Pure Yang!

Chapter 471 The Secret of the Water Mansion! The Number One Master of Southern Zhang
The rivers are vast, the wind blows for thousands of miles, pushing the white clouds leisurely and brushing against the waves.

As the riverbank changed, Zhang Fan looked at the old man walking behind him with extreme vigilance.

Without needing many words, he could feel the lingering effects of the magnificent atmosphere from the other person.

The Celestial Master Realm.

This old man was the Celestial Master who had just fought him.

"Old man, my surname is Zhao."

Despite a momentary lapse in concentration, Zhang Fan's expression remained unchanged as he answered the old man's question.

"Without that water palace, can you still possess those extraordinary abilities?" Xu Xuanxiao asked calmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Fan's pupils suddenly contracted.

In the end, the old man saw through him. He had seriously underestimated the terror of a Celestial Master and the foundation of the Pure Yang Xu family.

He thought he had escaped without a trace, but in the end, the other party still saw through his deception.

At this moment, it is clearly impossible for Zhang Fan to return to the Water Mansion.

"You are a member of the Zhang family," Xu Xuanxiao asked again.

Zhang Fan remained silent for a long while before slowly nodding.

"Who is Zhang Tiansheng to you?" Xu Xuanxiao asked again.

“He…he is my grandfather,” Zhang Fan said solemnly.

At this moment, there is no point in hiding anything.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Xuanxiao's brows twitched slightly, and a complex expression appeared on his weathered face.

He stared at Zhang Fan, seemingly lost in thought, as if trying to find the shadow of the man from the past in this young man.

“Life is full of divergent paths... This road is too long, long enough that we will eventually meet again.” Xu Xuanxiao suddenly sighed.

He looked at Zhang Fan, and for a moment he was filled with emotion: "You are the son of the Spirit Sect."

"Senior is..." Zhang Fan's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but ask.

"My name is Xu Xuanxiao."

"Grandpa!" Zhang Fan blurted out.

Before he finished speaking, Xu Xuanxiao was clearly stunned for a moment. Then, a rare, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his usually cold face.

“You’re completely different from your father.”

"What's your name?" Xu Xuanxiao asked.

"Zhang Fan!"

“Fan…”

Xu Xuanxiao's gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if the young man before him held within him the weight of bygone years. When he came to his senses, he realized that sixty years had passed in this world...

Sixty years...

"Come with me."

As he spoke, Xu Xuanxiao turned and left.

Zhang Fan hesitated for a moment, but still followed.

……

evening.

The Xu family ancestral home.

Incense smoke curled above the altar, and in the hazy light, a strange sword appeared and disappeared.

It was an iron sword, its blade covered in mottled rust, with many chips and a crooked, extremely worn-out edge.

Amidst the incense smoke, the sword's form grew increasingly indistinct. Its blade trembled slightly, and a low, guttural roar echoed throughout the secluded hall.

hum...

The rust on the sword slowly peeled off, falling gently and gracefully, turning into specks of light amidst the swirling incense smoke, and disappearing into Xu Chengfeng's brow.

A moment later, some color returned to his aged face, and he slowly opened his eyes, revealing a trace of lingering fear.

"I've finally woken up."

Just then, a cold voice rang out in front of the altar.

Xu Chengfeng looked up and saw an old man sitting there, older than him, with a full head of white hair. He was leaning on a black dragon-head cane, and his left eye was completely white.

"Brother."

Xu Chengfeng stood up shakily, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

The man before him was the second branch of the clan, his elder brother, Xu Chengtian, a powerful expert at the Heavenly Master realm.

"All right."

Xu Chengtian raised his hand and gently pressed down, interrupting the formality.

"Your condition is not good. You need to recuperate for at least six months. Your vital energy has been depleted, and that is very difficult to make up for."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chengfeng's expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously lowered his head, knowing better than anyone else about his own situation.

At the confluence of the three rivers, that cry almost cost him half his life.

"Tell me," Xu Chengtian said in a deep voice.

Xu Chengfeng paused briefly before recounting his experience at the confluence of the three rivers that day.

Originally, he had only received a message from Xu Mingjing saying that someone had entered the Water Mansion, so he went to check, but who knew he would encounter such a change.

"Brother, what is the state of the Water Palace now..." Xu Chengfeng couldn't help but ask.

"Everything is as usual," Xu Chengtian said in a deep voice.

After the incident, he went to check it out himself, but he couldn't find any clues.

But Xu Chengfeng's experience was truly real.

"Brother, has a Celestial Master come to Tianjin?" Xu Chengfeng couldn't help but ask.

“It doesn’t seem like it.” Xu Chengtian shook his head and said, “The Celestial Master has already reached the realm of oneness with heaven and man. If such an existence were to make a move, I would not fail to sense it if we were at the same level.”

“That is…” Xu Chengfeng hesitated before speaking.

“Zhang Tiansheng’s methods… This man has been dead for so many years, yet he still has a trick up his sleeve,” Xu Chengtian said coldly.

