Immortality Through Array Formations

The next day, the Qian Family cultivators began to move, lining up from the foot of Nameless Peak all the way to the mine entrance halfway up the mountain.

The number was about twice that of the Monster Hunters.

Mo Hua, high up at the entrance of the highest mine, looked down and only saw the mountain densely packed with Qian Family cultivators, likely numbering over a thousand.

How can we fight this?

Mo Hua looked towards Elder Yu.

Elder Yu appeared unconcerned, “They may look numerous, but they are all no more than rice buckets.”

And so the battle began between the two sides.

At first, it was all probing, with both sides casually trading blows.

Although the Monster Hunters were of a lower rank compared to the Qian Family cultivators, they had years of battle experience with Monster Beasts, skilled in Taoist arts, rich in experience, and battle-hardened, with seamless cooperation among themselves.

While the Qian Family cultivators might have been higher in cultivation, they usually bullied others without real challenge, their Taoist skills were mediocre, and they didn’t dare to fight desperately, showing fear at the start of the real battle.

After a short chaos, the situation gradually became clear.

Monster Hunters could attack or defend as needed, appearing to fight independently but also supporting each other, and although outnumbered, they managed to push the Qian Family cultivators into retreating step by step.

Monster Hunters made their living hunting Monster Beasts. If they could kill beasts, then why not these cultivators who were not accustomed to fighting?

The Qian Family cultivators gradually began to lose ground.

Upon seeing this, Qian Zhongxuan’s expression revealed neither joy nor anger, simply waving his hand to signal the retreat of the Qian Family cultivators.

He probably feared that moving too slowly would lead to further insult from Elder Yu at the front lines.

The first day ended hastily like this, and after everyone recuperated, they began to face off again the next day.

Among the Qian Family cultivators, there were about twenty more cultivators present.

These twenty or so cultivators stood together while the others from the Qian Family formed a protective circle around them.

Elder Yu’s brow furrowed, “This old fox, Qian Zhongxuan, that’s his game.”

After speaking, he picked up a piece of beef and began to eat.

The beef belonged to Mo Hua.

Elder Yu was originally observing the battle situation from above and noticed Mo Hua, who was stealthily peeking out from an entrance.

In front of her were wild fruits, pine nuts, beef, and fruit wine.

Concerned for Mo Hua’s safety, Elder Yu had come over as well.

There the two of them were, eating while watching the battle unfold.

Mo Hua originally thought that today would be like yesterday, a victory that, though not without setbacks, would tilt overwhelmingly in their favor.

Thus, she had prepared food and drinks to enjoy the show.

But now Elder Yu was frowning, and his expression was not optimistic.

Mo Hua asked, “Is something not right?”

Elder Yu pointed at the twenty or so Qian Family cultivators standing separately and said, “Look at those people.”

Mo Hua looked over and felt these cultivators had weak vitality and didn’t appear strong, but the Qian Family had singled them out and protected them heavily, for reasons unknown.

“Elder, these people are…”

“You’ll see,” said Elder Yu.

Before long, the two sides clashed, and the Monster Hunters charged.

Instead of advancing, the Qian Family cultivators adopted a defensive formation to protect those twenty or so cultivators.

At the same time, those twenty cultivators simultaneously performed their spellcasting gestures.

Mo Hua felt a chill in her heart.

It was Spiritual Cultivation!

After a few moments, the Spiritual Cultivators completed their spells, launching fireballs, ice arrows, and wind blades; the spells flew out, striking the advancing Monster Hunters.

In the chaos of battle, even without precise aiming, they were bound to hit someone.

Those Monster Hunters who were hit by the spells all staggered, the lightly injured coughed up blood from the impact of the spiritual power, and the more seriously injured were eroded by the spiritual power, slowly falling to the ground, losing their combat effectiveness.

Simultaneously, the Qian Family’s Body Cultivation assassins surged forward, driving back the attacking Monster Hunters.

Meanwhile, the Qian Family’s Spiritual Cultivators continued to condense qi, unleashing spells.

Soon, the fireballs and ice arrows were flying again.

The Monster Hunters were in a dire situation.

If they charged, they would be stopped by the Qian Family’s body cultivators.

If they didn’t charge, they could only become live targets, forced to endure the spells of those twenty or so spiritual cultivators.

Elder Yu’s brow furrowed even more tightly.

