Chapter 1734: Breaking the Seal

"Courting death? I think it's you who are courting death!"

Suspended in midair, Zhang Xuan wore a cold expression, his voice growing louder.

"Capturing my student, confining her freedom, forcing her to help you expend her strength to break the seal regardless of her willingness... Is this the etiquette of the Hundred Schools of Thought? The rules left by Confucius that must be followed?"

He felt no goodwill toward this group.

On the Master Teacher Continent, they had either forced challenges against the Luo Clan or the Zhang Clan, captured his student, and allied with the Otherworldly Tribe... Every single act was infuriating.

"We did all this for the human race..."

A young man in the crowd shouted.

"For the human race? I'm also for the human race... Knock them all down!"

Not wanting to waste words, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist.

Swoosh!

The five sacred beasts and countless weapons flew out, heading straight for the eight young men of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

"You..."

Not expecting him to act directly, the eight were about to explode, but they had no time to dwell on it and hurriedly engaged in battle.

"Teacher..."

Zhao Ya looked over with concern.

"What exactly happened? How did they capture you? Tell me everything in detail, and I'll seek justice for you!"

Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"It's like this..." Zhao Ya recounted the events.

After Zhang Xuan returned to the Zhang Clan in the Empire Alliance, she had sent the Icefield Palace members back first, stayed in the Alliance for a while to consolidate her newly advanced cultivation, with Wei Ruyan guarding her. The two of them together could handle most opponents, so she hadn't thought much of it.

But just as she was leaving the Alliance, she encountered a young man.

He didn't attack directly but revealed his identity as a strong expert of the Hundred Schools of Thought, claiming it was a matter of secrecy and that he needed to take them somewhere.

The two naturally refused, and after a fight, they were captured.

By then, it was too late to send a message.

Afterward, they were confined in a place, but they weren't mistreated. Instead, there were dedicated experts who explained cultivation difficulties and provided ample resources to advance their cultivation.

They were even taught methods to break the seal.

As for why their six senses like hearing were sealed, it was because the seal locked away a world, and the process of breaking it would cause severe mental backlash. Without sealing, they could suffer irreversible damage.

"And you just broke the seal because he told you to?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

His student had a fiery temper, and Wei Ruyan was no pushover either. When had they become so obedient?

Not only were they captured, but they also broke the seal without any resistance?

"They said..." Zhao Ya blushed and bit her lip. "If I helped break the seal and obtained the opportunity to break through to Ancient Sage, they would give one slot to you..."

"To me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Yes, they said you are the most talented figure on the Master Teacher Continent, and that the Hundred Schools of Thought and the Master Teacher Hall both inherit from Confucius and are one body. As long as we made contributions, granting a slot would be very simple..."

Zhao Ya felt embarrassed.

"So you followed their orders?"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan felt both anger and gratitude. He waved his hand, showing strong confidence. "When have you ever been so unsure of me? Even if breaking through to Ancient Sage is difficult, I, Zhang Xuan, don't need my student to seek opportunities for me! Nor would I trade my student's freedom for it! Rest assured, if such an opportunity exists, others can get it, and I will too. If others can't, I'll still obtain it!"

"Teacher, I was wrong..." Zhao Ya's voice grew softer.

"Enough!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand. "Since your intentions were good, I'll let it go this time!"

With that, he turned around. "Stop!"

Swoosh!

The five sacred beasts and many weapons flew back to his side.

By now, the eight young men were beaten black and blue, no longer looking as elegant as before.

"You captured my student, violating the rules. This is just a minor punishment to teach you that if you want to mess with my student, you must face the consequences. Since they weren't harmed, I won't kill you. Just answer a few questions, and you can leave."

Zhang Xuan looked at them. "First, what exactly is this secret matter that the noble Hundred Schools of Thought is sneaking around and capturing people for? Second, have you allied with the Otherworldly Tribe? Or... are those Otherworldly Tribesmen your tamed subordinates?"

Knowing that the Hundred Schools of Thought hadn't harmed Zhao Ya, a thought crossed his mind.

Could it be that the Otherworldly Tribesmen who were with the fair-skinned young man last time were actually... pets refined by the Hundred Schools of Thought?

Just like he had refined a corpse of an Otherworldly Ancient Sage and suppressed a ruthless person in the Book of Heaven's Path...

That didn't mean he was allied with the Otherworldly Tribe, did it?

"We only follow orders; we don't know why. We cannot answer these questions..."

A young man with a face beaten like a shoe sole gritted his teeth.

"Cannot answer?"

"Yes!" the shoe-sole young man nodded.

"If you won't say, I'll find out sooner or later. I don't want to kill you now. Get lost!"

Raising his brows, Zhang Xuan flicked his sleeve.

He had received favors from Confucius, and Ancient Sages Bu Shang and Ran Qiu had also helped him. Since these were their descendants and not allied with the Otherworldly Tribe, there was no need to exterminate them.

"We won't leave..."

The shoe-sole young man gritted his teeth.

"Throw them out!"

Not bothering to argue, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand, and the sacred beasts and weapons charged again.

Soon, the eight were thrown out of the Great Accomplishment Hall's range.

Once thrown out, without Zhao Ya's special constitution power, they could no longer enter.

After dealing with them, Zhang Xuan looked again at the scroll before him. By now, the snow and ice on it had almost completely melted, and the seal had changed into a different form, completely unlike what Zhao Ya had been dissolving.

"Teacher, the seal has changed. The method I learned before is now useless..."

Pale-faced, Zhao Ya sent her true energy forward repeatedly, but the seal showed no change.

The seal on the painting had completely turned into a spring scene.

"No matter, I have a way!"

Smiling lightly, Zhang Xuan pointed his finger.

Hum!

The ice crystal obtained from the snow world appeared before him, and he pressed it lightly.

Whoosh!

The crystal flew toward the seal. Upon arrival, it spun rapidly, and in an instant, the power of the seal was absorbed into it, forming a huge vortex.

Seeing that this thing indeed worked on the seal as Little Fu Fu had said, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and called out to Xing and Meng Sword Saint.

"Let's go in and take a look!"

With that, he flew first toward the broken seal on the scroll.

The others followed without hesitation, disappearing from the spot in an instant.