I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 230: Mutation, Takeaway

letter?
Xie Yuan frowned subconsciously. Where did the letter come from and was placed on his desk?

If a letter is sent by an outsider, you should ask a servant to collect it and pass it on when you return, instead of someone else entering the house and leaving it there.

The servants here would not enter the house without being called, let alone when Xie Yuan was not around.

He had a hunch that something was wrong, so he slowly walked to the desk and checked it first.

The letter looked normal, and nothing else in the house showed any signs of having been tampered with.

Xie Yuan pondered for a moment, picked up the letter, opened it and saw only one sentence in it.

"Be careful when you visit the True Lake."

He raised his eyebrows, subconsciously looked around the room again, and then looked at the letter again.

Be careful?

Xie Yuan fell into deep thought.

There is no doubt that one needs to be careful when exploring ancient ruins, no matter how stable and mature they are.

Especially the dangers of Jianzhen Lake, Qin Zhenyang has made it very clear that it is definitely not a good place to relax and practice at will.

This mysterious letter, placed on his desk, was probably not meant to remind him of this.

So, what should we be careful about?

other people?
The Yao family that controls Jianzhen Lake?

Or is there other unknown dangers in Jianzhen Lake itself?

Xie Yuan frowned slightly, not knowing what was going on.

This person needs to be reminded, but he doesn't explain it clearly. He keeps talking like a riddler...

Could it be Huijue?

Xie Yuan instantly remembered this monk from Prajna Temple who seemed to like playing pranks but was a little mysterious inside.

But it's unlikely. Huijue and I have been acquainted for a long time. Although Huijue's mind is unpredictable, his teasing is not so boring and deliberate.

If they hadn't met yet, it would be okay for him to do this.

So, who sent this letter?

Xie Yuan looked at the ordinary letter paper written in standard regular script and could not make out any features. It was obvious that the sender did not want him to know his identity.

He walked out of the room and called a servant:
"Has anyone entered my room in the past two days?"

"Brother Zhang, no one is here. In order not to disturb the residents' practice and not to intrude on their privacy, we will only enter the room to clean up when the guests call us. We will never enter without your permission."

The servant explained in a fearful manner, as if he was worried that Xie Yuan had lost something.

Xie Yuan nodded, and asked casually:
"Has there been any letter sent to me in the past two days?"

"This... I'll go ask."

After a while, the servant came back and shook his head:
"Brother Zhang, there is no letter from you, and no guests have come to see you."

Xie Yuan nodded slowly:

"Thanks for your hard work."

He thought about it for a moment, picked up the letter and went to find Qin Zhenyang.

"See the trip to the real lake, be careful?"

In Qin Zhenyang's room, the Sword Sect's eldest brother frowned as he looked at this letter that had no beginning or end.

Xie Yuan had no intention of hiding the letter to himself.

This time when we go to the ruins, Qin Zhenyang will be our great supporter.

I don't know who sent it, so I must show it to my teammates first. If I hide it for no reason, wouldn't I be putting myself and my teammates at risk?

"Any clues?"

Qin Zhenyang asked.

Xie Yuan shook his head:
"Just don't know."

"Your two friends... probably wouldn't send such a letter."

Qin Zhenyang denied his guess himself, and then said slowly:

"But the person who sent the letter to remind me is a friend, not an enemy. Maybe this person knows something but is not willing to say it, so I am reminding him."

Xie Yuan nodded and said:
"I also guessed so, so I would like to ask Senior Brother Qin for your reference and advice."

Qin Zhenyang knew that Xie Yuan wanted to share information, and his expression was gentle:

"Junior Brother Zhang, I've made note of this. Since someone has reminded us that this trip might still be full of twists and turns, let's be careful. When the time comes, we'll walk side by side into the lake. Needless to say, once we enter the lake within the lake, we won't change positions, so we'll have someone to look after us inside."

Xie Yuan put the letter away and bowed, saying:
"Yes, Brother Qin."

Since Senior Brother Qin takes it to heart, the danger is greatly reduced.

Qin Zhenyang was one of the top ten masters on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, a true genius who was only a hair’s breadth away from the Grandmaster realm, and Li Xingtuo’s eldest disciple. He was almost the next leader of the Yunshan Sword Sect, and possessed the true teachings of the main peak of the Yunshan Sword Sect. Compared with him, Xie Yuan’s current cultivation level was still far behind him.

