Chapter 173: Escaping

Qian Hong had never felt so humiliated in his entire life.

As the head of the Qian family, he had always been respected, his position honored, his demeanor dignified. But now, for the sake of a group of Qi Refining stage disciples, he had to traverse the Ground Fire Array, leaving him disheveled and covered in dirt, a truly sorry sight.

This appearance seemed to showcase his incompetence, making him feel utterly disgraced!

Qian Zhongxuan also felt humiliated, but because Qian Hong was right beside him, looking even more humiliated, he instantly felt less so.

Qian Hong coughed, forcing down the blood welling up in his throat. He glared angrily at the Qian family cultivators behind him and said:

"What are you waiting for? Hurry and chase!"

Hearing this, the Qian family cultivators finally began to move, pursuing forward.

Qian Hong had just relaxed a breath when he suddenly felt a surge of energy from behind. His heart went cold, and he turned and met the attack with a forceful palm strike.

The spiritual power of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators clashed, instantly creating a turbulent shockwave. Qian Hong felt half his arm go numb, and the opponent's spiritual power also seeped into his palm, causing a heart-piercing pain.

Qian Hong retreated four or five steps before stopping.

The Qian family cultivators noticed the movement and successively stopped their steps, looking towards Qian Hong.

Qian Hong said sternly: "Go chase the demon hunter masters! Intercept the spirit stones! Don't let them escape!"

The Qian family cultivators hesitated for a moment, then got up one after another, crossed the mountain path, and continued their pursuit.

Qian Hong's gaze was sharp as he looked at the one who had ambushed him and said: "Yu Changlin, your face is truly thick-skinned, to actually sneak attack!"

"What sneak attack?" Elder Yu looked bewildered. "I just wanted to pat your shoulder and say hello. But instead, you hit me with a palm. Judging a gentleman's heart with a petty person's belly, clearly you are the one who is shameless."

"You don't intend to stop our two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators with just one person, do you?" Qian Hong said coldly.

Qian Zhongxuan also stood by Qian Hong's side, his expression guarded.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone agreed, Foundation Establishment cultivators won't make a move. I am always honest and trustworthy, I wouldn't break the agreement," Elder Yu declared solemnly.

Qian Hong also saw through Elder Yu's intentions and sneered:

"Even if you hold back our two Foundation Establishment cultivators, when my Qian family cultivators catch up to you all, you still won't be able to escape even with wings."

"That's not certain," Elder Yu smiled without smiling, and said, "Let's talk about it when you catch up."

Not far ahead, Mo Hua was commanding over ten demon hunter masters to set up a first-grade Ground Fire Array.

Mo Hua didn't use all the Ground Fire Arrays at once; he still had some left.

You should always have a backup plan; this is what Elder Yu taught him.

The Ground Fire Array just now blocked the large Qian family force and consumed the state of the Qian family's Foundation Establishment cultivators, making it easier for Elder Yu to contain them.

The Ground Fire Arrays now were meant to scare them a bit, make them not dare to advance recklessly, and delay their progress.

After the Ground Fire Array just now, the Qian family cultivators all knew the power of a first-grade Ground Fire Array.

And a first-grade Ground Fire Array capable of injuring even Foundation Establishment cultivators was enough to terrify these Qi Refining stage Qian family cultivators.

The more than ten remaining demon hunter masters, while retreating, buried Ground Fire Arrays on the path the Qian family had to take.

Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step to run everywhere, checking the terrain and finding suitable positions to bury the Ground Fire Arrays. Mo Shan followed him like a shadow.

The pursuing Qian family cultivators soon triggered a Ground Fire Array again.

Firelight suddenly rose, spiritual power shook, along with explosion sounds and cultivators' wails.

How could there still be Ground Fire Arrays?

The Qian family cultivators were both doubtful and fearful, and successively stopped their steps.

A few leading cultivators urged or enticed a few sentences, and the team then continued forward.

But not long after, another explosion sound rang out.

