Because the city gate was the weakest point.
On both sides of the gate stretched long and extremely sturdy "walls."
The walls defined the boundary, initially not meant for disciples to attack.
This was considered an unspoken rule.
These walls, wide and thick, were personally drawn with second-grade high-rank formations by the elders of Mount of Tao to protect the city.
The reason for using second-grade high-rank formations is because battles between Foundation Establishment disciples do not generally involve Golden Core power, larger than third-grade level.
And generally speaking, second-grade high-ranked formations suffice.
No sensible disciple would ignore the weaker "city gate" to attack the thick and hard "walls," making life uncomfortable.
But that was in the past.
Unfortunately, now this wall encountered Mo Hua.
In the last sword discussion, while crouching behind the wall drawing formations, Mo Hua inadvertently noticed the numerous high-rank formations etched within the wall by the elders of Mount of Tao.
Mo Hua got somewhat restless.
He felt a bit "itchy-handed."
Counting the time, it's been ages since he decomposed formations.
The last time he decomposed a formation was probably in Tongxian City, where he decomposed a large formation to kill the Big Demon Feng Xi.
Of course, Mo Hua dared not genuinely execute large-scale "decomposition."
Firstly, because he hadn't fully learned the genuine second-grade Reversed
Spirit Formation.
Secondly, this was the Sword Discussion Conference, with many watching. He didn't want to cause a big commotion and attract attention.
Mo Hua's approach was straightforward.
Induce the explosion of the three high-rank killing formations, using the power of the five elements to cause dissonance in the high-rank formations within the wall, rendering the spiritual power structure unstable.
Amid these killing formations, Mo Hua concealed a "Reversed Spirit Pattern."
This Reversed Spirit Pattern wasn't complete.
But it served as a catalyst, a "spark" to "ignite" the spiritual power in an unstable state, causing a reversal and thereby inducing widespread explosive cascading failures of the high-rank formations within the wall.
These three killing formations couldn't naturally destroy the walls.
Mo Hua didn't expect them to.
The three killing formations were but a decoy, to create an opening, to deliver the Reversed Spirit Pattern's spark into the gunpowder pile, triggering a series of formation explosions...
This entire reverse process underwent Mo Hua's meticulous calculation.
Once the explosion occurred, with firelight scattering, it would automatically "destroy the evidence."
Nobody would notice his subtle manipulations within.
As for its potency...
Since it wasn't a true "decomposition," but merely used "decomposition" as a primer to cause the formations themselves to explode,
It essentially depended on the potency of high-rank formations. The specific power depended on how many high-rank formations within the wall could the Reversed Spirit Pattern destabilize.
Calculation is calculation, while practice is practice. This outcome was rather unpredictable. But Mo Hua figured it shouldn't be too weak.
Moreover, it became the only way to win.
If they attempted a direct siege against the Qian Taoist Sect disciples, they would likely still lose.
Quickly, Mo Hua finished laying all formations and then said: "Everyone, move away a bit."
Once Linghu Xiao and the others moved away, Mo Hua began to "ignite the fire."
Inside the wall, the Qian Taoist Sect disciples sensed a hint of incongruity. Someone attempted to come out to see but found the gate sealed by Mo Hua's formation.
They couldn't get out.
Shen Cangfeng and the other disciples of the Qian Taoist Sect looked at each other with slightly gloomy expressions.
At this moment, they didn't know what was about to happen.
Not only them, but the cultivators watching also didn't know what was coming.
Because Mo Hua's formation arrangement appeared rather tedious,
The two sides of the sword discussion hadn't reached an actual confrontation yet.
Most of the audience was still in a relatively relaxed mood.
Inside the Sword Observation Pavilion, the Three Mountains Sect Leader was also leisurely drinking tea.
Then, the next moment, it was like a bolt from the blue - a sudden "boom" resounded.
Everyone only felt an ache in their eardrums.
Their eyes flashed with dazzling light.
Then, above the paintings of the sky, the fire spread instantly, the flames of the explosion resembling dense fireworks spreading across the entire canvas, like an ocean of light, almost blinding their eyes.