Last year, Qin Zhenyang demonstrated his cultivation reaching the limit of the third transformation realm. He has been practicing diligently for a year, with the careful guidance and resource supply from the sect master. Although he has not fought with others, his improvement in strength is imaginable.

Everyone in the Sword Sect was speculating that perhaps the eldest senior brother’s strength could be improved by a few places on the Hidden Dragon List. Who knows when he will be able to break through and become a Grandmaster!

The Yunshan Sword Sect has been in the limelight over the past year and is seen as a potential candidate that has the greatest potential to be among the world's top sects. There are actually two reasons for this.

One is Li Xingtuo, who faced the leader of Cangjian Pavilion, Wei Dong, with great force and fought to a draw, ranking sixth on the Flying Dragon List.

Many aristocratic families and the helmsmen of top sects are ranked below this, such as the Yao family of Jinling. Although it is one of the Eight Great Families, the Yao family, which has been severely damaged, can't even find a master with the strength of the Flying Dragon List - it's not that there are no masters on the list, there are many masters who are not listed but have strength, but the Yao family does not have one on the surface.

However, Li Xingtuo is still young and has a great potential to reach the level of Grand Master.

Any grandmaster can be regarded as a top force on his own, not to mention that the Yunshan Sword Sect is not small in scale.

If Li Xingtuo can go one step further, then the Yunshan Sword Sect of this generation will be a well-deserved top sect.

As for the second one, it was Qin Zhenyang.

Last year, there was a duel between two sects. Not only the battle between the sect leaders was widely publicized, but the battle between the chiefs was also eye-catching.

Although Qin Zhenyang, who was ranked 26th on the Hidden Dragon List at that time, was excellent, he was still a long way from being a true genius in the top ten.

However, after the battle, Qin Zhenyang proved that although his reputation was not big enough, his strength had already squeezed into the top group of the younger generation of strong people. He could also stand at the forefront and was qualified to compete for the title of the strongest under the Grandmaster.

Li Xingtuo was in his prime, and his successor was equally outstanding. In the foreseeable future, Yunshan Sword Sect would have a well-deserved inheritance and a bright future. Therefore, many people had already compared Yunshan Sword Sect with the four sects and eight families, and the enthusiasm of the Yao family before was also evident.

Those who are at the top of the Hidden Dragon List are fully recognized by the world and are the true choice of genius.

Qin Zhenyang is so powerful, if he is protected by himself, this trip will be much safer...

Xie Yuan nodded silently.

In addition to Qin Zhenyang, Zhang Junyi also joined this trip.

This passionate Taoist priest is extremely powerful. I have been teammates with him before and had a great experience. He also has a trump card given by Yuxu Zhenren, who is ranked second on the Tianlong List. I can unite this teammate when the time comes.

After returning to the room, Xie Yuan read the letter again. Several candidates popped into his mind, but he was not sure.

He breathed a sigh of relief. The letter instantly shrouded this trip to the ruins in mystery and danger, but there was no need to give up just like that.

Xie Yuan is also a warrior who dares to face challenges head-on and has made sufficient preparations. If he is easily scared off, his future practice will probably lose its edge.

Besides, the sender didn't say that I couldn't go. If it was really an irresistible danger, he shouldn't have warned me in such a tone.

Ten days passed.

Xie Yuan stayed at home and practiced in seclusion in the Sword Sect's Jinling branch.

Although he had not been in Jinling for long, he had experienced unprecedented fierce battles one after another.

The street fight with Huijue and the night fight with the Grandmaster, these two battles left a very deep impression on Xie Yuan, and the gains were also huge.

Only when there was nothing to do during these ten days could Xie Yuan make a thorough summary of the two battles from beginning to end, picking out the strengths and continuing to develop them, while not making the same mistakes again.

Huijue should be considered as the top-notch cultivator at the second level of Qi and Blood Transformation. No matter his skills, talents or inheritance, he is the best in the world, and his combat power is also the ceiling of this realm.

This was the first time for him to fight against such a master. Previously, he had always relied on the level of his skills to bully others, but this time, it was the other way around. Huijue's cultivation was higher than his, but due to the difference between the Immortal Golden Bell Cover and his ordinary Golden Bell Cover, his cultivation seemed to be one level lower.

Xie Yuan reviewed the battle many times and felt that his performance in this battle was remarkable. Apart from not expecting that his opponent's Shenzutong body skills were almost as good as his own, he used both his strength and tactics properly, which enabled him to achieve the final victory.

