Chapter 432: Capturing
Chapter 432: Capturing
Bai Zisheng asked, "Should we just go for it?"
Mo Hua hesitated and shook his head, "Although Zhang Quan is injured and suffering from the backlash of the pills, his strength is greatly diminished. But this is his stronghold, and we should still prepare as much as possible."
As Mo Hua spoke, he took out several array plates.
On the plates was a soil prison array that Mo Hua had prepared in advance.
Ever since he witnessed Zhang Quan's earth escape technique, Mo Hua had been pondering how to counter it.
Being most skilled in arrays, it was only natural that he approached this problem from that angle.
This soil prison array was something he had recently learned, and he had spent time drawing it on the plates to counter Zhang Quan's earth escape technique.
Zhang Quan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This soil prison array was only first-grade, so its effectiveness in trapping the enemy would be greatly reduced.
However, in a battle of encirclement, being able to delay for even a moment could be enough to turn the tide of battle.
Although the mine was not large, it would require more array plates to seal it with an array.
Mo Hua then proceeded to draw several soil prison arrays on the ground with his own hands.
These arrays were unique in that the spiritual ink permeated the soil and rocks, causing the array patterns to merge with the earth itself. It was a technique Mo Hua had learned by observing the Grand Earth Array and contemplating the earth's innate patterns.
Using the earth as the medium, he drew arrays directly onto the ground.
These soil prison arrays, now one with the earth, had a more subtle aura and were more potent.
After finishing the preparations, Mo Hua discussed with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi the things to pay attention to when dealing with Zhang Quan:
"Don't let him take any more pills."
"As soon as he takes out a pill, interrupt him."
"Without the pills, Zhang Quan's physical body and spells are quite ordinary."
"Be mindful of his earth escape technique."
"If he tries to burrow underground, try to force him towards the soil prison arrays..."
"...They can hold him for a few moments, giving us the chance to beat him soundly!"
"Cultivation is treacherous, so we must not be too impulsive..."
"If things turn sour, we'll run and rethink our strategy."
...
After the discussion, Mo Hua said, "I'll go in first to take a look."
With his strong spiritual sense and even stronger stealth capabilities, Zhang Quan wouldn't be able to detect him.
However, although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also had strong spiritual senses, they were still in the Qi Refining realm. Relying solely on the cloaking abilities of their cloaks, they could easily be discovered by Zhang Quan's spiritual sense.
Bai Zisheng nodded.
Bai Zixi whispered, "Be careful."
"Mhm."
Mo Hua concealed his figure and lightened his steps, tiptoeing quietly into the abandoned mine.
The outside of the mine was chaotic, but the inside was even more so.
Abandoned mine tunnels, rusty mining carts, and broken rocks littered the floor.
The smell of rust, mustiness, foulness, and death hung heavy in the air.
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
Even a place like this couldn't deter Zhang Quan...
Could it be that the saying was true—after entering the fishmonger's shop, one no longer smells the fishy odor?
This mine was relatively small, and the shaft wasn't very deep.
After walking for a while, Mo Hua discovered Zhang Quan, his face pale as if "adding frost to snow," at the end of the mine shaft in a semi-enclosed stone room, cultivating to adjust his breath.
He seemed to be badly injured.
Mo Hua stroked his chin.
Should he make his move now?
But it would be dangerous to do so inside the mine shaft.
Moreover, this was Zhang Quan's hiding place, and Mo Hua hadn't had the chance to inspect it thoroughly, so he wasn't aware of any hidden tricks Zhang Quan might have prepared.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then quietly retreated outside.
He then began setting up the Earthfire Arrays on the stone walls surrounding the mine shaft.
The Earthfire Array was a handy array that Mo Hua had been using since the demon hunt on Great Black Mountain, and he was quite adept at using it.
It was an essential array for home defense, ambushing, and killing enemies.
Whenever he had free time, he would prepare some and store them in his storage bag.
Now, they would come in handy.
Mo Hua wanted to force Zhang Quan out.
Or, perhaps the mine shaft would collapse and bury Zhang Quan directly?
"Even the weakest Foundation Establishment cultivator probably won't be buried to death..."
Mo Hua wondered if he could use Zhang Quan to test that theory.
After setting up the Earthfire Arrays, he sneaked out of the mine shaft and whispered to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, "Let's move further away."
