Chapter 471: Xu Jinchao and Ye Jinchao! The Marvel of the Sacred Seed

Cicadas chirped, birds sang, leaves fell, and flowers fragranced the air.

Before the ancestral hall of Xu Zu, the last leaf on the bare tree slowly withered.

Zhang Fan slowly opened his eyes; what had just happened felt like a dream.

Xu Jiuliuy lay before him, clutching the Xu Zu Sword in his arms.

At this moment, the sword had returned to its original state—rust-covered, its edge chipped and warped, resembling nothing but scrap iron.

As for the Pure Yang Sword, it had vanished entirely; gazing upward, only boundless sky and drifting white clouds remained.

“The Corpse-Cutting Sword…”

Zhang Fan was dazed; his hand instinctively reached into his pocket and touched the small black iron shard, no larger than half a palm—a warm, soothing sensation radiated from it, as if bound by blood and kinship.

He had never imagined that this black iron shard, which he had played with for so long, was in fact a fragment of the legendary [Corpse-Cutting Sword]—the very clue he had sought all along, now resting in his hand.

“The sword… where’s the sword?”

At that moment, a soft cry rang out.

Everyone seemed to awaken from a dream, gazing around in confusion, their eyes searching for something.

“The Pure Yang Sword… the Pure Yang Sword is gone…”

“Was that… just a dream?”

“You… look over there…”

While everyone was dazed, a startled scream echoed—far off, the Sword-Enshrining Tower had been reduced to ruins, and a massive crater now yawned where it stood, the surrounding terrain utterly unrecognizable.

“The Xu family’s heavens have changed.”

Xu Chengtian gazed at Xu Jiuliuy, still unconscious, clutching the Xu Zu Sword, and felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Even though he refused to admit it, the head of the Xu family’s second branch could no longer ignore reality.

At this moment, the heavens of the Xu family had already shifted.

Even if the first and second branches joined forces, nothing could be changed.

The third branch alone possessed two Great Masters, not to mention that Xu Xuanguan was no ordinary Great Master—he alone could likely subdue both him and Xu Jinchao.

Most crucially, the Xu Zu Sword had recognized Xu Jiuliuy.

This young boy of the third branch possessed immense potential; perhaps one day, he would truly bear the Xu Zu Sword and revive the glory of Xu Zu.

This meant holding the future, the lifeline, of the Xu family.

For the sake of the greater good and the clan’s survival, all personal emotions, grudges, and interests must be set aside.

Whoever it may be—even Xu Chengtian himself—or…

“Brother, let it go.”

Xu Chengtian looked at Xu Jinchao, his expression complex, and finally urged him.

The Xu family cannot, and must not, follow the path of the Longhu Zhang family—internal strife only drains their own strength.

This is absolutely unacceptable; before the grand picture, everyone must compromise—including Xu Jinchao, the clan leader.

“What if I don’t let it go?” Xu Jinchao sighed.

His gaze drifted, fixed on the still-unconscious Xu Jiuliuy.

At this moment, the Xu family’s patriarch was no longer focused on Xu Xuanxiao or Xu Xuanguan—he looked instead at this once-inconspicuous junior.

“Pure Yang… how many seekers of immortality have sought it through the ages, and how many ever attained it? Our path has ended; the Xu Zu’s lineage must be passed on. Perhaps this, too, is longevity. Perhaps this, too, is eternity.” Xu Jinchao murmured softly.

At that moment, he seemed to have aged decades; the merciless passage of time had finally etched itself upon this Great Master.

“The torch passes from hand to hand, unceasingly—perhaps the Xu Zu’s lineage will flourish through him.”

With a sigh, Xu Jinchao slowly withdrew his gaze from Xu Jiuliuy.

“If anyone reveals even a word of today’s events, they are no longer a disciple of the Xu family—expelled from the clan, their Nascent Soul destroyed.”

Suddenly, Xu Jinchao’s voice rang out again, carrying a tone of authority.

Everyone trembled inwardly but dared not defy him; they quickly bowed and replied, “We humbly obey the clan leader’s decree.”

“Also, from today onward, I am no longer the Xu family’s clan leader.”

At these words, a murmur erupted; all faces turned pale.

Especially Xu Changshou, standing among the crowd, was utterly stunned—he had merely returned to pay respects to his ancestors and rejoin the clan; how had it come to this?

“What now?”

Xu Jinchao turned to face Xu Xuanguan.

As the strongest here and the victor, he held the right to decide whether this matter ended.

“I entrust the Xu family to you…”

“If I had intended to stay, I would never have left the Xu family back then.”

Xu Xuanguan shook his head; at his level, achievements, fame, fortune, clan ties—even the Xu Zu’s lineage—meant nothing to him anymore.

“You take it.”

Saying this, Xu Xuanguan turned to Xu Xuanxiao, who opened his mouth but said nothing, his expression complicated.

The two brothers had not seen each other in sixty years; now that Xu Xuanguan had returned, he still refused to call him “elder brother.”

Xu Xuanxiao sighed inwardly but said nothing more.

He knew that Xu Xuanguan had suffered greatly in his youth.

Born into the Pure Yang Xu family, Xu Xuanguan’s childhood temperament had been wildly unorthodox, reclusive, and strange; few in the clan wished to draw near him.

As the elder brother, Xu Xuanxiao had been extremely strict with him—perhaps too harsh—and thus the rift between them was born.

In truth, with a temperament like Xu Xuanguan’s, only the monsters of the Coffin-Bearing Society could possibly reach his heart.

After all, those monsters were not normal people either.

Birds of a feather flock together.

The Xu family was never suited for him.

“Let it be.”

Xu Xuanguan said casually, then turned to Xu Jinchao: “Let’s talk—I have questions for you.”

At these words, everyone’s expressions turned strange.

Aside from Xu family matters, Xu Xuanguan and Xu Jinchao had no personal connection, barely even crossed paths.

Someone like him had few friends in the Xu family.

“Alright,” Xu Jinchao nodded. “Follow me.”

He turned and walked away.

“Brother Guan…”

At that moment, a soft call came from the side.

Xu Jinshi stepped forward, his narrowed eyes revealing a knowing glint, fixed intently on Xu Xuanguan.

Xu Xuanguan glanced at him and offered a rare smile.