Although Xie Yuan suspected that Huijue was hiding something, he did not try his best at the beginning.

"Although the monk is cunning, we still have to learn our lesson and not trust what others show us."

Xie Yuan nodded slowly.

As for the battle between the Grandmasters, it made him realize a lot.

This was his first time to fight a real master face to face. Although Yao Yilong was a veteran master, his strength was not that strong, but the pressure he brought to him was almost unmatched.

Facing an opponent who was far superior to him was like dancing on a tightrope, and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Every time Xie Yuan was hit, he had to rely on the power of the Xiao Huan Dan to recover, otherwise he would have lost his ability to fight.

But the experience of fighting with the grandmaster is also extremely valuable. The experience between life and death has made Xie Yuan realize a lot. There must be no redundancy in the moves. A fine line of difference, a moment of delay, can mean the difference between life and death.

Summarizing the experience of the two battles, Xie Yuan felt that his fighting skills had improved significantly.

Kung Fu is Kung Fu, and cultivation is cultivation. These two are hard strengths. But how to combine them and apply them to actual combat is a test of personal skills, which is something that cannot be reflected in the panel. The same Kung Fu and cultivation, if the combat skills are too different, the battle is likely to be one-sided.

Fortunately, Xie Yuan has attached great importance to actual combat and review since the beginning of his practice. After all, he kept in mind the words of the great master, "Experimentation is the only criterion for testing truth." He fought all the way through the external training stage, and later he also fought and reflected a lot. Although his combat skills are not refined and perfect, they are quite in line with his realm and strength. They are not a shortcoming, and they are often improving.

In addition to his own fights, Xiao Qianlong watched so many matches in two days. Although there might not be many heroes whose strength could match his, he still gained a lot from watching the kung fu of different schools and sects. At least it broadened his horizons and gained more experience.

So after these ten days, Xie Yuan, who had summarized all the battles in Jinling and gained a thorough understanding of them, did not improve his cultivation much, but his strength was different.

"There's no other movement."

Xie Yuan looked at the garden view outside the window and thought silently.

During these ten days, he was still wondering whether there would be a second letter or a mysterious person appearing. However, apart from the mysterious first letter, nothing else happened afterwards, and he even suspected that the letter was just a prank by someone.

"Junior Brother Zhang, it's time to go out."

Qin Zhenyang's voice came from outside the door.

Xie Yuan had already packed up, and he opened the door and went out, bowing to Qin Zhenyang:
"Brother Qin, good morning."

Qin Zhenyang looked at Xie Yuan, who had a reserved look and calm eyes, and was stunned for a moment before nodding slightly:

"It seems that Junior Brother has made some gains recently."

"How can we meet so many young heroes at the Little Hidden Dragon Festival and not gain anything?"

Xie Yuan smiled.

Qin Zhenyang felt a little emotional. This junior brother of his was improving so fast. He could feel that his temperament was slightly different from what it was ten days ago.

It's like he has seen a high mountain and then climbed it himself. Now any ordinary hill can't stop him.

A calm and restrained self-confidence, in layman's terms, is called the demeanor of a master.

Being able to fight against a master and defeat him, no matter what the conditions are, he is indeed a master by any standard.

When you think about it, his progress is much faster than mine back then.

If this goes on, won’t I be caught up by him one day?

Well, it shouldn’t happen in a short period of time. There is still a big gap between the cultivation levels of the two of them.

But what will happen in the future... who can know everything?

Qin Zhenyang was a little absent-minded when he and Xie Yuan left the Sword Sect's villa, followed the servant of the Yao family who came to lead the way out of Jinling Mansion, and met with others outside the East City Gate.

There are two rows of big trees on the side of the road, and the leaves have turned slightly yellow, and the whole road is filled with autumn.

A group of young talents have gathered at the long pavilion beside the road.

Xie Yuan glanced over, feeling a little stern.

So many Qi and blood three transformations...

The young talents gathered together, all of them had a certain degree of competition, and their aura was not restrained at all, allowing Xie Yuan to see at a glance the level of the blood and energy steaming in the pavilion.

It is rare to see so many people at the third level of Qi and Blood gathered together, and it is also the first time that I feel that the cultivation level of the second level of Qi and Blood is a bit low.

