Chapter 243: Familiarity
Chapter 243: Familiarity
Mo Hua drew some arrays around them to guard Ji Li and prevent any other beasts or cultivators from approaching.
After a while, Mo Hua's spiritual sense stirred, and he sensed the arrival of another cultivator.
He extended his spiritual sense to perceive the newcomer and, relieved, called out, "Uncle Zhou, over here!"
Not far away were three demon hunters, led by Zhou Cheng, Zhou Daping's father.
They had followed the trail of fireworks to provide backup and, upon hearing the shout, hurried over. There, they saw Ji Li lying on the ground, his body covered in blood.
Zhou Cheng was startled by the sight and quickly asked, "How is he?"
"He's stable for now, but we must get him down the mountain quickly for treatment by Grandpa Feng," Mo Hua replied.
Zhou Cheng nodded and then asked Mo Hua, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Mo Hua shook his head.
Zhou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good."
With no time to lose, Zhou Cheng didn't linger and signaled for the others to carry Ji Li on a stretcher down the mountain.
Mo Hua waved goodbye and silently hoped, "I hope we're in time."
Ji Li was Ji Da-ge's only son.
Mo Hua didn't go down the mountain with them as he had something else to do.
The tall man in black still lay on the side, his figure pitiful and unconscious, seemingly not dead yet.
Mo Hua didn't have time to deal with him at the moment. He would wait for the other demon hunters to arrive and take the man back for questioning to find out his origins.
"Right, the storage bag."
Mo Hua suddenly remembered and ran to the man's side, pulling out a half-destroyed storage bag.
Without time to examine it carefully, Mo Hua kept the bag and took out the Si Nan Zi Mu compass. As he looked at it, he pondered:
"Ji Da-ge must have entered the mountain with Ji Uncle. If Ji Da-ge was chased and attacked, it means Ji Uncle is also in danger."
"And this tall man has profound cultivation and seems to have killed many. His accomplices are probably not easy to deal with either."
On the Si Nan Luo Pan, Mo Hua found his location and indeed saw a bright spot not far to the south.
This indicated that the battle was still ongoing.
Mo Hua's eyes turned cold as he put away the compass and headed south.
The location of the bright spot to the south was a small hill.
Shrubs grew all around, and fallen leaves piled up on the ground. Sparse, large trees spread their branches, blocking the sunlight, making the area beneath them deep and secluded.
When Mo Hua arrived, he indeed found Ji Qingbai and two other demon hunters fighting against three black-robed sinful cultivators.
In the alternating light and darkness, the flash of blades and the surge of spiritual power indicated that both sides were physical cultivators engaged in close-quarters combat, fighting fiercely.
The black-robed sinful cultivators had the upper hand, and Ji Qingbai's group was at a disadvantage, struggling to hold their ground and gradually becoming unable to withstand the pressure.
Mo Hua frowned.
Something was amiss.
The difference in cultivation and techniques between the two sides was not significant, and two of the demon hunters were even wearing iron armor.
Logically, with three against three, even if they were not winning, they shouldn't have been so overwhelmed.
Just then, Mo Hua saw a figure flash beside Ji Qingbai, and a blade glinted in the light.
In that critical moment, Ji Qingbai sensed the danger and barely dodged, but his arm was still cut open, blood flowing.
After the attack, the figure quickly moved away and gradually disappeared.
Ji Qingbai's brow furrowed, and his expression became even more solemn.
Mo Hua was slightly stunned.
Even though it was just a moment, he had seen the attacker.
The assailant wore black, was short in stature, and had malicious eyes.
And he was skilled in stealth...
Mo Hua had a guess, and as he released his spiritual sense, amidst the ethereal whiteness, the residual spiritual power of all things in nature appeared.
Behind the large tree, a light blue figure also emerged.
This figure was very familiar.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, and his eyes lit up, "So it's you!"
Previously, when the demon hunters were guarding the spirit mine, the Qian family had hired cultivators to cause trouble, including a stealth expert who had given the demon hunters a hard time.
Even if he wasn't dead, his injuries seemed severe.
The cultivator's current moves lacked the decisiveness and ruthlessness they once had, and his actions were now sluggish and uncoordinated.
His stealth technique was also greatly diminished, requiring him to rely on the cover of the large tree and the interplay of light and shadow to conceal his figure.
With three against three, Ji Qingbai's group shouldn't have been at such a disadvantage.
But with the stealth cultivator lurking nearby, the situation was entirely different.
They had to engage their opponents while also being vigilant against the stealth cultivator's sneak attacks. Any injury would only make their situation more passive.
And with the divine sense of an average Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, they wouldn't be able to see through the stealth technique, nor could they counter the stealth cultivator.
However, this wasn't a problem for Mo Hua.
In Mo Hua's divine sense, the stealth cultivator's figure was clearly visible, with nowhere to hide.
During the dispute over the spirit mine, he had fallen into Mo Hua's hands, and now that Mo Hua's divine sense had grown stronger, his stealth technique was like a thief ringing a bell to announce his presence—only fooling himself.
It was pure luck that he had escaped with his life from the demon hunters' frenzied knives before.
But this time, Mo Hua didn't plan on letting him get away.
However, the priority now was to save Ji Qingbai and the others.
Mo Hua hid in a corner beyond their divine sense and took out the bamboo tube, igniting the fireworks.
Then, he moved to two other locations and set off a firework at each spot.
Mo Hua resorted to his old trick, setting off fireworks to make the sinners retreat.
The rising fireworks also caught the attention of the sinners, causing both sides to pause.
But these sinners didn't seem to fall for the trick.
One of the sinners said, "These demon hunters set off fireworks for help earlier. If there really was someone, they would've come by now. This person is probably just putting on a show by hiding at the back. Let's finish them off quickly."
The other sinners nodded in agreement.
Ji Qingbai gritted his teeth and said through clenched teeth, "We have no grudge. Why must you go so far as to wipe us out?"
The sinner replied, "The Kong family is offering spirit stones for your heads. We've probably already gotten your son's head, and now we just need yours."
Ji Qingbai's expression turned desolate at these words.
"Stop wasting time. Kill them!" commanded the one-eyed sinner who seemed to be the leader.
Both sides stopped talking and resumed their battle, with each strike drawing blood and each punch landing on flesh. Their attacks became even more fierce.
Mo Hua felt helpless. These sinners weren't falling for his trick anymore.
If that was the case, he had no choice but to intervene and find a way to buy time.
There should be quite a few demon hunters nearby. As long as they saw the fireworks, they would probably come to reinforce them.
Mo Hua just needed to hold off the sinners until then.
On the small hill concealed by the large tree, Ji Qingbai and the two demon hunters were still barely holding on.
At the same time, the black-robed stealth cultivator had found an opportunity to make his move again.
He quietly approached Ji Qingbai under the cover of the trees.
Ji Qingbai thought that his son was unlikely to survive, so he fought desperately, exchanging injuries. Naturally, he exposed more openings.
The stealth cultivator's eyes shone with maliciousness as he seized the opportunity, aiming for a gap in Ji Qingbai's defenses and stabbing with his dagger.
The dagger's cold light flashed, and at this critical moment, a fireball technique suddenly appeared.
Just before the dagger could reach Ji Qingbai, the fireball struck the stealth cultivator's arm, interrupting his attack.
Then, the fireball exploded, and the red spiritual energy turned into flames, scorching his arm. A searing pain spread through his limb.
The stealth cultivator was caught off guard by the pain, and suddenly, he paused.
This scene... It felt so familiar.
(End of Chapter)
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