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Chapter 186: A Solution
Chapter 186: A Solution
The Qian family continued to harass them in the following days.
Elder Yu captured each perpetrator, beat them until they vomited blood, and then dumped them at the Qian family's doorstep, demanding compensation in the form of spirit stones.
However, the Qian family remained undeterred, and Elder Yu eventually found himself unable to keep watch constantly.
It was like trying to catch mice; one after another, it was tedious and disgusting. If he missed even one, there would be trouble.
Some craftsmen were injured, some buildings were destroyed, and several formations were vandalized, delaying the entire project.
Elder Yu could only instruct the demon hunters to keep watch day and night, keeping a close eye on the members of the Qian family to prevent any further mischief.
But for such a large alchemy shop, not yet fully constructed and with gaps everywhere, it was easy to cause trouble but difficult to guard against it.
The Qian family's cultivators acted like thieves. They would smash one area and then move to another. By the time the demon hunters arrived, the culprits would have already fled.
And it was impossible for the demon hunters to maintain a constant vigil, exhausting so many people unnecessarily.
Elder Yu couldn't help but feel irritated by the situation.
Mo Huo was also unhappy. Whenever the Qian family caused trouble, either Elder Yu would have to intervene, or the demon hunters would stop them. Mo Huo never got the chance to take action himself.
But with the Qian family's antics, the formations that Mo Huo had just finished drawing were often damaged, forcing him to redo them.
After several such incidents, as Elder Yu grew more and more frustrated, Mo Huo also reached his limit.
"We have to get rid of these mice, or we'll never be able to live in this house!" Mo Huo said to Elder Yu, handing him some Earthfire Arrays. These arrays were not top-grade, containing only seven array patterns, but they should be enough to deal with the troublemakers who came to cause trouble.
Mo Huo also modified the architectural array map, adding a Parent-Offspring Compass Array around the originally planned arrays.
With this modification, any combat or spiritual energy fluctuations would immediately alert the demon hunters, who could then rush to provide support. Even if the Qian family's cultivators were just smashing things and not using spiritual energy, they would still be quickly discovered.
By separating the demon hunters and stationing them in different areas, with a few squads holding the Compass Mother Array and patrolling in coordination, the Qian family would have no opportunity to take advantage.
With everything arranged, Mo Huo spent two days drawing the Compass Parent-Offspring Array first, then explaining the function of the Compass Array to the patrolling demon hunters. After that, he didn't need to worry about anything else.
However, he still had to redraw some of the damaged formations.
Mo Huo sighed and could only calm down to continue drawing the formations.
As night fell, Qian Shunzhi led a group of Qian family disciples and some local ruffian cultivators, hiding behind a mound at a distance from the alchemy shop.
The surrounding vegetation blocked their view, making it unlikely for them to be discovered.
Although they had suffered some losses during these days, their achievements were also considerable.
With these casualties, they had delayed the construction of the alchemy shop. At least, Elder Qian had acknowledged their efforts, and the head of the family had rewarded them with a lot of spirit stones.
This boosted their morale.
"We are shedding blood and sacrificing for the Qian family," Qian Shunzhi said. "The family will not forget us, and the head will reward us. As long as we succeed, all of us will have a lot of spirit stones!"
The crowd of Qian family disciples and ruffian cultivators, having tasted the sweetness of success, nodded in agreement.
Qian Shunzhi continued, "Follow the previous plan. Attack if you can, smash things if you can, and retreat if the situation looks bad."
The group divided into teams and hid, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the alchemy shop and cause chaos.
Everything proceeded as usual, and the Qian family cultivators were now adept at this routine.
Just then, an explosion sounded, and firelights blossomed in the night.
Several Qian family cultivators had stepped on the Earthfire Arrays.
Those with higher cultivation levels were not seriously injured, but they still experienced pain all over their bodies, dizziness, and a ringing in their ears.
Qian Shunzhi was shocked and took a sharp breath, feeling a chill run down his spine.
It was the Earthfire Array!
He hadn't been present during the battle between the Qian family and the demon hunters over the spirit mine, but he had heard from fellow disciples who had participated that there was a formation master among the demon hunters who knew how to set up Earthfire Arrays.
The Earthfire Array was extremely powerful, covert, insidious, and unpredictable. It was nearly impossible to defend against.
The Qian family had suffered greatly from this array, not just once but on multiple occasions.
"What do we do now?" Qian Shunzhi asked, his thoughts racing as he considered their options in this urgent situation.
They had also caused trouble here a couple of days ago, but there had been no Earthfire Arrays on the ground at that time. Apparently, these arrays had been set up recently, and there shouldn't be too many of them yet.
If they didn't take action now, they would be giving the demon hunters time to set up more arrays. In a few days, the place would be filled with traps, and going there would be akin to walking into a death trap.
However, while Qian Shunzhi was willing to take the gamble, the other Qian family cultivators were hesitant.
Especially those who had participated in the battle for the spirit mine, who had either been blasted by the Earthfire Array themselves or had witnessed their companions being blown up, or at the very least, had seen the head of the family suffer from its effects.
They still had fresh memories of the array's power and were traumatized by it, making them reluctant to act rashly.
Even though the current Earthfire Arrays only had seven array patterns and, for convenience, didn't even have a backup array drawn in ink.
But the mere sight of the Earthfire Array was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the Qian family disciples, leaving them too intimidated to think straight.
Qian Shunzhi had no choice but to lead by example.
As a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, even if he stepped on an array, his injuries shouldn't be too severe.
Qian Shunzhi gritted his teeth and took the lead, followed by his subordinates. With bated breath and utmost caution, they stepped forward, trying to avoid any potentially dangerous spots on the ground. However, their careful movements were futile, as they had no idea where the arrays were hidden.
Each step they took was a gamble.
Their apparent caution was merely an act, as they were essentially stumbling in the dark.
Fortunately, Qian Shunzhi's gamble paid off, and he managed to avoid stepping on any arrays.
However, one of his subordinates wasn't so lucky. In their panic, they failed to follow Qian Shunzhi's exact footsteps and misstepped, landing directly on an Earthfire Array.
Qian Shunzhi was engulfed by the array and experienced its power firsthand.
The explosion of spiritual energy rocked his body, causing his blood to surge and his head to spin.
Parts of his skin were charred black, with blood oozing from the burnt flesh.
While the seven-pattern Earthfire Array wasn't lethal to him, it was still extremely uncomfortable, and the sudden pain and injury were enough to leave a lasting impression.
Qian Shunzhi finally understood why some of the family disciples paled at the mention of the Earthfire Array and why they carried psychological scars from their encounters with it.
The explosion attracted the attention of the demon hunters, who rushed over and launched an attack, seemingly frustrated by the repeated harassment. They showed no mercy in their assault.
The Qian family cultivators couldn't withstand the onslaught and fled in disarray.
Qian Shunzhi limped back to the Qian family compound and reported the incident with the Earthfire Arrays to the elders.
While he could handle arranging sneak attacks, dealing with formation techniques was beyond his capabilities.
The elders consoled Qian Shunzhi and then informed the head of the family, Qian Hong, about the situation.
Upon hearing the words "Earthfire Array," Qian Hong's anger flared.
"Again with the Earthfire Array! Can't they come up with something new?" he fumed.
Qian Hong sought out Master Qian, the family's most accomplished formation expert, to inquire about a method to counter the arrays.
(End of Chapter)
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