Chapter 118: Temporarily Escaping the Grim Reaper's Pursuit!

Wang Shan's shout of "Quick retreat! Retreat to the depths of the Cleft Valley!" rang out like a thunderclap, exploding across the chaotic battlefield. The intense pain in his shoulder blades and the weakness throughout his body almost overwhelmed him, but he gritted his teeth, his eyes sharp as a blade.

"Brother Wang, I'll clear the way!" Li Huxu brandished his halberd, the heavy axe in his hand whirling, flinging black beast blood everywhere, he forcibly carved a gap through the double-team of two Wan Family Cultivators.

Zhang Mei's arrows were like venomous bees with eyes, each shot striking precisely at enemies trying to block or ambush them, buying them precious breathing time.

Wang Shan shoved Li Hu aside who was blocking his front, and growled, "Go!"

The three scrambled and crawled, rushing toward a deep, narrow fissure at the bottom of the Zang Long Abyss. The fissure resembled the throat of a giant beast opened wide, bottomless, swallowing all light. From behind, Wan Tianjue's roar, distorted by pain and fury, echoed: "You little brat! Don't even think of escaping! Chase him! Kill him! You must capture him alive!"

"Chase your grandma's leg!" Li Hu cursed without looking back, yet he didn't dare slacken his pace, scrambling into the fissure in a sorry state.

Beyond the fissure lay a suddenly vast cavern, the deafening roar of water washing over them. A black Dark River of unknown width surged like an angry ink dragon, churning and roaring within the cavern before plunging into a deeper, darker tunnel.

"Brother Wang! No way out! It's an underground river!" Li Hu wiped sweat and blood from his face, his voice distorted by the roaring water.

"Jump down!" Wang Shan said without hesitation; now was no time to be choosy. He grabbed Li Hu's arm with one hand and pulled Zhang Mei with the other, shouting sternly, "If you don't want to be blocked to death by that old dog, follow me and jump!"

The ice-cold, bone-piercing river water instantly enveloped the three, the chill seeming to seep into their marrow, making them all shiver. The turbulent current resembled an invisible giant hand, frantically tugging at them, trying to sweep them into the unknown abyss and smash them against the jagged rocks.

"Damn! This water… chills to the bone!" Li Hu gulped a few mouthfuls, flailing his arms and legs in the icy river, feeling like he was about to freeze solid.

Zhang Mei's pretty face turned deathly pale, her teeth chattering, yet she clung tightly to Wang Shan's hand.

Wang Shan clenched his teeth against the bone‑chilling water, mentally urging: "System! Redeem 【Second‑rank Water Escape Talisman】! Now!"

【Ding! Consumed 30 Spirit Plant Points, redemption of 【Second‑rank Water Escape Talisman】 successful!】

A soft azure halo instantly enveloped the three, the terrifying water‑force that had almost torn them apart suddenly eased, as if an invisible power ahead was pulling them, letting them drift steadily downstream in the raging Dark River.

"Huff… huff… we're saved!" Li Hu panted, wiping the water from his face, "Brother Wang, this talisman… truly… truly a godsend in our time of need!"

Wang Shan also exhaled in relief; spending those thirty Spirit Plant Points hurt, but it was still better than being drowned alive or chased down by Wan Tianjue's old dog.

At that moment, at the fissure entrance where they had jumped into the Dark River, Wan Tianjue's face was ashen, supported by two aides, his eyes fixed on the black, bottomless mouth from which the water roared. His chest heaved violently; each breath tugged at his internal injuries, sending waves of tearing pain.

"Family Head… this… this Dark River's current is so perilous, unfathomably deep… if they jumped in, they'd probably…" a Wan Family Descendant stared at the yawning river mouth, his voice trembling.

How could Wan Tianjue not know? He is now heavily injured; that kid's last‑ditch deployment of a bizarre sigil array not only shattered his Ten Thousand Beast Method but also wounded his viscera. Had he not forcibly activated a secret technique to suppress it, he would have already passed out. To have him lead people into this nine‑deaths‑one‑life Dark River to pursue them? He's not that foolish.

"Howl——! Wang Shan! I, the old man, will not die until you do!" Wan Tianjue bellowed to the heavens, a roar brimming with endless resentment and unwillingness, shaking the wilderness and startling countless birds into flight: "Seal off every exit of the Zang Long Abyss tightly for me! Dispatch beasts and personnel skilled in tracking to search both banks up and down the river! Dig three feet deep if needed—find that little brat for me!"

His eyes flickered with mad greed and killing intent. The secrets on that kid's body far exceeded his imagination! The Beast Taming Sect's inheritance, elixirs, strange talismans—now he also possessed means to counter his Ten Thousand Beast Method, plus clues hinting at an ancient relic… No matter what, he must obtain them!

Within the Dark River, the glow of the Water Escape Talisman illuminated a few feet around them, and the three sped downstream with the current.

