Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Covering the Retreat (Five Updates)_1 For the first time, Mo Hua deeply experienced the authority and majesty of the Taoist Law and the Taoist Court. Considering the current situation, the Qian Family was traveling light and moving rapidly, while the Monster Hunters, who needed to transport spiritual mines, proceeded slowly. At this rate, they would be caught by the Qian Family before reaching Tongxian City. Elder Yu said, “We need someone to cover our retreat!” Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and some Qi Refining Ninth Level Monster Hunters stepped forward. Elder Yu nodded slightly and instructed: “When the time comes, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan will probably attack openly. I’ll hold them off; you guys handle the other Qian Family cultivators. Fight while retreating and don’t engage in prolonged combat. Just delaying them long enough will be enough.” The few who stayed behind nodded solemnly. In this situation, covering the retreat would inevitably mean facing the deadly onslaught of the Qian Family, and with few facing many, it was a very dangerous predicament. Moreover, with two Foundation Building Cultivators on the Qian Family’s side, if the agreement was broken and they attacked, and if Elder Yu couldn’t withstand them, the remaining Qi Refining Monster Hunters covering the retreat would be in danger. Mo Hua said, “I’ll stay and cover the retreat as well!” Elder Yu glared at him, “What’s a child like you joining in the fray for? Go home!” He would need to deal with Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan and wouldn’t have time to look after Mo Hua’s safety. Mo Shan also patted Mo Hua’s head and said warmly, “Go back, your mother is waiting for you at home.” They didn’t say much, but Mo Hua knew that those who stayed behind to cover the retreat were already prepared for the worst. Even if they successfully covered the retreat, it was expected that several Monster Hunters would lose their lives. During the battle with the Qian Family, many Monster Hunters had already been killed or injured. Now that the spiritual mines had been completely mined and they had held out until now, Mo Hua didn’t want anyone else to get hurt or killed. Whether it was Mo Shan, Elder Yu, or the other Monster Hunters Mo Hua knew or didn’t know, he hoped that everyone could go back home together. Mo Hua then said to Elder Yu, “I can use formations to cover the retreat, so no one needs to risk their lives!” Elder Yu did believe in Mo Hua’s formations. This time they were able to defend the spiritual mines and make a successful escape all thanks to Mo Hua’s formations, but with the Qian Family nearly upon them and time pressing, Elder Yu still worried: “There’s too little time; it won’t be enough to draw the formations.” “Don’t worry,” Mo Hua said, patting the bulging storage bag on his person, “I’ve prepared in advance!” Elder Yu opened his mouth to speak, “Inside there, it’s all formations?” Mo Hua nodded. The others looked at each other in surprise; none of them knew when Mo Hua had prepared the formations. “Are these formations useful?” Elder Yu asked again. “We don’t need to fight to the death, we just need to use the formations to scare them and delay for a bit, that’ll be enough,” Mo Hua replied. Elder Yu pondered for a moment and then nodded, “Alright, we’ll use the formations to buy some time.” Afterward, Elder Yu found Mo Shan and whispered, “If the situation turns dire, you take Mo Hua and leave first!” Mo Shan wanted to say something, but Elder Yu’s expression turned stern, “That’s an order!” Mo Shan pursed his lips and said nothing, though his eyebrows were tightly knit. Elder Yu then lowered his voice, his tone solemn, “Mo Hua’s safety is more important than anything else. By all means, make sure he gets back safely!” Mo Shan was taken aback and then nodded gravely. Meanwhile, Mo Hua was rummaging through his storage bag, taking out the formations inside. A thick stack of them, all Earth Fire Formations, featuring nine patterns of the first-class Earth Fire Formation. The Earth Fire Formation containing seven patterns had been broken by the Qian Family’s Earth Series armored cultivator. Mo Hua learned a more advanced Earth Fire Formation just in case. The Earth Fire Formation was effective, but few in number didn’t make much impact; they couldn’t change the outcome of the battle. So whenever Mo Hua had time, he would draw them, secretly saving them up until now, resulting in a thick stack of first-class Earth Fire Formations in his possession. Mo Hua distributed the Earth Fire Formations. The Monster Hunters selected a narrow mountain pass, planting the Earth Fire Formations in hidden corners and disguising