Chapter 168: Earth-Wood Composite Formation
A First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Formation?
Mo Hua's eyes brightened, and he immediately began flipping through the scroll.
The so-called First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Formation was a composite formation that combined a First-Grade Nine-Rune Earth-Stone Array with a Five-Rune Wood-Energy Array.
Because the most advanced sub-formation within it reached first-grade, it was categorized overall as a First-Grade Composite Formation.
This particular Earth-Wood Composite Formation contained only two sub-formations. It did not include an independent Spirit-Gathering Formation as a formation core; instead, it relied on Spirit-Gathering runes within the sub-formations themselves to draw in spiritual energy. Hence, its power was somewhat weaker than a full composite formation with a dedicated core, but still significantly stronger than an ordinary First-Grade Earth-Stone Formation.
After all, no matter how weak, a composite formation remained a composite formation.
Moreover, because its structure was relatively simple, it would not be too difficult to learn.
If it contained three or more sub-formations and required a Spirit-Gathering Formation as its core, the formation's structure would become drastically more complex. With Mo Hua's current mastery, learning something of that level would be extremely strenuous.
Among the two sub-formations contained in this set, the Wood-Energy Formation with five runes was one Mo Hua already knew, and he had just learned the First-Grade Earth-Stone Formation as well.
To master this composite formation, all he needed was to comprehend the configuration of its formation hub.
Mo Hua decided that night he would practice this Earth-Wood Composite Formation on the Dao Stele.
By midnight, Mo Hua had fully memorized the configuration of the formation hub. Afterward, he closed his eyes, fell asleep, and allowed his Divine-Sense to sink into his Sea of Consciousness, where the Dao Stele manifested once more.
He began practicing the formation upon it.
At first, his progress was far from smooth. Yet formation study was a process of repeated refinement; if one attempt failed, one simply tried again, and again, and again.
Mo Hua drew the formation over and over.
However, as he was still only at the sixth level of Qi-Refining, his Divine-Sense was sufficient to construct a First-Grade Nine-Rune Formation, but it was barely enough to sustain a full composite formation of the same grade.
He practiced through the night but still failed to master the First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Formation.
...
The next day, Elder Yu gazed at Mo Hua expectantly.
Though he said nothing aloud, his eyes brimmed with anticipation.
Mo Hua thought for a moment.
To seal the tunnel, a First-Grade Earth-Stone Formation would probably suffice, yet using the Earth-Wood Composite Formation would certainly yield better results.
Since there was no urgent need to finish immediately, Mo Hua asked Elder Yu to wait a bit longer.
He spent the entire day practicing, exhausting his Divine-Sense, then meditated to restore it.
That night, he trained once more on the Dao Stele and, after a full night's effort, finally succeeded in completing the First-Grade Earth-Wood Composite Formation.
When Mo Hua informed Elder Yu, the latter was overjoyed and immediately ordered the Demon Hunters to begin sealing the tunnels.
Yet sealing the tunnel was not as easy as it sounded. Doing it openly would surely alert the Qian Family. Once they noticed, they would harass them endlessly, and the sealing effort would fail.
Mo Hua asked Elder Yu what should be done.
Elder Yu chuckled slyly, declining to answer, and merely told Mo Hua to watch carefully.
He began, as usual, by cursing.
Standing at the mouth of the mine, Elder Yu assumed the appearance of one driven to fury, loudly cursing the Qian Family, Qian Hong, and Qian Zhongxuan, his temper flaring as though he had been trapped beyond endurance.
Then he ordered all the Demon Hunters to charge out in a furious assault. Their faces were filled with righteous despair, their expressions resolute, as though they were making a final, desperate stand.
Qian Hong had no wish for a head-on battle and thus ordered a retreat.
At this point, in his eyes, the Demon Hunters were little more than fish trapped in a jar, lambs awaiting slaughter, not worth wasting more lives on.
If the hunters were pushed too far, they might fight to the death, resulting in needless casualties.
The Qian Family had already suffered heavy losses, and Qian Hong could not afford to let them worsen, especially under his command.
Thus, when the Demon Hunters displayed a suicidal resolve, the Qian Family immediately withdrew.
For three consecutive days, the Demon Hunters continued this ruse, pouring out of the mine in a show of reckless defiance.