The person he was talking about was Zhang Junyi who was standing there.

However, although he was one of the few warriors in the second transformation realm and did not participate in the secret fight among the young people, no one dared to look down on him just standing there.

Just based on his status as a true disciple of Xuanzhen Sect, plus the fact that he won eight consecutive victories at the Xiaoqianlong Conference, and also because he was a member of the three-man team that beat Yao Yilong away...

Even though their cultivation level is one level lower than theirs, these young masters from various sects and clans dare not underestimate them in the slightest.

Xie Yuan and Qin Zhenyang joined the Jianzhen Lake sightseeing group of about ten people. Qin Zhenyang greeted everyone on his behalf, calmly and properly, showing the demeanor of a chief of a major sect.

Half a while later, everyone arrived one after another. Including Xie Yuan himself, there were thirteen people in total.

Except for Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi, who obtained the quota originally belonging to the Yao family through the Xiao Qianlong Society, the rest belonged to various major sects and families. They were allocated with other families based on their own strength, and then exchanged for the quota from the Yao family.

"This young master of the Wang family of Langya is extremely powerful. I suspect he is no less powerful than Senior Brother Qin. He just glanced at me vaguely, and I don't know whether it was intentional or not."

After all, Chunyu Tower's ranking list is not omnipotent. Some people may not have a prominent record even though they do not take action, but their strength is not necessarily weak.

"The nun of Mingxin Temple who is at the third level of transformation...hiss, does Mingxin Temple require that all nuns be beautiful? But what's the point of being beautiful after becoming a nun?

“The Qian family is in the third transformation realm, so young, no weaker than Mr. Qian.

"The big scholar from Quning Academy, whose muscles cannot be defeated without the third level of transformation... They should all be famous figures on the Hidden Dragon List, right? They are probably here to seek the opportunity to break through to the Grandmaster level."

These thirteen people are all core disciples and geniuses of various sects. If they did not have the potential to become grandmasters, they would not have spent a huge amount of money to buy the places to come here.

Led by Yao Qinglai, a group of thirteen people rode their horses to Zijin Mountain east of Jinling Prefecture.

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the purple mountain was covered with red leaves, like a blazing fire in autumn. Just one look at it and you would be infected and feel your mood getting agitated.

"What a nice view."

Someone sighed.

Several others agreed.

No one was wary of this trip, they just went there to enjoy the scenery in autumn.

It has been more than ten years since the Yao family shared Jianzhen Lake. This plan has been operating very maturely and has never gone wrong over the years. These major inheritances have either been here before like Qin Zhenyang, or they understand it very well and have no worries.

Although Yao Qinglai is the foreign affairs elder of the Yao family, he is very familiar with these rising stars who are not inferior to him in cultivation - no, those who have reached the third transformation realm are already masters who can dominate a region.

But for these young talents, they still have a bright future. Although they have already achieved a high level of cultivation, they can still be called rising stars.

Yao Qinglai was very polite to them all, and waited with a smile for them to enjoy the scenery at will. As if strolling in the mountains, they slowly went deeper into Zijin Mountain, and saw the tranquil lake in a valley surrounded by mountains.

The red and yellow hillsides on all sides are like a pearl inlaid. A thin mist floats on the pearl, and the breeze blows, ripples gently, hazy, like a painting by God.

Everyone stood quietly on the top of the mountain for a while, looking down at the legendary Jianzhen Lake.

According to legend, an ancestor of the Yao family caught a glimpse of his true self in the Jianzhen Lake. Not only did he break through directly from the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm to the Grandmaster Realm of the Heaven and Earth Twin Bridges, but in just a few years he was unstoppable and reached the realm of Grandmaster, dominating the world and looking down on all the heroes.

This is a place that is not inferior to Yunshan Jianfeng.

Xie Yuan nodded slightly, and vaguely noticed that there seemed to be quite a number of Yao family guards lurking in the seemingly peaceful mountains around him.

There is no need to think about this place, it must be the forbidden area of ​​the Yao family. Xie Yuan felt that it was not difficult to sneak into the Yao family's ancestral house, and it would be more difficult to enter here.

Yao Qinglai led everyone down the mountain and walked to the lake. Some people were already waiting there and had prepared thirteen small boats.

"Everyone, wait for me to distribute the protective jade pendants. Hold the jade pendants and jump directly into the lake, and you will enter the Jianzhen Lake Ruins. When you want to return to the world, you only need to touch the jade pendants with your mind, and it will take effect."

