Mysterious mirror hanging high

After spending more than a month, Jing Yu brought Zhao Yuanxi back to Xiaoyao Fairy City.

However, before their flying boat entered the city, they discovered that the protective formation of Xiaoyao Fairy City had already been initially activated. From a distance, the entire fairy city was covered by a huge magic shield.

"Stop whoever comes!"

Near the Immortal City, a team of patrolling Immortal City guards stopped Jing Yu's flying boat. The leader was a male cultivator at the ninth level of Qi training, followed by dozens of cultivators in the middle and late stages of Qi training. They formed a formation, which seemed to be as if they were facing a great enemy.

When the flying boat approached, the patrol captain saw Jing Yu's face clearly and relaxed. He said with a smile, "I was wondering who they were. It turned out to be Master Xuan Jing and Fairy Yuan Xi."

"You recognize me?"

The captain of the guard said respectfully, "I saw you from afar that day in Langhuo Blessed Land, so I remember your appearance."

Jing Yu nodded and asked, "What happened in the Immortal City? How come even the defensive formation is activated? Even if it's just maintaining the first layer of the formation, the daily consumption of spirit stones is not a small amount."

"In reply to your Excellency, twenty days ago, the four major sects officially declared war on the Xiaoyao Alliance. Many disciples of the four sects in Xiaoyao Immortal City did not receive the message in advance and attempted to escape from the city. The protective formation has now been activated to prevent the disciples of the four sects from escaping..."

"what?!"

Jing Yu was slightly surprised, but soon realized: "Yes, Master Baoding was severely injured by Master Yuanying's sword, and his life-saving magic weapon was almost destroyed. To this day, his life or death is uncertain... Even if he is still alive, I'm afraid he dare not show his face."

"Now, there are only two great masters left in the Xiaoyao Alliance, Yuehua and Tota, plus more than ten ordinary Jindan masters..."

"Our top and mid-level combat power is inferior to the combined strength of the four major factions. Now is the time when the Free and Easy Alliance is at its weakest... No wonder the four major factions can't hold back!"

Thinking of this, Jing Yu asked again, "Where are the true teachings of the sects like Qiu Zhiyun and Bo Lei?"

The captain of the guards replied, "The four sects' golden elixir seeds were recalled long ago. Most of those who remain in Xiaoyao Immortal City and attempt to escape are just ordinary outer disciples of the four sects..."

Jing Yu exchanged a few more words with the captain of the guard. The captain asked a few more questions and only let Jing Yu and Zhao Yuanxi in after confirming their identities.

Jing Yu flew in the flying boat towards his own cave abode. Sure enough, he saw that most of the monks on the street looked hurried, and a large number of law enforcement guards were shuttling back and forth, patrolling continuously.

"Ok?"

A disciple of the Houtu Sect wearing a brown robe was seen swaggering down the street, while the law enforcement monks ignored him.

Jing Yu was a little puzzled, so he picked a Qigong cultivator on the street and asked him, and then he suddenly understood.

"So the four major sects attacking the Free and Easy Alliance aren't the four main sects of the Yunchuan Territory, but rather the three local sects of Huanhuo Sect, Bishui Sect, and Xiaolei Temple, plus the Yellow Wind Valley?"

"And the Houtu Sect, whose Great Immortal's life span is almost over, has already announced its closure and is completely withdrawing its forces, no longer interested in the war between the two sides?"

"That makes sense."

Jing Yu nodded. "I wonder if the Houtu Sect's Banshan Zhenren has another twenty years of life left. Even with some life-extending treasures, he can only extend his life by another ten to twenty years at best. Cultivating a Great Zhenren within thirty to forty years is the Houtu Sect's top priority."

"Otherwise, even if we join the other sects in the Yunchuan Region to conquer the territory of the Xiaoyao Alliance and get a share of the pie, once Banshan Zhenren dies, there will be no great Zhenren of the late Jindan stage to rule the sect. No matter how much we eat, I'm afraid we will have to vomit it back with interest!"

