Immortality Through Array Formations

Mo Hua looked around the extensive network of mine tunnels, curiously asking.

Yu Chengyi said, “This spiritual mine is not very large. If fully exploited, I estimate it could provide for all of Tongxian City’s Monster Hunters for about ten years.”

“Is that considered a lot or a little?”

Yu Chengyi laughed and said, “It’s not little, everyone could enjoy a carefree life for about ten years.”

About ten years…

That indeed was not a short time, especially since he was only about ten years old right now.

But for Cultivators, ten years really was nothing at all.

As time flew by, like a white steed flashing past a crevice, a hundred years was but a flick of a finger to some Cultivators.

“How can we make the good times last even longer for everyone…”

The frown on Mo Hua’s face gradually deepened.

The Spirit Stones from the spiritual mine could ensure Monster Hunters live well for about ten years, but could also elevate the Qian Family to new heights.

If they claimed the spiritual mine and excavated the Spirit Stones, the Qian Family could gain even more power.

Once the Qian Family expanded their Alchemy and Artifact Refining businesses, monopolizing the trade in Tongxian City, all Cultivators would depend on the Qian Family’s breath.

So, they could not possibly give up on this spiritual mine.

It wasn’t long before the Qian Family began their second wave of attacks.

This time they did not assault forcefully, but mainly resorted to sneak attacks and harassment.

As night fell and the sky grew dim, the Qian Family’s Cultivators suddenly began their attacks.

Monster Hunters were ambushed, suffering casualties, and just when they wanted to counterattack, the Qian Family would sound their retreat.

This happened several times, a continuous harassment.

The number of injured Monster Hunters grew, and since they needed to be on full alert at all times, their spirits were constantly taut; the faces of everyone were looking rather unpleasant.

Elder Yu was seething with silent fury, yet he had no good solution to the problem.

Now they were defending, while the Qian Family was attacking.

They were rather passive, having to face the Qian Family’s endless harassment, and once they struck back, the Qian Family would suddenly disperse, making them feel as frustrated as punching cotton.

But with the spiritual mine here, they could not leave, and could only endure being fettered by the Qian Family, suffering bitterly.

It seemed the Qian Family intended to boil them like a frog in warm water, to exhaust them to death.

Monster Hunters all had grim expressions on their faces.

Mo Hua also felt a bit vexed and would sneak off to the entrance of the mine whenever he had the chance, staring contemplatively at the rugged mountains outside.

After several days of such observation, Mo Hua suddenly had a moment of inspiration and sought out Elder Yu:

“Elder, I have a plan.”

Mo Hua shared his thoughts with Elder Yu.

Upon hearing the plan, Elder Yu’s eyes lit up, then he hesitated, “Can it work?”

Mo Hua wasn’t entirely sure himself and could only say, “Shall we try it?”

Elder Yu thought for a moment, not having come up with any other good strategies, and then said, “Let’s give it a try.”

In the following days, Mo Hua kept on Drawing Formations.

Only this time, instead of the Golden Armor Formation, he was drawing the Earthfire Compound Formation consisting of seven Formation Patterns.

This was a Compound Formation from the “Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation” given to Mo Hua by Mr. Zhuang. It connected two Earth Fire Formations together, stacking their power.

As the Formation Pivot’s Spiritual Power was reinforced, the Compound Formation would be a bit more powerful than the blast produced if two separate Earth Fire Formations were detonated.

After completing the Drawing Formation, Mo Hua handed it over to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu expanded his Divine Sense, aware that Cultivators from the Qian Family still hovered around the spiritual mine like flies. He then ordered the Monster Hunters to launch a feigned attack.

The Monster Hunters charged out suddenly, and the Qian Family’s Cultivators, caught off guard, did not engage in battle and retreated instead.

They were following a harassment strategy and did not plan to fight head-on for the time being.

The Monster Hunters drove the Qian Family’s Cultivators far away.

Elder Yu scanned the area with his Divine Sense again and saw that there were no Qian Family’s Cultivators near the spiritual mine, so he gestured with his hand.

Some Monster Hunters, holding the Earthfire Compound Formation Painted by Mo Hua, began to set them up in various corners of the mountain terrain.

Amid the thick underbrush, under the large tree roots, amongst the jumbled boulders, and the soil mixed with fallen leaves and grass roots, these hidden spots were all rigged with Earthfire Compound Formations.

