Chapter 172: Blocking the Way – Part 1
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“Yu Changlin, since when did Monster Hunters have such formidable Formation Masters? Why not let
et them?” Qian Hong said coldly.
Elder Yu feigned ignorance, “What Formation Master? I haven’t seen any.”
Qian Hong’s eyelid twitched, “What is this that you’ve set up?”
Elder Yu replied, “How would I know? I was just passing by, I don’t know what’s on the ground.”
Qian Hong spoke angrily, “Elder Yu, don’t play the fool with !”
Elder Yu’s face showed indifference, “Elder Qian, the tortoise, don’t put on airs with !”
Qian Hong seethed inwardly, but he also knew that now was not the ti to engage in a war of words with Yu Changlin.
Yu Changlin would be delighted to argue with him for a day and a night, by which ti the Monster Hunters would have brought the spiritual mines into the city, and the Qian Family would be powerless to stop them.
The Earth Fire Formation was lethal to Cultivators in the Qi Refinent Realm, but its threat to those in the Foundation Establishnt Stage was much smaller.
Given the urgency, and with no ti to delay, Qian Hong had no choice but to proceed through the mountain path in front of him to find out the location of the Earth Fire Formation.
The mont Qian Hong took a step forward, he suddenly felt soone watching him with Divine Sense, seemingly intent on killing him.
Qian Hong felt an imdiate sense of alarm and looked up, displeased, “What are you trying to do, Yu Changlin?”
Elder Yu’s gaze was sharp, but his voice remained indifferent, “Nothing in particular.”
Qian Hong’s gaze hardened, “Are you planning to make a move?”
Elder Yu spread his hands, pretending to be magnanimous, “Where did you see
make a move?”
Qian Hong ground his teeth in hatred, “You just watched
with killing intent in your Divine Sense.”
Yu Changlin said disdainfully, “That’s because you’re too cowardly. I always look at people like this; if you’re scared, that’s your own problem.”
Qian Hong eyed Elder Yu’s cold gaze, but Elder Yu remained unfazed.
Qian Zhongxuan whispered, “This old coot is just stalling for ti, Family Head, don’t fall for his tricks.”
How could Qian Hong not know this, yet he didn’t have a good solution.
Qian Zhongxuan continued, “Why not lead by example and locate the Earth Fire Formation yourself? I’ll cover for you.”
Qian Hong gave him a cold glance, “Why doesn’t Elder Qian lead by example and let
do the covering?”
Qian Zhongxuan’s face showed a hint of sha, “Family Head, have you forgotten? You’re fully in charge of this matter. I’ve suffered repeated defeats and heavy losses before, and I’ve lost the qualification to intervene anymore.”
Qian Hong cursed Qian Zhongxuan in his heart for being shaless.
He had no idea what trap Yu Changlin had set ahead, and if he went to investigate, a sneak attack could leave him dead or severely injured en route.
Then, if Qian Zhongxuan ca to the rescue, not only would the rit be his, but Qian Hong would also owe him a favor.
Qian Zhongxuan, too, was hoping for Qian Hong to be sneak-attacked by Yu Changlin; death was not necessary, near-death would do, even serious injuries would suffice.
Both n had their calculations, and both were hesitating.
Just then, Qian Zhuang stepped forward and saluted, “May I be permitted to try?”
Qian Zhuang’s tone was respectful, but excitent could hardly be concealed in his expression.
His mont to shine had arrived!
He was well acquainted with the Earth Fire Formation; he had suffered a great loss from it, but he had also successfully breached it before.
Even though breaching the Earth Fire Formation last ti had cost him dearly, to the point of being registered as a major derit, this opportunity, if well grasped, could possibly turn that derit into a great rit!
Qian Hong frowned, “Do you have a thod?”
Qian Zhuang replied, “Reporting to the Family Head, this disciple has once broken through this Earth Fire Formation!”
“A Qi Refinent Cultivator can break it?”
“Indeed!”
Qian Hong was intrigued, “Let’s hear it.”
Qian Zhuang went on to describe his previous thod of breaking the Earth Fire Formation. After listening, Qian Hong thought for a mont and nodded, “It does make so sense.”
Qian Zhuang’s expression brightened.
Qian Hong instructed, “I have a dozen or so sets of iron armor here. Select Cultivators with Earth Series Spiritual Roots, the faster the better. If this succeeds, I’ll credit you with a great rit!”
