Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 1963 - 951: Gold-Seeking Talisman

"What did you just say?" Mo Hua asked, his expression a mix of bewilderment and shock.

"Just hand it over to me..."

"Hand what over?"

"Damn it, don't play dumb!" Haozi’s complexion was deathly pale, his eyes beginning to fill with bloodshot veins. "Old Pi’s Mo Jin Rune—it has to be in your possession!"

Mo Hua’s heart gave a sudden throb.

So that was it!

This Haozi was targeting the Mo Jin Rune; it explained why he had been desperately rifling through his own storage bag earlier, searching for Mr. Pi’s artifact.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about..." Mo Hua replied, looking completely lost.

Haozi, however, was indifferent to his denials. His thick, broad hand, resembling the jagged claw of a Monster Beast, lunged toward Mo Hua once more.

Having witnessed this very palm strike down a Golden Core expert of the Shen Family, Mo Hua felt a sudden chill. He immediately circulated his Qi to activate the Water Passing Step, desperate to evade the blow.

A faint shimmer of aquatic light enveloped Mo Hua, granting him the fluidity of a rushing stream as he slipped past Haozi’s massive reaching hand.

Shifting his approach, Haozi condensed a pale yellow Golden Core aura around his fingers, continuing his relentless pursuit to seize the boy.

Mo Hua’s face darkened. He was forced to push his Water Passing Step to its absolute limit. After several blurs of movement, he managed to dodge another grasp. With a swift flick of his wrist, he pointed his fingers, launching a fireball that streaked through the air and detonated against Haozi’s face.

However, he was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, while Haozi was a Golden Core cultivator.

A standard Second Grade Fireball Technique lacked the power to truly threaten someone of the Golden Core Realm.

The spell erupted in a burst of heat and billowing smoke. Moments later, Haozi stepped through the haze, shielding his face with his arm.

His hair was partially scorched and his skin was smudged with soot; though the physical damage was trivial, the insult only served to fuel Haozi’s rage.

His features twisted into a mask of pure ferocity.

Mo Hua was prepared to turn and flee without a second thought, but a sudden detail on Haozi’s forehead caught his eye, causing his pupils to narrow in alarm.

The Fireball Technique had singed away a patch of Haozi’s hair, exposing a section of his scalp.

Upon that exposed skin, blood seeped through the matted hair, revealing three swollen, festering bite marks.

Mo Hua was struck with horror.

He had been bitten by an Evil Spirit!

After a moment of reflection, Mo Hua pieced it together.

Back at the fork in the tunnels, the swarm of Evil Spirits had surged forward, forcing everyone to scatter. In that frantic struggle, an Evil Spirit must have latched onto Haozi and bitten him. Because the wound was hidden, even Haozi himself likely hadn't realized he was injured.

Since he had been bitten, the corruption of the Evil Spirit had undoubtedly taken root.

Sinister thoughts were quietly festering within his mind. Now that he had found Mo Hua alone, he could no longer restrain the overwhelming greed consuming his soul.

But was a single Mo Jin Rune truly worth such desperate avarice?

Seeing Haozi preparing to strike again, Mo Hua shouted quickly:

"You cannot kill me! I am a Formation Master. Without my skills, you won’t be able to determine coordinates or break the formations here."

Haozi’s hand faltered in mid-air.

Even in his state of greed, a shred of logic remained. He knew that Mo Hua’s unique abilities made him indispensable for the time being. He growled:

"I won't kill you... just give me the item, and I won't cause you any trouble."

Attempting to soothe Mo Hua’s fears, he even managed to force a smile.

Yet, his sharp, simian features made the predatory grin look repulsive.

"I genuinely don't know what this Mo Jin Rune is or what it looks like. How can I possibly give it to you?" Mo Hua said, acting out of "terror."

Haozi fought to keep his impulses in check, his voice sounding like grinding stone:

"The Mo Jin Rune is crafted from the claw of a pangolin, inlaid with gold and silver, with a texture resembling ancient jade."

"It belonged to Old Pi. He carried it everywhere, guarding it like his own life and rarely letting anyone see it. But by a stroke of luck, I caught a glimpse..."

"My family has been tomb raiders for generations, surviving by unearthing the forgotten... He might deceive others, but he cannot fool me..."

"That is an ancient token. Only a select few with specific bloodlines can hold it. It is incredibly rare and precious—most people will never even see one in their lifetime..."

"And now, this is my chance."

"With that token, I can make contact with the Dark Department of the Earth Sect and gain access to their true legacy..."

These were guarded secrets, truths he had intended to take to his grave.

But now, his inner desires—magnified by the Evil Spirit's influence—poured out of him without restraint, exposing the full depth of his ambition.

"This object is useless to a child like you. Be obedient and hand it over..."

Haozi tried to maintain a calm tone.

But Mo Hua remained petrified, shaking his head. "I really... I don't know what you're talking about."

Haozi’s eyes turned cold and murderous. "Brat, I’ve been patient with you, but you keep wasting my time. Keep this up, and I’ll tear the information out of your skull..."

Mo Hua opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly his eyes went wide. He pointed a trembling finger behind Haozi.

"Evil Spirit!"

Haozi let out a mocking sneer. "Kid, do you think I'm some novice? You can't trick me with such a pathetic ruse..."

Before he could finish his taunt, Haozi felt a sudden weight on his shoulder and a sickening wetness against his ear. He jerked his head around only to see a hideous, three-lobed mouth clamped onto his neck, tearing at his flesh.

Terror washed over Haozi, and a cold sweat broke out across his skin.

As the creature gnawed at his face, Haozi frantically surged his Qi into his palm. He grabbed the Evil Spirit’s neck, twisting with brutal force until it snapped, then hurled the body away. In a follow-up motion, he crushed the creature's skull, ripping the severed mouth from his own skin.

Dark, putrid blood and scraps of rotten flesh slid down his cheek.

Taking no risks, Haozi immediately produced a flask of Spiritual Liquid to wash away the corruption, applied healing powder to the gouge, and swallowed several medicinal pills.

Once the threat was neutralized, Haozi spun around, only to realize that Mo Hua had long since vanished into the darkness.

A wave of fury crashed over him. "You little brat...!"

The corridor was a void of pitch-black shadows, winding and silent.

Haozi pushed out his Divine Sense, but he could no longer detect which path Mo Hua had taken.

The wound on his cheek gave a faint, rhythmic throb, pulsing with a sickly dark green light. Haozi felt no pain, however; he felt only the fire of his greed burning hotter than ever before.