Chapter 158: Ming Xi (Part 1)
Chapter 158: Ming Xi (Part 1)
"Is the Qian family's Foundation Establishment cultivator refusing to act out of fear that he'll be weakened and then surrounded and killed?" Mo Hua asked.
"Yes, but it's not just that," Elder Yu replied. "On one hand, the Qian family's Foundation Establishment cultivator is indeed afraid of being weakened. If I were to engage him, he wouldn't be able to escape and would undoubtedly be killed."
"So in this kind of chaotic battle, Foundation Establishment cultivators usually balance each other out and don't act rashly. Once they do make a move, it's either to decisively end the fight or because they have another important purpose that could turn the tide of the battle."
"On the other hand, the Qian family has more than one Foundation Establishment cultivator..." Elder Yu said with a slight laugh.
Mo Hua asked in confusion, "Isn't that an advantage for the Qian family?"
Elder Yu did not answer directly but said, "One monk has enough water to drink, two monks have to take turns, and three monks have no water to drink."
"Oh, I see," Mo Hua said, understanding. "They all want others to take the risks and do the hard work while they reap the benefits."
Elder Yu nodded in approval.
"Are the internal struggles in the Qian family that intense?" Mo Hua asked.
"Even among siblings, accounts are clearly settled, let alone within their family, where there are too many branches of bloodline and intertwined interests. When it comes to scheming against each other, they may not really care about family ties," Elder Yu explained.
Mo Hua nodded.
No wonder Elder Yu always cursed the Qian family as a bunch of heartless and ungrateful wolves.
If they treated their fellow clan cultivators like this, one could only imagine how they treated other cultivators.
"Then what if all the Qian family's Foundation Establishment cultivators come together?" Mo Hua asked.
"I'd actually welcome them all coming at once," Elder Yu said, raising an eyebrow. "If they do that, their family and industries will be left unattended. If their enemies find out and seize the opportunity to raid their industries and slaughter their direct descendants, it would be quite entertaining."
Elder Yu's expression showed a hint of schadenfreude.
Mo Hua's eyes widened in surprise. "Do such things really happen?"
"Of course, they do. You're still young, but when you've lived for a few hundred years, you'll understand that there's nothing people won't do as long as they can think of it," Elder Yu said.
Mo Hua was shocked by this revelation. "But wouldn't the Dao Court intervene in such cases?"
"By the time they've finished robbing and killing, what use would there be for the intervention of the Dao Court?" Elder Yu asked rhetorically.
Elder Yu wanted to curse but held back a little since he was in front of Mo Hua.
"If all the direct descendants are killed and only the Foundation Establishment cultivators remain, it would still be an empty shell, weak on the inside. Sooner or later, they'll be pushed out and left with no standing," Elder Yu continued.
"Also, if the Qian family's important industries outside are left unprotected and something truly goes wrong, that would be a real blow to their strength..."
"With a large family and extensive industries, it's not easy to protect everything. That's why they dare not send their Foundation Establishment cultivators to join the battle so soon," Elder Yu concluded.
Mo Hua finally understood.
Elder Yu saw the thoughtful look on Mo Hua's face and, thinking that he was still worried, said, "Rest assured, the Qian family's Foundation Establishment cultivators may seem fierce, but they're all cowards at heart. If one comes, I'll easily deal with them. Even if two or three come, I have my ways of handling them."
Mo Hua was astonished. He had not realized how powerful Elder Yu was.
"Elder, your cultivation is very high, isn't it?" Mo Hua asked.
"It's not that my cultivation is high," Elder Yu sighed and smiled bitterly. "It's just that I'm willing to risk my life in battle, and they're not."
Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu's skinny arms and neck, which were crisscrossed with faint scars, only visible because of the elder's dark skin.
These scars were probably left from life-and-death battles...
Mo Hua thought to himself.
As the Qian family held back from attacking, the demon hunters focused all their efforts on mining the spirit stones. However, Elder Yu knew that the Qian family would not let the matter rest.
