Chapter 1753: The Use of the Ice Crystal Stone

Little Talisman and Zhang Xuan were communicating through voice transmission, so Xing Jiansheng had no idea. He still believed his son was excited because of their earlier discussion about the painting potentially being the Spring and Autumn Grand Ceremony.

However, it had already been several minutes, and Zhang Xuan was only now smiling so brightly. Xing Jiansheng thought his son's reaction time was unusually long.

"Xuan'er..." Fearing his son might laugh until he ran out of breath, Xing Jiansheng couldn't help but call out to him.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan recovered and declared, "Father, Mother, we must acquire this painting!" He was still some time away from reaching the Ancient Sage realm, but both his parents had attained the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm and could take the final step at any moment. If they could acquire the painting and allow them to advance first, he could then completely, and without any pressure, remain under their protection, living as a carefree second-generation martial arts heir.

"Alright!" Upon hearing their son's declaration, both parents nodded in unison.

Hum, hum, hum! As they spoke, Zhao Ya's relentless attacks caused the seal on the painting to waver, appearing as though it could break at any moment.

"It's almost ready..." Seeing this, the eight young men's eyes lit up simultaneously.

Crack! Crack! Just as everyone prepared to break the seal, enter the painting, locate its core, and claim it, the sound of breaking ice suddenly emanated from within the artwork. The previously frozen river gradually began to melt.

"Oh no, we need to speed up! Once spring arrives in the painting, the icy energy will become useless..." A young man cried out, stepping behind Zhao Ya and channeling a surge of pure True Qi into her body to help her break the seal more quickly.

The others also seemed to grasp the problem and hurried forward, channeling their True Qi into Zhao Ya's body through special methods, immediately accelerating her progress in breaking the seal.

"Spring is arriving in the painting? Could it be that the seal on this painting is connected to the seasons depicted within it?" Realizing that Little Talisman knew a great deal, Zhang Xuan pressed on with his questions.

"This is a Four Seasons Painting. It cycles through the four seasons, and the seals must change accordingly to conceal the power of heaven and earth, preventing it from leaking. They likely calculated that it's currently winter, which is why they captured your student. Winter corresponds to an ice-attributed seal, and a pure Yin constitution is perfectly suited for it. However, once spring arrives, a new spring seal will emerge, and without that specific power, it will be impossible to break!" Little Talisman explained.

"Now that the ice and snow are melting and the river is clearing, spring should arrive very soon. Should we go over and help break the seal first?" Zhang Xuan asked. He was unsure how to break the spring seal, so rather than encountering an insurmountable problem later, it was better to assist now. As for who would ultimately obtain the painting, that would surely depend on one's strength. With the Five Great Kings and so many weapons, the eight experts from the Hundred Schools of Thought, however powerful, certainly wouldn't be able to withstand them.

"You emerged from the ice and snow world directly into the Dacheng Hall. Do you really think that was merely a coincidence?" Little Talisman scoffed.

"Ah..." Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned, then his eyes brightened with understanding. "Inside the painting, it's currently deep winter, covered in ice and snow, which explains why we encountered an ice and snow world. Could it be that..." As this thought struck him, he flipped his wrist, and the ice crystal previously placed on the altar instantly appeared in his palm. The crystal now lacked its former coldness, instead radiating a warm, gentle sensation, as if, like the painting before him, it too was transitioning towards spring.

"So that's it..." Zhang Xuan suddenly understood. What was called the "ice and snow world" wasn't entirely accurate; it should have been the "Four Seasons World." Here, one could experience the true cycle of seasons. It just so happened that when he entered, it was winter, hence the omnipresent snow. The crystal in his hand was precisely what controlled these changes within this world. Had it not been taken, the ice and snow world would undoubtedly also be experiencing melting snow and warming ground at this very moment.

"This crystal is precisely the key to breaking the seal..." Little Talisman stated.

"Right!" Seeing that it matched his own guess, Zhang Xuan nodded, then looked at Little Talisman with a hint of confusion. "Didn't you claim to know nothing? How are you suddenly so clear about all this?" When they first arrived in the jungle world, the fellow seemed utterly clueless, yet now he was speaking so articulately. If he knew all this beforehand, why hadn't he mentioned it earlier?

"Master Kong must have sealed my memories. I can only recall information once I enter the corresponding hall; otherwise, I remain completely oblivious. For instance, if you were to ask me now what other halls exist among the six in the Confucius Temple, besides the Dacheng Hall... I wouldn't know!" Little Talisman wiggled slightly.

"Alright," Zhang Xuan said with resignation. It made sense; even possessing the Inherited Mother Talisman, one still required a fortunate encounter to truly obtain the treasures left by Master Kong. Otherwise, wouldn't a single person acquire all the remaining items?

"With this crystal, I can break the seal on this painting at will. Since that's the case..." Realizing that having entered the ice and snow world gave him an even greater advantage than the others, Zhang Xuan looked back at the Hundred Schools of Thought experts who were breaking the seal, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The eight young men now stood side-by-side behind Zhao Ya, connected in a line, channeling all their True Qi into her body. A continuous stream of cold energy furiously assaulted the seal, which appeared on the verge of breaking.

"Since you silently captured Zhao Ya and prevented her from hearing my voice, don't blame me for being discourteous..." With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan calculated his timing, then suddenly moved. His figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, streaking directly towards the group's heads. His speed was astonishing; he even burned his Zhang Clan bloodline. Before anyone could react, he was already hovering above Zhao Ya.

"Seal!" He pointed a finger into the air. The power surging into Zhao Ya's body from the group was instantly cut off and simultaneously sealed within her.

Boom! The True Qi from the eight individuals remained within the girl's body, as if eight people were performing a simultaneous empowerment ritual on her. In an instant, countless streams of True Qi surged through her meridians, causing her power to rapidly ascend.

Crack! Crack! In less than two breaths, she had reached the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm.

"Teacher..." With her cultivation advancing, Zhao Ya seemed to break through a certain barrier. She fully regained consciousness, and her eyes lit up upon seeing Zhang Xuan hovering above her.

"First, seal the True Qi within your body and save it for when you attempt to reach the Ancient Sage level..." Zhang Xuan explained, transmitting the sealing method. He knew that despite her advancement, the power within her body was far from depleted. The eight individuals who had channeled power to her were all at the Great Perfection of the Immortal Realm. Even after Zhao Ya's ascent to the peak realm below Ancient Sage, a significant amount of their combined energy remained. To avoid wasting it, he instructed her to seal this power for future use.

"Zhang Xuan, you're courting death!" They hadn't anticipated that the power intended to help Zhao Ya break the seal would remain within her, boosting her cultivation. The eight young men simultaneously erupted in a furious rage, nearly exploding.