Chapter 1771: Apricot Tree

"Teacher Zhang!"

As soon as he arrived, he saw Ren Shi of the Master Teacher Pavilion approach. Soon after, Luo Qianzhen of the Luo Clan, Jiang Fangyou of the Jiang Clan, and others also arrived. Each of them had encountered fortunate opportunities, and their cultivation levels were profound. Surprisingly, they had all reached the Great Perfection of the Immortality Realm, just like their parents.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he finally understood that the Confucius Temple remains contained not only numerous worlds but also special spatiotemporal regions where the flow of time varied, and cultivation barriers became simpler. Because of this, they had all gained considerable benefits. In contrast, he himself had been constantly moving around and hadn't had much time to cultivate, appearing the most disheveled.

"First, let's rescue Yuan Tao..." After chatting for a while, Zhang Xuan indeed found Yuan Tao among the crowd of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. At this moment, like Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan before him, Yuan Tao's six senses were sealed, and he was unaware that Zhang Xuan was nearby.

"Just now, an ancient sage transmitted a message, stating that no major power is allowed to take action; otherwise, they will be directly killed!" Seeing him about to go over, Ren Shi quickly interceded.

"This must be a decision made by the ancient sages for the safety of the younger generation. Otherwise, if a battle were to break out, all geniuses with the potential to become ancient sages would perish. What good would obtaining treasures from the Confucius Temple do then?" Luo Qianzhen said, "Under the current circumstances, it's not wise to create conflict with them. Besides, with the ancient sage's directive, they probably wouldn't dare to harm Yuan Tao anyway!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan paused.

"They're right!" Luo Ruoxi smiled faintly and said, "Don't rush to rescue him. Let's wait until we enter the Apricot Altar. Although Yuan Tao's six senses have been sealed, it might not be a missed opportunity for him."

"An opportunity?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"Yes, the Apricot Altar was where Master Kong once preached and taught. Everywhere, there are traces of Master Kong's golden words of teaching. Since the Hundred Schools of Philosophers are utilizing his Dragon Rhinoceros bloodline, they must have made plans long ago. Rescuing him now might actually be counterproductive!" Luo Ruoxi explained.

Zhang Xuan suddenly understood. He had thought it was just an ordinary palace, but it turned out to be Master Kong's place of teaching. Back in the Hongyuan Empire, his 'Heaven's Mandate of Teachers' could enable animals and spirit beasts to break through by merely spreading his teachings. Master Kong, with his stronger cultivation, would surely be even more formidable. No wonder a mere tree root, acting as the core of a formation, could trap so many powerful individuals. Perhaps this tree root also gained sentience and acquired such supernatural abilities after listening to Master Kong's lectures.

"It's about to open!"

The few people communicated via telepathy as a rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, emerged from the ground. Immediately after, the seal on the Apricot Altar palace before them shone brightly. Having experienced the Grand Completion Hall before, Zhang Xuan knew this was a sign that it was about to open, so he said no more.

Before long, the large door slowly opened, leaving only the seal standing within.

"Go!"

With a loud shout, a drop of Yuan Tao's blood flew out, enveloped the members of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and rushed straight towards the seal. Upon contact, they immediately entered without any obstruction. Many of the Otherworldly Demons also stepped forward, using some secret art to enter.

"The Otherworldly Demons also possess special physiques similar to Yuan Tao's..." Seeing Zhang Xuan's confusion, Luo Ruoxi transmitted a message to him.

Zhang Xuan nodded. Special physiques were not exclusive to humans; it was not surprising for one or two to appear among the Otherworldly Demons.

Whoosh!

After the Otherworldly Demons entered, many Saint Beasts also flew inside. Unlike the previous two groups, a talisman floated in the air—it was the last surviving Celestial Token. Unexpectedly, it was in their possession.

"Let's go in too!"

Seeing that many factions had entered, Zhang Xuan flipped his palm, and the small talisman appeared, enveloping everyone. Before they could move, Wu Chen clasped his fists and said, "Miss, Teacher Zhang, I'll guard outside..." With that, he stepped back, moving out of the talisman's enveloped area.

"Alright, let's go!" As if she had already known his decision, Luo Ruoxi nodded.

"He..." Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"He has already broken through to the Ancient Sage realm. Even with the inherited mother talisman covering him, he can't enter!" Luo Ruoxi explained.

"Indeed..." Hearing her confirmation, Zhang Xuan nodded. He had suspected it earlier, but he didn't expect it to be true. It seemed not only he had encountered opportunities and received the Ancient Sage aura from the Grand Completion Hall, but Wu Chen had also gained a significant opportunity.

Whoosh!

Taking Luo Qianzhen, Jiang Fangyou, and the others with him, Zhang Xuan followed behind, entering the hall before them.

Inside the main entrance, unlike the other branch halls, it wasn't a spacious room but a courtyard hundreds of meters in diameter. In the very center, a tall altar stood, seemingly covered by a seal, exuding a sense of oppression that made it impossible to approach. To one side of the high altar were dozens of apricot trees lined up. Since it was winter, their leaves had already fallen, covering the ground entirely, leaving only bare branches. In front of the high altar, numerous prayer mats were neatly arranged, totaling as many as three thousand, precisely corresponding to Master Kong's three thousand disciples.

"This is the Apricot Altar?" Zhang Xuan frowned. He had imagined it to be incredibly sacred, but it appeared surprisingly ordinary.

"Yes, this is where Master Kong lectured, and his students listened below!" Luo Ruoxi nodded, "Don't underestimate this place. Although it looks simple, it is the most important area in the entire Confucius Temple, apart from the main hall!"

"Important?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. Aside from this high altar and some trees, there was nothing else, not even a decent treasure. How could it be important?

"Master Kong's 'Heaven's Mandate of Teachers' was unparalleled in power. These prayer mats and trees have probably long gained sentience. Otherwise, the people from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would have rushed forward by now. Their stillness clearly indicates they are waiting for an opportune moment!" Luo Ruoxi transmitted.

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched. At Hongyuan Academy, when he used the 'Heaven's Mandate of Teachers,' weapons he lectured on gained sentience. It wasn't surprising for Master Kong to imbue these prayer mats and trees with life.

"Are you going or not? If not, we'll go first..." Seeing the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, who had entered first, remain stationary and not advance for a long time, a Saint Beast grew impatient and spoke up.

"If you're not going in, we will! When we get the treasures, don't try to snatch them from us!" Another Saint Beast added.

"If you wish to enter, feel free. We'll wait a little longer!" The leading youth of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers smiled and said. It was none other than Yan Xue, the fair-skinned youth they had met earlier in Baixi Mountain, a descendant of Ancient Sage Ziyuan.

"Fine, if you're not going, we'll go ahead and take a look..." Seeing no movement from them, the Saint Beast who had spoken earlier snorted and called out, "Cowards! They don't dare to go, but we will!" With that, it was the first to charge towards the prayer mats. In its view, anything that could remain preserved for tens of thousands of years certainly wasn't simple.

Whoosh!

Before it could get close, a sharp whooshing sound rapidly filled the air. Immediately after, a tree branch whipped straight towards it, tearing a dark rift in space.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Following this, several apricot trees swept forward, surrounding many of the Saint Beasts in their midst.