Three Earth Immortal stood above the City Lord's Manor. The condensed layer of light instantly disappeared. Xu Long's gaze shifted slightly, and he sensed that the changing energy in the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram had vanished in an instant.
His gaze instinctively fell upon the city lord, only to find a dignified, square face staring at him.
When Xu Long was being watched by an Earth Immortal, his heart skipped a beat for no reason. A heavy pressure seemed to come over him with the gaze. Although it did not affect him, he quickly looked away.
The several powerful cultivators present all felt a chill run down their spines. They unconsciously lowered their heads and eyes in front of the City Lord's Manor, concealing their auras. They thought to themselves: This is the power of Earth Immortal!
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. The city lord glanced around and then withdrew his imposing aura. With a wave of his sleeve, he gestured for everyone present to enter the City Lord's Manor for a meeting.
The heavy pressure that had been pressing down on everyone suddenly dissipated, and they could see clearly that the faces of the several Earth Immortal were filled with undisguised exhaustion, and their eyes held deep worry.
His once upright figure was now somewhat hunched, and even the robes on his body were covered with a thin layer of frost, making him look as if he had walked through a mist. The Earth Immortal Venerable actually appeared somewhat disheveled.
While they claimed to be scouting outside the city, Xu Long estimated that the Earth Immortal must have fought many battles with the Mist Beast, and even fought against the Higher Mist Beast among them.
Xu Long had personally experienced the power of the Mist Beast Tide; within those Eternity Ice Mist, even humans and animals were annihilated.
Although the Magic Power the Earth Immortal Realm realm has greatly increased, it is still somewhat difficult to deal with the tide of Mist Beast. It is likely that they have also learned about the various chaotic situations that have occurred in the city, which is why they rushed back to take charge of the city.
For some reason, Deng Shouchong also let Xu Long come in with him. The several Earth Immortal rushed over and stopped in the air above the main hall of the City Lord's Manor's Mansion.
Outside the main hall stood a figure, the bloodstain on his lips looking particularly eerie.
The city lord's eyes lit up when he saw the young man. He nodded slightly to the young man, indicating that they should go inside to discuss the matter.
At this moment, Yuan Changwu naturally saw the young man as well. He dared not unleash his anger in front of the assembled Earth Immortal, but instead looked at Yuan Changhe with a pleading expression and said urgently:
"Big brother! This..."
As soon as Yuan Changwu opened his mouth, Yuan Changhe immediately stretched out his palm in the air, forcibly interrupting him.
His expression was solemn ever since he entered the city, with a hint of worry between his brows and his eyes slightly closed.
When he interrupted Yuan Changwu at this moment, a sharp glint flashed in his closed eyes, and a fierce aura suddenly emanated from his body.
Yuan Changwu was stopped by his brother's imposing manner, and his heart tightened. His face twisted for a moment, as if he had great respect for his brother. So he opened his mouth, but swallowed the words of complaint he was about to say.
There was a sinister look in the young man's eyes, but as if sensing his gaze, the young man suddenly turned his head when his gaze swept over him.
His blood-red pupils were as deep Wuxian as a lake, and the light emanating from them was like a swirling vortex, completely engulfing the gaze that Yuan Changwu cast at him.
Yuan Changwu was startled and shivered. He immediately withdrew his gaze from the young man, the eerie light in his eyes still lingering in his mind. At this moment, he looked completely shaken.
Yuan Changhe naturally saw the young man as well, and he knew that the young man was the cultivator who had intercepted the Wuji Creation Pill, since one of his own Dharma Body had been destroyed by the other party.
As for the anger in his heart, Yuan Changhe was no less than Yuan Changwu. He was even in a hurry to return to the city because the young man had disrupted the Pill Cauldron Sect's immortal-making plan and changed the situation in Phoenix City, putting the Pill Cauldron Sect in a very awkward position.
However, he also had questions for the young man. After the Wuji Creation Pill was refined, it contained extremely volatile medicinal power, which could not be directly swallowed by ordinary cultivators. It had to be taken together with a harmonizing pill.
Yuan Changhe had been cautious, but the other party was clearly a ruthless person. After intercepting the Wuji Creation Pill, he ignored the violent medicinal power contained within and forcibly refined the pill on his own, thus advancing to the Earth Immortal Realm realm in the City Lord's Manor.
This cultivator's methods were quite forceful, and his breakthrough in the City Lord's Manor was probably related to Deng Lifu, so he didn't feel comfortable asking.
But when they met at the City Lord's Manor, the other party was clearly already at the Earth Immortal Realm realm. Judging from the surging blood and qi in his body, his aura was as unfathomable as an abyss.
Yuan Changhe was always cautious. Although he harbored deep resentment, he couldn't figure out the other party's background at the moment, so he didn't dare to disrupt the anti- Mist Beast front in front of the city lord.
After everyone arrived at the City Lord's Manor, the cultivators gathered together, with several Earth Immortal landing in front of them. Then, the city lord waved his sleeve.