Yao Qinglai gave a brief explanation, then took out thirteen jade pendants and distributed them to each individual.

Xie Yuan also took a piece and looked down.

This round jade pendant feels smooth to the touch, has no impurities, and appears to be made of top-quality jade.

If you feel it with your heart, there seems to be some spiritual meaning in it, which may be the key to return.

He put the jade pendant in his pocket and listened to Yao Qinglai say:
"Each of you pick a small boat and sail to the Jianzhen Lake. Just tell the boatman where you want to go. Once you are ten feet away from the shore, jump into the lake when you are ready, and you will enter the ruins. I will not elaborate on the dangers after entering. You are all sensible geniuses, so you should know the importance of the matter. If you are not happy, please return immediately.

"Everyone, this season's Jianzhen Lake Ruins is now open. I hope everyone will gain something and return with a full load."

After Yao Qing finished speaking, the young talents excitedly jumped onto the boats and rushed into the lake.

Xie Yuan and Qin Zhenyang looked at each other, and Qin Zhenyang asked Yao Qinglai in a deep voice:
"Elder Yao, my junior brother and I would like to travel together on the same boat. Is that ok?"

Yao Qinglai was stunned for a moment, glanced at the two of them, and said casually:
"You two can do as you please."

Xie Yuan silently boarded the same boat with Qin Zhenyang.

In fact, Yao Qinglai was just looking for an excuse to stop them. They could still get closer and enter the lake with their own boats, so it wouldn't make any difference.

However, after testing it this way, it seems that Yao Qinglai did not show anything unusual.

The two of them boarded the boat calmly and asked the boatman to row the boat forward. Their target...

"Well, please, sir, follow the Taoist priest's boat."

Xie Yuan coughed lightly and prepared to follow Zhang Junyi.

"okay."

Thump, thump...

Before they were far from the shore, some people could not help but jump into the water. Xie Yuan stared at them with his eyes slightly narrowed.

At that time, the sun was shining brightly, the lake water was clear, about two or three feet deep, and the bottom was almost visible.

Those who jumped into the lake looked normal at first, with their figures somewhat distorted by the ripples of the water. But after a moment, their figures became fainter and fainter, and became increasingly unclear. When the ripples subsided, their figures also disappeared.

It was as if it was swallowed by the lake.

Xie Yuan shook his head, throwing away this inexplicable association. Now Jianzhen Lake nominally belongs to the Yao family, and is managed by the Yao family. Other families who want to enter must pay a fee to the Yao family.

But in fact, the Yao family no longer had the final say in the allocation of quotas. In addition to taking care of them and giving them two reserved quotas, the rest were negotiated by each family, and then they symbolically purchased tickets.

The ticket fee is certainly not cheap, but it is worth it relative to the number of places; and the Yao family also gave up the hot potato in a clever way and was able to recover considerable resources, which can be regarded as the political wisdom of the wealthy and powerful family.

But Jianzhen Lake was given up after all. Even if the Yao family really regained its strength in the future, it would probably be impossible to take it back unless they could dominate the world.

Therefore, although the Yao family still nominally controls Jianzhen Lake, their strength is there and they are more like a custodian.

They have neither the strength nor the motivation, and they dare not harm the descendants of other major sects who come here.

If Jianzhen Lake swallowed up all the thirteen people today, the major sects would naturally lose one or two outstanding successors, and the Yao family would probably be jointly held accountable and suffer a devastating disaster.

Xie Yuan looked at the slight ripples on the lake, raised his head and looked at Zhang Junyi who had stopped in front of him, and bowed and said:

"Master Zhang, the lake is so beautiful, why don't we go for a tour together?"

Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment, looking at Xie Yuan who took the initiative to greet him and Qin Zhenyang next to him, and said lightly:

"random."

He didn't know about Xie Yuan's identity, which made Xie Yuan secretly happy.

Didn't you want to ask me to be your teacher a few days ago to learn the skill of sweeping away thousands of troops? I almost became the same generation as Yuxu Zhenren.

Now it's so cold.

But it doesn't matter. Xie Yuan is not in a hurry to reveal his identity. Zhang Junyi is a chivalrous man. If anything strange happens down there, he will be able to help.

"Brother Qin, shall we get in the water?"

Xie Yuan looked at Qin Zhenyang beside him.

