Chapter 170: Escape_1
The Qian Family hadn’t yet broken open the cave entrance when all the Spirit Stones in the spiritual mines were already extracted.
And extracted thoroughly at that.
Elder Yu checked twice himself, then swept over the area with his Divine Sense twice more, and even had Mo Hua check with his Divine Sense once more, ensuring no Spirit Stones were left, before he felt at ease.
“Elder, do we make a run for it now?” Mo Hua asked with some anticipation.
He had been staying in the spiritual mines for a long time, hadn’t been home in a while, his Storage Bag of meat had run out, and even the treasured wine he was reluctant to drink was finished to the last drop.
Elder Yu swept his gaze over the spiritual mines once more and then decisively waved his hand, saying,
So nearly a thousand Monster Hunters, laden with Storage Bags and carrying Storage Boxes two by two, left in succession through another well-dug tunnel.
These Storage Bags and Storage Boxes had all been prepared by Elder Yu in advance.
The Storage Bags for those in the Qi Refinement Realm were the roughest in workmanship. Although convenient to carry, the space inside was very limited.
Storage Boxes were squarely made, with significantly more interior space, but they weren’t convenient to carry and were often used only when transporting large items.
Although the spiritual mines were small, the amount of Spirit Stones mined was not insignificant. It was only by gathering all the Storage Bags and Storage Boxes he could that Elder Yu was able to remove all the Spirit Stones.
Mo Hua followed behind his father, Mo Shan, moving step by step with the queue of Monster Hunters, eventually leaving the mine tunnel.
The exit of the mine tunnel was very secretive, chosen by Elder Yu after scrutinizing the map Mo Hua had drawn with great care.
After all, in the entire group of Monster Hunters, no one’s map was more detailed than the one Mo Hua had drawn.
Without Mo Hua’s map, Elder Yu wouldn’t have discovered this location either.
Once outside the mine tunnel, they were greeted by the outer mountains of Big Black Mountain.
Mo Hua immediately felt a wave of nostalgia.
Familiar peaks, dense forests, clouds of thin miasma, the soft earth and rocks underfoot, the faint and fresh smell of earth, as well as the mountain breeze that kept brushing across his cheeks, and the calls of Monster Beasts echoing through the mountains.
All of this lifted Mo Hua’s spirits, and the stuffiness of the mine dispersed in an instant.
Elder Yu still hadn’t let down his guard. Upon exiting the mine tunnel, he immediately said,
“Hurry! Let’s leave quickly. It will be troublesome if the Qian Family catches up!”
The Monster Hunters began hurrying on their way, striving to leave Big Black Mountain and return to Tongxian City before the Qian Family could catch up.
Once inside Tongxian City, the Qian Family wouldn’t dare to act rashly.
And for the Monster Hunters, there would be ten years without worries for food or clothing!
On the other hand, Qian Hong noticed something was amiss.
Because for several days, Elder Yu hadn’t scolded him.
Leaping to the midway point on the mountain slope where Elder Yu had appeared before, Qian Hong walked a few steps forward and discovered that this cave entrance had also been sealed off.
A chill ran down Qian Hong’s spine.
Why seal off this cave entrance?
Because they had finished mining the Spirit Stones and had run off!
There was no need anymore for the old scoundrel, Yu Changlin, to waste his breath here!
Qian Hong couldn’t stay calm any longer; he shouted urgently,
“Quick! Dig! This group of Monster Hunters has fled!”
It was already impossible to find the mine tunnel dug out by Yu Changlin within Big Black Mountain. Compared to the Monster Hunters who lived off the mountain, the Qian Family was far less acquainted with Black Mountain.
Their only plan now was to break through the sealed entrance. Only by going through the entrance could they find the mine tunnel that the Monster Hunters used to escape.
The Qian Family’s cultivators persistently chiseled at the stone wall, over and over again.
Every time they made a bit of progress chipping away, the Formation would repair itself a bit.
Qian Hong’s heart was burning with impatience, growing increasingly infuriated with the Formation Master who had drawn the Formation!
A Formation , one would have been enough, but you actually laid out three, inside and out!
How utterly shameless!
