Chapter 243: Delaying Tactics

The fireball spell exploded, shifting the situation, and both sides temporarily ceased combat.

The hidden cultivator blinked in surprise, then flew into a rage.

Some unbearable and humiliating memories surfaced.

It's fucking fireball again!

The hidden cultivator shifted slightly, retreating to a distance, scanning around, and growled: "Who's casting fireball?"

The surroundings fell silent.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator barked: "Diao Laosan, forget the rest—kill Ji Qingbai first!"

Mo Hua, hiding in the shadows, narrowed his eyes.

This black-clad, slender cultivator with a venomous gaze and mastery of concealment was called Diao Laosan.

He silently memorized the name.

Diao Laosan scanned the surroundings and extended his spiritual sense, yet still saw no figure; his heart sank.

That familiar feeling of being ambushed without knowing by whom rose again in his chest.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator frowned. "It's just a fireball—why are you so scared?"

The one-eyed criminal cultivator's cultivation was deeper than an ordinary Foundation Establishment ninth layer, while Ji Qingbai had been at Foundation Establishment ninth layer for years, their strengths evenly matched, which is why they had held out so long.

Originally, the criminals had planned to use the hidden cultivator's ambush to kill Ji Qingbai and his companions quickly, so they could retreat calmly.

Now, it seemed Ji Qingbai and his group were about to collapse.

Yet Diao Laosan had become timid over a single fireball.

Diao Laosan didn't want to admit it, but he had to—his tone turned sour:

"The one casting fireball can see through my concealment technique. Last time, I was tripped up by him."

The one-eyed criminal cultivator sneered. "Didn't you say your concealment technique can't be pierced by anyone below Foundation Establishment?"

Diao Laosan's withered old face flushed crimson.

Seeing this, the one-eyed criminal cultivator dropped the matter and asked: "Are you certain the one casting fireball is the same person who pierced your concealment last time?"

Diao Laosan paused in thought, then began to doubt himself.

That familiar sensation was identical.

It felt as if a spiritual sense, like a parasitic worm clinging to bone, stuck to him, impossible to shake off.

This convinced Diao Laosan that the one casting fireball was still the same person.

But the power of this fireball had increased significantly.

Previously, it was only mid-Foundation Establishment level; now it carried the power of late-Foundation Establishment, though at most around seventh or eighth layer.

Could this person have advanced in realm, thus strengthening the fireball's power?

But if true, this cultivator was only seventh or eighth layer—how could his spiritual sense possibly pierce my concealment?

Diao Laosan hesitated.

Seeing his hesitation, the one-eyed criminal cultivator cursed:

"Stop being so fucking indecisive—just act as you should. I'll handle that cultivator."

Diao Laosan's gaze darkened, then his form vanished; the other criminals simultaneously attacked Ji Qingbai and the two beast hunters, forcing them to expose openings.

Diao Laosan also found an opening and slashed his dagger toward one beast hunter's throat.

But he remained alert, wary of the fireball.

Sure enough, another fireball flew toward him.

Diao Laosan hastily stepped back, dodging aside—the fireball missed.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator, who had been watching the surroundings, suddenly flashed with sharp light in his eye.

He turned and sprinted toward the fireball's origin—Mo Hua's hiding spot.

"You cowardly sneak—come out, you bastard!"

The one-eyed criminal cultivator roared, darting forward in flashes until he reached a large tree—and spotted Mo Hua hiding behind it.

Small in stature, youthful face, clear eyes, and he even smiled at him.

"A kid?"

The one-eyed criminal cultivator froze in surprise, but didn't stop—he reached out a massive hand toward Mo Hua's neck.

Mo Hua activated the Flowing Water Step and evaded effortlessly from the criminal's grasp.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator grunted in surprise and reached again.

Mo Hua flipped away, then coated his feet in spiritual energy, standing vertically on the tree trunk as he walked lightly upward.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator drew his blade and slashed directly at Mo Hua.

Yet after several swift strikes, Mo Hua always dodged by a hair's breadth.

Each time, the criminal cultivator thought the next slash would land—but each time, he missed by a fraction.

After several rounds of this, he instantly understood.

"This brat is playing me! He's buying time!"

"Fuck!"

