Pei Duo sent reports of the battles at each location back to the sect, then discussed defensive arrangements with Cheng Su before letting everyone return to rest.
They had only just retaken the Western Mine, and the Scarlet Firmament Sect's men were still to the east. No one knew when they would return. Although Su Yu was concerned about Cloud Marsh Valley, he could not simply leave. If he left and someone tied down Cheng Su while Xue Zhong and the others came surging back, Xu Zheng might not be able to hold them off.
For now, all he could do was secure this place first.
The next day, reinforcements from the Main Mining Area arrived one after another, and the mine tunnels were inspected inside and out. The Scarlet Firmament Sect had retreated in such haste that they had not had time to leave any ambushes. Some of the extracted ore had not been transported away either, saving them the trouble of mining it again.
They immediately began setting up the Protective Formation.
With Pei Duo and Cheng Su overseeing matters, Su Yu no longer needed to rush from place to place. He only had to patrol the surrounding area when his turn came. After a night of regulating his breathing, his true essence had long since recovered, and his right arm no longer ached. The remaining time was perfect for cultivation.
Inside his room, Su Yu placed the Space-Mark Stone before him and immersed his mind in the Sky-Splitting Sword Art.
He had already understood most of the variations in the First Form, yet whenever he performed it, the latter part of the sword's momentum would fall apart. While traveling and fighting earlier, he had continued studying it, but had little time for actual practice. Now he could