Clang!
A loud crash echoed through the City Lord's Manor. Everyone felt the ground beneath their feet tremble violently, as if something heavy had fallen into the City Lord's Manor. When they looked around, their eyes revealed surprise.
It turned out that the city lord had brought out a broken bronze chariot, but the chariot no longer possessed the unstoppable power it once had.
The command flags above the bronze beams have been lost, and the divine birds that once soared over the chariots have also vanished.
The divine steed that once led the chariot had also perished outside the city walls, and the ancient, heavy bronze chariot now appeared somewhat deformed.
The cultivators in the arena all had their expressions change. The bronze chariot was a magical Dharma Artifact of the cultivators on the Muster Platform and had always been highly valued by the City Lord's Manor. Under the old city lord's rule, Phoenix City was known as a kingdom with ten thousand chariots.
Bronze chariots, along with their soldiers, have been a formidable force used since ancient times to combat the Mist Beast tides and a vital power in maintaining the rule of the City Lord's Manor's Mansion.
The chariots that were originally patrolling the outer perimeter would always drive away the horde of Mist Beast. Because of the protection of the divine bird, they could often fight their way in and out of the horde of Mist Beast several times.
But the sight of the wrecked chariot before them indicated that all the cultivators on board were in dire straits, a provocation by the Mist Beast Tide against the City Lord's Manor.
If the old city lord were still alive, needless to say, he would have immediately mustered his troops and charged out again. But at this moment, City Lord Deng Lifu had more to consider.
He had suppressed his plan to find the Ancestral Spirit for many years, while the City Lord's Manor had been preparing for it for countless years.
At this moment, the city seems to be beset by internal and external troubles, but perhaps the time is right. These unfavorable circumstances can be turned into favorable conditions for the City Lord's Manor's plan.
The city lord glanced wearily at the crowd, then took a deep breath, concealing the remaining dejection on his face, and addressed the cultivators in the arena in a dignified and authoritative tone:
"Some time ago, we went out of the city to investigate the trail of the Mist Beast Tide. The area outside Phoenix City has now been completely sealed off by the Mist Beast Tide. The origin of this massive Mist Beast Tide is no longer known, but judging from the current situation, there are four major Mist Beast Tides, and their common target is everything within our Phoenix City!"
"The damaged bronze chariot was found amidst a horde of Mist Beast. All eight gates outside the city were surrounded, and we only managed to break through the encirclement of the Eternity Ice Mist after a fierce battle. Judging from the scale of the battle, today's Mist Beast horde is far more formidable than any before!"
"We are already aware of the many chaotic phenomena in the city. As for the Mist Beast tide in Phoenix City... this must have been a scheme laid out long ago by the Higher Mist Beast on the outskirts of the city. No wonder Branch Master Chen was unable to investigate it clearly; the Mist Beast are simply too cunning."
The city lord's words explained the power of the Mist Beast tide outside the city, and his words carried a hint of worry, which shocked everyone who heard them.
The four waves of Mist Beast —doesn't that mean there are at least four Higher Mist Beast beings among them?
With countless low- and mid-level Mist Beast still lurking around, Phoenix City is likely to face a difficult calamity.
After the city lord finished speaking, Yuan Changhe opened his closed eyes in an instant, his sharp gaze locking onto the city lord, and the solemn expression on his face looked like it was about to drip water.
Before he could even ask a question, the city lord, as if knowing he was about to cause trouble, took the initiative to introduce them to everyone:
"Please forgive my ignorance, everyone. Let me introduce you. This Fellow Daoist Xu is a newly promoted Earth Immortal, and the fourth Earth Immortal in my Phoenix City. His advancement to the Earth Immortal Realm realm has some connection with the South Si Dao Field."
" Sect Master Yuan, please don't take it to heart. The Mist Beast tide is overwhelming, and someone must step forward to stand up for it. This Fellow Daoist Xu has already made an agreement with the City Lord's Manor, and he will definitely fight the Mist Beast tide with all his might!"
Yuan Changhe's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. After the city lord finished speaking, he immediately turned his gaze to the young man, who in turn turned his gaze to him as well.
The darkness within his blood-red pupils stirred in an instant, and Yuan Changhe felt as if there were deep vortexes within that darkness, completely swallowing up his burst of brilliant light.
He instinctively tried to probe the True Spirit, but then a sudden realization struck him, and a sense of alarm rose within him.
The young man's pupils swirled with tension, and his face held a cold, unapproachable air.
His blood-red lips looked particularly eerie, and a strange aura emanated from him. His eerie eyes seemed to be waiting for him to reveal his True Spirit.
A sharp glint flashed in Yuan Changhe's eyes, and he immediately withdrew his probing True Spirit.
He was secretly shocked: This newly promoted Earth Immortal already possesses such power; it seems this young man is a formidable force!