Bai Zisheng looked at him suspiciously, "What did you do?"
Mo Hua smiled slyly, "I prepared a welcome gift for Zhang Quan!"
The three of them ran to hide behind a large rock.
Mo Hua covered his ears, and although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi didn't know what was going on, they followed suit and covered their ears as well.
Soon, there was a loud rumbling explosion, and the mine shaft collapsed.
The commotion was loud.
But fortunately, this place was remote, and it was common to blast open mountains and mines, so it didn't attract the attention of other cultivators.
The mine shaft collapse kicked up thick clouds of dust.
When the dust settled, the entrance was blocked by large rocks.
Mo Hua was a little surprised.
Perhaps there was something unique about the mine shaft, with its mixed and dangerous aura, that amplified the power of the Earthfire Array beyond his expectations.
"Could we have blown him up?" Bai Zisheng asked.
Mo Hua wasn't sure either, "Probably not, it was just a first-grade Earthfire Array, and the mine shaft isn't that deep..."
Before he could finish his sentence, there was movement at the entrance of the mine shaft.
The noise grew louder, and soon, the rocks blocking the entrance were shattered as a disheveled cultivator with a dirty face and tattered clothes walked out.
He roared angrily, "Who is it? Who dares to ambush me?!"
This person was none other than Zhang Quan, the Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In the instant that the Earthfire Array exploded, he had sensed it and tried to escape, but he was still blocked by the falling rocks.
However, the Earthfire Array's power was amplified within the mine shaft, and although it wasn't lethal, it had charred his skin black, left his ears ringing, and left him in a sorry state.
This mine was his hiding place.
In his rage, Zhang Quan couldn't think of who could have found him or dared to scheme against him.
Moreover, they had used arrays!
Arrays weren't something that ordinary cultivators could learn.
Just then, Zhang Quan suddenly started.
His peripheral vision had caught a glimpse of a golden light behind him.
That golden light was very familiar.
Zhang Quan turned abruptly and saw a white-robed young boy, along with his spear, and the dazzling golden light at its tip.
A golden light flashed, and the spear lunged out like a dragon.
Bai Zisheng's spear move was fierce as he aimed straight for Zhang Quan's throat.
Zhang Quan's face drained of color as he was taken aback.
It was the young boy from the Hundred Flowers Tower!
He panicked.
Back at the Hundred Flowers Tower, he had taken the Corpse Blood Pill, enhancing his cultivation and barely managing to suppress this white-robed young cultivator.
Now, with his severe injuries and the backlash from the pill, he was sure to be no match for the young boy.
Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua were like brothers, having spent a lot of time together. Although they bickered occasionally, they were very much in sync.
As soon as Mo Hua's fireball flew out, Bai Zisheng's eyes flickered.
Just as the fireball hit the ground, Bai Zisheng thrust his spear forward.
Blood seeped into the ground, and several mottled furrows appeared, extending outward to reveal Zhang Quan's disheveled figure.
Zhang Quan clutched his bleeding shoulder, his eyes red with fury.
He was all too familiar with this fireball attack!
That despicable little brat! So treacherous!
Zhang Quan scanned his surroundings and spotted Mo Hua sitting cross-legged on a large rock in the distance, watching him with a mocking expression.
"It was you!" Zhang Quan's eyes narrowed with rage.
Mo Hua nodded, "Yes, it was me."
Zhang Quan clenched his teeth, his heart suddenly trembling as he turned pale. "Was that needle your doing?"
Mo Hua asked, puzzled, "How did you figure it out?"
Zhang Quan remained silent.
It was only when he had escaped through the secret passage and changed his clothes that he discovered the needle on his garment.
He couldn't understand the purpose of the needle, but his years of cultivation experience told him that such objects must be disposed of, so he destroyed and discarded it.
And yet, here he was, having hidden himself in this remote mine, only to be found again.
It was clear now that the needle had been used to track him.
And these three young cultivators were the ones who had tracked him down.
That needle must have been their doing.
Among them, the youngest, the innocent-looking but cunning little cultivator, was undoubtedly the mastermind behind the needle.
Zhang Quan seethed with hatred.
He wanted to rush over and slaughter Mo Hua on the spot.
But then his eyes fell on Bai Zixi, standing beside Mo Hua.