Qin Zhenyang stared at the lake and nodded:
"Any time."

Seeing Zhang Junyi preparing to jump off the boat not far away, Xie Yuan touched the jade pendant in his chest and took a deep breath:

"Then here."

After saying that, he and Qin Zhenyang stood at the edge of the boat and took a step forward at the same time.

thump.

Perfect tandem board with lots of splash…

Xie Yuan's mind was a little distracted.

Into the lake.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet, as if the world was isolated, with only the gurgling sound of bubbles.

The moment you enter the water while swimming, you often feel like you have entered another world.

And Xie Yuan's feeling now is even more obvious.

He raised his head slightly, and saw a bright light above the rippling waves. The skylight seemed to be in a very distant place, gradually moving away from him.

The waves and bubbles around him made his vision unclear. Qin Zhenyang was right next to him, and his shadow was distorted by the water ripples, making him look very unreal.

The jade pendant on his chest felt slightly warm, and Xie Yuan felt as if he was enveloped by some strange power, which gradually spread with the waves.

Then disappeared.

Xie Yuan suddenly opened his eyes and felt that it was a little dark around him.

I seemed to be at the bottom of a very deep lake, where the sunlight could hardly reach.

Looking up, there was only a little light in the sky, but with the eyesight of a warrior, he could still see things.

The water around me was a little heavy, and it seemed a little strange... It didn't get my clothes wet, and I could breathe? Didn't that mean I could talk?

Xie Yuan opened his mouth, spit out a string of bubbles, and then made a sound:
"Senior Brother Qin..."

He looked to the side and was about to ask how to explore here, then stopped.

There was no one around.

Xie Yuan looked around and turned around in an instant, but the surroundings were extremely dark. There was nothing except a little light above his head.

There were no people, no fish, no aquatic plants, nothing except myself and the lake water.

Xie Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Senior Brother Qin said that if we come down here, our position won’t change…

He tried swimming around. There were no restrictions on his movements, but he couldn't see anyone else around.

"This mysterious water puts a lot of pressure on me, but I can hold on. If I practice in it, I can really get twice the result with half the effort."

Xie Yuan pondered.

However, I don’t have a clear idea of ​​the current situation, so it is naturally impossible for me to start practicing at will.

He looked up again.

The sky feels so high. I don’t know how far this place is from the lake surface. I don’t know how deep the real lake is.

Jianzhen Lake is not a very deep lake. The depth of this lake within a lake is obviously far greater than that of the current Jianzhen Lake.

Xie Yuan then looked down again, and saw pure darkness beneath his feet without a trace of light, and it was deep and gloomy, like the deepest abyss.

After taking two glances, he felt as if he was falling endlessly. He suddenly started and raised his head, not daring to look again.

This place is indeed a bit spooky.

Xie Yuan frowned. What should he do next?

If you don't know that there might be danger here, just do as explained before. Don't think too much and don't try to be brave. Just sink appropriately in the lake and find the pressure and depth that's right for you. With daily practice, you'll have the opportunity to glimpse your true self.

But now he has been reminded by the mysterious person, and there has indeed been a change here, which is different from what Senior Brother Qin said before. It is impossible for Xie Yuan to practice by covering his ears and stealing the bell.

He subconsciously reached for his chest, then paused again.

The jade pendant is gone.

Xie Yuan's eyes narrowed and he looked around, but he didn't see the jade pendant.

This secret bag is intact. I was very careful when I went into the water, so it is impossible to lose it.

Were you cheated?

Xie Yuan recalled the scene when Yao Qinglai distributed the jade pendants, but did not notice anything wrong.

However, if they really wanted to target me, he wouldn't be able to see through this little trick easily.

It is very likely that this sudden change is due to the hidden secret of the jade pendant.

But why? Was his identity exposed? Or was it because of something else?

What is the purpose of the Yao family doing this, trapping themselves here completely?
Xie Yuan was analyzing calmly when he suddenly felt a disturbance nearby and looked up.

The water was surging nearby, and a young man in a Taoist robe swam over. When he saw Xie Yuan, he smiled:
"Finally I see someone! So it's you here."

When Xie Yuan saw Zhang Junyi, he also had the same thought: "I finally saw someone."

The lake is so quiet and there is a deep abyss at the bottom. It would be really scary if you couldn't see anyone.

"Master Zhang, what a coincidence! This place is a little strange. I thought I wouldn't run into anyone else."

