Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 1964 - 951: Touch Gold Talisman (2)

After pausing for a moment of reflection, Rat produced a small snuff bottle, held it to his nostrils, and took a deep breath.

A sharp, moldy odor flooded his consciousness.

Rat suppressed the throbbing pain in his forehead as his nose expanded slightly, heightening his olfactory senses to an incredible degree.

Through the haze of scents, he detected a faint but exceptionally pure aroma of ink clinging to a specific person.

It was the scent of Mo Hua.

This ink fragrance was both sophisticated and potent, possessing a mesmerizing quality that Rat had never encountered on any other Cultivator.

Its uniqueness made it remarkably simple to track.

"Little rascal, let’s see where you run to..."

Rat dropped into a low crouch, pressing his calloused palms against the earth in a bizarre stance. He began to circulate his Golden Core Power, causing spiritual power to swirl around him as yellow dust kicked up. With a sharp whistle, he suddenly lunged forward.

The trail of ink fragrance served as his beacon.

Guided by the scent, Rat pursued Mo Hua. In less than a dozen breaths, he glimpsed Mo Hua navigating the tomb tunnel alone, his movements cautious and somewhat furtive.

Simultaneously, Mo Hua detected Rat's approach.

Within the range of his divine sense, he perceived a "large rat" charging through the corridor toward him.

Mo Hua felt a jolt of alarm.

"How did this damn rat catch up?"

This tomb robber known as Rat shouldn't have any knowledge of Array formations, nor should he be able to navigate the layout.

Since Rat hadn't planted any tracking spiritual artifacts on him, Mo Hua couldn't fathom how he had been found...

Regardless, now was not the time for questions.

Observing Rat closing the distance with terrifying speed, Mo Hua didn't hesitate to trigger his Water Passing Step and bolt forward.

However, Rat’s movement technique was both devious and strange, allowing him to scurry low to the ground exactly like a rodent.

On several occasions, Rat’s fingers nearly brushed against Mo Hua.

Fortunately, while this "Rat" possessed a swift and clever movement technique, it lacked the refined agility of the Water Passing Step.

Mo Hua relied on the elegance of his Water Passing Step to narrowly evade capture time and again.

Internally, he couldn't help but marvel at the vastness of the world; it was truly a place of wonders if someone had actually mastered such a peculiar movement technique.

Meanwhile, Rat was secretly stunned.

He missed every attempt...

This brat... who exactly was he? How could someone so young possess such a sophisticated movement technique?

At the same time, Rat's conviction grew.

The more unusual Mo Hua appeared, the more certain Rat became that Old Pi’s "Gold Seeking Talisman" was in the boy's possession.

"Gold Seeking Talisman!"

Rat’s eyes took on a reddish hue as he fully unleashed his Golden Core Power, sprinting on all fours to hunt Mo Hua down.

The pressure on Mo Hua intensified instantly.

Yet, no matter how proficient Rat’s movement technique seemed, it paled in comparison to the skills of Elder Yi from the Eight Great Gates.

Mo Hua had been trained by Elder Yi himself; even though his movements were currently hampered by shackles, he held his own in this pursuit against Rat.

They danced through dozens of rounds of chasing and dodging, leaving Rat increasingly bewildered.

"I can't catch him..."

How could a Golden Core cultivator fail to seize a mere Foundation Establishment child?

At that moment, whether due to his spiritual power hitting its limit or the restriction of his chains, Mo Hua’s footwork faltered. His technique broke, causing him to stumble and roll across the ground before coming to a stop.

It appeared he no longer had the strength to defend himself.

"Exhausted?"

Rat came to a halt, exhaling a sigh of relief.

That made much more sense...

A Foundation Establishment practitioner escaping a Golden Core was unheard of; clearly, those previous maneuvers had been the boy's final desperate effort.

Seeing Mo Hua sprawled on the ground, unable to move.

Rat’s eyes gleamed with resolve as he strode toward Mo Hua, reaching out with blood-stained hands to seize him.

Since Mo Hua was still useful, Rat didn't intend to kill him yet; he only planned to strip him, search his person, and reclaim the Gold Seeking Talisman.

But before his grimy hands could make contact, a shout echoed from further down the tunnel:

"Who goes there?"

The voice belonged to Mr. Hui.

Rat’s eyelids flickered as he cursed under his breath, "Damn it, what terrible timing. They show up right when I nearly have the kid."

As Mr. Hui drew closer.

Rat was forced to back away from Mo Hua, whispering a threat: "Don't say a word about this, or I'll end you."

Mo Hua gave a "terrified" nod.

After a short wait, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder as Mr. Hui and the others stepped out of the darkness, looking relieved to find both Mo Hua and Rat.

Rat was a partner who had explored several tombs with them, sharing a sense of brotherhood.

Mo Hua was their Formation Master—young and green, but the only person they could rely on for this expedition.

Mr. Hui genuinely hoped both would remain unharmed for the time being.

Especially Mo Hua.

However...

Mr. Hui noted Mo Hua’s disheveled state and frowned, asking, "Little brother, are you injured?"

Rat cast a sideways, malicious glance at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua stammered, "I... I was being chased by those corpses. I panicked and tripped while running."

Mr. Hui’s expression turned grave. "Were you bitten?"

Mo Hua shook his head. "No."

"That is good," Mr. Hui nodded. "We need to locate the others and regroup quickly. We must leave this junction to avoid being ambushed by the corpses again."

Mo Hua pushed himself up with effort and walked to Mr. Hui’s side.

Rat stared at Mo Hua’s back with a dark, resentful gaze, clearly unwilling to abandon his pursuit.

The three of them then set off together, tracking footprints and spiritual power remnants to find the rest of their party within the tomb tunnels.