Chapter 168: Sealing the Cave

When Qian Hong felt he had everything under control, the hunter-shamans had already sealed the cave entrance.

Broken rocks formed a wall; Mo Hua painted a formation on it, then blocked it again with more rocks, painted another formation, then blocked it once more, and painted yet another formation.

Three walls inside and out, three sets of formations.

Mo Hua obtained several hundred spirit stones from Elder Yu, crushed them, and infused their spiritual energy into the formation to activate the Earth-Wood Restoration Array.

Gray and pale green patterns interwove across the formation; spiritual energy seeped into the broken stones, blending earth and rock into a solid barrier.

"Will this formation hold?" Elder Yu still felt uneasy.

Mo Hua thought it would be fine.

The Earth-Fire Array used paper as its medium and could only be used once; this Earth-Wood Restoration Array used earth and stone as its medium—durable and long-lasting. Breaking it would take considerable time and effort.

Moreover, it was a Rank-One Restoration Array; sufficient to hold off Qi Condensation cultivators—if neither Qian Hong nor Qian Zhongxuan, both Foundation Establishment cultivators, intervened.

But without testing it, one couldn't be certain.

So Mo Hua could only reply vaguely: "It should work."

With matters at this point, Elder Yu no longer hesitated; he ordered all cultivators to focus on digging the escape tunnel and to cease mining the remaining spirit stones.

They must dig out the escape tunnel before the Qian family broke into the mine.

The hunter-shamans' activities had been noticed by the Qian family.

Qian Hong sneered: "As expected—Yu Changlin has sealed the entrance and is digging a tunnel."

He immediately ordered Qian family cultivators to investigate. After scouting, they returned to report: the entrance was blocked by walls of earth and rock.

Qian Hong didn't care—walls of dirt and rubble, even if they blocked the entrance, could be shattered in no more than two days.

But after hours of futile effort, the Qian family cultivators returned and said:

"Master, we can't break through."

Qian Hong frowned. "What do you mean, can't break through?"

The disciple bowed his head: "The entrance is sealed by earth and rock—we can't break through…"

Qian Hong's frown deepened.

Qian Zhongxuan, upon hearing this, was momentarily startled, guessed the truth, and a smirk of malicious delight curled his lips.

Qian Hong said: "I'll go see for myself."

Qian Hong arrived at the rock-sealed entrance and immediately sensed the formation's spiritual fluctuations.

…There's a formation drawn on it?

Qian Hong felt a creeping unease and ordered: "Try striking it."

Several Qian family cultivators stepped forward—some with swords, some with knives, some with bare hands, others using spells.

They could chip away the broken rocks and create gaps, but the fragments quickly reassembled, as if alive.

It was as if the stones had grown together like earth and wood, repairing themselves automatically.

The Qian family cultivators struck again and again, panting and exhausted, yet achieved little.

Qian Hong could no longer contain himself—he drew his sword and slashed at the wall.

With his Foundation Establishment power, his spiritual energy solidified; the blade's aura sheared off a layer of broken rock.

Qian Hong was stunned: "A Rank-One Formation?"

Qian Zhongxuan wasn't lying? There really was someone among the hunter-shamans who could draw a Rank-One Formation!

Qian Zhongxuan watched Qian Hong's shocked expression and felt immense satisfaction.

"A formation with seven array lines—how unimpressive. Surely Master will break it soon and capture all these hunter-shamans!"

On the surface, Qian Zhongxuan kept a solemn face, but his tone dripped with sarcasm.

Qian Hong's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he seethed—he couldn't refute it.

The hunter-shaman's array master was merely an ordinary arrayist capable of drawing seven array lines.

He himself had said that—if he denied it now, he'd be slapping his own face.

He had to swallow Qian Zhongxuan's mockery now and settle the score later.

The most pressing problem now was how to break through the entrance, storm the mine, kill the hunter-shamans, seize the spirit stones, and claim the spirit vein.

Qian Hong made as if to act himself, when suddenly Elder Yu's voice came from above:

"We agreed no Foundation Establishment cultivators would intervene—don't push your luck."

Qian Hong looked up and saw, at the only unsealed entrance on the mountainside, Elder Yu watching them with mocking amusement.