Sure enough, a few nights later, the Qian family returned, this time with reinforcements—several robust Earth-attribute spirit root cultivators clad in iron armor.
Without the hindrance of the Earthfire Formation, their path forward would be unobstructed.
Thus, he pulled some strings, borrowing, requesting, and pleading within his clan to find several Earth-attribute spirit root cultivators who cultivated earthen arts and possessed robust physical bodies.
He also spent almost all of his savings to either purchase or borrow sets of fine iron armor, as well as some fire-resistant spiritual artifacts.
Tonight, he would definitely break through the Earthfire Formation!
The situation unfolded just as he had predicted.
The Earth-attribute cultivators, clad in iron armor and equipped with fire-resistant artifacts, strode through the seven-patterned Earthfire Formation, triggering explosions of fiery light.
The mountain pass was filled with deafening blasts and dazzling flames.
The explosive fire-attribute spiritual power buffeted their iron armor, but most of its force was negated, and some of the fiery energies were dispelled by the fire-resistant artifacts. Only a small portion of the residual power managed to harm the Earth-attribute cultivators wearing the iron armor, but even then, the damage was negligible.
After a few trips back and forth, the Earth-attribute cultivators with sturdy spirit roots had trampled through all the Earthfire Formations in the mountain pass.
Several sets of iron armor were damaged, and one was even completely ruined.
Qian Zhuang's heart ached at the loss, but these costs were worth it! He had finally broken through the Earthfire Formation!
Qian Zhuang felt elated and proud.
Leading the Qian Family cultivators, he finally crossed the mountain pass that had caused him so much frustration and psychological trauma due to the dense array of Earthfire Formations.
The Qian Family cultivators arrived before the mine, officially facing off against the demon hunters.
Then, Qian Zhuang suddenly realized that he seemed to have overlooked a crucial issue:
Their original plan was supposed to be a sneak attack...
Now, groups of demon hunters stood ready, clad in vine armor, almost as if they had been waiting for them. One could even say that they were fresh and energetic, having had the leisure to watch them struggle through the formations.
And here they were, finally reaching the demon hunters after enduring the Earthfire Formation.
But... could this still be considered a sneak attack?
The demon hunters' gazes were filled with mockery, as if they were watching fools.
Anger flashed across Qian Zhuang's face, but his heart turned cold.
He suddenly didn't know what to do next...
Fight?
It seemed they didn't stand a chance.
Flee?
Then what was the point of coming here? Why go through all the trouble of crossing the Earthfire Formation?
As Qian Zhuang doubted himself, Yu Chengyi drew his sword.
In response, the demon hunters' blades also left their sheaths, shining with a pale light in the dark night.
"Kill!"
Yu Chengyi's deep voice rang out, and the demon hunters behind him surged forward with overwhelming momentum, attacking the Qian Family cultivators.
Thus, the Qian Family cultivators, who had gone through so much trouble to cross the Earthfire Formation, were soon forced to retreat in disarray.
Qian Hong returned to the camp, his face covered in dust and dirt, to debrief on the battle.
There was no avoiding casualties among the disciples, and several sets of iron armor had been taken.
It was helpless; the demon hunters' primary target had been the iron armor, and the people inside were secondary.
The demon hunters were experienced in hunting demons and worked together seamlessly, their movements fluid and skilled. With a few of them working together, it only took a few exchanges to take down the Qian Family cultivators wearing the iron armor.
Then, they quickly stripped the armor away, leaving the cultivators vulnerable.
For the demon hunters, skinning demonic beasts was a common task, so taking the iron armor was child's play.
Qian Zhuang's heart ached with pain and frustration, and he also felt a sense of absurdity.
If it hadn't been for the Earthfire Formation muddling his thoughts, making him focus solely on breaking the formation, he wouldn't have forgotten their original intention.
Their sneak attack had turned into a frontal assault.
And now, they were at a disadvantage, having played right into their enemy's hands.
Qian Zhuang seethed with hatred.
Who the hell designed this damn Earthfire Formation?!
(End of Chapter)
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