Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2034 Chapter 974: Eerie Phenomenon

"A labyrinth of heavenly secrets, is it..."

Shen Shouxing’s gaze was freezing, yet it quickly shifted back to a mask of indifference. A faint, mocking smile touched his lips as he whispered, "How interesting..."

"The secrets of heaven remain elusive, and the threads of karma are deeply entwined. One day, our paths of cause and effect shall cross once more..."

"When that time comes, I shall see your true form with my own eyes..."

"I will uncover exactly what kind of heavy cause and effect you carry upon your shoulders..."

...

The voice that spoke was impossible to identify as male or female—an eerie, drifting sound that seemed to crawl out of the Nine Nether, accompanied by the wailing of a thousand malevolent spirits.

Within the flickering darkness of the ghostly fire, Shen Shouxing’s body crumbled into ash.

Everything there was utterly erased, leaving no trace for anyone to discover.

Meanwhile, at the summit of Solitary Mountain, the fierce struggle between the Shen Family and the various noble clans and Sects showed no signs of stopping.

In the heat of the chaos, not a single soul noticed the seed of Gui Tao that had been planted deep at the mountain's base...

...

Inside a carriage traveling away from Solitary Mountain City.

As the distance from Solitary Mountain grew, the heavy dread in Mo Hua's heart began to evaporate.

It was rare for him to feel such profound anxiety.

The sensation had been incredibly intense, yet no matter how much he pondered it, he couldn't find a single clue as to its source.

Mo Hua could only guess that he had brushed against some terrifying cause and effect, perhaps involving a powerful master moving pieces from the shadows.

Fortunately, that suffocating sense of danger was finally fading.

Mo Hua took a slow sip of tea, trying to settle his frayed nerves.

He was alone in the speeding carriage with Elder Xun Ziyou. Master Gu and Master Fan had already departed for the Refinery Shop and the Dao Court, respectively.

Mo Hua had initially thought to suggest they take shelter within the Taixu Gate to escape the coming chaos.

However, one was the leader of the Refinery Shop and the other was a Dao Court Archivist; both had significant responsibilities in Solitary Mountain City that prevented an easy exit.

Furthermore, vanishing during such a turbulent time would only make them look more suspicious.

Consequently, both chose to stay behind. Mo Hua had requested that Elder Xun Zixian keep an eye on them, and the Elder agreed to remain in the city as well.

While Mo Hua was now out of harm's way, the situation in Solitary Mountain City remained unresolved. Elder Xun Zixian stayed to monitor the fallout, and other Elders from the Taixu Sect were needed to manage the cleanup.

Thus, the duty of protecting Mo Hua fell to Elder Xun Ziyou, who escorted him back toward the Taixu Gate along the Great Dao.

Once they left the city and entered the territories of the Second Grade states, a Late Golden Core Stage Elder like Xun Ziyou was more than enough protection.

Combined with Mo Hua's current movement techniques, he was generally safe unless a group of Golden Core cultivators specifically ambushed him with lethal intent.

The trip proved to be quiet and peaceful.

As the silence stretched on, Xun Ziyou found himself troubled by a nagging thought.

He kept stealing glances at Mo Hua throughout the trip, clearly wanting to ask something but hesitating.

Watching Mo Hua calmly drink his tea, Xun Ziyou finally spoke up, "Mo Hua, have you... studied the way of the sword?"

"Just a little bit," Mo Hua answered truthfully.

Xun Ziyou knit his brows in deep thought. "Back in the nightmare, I felt an incredibly powerful aura of the Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue..."

"You were inside the Divine Temple at the time. Do you have any idea where that Sword Intent came from?"

Xun Ziyou fixed his gaze on the boy.

Mo Hua felt a pang of inner conflict.

He couldn't exactly admit that he was the one who had swung the sword. Patriarch Dugu had been very clear: he must never reveal the secrets of the Divine Thought into sword True Jue to anyone.

Mo Hua blinked innocently. "Well, it’s a bit of a long story..."

"A long story?" Xun Ziyou asked, surprised. "Is there some hidden history behind it?"

Mo Hua nodded and began his tale:

"Long ago, a mighty Mountain God resided in Guhuang Mountain."

"This deity eventually fell into darkness and was struck down by a heroic predecessor of our Taixu Gate. However, the kill wasn't perfect, and some Evil Thoughts survived."

"To ensure the corrupted Mountain God never rose again, our predecessor left a shard of Taixu Sword Intent within the Divine Temple as a seal."

"When we entered Solitary Mountain, the evil god woke up and tried to devour us. However, its very malice triggered the Sword Intent left by the Taixu Elder."

"The Taixu Sword Intent erupted, turning Divine Thought into a massive sword that instantly destroyed the Mountain God. This resolved the cause and effect and allowed us to escape the nightmare..."

Mo Hua’s explanation was a blend of ninety percent truth and ten percent fiction, making it sound perfectly plausible.

Xun Ziyou nodded slowly, finding the logic sound.

The Taixu Divine Thought into sword True Jue was a lost art; only the ancient ancestors of the Sect would have known how to use it.

It was well known that the ancestors of the Taixu Gate loved to travel the world, using their Divine Thought to forge swords and slay demons and spirits.

It made perfect sense that a Taixu ancestor had been the one to strike down a fallen god.

After all, the alternative—that young Mo Hua had mastered the Divine Thought into sword True Jue himself—was simply impossible.

Even Xun Ziyou couldn't bring himself to believe that.

It had to be the work of an ancestor.

"I wonder which of our ancestors was responsible for slaying that Mountain God..." Xun Ziyou mused to himself.

Mo Hua kept his face perfectly still and stayed silent.

"Which ancestor could it have been..." Xun Ziyou continued to obsess over the mystery.

Worried that Xun Ziyou’s constant talk of "ancestors" might somehow bring him bad luck, Mo Hua quickly changed the topic.

"By the way, Elder Xun, what brought you to Solitary Mountain in the first place?"

The distraction worked. Knowing Mo Hua was sharp, the Elder didn't try to hide the truth. "The Great Ancestor sent me."

"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded, though a small doubt remained. "Did Elder Master Xun just send you alone without any other backup?"

Xun Ziyou had been following from such a distance that Mo Hua hadn't even noticed him.

If things had gone wrong, wouldn't his life have been in serious danger?