Chapter 1788: Kong Shi's Final Test

“Never mind!”

He was speechless to find that these people fled as if they had seen a monster, each one faster than the last. He wanted to kill the members of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but as for Yan Xue and the Saint Beasts, he genuinely only wanted to talk with them.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Ya and the others all smiled faintly.

"They might not be afraid," Luo Ruoxi explained, "but rather, they don't want any further complications! After all, at this stage, the Spring and Autumn Annals are the most crucial."

"Understood!"

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan said no more and called out, "Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, these paintings are all very valuable. Collect them all!"

"Yes!"

Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan both nodded simultaneously and swiftly moved towards the paintings.

"Ahem… Teacher Zhang, these are treasures left by Master Kong. Isn't it a bit disrespectful to just take them away?"

The two Master Teachers who had followed from the Master Teacher Pavilion looked over helplessly. "Looting everything the moment we arrived… isn't that a bit disrespectful to Master Kong?"

"So, what do you mean…?" Zhang Xuan looked at them.

"We should at least pay our respects before collecting them…" a Master Teacher said, his face flushed.

Zhang Xuan was speechless. He had expected a good suggestion, but it turned out to be this.

Shaking his head, he continued to instruct, "Proceed!"

Zhao Ya and the others moved quickly. Before long, all the paintings on the wall were collected.

"Let's go!" After collecting the scrolls, Zhang Xuan pointed a finger, and the Inherited Mother Talisman appeared. He looked at it and asked, "Little Talisman, where are the Spring and Autumn Annals?"

"In the innermost main hall…" Little Talisman replied.

"Lead the way!"

Without further ado, Zhang Xuan gave the command.

Responding with a sound, Little Talisman flew straight forward.

The main hall was a labyrinth of interconnected layers and countless paths. The group advanced swiftly. Along the way, they encountered numerous treasures. Zhang Xuan arranged for them to be collected, sweeping everything clean like a swarm of locusts, not even leaving behind ordinary stone statues. Witnessing such a genius being so avaricious, the two Master Teachers looked utterly helpless. They genuinely wondered if it had been a mistake to follow this person. If Master Kong truly knew he had such a junior, he would probably die of anger!

"Why isn't there a single decent treasure? Is Master Kong so poor?"

In contrast to their shock, Zhang Xuan was displeased as he collected the items. The items collected along the way included calligraphy, paintings, zithers, and writing brushes. While undeniably valuable, capable of fetching astronomical prices, none of them were truly "impressive" or comparable to the treasures obtained from the branch halls; they were significantly inferior.

The two Master Teachers clutched their chests. Such words were truly blasphemous, so they could only pretend not to hear.

They continued forward and soon arrived at a hall.

"It's right here…" Little Talisman announced, gently hovering over a stone tablet.

As if something had been activated, a tall statue in the middle of the hall slowly turned around. It was Master Kong!

"Being able to enter here means you have passed the initial test. However, to obtain the Spring and Autumn Annals, you must pass one final one!"

A serene voice rang out, permeating their minds and imparting a feeling akin to basking in a gentle spring breeze. Obtaining the Inherited Mother Talisman, securing the formation core, and entering the main hall—these were all part of the assessment. Reaching this point meant they were undoubtedly top-tier geniuses, qualified to receive the inheritance. However, there remained one final trial.

"The passage ahead contains illusion arrays, killing arrays, and various inner demons. If you can pass through it, you will see the Spring and Autumn Annals and have the opportunity to refine them. If you cannot, rest assured, there will be no life-threatening danger; however, you will be teleported outside the main hall and will have no further connection to my inheritance."

The statue pointed forward.

Zhang Xuan looked and indeed saw a passage in the middle of the hall, extending straight into the distance, with no end in sight.

"Begin. Each person has only one chance. You can go through together or individually; there are no restrictions…" the statue continued.

"How does this passage test us?" Zhang Xuan looked at Little Talisman. To the naked eye, the passage appeared perfectly smooth and empty. Even with his keen eyesight, he couldn't detect any traces of a formation. How, then, was it a test? Could it affect a person's state of mind in some special way?

"Master Kong specifically left this to test his descendants. I'm not entirely sure how it works…" Little Talisman said awkwardly.

"Alright!"

Knowing that this particular talisman was usually useless at critical moments, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Discernment and gazed into the passage. After observing for a moment, he still found nothing; it was as if the passage had no energy fluctuations at all.

"Teacher, let me try first. Whether I succeed or not, it will help you prepare!" Zhao Ya stepped forward.

"Be careful!" Although Master Kong said there was no danger, Zhang Xuan was still somewhat worried.

"Understood!" With a faint smile, Zhao Ya went ahead. She quickly reached the passage and, without hesitation, stepped inside. A pure white light enveloped her. The next moment, the girl seemed to fall into some kind of illusion, standing motionless on the spot.

After an unknown amount of time, a chilling aura suddenly erupted from her body. Her entire being seemed to transform into an Ice Queen, as surges of powerful energy relentlessly impacted her surroundings, threatening to shatter the passage. However, while her power was strong, the passage was even stronger; no matter how fierce her attacks were, no changes occurred.

"It seems Zhao Ya's Pure Yin Physique has been activated again…" After observing for a while, Luo Ruoxi suddenly said.

Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned, then looked closely. Indeed, as she had said, Zhao Ya had become even more powerful, merely a hair's breadth away from becoming an Ancient Sage, as if she could break through at any moment. Enveloped by her Pure Yin Physique, she was like a fairy, exuding a proud aura, becoming even more elegant and captivating. Every movement she made conformed to the laws of nature, carrying a special charm. Indeed, in just a few minutes, her physique was activated once more, becoming even more refined and complete.

Just as he was about to examine what power was causing her physique to transform, a beam of light enveloped her again. The next moment, as if teleported, the girl vanished from the spot.

"Failed to pass!" Master Kong's statue's voice rang out.

"Didn't pass?" Zhang Xuan was momentarily surprised, then it dawned on him. The statue had just said that those who couldn't pass would be teleported out of the main hall. It seemed Zhao Ya had indeed been sent away.

"Teacher, I'll go!" Seeing her senior sister being teleported away, Wei Ruyan stepped forward.

Like Zhao Ya, she seemed to fall into an illusion. Before long, her unique physique was also activated, her poison qi spread, and her power surged. Although she didn't break through to the Ancient Sage realm either, her power had undergone a tremendous transformation, seemingly only a step away from the final breakthrough. Soon, she was also teleported away.

"Let's go together!" Seeing that Luo Qiqi and the two remaining Master Teachers also wished to proceed, Zhang Xuan no longer hesitated and nodded.