Mo Hua frowned, pondering the situation.
The third Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold had seen him before.
If the Householder informed the Patriarch of the Qian Family about his entry into Black Mountain Stronghold and provided a portrait, then the Patriarch would naturally recognize him.
Having caused so much trouble for the Qian Family, and being a talented Junior Formation Master, it was impossible for the Patriarch of the Qian Family not to know his face.
The Formation of the Black Mountain Stronghold had been tampered with.
Mo Hua had entered Black Mountain Stronghold, and Mo Hua was a Junior Formation Master.
The Patriarch of the Qian Family would inevitably put two and two together, putting all the blame on Mo Hua for these events.
But as it stood, the Patriarch of the Qian Family seemed unaware.
Why?
Mo Hua’s gaze grew sharp.
The only possibility was that the third Householder had only mentioned that the Formation of the Black Mountain Stronghold had been tampered with, but omitted the fact that he had encountered Mo Hua.
The tampering with the Formation had made the Patriarch of the Qian Family wary.
Black Mountain Stronghold had taken defensive measures.
What they hadn’t anticipated, however, was for the Taoist Court to take direct action, petitioning for the deployment of Taoist Soldiers to annihilate Black Mountain Stronghold.
Their defenses were utterly futile in the end.
Since the third Householder kept the encounter with Mo Hua a secret, the Patriarch of the Qian Family did not suspect Mo Hua.
Although Mo Hua was a Formation Master, he was also just a young cultivator in his teens with a low realm of power, and the Concealment Technique and Water Passing Step he had learned were unknown to the Patriarch of the Qian Family.
Given only the incident of the Formation being tampered with, the Patriarch of the Qian Family would never think that it had anything to do with Mo Hua, even if he racked his brain.
So, in the eyes of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, Black Mountain Stronghold had indeed been inexplicably exposed and suddenly crushed by the Taoist Soldiers.
"But why did the third Householder not disclose the fact that he saw me?"
Could it be that this third Householder was actually an informant?
Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.
The Patriarch of the Qian Family was unaware of the instigating Mo Hua behind the scenes, and Elder Yu and the others would have preferred it that way. They were certainly not inclined to reveal Mo Hua’s involvement.
Elder Yu only said in a cold voice,
"The nets of heaven are wide, but let nothing slip through. Men do their deeds, but heaven watches. Your evil deeds are many; you deserved this fate!"
The Patriarch of the Qian Family smiled faintly, "Unfortunately, this retribution has come a bit late. Had it come sooner, perhaps not so many would have died."
The crowd was furious.
"There’s no need for idle chatter," Leader Yang pointed his spear and shouted commandingly, "Attack!"
The Taoist Soldiers behind him cried out in unison, "Attack!" Following the point of his spear, they charged at the Patriarch of the Qian Family.
The encirclement and attack on the Patriarch of the Qian Family began in earnest.
During the attack, not a single disciple of the Qian Family lifted a finger to help.
This was expected, yet the complete absence of assistance still surprised everyone.
To stand against the Taoist Soldiers would be to defy the Taoist Court.
The Qian Family was unwilling to commit such a grave offense, and at the critical moment of life and death, nobody in the Qian Family cared about their Patriarch.
The Monster Hunters, officials from the Taoist Court, and the Qi Refinement cultivators from the An Family, for the most part, did not intervene. They stood watch over the Qian Family disciples as a deterrent, preventing any of the Qian Family members from harboring a change of heart or stirring up trouble.
The main force attempting to kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family consisted of Elder Yu and four other cultivators in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, as well as several hundred Taoist Soldiers under Leader Yang’s command.
Mo Hua truly witnessed the scene of the Taoist Soldiers in battle for the first time.
A squad of ten Taoist Soldiers, of similar Spiritual Roots and practicing the same Cultivation Technique, wearing standard-issue armor and wielding sharp spears, resonated their Spiritual Power through Formation Patterns. Their morale instantly surged.
When they attacked, their movements were synchronized, their spears struck like dragons, aiming at the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and they retreated immediately after striking, not engaging in prolonged combat.
At the same time, another squad of Taoist Soldiers launched their attacks in succession, forming a cycle of relentless assault, never-ending and giving the Patriarch of the Qian Family no chance to catch his breath.
The Patriarch of the Qian Family was wrapped in dense Blood Qi. As his hands moved, he drew streaks of blood in the air, neutralizing these attacks. However, over time, he began to struggle to cope.
Leader Yang, Elder Yu, Old Master An, and Court Leader Zhou coordinated with the Taoist Soldiers, simultaneously attacking, trying to exhaust the Patriarch of the Qian Family to death.
But after a long struggle, the Patriarch of the Qian Family was still full of vigor.
Elder Yu could not help but yell angrily, "Old Dog Qian, how many people have you killed, and how many Human Life Pills have you consumed?!"
The Patriarch of the Qian Family just sneered without responding.
The assault intensified.
Several Foundation Building cultivators tenaciously held the Patriarch of the Qian Family down, preventing him from escaping.
Leader Yang, leading the Taoist Soldiers, maintained a relentless offensive, gradually depleting the Patriarch of the Qian Family’s Spiritual Power and aggravating his injuries, causing his Blood Qi to leak away.
Mo Hua watched anxiously and urgently, while also coming to a realization.
The law of the strong prevailing over the weak is the law of the Heavenly Dao.