203: Chapter 203 News of Survival

Of course, there was another important reason, one that Dongfang Shuo had cautioned him about previously: even if he possessed the ability to contend with the Four Great Sects, he should try his best not to fall out with them.

Because the overall strength of Xiyue Prefecture was already very weak, and the Four Great Sects were the strongest force in Xiyue Prefecture. If Xiao Yuchen were to completely fall out with Fire Cloud Valley and fight until both sides were injured, it would only greatly weaken the strength of Xiyue Prefecture.

"Little brother, we cannot just leave because of a single word from you. If we did, we would be unable to answer to the Valley Master, and we would be failing the two deceased Elders."

"Then what else is there to say? Just attack."

A sword suddenly appeared in Xiao Yuchen's hand; it was the Low Grade Immortal Artifact he had snatched from the two Elders earlier.

The three men's expressions were grave. Things had reached this point, and they had no choice but to attack. They also drew their weapons, which were likewise Immortal Artifacts, but of Medium Grade.

Xiao Yuchen did not waste any words. He charged forward with his sword and engaged the three in battle; he also wanted to know exactly how strong his combat power was now.

At the beginning, both sides were just probing, but later on, the three Fire Cloud Valley Elders became increasingly alarmed. The three of them fighting against one, yet they were still being suppressed.

In their desperation, the three gave up the idea of competing with Xiao Yuchen in Sword Techniques and instead used their spiritual power to attack. However, to their surprise, they found that they could not break through his defense at all.

Xiao Yuchen's body stood there like a great mountain; no matter what methods they used, it was to no avail.

Only now did they realize how strong Xiao Yuchen truly was. They simply could not understand how someone so young could possess such powerful strength. Even those prodigies from the Central Divine Continent were probably no better than this.

Moreover, Xiao Yuchen appeared very relaxed, clearly not using his full strength. The three of them were destined to have no chance of winning.

"Do you still want to continue?"

Xiao Yuchen chuckled. He had not expected the combined effect of the Mountain Shaking Body Refining Technique and the Great Desolation Spirit Swallowing Technique to be so strong. Even if he stood there and let the three of them attack him, they would not be able to break his defense.

"Little brother is indeed far more skilled than us. We are willing to withdraw now. Let this matter end here, and our Fire Cloud Valley will no longer trouble you."

The three men's thoughts were simple: if they continued to fight, they would likely perish here. Furthermore, Xiao Yuchen's talent was too great, and they did not want to create such a formidable enemy for Fire Cloud Valley.

"You come when you want, and you leave when you want; wouldn't I be losing Face? The reason you are alive until now is not because you are strong, but because Xiyue Prefecture is inherently weak, and I do not wish to continue depleting the strength of Xiyue Prefecture."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Immortal Artifact sword in Xiao Yuchen's hand flew into the sky on its own. An aura of destruction gathered, and it slashed down in an instant.

Boom! The earth trembled, trees toppled, and a deep chasm appeared on the ground a thousand meters ahead. The ground was split in two, and the Sword Qi was even mixed with a scorching aura, instantly turning the surrounding trees into charred remains as they collapsed.

"This..." The three watched this scene in shock. If that sword strike had been aimed at them, they would undoubtedly have died, and their bodies and souls would have been obliterated.

"I can spare your lives, but you must exchange them with information that I am interested in."

Hearing Xiao Yuchen's words, the three Faces were full of bitterness. They did not know what Xiao Yuchen was interested in, and if they leaked Sect information, they would become traitors to the Sect, and the Valley Master would not let them off either.

After thinking for a long time, Fourth Elder Huoming's eyes suddenly lit up, and he took the initiative to speak: "You have a good relationship with the City Lord's Mansion, right? I have a piece of news regarding the City Lord's Mansion. I wonder if you are interested?"

Hearing Huoming say this, Xiao Yuchen immediately became interested, but he did not show it. Instead, he replied indifferently: "Tell me about it first."

"It is like this: you should know that Jinghai City has been waging war against Qingshan City. In order to win, the City Lord of Jinghai City purchased one hundred Magical Artifacts from our Fire Cloud Valley. Because we did not want to intensify the conflict with the Qingyun Sword Sect, we originally did not want to participate. However, considering that the Jinghai City Lord's son, Sun Jie, is a Core Disciple of the Qingyun Sword Sect, I agreed to this matter in order to obtain intelligence on the Qingyun Sword Sect. I provided them with one hundred Magical Artifacts for free and cultivated Sun Jie as my informant. In about ten days, the Qingyun Sword Sect will be recruiting Disciples, and Sun Jie is also responsible for the recruitment work. He has promised to select some outstanding Disciples to join Fire Cloud Valley. Are you interested in this intelligence? As long as you report this matter, Sun Jie will naturally be abandoned by the Qingyun Sword Sect, or even killed as a traitor. At that time, without the support of the Qingyun Sword Sect, Jinghai City will not dare to wage war against Qingshan City."

In order to protect himself, Huoming abandoned the pawn he had cultivated. The reason he spoke of this matter was because of Xiao Yuchen's relationship with the City Lord's Mansion, and this matter did not involve the Sect's secrets, so even if it were revealed, the impact on the Sect would not be significant.

"Oh, it seems you have investigated me quite a bit in private, knowing what I care about. Since that is the case, you may leave. Go back and tell your Valley Master that I will visit him when I have time."

After speaking, Xiao Yuchen vanished from the spot. The three watched the direction in which Xiao Yuchen disappeared, their hearts unable to calm down for a long time.

"Fourth, do you think he might be the person Undergoing Tribulation that you were looking for earlier? Such a Prodigy is not someone you can meet just because you want to."

Hearing the third brother's words, Huoming's eyes lit up, but soon he shook his head again. "It shouldn't be. It has been less than ten days since that person underwent tribulation. Is it possible to go from the Early Void Refining Stage to the Late Void Refining Stage in such a short time? It took me nearly twenty years to go from the Early Void Refining Stage to the Late Stage."

"No, just because it took us a long time does not mean it takes him a long time. After all, he looks to be only in his twenties, yet he has already reached the Late Void Refining Stage. Crucially, I am at the Unity Stage Late Stage, a whole Rank higher than him, yet in his hands, I was like an infant with no power to fight back. His Sword Dao seems to have already reached the Realm of Unity of Man and Sword; even the Sect Master of the Qingyun Sword Sect cannot achieve this."

The three fell silent again, then looked at each other and smiled.

"I am afraid my Xiyue Prefecture is about to rise. If the little brother is willing to represent Xiyue Prefecture in the Resource Competition, he might be able to achieve good results and secure more cultivation resources for Xiyue Prefecture."

"This cannot be determined either; perhaps the little brother is from another prefecture? In any case, let us go back and report this matter first. This time, our Fire Cloud Valley can only admit defeat."

Watching the direction in which Xiao Yuchen left, the three leaped up and flew toward the direction of Fire Cloud Valley.

After learning the news of Sun Jie's betrayal, Xiao Yuchen did not stop at all and flew directly to the City Lord's Mansion.

In the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion, Dongfang Shuo sat in the main seat, and two old men were sitting below. One of them was Mu Yunfeng.

"Elder Qing Feng, I have already told Elder Mu about the matter. Brother Xiao is indeed a rare peerless Genius, countless times stronger than Sun Jie. I hope you will think twice."