https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-172-Covering-the-Rear-Part-Five-/12540981/
Chapter 173: Ambush
Chapter 173: Ambush
"Yu Changlin, when did the Hunter Alliance ever have such a formidable formation master? I'd like to see him," Qian Hong said coldly.
Elder Yu feigned ignorance. "What formation master? I don't see anyone here."
Qian Hong's eyelids twitched. "Then what is this formation under our feet?"
Elder Yu replied nonchalantly, "How am I supposed to know? I just passed by and noticed something on the ground."
Qian Hong's anger rose. "You old fool, don't play dumb with me!"
Elder Yu remained unperturbed. "And you, old turtle, don't put on a show for me!"
Qian Hong seethed with resentment, but he knew this wasn't the time to engage in a war of words with Yu Changlin.
Yu Changlin would be delighted to argue all day and night, stalling until the hunters entered the city with the spirit mine. By then, the Qian family would be powerless to stop them.
The Earthfire Formation was deadly to Qi Refining cultivators, but it posed less of a threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
With the situation becoming urgent, Qian Hong had no choice but to take the lead and venture through the mountain path to locate the formation.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, he suddenly sensed that someone was observing him with their spiritual sense, seemingly intending to strike.
Alarmed, Qian Hong looked up and asked, "Yu Changlin, what do you mean by this?"
Elder Yu's eyes were sharp as swords, but his tone remained casual. "I don't mean anything."
Qian Hong narrowed his eyes. "Are you planning to make a move?"
Elder Yu spread his hands innocently. "Where do you see me making a move?"
"You just now focused your spiritual sense on me with malicious intent," Qian Hong accused, his teeth clenched in anger.
Yu Changlin scoffed, "Then you have an overly active imagination. This is how I usually look at people. If you feel threatened, that's your problem."
Qian Hong felt the chilling intent in Elder Yu's gaze, but the latter remained unfazed.
Qian Zhongxuan whispered, "That old fool is just trying to buy time. Don't fall for his tricks, Patriarch."
Qian Hong was well aware of that, but he couldn't think of a better solution.
Qian Zhongxuan suggested, "Why don't you lead the way, Patriarch, and I'll provide cover for you. We can find the location of the Earthfire Formation together."
Qian Hong gave him a cold glance. "Why should I go first while you provide cover? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
Qian Zhongxuan's face reddened slightly as he replied, "You forget, Patriarch, that you have already taken full responsibility for this matter. After my repeated failures and heavy losses, I no longer have the qualifications to interfere."
Qian Hong cursed Qian Zhongxuan's shamelessness in his mind.
There was no telling what kind of trap Yu Changlin had set up ahead. If he went to investigate and Yu Changlin ambushed him midway, he would be seriously injured, if not killed.
Then, when Qian Zhongxuan came to his rescue, not only would the credit go to him, but he would also owe Qian Zhongxuan a favor.
Qian Zhongxuan was hoping for exactly that—for Qian Hong to be ambushed by Yu Changlin. Ideally, Qian Hong would be left on the brink of death or seriously injured.
Each man had his own scheme, and neither was willing to make the first move.
Just then, Qian Zhuang stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "May I attempt it, Patriarch?"
His tone was respectful, but he couldn't hide his excitement.
His moment to shine had finally come! He was very familiar with the Earthfire Formation. Although he had suffered greatly because of it in the past, he had also successfully broken through it.
Even though breaking the formation had resulted in heavy losses and even a major demerit for him, this opportunity could turn that demerit into a major merit if he played his cards right.
Qian Hong frowned. "Do you have a plan?"
"I have broken through this Earthfire Formation before!" Qian Zhuang asserted.
"A Qi Refining cultivator managed to break it?" Qian Hong asked skeptically.
"Indeed!" Qian Zhuang confirmed.
Intrigued, Qian Hong prompted, "Tell me more."
Qian Zhuang explained the method he had used to break the formation previously. After listening, Qian Hong nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense."
Qian Zhuang's face lit up with joy.