The beautiful young girl with an icy demeanor held a shimmering sword, surrounded by white fire.
Back at the Hundred Flowers Tower, it was the golden light of this sword that had pierced through his iron corpse's skin bag.
Zhang Quan felt apprehensive and couldn't help but curse, "Despicable brat, taking advantage of your strength to bully others! If you have the guts, come and face me directly instead of hiding and ambushing!"
Mo Hua was shocked by his words. "How can you, a cultivator of your age, be so shameless as to challenge a young cultivator like me who is barely ten years old..."
"Do you think I'm as stupid as you?" Zhang Quan retorted bitterly.
At that moment, Bai Zisheng thrust his spear forward again.
Zhang Quan dodged awkwardly, and after a few exchanges, he began to feel overwhelmed.
Still recovering from his severe injuries, he knew he wouldn't last long in this battle of attrition.
Mustering all his strength, Zhang Quan took a direct hit from Bai Zisheng's spear. He then used his palm to send Bai Zisheng flying before escaping underground once more, fleeing from the mine.
However, he hadn't fled far when he noticed strange changes in the earth, forming a lattice that turned into a cage, trapping him.
Zhang Quan was stunned.
What was this now?
The earth prison array trapped Zhang Quan, who desperately tried to break free. After a few breaths, he managed to break the array and escape.
But Bai Zisheng was hot on his trail, engaging him once more.
Zhang Quan tried to flee again, only to be trapped and pursued by Bai Zisheng yet again.
After several such encounters, Zhang Quan realized what was happening.
It was an array!
There were array plates buried in the ground nearby.
They were using arrays to counter his Earth Escape technique.
What a brilliant strategy!
Zhang Quan's heart sank, but he remained calm.
Now that he knew it was an array, he could deal with it.
Although he didn't understand arrays, he had experience dealing with them.
Moreover, he often interacted with array masters.
The earth-based arrays in this area used array plates as their medium, and since the plates were visible on the ground, he could simply avoid stepping on them to evade the arrays.
Zhang Quan dove underground, choosing a direction without any array plates, and fled.
However, to his surprise, he found himself trapped once more.
This time, the earth-based array was slightly stronger, and it held him captive for a little longer.
This array was fused with the earth, exuding a profound aura.
It was as if the will of the earth itself wanted to confine him.
Zhang Quan's face twisted with shock.
What sorcery was this? How could they set up such an array?
He had no idea who had laid this array or how it had merged with the earth.
As he stood there, bewildered, Bai Zisheng's spear found its mark again, piercing his back.
Zhang Quan's heart sank, and he gritted his teeth against the pain, his shame turning to anger.
How could he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, be subjected to such humiliation at the hands of these young cultivators in the Qi Refining realm? They had chased him relentlessly, like a cornered dog, scrambling for his life.
Zhang Quan appeared above ground, blood flowing from his wounds.
His expression was sinister and ferocious.
"I will kill you all!" he snarled.
Zhang Quan took out a blood-patterned bronze pill bottle.
Even if the pill backfired and drove him insane, he would take it to kill these young cultivators!
But Bai Zisheng was ready for him. As soon as Zhang Quan reached for the pill bottle, Bai Zisheng struck, slashing his palm with his spear and sending the bottle flying.
Zhang Quan was both startled and furious, his face contorting with disbelief.
You bastards! Are you really not going to give me a single chance?!
Every tactic he used, be it his escape technique or the corpse pill, was anticipated and countered!
Bai Zisheng, clad in white, stood tall and proud, his spear pointed at Zhang Quan. With a clear voice, he declared, "Show me everything you've got!"
These were the words Mo Hua had told him to say, instructing him to strike a pose that exuded arrogance and disdain.
Zhang Quan's face turned even paler, but his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.
With his back against the wall, he had nothing left to hide.
"I never intended to show these things to any living person..." Zhang Quan's voice dripped with venomous malice.
Bai Zisheng frowned slightly, and Mo Hua's gaze sharpened.
Suddenly, amidst the silent mine, a startling bell tolled.
As the bell rang, an eerie wind blew through the area.
The surrounding mountains trembled, and rocks tumbled down, revealing dozens of black coffins hidden among the rubble.
Scratching sounds emanated from within the coffins, as if something inside was awakening...
(End of Chapter)
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