Chapter 63: The Yangsheng Gate Actually Ran Away!

"Could something have gone wrong?"

Yan Yongshou stared fixedly at the mountain, his expression growing increasingly grim as he felt the continuous fluctuations of spiritual energy.

He could not fathom how a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could possibly be present here. When he first arrived, he had already scanned the surrounding area with his divine sense, confirming that no Nascent Soul cultivator was nearby.

Had it not been for this assurance, he would never have allowed Dai Xiao and the others to attack the White Sword Sect with such peace of mind.

As those bursts of commotion died down, Yan Yongshou felt a sudden, profound sense of unease gripping his heart.

He cast a deep glance at the bowl of oil-spiced noodles on the table and finally decided to go investigate personally.

Just as he was about to step out the door, he saw Dai Xiao and a group of disheveled disciples fleeing toward him from a distance.

To his shock, many of them were missing arms or legs, and over twenty people were outright unaccounted for!

"Ancestor! Save us!"

Spotting Yan Yongshou, Dai Xiao ran over with a look of utter terror on his face. "We lost so many people!"

Though he himself was completely unharmed, he had to put on an extremely pathetic act; he had no intention of shouldering this blame alone.

"Enough. With this old master here, you will be safe!"

Yan Yongshou glanced at the local villagers cautiously looking over from afar, let out a cold snort, and said, "Come inside and speak!"

Remaining out in the open would only invite humiliation. If word of this reached rival sects, it would become an absolute laughingstock!

After ushering everyone indoors, Yan Yongshou pulled Dai Xiao into a private room.

The moment he stepped inside, Dai Xiao noticed the bowl of oil-spiced noodles on the table. He cast a suspicious glance at it before turning his gaze back to Yan Yongshou.

"This was sent over by a farming woman from next door. It wouldn't do to simply refuse her!"

Startled, Yan Yongshou quickly fabricated an excuse, then immediately pressed on, "Tell me, what on earth happened?"

Only then did Dai Xiao refocus, speaking with a crying lilt in his voice, "The White Sword Sect is utterly insidious! Not only do they possess numerous magical treasures capable of easily contending with Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they also have some kind of artifact that can unleash the power of the Nascent Soul or even the Soul Formation stage!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Yan Yongshou's expression grew somewhat grave. "I sensed it as well, but it should only be at the Nascent Soul level. Even if such a treasure truly exists, they shouldn't possess the capability to use it!"

The more powerful a magical treasure, the higher the cultivation level required to wield it. Take Dai Xiao, for instance—even if Yan Yongshou were to hand him a treasure capable of unleashing a full-force strike of a Nascent Soul expert, Dai Xiao still wouldn't have the capacity to operate it.

Even if forced to drive it, he could at most manage a single strike through the artifact.

Yet, he had distinctly felt those spiritual energy fluctuations erupt from the mountain multiple times.

"This disciple doesn't understand either, but based on my perception, that person is merely at the early stage of Core Formation. Perhaps it's some kind of special artifact!"

Witnessing Dai Xiao's vehement assurance, Yan Yongshou could not help feeling a surge of joy in his heart.

If such a special artifact could unleash such terrifying might in the hands of a mere Core Formation cultivator, wouldn't it allow him to leap across cultivation realms and slaughter enemies with ease if it fell into his own hands?

Even if he himself couldn't use it, handing it down to the disciples below would be an exceptional choice, granting their sect yet another artifact comparable to a Nascent Soul entity.

Stroke his beard, Yan Yongshou looked at Dai Xiao and said, "It seems this matter cannot be blamed on you, then. Very well, I shall go up and take a look myself!"

If the artifact truly proved that useful, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon for the Sun Birth Sect.

Even if many Foundation Establishment disciples had perished, it would still be a worthwhile trade—one could even say a massive profit.

No matter how many Foundation Establishment cultivators were lost, none of them could compare to an artifact capable of granting a Core Formation practitioner the strength of a Nascent Soul expert!

Though a certain amount of risk was involved, in the path of immortal cultivation, immense wealth and fortune were always sought amidst danger!

Hearing this, Dai Xiao hurriedly dropped to one knee. "Ancestor, please exercise caution! That brat is extremely bizarre, and the methods he deployed were truly at the Nascent Soul level. If you, Ancestor, were to sustain any injuries, this disciple would not dare to live on alone!"

Yan Yongshou naturally saw through the real motive behind Dai Xiao's dramatic plea.

Yet, there was truth to his words; if anything were to happen to him, the Sun Birth Sect would be completely finished, relying solely on that useless sect master.

"Fine, fine. Since that is the case, this old master will just have to make little Zhao hurry over from the Joyful Blossom Sect!"

In the end, Yan Yongshou had no choice but to make this reluctant decision.

At this stage, although his blood still ran hot, every single action he took had to be weighed in the interest of the sect.

Otherwise, he would have left the sect long ago to wander the world as an unfettered cloud.

"The Ancestor is wise!"

Only then did Dai Xiao put down the heavy stone weighing on his heart.

While the probability of the ancestor succeeding in a personal attack was quite high, he couldn't help worrying that if Liang Chuan still held hidden trump cards, he himself would truly become a sinner against the sect.

Besides, given that the enemy possessed such a formidable artifact, summoning the sect master over was entirely reasonable.

Having reached a decision, the group had no choice but to evacuate Nanyang City first.

Meanwhile, high atop the White Sword Sect!

Liang Chuan sat at his desk with a deeply worried expression. At present, only a single mortar shell remained, and bullets were pitifully scarce. If the enemy truly brought a Nascent Soul expert up the mountain, then the sect...

Powerful though the mortar was, to a Nascent Soul cultivator, a mere single shell posed no significant threat at all.

"Peng Shan!"

After deep deliberation, Liang Chuan called Peng Shan, who was waiting outside, into the room.

"Sect Master!"

Peng Shan stepped inside and cupped his fists.

Liang Chuan took a deep breath. "Order the disciples to pack up their belongings right away. Once our scouts return with intelligence from the foot of the mountain, we will prepare to evacuate!"

Though deeply unwilling, he had run out of options.

The reason he hadn't left earlier was because he still had means to counter the enemy, but now, all those means had been exhausted—and they hadn't even managed to eliminate the enemy's Core Formation cultivator.

Leaving was the only viable path left; staying here to fight to the bitter end was a dead end.

"Sect Master, are we really abandoning the White Sword Sect?"

Hearing this, Peng Shan turned pale with shock. He had never expected the Sect Master to ultimately make such a decision.

"More often than not, circumstances leave us no choice. When it's time to go, we go," Liang Chuan sighed, shaking his head.

Fortunately, their possessions weren't bulky. Aside from the sect's physical grounds, virtually everything else could be packed away and carried along.

With so many disciples still alive, if worse came to worst, they could simply rebuild from scratch!

Helpless, Peng Shan could only faithfully pass the order down.

When the disciples learned of the news, their morale plummeted instantly. They had thought they possessed the means to deal with the Sun Birth Sect, only to find out they still had to flee.

Yet, they also understood this was a measure of last resort; remaining here would undoubtedly spell certain death for them all.

Just at that moment, a figure darted rapidly into the sect grounds.

It was Huang He, the disciple who had been sent out to gather intelligence.

"Sect Master! Those bastards from the Sun Birth Sect have all run away!"

As this news echoed through the air, the entire White Sword Sect erupted in sudden astonishment!

None of them had ever imagined that the Sun Birth Sect would actually pack up and flee!