Chapter 489: Revisiting Old Grounds

The Giant Spirit Pavilion's large ship docked at the pier, and Zhang Nuo leaped lightly, his feet landing on solid ground! His gaze swept over this Tianyuan Continent, from which he had been parted for hundreds of years!

"You may return to Immortal Illusion on your own! There is no need to wait for me here!"

Turning back, Zhang Nuo said this to the cultivators on the ship. Immediately, his figure flashed and vanished into the vast land! The Giant Spirit Pavilion cultivators on the ship, only after losing sight of Zhang Nuo's escape light, returned to the cabin with a sense of loss; he had to purchase some supplies for the road here! It might take about a month!

While flying at high speed, Zhang Nuo looked out over the mountains and rivers below; everything was so familiar. He took a deep breath of the air here; although the Spiritual Qi was not as dense as on the Xianhuan Continent, that familiar scent was still just as dear!

Flying along the way, Zhang Nuo saw many cultivators, but he had hidden his cultivation beforehand, revealing only a cultivation level around the Nascent Soul Stage. Even so, these cultivators did not dare to approach him upon seeing him, dodging away from far off!

A month later, Zhang Nuo's figure appeared on the Tianjiang Plain! Recalling everything from back then, he wondered if Zhuge An and the others had returned yet!

Flying slowly toward the direction of the Nanxuan Sect, a somewhat dilapidated sect gradually appeared in Zhang Nuo's eyes! After landing, Zhang Nuo looked over this sect that had once been the most glorious one on the Tianjiang Plain!

Things remained but people had changed; everything had taken on a different appearance. As he walked slowly toward the sect gate, a Nanxuan Sect disciple walked up to Zhang Nuo! Upon discovering that his cultivation was not weak, a look of panic appeared on the disciple's face!

"This Senior! There is a joyous occasion in the sect today, so the Old Sect Master has given orders not to receive guests today!"

Saying such words to a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, the gatekeeping disciple's heart was pounding incessantly! If he had known Zhang Nuo's true cultivation, he might not have even said this sentence!

"A joyous occasion?"

Zhang Nuo frowned slightly! What joyous occasion could the Nanxuan Sect have now? Ever since Nanxuan Laozu was killed by him, there were no longer any big figures in the sect!

Ignoring that disciple, Zhang Nuo took a step forward, but this seemingly simple step allowed his figure to instantly move hundreds of feet away, rushing into the sect in one go!

The gatekeeping disciple only felt a blur before his eyes, and Zhang Nuo had vanished! When he turned back, he discovered that the person had already walked into the sect! "Senior..."

He opened his mouth wide in shock, but after saying only these two words, there was no more sound!

Zhang Nuo walked into the sect, looking at the scenes on both sides of the street, and his heart could not help but be stirred by many memories! The number of pedestrians in the sect had also clearly decreased, and none of them recognized him! At this moment, a familiar small courtyard appeared before him; stopping his steps, Zhang Nuo looked at this small courtyard—this was the place where he had once lived!

Seeing the object and thinking of the person, looking at this small courtyard, Zhang Nuo remembered Bai Xiu and Xun Zhen again! After hundreds of years, he wondered to what level their cultivation had advanced! At this moment, the door of the small courtyard suddenly opened, and a young woman with quite a bit of charm walked out!

She looked to be in her thirties, dressed in a gorgeous palace gown, looking full of charm! Just as the young woman walked out of the courtyard, she looked up and saw Zhang Nuo! She was stunned for a moment, and then her facial expression changed drastically!

"Zhang... Senior Brother Zhang!"

The young woman's sexy red lips trembled slightly as she looked at Zhang Nuo with an expression of disbelief!

"You are... Bai Xiu!"

After looking at the young woman for a long time, Zhang Nuo discovered with surprise that this woman was indeed very similar to Bai Xiu!

"Senior Brother, it really is you!"

The young woman cried out loudly, ran up to Zhang Nuo, grabbed his shoulders, and shook them incessantly! Two lines of excited tears flowed from her eyes!

Looking at Bai Xiu, Zhang Nuo also felt a wave of sorrow, sensing her cultivation with his Divine Sense! Golden Core Initial Stage! So many years had passed, and Bai Xiu had only cultivated to this realm! Looking at her slightly youthful face, she must have taken some kind of youth-preserving Pill!

"You still live here?"

Bai Xiu nodded vigorously!

"Ever since you left, Xun Zhen and I have lived here. Several years ago, Xun Zhen fell into a cultivation deviation and perished because she was too eager to practice!"

Hearing this news, Zhang Nuo's heart was deeply touched! Xun Zhen had actually perished! Recalling the days he had lived with the two of them, he could not help but feel a bit more sorrow!

Just at this moment, an escape light shot up into the sky from inside the Nanxuan Sect, and after a few flashes, it landed before Zhang Nuo. When the light faded, it revealed an aged face!

"Zhang... Zhang Nuo!"

Upon seeing Zhang Nuo, that person looked as if he had seen a ghost, his figure retreating a few steps. Whether it was out of fear or excitement, the muscles on his face twitched incessantly!

"Sect Master Zhuge!"

The person who arrived was indeed Zhuge An, but his expression was very unnatural, and after meeting Zhang Nuo's gaze, he kept dodging it!

