Both sides agreed that Foundation Establishment cultivators would not make a move.

The next day, the Qian family cultivators began to act. They lined up from the foot of the nameless peak, extending directly to the front of the mine cave halfway up the mountain. Their numbers were approximately double that of the demon hunters. Mo Hua looked down from the mouth of the highest mine cave, feeling the mountain below was densely packed with Qian family cultivators, estimating there were over a thousand of them. How could they possibly fight this?

Mo Hua looked towards Elder Yu.

Elder Yu said indifferently, “Seeing many people is all just empty show.”

Thus, both sides began to engage in battle. In the beginning, it was all just probing, with casual exchanges of blows. Although the demon hunters’ cultivation realm was slightly lower than the Qian family cultivators, they had battled demon beasts year-round, making their Dao methods skillful, their experience rich, and their bodies tempered by countless battles. Their cooperation among themselves was also tacit. The Qian family cultivators, although their cultivation was a bit higher, usually acted tyrannically, their Dao methods were loose and ordinary, and they fundamentally did not dare to fight desperately, being hesitant and cautious when truly engaged in combat.

After a chaotic battle for a moment, the situation gradually became clear. The demon hunters could attack when advancing and defend when retreating. They seemed to act independently yet also supported each other. Although they were not numerically superior, they steadily pushed the Qian family cultivators back. The demon hunters made their living by hunting demons; they could kill even demon beasts, let alone these cultivators in front of them who were not good at fighting. The Qian family cultivators gradually fell into defeat.

Qian Zhongxuan saw this, his expression showing neither joy nor anger. He just waved his hand and had the Qian family’s cultivators withdraw. He probably feared that if they were a bit slow, they would be scolded again by Elder Yu, who was at the front of the formation. The first day thus ended hastily. Everyone rested separately, and the second day, they started facing off again.

Among the Qian family cultivators, about twenty more cultivators had been added. These twenty-odd cultivators stood together, while the other Qian family cultivators surrounded and protected them. Elder Yu’s eyebrows furrowed. “This old fellow Qian Zhongxuan, so this is the idea he was playing.” Having said that, he picked up a piece of beef and ate it. The beef was Mo Hua’s. Elder Yu was originally observing the battle situation from above, and while watching, he discovered Mo Hua, who was secretly crouched at the mouth of a cave, peeking out. In front of him were still wild fruits, pine nuts, beef, and fruit wine. Elder Yu was worried about Mo Hua’s safety, so he also came over.

Thus, the two of them watched and ate together. Mo Hua originally thought today would be the same as yesterday, a victory that, although it had twists, was essentially one-sided. So he had prepared food and drinks, ready to watch a good show. But now Elder Yu was frowning, his expression not optimistic. Mo Hua then asked, “What’s wrong?”

Elder Yu pointed to the twenty-odd cultivators of the Qian family who were lined up separately and said, “Look at those people.” Mo Hua looked for a moment, only feeling that their vital energy was weak and they did not look strong. Yet the Qian family had them lined up separately and heavily protected, he did not know why.

“Elder, these people are…”

“You’ll know if you look,” Elder Yu said.

Not long after, both sides engaged in battle. The demon hunters charged forward to kill. However, the Qian family cultivators did not charge but adopted a defensive formation, protecting those twenty-odd cultivators. At the same time, those twenty-odd cultivators twisted their hands together and formed seals. Mo Hua’s heart immediately felt a jolt. They were spirit cultivators!

After several breaths, these spirit cultivators finished casting their spells. Either fireballs, or ice arrows, or wind blades, all kinds of spells flew out, smashing onto the bodies of the demon hunters in front. In a chaotic battle with many people, even without deliberately aiming, they could always hit someone. The demon hunters hit by the spells all lagged in their movements. Those with light injuries received the impact of spiritual power and coughed up blood; those with heavy injuries were eroded by spiritual power and slowly fell to the ground, losing their combat power.

At the same time, the Qian family’s body cultivators covered and charged forward, forcing back the attacking demon hunters. Meanwhile, the Qian family’s spirit cultivators continued to condense *qi* and cast spells. Before long, fireballs and ice arrows came again. The demon hunters suffered unbearably. If they charged forward, they would be blocked by the Qian family’s body cultivators. If they did not charge forward, they would only become living targets, finding it difficult to withstand the spells of these twenty-odd spirit cultivators.

