Chapter 172: Roadblock

"Yu Changlin, when did a hunter of demons become such a formidable array master? Let me see him." Qian Hong said coldly.

Elder Yu feigned ignorance: "What array master? I haven't seen anyone."

Qian Hong's eyelid twitched. "What is this you've laid down?"

Elder Yu said, "How would I know? I just happened to pass by. I didn't even notice anything on the ground."

Qian Hong growled in anger, "Old fool Yu, stop pretending to be stupid with me!"

Elder Yu wore a look of utter indifference. "Old turtle Qian, don't put on airs with me!"

Qian Hong seethed inwardly, but he knew this was not the time for verbal sparring with Yu Changlin.

Yu Changlin was only too happy to waste a day and night arguing with him—until the demon hunters, carrying the spirit ore, entered the city, at which point the Qian family would be powerless.

The Earthfire Array inflicts damage upon Qi Condensation cultivators, but poses far less threat to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

With the situation dire and no time to waste, Qian Hong had no choice but to personally traverse the mountain path ahead and probe for the Earthfire Array's location.

The instant Qian Hong took a step, he suddenly felt a divine sense locking onto him—as if someone intended to kill him.

A warning flared in Qian Hong's mind. He lifted his head, displeased.

"Yu Changlin, what do you mean by this?"

Elder Yu's gaze was like a sword, yet his voice remained cool: "I mean nothing."

Qian Hong's eyes narrowed. "You intend to strike?"

Elder Yu spread his hands, feigning openness: "Where did you see me strike?"

Qian Hong gritted his teeth. "You just locked your divine sense onto me—you activated murderous intent."

Yu Changlin sneered. "That's just because you're a coward. I always look at people this way. Your fear is your own problem."

Qian Hong stared at Elder Yu's gaze, icy and chilling—but Elder Yu remained utterly unmoved.

Qian Zhongxuan whispered: "This old scoundrel is stalling for time, Master. Don't fall for his scheme."

Qian Hong knew it well—but he had no good solution.

Qian Zhongxuan added: "Why not let Master lead the way to probe the Earthfire Array's location? I'll cover you."

Qian Hong gave him a cold glance. "Why doesn't Elder Qian lead? Let me cover you."

Qian Zhongxuan looked ashamed. "Master, you've forgotten—this matter is now entirely under your authority. I've suffered repeated defeats and heavy losses; I no longer have the standing to interfere."

Qian Hong cursed Qian Zhongxuan inwardly as a shameless worm.

Ahead lay unknown traps laid by Yu Changlin—if he went to probe them, he'd be vulnerable to ambush halfway, and even if he didn't die, he'd be gravely wounded.

Then Qian Zhongxuan would step in to save him—claiming all the credit, while Qian Hong would be indebted to him.

Qian Zhongxuan was only too eager for Qian Hong to be ambushed by Yu Changlin—not necessarily killed, but nearly dead would do. Severely wounded would suffice.

Both men had their own calculations, and neither dared move.

At that moment, Qian Zhuang stepped forward and bowed. "Might I be allowed to try?"

Qian Zhuang spoke respectfully, yet his expression betrayed suppressed excitement.

His chance for glory had come!

He knew the Earthfire Array well—he'd suffered great losses from it before, but he'd also successfully dismantled it.

Though he'd lost heavily and been heavily reprimanded the last time he broke it, this opportunity—if handled correctly—could turn that major demerit into a major merit!

Qian Hong frowned. "You have a way?"

Qian Zhuang replied: "Master, I've dismantled this Earthfire Array before!"

"A Qi Condensation cultivator broke it?"

"Indeed!"

Qian Hong grew intrigued. "Tell me how."

Qian Zhuang described how he'd previously dismantled the Earthfire Array. Qian Hong listened, pondered briefly, then nodded. "There's some merit to it."

Qian Zhuang's face lit up with joy.

Qian Hong ordered: "I have a dozen iron armors here. Pick out Qi Condensation cultivators with Earth-elemental roots—quickly. If this succeeds, I'll record you a major merit!"

Qian Zhuang beamed. "Yes!"