Qian Hong grew increasingly certain that Elder Yu Changlin had exhausted all his tricks. Convinced of his opponent's desperation, Qian Hong became even more complacent and ordered his cultivators to pull back farther, avoiding direct engagement entirely.
First comes vigor, then decline, then exhaustion.
Qian Hong believed that such displays of doomed resolve could not last long. Once their morale faded, he would easily reap the spoils. There was no need to rush.
This was precisely what Elder Yu wanted. Smiling coldly, he muttered under his breath, "As expected, an old turtle through and through," and then gave the command to begin sealing the tunnels.
The Demon Hunters used mining rubble to block the entrances while Mo Hua painted the Earth-Wood Composite Formation upon the rock walls on both sides.
After each formation was completed, they added another layer of stones; Mo Hua would then paint another formation, then another layer, then another formation, layer upon layer.
All the tunnels were gradually sealed, leaving only one open, at the mountainside's highest point.
That single tunnel was left for Elder Yu to curse from.
Whenever he had time, Elder Yu sat there hurling insults at Qian Hong, calling him a cowardly turtle without courage or manhood, too afraid to face him head-on.
In truth, this was meant to divert the Qian Family's attention, keeping them from attacking prematurely.
The more furiously Elder Yu ranted, the calmer Qian Hong felt.
Yet as time passed, Qian Hong began to sense something was wrong.
Elder Yu's curses no longer carried their former vigor, as though he were deliberately concealing something.
Growing suspicious, Qian Hong did not act rashly. He merely dispatched a small group to scout the mine entrance under cover of night.
The moment those cultivators arrived, they were ambushed by Demon Hunters lying in wait.
Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, and several ninth-level Qi-Refining Demon Hunters had not remained inside the mine but had hidden outside long beforehand. When the Qian Family's scouts approached, they launched a sudden attack.
Clad in iron armor and wielding great blades charged with spiritual power, the Demon Hunters struck with ferocity. The Qian Family cultivators were utterly routed, fleeing in disarray.
Upon hearing the report, Qian Hong felt oddly relieved.
"So," he thought, "that old fool Yu Changlin really wasn't sealing the tunnels at all, he was setting up an ambush. Good thing I sent only a few to test it; otherwise, we'd have taken another heavy loss."
After the ambush, Mo Shan and the others quietly returned to the mine through the mountainside tunnel.
The ambush could only be used once, but that was enough. Its purpose had been deception from the start, and once was all it needed.
With Qian Hong now wary and hesitant to act, they had gained the time necessary to complete the sealing and for Mo Hua to draw his formations.
As this dragged on, Qian Zhongxuan began to grow uneasy. He went to Qian Hong and said, "Yu Changlin seems to be trying to seal the tunnels."
"I know," Qian Hong replied coolly.
Qian Zhongxuan frowned. "And we're just letting him?"
Qian Hong shrugged indifferently. "He's not sealing the tunnels; he's setting another ambush."
"What if he truly seals them? What then?" Qian Zhongxuan pressed.
"It's only earth and stone," Qian Hong said carelessly. "If he seals it, we'll break it open."
"And if they dig another tunnel to escape?" Qian Zhongxuan asked again.
"They won't escape," Qian Hong sneered. "We've dealt with Yu Changlin long enough to know his tricks. He'll either hold his ground or dig a new exit. If we break through the sealed tunnels, we'll catch them like fish in a jar. If they dig a new passage, we'll intercept them halfway. Either way, once they emerge, the spiritual ore they've mined will all be ours."
His eyes gleamed with malice as he laughed mockingly. "We'll kill them, seize the spirit stones, and win both ways without lifting a finger."
Qian Zhongxuan murmured, "The clan head is wise," though inwardly he cursed him.
A dog never changes its nature. Always scheming for the easy profit.
Does that stingy old goat Yu Changlin look like the sort to let you profit so easily?
And that Formation Master among the Demon Hunters still hasn't shown himself. In a cultivator's battle, formations are the hardest thing to deal with... he knows that all too well.
Qian Zhongxuan understood the danger but chose not to warn him.
He wanted to see whether Qian Hong's "easy profit" this time would bring him fortune... or disaster.
After all, he had already lost his wealth and standing within the clan, so he might as well enjoy the spectacle.
If misfortune was coming, then let everyone share it. No one should have an easy time of it.
These were the venomous thoughts festering in Qian Zhongxuan's heart.
(End of Chapter)