“They’re from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers?” Taken aback, Zhang Xuan raised his head to carefully assess the five people floating above.
The person who was speaking was a middle-aged man in his forties. He had a gray, flowy beard and a tall hat, reminiscent of the typical image of ancient scholars. The long robe that he wore was similar to that of a master teacher robe, the only difference being that it was black in color. From afar, he appeared a little severe.
“He’s wearing the same clothes as the four Otherworldly Demons who took Zhao Ya and the others away!” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.
The middle-aged man was wearing the exact same attire as the four Otherworldly Demons that they had just encountered in Ancient Sage Ran Qiu’s ancient domain! From the looks of it, it seemed like the four young men were intending to pose as experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers so as to fool Little Amulet!
Yet, under the assault of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, they had still been forced to show their true form.
There were four young men who appeared to be in their late twenties standing around Nangong Yuanfeng. Each of them carried the imposing aura of an expert.
“They are all Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence cultivators,” Luo Ruoxin remarked with a nod. “If I recall correctly, Nangong Yuanfeng is the offspring of Ancient Sage Zi Rong, a Scholastic Master of the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism!”
“Ancient Sage Zi Rong?” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding.
Ancient Sage Zi Rong was one of the Kong shi’s seventy-two direct disciples, and he was famed as a sage. While his fame did not come close to matching Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, Ancient Sage Bo Shang, or Ancient Sage Yan Yan, his name was still remembered even after the passing of so many years, and he continued to command the respect of many cultivators.
To think that Nangong Yuanfeng would actually be his descendant!
“What’s the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism?” Zhang Xuan asked curiously.
“The Great Phrontistery of Confucianism is somewhat similar to the Master Teacher Pavilion of the continent. However, while the Master Teacher Pavilion seeks to impart knowledge and values to ordinary mortals and cultivators, the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism specializes solely in the research and impartation of Kong shi’s teachings to the cultivated. Typically speaking, only cultivators who have reached Great Sage are qualified to join its ranks,” Luo Ruoxin explained.
“Only Great Sage cultivators are qualified to join the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.
He had thought that the Sanctum of Sages was the highest academy of the Master Teacher Continent, but who knew that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers would actually have a Great Phrontistery of Confucianism to top that!
Zhang Xuan was just about to continue asking about it when a voice suddenly boomed in the air.
“I’m the deputy clan head of the Luo Clan, Luo Ganzhen. It’s my pleasure to meet you, Elder Nangong. This way please!”
Following which, Luo Xuanqing’s father, followed by Luo Qingchen and the numerous other elders of the Luo Clan, flew out and clasped their fists courteously.
“Let’s head down!” Seeing that the deputy clan head had come to welcome them, Nangong Yuanfeng returned the greetings before descending to the ground with the four young men.
The crowd from the Luo Clan quickly did the same as well.
“For those of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to appear at this moment, something must be up! Let’s follow them!” Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to Luo Ruoxin.
He knew that those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had come to the Master Teacher Continent, but he did not expect five of them to suddenly pay a visit to the Luo Clan abruptly. Considering the timing, it was likely that their visit had something to do with the opening of the Temple of Confucius.
“Un.” Luo Ruoxin nodded.
With the extraordinary strength of the two and the chaotic situation that the Luo Clan was in, they were able to successfully advance into the depths of the Luo Clan without drawing anyone’s attention. Of course, to be safe, they chose to keep a safe distance from Luo Ganzhen and Nangong Yuanfeng.
Dong dong dong dong!
Just as they were planning to sneak into the main hall, the loud chimes of a bell suddenly echoed throughout the Luo Clan.
“That’s the Assembly Bell of the Luo Clan? Did something happen?”
Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment as he and Luo Ruoxin quickly followed the crowd from the Luo Clan to where the bell was chiming from.
Not too long later, he arrived at a relatively spacious square. By that time, a huge crowd had already gathered in the area. As soon as the bell started chiming, all members of the Luo Clan had rushed over as fast as possible.
Across the crowd, Zhang Xuan saw Nangong Yuanfeng and the others from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers sitting on top of an elevated platform at the center of the square, and Luo Ganzhen, Luo Qingchen, and the others were seated opposite them.
Zhang Xuan scanned the crowd and quickly found a couple of Luo Clan offspring dressed in clothes that suggested that they were core members discussing quietly among one another. He quickly walked up to them and asked, “Excuse me, may I ask what has happened? Why was the Assembly Bell rung?”