The one-eyed criminal cultivator flew into a rage, yet had no recourse—he realized this kid's movement technique was far superior to his own.

He couldn't even touch the kid's sleeve.

Such a young child—this was unnatural.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator spat and turned away, returning to Ji Qingbai, shouting: "Kill Ji first!"

Kill the Ji father and son, and they could claim the spirit stones from the Kong family.

Spirit stones were the most important.

As for these demon hunters and that brat, we can settle accounts with them later!

But he tried to flee, and Mo Hua refused to let him go—he flipped his hand and launched a Fireball Spell straight into the one-eyed criminal cultivator's back.

It wasn't fatal, but it was excruciatingly painful, and the meridians suffered significant damage from the fire's searing heat.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator flew into a rage and charged at Mo Hua again, but he couldn't catch him.

Whenever he tried to run, Mo Hua threw another Fireball Spell at him.

Mo Hua's Fireball Spell was fast and precise—he had no way to dodge, and could only take it head-on.

After this went on three times, his clothes were nearly burned to rags.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator was utterly frustrated—he couldn't chase down Mo Hua, and he couldn't escape either.

Finally, Diao Laosan and two other criminal cultivators arrived to reinforce him, and Mo Hua stopped his attacks.

But this gave Ji Qingbai and the other two a chance to catch their breath.

The situation instantly became a stalemate.

Mo Hua wanted to buy time—this stalemate was perfect.

The criminal cultivators wanted to kill—they couldn't afford to delay any longer, or the demon hunters' reinforcements would arrive and they'd lose their chance.

But with Mo Hua intervening to tie them down, it was four against four, and no side could gain an advantage in the short term.

Especially Diao Laosan—his body cultivation techniques were mediocre at best; in direct combat, he was no match for the demon hunters.

He could only rely on his Concealment Technique, striking unexpectedly when his enemies were unprepared.

Now that Mo Hua had seen through his Concealment Technique, he was practically useless.

All the cultivators present were watching Mo Hua.

The criminal cultivators glared at him with fury; Ji Qingbai's gaze was filled with disbelief.

He never imagined that Mo Hua, with only Qi Condensation Seventh Layer cultivation, could single-handedly hold back a one-eyed criminal cultivator with such deep cultivation.

And this cultivator, who specialized in Concealment Technique and moved like a ghost, had his whereabouts exposed by Mo Hua.

Moreover, his Fireball Spell was used with remarkable mastery.

Truly, a tiger doesn't raise a dog—his skills, though different from Mo Shan's and not following the body cultivation path, were still extraordinary.

Seeing the tide turn against him, the one-eyed criminal cultivator sneered at Ji Qingbai:

"That brat isn't your son, is it? Oh right—your son's already dead. His corpse is probably lying somewhere, being gnawed by wolves."

Hearing this, Ji Qingbai's heart seized with sudden agony; his face turned deathly pale, his fingers trembled uncontrollably, barely able to grip his blade.

Mo Hua turned to Ji Qingbai and said:

"Ji Brother isn't dead."

Ji Qingbai snapped his head up, eyes reddened, hope flickering across his face: "Really?"

"Mm." Mo Hua nodded seriously.

Mo Hua's gaze was utterly sincere.

Ji Qingbai suddenly revived—seemingly infused with boundless strength—he gripped his blade tightly once more.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator sneered:

"Impossible! That little Ji boy is definitely dead!"

Mo Hua glanced at him. "How do you know?"

The one-eyed criminal cultivator coldly replied: "Zhao Hu chased after him—how could he possibly survive? He'd be lucky not to be torn apart."

"Is Zhao Hu that big guy?"

The one-eyed criminal cultivator's lone eye narrowed slightly. "You've met him?"

Mo Hua nodded.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator scoffed: "Impossible! If you've met him, you're already dead!"

Mo Hua said: "I'm still alive. Whether he's dead or not… that's another story."

The one-eyed criminal cultivator snorted. "You little brat, stop spouting nonsense!"

Mo Hua smiled, pulled out a storage bag half-burnt to charcoal, and held it up in front of him, shaking it slightly—yet said nothing.

The one-eyed criminal cultivator's pupils shrank sharply.

That storage bag belonged to Zhao Hu!