Soon, over a dozen Qi Condensation ninth-layer Qian clan cultivators—Earth-elemental, skilled in body tempering, with thick, tough skin—were selected.

They donned the iron armors and, following Qian Zhuang's instructions, spread out and advanced slowly, attempting to trigger and neutralize every Earthfire Array along the mountain path.

Qian Zhuang was confident—he'd done this before, and it was nearly foolproof.

Once all the Earthfire Arrays were cleared, the path ahead would be wide open. The demon hunters would have no escape—and he'd earn a great merit.

Qian Zhuang thought so.

But the moment the first Earthfire Array detonated, his confidence shattered.

With a deafening explosion, crimson flames flickered, black smoke rose, and violent spiritual energy surged outward.

The Qian clan cultivators clad in iron armor were engulfed by fire, then hurled through the air by the surging spiritual force, crashing to the ground, curling up in agony.

Half their bodies were charred, soaked in blood; their iron armors were riddled with cracks!

Everyone gasped. Qian Zhuang stood frozen, stunned.

No—

Why is the power so much stronger?!

This isn't the Earthfire Array I broke before!

Qian Hong glanced at the wounded Qian clan cultivators, then at Qian Zhuang—his cold gaze like that of a dead fish.

Qian Zhuang's entire back was drenched in cold sweat. He thought: I'm finished.

If only he hadn't sought the spotlight—he'd have been fine. Now, greedy and reckless, he'd walked straight into the blade.

He'd hoped to impress his master, turning his past demerit into a merit—but now, not only was the merit gone, his demerit had doubled.

Qian Zhongxuan also cast a cold glance at Qian Zhuang, then turned his head and said to Qian Hong:

"Family Head, given the current situation, the only option is to force our way through."

Qian Hong shot Qian Zhongxuan a look. "How exactly? You've seen the power of this formation yourself. Even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator charging through would either die or be gravely wounded."

Qian Zhongxuan's eyes flickered slightly. "This mountain path isn't large. We only need a hundred or two hundred cultivators to charge through at the cost of their lives, trigger all the ground-fire formations, and the cultivators behind will have no obstruction."

Qian Hong's heart went cold, and his gaze at Qian Zhongxuan grew even more unfriendly.

This was forcing him to play the villain.

Nearly two thousand people — only a hundred or two hundred were needed to break these ground-fire formations.

The question was, how to pick those hundred or two hundred?

Or rather, who should be sent to their deaths?

If it were done on the sly, fine. But now, with so many Qian family disciples watching openly, if he dared to do such a thing, he could basically forget about ever holding the position of Family Head again.

Qian Hong said through gritted teeth: "As Family Head, I naturally must lead from the front to break this ground-fire formation. I ask Elder Qian to fight alongside me, to guard against that old bastard Yu's treacherous schemes."

Qian Zhongxuan put on a show of still wanting to decline.

Qian Hong immediately said: "The Elder's past offenses can be written off entirely."

Qian Zhongxuan raised an eyebrow. "Truly?"

"Truly!"

Qian Zhongxuan said respectfully: "As an elder of the Qian family, I naturally share weal and woe with the Family Head!"

Qian Hong inwardly spat "pah," but on his face still said with satisfaction: "There's no time to lose. We'll make our move from this side, but we must guard against Elder Yu Changlin launching a sneak attack."

"Good!"

Thus Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, the two Foundation Establishment elders, joined hands, employed movement techniques, and personally went to trigger the ground-fire formations along the mountain path.

Two figures darted back and forth along the mountain road, setting off bursts of explosive firelight and surging waves of spiritual energy.

Only when the sounds of explosion gradually faded, the firelight gradually ceased, and the black smoke gradually dispersed did the two finally stop.

But at this moment, both were in a wretched state — clothes tattered, faces blackened with grime. Though there was no blood on their bodies, their internal organs ached dully from the shockwaves of spiritual energy, and only by forcibly suppressing it did they keep a mouthful of fresh blood from spurting out.

Taking a bath inside a first-grade ground-fire formation — even for Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was not easy to bear.