Mo Hua went to ask Elder Yu, "Elder, how much longer do we have to guard the Spirit Mine?"
Elder Yu took a sip of wine, thought for a moment, and said, "Hard to say."
Mo Hua did not quite understand.
Elder Yu explained, "If things go on like this, the Qian Family will lose without a doubt, and that old thing Qian Zhongxuan won't be able to stir up any waves. But this is a Spirit Mine. The Qian Family probably won't let it go at that. They should think of some other method."
Mo Hua nodded.
Over the next few days, the Qian Family furled their flags and muffled their drums, making no major moves.
Until one early morning, before dawn had broken and thin mist hung dim and heavy, a large group of cultivators of all shapes and colors entered Great Black Mountain again, arrived below Nameless Peak, and paid their respects to Elder Qian.
Only then did Qian Zhuang understand what Elder Qian had meant by "even if we have to bleed ourselves dry."
He had truly bled himself dry, hiring a large group of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from outside Immortal City.
"How many Spirit Stones would that cost..." Qian Zhuang felt his flesh ache just thinking about it.
When Elder Yu received the news, his eyes also widened as he said, "That grandson Qian Zhongxuan, he really was willing to spend."
Mo Hua asked, "Elder, where did these cultivators come from?"
"Hired from outside the city with Spirit Stones. These cultivators usually drift all over the place. Whoever gives them Spirit Stones, they sell their lives for them. They recognize Spirit Stones, not people. But hiring them costs no small sum of Spirit Stones either. Qian Zhongxuan is probably going to bleed badly."
"Then