Chapter 156: The Earthfire Restoration Formation (Part Four)
Chapter 156: The Earthfire Restoration Formation (Part Four)
"How many Spirit Stones can be mined from this spirit mine...?" Mo Hua asked curiously as he surveyed the intricate network of mine tunnels.
Yu Chengyi replied, "This spirit mine isn't particularly large. If we were to completely excavate it, I estimate it would be enough for all the demon hunters in Tongxian City to use for a decade or so."
"Is that a lot or a little?" Mo Hua inquired.
Yu Chengyi smiled and said, "It's quite a lot. It will allow everyone to live comfortably for the next ten years or so."
A decade...
That was indeed a long time, considering he was only about the same age himself.
However, for cultivators, a decade was but a fleeting moment.
As time flowed like a river, a hundred years could pass in the blink of an eye for some cultivators.
"How can we make everyone's good times last longer...?" Mo Hua's brows furrowed slightly.
The Spirit Stones in the spirit mine could provide the demon hunters with a decade of comfort, and it would also help the Qian family rise to even greater heights.
If they occupied the spirit mine and extracted the Spirit Stones, the Qian family would gain a stronger monopoly.
By then, the Qian family would expand their influence in pill refining and artifact forging, controlling all trade in Tongxian City, and every cultivator would be at their mercy.
That was why they would never give up on this spirit mine.
Not long after, the Qian family launched their second wave of attacks.
This time, they did not assault head-on but opted for sneak attacks and constant harassment.
As night fell and the sky grew murky, the cultivators from the Qian family began their strikes.
The demon hunters suffered casualties, and just as they prepared to counter-attack, the Qian family would retreat, only to repeat these hit-and-run tactics several times.
The number of injured demon hunters increased, and they had to remain constantly vigilant, their spirits strained and faces grim.
Elder Yu was seething with anger, but he had no good solution.
At the moment, they were on the defensive while the Qian family attacked.
Their position was passive, forcing them to endure the relentless harassment from the Qian family. And whenever they tried to strike back, the Qian family would suddenly disperse, leaving them frustrated and helpless.
However, they couldn't leave the spirit mine, so they had no choice but to endure the constraints and suffer in silence.
It seemed that the Qian family intended to boil them like frogs in slowly heating water.
The demon hunters' faces were as somber as still water.
Mo Hua also felt annoyed by the situation. Whenever he had free time, he would wander to the entrance of the mine, gazing at the rugged mountains outside in deep thought.
After several days of contemplation, a sudden idea flashed through Mo Hua's mind. He sought out Elder Yu and shared his plan.
Elder Yu's eyes lit up as he listened, but then he hesitated, "Will it work?"
Mo Hua wasn't entirely sure either, so he suggested, "Why don't we give it a try?"
Elder Yu thought for a moment and, unable to come up with a better plan, agreed, "Let's give it a shot."
In the following days, Mo Hua continued to draw formation patterns, but this time, he was creating the Earthfire Restoration Formation with seven formation lines.
This formation was from Mr. Zhuang's "Introduction to Restoration Formations" that he had given to Mo Hua. It involved connecting two Earthfire Restoration Formations to amplify their power.
Because the formation pivot of the restoration formation enhanced spiritual power to some extent, this combined formation would be more powerful than detonating two separate Earthfire Formations.
After Mo Hua finished drawing the formation, he handed it to Elder Yu.
Elder Yu released his spiritual sense and noticed that there were still cultivators from the Qian family lurking around the spirit mine like pesky flies. So, he ordered the demon hunters to launch a feint attack.
The demon hunters charged out suddenly, but the Qian family cultivators, unsure of their intentions, chose to retreat instead of engaging.
They adhered to their strategy of harassment and had no intention of facing them head-on.
The demon hunters drove the Qian family cultivators far away.
Elder Yu swept the area with his spiritual sense once more and, finding no trace of the enemy, waved his hand.
Some demon hunters began placing the Earthfire Restoration Formations that Mo Hua had drawn in various corners of the mountainous terrain.
