Chapter 153: First Battle (Two updates)_1

Chapter 153: First Battle (Two updates)_1

Given the huge interest in the spiritual mines, when the Taoist Court mediation failed, there was no choice but to follow the common rules. The Qian Family and the Monster Hunters would engage in a fierce battle at the Nameless Peak spiritual mine.

Whoever won would get to take control of the spiritual mine.

The Qian Family was now on the offensive, whereas the Monster Hunters were on defense.

The atmosphere among the Monster Hunters had gradually become more tense.

Elder Yu ordered that all Monster Hunters were forbidden from hunting monsters in Big Black Mountain in the near future, and he assembled most of the Monster Hunters who were between the seventh and ninth level of Qi Refinement to guard the mine tunnels at Nameless Peak.

On one hand, the Monster Hunters were preparing for the imminent attack from the Qian Family and, on the other hand, they were working to expedite the extraction of the spiritual mine.

It would be best to hold onto the spiritual mines, but with the Qian Family’s vast influence and numerous cultivators, it was uncertain whether the Monster Hunters would be able to hold out until the end.

Since it was not known when the spiritual mine would fall, the idea was to extract as many spirit stones as possible before that happened.

Late-stage Qi Refinement practitioners were to enter the spiritual mine, and Mo Shan, being at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, was no exception.

Mo Hua also wanted to go in, but Mo Shan wouldn’t allow it, and neither would Elder Yu agree.

Previously, during the spiritual mine’s capture, Mo Hua was on the outside where there were rocks and trees to hide behind; in case of danger, there was a chance to flee if the situation turned dire.

Now, inside the mine tunnel, there was virtually nowhere to escape.

If the Qian Family cultivators were to break in and melee ensued; with swords, divine sense, and spiritual power flying chaotically, no one could guarantee Mo Hua’s safety.

Therefore, Elder Yu was originally adamant about not allowing Mo Hua, a minor cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, to stay inside the spiritual mine.

That was until Mo Hua offered to help by Drawing Formation.

“I can draw the Golden Armor Formation, it can even be used by those in the late Qi Refinement stages!” Mo Hua said.

Upon hearing this, Elder Yu could hardly refuse.

In a large-scale battle between cultivators, the effectiveness of formations becomes quite apparent.

Moreover, this Golden Armor Formation sounded much more powerful than the “Iron Armor Formation.” With the reinforcement of the Golden Armor Formation, the likelihood of holding the mine tunnels would greatly increase.

Even if they couldn’t hold it in the end, they could at least delay the inevitable for longer, thus harvesting more spirit stones.

This was a spiritual mine, after all, even a small one could provide for many Loose Cultivators’ living expenses for a long time.

Elder Yu was tempted.

Several Monster Hunters also praised the Golden Armor Formation to Elder Yu, mentioning how Mo Shan had encountered a Kui Wood Wolf during Monster Hunting and was spared from injury because his Rattan Armor was painted with the Golden Armor Formation.

With a sigh, Mo Shan reluctantly took out the Rattan Armor painted with the Golden Armor Formation.

Elder Yu examined it closely and tested the armor’s defense, his eyes lighting up with approval. He immediately decided to allow Mo Hua to stay.

Thus, Mo Hua stayed inside the spiritual mine.

Elder Yu instructed the other Monster Hunters to take good care of Mo Hua and thought to himself:

“If any undiscerning bastard dares to hurt a single hair on Mo Hua’s head, I’ll strike them down with a single blow!”

In the days that followed, Mo Hua started to draw Golden Armor Formations for the Monster Hunters.

With Mo Hua’s current Divine Sense intensity, enhanced control from the Heaven Yan Jue, and the increased recovery speed of Divine Sense from the Meditation Technique, around ten First-grade Golden Armor Formations could be painted in one day.

The Spiritual Ink used for these Golden Armor Formations was temporarily supplied by Mo Hua.

Elder Yu agreed to convert the cost of the Spiritual Ink into spirit stones and add it to the compensation for Drawing Formation, to be given to Mo Hua in the end.

But since the Iron Armor was heavier, it made movement difficult, and thus they became easy targets.

About a dozen Qian Family Cultivators in Iron Armor, not watching their backs, became playthings for the Rattan Armor-wearing Monster Hunters and were taken down after a few rounds.

Their Iron Armor was stripped away as well.

The Qian Family nearly spat blood.

That was a complete set of Iron Armor, after all. Crafting a set required a vast amount of fine iron, and now it had been completely plundered!

But they could not give up fighting for the Spiritual mines, for those were Spirit Stones gleaming bright!

To deal with the Monster Hunters’ Rattan Armor, the Qian Family spared no expense and bought twenty genuine First-grade blades.

These blades were extremely sharp, able to cut through ordinary Rattan Armor with a single strike.

Handpicked Qian Family experts, equipped with these First-grade blades, engaged the Monster Hunters once more.

The First-grade blades indeed proved effective, able to cut through the Rattan Armor with a single strike, and with two or three, the armor was almost completely split.

But then, the Qian Family quickly discovered an even bigger problem.

The number of Monster Hunters wearing Rattan Armor was increasing!

There were only thirty at first.

Then each day brought more, each day more, until now, almost every Monster Hunter was wearing that troublesome Rattan Armor.

Everyone had one!

The Qian Family Cultivators felt their scalps tingle.

They only had twenty blades. Yet there were more than two hundred sets of Rattan Armor to contend with!

How were they supposed to fight this?

And then they were, unsurprisingly, defeated again...

The successive defeats caused the Qian Family Cultivators’ morale to crumble, forcing them to pause their assault and catch their breath.

Elder Yu was overjoyed beyond expectations.

The effect of the Golden Armor Formation was much stronger than he had originally thought.

He had anticipated a grueling battle, where even if they emerged victorious, the casualties would be significant.

But unexpectedly, not only did they win, they won with ease, and the Monster Hunters suffered very few casualties.

This allowed Elder Yu to breathe a sigh of relief, then he felt a bit puzzled and asked Mo Hua:

“How come this Golden Armor Formation is so tough?”

It was so tough that First-grade blades needed several strikes to break through.

The armor they were wearing was just ordinary Rattan Armor, not First-grade Iron Armor crafted from fine iron.

Mo Hua responded as if it were obvious, “Because the Golden Armor Formation is a First-grade Formation Method.”

“A First-grade Formation Method...” Elder Yu nodded in understanding, “No wonder.”

A First-grade Formation Method, how could it not be strong?

Then Elder Yu suddenly came to a realization, his heart pounding.

“First-grade?!”