Xie Yuan walked up to him and smiled.

Zhang Junyi laughed heartily and said:
"Thank you, Brother Dao. It is our destiny to fight side by side. Even here, we can always meet each other."

Xie Yuan suddenly stopped and looked at Zhang Junyi in front of him, his smile gradually faded.

"Master Zhang, what did you call me?"

"Xie Daoxiong, what's wrong?"

Zhang Junyi said with a puzzled look on his face.

Xie Yuan looked seriously at the young Taoist priest who had no flaws on his face, and said slowly:
"You are not Zhang Junyi."

Zhang Junyi's body suddenly froze, and he looked at Xie Yuan with a strange smile, then he turned into a ball of bubbles and dissipated.

Xie Yuan's eyes blurred and he seemed to be back to where he was just now.

His eyes flashed and he murmured:
"Is it a hallucination..."

Xie Yuan experienced for the first time the power of the illusion of Jianzhen Lake.

There was absolutely no flaw in Zhang Junyi's aura or appearance just now, he looked just like a real person.

If he hadn't revealed his identity as soon as he opened his mouth, Xie Yuan would never have thought it was an illusion.

But I have just come in and haven’t started practicing yet, so how could I encounter illusions?

Xie Yuan became more cautious, feeling that this place was weird everywhere.

Let's go upstream first...

Just as Xie Yuan was about to take action, ripples suddenly appeared nearby and a figure in a Taoist robe came over.

The Taoist priest smiled when he saw Xie Yuan:
"Finally I see someone! So it's you here."

Xie Yuan looked sternly as he watched Zhang Junyi approach quietly.

"I don't see anyone in this damn place. I feel a little nervous... Your name is Zhang Shan, right?"

Zhang Junyi approached and said.

Xie Yuan suddenly raised his hand:

"stop!"

Zhang Junyi stopped when he heard the voice and said in surprise:

"Brother Zhang, what's going on? Didn't you just ask us to explore together?"

Xie Yuan said in a deep voice:
"Master, what did you call me?"

"Brother Zhang, what's wrong?"

Zhang Junyi said with a puzzled look on his face.

Xie Yuan felt that all this was familiar, and became more alert, slowly probing:

"Oh... Then what about our previous battles together..."

Zhang Junyi was confused:
"We? Fight side by side? Will Xiao Qianlong do that? We are not in the same group..."

Xie Yuan frowned and suddenly said:

"You are not Zhang Junyi!"

Zhang Jun was startled and frowned:
"I am Zhang Junyi, no doubt about it. Brother Zhang, are you... experiencing an illusion?"

After hearing this, Xie Yuan saw that the figure did not disappear and there were no flaws in the conversation, so he felt that this seemed to be a real person.

But he still didn't dare to believe it completely, and just said cautiously:

"Yes, I was separated from my senior brother, and I just encountered your illusion, Brother Zhang, and was almost deceived."

"See me?"

Zhang Junyi had a strange expression on his face, then he smiled shyly:
"It seems that Brother Zhang still remembers my performance at the Little Hidden Dragon Conference. Haha, thank you for the compliment! I didn't even use my full strength, so I just sprinkled some water."

"..."

Xie Yuan suddenly felt that this guy was most likely genuine.

Zhang Junyi laughed triumphantly for a while, then restrained his expression and said slightly seriously:
“Brother Zhang, are you looking down at the bottom of the lake… Don’t look!”

Hearing Zhang Junyi's question, Xie Yuan subconsciously wanted to look down, just like when he heard the words "Don't think about an elephant in your mind", his first reaction was to think of an elephant.

Fortunately, he stopped in time and frowned:
"Master, you mean this illusion..."

“It came from the bottom of the lake.”

Zhang Junyi said in a deep voice:
"I experienced this at the beginning. But the Taoism I practiced was able to see through the illusions, so I was not disturbed by them, and was not deceived by them.

"But the wonder of this lake must be underneath. The source of the illusion is also there. As long as you don't stare at it, it should be fine for a while."

Xie Yuan nodded slowly, looked at Zhang Junyi, and suddenly asked:
"How do you prove that you are not an illusion?"

Zhang Junyi smiled, drew out his peach wood sword and slashed forward.

A clear water dragon roared out, blasting past ten feet in front of him, and rolling up bubbles in the surrounding lake water.

