Chapter 432: Capture the Man

Bai Zisheng said: "Should we just attack directly?"

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"Although Zhang Quan is wounded and suffering backlash from the pills, his strength is greatly diminished. But this is his stronghold—we must prepare thoroughly."

After speaking, Mo Hua pulled out several array discs.

The discs bore pre-drawn Earth Prison Arrays.

Ever since witnessing Zhang Quan's Earth Passage technique, Mo Hua had gone home and pondered how to counter it.

He excelled in array arts, so naturally he would strike from that angle.

This Earth Prison Array was something he'd learned just these past days, then carved onto the discs during spare moments, specifically to break Zhang Quan's Earth Submersion.

Zhang Quan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This Earth Prison Array was only first-rank—it would greatly weaken its ability to trap enemies.

But in a siege, even a few breaths of delay could tip the battle's outcome.

Though the mine was small, sealing it entirely with arrays would require far more discs than available.

Mo Hua then drew several more Earth Prison Arrays directly onto the ground.

These arrays used a unique method: the spirit ink soaked into the earth and stone, the array patterns merging with the land—techniques Mo Hua had learned after studying the Thick Earth Array and contemplating the Dao essence of the earth.

Using the ground as the array medium, he drew arrays upon the earth itself.

These Earth Prison Arrays became one with the land, their aura more concealed and their effect stronger.

After preparation, Mo Hua discussed with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi the key points for confronting Zhang Quan:

"Don't let him take pills."

"The moment he pulls out a pill, interrupt him immediately."

"Without pills, Zhang Quan's body and spells are utterly mediocre."

"Watch for his Earth Submersion."

"If he dives underground, try to force him toward the Earth Prison Arrays…"

"The arrays can trap him for a few breaths—use that chance to beat him badly!"

"The Dao is perilous—don't be reckless…"

"If things turn bad, we run—and plan again later…"

…

After the discussion, Mo Hua said:

"I'll go in first."

His spiritual sense was strong, and his concealment even stronger—Zhang Quan wouldn't detect him.

But Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi, though their spiritual senses weren't weak, were still at the Qi Refining stage; relying solely on their cloaks for concealment, they'd easily be spotted by Zhang Quan's spiritual sense.

Bai Zisheng nodded.

Bai Zi Xi whispered a warning: "Be careful."

"Mm."

Mo Hua then concealed his form, quieted his steps, and crept silently into the abandoned mine shaft.

Outside the shaft, it was chaotic; inside, even more so.

Abandoned tunnels, scrap iron, rusted mine carts, rubble scattered everywhere.

The stench of rust, decay, filth, and death clung together.

Mo Hua frowned.

Zhang Quan could actually endure this place…

Had he truly become like a man living among salted fish, no longer noticing the stench?

This mine was small, the shaft shallow.

After walking a short while, Mo Hua spotted Zhang Quan, pale as frost on snow, meditating in a half-sealed stone chamber at the shaft's end.

He looked badly injured.

Mo Hua rubbed his chin.

Should he strike now?

But inside the shaft, it was risky.

And this was Zhang Quan's hiding place—Mo Hua hadn't had time to inspect it carefully; he didn't know what traps or setups Zhang Quan had laid.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then quietly retreated a little.

Then he began laying Earth Fire Arrays along the surrounding rock walls.

The Earth Fire Array was a useful technique—ever since hunting demons on Great Heishan, Mo Hua had used it constantly, and mastered it well.

It was a must-have array for home defense, travel, digging ambushes, and setting traps.

He always kept some prepared, stored in his storage pouch.

Now they were perfectly timed.

Mo Hua wanted to force Zhang Quan out.

Or, collapse the shaft and bury him alive?

"Even a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator shouldn't die from being buried…"

Mo Hua decided to test this theory on Zhang Quan.

After setting the Earth Fire Arrays, he slipped quietly out of the shaft and whispered to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi:

"Let's move farther away."

Bai Zisheng eyed him suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Mo Hua snickered and said:

"I prepared a meeting gift for Zhang Quan!"

The three of them ran far away and hid behind a large rock.

Mo Hua covered his ears. Bai Zisheng and Bai Zi Xi didn't know what was going on, but they both imitated him and covered their ears too.

After a while, with a boom, an explosion sounded and the mine shaft collapsed.

The commotion was huge.

