Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2031 Chapter 973: Destroying the Evidence (2)

Mo Hua panted heavily, his voice laced with urgency:

"We need to leave!"

If Elder Xun truly followed through on killing this Mr. Tu, he would become entangled in a mysterious karma that might lead to his demise.

Observing Mo Hua’s grave expression, Xun Ziyou felt a wave of tension. In the grand scheme of things, Mo Hua’s safety was his highest priority. Realizing now was not the time to invite further complications, he nodded in agreement:

"Very well."

Without further delay, the group took action. At Mo Hua’s insistence, they retreated immediately without looking back.

Mr. Tu watched their departing figures, his mind racing with dark thoughts.

"Should I release the Evil Path seal and slaughter them all within the depths of this Solitary Mountain...?"

"That Sword Dao Elder might be difficult to finish, but that strange Foundation Establishment brat is an anomaly; perhaps it is better to eliminate him now to avoid future headaches..."

"I should hunt them down and kill them..."

Mr. Tu began to step forward instinctively.

Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the earth as the mountains groaned, accompanied by the thunderous roar of rhythmic fiery explosions.

"The Shen Family? Have they finally acted?"

Mr. Tu’s brow furrowed, a flicker of resentment crossing his face.

His calculations had been flawless, yet an unforeseen variable had ruined everything at the final hour. The Divine Lord’s Divine Fetus had vanished, stripping Solitary Mountain of its protection and causing the evil fog to lift, laying bare the hidden karma.

It seemed the Shen Family had finally unraveled the schemes hidden within.

It wasn’t just the Shen Family, either; other powerful aristocratic families and Sects had likely caught the scent and were converging on the location.

"No matter, I have already obtained what I required."

Mr. Tu’s murderous eyes scanned the area as he spoke coldly, "When the Divine Lord finally descends, every soul here will perish. Whether they die today or tomorrow makes no difference..."

With those words, his demonic shell shifted and contorted. Fresh human skin grew over his frame, transforming him into a common-looking Shen Family Elder. He then began walking briskly toward the exit of the shrine.

...

Within the mass grave.

Hiding in the shadows, Xun Ziyou and his companions observed a contingent of Shen Family cultivators.

These cultivators were busy deploying fire formations and activating fire talismans inside the pit, using various flame-based techniques to incinerate the piles of corpses.

Pillars of fire erupted everywhere, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air.

The area was a chaotic landscape of fiery blasts and rampaging infernos.

As the bodies burned, the foul-smelling smoke was systematically cleared away by a Clear Rain Formation.

The Shen Family was erasing the evidence of their crimes!

Master Gu seethed with silent fury, thinking to himself: "The Shen Family has truly abandoned all morality."

Fan Jin scanned the numerous Shen Family members present and shook his head with a frown: "There are too many of them... do we have to fight our way out?"

Xun Ziyou disagreed, "The numbers are too great for a direct confrontation. We must find a way to slip away unnoticed..."

Initiating a battle would only draw a swarm of Shen Family Golden Core cultivators to trap them.

The family was burning the remains of the miners to hide their secrets; if the group were discovered, the Shen Family would stop at nothing to silence them permanently.

Fortunately, the scale of the mass grave was immense and the number of corpses vast, making the "cleanup" a monumental task.

The Shen Family’s attention was entirely consumed by the cremation process, leaving them distracted.

Between the constant explosions and the scattering flames, the environment was chaotic enough to make an escape feasible.

Spotting a few isolated Shen Family cultivators, Xun Ziyou moved in to eliminate them.

Those tasked with destroying evidence were undoubtedly trusted inner members of the Shen Family, complicit in the mine's atrocities. Knowing none were innocent, Xun Ziyou struck without hesitation.

After killing the cultivators, he stripped them of their robes and Shen Family tokens. He threw their remains into the pit and used fire talismans to burn them along with the miners.

Now disguised in Shen Family attire, the group attempted to blend into the crowd to exit the tomb.

As a Sect Elder, a supervisor, and a refinery shop manager, Xun Ziyou, Fan Jin, and Master Gu possessed a natural air of authority.

Xun Ziyou, in particular, looked formidable in the Shen Family Taoist robes, his late Golden Core stage pressure ensuring that no one dared to challenge him.

Mo Hua was the only one at risk of being caught.

Due to his small stature, the Shen Family robes were far too large, with the hem dragging along the ground.

However, the dim lighting of the tomb combined with the swirling smoke and dancing flames allowed Mo Hua to stay hidden between Xun Ziyou and the others.

He chose not to use any concealment techniques.

There were too many Shen Family Golden Core cultivators nearby with Divine Sense superior to his own; any magical fluctuation would immediately invite suspicion.

Hiding in plain sight was the safer option.

Led by Xun Ziyou, they acted as if they belonged, even going so far as to distribute fire talismans and formations to add to the confusion while they moved toward the exit.

Occasionally, Mo Hua would subtly sabotage the Shen Family’s formations, causing them to explode prematurely.

He would also stealthily tamper with formation patterns, causing them to malfunction and "accidentally" strike the Shen Family’s own men.

The disorder grew.

Amidst the turmoil, Xun Ziyou successfully guided the group out of the mass grave and into the upper tomb passages.

Once they reached the tunnels, the journey became easier.

Mo Hua had already mapped the route with his compass and knew the layout perfectly.

He quietly whispered directions, steering the group away from the largest clusters of enemies.

Any guards they couldn't avoid were dealt with swiftly and silently.

Eventually, they reached the tomb's main entrance.

However, the entrance was heavily fortified by Shen Family cultivators, making a clean exit impossible.

After a moment of thought, Mo Hua identified a weak point in the tunnel wall about half a mile away. He dismantled the local formation, allowing Xun Ziyou to use his Golden Core strength to shatter the stone wall, creating a private exit from the Solitary Mountain tomb.

Even outside, Shen Family members were everywhere.

But because of the ongoing explosions and the mountain-shaking work being done below to destroy evidence, the sound of their breach went completely unnoticed.