Zhao Yuanxi, standing by, had a worried look on his face. "Even if the Houtu Sect doesn't get involved, the Huanhuo Sect, the Bishui Sect, the Xiaolei Temple, and the Huangfeng Valley alone have five Great Immortals... Now that Master Baoding is seriously injured and missing, there are only two Great Immortals left in the Immortal Alliance, Yuehua and Tota. How can they resist?"

Jing Yu whispered, "If we just rely on the passive defense of the Immortal City's great formation, the four major sects will still not be able to break through here. However, a large number of markets will be handed over to others..."

However, the two were not too worried about their relatives and friends in Wushan Market. After all, the four major sects belonged to the righteous side. Even if they went to war with the Xiaoyao Alliance, it was nothing more than seeking territory. The cultivators in the market were the most precious resource. Even if they captured the market, everything would be the same as usual. For the lower-level cultivators, it was just a change of power to live in.

A beam of light flew straight over and landed in front of Jing Yu and the others. When the light dissipated, the person who came was actually Wu Buchun.

"Uncle Zhao, you're finally back!"

"Buchun, what is the situation now?" The vision of a foundation-building cultivator is naturally not comparable to that of a Qi-cultivating cultivator. Wu Buchun naturally has more comprehensive information, so Jing Yu asked immediately.

"Hey, don't mention it."

Wu Buchun sighed, "In just twenty days, the four major factions have been pressing forward. Even though the Jindan True Immortals haven't yet joined the fray, and the battle is only at the foundation-building level, the Xiaoyao Alliance has already lost three entire towns."

"Now that there is no news from Master Baoding, the entire Xiaoyao League is filled with a sense of pessimism."

"There are even quite a few cultivators within the alliance who have resigned and left the Free and Easy Alliance to join the four major sects!"

"The prices of caves in the Xiaoyao Alliance have all dropped from [Earth Level] to [Yellow Level]! Even the small courtyard I got a while ago has lost a lot of spirit stones!" Wu Buchun said with a frown.

"Many cultivators from the Xiaoyao League have run away?" Jing Yu was secretly shocked.

The alliance of loose cultivators does have this drawback. Although the cultivators in it can enjoy a more relaxed environment and do not have as many rules and regulations as those in sects and families, they do not have enough loyalty. They are far less cohesive than sects or families. If things are going well, it is fine. But when it comes to such a critical moment of survival, no one can be relied upon and it is easy for them to scatter.

"Uncle, we still need to make preparations early..."

Zhao Yuanxi said in a deep voice, "The war is now showing a one-sided trend. The Xiaoyao Alliance can only hide in a few major immortal cities and passively defend themselves. But if the war spreads to here..."

"It's okay. After all, we are not registered monks of the Xiaoyao League. If we are just staying here temporarily, it will be fine for a short period of time."

The worry on Zhao Yuanxi's face did not diminish at all: "I am afraid that when the war becomes urgent, the Xiaoyao Alliance will forcibly recruit non-alliance cultivators like us to join the battle..."

Jing Yu had certainly thought of this possibility, but he was not really worried about it. Wars in the world of immortal cultivation were generally protracted. Even the shortest war would take several years or even more than ten years, and there were even wars that lasted for hundreds of years. The flames of war would definitely not reach the rear area like Xiaoyao Xiancheng in a short time.

By then, with his magical powers, it would not be a big problem for him to protect Zhao Yuanxi and run away.

Just as he was thinking, another stream of light flew by and stopped in front of him. He looked closely and saw that it was a monk from the Yuwen family wearing a black robe with gold patterns.

"Master Xuan Jing, the law enforcement monk just came to report and learned that you have returned. This is the wedding invitation from my master to you." The monk from the Yuwen family bowed and respectfully handed over an invitation card with gold-plated wedding characters printed on it.

"Wedding invitation?" Jing Yu asked in astonishment, "The Yuwen family... could it be?"

"Yuwen Xiaojin's wedding invitation?"