But fortunately, this place was remote, and since it was a mine, blasting mountains and rocks for ore was common, so it didn't attract the attention of other cultivators.

The mine shaft collapsed, kicking up thick clouds of dust.

After the dust settled, the cave entrance was already blocked by large rocks.

Mo Hua was a little surprised.

Perhaps the mine shaft was somewhat special — the aura inside was mixed and dangerous, so the power of the Earth Fire Array was greater than he had expected.

Bai Zisheng said: "He didn't get blown to death, did he?"

Mo Hua wasn't sure either. "Probably not, it's just a first-grade Earth Fire Array, and the mine shaft isn't deep either…"

Before his words fell, movement came from the mine cave entrance.

The sound grew louder and louder. After a while, the mountain rocks at the entrance were smashed apart, and a cultivator — face covered in dirt, tattered cloth strips hanging from his body — walked out.

He roared furiously:

"Who? Who is it?"

"Who the hell is it?"

"How dare you plot against me?!"

This person was precisely Zhang Quan, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage.

The instant the Earth Fire Array exploded, he had sensed it, and then desperately ran outward, but he was still blocked by the giant rocks.

And the Earth Fire Array's power had greatly increased inside the mine cave. Although it wasn't fatal, it still blasted him until his skin was scorched black, his head buzzed, his ears rang, and he was in a wretched state.

This mine was his hiding place.

In Zhang Quan's fury, he simply couldn't imagine who could find him, and who would dare scheme against him like this.

Moreover, with an array formation!

Array formations weren't something ordinary cultivators could learn.

Just then, Zhang Quan suddenly started in alarm.

The corner of his eye caught a flash of Jin Guang behind him.

This flash of Jin Guang was very familiar.

Zhang Quan hastily turned around and saw a small youth in white. At the same time, he saw his long spear, and the dazzling Jin Guang at its tip.

A streak of golden light arrived first, then the spear shot out like a dragon.

Bai Zisheng's spear momentum surged, thrusting straight for Zhang Quan's throat.

Zhang Quan's face turned pale with shock.

It was that small youth from the Hundred Flowers Tower!

He panicked.

Back then at the Hundred Flowers Tower, he had taken a Corpse Blood Pill, boosting his cultivation, and only then barely managed to suppress this small white-robed cultivator.

Now he was seriously injured, and also suffering the backlash of the pill's potency — he definitely wouldn't be a match for this small youth.

Zhang Quan used his arm to deflect the spear.

A bloodstain was immediately cut into his hand, and a trickle of blood seeped out.

Zhang Quan gritted his teeth, executed Earth Escape, and vanished into the ground.

A moment after he vanished, a Fireball spell shot out with the speed of lightning, striking a patch of rubble nearby.

Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua were fellow disciples who had spent a long time together. Although they occasionally bickered, they were also quite in sync.

The instant Mo Hua's Fireball spell flew out, Bai Zisheng's gaze shifted.

By the time the Fireball spell hit the rubble-strewn ground, Bai Zisheng had just thrust his spear over as well.

Blood seeped from the ground.

Then several mottled furrow marks appeared, and after extending outward, they revealed Zhang Quan's wretched figure.

He clutched his bleeding shoulder, his eyes blood-red.

This Fireball spell — he knew it even better!

That utterly despicable, treacherous little brat!

Zhang Quan looked around, and sure enough, he saw Mo Hua sitting cross-legged on a large rock in the distance, watching him with a teasing expression.

"It's you!!"

Zhang Quan's eyes nearly split with rage.

Mo Hua nodded. "It's me!"

Zhang Quan gritted his teeth, then suddenly shuddered in his heart and said, his face draining of color:

"That needle — was it left by you?"

Mo Hua asked in confusion: "How did you guess that?"

Zhang Quan fell silent.

It was only when he had walked out of the secret passage and was changing clothes that he discovered the needle on his clothes.

He couldn't figure out this needle.

But years of cultivation experience told him that such a thing absolutely must not be kept, so he destroyed the needle and discarded it.

And right now, he had hidden in this remote mine, so concealed, yet still been discovered.

Looking at it this way, this needle was clearly for tracking.

The ones who had tracked him down were these three young cultivators.

Thus, this needle was the method of these three young cultivators.

And among these three young cultivators, the one youngest in age, appearing innocent but with the worst intentions, was surely the originator of this needle.