It just so happened that all members of the Luo Clan were gathered there, so it was impossible for the other party to recognize all of the faces there.
“You are…” Seeing an unfamiliar face before them, one of the core members frowned.
“I am Luo Tianya, a member from the side family!” Zhang Xuan replied.
“Ah, I see!” The core member of the Luo Clan nodded. “Based on what I have heard so far, it seems like the Hundred Schools of Philosophers wishes to acquire something that the Luo Clan has, but our deputy clan head is reluctant to hand it over. Thus, Nangong Yuanfeng proposed a duel of spatial arts between the four students that he has brought with him and the offspring of the Luo Clan who are beneath a hundred years old… If they achieve victory, the Luo Clan will have to place the treasure under the care of their Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. On the other hand, if they lose, they will hand over an equivalent treasure to the Luo Clan as compensation for their disrespect!”
“What treasure did Nangong Yuanfeng offer in return?” Zhang Xuan asked.
There was little doubt that the treasure that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers wanted was the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. In order to goad the Luo Clan into accepting the duel, the treasure that they would have to stake had to be of considerable value as well.
“It’s a sword that was once used by Ancient Sage Zi Rong!” the core member of the Luo Clan replied as he pointed onto the elevated platform ahead. “There, you should be able to see it!”
Tracing the core member’s finger, Zhang Xuan saw a sword floating quietly above the elevated platform. Even though it was unsheathed, one could still feel a disquieting, chilling air emanating from it.
Luo Ruoxin took a glance at the sword as well before sending a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. “It’s a Great Sage artifact, but as it was once used by Ancient Sage Zi Rong, its might is comparable to most Half-Ancient Sage artifacts… That being said, it comes nowhere close to competing with your Dragonbone Divine Spear.”
“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded.
It was too far away for him to come into contact with it, making it impossible for him to accurately gauge the true rank of the sword. Nevertheless, with his current eye of discernment, he could tell that it was a formidable weapon, albeit far beneath his Dragonbone Divine Spear.
After all, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was the weapon that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had wielded at his peak. Back in the ancient era, there was no one who would not tremble in the face of the Dragonbone Divine Spear! Thus, how could a sword that Ancient Sage Zi Rong had only used before possibly match it?
Luo Ganzhen scanned the crowd and declared loudly, “Offspring of the Luo Clan, Elder Nangong of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers has brought his students here in order to challenge the members of our Luo Clan to a duel of spatial arts. As long as you are beneath a hundred years old, you’ll be eligible to challenge them. Is there anyone who would like to challenge our guests here?”
His voice sounded composed on the surface, but Zhang Xuan could detect a furious undertone beneath the calm exterior.
It seemed like despite the treasure offered by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, he did not intend to accept the duel. Most likely, the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had resorted to some degree of blackmail to force the Luo Clan to do their bidding.
Considering how the Luo Clan had suffered a huge setback, they were indeed in no position to clash with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers at the moment.
“Allow me to test the strength of our guests over here!” With a loud bellow, a figure leaped onto the elevated platform in the middle.
Glancing over, Zhang Xuan saw that the person who had volunteered himself was none other than Luo Xuanqing.
“I’ll face them, too!”
“I’m willing to give it a try as well!”
“They might be our guests, but aren’t they too insolent to challenge our Luo Clan to a duel of spatial arts? Humph, that’s no different from courting death!”
…
Another three young men leaped onto the elevated platform in the middle.
They were all young experts of the Luo Clan, and every single one of them emanated a powerful aura. In fact, two of them had reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle, just like Zhang Xuan, and they were already serving as elders in the Luo Clan.
“Very well!” Seeing that their men had stepped up to the challenge, Luo Ganzhen nodded in approval.
He turned his gaze to Nangong Yuanfeng and said, “Elder Nangong, what do you propose for the format of the duel of spatial arts?”
For those who are curious as to how the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers look like, you could try googling ‘ancient Chinese scholars’, or else, this link could do too. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enSG851SG851&biw=1280&bih=610&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=QrIMXZ-HI-uc_QaFqYPoBA&q=%E5%8F%A4%E4%BB%A3%E7%8A%B6%E5%85%83&oq=%E5%8F%A4%E4%BB%A3%E7%8A%B6%E5%85%83&gs_l=img.3..0i12j0i12i24l4.683.12068..12272…10.0..1.383.4935.2-12j5…0….1..gws-wiz-img….35i39j0j0i24.n175epwjDxU#imgrc=dZN_xbA9p6IcyM:
