Chapter 155

"How much spirit stone can this mine yield…?"

Mo Hua looked at the labyrinthine mine tunnels and asked curiously.

Yu Chengyi said: "This spirit mine isn't large. If fully mined, it should last all the demon hunters of Xiancheng ten or so years."

"So is that a lot or a little?"

Yu Chengyi chuckled: "It's plenty. Everyone can enjoy a decade or more of easy living."

Ten or so years…

That's indeed not short, especially since he himself was only ten or so years old.

But for cultivators, ten or so years meant virtually nothing.

Time flows like a white horse passing through a crevice; for some cultivators, a hundred years is but the blink of an eye.

"How can we make everyone's good days last longer…?"

Mo Hua's brow slowly furrowed.

The spirit stone in this mine could let demon hunters enjoy a decade of ease—and it could also elevate the Qian family to new heights.

If they seized the mine and extracted the spirit stone, the Qian family could grow even stronger and dominate utterly.

Then, with expanded alchemy and artifact crafting divisions, they'd monopolize all trade in Xiancheng, forcing every cultivator to bow to the Qian family's will.

So they could never abandon this mine.

Not long after, the Qian family launched their second wave of attacks.

This time, they didn't charge head-on; instead, they relied on ambushes and harassment.

As night fell and the sky grew hazy, Qian family cultivators suddenly struck.

The demon hunters were ambushed and suffered casualties; just as they prepared to counterattack, the Qian family blew their horns and withdrew.

This pattern repeated again and again, relentless in its nuisance.

More and more demon hunters were wounded, forced to remain constantly alert, their spirits taut, every face grim.

Elder Yu was quietly furious, yet had no good solution.

Now, they defended; the Qian family attacked.

They were passive, forced to endure endless harassment, and whenever they launched a counteroffensive, the Qian family vanished instantly—like punching cotton, agonizingly futile.

But the mine was here; they couldn't leave. They could only suffer under the Qian family's pressure, enduring bitter torment.

The Qian family seemed to want to boil the frog slowly, wearing them down until they died.

All the demon hunters wore faces as dark as water.

Mo Hua also felt increasingly vexed; in his spare time, he'd slip to the mine entrance and stare at the rugged, rolling hills in thought.

After watching for several days, Mo Hua suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He went to Elder Yu and said:

"Elder, I've got a plan."

Mo Hua explained his idea to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu's eyes lit up, then hesitated: "Will it work?"

Mo Hua wasn't entirely sure, so he said: "Why not give it a try?"

Elder Yu thought for a moment, found no better alternative, and said: "Then let's try it."

In the following days, Mo Hua continued drawing arrays.

But this time, he wasn't drawing the Golden Armor Array—he was drawing the Earth-Fire Reassembly Array, with seven array lines.

This was one of the Reassembly Arrays from Mr. Zhuang's "Introductory Compilation of Reassembly Arrays," linking two Earth-Fire Reassembly Arrays to amplify their combined power.

Because the array's core enhanced spiritual energy, this Reassembly Array would release greater force than two separate Earth-Fire Arrays detonating independently.

After finishing the array, Mo Hua handed it to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu released his spiritual sense and sensed Qian family cultivators still hovering like flies around the mine; he ordered the demon hunters to launch a feigned assault.

The demon hunters suddenly charged out; the Qian family cultivators, confused, did not engage—only retreated.

They adhered to their harassment strategy and had no intention of direct combat yet.

The demon hunters drove the Qian family cultivators far away.

Elder Yu scanned again with his spiritual sense and confirmed no Qian family cultivators remained near the mine; he waved his hand.

Some demon hunters took the Earth-Fire Reassembly Arrays Mo Hua had drawn and began placing them across the terrain.

Deep in thick shrubbery, beneath massive tree roots, among scattered boulders, and buried in soil mixed with fallen leaves and grass roots—these hidden corners all held the Earth-Fire Reassembly Arrays.

After placement, the demon hunters withdrew entirely.

Mo Hua found a concealed mine entrance, crouched down, and waited to watch the show.

Unfortunately, the Qian family cultivators were cowardly; after being charged once, they dared not return to the mountain for a while.

Bored, Mo Hua pulled out an array book and flipped through it, pondering what other arrays might counter the Qian family's tactics.

Only at dusk did the Qian family regroup, lying in wait at the foot of Nameless Peak.

Too far to see clearly, Mo Hua couldn't make out details, but his spiritual sense faintly sensed movement—something was happening.

Mo Hua knew the show was about to begin!

He put away his array book, spread a blanket on the ground, and pulled from his storage pouch dried beef, pine nuts, wild berries, and a bottle of his treasured osmanthus wine.

This osmanthus wine was sweet and crisp, never heady—he'd never dared drink it before.

Mo Hua cracked pine nuts, ate dried beef, and gazed expectantly toward the mountain's base.

Sure enough, soon after, the Qian family moved.

At the foot of Nameless Peak, the Qian family cultivators assembled; their leader was a six-foot-tall, broad-shouldered, muscular giant.

Around him clustered several Cultivation Base Level Nine cultivators, whispering plans for the night's operation.

"Tonight, we'll teach these brat demon hunters a lesson!"

"We stick to our usual routine—sneak up quietly, and when we spot them, strike immediately. Don't hold back. If they die, it's their bad luck..."

"If they chase us down, we pretend to retreat."

"But unlike before, we're not truly retreating—we wait until they turn back, then strike with a counterattack."

"After days of our raids, they'll never expect us to launch a counterattack!"

"This surprise attack may not succeed outright, but it will surely cripple them! In just a few days, their morale will be shattered, leaving them at our mercy!"

"And our Lord will surely recognize our achievements. Once the Qian family seizes the spirit mine and grows stronger, every brother's future will be limitless—Foundation Establishment is within reach!"

The big man's words stirred everyone's blood.

Some Qian family cultivators wondered, "Why did the daytime beast hunters suddenly charge down?"

The Qian family big man waved his hand. "No matter. As long as all brothers unite, no matter how many tricks they have, they're nothing but petty clowns!"

The Qian family cultivators nodded eagerly, their fighting spirit soaring.

Seeing this, the Qian family big man began dividing the teams. Several groups advanced together, suppressing their qi, moving toward the mountainside.

Everything was just as usual.

They had always climbed up this way before. They had assumed this time would be no different.

Until a Qian family cultivator stepped on something beneath his foot.

He felt a slight oddness underfoot, but before he could ponder what it was, flames engulfed his entire body.

Boom—

The fire from the revived Earth Fire Array exploded, blazing brilliantly in the night.

All nearby Qian family cultivators were blasted away. Though not killed, most were charred black, blood streaming from their mouths.

"Ambush?!"

"Where?!"

Panic surged through the Qian family cultivators as they frantically scanned their surroundings—but not a single figure could be seen.

"Don't panic!"

The big man shouted immediately, "It's just their last desperate lunge! Stick to the plan!"

The Qian family cultivators calmed down and continued forward.

But soon, they could no longer stay calm...

Boom!

Boom, boom, boom...

Explosions erupted one after another. The Earth Fire Array detonated across the mountainside, flames lashing out like lotus blossoms—one after another.

The Qian family cultivators could only cower and flee through the fire, triggering even more explosions...

The Qian family big man stood frozen in place, stunned.

What is going on?!

Where did these explosions come from?!

The big man racked his brain, yet still couldn't understand.

Watching the Qian family cultivators scream in the firelight before finally breaking and fleeing, the big man knew it was over.

He had thought himself utterly prepared—yet this single explosion had rendered all his schemes worthless...

A bitter taste filled the big man's heart.

The petty clown... was himself all along.