The Quest for Immortality

The spirit mines that the demon hunters excavated could ensure their livelihood for the next ten years. However, if the Qian family got their hands on them, they would grow stronger and, in turn, bully the hunters.

Although the spirit mines were important, the mine tunnel took precedence.

After all, the mine tunnel was crucial for everyone’s safe retreat. Elder Yu understood which was more critical.

Elder Yu instructed everyone to focus on digging the tunnel first. A few days later, with the tunnel completed and an escape route secured, the demon hunters could then turn their attention to mining.

Elder Yu demonstrated his extreme frugality, wandering the mine daily and scraping even the tiniest bits of spiritual ore from the walls with his fingers and putting them into his storage bag.

According to Elder Yu, they had to mine everything they could, leaving nothing for the Qian family. They were to scrape the bowl clean so that even if the Qian family licked the bowl’s rim, they wouldn’t get a drop of soup.

Mo Hua watched with deep admiration.

He had only suggested being thorough, but he hadn’t expected this level of thoroughness! Elder Yu was truly remarkable!

Mo Hua learned a lot from this.

Elder Yu’s mining activities were also detected by the Qian family’s cultivators.

Qian Hong knew Elder Yu’s intentions, so he had sent people to monitor Dahei Mountain early on, looking for any signs of the demon hunters.

Mining such a tunnel couldn’t be done without any noise.

Indeed, the Qian family soon found traces of the demon hunters.

At one pit entrance, surrounded by broken rocks and camouflaged with grass and wood, Qian Hong sneered, ”Yu Changlin, burrowing like a rat, but you’ll still fall into my hands in the end.”

Qian Hong had people keep watch, but after several days, no demon hunters appeared.

Frowning, Qian Hong instructed Qian Zhuang to lead a team to investigate.

Qian Zhuang took the order and led a few Qian family cultivators into the pit cautiously.

The tunnel was dark and damp, surrounded by broken rocks, clearly newly dug.

They searched for a long time but found nothing, no demon hunters, not even a trace of anyone.

While Qian Zhuang was puzzled, a Qian family cultivator noticed a section of the stone wall that was paler in color and echoed when tapped, indicating it was thin.

The Qian family cultivators exchanged excited glances.

This suggested that behind the stone wall was an empty space, a mine tunnel, and the wall was just a facade.

The demon hunters were hiding behind this wall!

Qian Zhuang led his men to break through the wall.

The wall collapsed, dust billowed.

When the dust settled, they were met with a pair of copper bell-sized, blood-red vertical pupils.

Qian Zhuang gasped.

This was not a demon hunter but a late-stage Tier 1 adult demon beast!

The demon beast’s eyes showed confusion, anger, and a bloodthirsty glee.

It was confused about why there were people in its lair; angry at being disturbed during its rest; delighted at the meal delivered to its door!

In the narrow tunnel, the demon beast hunted and fed, while the Qian family cultivators fled in terror.

When Qian Zhuang and his men finally returned to Qian Hong, they were in a pitiful state.

Qian Zhuang was heavily injured but intact, while the others were missing limbs, and some had permanently stayed in that tunnel, resting in the demon beast’s belly.

Qian Hong’s expression was no longer as composed.

Even with his deep cunning, he was now furious, gritting his teeth, ”Well played, Yu Changlin, digging a fake tunnel beside a demon beast’s lair to deceive me! Too much!”

The Qian family disciples bowed their heads, not daring to speak.

After a while, another Qian family disciple reported finding another tunnel.

Qian Hong’s eye twitched, uncertain.

This tunnel could be real, but it could also be another of Yu Changlin’s traps.

But since it had been discovered, it couldn’t be ignored.

Qian Hong sent more disciples, cautioning them to be wary of demon beasts.

As expected, there was indeed a demon beast in the tunnel.

The returning Qian family disciples were again missing limbs, and some had lost their lives.

Their caution was futile against the demon beasts.

The tunnels connected to the demon beasts’ lairs were dark and narrow, making it hard for cultivators to maneuver, while the demon beasts thrived.

Demon beasts were inherently stronger than cultivators of the same level. Experienced demon hunters had to find open spaces, use patience, and coordinate in groups of several or even a dozen to surround and kill a demon beast.

Qian family cultivators were not skilled in demon hunting, entering such narrow, dark lairs was essentially delivering themselves as food.

Their resistance was merely the demon beast’s entertainment before a meal.

Qian Hong’s blood boiled with anger, wanting to curse Yu Changlin, but he held back for the sake of his dignity as the family head. However, his mood was far from calm.

The Qian family found two more tunnels but dared not send anyone in.

He couldn’t risk the lives of his disciples.

He finally understood that Yu Changlin, a demon hunter familiar with Dahei Mountain, knew far more about the mountain than he did.

Finding the tunnels dug by Yu Changlin was almost impossible.

And if they guessed wrong, it would cost lives, a risk he couldn’t afford.

Though he was the family head, it didn’t mean he had to be the family head.

Qian Hong’s expression was grave, his brows tightly furrowed.

Qian Zhongxuan watched, smirking inwardly. He understood Yu Changlin’s cunning now, didn’t he?

Now, he hoped Qian Hong would suffer misfortune.

The more successful Qian Hong was in capturing the spirit mines, the more his own failures would stand out.

Conversely, the more setbacks Qian Hong faced, the less noticeable Qian Zhongxuan’s failures would be.

Qian Zhuang, observing Qian Zhongxuan’s expression, understood his thoughts.

He couldn’t help but admire their shared mindset.

”If the family head fails, then Elder Qian’s failure is nothing. Likewise, if Elder Qian fails, my failure is also nothing.”

”And now that both the family head and Elder Qian have failed, my failure is even more insignificant!”

Qian Zhuang felt relieved, his bleeding wounds hurting less.

Since they couldn’t find the demon hunters’ escape tunnel to ambush them, the Qian family’s only option was a frontal assault, breaking through the formations and the stone walls.

There were seven or eight tunnel entrances, and the Qian family cultivators divided into teams, advancing simultaneously, hoping to break through all of them.

This way, they could overwhelm the demon hunters, who would soon run out of supplies.

In the following days, the Qian family tirelessly broke down walls.

Qian Hong appeared calm, but inside he was anxious.

He knew that if they delayed further and allowed Yu Changlin to finish mining and escape, their efforts would be in vain!

With a rumble, another stone wall collapsed.

Behind the collapsed wall, as Qian Hong expected, was a third stone wall, with a third formation!

Qian Hong felt a surge of anger, wanting to tear the array master who drew these formations into pieces!

But he could only suppress his fury, close his eyes, and helplessly wave his hand, ”Continue digging!”