Wang Shan leaned against the invisible talisman barrier, struggling to calm his surging qi and blood. For now they were safe, but Wan Tianjue's old dog would certainly not let this rest.

"That old fogey must be fuming upstairs, jumping up and down." Li Hu caught his breath, grinning with a slightly stiff smile, "Hey, let him also taste the flavor of eating dirt!"

Wang Shan glanced at him: "Don't get too excited early; this is just a stopgap. If he can't find us, he'll likely turn the entire Man Yun Mountain Range upside down."

Just as they were speaking, Wang Shan let out a soft 'Huh.' He sensed that this ice‑cold, bone‑piercing river water seemed to carry a peculiar purifying power. The mild numbness and itch from weak toxins smeared on him by a lizard demon's tail, as well as the burning pain from tiny wounds, gradually faded in the water, and his body felt a rare ease.

"This river water… is a bit strange." Wang Shan mused inwardly, "Could the Dark River of the Zang Long Abyss conceal some unknown mystery?"

Upon hearing that, Li Hu also felt it carefully, delighted: "Hey! Brother Wang, you're not joking—it really is! I feel that pent‑up frustration in my body has lightened considerably!"

Zhang Mei also nodded slightly, a touch of color returning to her pallid face. She had silently followed beside Wang Shan, her eyes full of trust. In her view, as long as Brother Wang was there, they would surely find a way out.

"Never mind that for now," Wang Shan interrupted their delight, "the Water Escape Talisman won't last long; we must quickly find a concealed place to set down."

His keen eyes scanned the rapidly receding riverbanks. The Dark River wound and twisted, the cavern walls jagged and interlocking, occasionally revealing holes and fissures scoured out by the flow.

"Brother Wang, look over there!" Zhang Mei suddenly pointed to a cave entrance half‑covered by water‑grown vines on the right‑front.

Wang Shan focused his gaze; the entrance was small, only enough for one person to bend and enter, but its concealment was its advantage.

"Let's keep looking; maybe there's something better."

After drifting downstream another hundred or so zhang, Li Hu suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Wang! Quick, look at that! That cave entrance is big!"

Before them, on the left stone wall, a natural cavern entrance about a zhang high suddenly appeared, pitch‑black, its destination unknown, but its elevation was considerably higher than the previous one, so they needn't worry about backflow from the river.

"Good! Let's go there!" Wang Shan made a swift decision.

Under the pull of the Water Escape Talisman, the three approached the entrance without mishap. Just as the talisman's light was about to fade, Wang Shan's keen eyes spotted several dark masses swirling in the eddies near the mouth.

"Wait!" he said, using the talisman's last strength to scoop them up. They turned out to be several water‑bloated low‑rank demon beast corpses, whether casualties from upstream battles or unlucky souls who slipped and fell in.

"System, recycle!"

【Recovered Sharp‑tooth Fish Corpse (First Rank), gained 2 Spirit Plant Points.】

【Recovered Black Armor Beetle Corpse (First Rank), gained 1 Spirit Plant Point.】

【Recovering…】

After recovering three or four corpses in succession, they gained a pitiful total of 8 Spirit Plant Points.

"Better than nothing," Wang Shan thought with a wry smile; these points weren't even enough to stuff between his teeth.

Li Hu watched on, clicking his tongue: "Brother Wang, you really… pluck every feather from a passing goose!"

"Nonsense; in this situation we can't waste any resource." Wang Shan retorted impatiently, "Wan Tianjue's old dog will surely send people to comb the river; we must quickly find a safe place to recover. This entrance is decent, but it might not hide us from his eyes and ears."

The three clambered up the wet, slippery rocks at the entrance; the Water Escape Talisman's light faded completely. The Dark River's roar instantly swelled severalfold, painfully ringing their ears. Inside the cavern lay total darkness, the damp, chilly air thick with a rich earthy odor and a faint stench of rot.

Wang Shan stood at the mouth, listening intently. Besides the deafening water noise, he faintly sensed a vague pressure emanating from deeper within the cave, as if some powerful entity lay lurking in the darkness.

"This creepy place probably holds more trouble than just Wan Tianjue," Wang Shan muttered, frowning slightly.

Li Hu shivered, leaned in, and whispered, "Brother Wang, what… what are you sensing again?"

Wang Shan shook his head: "Nothing, maybe just an illusion. Let's go in and scout the route, find a dry spot to rest a bit."

He took a Moonlight Stone from his storage bag; its soft glow dispelled some of the darkness, illuminating the rough, uneven passage ahead.

"Let's go, let's see whether the 'Dragon King's' manor hides treasure or breeds an evil flood dragon." Wang Shan took the first step, his voice tinged with self‑mockery and vigilance.

Li Hu and Zhang Mei exchanged a glance, then followed closely. Their fates had long been tightly bound to this mysterious Wang Shan.