"How... how did you come back?"

Looking at the current Zhang Nuo, a scene from back on the Xianhuan Continent rose in Zhuge An's heart!

"Just came back to take a look! No other meaning!"

These calm words not only failed to put Zhuge An at ease but instead made him even more afraid! Seeing his expression, Zhang Nuo felt somewhat puzzled; was he really that terrifying in their hearts?

"Where is Qing'er?"

When Zhang Nuo asked about Zhuge Qing, Zhuge An's old face became even uglier! At the same time, Bai Xiu also slowly lowered her head!

"What happened?"

Based on Zhang Nuo's experience and knowledge, something must have happened here, otherwise these two would not be like this!

"Bai Xiu, what is going on?"

His gaze turned cold as Zhang Nuo stared at Bai Xiu's face! At this moment, Bai Xiu was so frightened that her whole body trembled and her face turned pale, but she still kept her mouth shut; no matter how Zhang Nuo asked her, she simply would not make a sound!

"Don't force her! I will tell you!"

Seeing Zhang Nuo's overbearing arrogance, Zhuge An finally compromised! Back then, there was no one on the Tianjiang Plain who did not know about the relationship between Zhang Nuo and Zhuge Qing! Turning his gaze to Zhuge An, Zhang Nuo listened with a dark and uncertain expression!

"It is truly heaven's will! Zhang Nuo! I will not hide it from you! Today is the day Qing'er gets married!"

As soon as these words were spoken, two cold glints flashed in Zhang Nuo's eyes, and with a 'bang', a powerful pressure erupted from his body, forcing Bai Xiu and Zhuge An back dozens of steps! Only then did he stop his figure!

Zhuge Qing was getting married! This news made Zhang Nuo somewhat angry! Even jealous! Although Zhang Nuo had told Zhuge An back on the Xianhuan Continent that things between him and Zhuge Qing were over, hearing this news still made him unable to accept it! Who was so bold as to dare touch his woman! At least, she was once his woman!

"Who married her?"

After a long while, Zhang Nuo finally calmed his emotions.

"If I say the name, you might not know him, but if I mention his disciple, you might remember him! Zuo Mutang!"

This somewhat distant name made Zhang Nuo's thoughts fly back to hundreds of years ago! Zuo Mutang, the first Golden Core Stage cultivator he had killed after entering the Golden Core Stage!

"Qing'er marrying him was also out of helplessness. You have seen it yourself; the current Nanxuan Sect is not what it used to be. Plus, that time we went to the Xianhuan Continent, it further damaged our vitality, and now it is just an empty shell! I don't know where Zuo Mutang's master returned from, but his cultivation has already reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage. He first subdued the Five Great Demon Mountains, and then set his sights on the Tianjiang Plain! To preserve the Nanxuan Sect, Qing'er had to sacrifice herself! Actually, I also..."

Before Zhuge An could finish his words, Zhang Nuo suddenly let out a long howl that soared into the clouds and lingered for a long time above the Nanxuan Sect!

"Besides using your daughter, what else can you do? A dignified seven-foot man, always making a fuss using your daughter!"

Zhang Nuo's angry rebuke made Zhuge An's old face flush red! Suddenly, as if he had gone mad, ignoring what cultivation level Zhang Nuo had, he retorted loudly:

"If I don't do this, what else can I do! Should I watch the Nanxuan Sect passed down by my ancestors be destroyed in my hands? My aptitude is poor, and my cultivation realm cannot be improved; is this my fault? If I had a choice, I would not want to marry my daughter to someone she doesn't like at all! If there were a way, I wouldn't have even agreed to Qing'er associating with you in the first place!"

With this last sentence, Zhuge An had finally spoken the truth that had been buried in his heart for many years! All along, with Nanxuan Laozu sitting in the sect, coupled with Zhuge Qing's super social skills, the Nanxuan Sect had always been in the leading position on the Tianjiang Plain. After Nanxuan Laozu was killed by Zhang Nuo, all of this changed!

Zhang Nuo gave a bitter smile and looked at Zhuge An with a pitiful gaze, saying:

"Do not make these excuses for yourself! Zhuge Qing is not a tool for you to strengthen the Nanxuan Sect! If she had a choice, Zhuge Qing would not have done this. Everything you have instilled in her from childhood to adulthood has been about putting the sect first! Have you ever considered her feelings? Sigh! Forget it, everything is already in the past! I once stayed in the Nanxuan Sect myself, so let me do one last thing for the Nanxuan Sect!"

After speaking, Zhang Nuo flicked his robe sleeve, and a ray of rosy light rolled out from it, wrapping around Bai Xiu beside him before he shot high into the sky, circled slightly, and disappeared in a certain direction!

Zhuge An stood blankly on the spot, unable to recover from Zhang Nuo's words for a long time! Zhang Nuo was right! Ever since Zhuge Qing became sensible, he had been instilling in his daughter how important the sect was, while everything else was ranked second!

Looking in the direction where Zhang Nuo had disappeared, Zhuge An felt a sense of self-reproach in his heart! Perhaps he was not a qualified father! His life was also a failure! Right now, he had no ability to protect the sect, yet he had pushed his daughter to the forefront of the storm!