Chapter 173: Escape_1
Qian Hong had never felt such humiliation in his entire life.
As the Family Head of the Qian Family, he was always respected and held in high esteem; his demeanor was commanding. But now, he was forced to clear a path through an Earth Fire Formation for a group of Qi Refinement disciples, ending up disheveled and in a wretched state.
This appearance seemed to display his incompetence, causing him to feel utterly disgraced!
Qian Zhongxuan also felt humiliated, but because Qian Hong was right beside him, looking even more humiliated, he suddenly felt not so humiliated anymore.
Qian Hong coughed, forcefully swallowing the fresh blood that surged up his throat, and angrily said to the cultivators of the Qian Family behind him:
“What are you waiting for? Chase them now!”
Hearing this, the Qian Family cultivators finally set off in pursuit.
Qian Hong just heaved a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt an overpowering strength coming from behind. A chill ran down his spine, and he turned around to clash palms forcefully.
When the spiritual power of two Foundation Establishment cultivators collided, it instantly created a tumultuous shockwave. Qian Hong’s arm went numb; the opponent’s spiritual power had penetrated his palm, causing a piercing pain.
Qian Hong staggered backward four or five steps before coming to a stop.
The Qian Family cultivators sensing the disturbance, stopped in their tracks and looked towards Qian Hong.
Qian Hong shouted fiercely, “Go after the Monster Hunter! Cut off the Spirit Stones! Don’t let them escape!”
The Qian Family cultivators paused for a moment before getting up and crossing the mountain trail, continuing the chase.
Qian Hong’s gaze was icy as he looked at the person who had ambushed him and said, “Yu Changlin, you’re shameless to the extreme, resorting to a sneak attack!”
“What sneak attack?” Elder Yu looked genuinely puzzled. “I just wanted to tap your shoulder and greet you, but instead, you hit me with a palm strike. Judging others by your own wicked standards. It’s you who are truly shameless.”
“You wouldn’t think to single-handedly take down two of our Qian Family’s Foundation Building cultivators, would you?” Qian Hong said coldly.
Qian Zhongxuan also stood beside Qian Hong, vigilant.
“What nonsense,” Elder Yu said with an ambiguous smile. “We all agreed that those in Foundation Establishment would not intervene. I am a man who keeps his word and won’t breach the agreement.”
Qian Hong saw through Elder Yu’s intentions and scoffed:
“Even if you hold back both of us Foundation Building cultivators, once my Qian Family cultivators catch up with you, you won’t be able to escape even if you had wings.”
“Well, that remains to be seen,” Elder Yu said with a smile that was not quite a smile. “Let’s talk about it when you catch up.”
Meanwhile, not far ahead, Mo Hua was directing about a dozen Monster Hunters to set up a first-grade Earth Fire Formation.
Mo Hua hadn’t used up all of the Earth Fire Formation at once, keeping some in reserve.
Always keep an ace up your sleeve—that’s what Elder Yu taught him.
The Earth Fire Formation they had just set up had blocked the Qian Family’s main forces and had worn down the condition of the Qian Family’s Foundation Building cultivators, allowing Elder Yu to hold them off more easily.
The current Earth Fire Formation was meant to intimidate them, to deter them from advancing recklessly and to delay their progress.
After experiencing the earlier Earth Fire Formation, the Qian Family cultivators became aware of its power.
And a first-grade Earth Fire Formation that could injure Foundation Building cultivators was enough to chill the courage of these Qi Refinement Realm cultivators from the Qian Family.
More than a dozen Monster Hunters tasked with covering the retreat were laying Earth Fire Formations along the Qian Family’s inevitable path as they withdrew.
Using the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua ran about, surveying the terrain and looking for suitable places to bury the formation, with Mo Shan closely following him.
The pursuing Qian Family cultivators soon triggered another Earth Fire Formation.
Flames erupted, spiritual power surged, and amid the explosion, came the cries of the cultivators.
How could there still be Earth Fire Formations?
The Qian Family cultivators were both suspicious and fearful as they stopped in their tracks.
A few leading cultivators either chided or tempted the others with some words, and the group hesitantly continued forward.