“Back then, I felt something was off when he built the Water Palace with such extravagance.”

As he spoke, Xu Chengtian glanced sideways at his younger brother.

"Back then, you even said he was a show-off."

“Who would have thought that Zhang Tiansheng, who has been dead for more than 30 years, would have such power hidden in this water mansion he left behind?” Xu Chengfeng couldn’t help but say.

"Brother, that's definitely at the Celestial Master level..."

“Of course I know,” Xu Chengtian said in a deep voice.

“Zhang Tiansheng is arrogant and conceited. He thought he had a hidden trick up his sleeve to restrain the Xu family, but he never expected that the Southern Zhang clan would be wiped out. In the end, this power still benefited the Xu family.”

At this point, a glint of light flashed in Xu Chengtian's eyes.

In his view, Zhang Tiansheng's elaborate construction of the Water Palace and the concealment of such power were intended to prevent a potential conflict with the Xu family, thus enabling him to use this power to counterbalance the Xu family and launch surprise attacks.

But even with his extraordinary wisdom, this man could never have imagined that the Longhu Nanzhang lineage would one day be wiped out.

only……

The Water Mansion has been in the Xu family for sixty years, and nothing unusual has happened in all sixty years. How could it suddenly appear today?
Only by understanding the reasons behind it can we grasp the true secrets of that underwater palace.

"You said someone went in?" Xu Chengtian suddenly asked, changing the subject.

If there's anything different about the Water Palace today compared to the past, it's this.

“That’s right, that kid’s name is Zhao Jiexuan…” Xu Chengfeng said solemnly.

He immediately recounted all the information he possessed about Zhao Jiexuan.

"The Supreme Realm of Fasting? He has already reached the Supreme Realm at such a young age?" Xu Chengtian was moved.

Of all the things about this young man, what bothered him the most was that he had already achieved great mastery of life skills at such a young age.

With such talent, even going back a hundred years, he would definitely be one of the few outstanding individuals.

“Mingjing saw it clearly; it’s definitely at the first level of the cultivation realm, and the inner core has already been refined,” Xu Chengfeng said in a deep voice.

The reason he went to the Water Mansion in person was to confirm what Xu Mingjing had said.

“This young man has a complicated background. In my opinion, Changshou has already submitted to that so-called mortal sect,” Xu Chengtian said after a moment’s thought.

"Brother, what do you think this kid's background is?"

“I’m afraid… his surname is Zhang,” Xu Chengtian said solemnly.

"Brother, are you saying this kid is from the Zhang family?" Xu Chengfeng asked, looking surprised.

"On the surface, that mortal sect is being run by a brat named Zhang Wuming, who is a disciple of the Northern Zhang. This Zhao Jiexuan is probably also a member of the Northern Zhang," Xu Chengtian said in a deep voice.

"Only the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain could train such a disciple."

As he finished speaking, a unique gleam appeared in Xu Chengtian's deep eyes.

Undeniably, even after experiencing the great calamity of the Daoist sect, the Zhang family is still the Zhang family, a Xuanmen sect, a family of immortals.

"Could the commotion at the Water Mansion today be related to this brat?" Xu Chengfeng pondered. "If he really is a disciple of the Northern Zhang, then it probably isn't."

How could the people of Bei Zhang possibly seize the secrets of Nan Zhang and usurp the throne?
"No matter what, that kid has entered the Water Mansion. Whether it's related to him or not, we have to arrest him and interrogate him."

Xu Chengtian made a decision.

"What about the brat?"

"Could they still be in the Water Palace?!" Xu Chengfeng couldn't help but ask.

He woke up here and had no idea what was happening outside.

"Uncle, Father."

Just then, Xu Mingcheng's voice came from outside the hall.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm discussing something with your uncle?" Xu Chengfeng said in a deep voice.

"A message came from the third branch of the family..."

"what?"

"Uncle Xiao said... said... that Zhao Jiexuan is with him now."

"Um!?"

Xu Chengtian raised an eyebrow, revealing a strange expression.

"Brother..."

Xu Chengtian raised his hand, interrupting Xu Chengfeng.

"Understood, you go down first."

"Yes!"

Xu Mingcheng’s respectful voice rang out, followed by the sound of footsteps receding into the distance from outside the hall.

“Brother, that kid has fallen into Xu Xuanxiao’s hands. He was the first to arrive after I got into trouble.”

"Perhaps he has already figured out the secrets of the Water Mansion, after all, Nan Zhang was the closest to their third branch back then."

“Before Nan Zhang’s incident, Zhang Tiansheng came to see Xu Xuanxiao. He must know something.” A strange light flickered in Xu Chengfeng’s eyes.

The third branch of the family has indeed declined, but with Xu Xuanxiao as their powerful backer, they are not considered to have withered away.

Especially with the power of the Water Mansion, comparable to that of a Celestial Master, if the Third Branch were to grasp its secrets…

"It seems I have no choice but to go find my older brother first."

Xu Chengtian slowly stood up, his expression becoming solemn.