Qian Hong sneered: "I won't attack your cultivators—but I never agreed not to attack the rocks."

Elder Yu smiled faintly. "Then go ahead. I'll be watching."

Qian Hong frowned, and suddenly hesitated to act.

If he broke the entrance and exhausted his spiritual energy, Elder Yu might strike him from behind—he might not survive.

If he reported it to Dao Ting Si, Elder Yu could claim the Qian family struck first.

Indeed, if a Qian family Foundation Establishment cultivator broke the hunter-shamans' formation, it would count as the Qian family initiating hostilities.

Besides, Qian Zhongxuan was standing right there—acting now might only hand him an advantage.

After hesitation, Qian Hong sheathed his sword.

"Fine. I'll abide by the agreement—only Qi Condensation cultivators will act."

Elder Yu exhaled in relief, yet his contempt for Qian Hong deepened:

"Then stop hogging the toilet without using it—get out of the way. Let your Qi Condensation brats try. See if they can break this mine."

Qian Hong shot Elder Yu a venomous glance and waved his hand in dismissal.

Qian family cultivators stepped forward one by one—some with swords and knives, others with martial arts, spells, or techniques—and attacked the earthen wall.

When one cultivator exhausted himself, another took his place.

As for the cave entrance where Yu Changlin appeared, it was a single man holding the pass, ten thousand unable to break through—they could never force their way in.

Only by opening multiple entrances and advancing in unison, sending in large squads of cultivators, could they possibly crush these beast hunters.

Although the defense of the Grade-One Earth-Wood Repeating Array was strong, it relied on spirit stones to sustain its power.

Each time it was damaged, its spirit energy diminished further.

After days and nights of relentless assault, the Qian clan cultivators finally succeeded in shattering one layer of the Earth-Wood Repeating Array.

With a booming crash, the first stone wall lost its array's reinforcement and collapsed into rubble.

The Qian clan cultivators all perked up, their faces lighting with joy.

But they didn't rejoice long—they soon realized something was wrong. Behind the stone wall was another stone wall.

They slashed at it once—the earth and stone didn't budge at all, clearly another array had been drawn onto it.

The Qian clan cultivators wore expressions of despair; Qian Hong's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

He never imagined Yu Changlin was this ruthless—he had built two stone walls, two arrays.

No, it couldn't be just two…

Qian Hong gritted his teeth and ordered the Qian clan cultivators to halt and rest, then resume their assault once refreshed.

At this point, he had no path back.

When the Qian clan began digging the mine tunnels, Elder Yu had been listening intently inside. Listening, listening—he suddenly noticed the Qian clan had fallen silent, and he asked in confusion:

"Why have they stopped?"

"They can't break through anymore."

After these days, Mo Hua had finally confirmed the effectiveness of the Grade-One Earth-Wood Array—it was nearly impossible for Qi Condensation cultivators to breach.

Moreover, Mo Hua had layered three such arrays on top of one another.

Elder Yu still didn't understand. "Why can't they break through?"

"This is a Grade-One Repeating Array. After breaking through three layers, they'll be exhausted to death!"

"Repeating Array?" Elder Yu had never heard of such a thing—he looked puzzled.

"It's just a bit stronger than a Grade-One Array," Mo Hua explained.

Elder Yu's eyes widened. Stronger than a Grade-One Array?

He immediately said, "Then this array could hold out for a very long time?"

Mo Hua estimated briefly, then nodded. If no Foundation Establishment cultivator intervened, it could indeed hold out for a very, very long time.

Provided they didn't run out of food or drink.

Elder Yu froze, then was overcome with deep regret.

If he'd known Mo Hua's array was this effective, he wouldn't have rushed to dig the mine tunnels.

There were still many spirit veins left unmined in this tunnel…

Those were all spirit stones!

The ever-frugal Elder Yu looked as if his heart were being torn out.

Mo Hua sensed Elder Yu's thoughts, thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"How about we go all the way? Not even a drop of soup for them!"

This struck right to Elder Yu's heart—he pondered a moment, then nodded. "Indeed, wasting would invite heavenly retribution!"