The Qian family cultivators were shocked and stopped again. After a moment, they regathered their courage and continued to chase, but they hadn't walked long before they triggered Ground Fire Arrays one after another.

Just like this, firelight constantly appeared along the way. Not many Qian family cultivators were injured, but they suffered greatly internally.

After all, no one knew where the next explosion would occur, or who would be the next person to be exploded.

With hesitation in their hearts, their steps unconsciously slowed down.

Every step they took was fraught with anxiety, and every step they completed brought a sense of relief from danger.

Gradually, all the Qian family cultivators developed a fear of the Ground Fire Arrays, and their marching speed slowed down considerably.

Qian Zhuang and several others encouraged or threatened, but it was essentially useless.

Just like this, they stopped and went, advancing slowly.

By the time the Qian family cultivators finally saw the figures of the large group of demon hunter masters from afar, the demon hunter masters were already carrying storage bags and boxes full of spirit stones and had walked out of Great Black Mountain.

By the time the Qian family cultivators chased them out of Great Black Mountain, the demon hunter masters had already entered Tongxian City one after another.

Mo Hua followed at the end of the demon hunter masters' team, being the last to enter the city.

In front was the gate of Tongxian City, and behind were the Qian family cultivators, chasing in a hurry and menacingly.

Mo Hua let out a breath. After such a long skirmish and confrontation, they had finally successfully mined the spirit mine, shaken off the Qian family's pursuit, and escaped safely.

The demon hunter masters had already entered Tongxian City; no matter how anxious the Qian family was, they were helpless.

Mo Hua came back to his senses and found that Elder Yu had already stood by his side at some point.

Elder Yu's clothes were torn in several places, and his spiritual power was largely consumed. He sized up Mo Hua, saw that he was not injured, then his expression relaxed slightly and he felt relieved.

At the same time, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan also arrived.

They had been held back by Yu Changlin the whole way, and at this time both looked somewhat weary. But what was even harder for them to accept was the scene in front of them.

The demon hunter masters were covered in storage bags, carrying storage boxes in pairs, walking safely and openly into Tongxian City!

Inside those storage bags and boxes were packed spirit stones!

Newly mined spirit stones!

Spirit stones that should have originally belonged to their Qian family!

Qian Hong's eyes were about to split.

The Qian family had spent so much time, so many spirit stones, so much manpower, only to fall short in the end and gain nothing.

He himself was also gray-headed and dirty-faced, in a sorry state.

This was the biggest and most disastrous defeat he had suffered since becoming the family head!

Rage attacked Qian Hong's heart, his expression twisted, and he roared sternly:

"Yu Changlin! You old dog! I won't let you go! I must cut you into a thousand pieces and ten thousand pieces!"

"And that array master, I will definitely find him out and dismember him! To eliminate the hatred in my heart!"

Elder Yu was not afraid of Qian Hong's threat. How many threats had he received from the Qian family over the years? If he were truly afraid of the Qian family, he wouldn't be able to oppose them.

But he was somewhat worried about Mo Hua. Although he could protect Mo Hua completely, he was also afraid that Mo Hua would feel shocked and scared.

Elder Yu turned his head and looked at Mo Hua, but found that his face showed no worried or afraid expression, but was instead secretly laughing.

Elder Yu couldn't help but ask: "What are you laughing at?"

Mo Hua blinked, and secretly said: "The old turtle's shell is broken."

Elder Yu frowned, not quite understanding. When he looked up again and saw the disheveled and dirty-faced, tattered-clothed, and distorted-expressioned Qian Hong, he understood.

Qian Hong, who always kept his emotions in check, now had his mentality completely collapsed. Disheveled and dirty-faced, with a twisted expression, he was loudly cursing, like a shrew.

He had fought with Qian Hong for so long, but had never seen him in such a flustered and exasperated state.

Elder Yu also couldn't help but laugh out loud, and immediately shouted at Qian Hong:

"Qian Hong, you old turtle, if your shell is broken, then shrink your head and crawl back, don't lose face here!"