After the setup was complete, the Monster Hunters all pulled back.

Mo Hua found a secluded mine entrance to lie in wait, ready to watch the show unfold.

Regrettably, the Qian Family’s Cultivators were very cautious; having been charged at by the Monster Hunters, they didn’t dare to approach the mountain for a while.

Mo Hua, having nothing else to do, could only take out a book of Formation Books and flip through them, considering what other formations could cope with the Qian Family’s onslaught.

It was not until dusk that the cultivators of the Qian Family gathered again, lying in ambush at the foot of Nameless Peak.

It was a bit far, Mo Hua could not see, but his Divine Sense faintly detected some activity, seeming as if the Qian Family was making a move.

Mo Hua knew the show was about to begin!

He packed up the Formation Books, spread a blanket on the ground, and took out beef jerky, pine nuts, and wild fruits from his Storage Bag, along with a bottle of his treasured osmanthus brew.

This osmanthus brew was sweet and refreshing, and it didn’t give a hangover, so he usually didn’t bear to drink it.

Mo Hua, cracking pine nuts and eating beef jerky, looked towards the foot of the mountain full of anticipation.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the Qian Family made their move.

At the base of Nameless Peak, the cultivators of the Qian Family assembled, led by a tall man who stood six feet high with a broad back and a sturdy waist.

Around the burly man huddled several Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators, quietly plotting their actions for the night.

“Tonight we’ll show these bastards from Monster Hunter a bit of color!”

“We’ll move as usual, sneaking up and striking on sight, no need to pull punches; if they die, it’s their bad luck…”

“If they chase us down, we’ll pretend to retreat,” one of them added.

“But unlike before, we’re not really planning to retreat; instead, when they turn back, we’ll launch a surprise counterattack.”

“After several days of attacks, they’ll never expect us to strike back!”

“With a surprise attack, even if we can’t succeed in one fell swoop, we’ll certainly deal them a severe blow! In a few days, their spirits will be worn down by our pressure, and they’ll become lambs for the slaughter!”

“Once the Family Head acknowledges our achievement and the Qian Family seizes the spiritual mines to expand our power, our futures will be limitless, and Foundation Establishment will be just around the corner!”

His words had everyone boiling with enthusiasm.

Still, some of the Qian Family cultivators were puzzled, “Why did the Monster Hunters suddenly strike during the day? What was that about?”

With a wave of his hand, the Qian Family big man dismissed the concern, “No matter, as long as the brothers unite, it doesn’t matter how much they plot; they’re just a bunch of clowns!”

The cultivators of the Qian Family nodded in agreement, their fighting spirit high.

Seeing this, the Qian Family big man began to divide the teams, then several groups moved forward in unison, concealing their breath, advancing towards the middle of the mountain.

Everything was as usual.

That’s how they had approached before, and they thought this time would be no different.

Until one of the Qian Family cultivators stepped on something unwittingly.

He felt a slight discord under his foot, but before he could figure out exactly what was wrong, he was surrounded by fierce flames.

With a loud boom.

The explosive flames of the Earthfire Compound Formation were dazzling in the night.

The surrounding Qian Family cultivators were all blasted away; though not killed, most were charred black, spitting blood from their mouths.

“An attack?!”

“Where from?”

The hearts of the Qian Family cultivators panicked as they scanned their surroundings, but there was not a single figure to be seen.

“Don’t panic!”

The burly man immediately said, “It’s just their last desperate counterattack; stick to the plan!”

The cultivators of the Qian Family calmed down and continued forward.

But soon, they couldn’t keep their composure…

Boom!

Boom, boom, boom…

The sound of explosions rose and fell, one after another; flames from the Earthfire Compound Formation explosions consumed the mountain pass, blooming like lotus flowers, one after another.

The Qian Family cultivators could only run around in the blaze of fire, and more explosions followed…

The burly man of the Qian Family stood still, his expression stunned.

What’s going on?!

Where did these explosions come from?

No matter how hard the burly man racked his brains, he couldn’t fathom it.

Watching the cultivators of the Qian Family wail in the light of the fire, eventually scattering in retreat, the burly man knew it was all over.

He had thought himself infallible in his calculations, yet this barrage of explosions washed all his plans away…

A bitter taste filled the burly man’s heart.

The clown jumping on the beam turned out to be himself…