He then realized that the other party could directly consume the Wuji Creation Pill without needing any auxiliary pills, and felt that this person's background was not something that could be easily investigated.
Thinking of this, he then turned his gaze to the city lord and asked coldly:
"City Lord, although this Fellow Daoist Xu is willing to fight the Mist Beast Tide, what about the losses to my South Si Dao Field? My second brother, Changwu, has the potential to become Earth Immortal!"
" Sect Master Yuan, we need not only speak of the losses suffered by your South Si Dao Field, but also by our North Division Dao Field. Yuan Changwu has audacity, daring to cause such a ruckus at our North Division Dao Field! This commotion has thrown our North Division Dao Field into chaos, and our treasure vault has been stolen by cultivators and Mist Beast!"
No sooner had Yuan Changhe finished speaking Branch Master Chen immediately pressed him for an answer, her words carrying a hint of rudeness. She was very well-mannered, and it was only because she was extremely angry that she asked such a question.
Upon hearing this, Old Yuan's eyes opened and closed, then his heart tightened. He had wanted to shift the blame to the young man, but the chaos at the North Division Dao Field was indeed caused by Yuan Changwu. As a Earth Immortal being, he still had some sense of shame.
He turned around and glared fiercely at Yuan Changwu behind him. The sharp glint in his eyes startled the Second Master Yuan, who stood frozen on the spot, not daring to move.
" Fellow Daoist Xu's breakthrough to the Earth Immortal Realm realm is not only due to his connection with the Pill Cauldron Sect, but also to the assistance of the Ancestral Spirit. The auspicious celestial Celestial Phenomenon that appeared above the City Lord's Manor are precisely because the Ancestral Spirit intervened under the might of heaven. This is truly a fortunate event for the Land of Exile."
"Among you disciples, some have been stuck at the Lesser Immortal Realm for a long time. May I ask if anyone has broken through? Not a single one! Even I have been stuck at the Earth Immortal Realm realm for a long time. Why? It's simply due to the restrictive nature of the Land of Exile. For countless years, it has firmly imprisoned us cultivators here, preventing us from making any progress, and forcing us to watch helplessly as our lifespans run out and we die!"
"Since their exile, countless early cultivators have fought to the death against the Mist Beast, countless cultivators have perished in the Eternity Ice Mist, and countless powerful figures have been transformed into furnaces for the Mist Beast. I ask you all, is there still a paradise in this Land of Exile?"
The city lord spoke with increasing urgency, constantly scanning the crowd in the City Lord's Manor, his face displaying an extraordinary air of authority.
He first brought up the young man's breakthrough, then talked about the Ancestral Spirit's deeds, then stirred up everyone's emotions, and finally explained the pros and cons, so that everyone could make a final choice.
As expected, after hearing that the Ancestral Spirit had helped the young man, the Two Yuan Family Brothers' expressions changed several times. Yuan Changhe's Mo Yu furrowed deeply, as if he was calculating something in his heart.
The Wuji Creation Pill is indeed a divine treasure, but consuming it rashly could lead to qi deviation and demonic possession.
Even with the aid of supplementary pills, this was truly the first time someone had ever used pills to break through to the Earth Immortal while in Land of Exile.
It can be said to be groundbreaking, but whether it can break through or cause any changes, Yuan Changhe was not sure.
The young man's breakthrough was due to the Ancestral Spirit's blessing and his own formidable strength, but Yuan Changwu's situation is uncertain. It's unknown whether giving him this elixir is a good thing.
At this moment, the city lord's words, a mix of fear and coercion, temporarily suppressed the resentment in Yuan Changhe's heart. The glint in his eyes died down, he glanced at Yuan Changwu's ashen face, and then sighed deeply.
Before he was enlightened, he followed Immortal Master Yuan on his travels beyond the heavens. It was not until many years later that he was enlightened and began practicing Qi cultivation. Only after Immortal Master Yuan passed away did he officially embark on the path of immortality. The various experiences he went through were truly arduous.
Yuan Changwu was his younger brother. The two brothers were both born of different species, but their enlightenment times were far apart. Yuan Changhe was nominally the elder brother, but in reality, he was the grandfather.
He himself suffered greatly on the path to immortality, providing for his younger brother's every need, yet he still failed at the Earth Immortal Realm realm.
Seeing Yuan Changwu's ashen face, even though he was unwilling, the die was cast and there was nothing he could do.
After hearing the city lord's words, Branch Master Chen's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.
She exuded a heroic aura, far beyond the ordinary demeanor of a young girl. Even in front of the city lord and Yuan Changhe, two Earth Immortal, she was a dazzling presence.
After carefully considering the city lord's words, Branch Master Chen's eyes lit up. She turned around and asked with a spirited air:
"What the city lord said is also what all cultivators in Phoenix City are concerned about. The Land of Exile has a restrictive property, and our cultivation levels are suppressed. But we have been exiled here for a long time, so how can we expect Ancestral Spirit to help us?"