Cui Hongshen gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Xiao Hua, Cui knows your cultivation is formidable, and your strength rivals... early Golden Core! But this is a battle against sword cultivators. Even true Golden Core cultivators as powerful as Senior Tu Hong dare not be careless. They must deploy troops and arrange formations, emphasize group combat, emphasize formation arrays to fend off enemies... You... you need to see the bigger picture..."
Cui Hongshen's voice grew softer and softer, because Xiao Hua had long since flown away. Who was there left for him to tell?
"Alas!" Cui Hongshen felt somewhat powerless. Seeing that the other five Thunder Control Sect disciples were all sitting obediently with their eyes closed in silence, he too sighed and sat down.
Cui Hongshen wanted to settle his mind and regulate his breathing, but no matter what he did, he could not enter that ethereal state. Helpless, he could only open his eyes. Yet the moment he did, he nearly leaped up in fright. Xiao Hua's long, narrow face was swaying right before his eyes!
"You... when did you come back?" Cui Hongshen asked in astonishment.
"I came back long ago!" Xiao Hua said weakly. "This Xiao already took a cursory look around. Forget disciples from other sects—even an ant is nowhere to be found! Tell me, what should we do?"
"What should we do? Naturally, wait!" Cui Hongshen replied without hesitation.
"But... this place is beneath the spirit stone vein! It has nothing at all to do with Quanjin Mountain's defensive formation array!" Xiao Hua snapped. "Look through the jade slip again yourself. Did you get it wrong?"
"This..." Cui Hongshen doubtfully took out the jade slip and examined it again and again. Then he handed it to Xiao Hua. "Cui did not