However, as soon as the first Earth Fire Formation exploded, Qian Zhuang’s plan fell to pieces.
Accompanied by a loud explosion, scarlet flames flickered, and charred smoke billowed, with intense Spiritual Power reverberating.
The iron-armored Qian Family cultivator was engulfed by the flames and then catapulted by the surging Spiritual Power, tumbling to the ground, curled up in agony.
Half of his body was charred black and soaked in blood, his iron armor riddled with cracks!
Everyone gasped, and Qian Zhuang was stunned.
Something was wrong!
How had the power increased so much?!
This wasn’t the Earth Fire Formation he had broken through before!
Qian Hong glanced at the cultivator injured by the Earth Fire Formation and then coldly at Qian Zhuang, his eyes as icy as if he were looking at a dead fish.
Qian Zhuang’s entire back was drenched in cold sweat as he thought to himself that it was all over.
Had he not sought this limelight, it would have been fine, but now his eagerness for credit had led him to disaster.
Originally, he wanted to impress the Family Head and turn his previous major fault into a major merit. Now, not only was there no great achievement, but his fault had also been doubled.
Qian Zhongxuan also gave Qian Zhuang a cold look before turning his head and saying to Qian Hong,
“Family Head, our only option now is to charge through.”
Qian Hong glanced at Qian Zhongxuan and said, “How can we charge through? You’ve seen the power of this formation. Even if a cultivator in the later stage of Qi Refinement charges through, they won’t die but will certainly be severely injured.”
Qian Zhongxuan’s eyes flickered slightly, “The mountain path isn’t very wide. We only need a hundred or two cultivators to take the risk and trigger all the Earth Fire Formations, then the following cultivators will face no obstacles.”
Qian Hong felt a chill in his heart, and his gaze towards Qian Zhongxuan became even more unfriendly.
He was being forced into playing the villain.
Out of nearly two thousand people, only one or two hundred were needed to break through these Earth Fire Formations.
The problem was, how should these one or two hundred be chosen?
Or rather, who should be sent to their deaths?
If this had been done secretly, it would be one thing, but now with so many Qian Family disciples watching, if he dared do such a thing, he could pretty much forget about maintaining his position as Family Head.
Qian Hong gritted his teeth and said, “As Family Head, I must lead by example. I will break through this Earth Fire Formation myself, and I ask Elder Qian to fight by my side to guard against any treacherous assaults from the old scoundrel Yu Changlin.”
Qian Zhongxuan feigned hesitation to decline.
Qian Hong immediately said, “The fault of the Elder this time, can be completely dismissed.”
Qian Zhongxuan raised an eyebrow, “Really?”
“Indeed!”
Qian Zhongxuan respectfully said, “As an Elder of the Qian Family, I shall stand with the Family Head through thick and thin!”
Qian Hong inwardly snorted in disdain, but outwardly he showed relief, “There’s no time to delay. We must act now, but we must be wary of Yu Changlin’s sneak attacks.”
“Agreed!”
Hence, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, two Foundation Establishment Elders, joined forces, using their movement techniques to personally trigger the Earth Fire Formations in the mountain path.
Two figures dashed tirelessly through the mountain roads, setting off explosions of fire and waves of surging Spiritual Power.
After the explosion sounds gradually subsided, the fire faded, and the smoke dissipated, they finally stopped.
By then, both men were in a sorry state, their clothes torn, their faces sooty. While there were no bloodstains on their bodies, their internal organs ached from the Spiritual Power vibrations, and they had to forcefully suppress the urge to vomit blood.
Even for Foundation Building Cultivators, bathing in a first-grade Earth Fire Formation was too much to handle.