Zhang Quan gnashed his teeth in rage.

He immediately wanted to rush over and kill Mo Hua.

But then he glanced at Bai Zi Xi beside Mo Hua.

That coldly beautiful young girl's hands radiated brilliant swordlight, wreathed in white flames.

Back at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, that golden swordlight had shattered his iron corpse casing.

Zhang Quan felt deep wariness and couldn't help cursing:

"You shameless brat, bullying others with strength! If you've got guts, come fight me face to face—don't hide and cower!"

Mo Hua exclaimed in shock:

"You're such an old cultivator, how can you have no shame at all, asking a ten-year-old boy like me to fight you one-on-one…"

"Do you think I'm as stupid as you?"

Zhang Quan snarled: "Sharp-tongued brat!"

At that moment, Bai Zixi thrust out another spear.

Zhang Quan barely parried, and after a few exchanges, he began to feel strained.

His injuries were still unhealed; if he kept this up, he would surely lose.

Zhang Quan mustered all his strength to endure Bai Zixi's spear strike, then slammed his palm forward, blasting Bai Zixi away, and immediately burrowed into the ground, fleeing outward.

But he hadn't fled far when he noticed the underground earth transform—forming bars, then a cage—that trapped him.

Zhang Quan was stunned.

What was this?

The Earth Prison Array trapped Zhang Quan; he struggled desperately, and after a few breaths, shattered the array and escaped.

But Bai Zixi arrived swiftly, engaging him again.

Zhang Quan fled again, was trapped again, and was chased down again by Bai Zixi.

After several rounds, Zhang Quan understood.

It was an array!

Array plates had been laid across the ground nearby.

Using arrays to suppress his earth-traveling cultivation technique.

Truly an excellent tactic!

Zhang Quan felt a chill in his heart, but he was not panicked.

Since he now knew it was an array, it was manageable.

Though he didn't understand arrays, he wasn't without experience dealing with them.

Besides, he often dealt with array masters.

The nearby earth-element arrays used array plates as their mediums—the plates on the ground were visible; as long as he avoided the plates, he could avoid the arrays.

Zhang Quan burrowed underground, chose a spot without an array plate, and fled.

But unexpectedly, he was still trapped.

And this time, the earth-element array was stronger, and held him longer.

This array blended into the earth, its aura profound.

It felt like the will of the land itself, trying to trap him.

Zhang Quan's expression changed abruptly.

What was this technique?

How could such an array be set?

Who had laid this array, and how had it merged with the earth?

Zhang Quan had no idea.

As he stood frozen, Bai Zixi thrust another spear into his back.

Zhang Quan's heart turned cold; he endured the pain, then exploded in furious shame.

He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator—when had he ever been so humiliated, chased like a stray dog by a few Qi Condensation brats, scrambling desperately underground?

Zhang Quan revealed his form, blood streaming endlessly from his body.

His expression was filled with sinister malice.

"I will kill you all!"

Zhang Quan pulled out a blood-patterned bronze medicine vial.

Even if the medicine's backlash caused qi deviation, he would kill these brats!

But Bai Zixi had been waiting—he saw Zhang Quan take out the vial and prepare to swallow, and immediately struck, slashing his palm and knocking the vial flying.

Zhang Quan was stunned and furious, his face filled with disbelief.

Do you guys really give me not even a single chance?!

Every technique I've used—earth-travel, corpse core—has been completely blocked!

Bai Zixi, clad in snow-white robes, stood tall and straight, spear pointed at Zhang Quan, and declared loudly:

"What other tricks do you have? Use them all!"

These words were told to him by Mo Hua.

He also said he must deliver them in a majestic, imposing stance, to show off his coolness and arrogance.

Zhang Quan's face grew even paler, but his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

With no way out, he had no reason to hide anything anymore.

"These things… I never intended for any living person to see…"

Zhang Quan's voice dripped with bone-deep malice.

Bai Zisheng frowned slightly; Mo Hua's gaze also sharpened.

At that moment, a chilling bell sound suddenly rang through the silent mine.

As the bell rang, a cold wind swept through.

The surrounding rocks trembled, crumbling away to reveal dozens of black coffins hidden among the rubble.

From within the coffins came the sound of nails scraping against wood.

As if something had awakened…

(End of Chapter)