Mysterious mirror hanging high

"Is there any news from Fellow Daoist Bai Xiao?" Jing Yu was cheered up and asked hurriedly.

Zhao Yuanxi nodded, his tone rather grave. "First, the Houtu Sect's [Jitu Yiqi Locking Sky Formation] has a great origin. It was originally a genuine Nascent Soul Formation, but now it is incomplete. However, its miraculous power is still incomparable to that of a Golden Core Formation."

"I've known about this for a long time." Jing Yu smiled. He had previously used the Xuan Mirror to eavesdrop on the discussions in the main hall of the Immortal Realm and already knew the background of the Houtu Sect. Its founder was indeed a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"The outer formation of this [Jitu Yiqi Locking Sky Formation] has ten formation eyes, which are hidden among the 360 ​​peaks of the mountain range where the Houtu Sect is located. Uncle should also know about this, right?" Zhao Yuanxi continued.

"Of course, I am now responsible for guarding one of the peaks, but I don't know whether there is a formation eye hidden in this peak." Jing Yuyan said.

Zhao Yuanxi's face showed helplessness: "Uncle, the ten formation cores of the outer formation of the [Jitu Yiqi Locking Sky Formation] are all movable [Active Formation Cores]!"

"what?!"

"The three hundred and sixty immortal mountains surrounding Hou Tu Sect have long been connected by their earth veins. The ten formation eyes can freely shuttle through the earth veins and be embedded in any ten of the three hundred and sixty peaks."

"Theoretically speaking, of these 360 ​​immortal mountains, 350 of them are just decoys that can be abandoned at any time. As long as any ten of them are preserved, the power of the entire [Jitu Yiqi Locking Sky Formation] will not be diminished in the slightest."

Jing Yu shook his head and laughed, "No wonder the Houtu Sect is so confident in fighting a protracted war with the Tiannan Demon Cultivators. So that's how it is... If that happens, the first 350 immortal mountains conquered by the Tiannan Demon Cultivators will be in vain. I wonder how many more Demon Cultivators will be lost!"

Zhao Yuanxi's expression was odd at this moment. "Uncle, you've been at the Houtu Sect's front line recently. Have you noticed any problems with the Tiannan Demon Sect's offensive strategy?"

Jing Yu pondered, "I've noticed this a long time ago. I find it very strange. If I were a Jindan Zhenren from the Tang family and the Beast Taming Sect, I would just send all my forces to attack a single immortal mountain. The 360 ​​peaks of the Houtu Sect are very far apart, and the cultivators guarding each peak can't rush to support them instantly. If we attack peak by peak, even if the Houtu Sect has a large mountain protection formation, it would have been broken long ago."

"But now they've dispersed their forces, sending only cultivators slightly stronger than the defending force to attack each peak. Wouldn't the demon cultivators suffer heavy losses this way? This is a war, not a sect trial. How can we fight like this?"

"Because the real purpose of the Tiannan Demon Sect is not to capture the Yunchuan Region!" Zhao Yuanxi once again threw out a shocking piece of news.

She smiled bitterly and said, "The Tang family of the Nascent Soul Immortal Clan is famous for the 'Three Tang Demons': the eldest, the Demon of Greed; the second, the Demon of Anger; and the third, the Demon of Delusion. These three Jindan demon cultivators have each cultivated a strange secret method that can draw out the delusions of a cultivator."

"And the [Beast Taming Sect] Sect Master Hu Yanpeng, his spirit beast, the [Netherworld Ghost Eagle], is at a critical stage of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. He needs to refine the death energy emitted by a large number of deceased cultivators to enhance the [Netherworld]'s magical powers..."

Jing Yu instantly understood: "You mean, the reason the Tiannan Demon Sect launched the war and invaded the Yunchuan Territory was not to obtain the Jindan Daochang or the Yunchuan Territory's limited resources, but to collect the human thoughts and the dead energy of the cultivators on the battlefield?"

"No wonder, no wonder those demon cultivators were all so confused. They attacked one after another without even drawing blood. It was because their delusions were aroused, triggering the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance!"

"No wonder these demon cultivators are advancing so slowly. Even after more than twenty years of fighting for a small, spiritually barren territory like Yunchuan Territory, they still haven't been able to conquer it... Those demon cultivators who died in Yunchuan Territory have become nourishment for the cultivation of these demonic masters and true lords!"

"The Houtu Sect today is a grinding mill that constantly wears away the lives and cultivation of its cultivators. While they are alive, they harbor delusions, nourishing the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance; while they die, they emit deathly auras, increasing their powers in the underworld!"

"If the several Demon Dao True Lords of the Tiannan Demon Realm are willing, this war can last forever!"

Zhao Yuanxi smiled bitterly and said, "Now it seems that the Yuanying forces in Tiannan Territory really look down on Yunchuan Territory, a small place that doesn't even have a Yuanying Daochang. After all, it is an entire territory, but it has become a trial ground for True Immortals and True Lords to cultivate their supernatural powers."

"Uncle, should this matter be reported to the Righteous Alliance?"

"What's there to report?" Jing Yu rolled his eyes. "Whether you or I, we're just two Foundation Establishment cultivators. How can we explain the source of this information?"

"Besides, does the Jindan Zhenren of Yunchuan Realm really not know about this?"

Jing Yu felt a slight chill in his heart. "The Demon Dao Master of the Tiannan Territory personally traveled north to discuss the rules with the Great Master of the Zhongzhou Territory. He only said that Yuanying cultivators were not allowed to take action, but he didn't mention that Jindan cultivators were also not allowed to take action!"

"But the war has lasted for a full twenty-one years. Have you ever heard of any deaths of real people in either the Tiannan or Yunchuan regions?"

"I'm afraid we already have a tacit understanding..."

"It's possible that the two sides will stalemate at the Houtu Sect's mountain gate. This battle location was negotiated by both sides!"

----

After exiting the [Taixu Illusionary Realm], Jing Yu looked depressed. His original intention of killing a few more demon cultivators to help the Yunchuan Domain Righteous Alliance repel the enemy was gone.

"All the people in the world, if they cannot become true masters, are just chess pieces...nothing more."

In the following period, the remaining peaks of Houtu were harassed many times. Jing Yu no longer focused on killing the enemy demon cultivators and attracting attention. However, even so, the battle dragged on for more than a year, and he took the lives of seven or eight demon cultivators.

The cultivators around him changed one after another, but the [Guishui] team was really lucky. The other four members of the team survived, and even Li Ci did not die.

But even though the Tiannan Demon Sect put on a show and put on a brave fight, the Yunchuan Domain was still losing ground. Now, there were only about 130 immortal mountains left around the Houtu Sect's mountain gate that had not been lost. Fortunately, several groups of follow-up support arrived, and they temporarily reached a stalemate with the Tiannan Demon Sect.

At this time, there were already forty foundation-building cultivators on the [Zuowang Peak] which had not yet been lost. However, compared with those conspicuous great immortal mountains, it was still unknown, and the demon cultivators who came here to harass on weekdays were mostly ordinary people.

But on this day, the sword cultivator Guan Zhen was still sitting cross-legged on the top of the peak as usual, refining the wisp of misty purple air, but he saw the demonic energy rolling in the sky, spreading towards the Zuwang Peak without any concealment!