Finally, Qian Hong could no longer bear it and called over Qian Zhongxuan as well. Both of them, being in the Foundation Establishment Stage, joined forces. Their Spiritual Power surged like solidifying matter, as they forcibly broke the Formation and dismantled the stone wall at the entrance of the cave.
Even so, it took them nearly an hour.
Qian Hong hurriedly rushed into the mine, his Divine Sense sweeping the area, but there was not a trace of a Monster Hunter to be seen!
Not to mention the Monster Hunter, they didn’t even find a single Spirit Stone.
This was a Spiritual mine, yet it was mined clean!
Not a single Spirit Stone left!
Qian Hong cursed Yu Changlin thoroughly in his heart.
How stingy must one be, to mine a Spiritual mine as bare as a bone gnawed by a dog, not leaving a scrap of meat behind.
A Qian Family disciple came to report, “Family Head, a new mine tunnel has been discovered.”
Qian Hong immediately set out in haste, and indeed he found a new tunnel that had been dug, deeper and wider than the one meant to deceive them.
The entrance of this mine tunnel was also sealed with rubble, but only rubble, no Formation.
It must have been a hasty retreat, with no time to set one up.
Qian Hong struck with his palm, his surging Spiritual Power instantly scattering the rubble that sealed the entrance.
Qian Hong ordered in a stern voice, “All disciples, go after them immediately. If you see the Monster Hunter, show no mercy!”
Hearing this, the Qian Family cultivators all became solemn, no longer hesitating, and one by one they leaped into the mine tunnel, pursuing the Monster Hunter.
Halfway through their escape, Elder Yu suddenly felt something amiss. He took several leaping steps to the top of a ridge and looked back, his brows furrowing.
When Elder Yu came back down, Mo Hua asked,
“Has the Qian Family caught up with us?”
Elder Yu’s expression was serious as he nodded.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, “Didn’t the Taoist Court Official say that only Nameless Peak is designated for our conflict? Now that we’ve left Nameless Peak, wouldn’t they dare not take action?”
Elder Yu said, “The Qian Family has lost too much, now they are like a cornered animal. If they chase and kill us and win, they can swallow all the Spirit Stones. If they don’t, not only do they not earn a single Spirit Stone, they also lose their capital.”
Mo Hua became serious, “Then the Qian Family will certainly not let this go.”
Elder Yu nodded, “They’re like hungry wolves now, chasing after the scent of blood, wanting to devour our flesh. If they catch up to us, it’ll be a fight to the death.”
“So if we flee to Tongxian City, would that help?”
“Once we reach Tongxian City, they wouldn’t dare lay a hand on us. Even if they suffer a huge loss, they’ll have to swallow it themselves.”
Seeing Mo Hua’s confusion, Elder Yu further explained,
“Big Black Mountain is rather chaotic. If something happens there, the Taoist Court Official finds it difficult to manage. But Tongxian City is different. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Taoist Court Official, a place strictly governed by the Taoist Court’s orders—no disorder can ensue…”
“If the Qian Family dares to act within Tongxian City, at the very least, it means they do not take the Taoist Court Official seriously; at worst, it is contempt for Taoist Law, defiance of the Taoist Court! That would be a grave offence!”
Mo Hua still had some doubts, “But isn’t the Taoist Court Official in Tongxian City weak in terms of cultivators, not as powerful as the Qian Family? What would it matter if the Qian Family defied them?”
“You don’t understand,” said Elder Yu, raising his eyebrows, “the Taoist Court Official operates under the jurisdiction of the Taoist Court, upholding the Taoist Court’s authority, representing the Taoist Court’s dignity. If the Qian Family goes too far, the Taoist Court Official could petition the Taoist Court, request the dispatch of Taoist Soldiers, and directly suppress the entire Qian Family!”
Looking at Mo Hua, Elder Yu spoke slowly, “At that point, the whole Qian Family would be stripped of its rank, the Family Head executed for his crimes, the family assets confiscated, the legacy handed over, the clan members either killed, relocated, or exiled, and even allowed to change their surname at will, forbidden from using ‘Qian’ for life. The Qian Family in Tongxian City would cease to exist!”
Mo Hua listened, utterly shocked.