He drew his sword and swung it in a cool way, then put it back:
"Illusions can't do that."

Xie Yuan felt the real power of Xuanzhen Sect's skills and nodded slightly.

Although a more advanced illusion could also make the technique look real, there was still a possibility that he had entered an illusion without knowing when, but it was really unlikely. If that was the case, then he couldn't stay here any longer.

This Zhang Junyi didn't look like an act, so Xie Yuan believed it 90% and asked:
"Do you need me to prove myself?"

"No need, I can tell the truth from the false."

Zhang Junyi said proudly and quietly put his hands behind his back.

Xie Yuan nodded and frowned:
"Master Zhang, you are a true disciple of Xuanzhen Sect, a top-notch and upright sect in the world. I believe you. My senior brother told me before that after coming down, everyone's position should remain unchanged, so my senior brother and I went into the lake in the lake together. But after coming down... I couldn't find him."

Zhang Junyi frowned:

"I've heard of this before, how could it be so? But... our positions don't seem to have changed? No, it doesn't seem to be in this direction just now..."

Seeing that Zhang Junyi didn't know the answer, Xie Yuan hesitated for a moment and asked:

"Master Zhang, is your jade pendant still there?"

When Zhang Jun heard him ask this, he was stunned for a moment, felt it and touched it, then he breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"Fortunately, it's still there. Hey, Brother Zhang, your jade pendant..."

Xie Yuan shook his head:

"Gone."

"This……"

Zhang Junyi's pupils shrank.

The Yao family never told us how to go back if there is no jade pendant here!

He touched the jade pendant, felt it, and shook his head:
"This thing can only be used by one person, and it cannot be shared."

Xie Yuan thanked:
"Thank you for your kindness, Taoist Zhang. It's really not that simple here."

Zhang Junyi sighed:

"Brother Dao, did you lose it accidentally?"

"No, I was very careful from the beginning. I didn't lose the jade pendant myself."

Xie Yuan shook his head in response.

"It's not you who lost it..."

Zhang Junyi frowned slowly:

"The Yao family is targeting you? Why? Is it because you stole Yao Tianchuan's spot?"

"maybe."

Xie Yuan didn't know why.

Zhang Junyi was indignant:

"Humph, this Yao family is really ugly. When I get out, I will definitely settle accounts with them! Don't worry, Brother Zhang, I will help you get out!"

Seeing Zhang Junyi being so chivalrous, Xie Yuan sighed, even though he was not at the end of his rope yet, and the two of them were already friends, but as Zhang Shan, he was not familiar with Zhang Junyi at all, but he was still willing to help him.
"Master Zhang is truly a heroic hero of our time!"

When Zhang Junyi heard this, he suddenly felt all three thousand six hundred pores open up, and his whole body felt relaxed. He wished he could give his jade pendant directly to the guy in front of him who was talking.

"No, no... Hehe."

Zhang Junyi scratched his head and laughed for a while, then returned to the topic:
"Brother Zhang, if you want to find a way out, I'm afraid... you'll have to look further down."

"Is it not feasible?"

"I just tried to go up, but the light seems to be always at the edge of the sky and can never reach the water surface. I think if there is an exit here, it must be at the core of the lake bottom."

Zhang Junyi said in a deep voice.

Xie Yuan nodded slowly, agreeing with his analysis.

But according to what he said, the illusion came from the bottom of the lake, and the source of the strangeness of the entire Jianzhen Lake might be at the bottom of the lake. The closer you get, the more dangerous it is.

Do you want to dive right in?

Xie Yuan was thinking when he suddenly felt a wave coming from the lake in the distance.

He and Zhang Junyi turned their heads at the same time and saw a water dragon rushing towards them rapidly.

A man stood on the faucet, with an arrogant and majestic look on his face, holding a faint blue bead in his hand. He saw Xie Yuan at a glance and laughed arrogantly from afar:

"Hahaha, I found you!
"Qin Zhenyang has been taken away, and there is no one to protect you. You must be... Zhang Junyi today?"

Xie Yuan silently moved his body, and the man then saw Zhang Junyi behind him, his face full of doubt and confusion:
"Impossible! How did you manage to touch this?"

Zhang Junyi showed his head and looked at the beads in the man's hand, his eyes flashed:
"Fixing Water Beads?"

Xie Yuan slowly grinned and said:
"And the jade pendant... this is the takeaway that's coming to your door."

(End of this chapter)