Chapter 161: Iron Armor (Five Updates)_1 The Qian Family retreated. All the way, Qian Zhongxuan was very puzzled, where did that spell come from? Monster Hunters aren’t supposed to be good at spells. “Could it be that old bastard Yu Changlin took action himself?” Qian Zhongxuan shook his head, “No, the spiritual power is too weak, it doesn’t even seem to be at the late stage of Qi Refinement.” But with such a low realm, how could the spell be cast so far? Qian Zhongxuan was utterly baffled and could only curse in his heart: “Damn that Yu Changlin, hiding such a trick up his sleeve, that’s so cunning!” But only Elder Yu knew that he was wronged this time because the truly cunning person wasn’t him… Seeing the Qian Family retreat, Mo Hua stood up, dusting off his clothes with a smile on his face. “Fireball Technique is so much fun!” Elder Yu was also somewhat impressed and patted Mo Hua’s shoulder, praising, “Not bad, you used the spell quite skillfully!” He didn’t want to over-praise and seem inexperienced. Receiving the compliments, Mo Hua smiled even more happily, then asked: “What other moves does the Qian Family have up their sleeve?” Elder Yu said, “Don’t think too highly of that old coot Qian Zhongxuan. The fact that he thought up this strategy was already surprising. Wait till they have to fight head-on, he’ll have a hard time.” The next day at dawn, the Qian Family cultivators arrived again. Just as Elder Yu said, Qian Zhongxuan had no new tricks and could only line up honestly for a frontal battle. In his heart, Qian Zhongxuan cursed Elder Yu thoroughly but dared not voice it out loud, fearing to humiliate himself. He silently admonished himself not to indulge in a fleeting victory of words with a petty man! In a head-on fight, the Qian Family had more people and superior cultivation, while the Monster Hunters were fewer, but battle-hardened, so the odds of victory were estimated to be fifty-fifty. But without a fight, one would never know. Both sides didn’t waste words and directly rushed into combat. Thus, on the mid-mountain slopes of Nameless Peak, the place was teeming with cultivators, with glinting swords crisscrossing and multicolored spiritual power flying in all directions. Mo Hua watched, utterly shocked. When both sides fought with no clear winner, Elder Yu estimated that the Qian Family cultivators couldn’t retreat easily, he waved his arm in a slashing motion. “I’ll show you something good.” Elder Yu looked towards Qian Zhongxuan in the distance, a hint of scornful smile on his lips. Qian Zhongxuan was startled, then saw several Monster Hunters clad in iron armor walking out from their ranks. The sunlight shone on the armor, casting a subdued gleam, with an imposing and solemn aura. Qian Zhongxuan almost vomited blood. Where did these penniless Monster Hunters get iron armor?! Then he noticed the armor looked familiar, his gaze sharp as a knife, he turned to Qian Zhuang who stood to one side. Qian Zhuang stood with his head shrunk, not daring to say a word; he hated how his tall stature made him stand out in the crowd, impossible to hide. “No matter, an iron armor is not impenetrable.” Given the dire situation, Qian Zhongxuan calmed his mood and ordered the Qian Family cultivators to contain those Monster Hunters in iron armor. A few more slashes with swords, and even an iron armor would break. Then he found that this iron armor seemed to truly be impervious to swords and spears! Ordinary swords couldn’t even leave a mark upon striking, and even top-grade swords didn’t cause much damage. The impact of strength and the fluctuation of spiritual power were also dissipated by the faint golden glow on the armor. These armors were confiscated from the Qian Family; they had formations inside, but they were too crude for Mo Hua’s liking, so he erased the original ones, and drew the Golden Armor Formation himself. A top-grade Golden Armor Formation could make the iron armor solid as a rock! Monster Hunters at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, battle-hardened, clad in fine iron armor, with the addition of a top-grade Golden Armor Formation, would be nearly invincible in a Qi Refinement battlefield unless faced with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Gods