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Qian Zhuang was overjoyed and said, “Yes!”
Very quickly, a dozen cultivators of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, with Earth Series Spiritual Roots and skilled in Body Refinent, thick-skinned and robust, were selected from the Qian Family’s cultivators.
They donned iron armor and began to spread out as instructed by Qian Zhuang, moving forward bit by bit, attempting to trigger and clear all the Earth Fire Formations within the mountain path.
Qian Zhuang was brimming with confidence, as he had tested this thod before with a ninety percent success rate, certain that nothing would go wrong.
As long as they cleared all the Earth Fire Formations, the path ahead would be open. The Monster Hunters would be trapped with no way out, and this would be his great achievent.
That’s what Qian Zhuang was thinking.
However, as soon as the first Earth Fire Formation exploded, Qian Zhuang’s plan fell to pieces.
Accompanied by a loud explosion, scarlet flas flickered, and charred smoke billowed, with intense Spiritual Power reverberating.
The iron-armored Qian Family cultivator was engulfed by the flas and then catapulted by the surging Spiritual Power, tumbling to the ground, curled up in agony.
Half of his body was charred black and soaked in blood, his iron armor riddled with cracks!
Everyone gasped, and Qian Zhuang was stunned.
Sothing was wrong!
How had the power increased so much?!
This wasn’t the Earth Fire Formation he had broken through before!
Qian Hong glanced at the cultivator injured by the Earth Fire Formation and then coldly at Qian Zhuang, his eyes as icy as if he were looking at a dead fish.
Qian Zhuang’s entire back was drenched in cold sweat as he thought to himself that it was all over.
Had he not sought this lilight, it would have been fine, but now his eagerness for credit had led him to disaster.
Originally, he wanted to impress the Family Head and turn his previous major fault into a major rit. Now, not only was there no great achievent, but his fault had also been doubled.
Qian Zhongxuan also gave Qian Zhuang a cold look before turning his head and saying to Qian Hong,
“Family Head, our only option now is to charge through.”
Qian Hong glanced at Qian Zhongxuan and said, “How can we charge through? You’ve seen the power of this formation. Even if a cultivator in the later stage of Qi Refinent charges through, they won’t die but will certainly be severely injured.”
Qian Zhongxuan’s eyes flickered slightly, “The mountain path isn’t very wide. We only need a hundred or two cultivators to take the risk and trigger all the Earth Fire Formations, then the following cultivators will face no obstacles.”
Qian Hong felt a chill in his heart, and his gaze towards Qian Zhongxuan beca even more unfriendly.
He was being forced into playing the villain.
Out of nearly two thousand people, only one or two hundred were needed to break through these Earth Fire Formations.
The problem was, how should these one or two hundred be chosen?
Or rather, who should be sent to their deaths?
If this had been done secretly, it would be one thing, but now with so many Qian Family disciples watching, if he dared do such a thing, he could pretty much forget about maintaining his position as Family Head.
Qian Hong gritted his teeth and said, “As Family Head, I must lead by example. I will break through this Earth Fire Formation myself, and I ask Elder Qian to fight by my side to guard against any treacherous assaults from the old scoundrel Yu Changlin.”
Qian Zhongxuan feigned hesitation to decline.
Qian Hong imdiately said, “The fault of the Elder this ti, can be completely dismissed.”
Qian Zhongxuan raised an eyebrow, “Really?”
“Indeed!”
Qian Zhongxuan respectfully said, “As an Elder of the Qian Family, I shall stand with the Family Head through thick and thin!”
Qian Hong inwardly snorted in disdain, but outwardly he showed relief, “There’s no ti to delay. We must act now, but we must be wary of Yu Changlin’s sneak attacks.”
“Agreed!”
Hence, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, two Foundation Establishnt Elders, joined forces, using their movent techniques to personally trigger the Earth Fire Formations in the mountain path.
Two figures dashed tirelessly through the mountain roads, setting off explosions of fire and waves of surging Spiritual Power.
After the explosion sounds gradually subsided, the fire faded, and the smoke dissipated, they finally stopped.
By then, both n were in a sorry state, their clothes torn, their faces sooty. While there were no bloodstains on their bodies, their internal organs ached from the Spiritual Power vibrations, and they had to forcefully suppress the urge to vomit blood.
Even for Foundation Building Cultivators, bathing in a first-grade Earth Fire Formation was too much to handle.
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