Elder Yu’s eyebrows furrowed even tighter. Twenty-odd spirit cultivators, and all were in the late stage of Qi Refining, some even at the ninth layer of Qi Refining! That grandson, Qian Zhongxuan, was indeed playing this idea. He was bullying the demon hunters for having no spirit cultivators!

Demon hunters in the Qi Refining period were indeed not suitable to be spirit cultivators. Spirit cultivators needed time to cast spells, but in a life-and-death battle with demon beasts, being slow for a moment could easily cost their lives. So demon hunters generally did not mainly cultivate spells, but cultivated martial arts and Dao methods, using spiritual power to stimulate the potential of their flesh bodies and fight with demon beasts. Moreover, spirit cultivators’ flesh bodies were weak; a gentle grab by a demon beast would either kill them or cause heavy injuries. They were not like body cultivators, who had thick skin and strong flesh and could resist a few more times.

But now, battling the Qian family cultivators, the Qian family reckoned that the demon hunters had no spirit cultivators, or rather, no spirit cultivators they could bring out. When the enemy had none, they had some. The Qian family relied on these advantages and used the spells of the spirit cultivators to slowly grind the demon hunters to death. The demon hunters were not entirely without spirit cultivators, but they were not at the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refining, nor did they have twenty-odd of them. In this chaotic battle situation, they had little impact and could not change the situation.

A faint anger was born in Elder Yu’s heart. No wonder that old fellow Qian Zhongxuan had appointed that Foundation Establishment cultivators would not make a move. If he could make a move, he would have ironclad rushed over the first time and directly killed those twenty-odd spirit cultivators! That would save a lot of trouble. Now he could not make a move, and relying solely on a group of Qi Refining period body refining demon hunters, they could not rush over and could only be tormented by their spells.

Elder Yu sighed, knowing the situation was unfavorable. He directly ordered the demon hunters to withdraw and only guard the cave mouth. Qian Zhongxuan lightly sneered and no longer pursued. He was not in a hurry. If these spirit cultivators were not dealt with, this group of demon hunters would be slowly ground to death sooner or later. Rashly pursuing and killing would instead easily fall into the scheme of that old fellow, Yu Changlin. For so many years, he had fought many dealings with Yu Changlin and deeply knew that this person’s shamelessness had simply reached its peak. He had not gained many advantages in Yu Changlin’s hands, but now, it should be his turn to hold his head high.

The Qian family retreated, and Elder Yu then thought with a furrowed brow how to deal with the Qian family’s spirit cultivators.

Yu Chengyi said, “Dad, how about you secretly make a move and kill this group of spirit cultivators?”

Elder Yu glared at him, “What nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you hear what that old fellow said? The head officer of the Dao Court Division is witnessing this. If I rashly make a move, I am hitting the Dao Court Division’s face. How will I explain it to the head officer?”

Yu Chengyi softly said, “Secretly…”

Elder Yu raised his eyebrows, “You think everyone else is a fool? Can’t they see that I made the move?”

Yu Chengyi had nothing to say. After a while, he said again, “Should we wear iron armor and charge over?”

Mo Shan, standing to the side, shook his head, “Wearing iron armor will slow down our movements a bit, and we will still be targets.”

Yu Chengyi said again, “Then let’s find a few people with good body movement, find a way to avoid the Qian family’s body cultivators, go around the back, and kill their spirit cultivators!”

Mo Shan nodded and said, “Currently, this is the only method, but it’s quite dangerous. We must be extremely careful, otherwise, it will be easy to be attacked from both front and back, suffering from enemies on both sides.”

“The risk is too great. Once it fails, it’s very hard to escape,” Elder Yu sighed. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want the demon hunters to take this risk.

“Should we also find spirit cultivators to deal with them?” Yu Chengyi probed.

Elder Yu thought for a moment and shook his head, “Their cultivation is not high, and their numbers are not large. Spirit cultivators also cannot change the situation.”

Everyone thought again for a moment. Elder Yu suddenly thought of a question. “Among our demon hunters, who is a spirit cultivator?”

Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were both stunned to hear this, and for a moment, they could not think of anyone. Who among the proper demon hunters would go and become a spirit cultivator? Several people looked at each other.

Mo Hua weakly raised his little hand, “I am.”

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