by countless people in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Zhang Xuan had read some of these, and upon seeing the statues, he immediately recognized them. Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, Ancient Sage Zi Qian, Ancient Sage Zi Liu, Ancient Sage Ran Geng… Familiar names surfaced in his mind, merging with the numerous statues before him, as if they were still fighting on battlefields, engaged in bloody struggles against the Fiendcelestial Tribe. It could be said that without them, Master Teacher Kong alone could not have pacified the Fiendcelestial Tribe threat! Their names were carved upon the monuments of humanity's progress, brilliant and immortal.

With a solemn expression, Zhang Xuan bowed, performing the most respectful禮節. The Seventy-Two Sages emanated a faint pressure. Walking among them significantly enhanced one's state of mind and spirit, offering profound insights.

After a few more steps, he saw several Master Teachers sitting cross-legged on the ground, unable to proceed further. Their state of mind was insufficient; continuing would severely harm their bodies. It was better to use this pressure to rapidly improve. They were precisely some of the Zhang Clan's Grand Elders. Zhang Xuan said nothing more and continued forward.

It was unclear who the group Zhao Ya was with truly were, but to be able to pass through the passage formed by the statues of the Seventy-Two Sages, their state of mind was probably not much inferior to his. With such a state of mind, their cultivation must have reached the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm, posing a significant threat to his parents and the others.

Passing through the statue passage of the Seventy-Two Sages, he arrived at another grand hall. His parents and the others were inside, not having gone far. Opposite them were eight young individuals, each exuding an impressive aura. Just as he had guessed, they were indeed top experts who had reached the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm.

Relieved that his parents and the others were unharmed, Zhang Xuan looked towards the group opposite them. A girl stood among them, her eyes tightly shut. Waves of icy power continuously emanated from within her, seemingly attempting to activate a certain seal on the wall.

“Zhao Ya!” His brows furrowed, and he quickly walked over.

Before he could reach them, Xing Jian Sheng and Meng Jian Sheng came forward, sending him a discreet telepathic message.

“Xuan’er, she doesn’t seem to hear any shouts!”

“Can’t hear anything?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“Yes, we’ve already called out to her, but there was no reaction at all. She didn’t even turn her head, as if she couldn’t hear our calls…” Xing Jian Sheng said.

“She must be fully concentrated on deciphering the painting on the wall. We don’t know the purpose of what she’s doing…” Meng Jian Sheng also pointed subtly.

“A painting?” Only then did Zhang Xuan look towards the wall ahead. Indeed, on the wall was a massive, lifelike ink painting, as if an entire world was sealed within it. Zhao Ya continuously emitted icy energy from her body, seemingly trying to undo the seal placed upon the ink painting.

Normally, if he entered the hall and called out, the other person would surely notice. But at this moment, there was no reaction at all, likely confirming his parents' observation that she couldn't hear anything.

“Who are they?” Seeing that Zhao Ya was unharmed, Zhang Xuan no longer felt rushed. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the eight young individuals.

“I asked earlier,” Xing Jian Sheng replied, “They are… experts from the Hundred Schools of Thought!”

“The Hundred Schools of Thought?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Aren’t they descendants of the Seventy-Two Sages? Why would they capture Zhao Ya? And what is the seal on this painting?” He had always thought that the Fiendcelestial Tribe had captured Zhao Ya and the others. It would be normal for the malevolent Fiendcelestial Tribe to commit such an act. But… the Hundred Schools of Thought, inheritors of Master Teacher Kong’s legacy, were known for their decorum. Why would they engage in such a morally reprehensible act of seizing someone without prior notification? It didn’t make sense!

Furthermore, and crucially, in the outer hall, there were statues of the Seventy-Two Sages. As their descendants, they not only didn’t pay respects but instead focused on a painting. Could this painting conceal some kind of secret? At this thought, he could no longer resist and looked towards the ink painting before him.

The scroll unfolded on the wall. From a distance, it exuded a sense of historical profoundness, as if time and space merged perfectly within it. Even with his Eye of Insight, he couldn’t see it clearly. He only felt waves of vast and magnificent energy emanating from the painting, drawing one in at first glance, making it impossible to extricate oneself.

“Do you think… this might be the Grand Codex of Spring and Autumn?” Suddenly, Xing Jian Sheng’s voice echoed in his ear.