But they hadn’t gone far when another explosion sounded.
The Qian Family cultivators halted again in fear and confusion. After a pause to rally their spirits, they continued the pursuit, but it wasn’t long before they triggered yet another Earth Fire Formation.
And so, along the way, with flames suddenly flaring up, the Qian Family cultivators didn’t suffer many injuries, but the torment they endured in their hearts was excruciating.
After all, no one knew where the next explosion would occur, or who the next victim would be.
With hesitation in their hearts, their steps inevitably slowed down.
Every step was taken with trepidation, and with each step completed, there was a sense of relief from having narrowly escaped disaster.
Gradually, all the Qian Family cultivators developed a fear of the Earth Fire Formation, and their pace slowed considerably.
Qian Zhuang and a few others tried to motivate or threaten them, but it was all in vain.
So they continued on, stopping and going, their progress slow.
By the time the Qian Family cultivators finally caught a distant glimpse of the Monster Hunters’ large group, the Monster Hunters had already left Big Black Mountain with their storage bags and boxes full of Spirit Stones.
By the time the Qian Family cultivators emerged from Big Black Mountain, the Monster Hunters had successively entered Tongxian City.
Mo Hua followed at the end of the Monster Hunters’ team, entering the city last.
In front of him was the grand entrance to Tongxian City, and behind him the Qian Family cultivators hurriedly pursued with a fierce momentum.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. After such a long and chaotic battle and standoff, they had finally successfully harvested the spiritual mines and shaken off the pursuit of the Qian Family, escaping to safety.
The Monster Hunters had already entered Tongxian City. No matter how anxious the Qian Family was, they were helpless now.
When Mo Hua came back to his senses, he realized Elder Yu was already standing by his side.
Elder Yu’s clothes were torn in several places, and he’d expended a lot of spiritual power. He glared at Mo Hua, and seeing he was unharmed, finally relaxed a bit.
At the same time, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan also arrived.
Having been delayed by Yu Changlin all the way, they looked somewhat weary, but what was even harder for them to accept was the scene before their eyes.
The Monster Hunters were adorned with storage bags and carrying storage boxes two by two, walking safely and openly into Tongxian City!
Those storage bags and boxes contained Spirit Stones!
Newly mined Spirit Stones!
They were supposed to belong to the Qian Family!
Qian Hong was seething with rage.
After investing so much time, so many Spirit Stones, and so much manpower, the Qian Family had come away with nothing, having been thwarted at the last moment.
He himself was in a disgraceful state, disheveled and humiliated.
This was the greatest defeat since he’d taken over as the Family Head!
Overcome with an intense mixture of anger and frustration, Qian Hong’s expression twisted as he bellowed,
“Yu Changlin! You old coot! I won’t let you off! I will flay you a thousand times over!”
“And that Formation Master of yours, I will make sure to find him and tear him limb from limb! To quell the rage in my heart!”
Elder Yu was not intimidated by Qian Hong’s threats. After all these years, threats from the Qian Family were nothing new to him. If he truly feared the Qian Family, he would never have opposed them.
However, he was somewhat concerned for Mo Hua; although he could ensure Mo Hua’s safety, he was afraid that Mo Hua might be scared.
When Elder Yu turned his head to look at Mo Hua, he saw not a trace of worry or fear on his face; instead, Mo Hua was snickering.
Elder Yu couldn’t help himself and asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Mo Hua blinked and said in a low voice, “The old tortoise’s shell has cracked.”
Elder Yu frowned, not quite understanding, until he looked up again and saw Qian Hong, disheveled and furious, with his clothes torn and his expression distorted. He then got the joke.
Qian Hong, who always kept his emotions concealed, now had completely lost his composure. Looking disheveled and twisted with rage, he was cursing loudly like a fishwife.
Having dealt with Qian Hong for so long, Elder Yu had never seen him in such a state of utter disarray.
Elder Yu couldn’t help but laugh out loud as well, then he shouted back at Qian Hong,
“Qian Hong, you old tortoise, with your shell cracked you might as well tuck your head in and roll on home. Don’t embarrass yourself any further here!”