"I still have about a dozen sets of iron armor here. Go and select some cultivators with Earth-attribute spirit roots. The tougher, the better. The faster you are, the greater the merit I will record for you!" Qian Hong instructed.
Qian Zhuang's face beamed with happiness as he replied, "Yes!"
Soon, over a dozen Qi Refining cultivators at the ninth layer, with Earth-attribute spirit roots and robust physiques, were selected from the Qian family.
He believed that once they cleared all the formations, the path ahead would be smooth, leaving the hunters nowhere to flee, and he would be hailed as a hero.
Such were the thoughts of Qian Zhuang.
However, his hopes were shattered as soon as the first Earthfire Formation detonated.
Accompanied by a loud explosion, the scarlet flames flickered and died out, leaving behind charred smoke. Violent spiritual power rippled outward.
The armored Qian cultivators were engulfed by the flames and then hurled backward by the surging spiritual power, their bodies rolling on the ground as they curled up in excruciating pain.
Half of his body was charred black, soaked in blood, and his iron armor was riddled with cracks!
The onlookers gasped, and Qian Zhuang stood there, dumbfounded.
Something was wrong!
Why was it so much more powerful?!
This wasn't the Earthfire Formation I broke before! Qian Hong glanced at the injured Qian cultivator and then at Qian Zhuang, his icy gaze as cold as if he were looking at a dead fish.
Qian Zhuang's back was drenched in cold sweat, and he knew he was in deep trouble.
If he hadn't tried to take credit for this, things might have been better, but now he had rushed headlong into danger.
Initially, he had wanted to impress the clan leader and turn his previous demerit into a merit, but now, not only had he lost that opportunity, but the demerit would also likely be doubled.
Qian Zhongxuan also shot a cold glance at Qian Zhuang before turning to Qian Hong and saying, "Clan Leader, our only option now is to charge through."
Qian Hong glanced at Qian Zhongxuan, "How do we do that? You've seen the power of the formation. Even if Late Qi Refining cultivators charge through, they'll be heavily injured, if not killed."
Qian Zhongxuan's eyes flickered, "This mountain path isn't that wide. We only need a hundred or two hundred cultivators to rush through and trigger all the Earthfire Formations. After that, the path will be clear for the rest of us."
Qian Hong's heart sank, and his gaze toward Qian Zhongxuan turned even colder.
He was being pressured into making a ruthless decision.
With nearly two thousand people, only a hundred or two hundred would be needed to break these formations.
The question was, how to choose those one or two hundred?
Or rather, who would be sent to their deaths?
If this could be done in secret, it would be fine, but with so many Qian Clan disciples watching, if he dared to do such a thing, he could forget about remaining as the clan leader.
Qian Hong gritted his teeth and said, "I am the clan leader, so I should lead the charge and break this Earthfire Formation. Elder Qian, please fight alongside me to prevent Yu Changlin from taking advantage of the situation."
Qian Zhongxuan pretended to hesitate.
Qian Hong quickly added, "This time, your mistake can be forgiven."
Qian Zhongxuan's eyebrows rose, "Really?"
"Yes!"
Qian Zhongxuan bowed respectfully and said, "As an elder of the Qian Clan, I will face this danger together with the clan leader!"
Qian Hong felt like spitting, but he forced a smile and said, "We must not delay. While we deal with the formations, we must also be wary of an ambush by Yu Changlin."
"Good!"
Thus, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, both Foundation Establishment cultivators, joined forces and used their agility techniques to trigger the Earthfire Formations along the mountain path.
The two figures weaved through the path, setting off explosions, flames, and spiritual power ripples.
When the explosions finally ceased, and the flames and smoke dissipated, the two men stopped.
However, they were both in a miserable state, their clothes tattered, their faces smeared with soot, and their internal organs aching from the spiritual power shocks, barely managing to hold back the mouthful of blood that threatened to spill out.
Even for Foundation Establishment cultivators, bathing in a top-grade Earthfire Formation was no trivial matter.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