They concealed the formations in dense bushes, beneath thick tree roots, among disorderly rocks, and even in the soil mixed with fallen leaves and grass roots. Every hidden spot became a potential trap.
Once the preparations were complete, the demon hunters retreated.
Bored and idle, Mo Hua took out a book on formations and browsed through it, pondering if there were any other formations that could counter the Qian family's offensive.
It was not until dusk that the cultivators from the Qian family regrouped and lay in wait at the foot of Wuming Peak.
The distance was too far for Mo Hua to see clearly, but his spiritual sense detected some movement, suggesting that the Qian family was up to something.
Mo Hua knew that the fun was about to begin!
He put away the book, spread a blanket on the ground, and took out some beef jerky, pine nuts, and wild fruits from his storage bag, along with a bottle of his cherished osmanthus wine.
The osmanthus wine was sweet and refreshing, and it did not go straight to one's head. He usually refrained from drinking it, saving it for special occasions.
As he munched on the pine nuts and beef, Mo Hua eagerly anticipated the upcoming show, his eyes fixed on the mountain's foot.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the Qian family made their move.
At the foot of Wuming Peak, the cultivators from the Qian family assembled, led by a burly man who stood six feet tall with broad shoulders and a sturdy waist.
Several cultivators at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement gathered around the burly man, whispering and plotting their night's actions.
"Tonight, we'll teach those brat demon hunters a lesson!"
"We'll stick to our usual plan. Sneak up quietly, and when we see someone, we attack without holding back. If they die, it's their bad luck..."
"If they chase us down, we'll pretend to retreat."
"But this time, we won't actually retreat. Instead, when they turn back, we'll strike them from behind."
"After these days of attacks, they won't expect us to strike back!"
"Even if we don't succeed in one go, we will definitely weaken them significantly! In just a few days, their morale will be crushed, and they will be at our mercy!"
"Once the Qian family takes over the spirit mine and expands its influence, our contributions will be recognized. Our future prospects will be limitless, and achieving Foundation Establishment will be within reach!"
The burly man's words ignited the enthusiasm of the group.
However, some of the Qian family cultivators were puzzled, "Why did the demon hunters suddenly charge down during the day?"
The burly man waved his hand dismissively, "It doesn't matter. As long as we work together, no matter how many tricks they have up their sleeves, they are nothing but a bunch of clowns!"
The cultivators from the Qian family nodded in agreement, their fighting spirit high.
Seeing their determination, the burly man began to divide them into teams. Soon, several groups advanced simultaneously, concealing their presence as they made their way up the mountain.
Everything seemed to be going as it always had.
They had used this stealthy approach before, and they assumed this time would be no different.
But then, one of the Qian family cultivators stepped on something unknown.
He felt a slight sense of dissonance underfoot, but before he could ponder what was amiss, his entire body was engulfed in flames.
Boom!
The explosion of the Earthfire Restoration Formation was dazzling in the night.
The surrounding cultivators from the Qian family were blown away by the blast, charred black and bleeding from their mouths.
"Ambush?!"
"Where?!"
The cultivators from the Qian family were alarmed, frantically scanning their surroundings, but they couldn't spot a single figure.
"Don't panic!"
The burly man quickly calmed them down. "It's just their last-ditch effort. Stick to the plan!"
The cultivators from the Qian family regained their composure and continued forward.
However, it didn't take long for them to lose their calm again...
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed through the mountains as the Earthfire Restoration Formations detonated one after another, their flames resembling lotuses blooming in succession.
The cultivators from the Qian family could only scramble for their lives in the firelight, triggering even more explosions...
The burly man stood frozen, his expression one of bewilderment.
What was happening?! Where were these explosions coming from?
He racked his brains but couldn't figure it out.
As he watched his fellow cultivators wailing in the firelight and eventually scattering in defeat, the burly man knew they were finished.
He had thought his plan was foolproof, but this unexpected turn of events had rendered all his schemes useless...
The burly man felt bitter inside.
The jumping clown, it turned out, was none other than himself...
(End of Chapter)
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