Mo Hua asked Elder Yu, "Elder, how long do we have to guard the spirit mine?"
Elder Yu took a sip of wine, thought for a moment, and said, "Not sure."
Mo Hua didn’t quite understand.
Elder Yu explained, "At this rate, the Qian family is bound to lose. Even Qian Zhongxuan, that old guy, can't turn the tide. But this is a spirit mine, and the Qian family won’t give up easily. They’ll probably come up with other plans."
Mo Hua nodded.
In the following days, the Qian family remained quiet, not making any significant moves.
Until one early morning, before dawn, in the misty twilight, a large group of various cultivators entered Dahei Mountain and gathered at the base of Nameless Peak to meet Elder Qian.
Qian Zhuang then understood what Elder Qian meant by "even if it costs a fortune."
He really did spend a fortune, hiring a large group of late-stage Qi cultivators from outside Tongxian City.
When Elder Yu received the news, he widened his eyes, saying, "Qian Zhongxuan, that bastard, he really went all out."
Mo Hua asked, "Elder, where did these cultivators come from?"
"They were hired from outside the city with spirit stones. These cultivators usually wander around; whoever pays them, they work for. They only recognize spirit stones, not people. But hiring them costs a lot of spirit stones. Qian Zhongxuan must be bleeding money."
"Can we defeat them?"
"We’ll see." Elder Yu sighed.
Both sides began to line up again, but now the originally uniform silver-white robes of the Qian family cultivators were mixed with various other cultivators. Their appearances and outfits were diverse, making the formation look somewhat disorderly.
Elder Yu called out, "Qian Zhongxuan, can your mixed-up team handle this?"
Qian Zhongxuan's eyelid twitched, "Old bastard, stop with the sharp tongue!"
"Must have cost you a lot of spirit stones..." Elder Yu tutted, "Cutting your own flesh to drive away wolves, you've got guts."
Qian Zhongxuan didn’t want to speak. He had indeed spent a fortune, and thinking about it made his heart bleed.
"We agreed beforehand, this is a battle for the spirit mine between your Qian family and us demon hunters. Do these hired cultivators count as your Qian family’s cultivators?" Elder Yu questioned loudly.
Qian Zhongxuan snorted, "I paid them spirit stones, so they are part of the Qian family."
Elder Yu spat, "Then if I sleep with your mother and pay her spirit stones, does that make her mine?"
"You!" Qian Zhongxuan was so angry he couldn't speak.
Elder Yu didn’t let up, "So by that logic, I’m your cheap old man now? Ungrateful son, come over and kowtow to your dad! Haha!"
The demon hunters roared with laughter.
Qian Zhongxuan’s defenses were completely breached. He pointed forward with a trembling finger, "Kill them for me!!"
Elder Yu also stopped laughing, his voice low, "Kill!"
Both sides’ momentum surged instantly, and a fierce battle was imminent.
After a brief skirmish, Elder Yu observed the situation, frowning slightly.
The Qian family cultivators were still not to be feared, but these hired cultivators were very troublesome.
The demon hunters were battle-hardened, but mostly against demon beasts. The hired cultivators, accustomed to taking on other cultivators, had all sorts of insidious and strange tactics, making them difficult to deal with.
"Elder Yu, can we win?" Mo Hua asked worriedly.
Elder Yu pondered for a moment and said, "We should be able to."
He explained, "These hired cultivators seem troublesome because we’re not familiar with their tactics. Once we get used to them, it’ll be easier."
"Demon hunters have long hunted demons, fighting side by side with great teamwork, giving us an advantage in group battles. Plus, we have the Iron Armor. As long as they can’t break through our Iron Armor, we will have the upper hand."
Mo Hua nodded, feeling relieved.
At first, the demon hunters were indeed overwhelmed by the hired cultivators, but once they adapted, the situation gradually stabilized.
The demon hunters, wearing Iron Armor, moved like they were in an empty field. Although they killed slowly, wherever they went, neither Qian family cultivators nor hired cultivators could withstand their might.
Gradually, the Qian family’s formation revealed more flaws, slowly being suppressed by the demon hunters.
Watching the demon hunters in Iron Armor, Qian Zhongxuan’s expression remained calm, but a cold smile appeared on his lips.
At the same time, Mo Hua sensed something amiss with his spiritual awareness. He focused on the battlefield.
He saw a demon hunter in Iron Armor suddenly get his throat slashed, blood gushing out. The demon hunter clutched his throat, half-kneeling, as the surrounding hired cultivators swarmed like hungry wolves.
Fortunately, Yu Chengyi was nearby, rescuing the demon hunter with Mo Shan’s help. Together, they managed to save him.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief but felt a sudden surge of doubt.
What just happened?
He saw nothing, only the demon hunter’s throat being cut.
Although the Iron Armor was sturdy, it didn’t cover the entire body. Vulnerable spots like the neck, eyes, and joints were still exposed. In a direct confrontation, these could be guarded against, but the earlier attack was undetectable.
Mo Hua had sensed a slight anomaly with his spiritual awareness, but his eyes saw nothing.
Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu, who also had a furrowed brow, murmuring, "It’s Concealment Technique."
"Concealment Technique?"
Mo Hua was shocked, "It can make one invisible?"
Elder Yu nodded, "Yes, the Concealment Technique can make one invisible. After using it, the body disappears, and nothing can be seen with the naked eye."
Mo Hua was astonished, "Can I learn it?"
If he mastered the Concealment Technique, it would be very convenient for moving around the cultivation world!
"You need water spiritual roots to learn it. You have mixed five-element spiritual roots. Though you have water, it’s mixed with the other elements, making it difficult to learn." Elder Yu poured a bit of cold water on his enthusiasm.
Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed and then worried, "How can we counter this technique?"
Elder Yu sighed, "It depends on spiritual awareness. The Concealment Technique hides the body and partially the aura, but it can’t hide the presence of spiritual energy. If your spiritual awareness is stronger, you can see through it."
"That’s troublesome," Mo Hua said.
Demon hunters were not known for their spiritual awareness. If they couldn’t see through the Concealment Technique, they’d be like fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.
On the battlefield, many demon hunters were being ambushed, bleeding and falling.
Mo Hua’s eyes sharpened. In such a chaotic battle, to move freely, this cultivator not only mastered the Concealment Technique but also had extensive experience and exceptional agility.
What to do? Mo Hua was anxious.
Suddenly, he sensed a disturbance around Mo Shan, who was fighting fiercely.
"Be careful!" Mo Hua couldn’t help but shout.
But he was too far away, and the chaos drowned his voice.
Mo Shan, in the midst of battle, showed a flaw, and the concealed cultivator seized the chance to strike.
At the critical moment, Mo Shan, relying on his experience, instinctively tilted his neck. A dagger slashed across, leaving a trail of blood but not a serious wound.
Mo Shan’s eyes turned cold. He struck back, but there was nothing around.
Gone?
Mo Shan frowned, knowing that things would get worse if this continued.
He wiped the blood from his neck, feeling somewhat fortunate that he had sensed the killing intent and dodged.
Watching this, Mo Hua felt a mix of relief and determination.
"Daring to ambush my father, I’ll remember you!"