Twenty or so spiritual cultivators, and all were in the later stages of Qi Refinement, even some at the ninth level of Qi Refinement!

That grandson Qian Zhongxuan was playing this very trick.

Taking advantage of the fact that Monster Hunters didn’t have spiritual cultivators!

Indeed, Monster Hunters in the Qi Refinement Realm weren’t suited to be spiritual cultivators.

Spiritual cultivators needed time to cast spells, but when fighting Monster Beasts, being even slightly slower could mean the difference between life and death.

So Monster Hunters generally didn’t focus on spells, instead practicing martial dao techniques that used spiritual power to unlock the potential of their bodies and fight Monster Beasts.

Moreover, spiritual cultivators had weaker bodies, a light scratch from a Monster Beast could leave them gravely injured if not dead, unlike body cultivators with their tougher skins, who could withstand a few more hits.

But now, in the battle with the Qian Family cultivators, the Qian Family had presumed that the Monster Hunters lacked spiritual cultivators, or at least, didn’t have any impressive ones.

The enemy has what we lack.

Relying on these advantages, and their spells, the Qian Family could slowly kill the Monster Hunters at leisure.

There were indeed spiritual cultivators among the Monster Hunters, but without someone at the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refinement, or twenty or so in number, their impact in such a chaotic battle was limited and couldn’t change the situation.

Anger stirred in Elder Yu’s heart.

No wonder that old bastard Qian Zhongxuan had insisted that those in the Foundation Establishment Stage not get involved.

If he could have taken action, he would’ve rushed over immediately to slaughter those twenty or so spiritual cultivators and saved a lot of trouble!

Now that he couldn’t take action, relying only on a group of Qi Refinement Stage body refinement Monster Hunters, they couldn’t break through, only to be tortured with spells.

Elder Yu sighed, knowing the situation was not in their favor, and directly ordered the Monster Hunters to retreat, only defending the entrance of the cave.

Qian Zhongxuan sneered with contempt but did not pursue.

He wasn’t in a hurry. Sooner or later, these Monster Hunters, unable to deal with the spiritual cultivators, would be worn down and killed bit by bit.

To rashly pursue and kill them now would only make it easy to fall into the cunning traps of that old coot Yu Changlin.

Over the years, having dealt with Yu Changlin on numerous occasions, he knew him to be shameless to the point of reaching the pinnacle.

He had never gained much advantage while dealing with Yu Changlin, but now, it was time for his moment of triumph.

The Qian Family retreated, and Elder Yu pondered with a frown, contemplating how to deal with the Qian Family’s spiritual cultivators.

Yu Chengyi said, “Dad, why don’t you sneakily take action, slaughter this group of spiritual cultivators?”

Elder Yu gave him a glare, “What nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you hear what that old coot said? The Court Leader of the Taoist Court witnessed our agreement. If I act rashly now, it’s like slapping the Taoist Court in the face. How would I explain that to the Court Leader?”

Yu Chengyi said in a soft voice, “Sneakily…”

Elder Yu’s eyebrows raised, “Do you think everyone else is a fool? Can’t they see if it’s me who made the move?”

Yu Chengyi had no response, but after a while, he said:

“What if we put on protective wear and charged over?”

Mo Shan shook his head, “Wearing protective wear would slow us down somewhat, and we’d still be targets.”

Yu Chengyi then suggested, “Then find a few with good movement techniques, figure out a way to avoid the Qian Family’s body cultivators, and kill their spiritual cultivators from behind!”

Mo Shan nodded, “That’s the only way now, though it’s quite risky. Be extremely careful, otherwise it’s easy to be attacked from both sides, caught in a pincer.”

“The risk is too high, and if something goes wrong, it’s hard to escape,” Elder Yu sighed.

Unless absolutely necessary, he wasn’t keen on having the Monster Hunters take such risks.

“Shall we find spiritual cultivators to counter them?” Yu Chengyi tentatively asked.

Elder Yu thought for a moment then shook his head:

“They’re not highly skilled or numerous enough; spiritual cultivators won’t change the situation.”

Everyone fell into contemplation once more.

Suddenly, Elder Yu thought of a question:

“In our ranks of Monster Hunters, who is a spiritual cultivator?”

Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were momentarily stunned, unable to recall anyone at that moment.

A true Monster Hunter, who would become a spiritual cultivator?

The few looked at each other in bewilderment.

Mo Hua timidly raised her little hand, “I am.”