block, kill gods; Buddhas block, kill Buddhas! The dozen or so iron-clad Monster Hunters swept through like a force of nature, practically undeterred by any of the Qian Family cultivators they faced. When it came down to brute force, no one could withstand these iron-clad armors. Qian Zhongxuan felt his scalp tingle with fear. Since when had the Qian Family’s iron-clad armors been so powerful? So invulnerable to being cut down? Suddenly, he also noticed the faint golden light on the armors. “Is this… a Formation?” Qian Zhongxuan cursed inside, thinking: the iron armor was already tough enough, and now they’d actually reinforced it with a Formation inside? Have they no shame? “Good one, Yu Changlin, I’ll remember this grudge!” Qian Zhongxuan spat with hatred. But defeat had already set in, and Qian Zhongxuan, powerless to turn the tides, could only bitterly order, “Retreat!” However, retreating was easier said than done. The battlefield was spread out, with cultivators locked in chaotic combat. When the Qian Family ordered a retreat, it was like a mountain collapsing; in an instant chaos reigned, with no clear direction. The Qian Family cultivators, their fighting spirit shattered, scattered in panic, while the Monster Hunters pursued them from behind, keen to expand their victory. By the time the Qian Family cultivators had successfully retreated to the foot of the peak to regroup, they had suffered heavy losses, with nearly half of the cultivators incapacitated. Qian Zhongxuan’s heart bled. Qian Zhuang’s heart ached as well, but not as much anymore. Compared to Elder Qian’s failure, his own defeat was nothing but a setback, hardly worth mentioning. With this thought, Qian Zhuang’s heart felt a tad lighter… But he did not dare ruffle Qian Zhongxuan’s brow, only managed to say with a sorrowful expression and a hint of rage: “This loss is devastating. The Monster Hunters have gone too far! Does the Elder have a strategy for us to take revenge and soothe our hatred?” Qian Zhongxuan’s face twisted in agony before he said through gritted teeth: “This vendetta must be avenged!” “Even if it costs a fortune, I will make that old bastard Yu Changlin pay!” Qian Zhuang’s heart skipped a beat; Elder Qian was indeed furious, he just wondered what means he still had at his disposal. While Qian Zhongxuan’s heart bled, Elder Yu’s heart was blooming with joy. This was a thrilling and complete victory! Elder Yu allowed everyone a brief celebration, to eat meat and drink wine. The meat was smoked jerked meat, also from the Wild Cattle Monster, prepared earlier by Liu Ruhua. Due to the conflict with the Qian Family and the uncertainty of how long they would have to defend the spiritual mines, she had made a lot. But with so many Monster Hunters, each could only have a few pieces, just enough for a taste. The wine consumption was also limited, with only two bowls per person. Given the significant implications of the spiritual mines, no accidents could be afforded, not even on a day of victory, and vigilance could not be relaxed. Other food items such as dry rations and wild fruits were not restricted. The atmosphere in the mines thus became lively. With everyone defending the spiritual mines, finding the time to extract Spirit Stones, fending off harassment from the Qian Family, and engaging in real battles, the mood was usually somber or tense. Finally, they could relax a bit and breathe easier. Mo Hua was also wandering around, greeted warmly by the Monster Hunters wherever he went. After all, without Mo Hua’s Golden Armor Formation, they would have suffered far more injuries and defending the mines would have been much harder. Some Monster Hunters were even reluctant to consume their own share of meat and wine, offering it to Mo Hua instead. Mo Hua declined them all, as everyone had worked hard for so long, and it wasn’t easy to have something good to eat. Most importantly, he had plenty of delicious food in his Storage Bag, specially prepared by his mother, who was worried he might go hungry inside. However, having been inside for quite some time, Mo Hua, who usually ate sparingly, was almost out of meat. “I wonder how much longer we will need to defend these spiritual mines…” Mo Hua thought silently to himself.