Mr. Pi pointed to Mo Hua, "Go down."
Mo Hua obediently squeezed into the narrow stone passage.
Next was the Golden Core cultivator in gray clothes holding a long knife.
Finally, it was Mr. Pi.
He stayed at the end, set up the Formation, sealed the stone wall, and then joined the others in entering the stone passage.
Their figures vanished into the mine.
Only the corpses of the Shen Family cultivators, tragically covered in dirt and stone, remained upon Solitary Mountain...
...
Mo Hua felt darkness engulfing him; the stone passage was narrow, damp, sticky, filled with the scent of earth. He followed the path for an unknown duration until a faint light appeared ahead, revealing an opening.
An intense, putrid smell, a mix of years of decay and unknown odors, assailed him.
Mo Hua hurriedly covered his nose and mouth, held his breath, and used Spiritual Power to shield his senses, feeling slightly better.
By then, everyone had entered the corridor.
Mo Hua surveyed his surroundings, realizing the corridor was tall enough for two men, its walls solid, branching out endlessly, with its depths shrouded in darkness, hiding unknowns, as an icy aura seeped from within.
All around lay dead silence, as if death itself slumbered.
Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.
Just then, amidst the silence, a sharp howl abruptly pierced the air.
Mo Hua was startled, turning to find it was Shen Qingsheng.
Not only Mo Hua, but even Mr. Pi and the others broke out in cold sweat.
They didn’t know when Shen Qingsheng had awakened.
"Not good!"
The man’s face turned pale as he quickly covered Shen Qingsheng’s mouth to silence him, while the others dared not breathe loudly.
A moment later, the corridor remained undisturbed.
The man wiped the sweat from his forehead with a trembling voice, "Hope it hasn’t startled anything..."
Mr. Pi, with a serious expression, took out a Compass, studied it for a moment, and exhaled slightly, "Fortunately..."
The man turned his head, wishing he could throttle Shen Qingsheng, "Damn it, you brat, trying to kill us?"
Shen Qingsheng’s eyes were wide open, filled with both fear and fury, "I, I’m from the Shen Family... How dare you..."
The man sneered, whispering, "Without the Shen Family, you’re nothing but a waste, oblivious to the dangers of the Cultivation World, killing you is just..." РἁＮօBЕṢ
Mr. Pi frowned, "Why say so much? Knock him out."
Among the group, the elder known as "Mr. Pi," though only at Foundation Establishment Peak, carried significant authority.
The man slapped Shen Qingsheng on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.
"It’s getting late, let’s find the location quickly." Mr. Pi said in a low voice.
The others nodded.
Then Mr. Pi took the lead, holding the Compass in his left hand, forming hand seals with his right, observing the Compass and discerning the corridor’s direction, guiding the group forward.
Silently, the group followed, not saying a word, seemingly afraid to disturb Mr. Pi, and equally wary of startling certain "things" within the tomb.
Mo Hua quietly tagged along.
But most of his focus wasn’t on the perilous corridor but on Mr. Pi, who held the Compass and discerned their path.
One can easily tell when a master takes action.
Mo Hua was certain Mr. Pi possessed real skills.
Earlier on the mountain, while chatting with Mr. Pi, Mo Hua confirmed this, the "Earth Formation" inheritance isn’t something a regular Formation Master learns.
This Mr. Pi definitely has a secret lineage.
Moreover, for tomb raiders like them, it’s akin to snatching meat from a dead man’s mouth.
Formation skills and experience must be extraordinary, and their insight unique, without real abilities, they couldn’t survive this trade.
"I wonder if I can acquire Mr. Pi’s lineage..."
"Even if not, learning a bit would still be worthwhile."
Mo Hua silently thought.
So, he subtly followed behind Mr. Pi, showing no emotion on his face, yet occasionally craning his neck to peek at Mr. Pi’s Compass, watching his hand seals, and mentally simulating his deduction process.
Etched beneath the corridor’s stone walls were Formations.
These Formations, with their concealed aura, merged with the earth, apparently a type of "Earth Formation" used in tombs.
Deducing these Formations and using the Compass to determine their location consumed considerable mental energy.
Mr. Pi concentrated entirely on the Compass until his Divine Sense depleted, taking a brief rest. During a glance, he noticed Mo Hua’s eyes secretly watching him.
These eyes were extraordinarily deep, as if something profound and mysterious flowed within.
Mr. Pi’s heart trembled at once, but upon focusing again, he saw Mo Hua’s gaze was clear as water, so clear it reflected his image.
Mr. Pi silently watched Mo Hua.
Mo Hua watched Mr. Pi.
Mr. Pi’s gaze flickered slightly, silently turned his head, said nothing, and continued leading the way.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
The group walked further, reaching a gate.
The gate was covered with dense Formations.
"We’ve arrived."
The man in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Pi gave everyone a look, signaling them to remain silent, then took an array of items from his storage bag—a Formation Diagram, a Bronze Formation Pen, several batches of Spiritual Ink, and blank Formation Paper—beginning to record on paper while using Formation Patterns to deduce, attempting to break the Formations on the gate.
The group remained vigilant, guarding around the gate in case of unexpected occurrences.
Shen Qingsheng was unconscious, Mo Hua stood by.