them slightly, so the Qian Family cultivators wouldn’t easily detect them. When everything was ready, the dozen or so Monster Hunters who stayed to cover the retreat hid behind rocks, waiting for the Qian Family cultivators to arrive. Mo Hua hid with them. Time trickled by, little by little, the expressions on everyone’s faces were tight, their demeanors somewhat grave. Upon seeing this, Mo Hua spoke with a hint of regret, “It’s a pity it’s not nighttime.” Elder Yu was taken aback for a moment, “What difference would night make?” “At night, when the Earth Fire Formation explodes with a bang, it’s just like fireworks, very beautiful to watch!” When the Earth Fire Formation was set off before, Mo Hua had enjoyed the spectacle immensely, he had even prepared meats and pine nuts to eat while watching. Unfortunately, now all the tasty treats were gone, and Mo Hua felt a hint of regret. Elder Yu and the people from Mo Shan didn’t know what to say, but with Mo Hua’s interjection, their tension eased, and instead, they became somewhat interested in the unfolding scene, silently watching the entrance. Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sound of footsteps grew louder, and the silhouettes of the Qian Family cultivators also became more distinct. A dark mass of people, nearly two thousand in number. The Monster Hunters held their breath and focused, no longer speaking. Qian Hong approached the area, noticing the narrow terrain, his expression turned serious, and he gestured for the Qian Family cultivators to stop. He swept the area with his divine sense, then scoffed coldly, and shouted loudly, “Elder Yu Changlin, are you hiding like a turtle in its shell?” Elder Yu signaled the Monster Hunters not to act rashly. With a quick movement, he leaped up to a higher position and sat down on a large rock, laughing and saying, “Being a turtle is fine, but I’ll be the big turtle, and you’ll be the small one, you’d still have to call me daddy.” Qian Hong’s gaze turned frosty, but his expression remained unchanged. Elder Yu admired and said, “If I have to admit who is the most shrewd and patient, I’d concede to you. No matter how much someone insults you, you remain as expressionless as a turtle…” Before he could finish, Elder Yu suddenly gasped in exaggerated surprise, “You can’t really be the offspring of your mother and a turtle, can you?” Qian Zhongxuan couldn’t bear to listen to these words any longer, while Qian Hong only frowned slightly and said, “Elder Yu Changlin, are you trying to buy time?” Without concealing his intentions, Elder Yu replied, “You could say that.” Qian Hong coldly said, “On what basis? Just because of the dozen or so Monster Hunters hiding behind that rock?” Elder Yu said, “The Qian Family is full of good-for-nothings; a dozen of us are more than enough. Anymore and we’d scare you all.” “Then why don’t you make your move?” asked Qian Hong. “We’ll take a break before we get to that, mining tunnels can be exhausting,” Elder Yu sighed, “Isn’t it strange how the tunnels in Big Black Mountain led straight into a demon nest?” With a look of genuine concern, Elder Yu asked Qian Hong, “Have your Qian Family disciples entered the mining tunnels yet? Did they encounter any Monster Beasts? Ah, it would be unfortunate if they got eaten by the beasts…” Qian Hong’s complexion turned unpleasant. Seeing this, Elder Yu’s expression changed drastically, “No way, you’ve already gone into the mining tunnels? Don’t tell me some of you have already been eaten by Monster Beasts? It can’t be, can it?” Immediately after, Elder Yu expressed his regrets, “How could you be so careless? If I had known, I wouldn’t have told them to dig those tunnels; that way, fewer of you from the Qian Family would have died… Ah, this is my fault!” Grinding his teeth, Qian Hong said, “Elder, stop your endless babbling. What are you really up to?” Elder Yu remained composed, silent. Qian Hong, feeling wary, asked coldly, “Are you going to make a move or not?” Elder Yu replied, “We had an agreement, didn’t we? If you don’t make a move, I won’t either.” “Fine,” said Qian Hong, and then he began to advance the Qian Family cultivators. No matter what tricks Elder Yu Changlin was up to, he’d find out soon enough. The Qian Family cultivators moved forward, Elder Yu remained indifferent, showing no indication of any action. “What on earth is this old coot, Elder Yu Changlin, up to?” Just as Qian Hong was filled with doubt, the sound of an explosion erupted, flames raged violently, engulfing the front ranks of the Qian Family cultivators. After that, screams rose from all directions as the Qian Family cultivators were too frightened to proceed. In an instant, Qian Hong understood and couldn’t help cursing inwardly, Damn it, it’s a formation again!