The First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Array?
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he eagerly flipped through the pages.
The so-called First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Array is a combined array that includes the First-Grade Nine-Pattern Earth-Stone Array and the Five-Pattern Wood Qi Array.
In this composite array, the highest single array reaches the first grade, thus it can be considered a first-grade composite array.
This Earth-Wood Composite Array includes only two single arrays and does not have a separate Spirit Gathering Array as an array eye. Instead, it relies on the Spirit Gathering Array patterns within the single arrays to gather spiritual energy. Although its power is slightly weaker, its effect is still much stronger than a first-grade Earth-Stone Array.
After all, even if it's weaker, it is still a composite array.
And because of its relatively simple structure, it won't be too difficult to learn.
If the composite array included three or more single arrays and required a Spirit Gathering Array as the array eye, the array hub structure would be completely different. With Mo Hua's current array skills, learning it would be very challenging.
The two single arrays included in this composite array, the Wood Qi Array only has five patterns, which Mo Hua already knows. He has just learned the first-grade Earth-Stone Array.
Mo Hua decided to practice this composite array on the Dao Stele at night!
By midnight, Mo Hua had memorized the array hub of the Earth-Wood Composite Array. He then closed his eyes to sleep, letting his spiritual awareness enter his sea of consciousness, where the Dao Stele emerged.
Mo Hua began practicing the array on the Dao Stele.
It didn't go smoothly at first, but learning arrays is a process of practice makes perfect. If it doesn't work once, try twice; if twice isn't enough, try three times.
Mo Hua drew it over and over again.
But he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, his spiritual awareness was sufficient to draw a first-grade nine-pattern array, but it was barely enough for a first-grade composite array.
Mo Hua practiced all night but still couldn't master the first-grade Earth-Wood Composite Array.
The next day, Elder Yu eagerly looked at Mo Hua.
Although he didn't ask verbally, his eyes were full of anticipation.
Mo Hua thought for a moment.
To seal the cave, the first-grade Earth-Stone Array should be enough, but the Earth-Wood Composite Array would be more effective.
Anyway, there was no rush for a day or two, so Mo Hua asked Elder Yu to wait a bit longer.
Mo Hua practiced all day, meditating to recover when his spiritual awareness was exhausted.
At night, he practiced again on the Dao Stele and finally managed to draw the first-grade Earth-Wood Composite Array.
Mo Hua informed Elder Yu, who was overjoyed and ordered the demon hunters to start sealing the cave.
But sealing the cave wasn't easy. If they acted so openly, the Qian family would definitely notice. If the Qian family harassed them daily, the cave entrance would never be sealed.
Mo Hua asked Elder Yu if he had any solutions.
Elder Yu chuckled but didn't answer, only telling Mo Hua to watch carefully.
Elder Yu began by cursing.
He stood at the mine entrance, looking furious, cursing the Qian family, Qian Hong, and Qian Zhongxuan, seeming extremely agitated as if he could no longer endure being trapped.
Then Elder Yu ordered the demon hunters to charge out, looking determined and ready to fight to the death.
Qian Hong didn't want a direct confrontation and had to retreat.
At this point, in Qian Hong's eyes, these demon hunters were merely trapped prey, not worth losing more men over.
The demon hunters now appeared as desperate fighters, and if pushed too hard, they might fight to the death, which would be a lose-lose situation.
The Qian family had already suffered heavy losses and couldn't afford any more, especially not on Qian Hong's watch.
So as soon as the demon hunters showed a fighting stance, the Qian family immediately withdrew.
For three consecutive days, the demon hunters made a full-scale sortie, pretending to fight to the death.
Qian Hong became even more certain that Elder Yu was out of tricks, becoming less anxious and pulling the Qian family cultivators back to avoid direct clashes.
An initial surge, followed by decline, and then exhaustion.
Qian Hong didn't believe the demon hunters could sustain their fighting spirit for long.
Once their resolve faded, he would reap the benefits without lifting a finger, so he wasn't in a hurry.
This played right into Elder Yu's hands. He cursed Qian Hong inwardly, calling him a "turtle," and then ordered the sealing of the cave entrance.
The demon hunters used mining debris to block the entrance while Mo Hua painted the Earth-Wood Composite Array on both sides of the cave walls.
After each layer of debris, Mo Hua would paint another array, and then more debris would be added, followed by another array.
They sealed all the other entrances, leaving only one at the highest point of the mountainside.
This entrance was for Elder Yu to continue his cursing.
Elder Yu sat there cursing whenever he had the chance, calling Qian Hong a coward and challenging him to a fight.
This was actually to distract the Qian family's attention, preventing them from attacking rashly.
The more agitated Elder Yu seemed, the more reassured Qian Hong felt.
But as time passed, Qian Hong started to feel something was amiss.
He sensed that Elder Yu's cursing lacked its previous fervor, as if he was deliberately hiding something.
Qian Hong grew cautious but didn't dare to act rashly. He sent a small group to scout the mine entrance under the cover of night.
As soon as this group of Qian family cultivators reached the mine entrance, they were ambushed by the demon hunters.
Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, and several ninth-level Qi Refining demon hunters had been hiding outside, waiting to ambush the Qian family cultivators.
They wore iron armor, wielding large blades, their spiritual energy surging. The Qian family cultivators were no match and fled in panic.
Qian Hong felt relieved, thinking:
"Elder Yu is indeed pretending to seal the cave while preparing an ambush. Luckily, I anticipated this and only sent a small group to probe, or I would have suffered a great loss!"
The ambushing Mo Shan and others returned to the spirit mine through the mountainside entrance.
This ambush could only be used once, but it served its purpose of misleading the enemy.
Qian Hong's hesitation bought them time to seal the cave and allowed Mo Hua to draw the arrays.
As time dragged on, Qian Zhongxuan grew suspicious and approached Qian Hong:
"Elder Yu seems to be trying to seal the cave entrance."
Qian Hong replied indifferently, "I know."
Qian Zhongxuan frowned, "Are we just going to let him seal it?"
Qian Hong looked unconcerned, "He's not really sealing the entrance, he's setting up an ambush."
"What if he really seals the entrance? What then?" Qian Zhongxuan asked.
Qian Hong said, "It's just dirt and rocks. If they seal it, we can break through."
"What if they dig another tunnel and escape?" Qian Zhongxuan continued.
"They won't escape." Qian Hong sneered, "We've dealt with Elder Yu for a long time. We can guess what tricks he has. He'll either guard the entrance or dig a tunnel to escape."
"If we break through the entrance, we can catch them like turtles in a jar. If we find the tunnel, we can intercept them halfway. The spirit mine they worked so hard to dig out will be all ours."
Qian Hong's eyes were cold as he mocked, "We'll kill them and take their spirit stones without any effort, killing two birds with one stone."
Qian Zhongxuan praised outwardly, "Master is wise."
But inwardly, he cursed Qian Hong, thinking that his habit of taking the easy way out was incurable.
Elder Yu was so stingy, would he really let Qian Hong get away with it so easily?
And the array master among the demon hunters hadn't even made a move yet.
In such confrontations, arrays were extremely troublesome, and Qian Zhongxuan had suffered from them before.
He knew the risks but didn't say anything!
He wanted to see if Qian Hong would get a good deal or a nasty surprise this time.
After all, he had lost everything, and his position in the family was gone, so he was happy to watch the show.
If trouble came, everyone would suffer together, and no one would have a good time!
Qian Zhongxuan thought bitterly.