The demon hunters had been digging these spiritual mines; with them, they wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for the next decade. But if they were taken by the Qian family, it would only serve to bolster their power, which could lead to oppression against them.
Though the spiritual mines were important, the matter of the mine tunnel took precedence.
After all, the mine tunnel determined whether everyone could safely retreat. Elder Yu could clearly distinguish which was more important.
Elder Yu instructed everyone to focus their efforts on digging the mine tunnel. Several days later, with the tunnel completed, they now had a means of escape. The demon hunters could then turn around and start mining the spiritual veins.
Elder Yu's stingy nature was pushed to its limits. Every day, he would stroll around the mine, picking off any trace of spiritual ore from the walls with his fingers and storing them in his bag.
According to Elder Yu, they should mine everything that can be mined, leaving not a single fraction for the Qian family. They should consume everything, meat and broth alike, so clean that not even a drop would be left for the Qian family to lick from the bowl!
Mo Hua looked on with great admiration.
He had only suggested being ruthless, but Elder Yu had taken it to another level! Truly worthy of respect!
Mo Hua benefited greatly from this.
The movements of Elder Yu digging the mine tunnel were also observed by Qian family cultivators.
Qian Hong knew Elder Yu's intentions, so he had long sent people to keep an eye out around the Great Black Mountain, searching for any traces of the demon hunters.
Something as significant as digging a mine tunnel couldn't go unnoticed.
And indeed, the Qian family had found traces of the demon hunters.
It was a pit with scattered stones around its edges, its entrance camouflaged with grass and branches.
Qian Hong sneered inwardly, "Yu Changlin, like a mouse, tunneling and digging, only to fall into my hands in the end?"
Qian Hong ordered his men to keep watch, but after several days, no demon hunters emerged.
Frowning, Qian Hong instructed Qian Zhuang to lead a team down to investigate.
Qian Zhuang, accompanied by several Qian family cultivators, cautiously entered the pit.
The tunnel was dark and damp, surrounded by rubble, clearly newly excavated.
They searched inside for a long time but found nothing—neither demon hunters nor any other signs of life.
In their confusion, a Qian family cultivator discovered a section of the wall that seemed lighter in color and sounded hollow when tapped, indicating it was thin.
The Qian family cultivators exchanged glances, their spirituals lifted.
This indicated that behind the wall was an empty space—a mine tunnel—and the wall was merely a cover.
The group of demon hunters must be hiding behind this wall!
Qian Zhuang and his men exerted themselves to break open the wall.
The wall collapsed, dust filling the air.
When the dust settled, they saw a creature the size of a carriage, with blood-red vertical pupils.
Qian Zhuang gasped in cold air.
This wasn't a demon hunter—it was a late-stage Foundation Establishment adult demon beast!
The beast's eyes held confusion, anger from being disturbed during its rest, and delight in finding food right after waking up!
In the narrow pit, the demon beast hunted and devoured, while the Qian family cultivators scrambled for their lives.
When Qian Zhuang and the others miserably returned to report to Qian Hong, they were in a sorry state.
Qian Zhuang was seriously injured but intact, whereas most of the others had lost limbs. A few had perished in that pit, forever resting in the belly of the demon beast.
Qian Hong's expression could no longer maintain its calm.
Even with his deep composure, he was now furious, gritting his teeth as he said:
"Yu Changlin, you've dug a fake mine tunnel next to the demon beast to deceive me! This is beyond acceptable!"
The disciples of the Qian family hung their heads, too afraid to speak.
After a moment, another Qian family disciple came to report the discovery of another tunnel.
Qian Hong's eye twitched, his mind uncertain.
This tunnel could be real, but it could also be another trap set by Yu Changlin.
But since it had been discovered, it was impossible not to investigate.
Qian Hong again ordered several disciples to go forth, cautioning them to be careful and wary of demon beasts in the pits.
As expected by Qian Hong, there indeed was a demon beast in the pit.
The investigating disciples from the Qian family returned, but not all of them returned intact.
They still had missing limbs and lost several lives.
They had been cautious and vigilant, but their caution meant nothing in front of the demon beast.
The pit connected to the demon beast's lair, with dim visibility and narrow terrain. It was inconvenient for the cultivators to maneuver, while the demon beast that dwelled there was in its element.
Demon beasts were inherently stronger than cultivators of the same realm. Even experienced demon hunters preferred open spaces to hunt them down, requiring several people, even a dozen, to patiently surround and kill a demon beast.
The Qian family cultivators were not adept at demon hunting. Entering such narrow and dark dens was akin to walking into a trap.
Their resistance was merely a prelude to the demon beast's meal.
Qian Hong's blood boiled gradually, wanting nothing more than to curse out Yu Changlin. However, for the sake of the family's dignity, he held it in, though his mood remained unsettled for a long time.
Afterward, the Qian family discovered two more mine tunnels, but Qian Hong dared not send anyone down again.
He couldn't risk more lives of Qian family disciples.
He finally understood one thing: Yu Changlin was a demon hunter who had dealt with Great Black Mountain all his life. He was extremely familiar with everything in this mountain, if not to the extent of knowing it like the back of his hand, at least much more than Qian Hong did.
To try to find the tunnels he dug in this mountain was basically wishful thinking.
Moreover, if they made a mistake, it would cost several lives. Qian Hong couldn't bear the cost of trial and error.
He was the head of the Qian family, but not necessarily the only candidate.
Qian Hong's expression grew solemn, his brows furrowed tightly.
Qian Zhongxuan looked on from the side, coldly smiling to himself, knowing well how formidable Yu Changlin was.
Now he actually wished Qian Hong ill luck.
The more successful Qian Hong was in capturing the spiritual mines, the more Qian Zhongxuan's own efforts seemed to fail in comparison.
Conversely, the more setbacks Qian Hong faced, the less conspicuous his own failures appeared.
Seeing Qian Zhongxuan's expression, Qian Zhuang instantly understood his calculations.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of agreement with the elder's insight.
"If the head of the family fails, then Elder Qian's failure won't count for much. Similarly, because Elder Qian failed, my own failure won't count for much either..."
"And now, with both the head of the family and Elder Qian failing together, my failure will be even less worth mentioning!"
Qian Zhuang felt considerably lighter in his heart, and the wounds bleeding on his body didn't hurt as much.
Since they couldn't find the mine tunnels used by the demon hunters for escape or intercept them, the only thing the Qian family could do was a direct frontal assault, breaking through the stone walls at the cave entrances.
There were seven or eight entrances to the mine cave. The Qian family cultivators formed teams, advancing simultaneously, aiming to open them all.
In this way, the demon hunters, exhausted of supplies, couldn't hold out for long.
Over the next few days, the Qian family tirelessly hammered at the walls.
Qian Hong appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was burning with impatience.
He knew that if they delayed any longer and let Yu Changlin finish mining the spiritual mines and escape, their efforts this time would be in vain!
With a resounding crash, another stone wall collapsed.
Behind the collapsed wall, just as Qian Hong expected, there was indeed a third wall, and likewise, a third formation!
Qian Hong felt a surge of anger rise straight to his head. In his heart, he wished he could tear apart the formation's creator!
But he had no choice but to suppress his rage. Closing his eyes, he waved his hand helplessly:
"Keep digging!"
(End of the Chapter)