Chapter 1604: The Mother Talisman Acknowledges Its Master

"What you said, I don't understand. I'm just a spirit left here by the ancient sage, responsible for guiding you all..."

The stone statue boy was taken aback and gave an awkward smile.

Luo Ruoxi and Wu Chen were also puzzled.

They had seen this boy as soon as they entered; he was just a stone statue, at most possessing some spirituality. How could he be the World-Transmitting Heavenly Talisman?

If he really was, why hadn't the previous four, who had obtained many ancient sage treasures, discovered it?

"Oh? A spirit? What kind of spirit? Could you elaborate?" Ignoring its excuse, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

"I am a spirit born from the stone statue..." the stone statue boy explained.

"A spirit born from a stone statue?" Zhang Xuan's lips curled. He clasped his hands behind his back, circled around it, and said as he walked, "The stone you are carved from is called Witch Spirit Stone, produced from Mount Luxu in the far southeast of the continent. It forms only after continental shifts, water and land collisions, and even lava burns. There aren't many in the entire continent—no more than ten pieces."

"The greatest benefit of this material is that it nourishes the soul, making the spirit that enters it stronger. But... its flaw is also significant: it has too much spiritual nature, moving too violently to converge. In other words... no matter how skilled an enlivener is, they cannot successfully enliven it! You say you are the spirit of the stone statue, then I ask you: who gave you life?"

"I..." The stone statue boy was stunned, not expecting this person to recognize such a rare stone. He involuntarily stepped back and said, "It was the ancient sage Ran Qiu... The ancient sage's means are extraordinary. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't!"

"Heh!"

Zhang Xuan's lips curled. "As one of the Ten Sages, the ancient sage Ran Qiu had countless methods that later generations dare not fathom. But... any enlivened object naturally has a special affection for its enlivener and can easily acknowledge its master. Since the ancient sage entrusted this place to you and had you guide later generations, he must have subdued you to feel at ease... But why do you always address him as 'the ancient sage Ran Qiu' instead of 'master'?"

Any enlivened object has a special feeling for its enlivener and is easily tamed. For example, the stone statue he had enlivened only listened to him, not to others.

A chick that hatches from an egg sees the first living thing and thinks it's its mother.

Spirituality is the same; it's hard to change.

Since the ancient sage Ran Qiu wanted this thing to oversee the place and had enlivened it, he would surely have subdued it. But from beginning to end, it never called him 'master'.

Nor did it show much respect.

"I..." The stone statue boy was speechless. After a moment, he said, "Even if I haven't acknowledged a master, that doesn't mean I'm the World-Transmitting Heavenly Talisman! Your reasoning has no basis..."

"It seems if I don't make it clear, you won't admit it!"

With a flash in his eyes, Zhang Xuan looked at it again. "When I first entered and fought two golden soldiers alone, using spatial sealing, you said, 'So you are a descendant of Qiu Wuzi. Please show mercy!"

"Yes, so what?" the stone statue boy asked, puzzled.

He had indeed said that; it was nothing.

"Although the ancient sage Qiu Wu was Confucius's servant, he was older and treated as an equal. The ancient sage Ran Qiu was Confucius's disciple. By seniority, even if they met, he would have to bow respectfully and not dare to be presumptuous!"

Zhang Xuan said.

For example, although Sun Qiang was his servant, when Zheng Yang and others met him, they still addressed him as 'Uncle Sun' and did not overstep.

The ancient sage Qiu Wu, though Confucius's servant, was older, and even Confucius respected him. As a student, he dared not breach etiquette.

"But you... directly called him 'Qiu Wuzi'—that is a form of address only used among peers!" Zhang Xuan continued. "For a treasure enlivened by the ancient sage Ran Qiu to speak like that... don't you find it strange?"

"You, you..." The stone statue boy was stunned, stepping back a few more paces, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

From just a form of address, this person had deduced it was the World-Transmitting Heavenly Talisman... That was too terrifying!

"When did you figure it out?"

After the shock, knowing that continuing to hide was pointless, the stone statue boy looked up, full of confusion.

He had thought his disguise was flawless, that even if an ancient sage came in person, they might not see through it. When had this person discovered it?

"Before entering the passage, I patted your shoulder, actually to determine your material. That's when I became suspicious."

Zhang Xuan said.

Before entering the passage, he had approached it and patted it, using the library to check the stone's material. He learned that this material was hard to gather spirit. But the passage was dangerous, so he didn't have time to think much. Now that the alien spirit clan had fled, combined with the earlier form of address, if he still didn't understand, he would be truly foolish.

The World-Transmitting Heavenly Talisman was a treasure refined by Confucius. Calling Qiu Wuzi by that name was no problem. Even if it was disrespectful to the ancient sage Ran Qiu, the latter wouldn't say much.

Most importantly... on this talisman, he sensed a somewhat familiar aura.

The other six heavenly talismans were refined from the blood of individuals with special constitutions. This so-called mother talisman... if he guessed correctly, should have been condensed from Confucius's own blood. The familiar feeling he sensed was exactly... Heaven's Recognized Master!

With this feeling, identifying who it was became easy.

"So that's it... Worthy of being a descendant of Qiu Wuzi, mastering the True Solution of Sealing, and taming the Dragon Bone Divine Spear... Such insight is indeed beyond ordinary people..." After hearing his explanation, the stone statue boy nodded and no longer denied it. "Yes, I am the World-Transmitting Mother Talisman refined by Confucius. The one they took was just a counterfeit!"

With a soft laugh, the stone statue stood still, and a beam of light flew out from its head, slowly gathering in the air, forming a talisman in the blink of an eye.

It was exactly the same as the one the white-robed youth had snatched.

"I am the mother talisman refined by Confucius. Only with me can one enter the main hall of the Confucian Temple... But since I was refined, I only obey Confucius's orders. I won't submit to just anyone. Not to mention a descendant of Qiu Wuzi—even if Qiu Wuzi himself came, he couldn't make me submit!"

With a gentle shake, the talisman's voice continued.

Zhang Xuan looked at it with a smile. "You won't submit to me?"

"Of course not!"

The talisman's voice carried disdain and pride.

"Alright, let me show you something. After you see it, you can decide."

Zhang Xuan extended a finger and gently touched the talisman.

"No matter what you show, it's useless. I was refined by Confucius; how could I submit to a later generation, generation, generation..."

Just as it was speaking proudly, the talisman suddenly shrank, curling up in the air as if seeing a ghost, then abruptly straightened, like a floating playing card, its tone now respectful and ingratiating: "Little talisman greets its master!"