The elder brother he mentioned was naturally the patriarch of the main branch of the Xu family, the current true head of the Xu family, and also the strongest member of the Xu family, Xu Jinzhao.

……

Late at night.

An old house in the southern part of Tianjin.

The side courtyard gate was locked, and fallen leaves covered the ground. Under the bright moonlight, only Xu Xuanxiao and Zhang Fan were there.

“No one else comes here except me,” Xu Xuanxiao suddenly said.

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment.

“This is where your grandmother lived before she got married,” Xu Xuanxiao added.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan showed a strange expression and subconsciously looked around the quiet courtyard.

Xu Xuanxiao looked at him, but his expression was complicated.

“My little sister’s grandson… is already so big.”

As he spoke, Xu Xuanxiao turned around and silently walked to the stone table and benches under the big tree, where he sat down.

"Come and sit."

Zhang Fan appeared extremely well-behaved today. After all, apart from his brief encounter with Zhang Tianyang in Qin Gu Town, this was the first time in his life that he had met a true elder.

"Did your dad mention it to you?" Xu Xuanxiao suddenly asked.

"Grandma, over here..." Zhang Fan hesitated, then stopped.

Xu Xuanxiao nodded.

“No, Dad rarely talks about family matters,” Zhang Fan said softly.

A hint of sadness flashed across Xu Xuanxiao's aged face, then he sighed and said, "He's protecting you..."

“He has suffered a lot over the years. After the incident in Nanzhang, I went to look for him…”

Xu Xuanxiao sighed to himself, as if he were speaking to Zhang Fan, or perhaps to the passage of time.

At this moment, he didn't seem like a master of the Celestial Master realm, but rather like an old man, an old man holding the hand of a junior he hadn't seen in a long time, sharing his heartfelt feelings.

"Although your father rarely has contact with the Xu family, he still calls me uncle..."

"Uncle, before the incident in Nan Zhang, did Grandpa rarely bring Dad back?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, he has no shame," Xu Xuanxiao said calmly.

"Shameless?"

"That's something for the older generation, it has nothing to do with you," Xu Xuanxiao waved his hand, interrupting Zhang Fan's question.

"You inherited that water palace?"

Xu Xuanxiao suddenly changed the subject and asked.

"Ah."

Zhang Fan hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Uncle, do you know?"

"I don't know." Xu Xuanxiao shook his head and said, "I only know that the water mansion was one of the escape routes left by your grandfather."

"An escape route? One of them?" Zhang Fan was taken aback.

"About two months before Nan Zhang's incident, your grandfather came to Tianjin and looked for me," Xu Xuanxiao said with a sigh.

A look of reminiscence welled up in his eyes.

"That was the last time I saw him. It had been five years since his last visit."

"Grandpa... what brings you here?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

"He came to give his last instructions," Xu Xuanxiao said indifferently.

"Making arrangements for his last moments?" Zhang Fan was startled.

"He said he had a bad feeling that Nan Zhang might be facing a calamity, so he came to tell him some things..."

“That water mansion was one of the escape routes he left behind… If the descendants of Nan Zhang come here in the future, please ask me to take care of them out of our past relationship,” Xu Xuanxiao sighed.

Zhang Fan remained silent, but Zhang Tiansheng already had a premonition that a great calamity was not far off for Southern Zhang.

"Grandpa, aren't you surprised?"

"Of course I was curious, so I asked him what was wrong?"

"He himself couldn't explain it clearly. He only said that Nan Zhang is doing something unprecedented. Doing something so great will naturally bring calamities, and perhaps even the entire Nan Zhang will be destroyed," Xu Xuanxiao sighed.

"At the time, I just thought he had made a mistake in his practice, so his words were a bit crazy and incoherent."

"Who could have imagined that two months later..."

At this point, Xu Xuanxiao let out a long sigh.

"Uncle, what else did my grandfather say?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

"He also said..."

Xu Xuanxiao's words came to an abrupt end.

"What did you say?" Zhang Fan pressed.

“These are things I shouldn’t have told you,” Xu Xuanxiao sighed.

“Grand Uncle, there are hardly any people left in Nan Zhang these days,” Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

These words caused Xu Xuanxiao's aged face to tremble slightly.

"So be it...so be it..."

"Your grandfather said that if something really happened to him, something really happened to Nan Zhang..."

“Then there must be a traitor among Nan Zhang. If that person comes looking for me in the future, I must tell him to be very careful,” Xu Xuanxiao said in a deep voice.

"Traitor? Who?" Zhang Fan's brow twitched, and he asked urgently.

“The situation back then was too sudden. Perhaps your grandfather was wrong. After the fall of the Southern Zhang, that person never came looking for me,” Xu Xuanxiao said in a deep voice.

"Who is it? My grandfather told me the name?" Zhang Fan asked.

Xu Xuanxiao looked at him coldly, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"The top martial arts expert in Nanzhang back then!"

"Your grandfather's elder brother!"

"Zhang Tianqi!"

(End of this chapter)