Chapter 1053: Chapter 666: Leading Astray Chapter 1053 -666: Leading Astray “Have they… Have they all been slaughtered?” Yi Li whispered. He was a Spiritual Cultivator, and when he had previously been pursued by assassins, he was compelled to confront a black-robed cultivator. In a single encounter, he was knocked down. Now that he had just awoken, with his head still a bit dizzy, he was somewhat unclear of the situation. Mo Hua nodded, “They’ve all been slaughtered!” “But…” Situ Jian hesitated, “There were more of them than us, we couldn’t possibly win, right…?” Previously, during the encounter, he had estimated roughly that there were more than twenty people on their side. Although some had died now, there were still at least ten remaining, and it was unknown whether they had other reinforcements. Moreover, among these ten or so black-robed individuals, there seemed to be a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. In numbers and cultivation, they were at a disadvantage… After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua said carefully, “Facing them head-on is indeed a bit difficult, so we need to think of some methods, plan thoroughly.” “Planning…” Cheng Mo and the other two nodded hesitantly. They didn’t have much experience in such situations, and were still unclear on what exactly needed “planning.” “Don’t rush it…” Mo Hua said calmly, “The most pressing matter is to first locate these black-robed traffickers, ascertain their true strength, and then take action accordingly.” “We can’t possibly let them kidnap cultivators and then make a clean getaway…” “That’s true…” Cheng Mo and the others nodded in agreement. “However…” Yang Qianjun sighed, “We’ve been on the run after being chased, and we have no idea where those black-robed individuals went…” Mo Hua asked, “Where did you encounter these black-robed cultivators?” “In a valley to the east…” Yang Qianjun replied. “Then let’s go take a look first, search for any clues.” Mo Hua said. Yang Qianjun was slightly startled, then nodded, “Alright.” At this point, that was all they could do. After resting briefly to heal their injuries and restore their Blood Qi and most of their Spiritual Power, the group stood up and set off. The party of six walked eastward along the mountain path, and after about half an hour, they reached a valley. Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, his brows slightly furrowed. There was not a single soul in the valley. The group searched inside. There were wheel tracks and faint footprints on the soil, broken stones, and shallow grass, as well as impressions from boxes placed on the ground. Apart from that, there were no other traces. It was as if a group of people had stopped here briefly before splitting into two. One group pursued Cheng Mo and his companions. The other group, with the kidnapped cultivators, had set out and left. Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances and sighed. “They’ve left…” “And we don’t know where they went…” Mo Hua’s pupils were deep, and the patterns of cause and effect emerged in his eyes, threads of causality image imprinted in his view. After a moment, Mo Hua pointed towards a mountain path on the left, “They went this way.” The others were startled. Cheng Mo asked, “How do you know?” “I guessed it!” Mo Hua declared confidently. Then he casually added, “Let’s go…” With that, Mo Hua took the lead and headed off to the left. Hao Xuan immediately followed. Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances, somewhat baffled, but instinctively, they still trailed behind Mo Hua. To the left was a mountain path, beyond the path was a forest, beyond the forest a valley, and beyond the valley a stream… There were no traces of wheels or cultivators passing by on this whole route. But Mo Hua walked on without turning his head back, his gaze focused, his steps firm. As if he had witnessed the movements of those black-robed cultivators himself. Cheng Mo found it very odd. But with no clues available and no one else knowing which direction to take, having someone lead was the only option, and he just had to follow. After walking for 30 minutes, Mo Hua’s eyes brightened, and he suddenly stopped. Turning to Cheng Mo and the others, he gestured with his palms to keep low and whispered, “Duck down.” Everyone obediently crouched, staying low to the ground, moved forward a few steps, and, using rocks and bushes for cover, they peered down. Below the hillside was a ruin. Within the ruins, walls had collapsed, there were disordered ores, iron molds caked in mud, and furnaces. It appeared to be an abandoned Refinery Shop. The Refinery Shop was fairly large, interiors obscured by broken walls and barriers, the entrance door dried and broken. On initial inspection, the entire Refinery Shop showed no signs of anything unusual, but on closer observation, one could notice two dark figures in the shadow of the doorway. They were two black-robed individuals standing guard. Cheng Mo was shocked, “We found it!” He looked back at Mo Hua and exclaimed, “You actually guessed right!” Mo Hua modestly replied, “Lucky guess.” Cheng Mo nodded, still puzzled. Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun silently rolled their eyes at Cheng Mo. Mo Hua says he “guessed” and you actually believe that? How could he have guessed everything correctly without a single trace along the way? However, since Mo Hua claimed it was a “guess,” they tactfully did not inquire further. “What do we do next?” Situ Jian asked, “Do we try to blend in first, to understand the enemy’s strength and weaknesses?” “Sneak in using a Concealment Technique?” They knew that Mo Hua had mastered the Concealment Technique, and he also had a rare Concealment Spiritual Tool, Water Concealing Jade. “No need.” Mo Hua shook his head, “There are sixteen people inside, one in the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, the rest are all at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.” The others were taken aback. Cheng Mo asked, “How do you know?” Mo Hua casually replied, “One sweep of the Divine Sense, and it’s all clear…” Cheng Mo, puzzled, said, “Why can’t I tell?” Mo Hua explained, “That’s because I am a Formation Master, so my Divine Sense is a little stronger…” After speaking, Mo Hua took out a piece of paper, and drew a rough map of the entire abandoned Refinery Shop.