Chapter 119: Foundation Establishment Strongman Seeks a Personal Visit!

The Wan family's temporary outpost on the outer rim of the Man Yun Mountain Range now has an atmosphere so heavy it could drip water.

Wan Tianjue is being supported, his face as pale as paper, his chest garment torn, revealing a snarling wound and haphazardly wrapped strips of cloth, still seeped with jet‑black blood.

Each breath he draws is as laborious as pulling a bellows, and blood foam still clings to the corner of his mouth.

In the council hall, several core figures of the Wan family sit on either side; at the head is a middle‑aged man in brocade robes with a fierce countenance, Wan Tianjue's elder brother Wan Tianhao, who is also one of the family's current de facto rulers.

"Speak, Tianjue, how did you end up like this?" Wan Tianhao's voice betrays no emotion, yet anyone can feel the suppressed fury behind it.

Wan Tianjue coughs violently a few times, tugging at his wound, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Cough… cough… elder brother, the elders… that Wang Shan… that little brute… he… he is not an ordinary wandering cultivator at all!"

"Oh?" Wan Tianhao raises an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

"He… he has mastered the Beast Taming Sect's true Core Inheritance! He can even… even suppress my Ten Thousand Beast Method!" Wan Tianjue's words cause the entire hall to gasp.

"What?!" a white‑bearded elder springs up, staring at Wan Tianjue in disbelief. "Tianjue! Do you even know what you're saying? The Ten Thousand Beast Method is a fundamental doctrine our ancestors derived and refined from the Beast Taming Sect's fragments; it is not something a mere Body Refining junior could suppress!"

"Absolutely true!" Wan Tianjue exclaims hoarsely, his voice ragged with excitement. "If that weren't the case, I wouldn't have been defeated so miserably! That kid, he… he traced runes with his fingertips on the spot, forming a bizarre miniature rune Array; the moment it activated, my Ten Thousand Beast Method went out of control, the beast power turned against itself… *pfft*" He then spits another mouthful of clotted blood.

A junior immediately steps forward, handing over a pill and clean water.

Wan Tianhao's expression darkens completely. He knows his brother too well; reckless as he is, he would never lie about something like this, let alone fake such a tragic state.

"Rune Array? Able to suppress the Ten Thousand Beast Method?" Wan Tianhao taps his fingers lightly on the table, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Beast Taming Sect… the true Core Inheritance…"

Another lean‑faced elder muses, "Tianjue, think carefully—what are the characteristics of that rune Array? Or, what other Beast Taming Sect techniques did that kid display?"

Wan Tianjue strains to recall, "Those runes… were extremely abstruse, I've never seen them. He also used a rune that can disturb a beast's mind, causing my Swiftwind Wolf to turn on itself… Right! He mentioned the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele and seemed very familiar with it!"

"Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele?!" This time even Wan Tianhao can't stay seated, springing to his feet.

"He knows the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele?!"

"How could he know?!"

A roar erupts in the council hall. The Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele is a legendary treasure of the Beast Taming Sect and the Wan family's pursuit for centuries. The fragment of the Ten Thousand Beast Method the Wan family possesses is said to have been derived from a rubbing of the Stele.

"Brother, this is no small matter!" the lean elder says urgently. "If that Wang Shan truly has mastered the Beast Taming Sect's Core Inheritance and even knows clues to the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele… his value would be incalculable!"

"It's more than just value!" a flash of greed passes Wan Tianhao's eyes, but heavier is his solemnity. "It's a massive threat! If such an inheritance falls into his hands, and he fully masters and expands it… our Ten Thousand Beast Method would become a joke before him. The very foundation of the Wan family would be in danger!"

Everyone's hearts sink at his words. The Wan family's current standing rests on this Beast Taming Sect‑derived Ten Thousand Beast Method; should a counter to it appear, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wan Tianjue grits his teeth, "Brother, that kid definitely has other secrets! Pills, Talisman after Talisman keep appearing, and… and he seems aware of a suspected Ancient Yushou Sect ruin deep within the Man Yun Mountain Range! I suspect he's heading straight for that ruin!"

"What? He also knows that ruin?!" Wan Tianhao's complexion changes again. That ruin was only recently discovered by him, thought to be a heavenly opportunity, and now Wang Shan is also involved.

"So then…" Wan Tianhao paces a few steps, his gaze hardening. "That Wang Shan must not be allowed to live! All the secrets he carries must be unearthed!"

He slams the table. "Relay my orders! Raise the Bounty Notice on Wang Shan to the highest tier! Capture him alive and award a thousand Upper Grade Spirit Stones and ten thousand Family Contribution Points! Those who provide crucial clues receive three hundred Upper Grade Spirit Stones and three thousand Family Contribution Points!"

"Sss—" the hall's occupants gasp sharply. This Bounty Notice is enough to drive any Body Refining practitioner mad; even a Foundation Establishment novice would be tempted.

"Furthermore," Wan Tianhao looks at the steward in charge of external affairs, "send people to the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate immediately, informing them of this matter in full. Tell them we have uncovered clues to the Beast Taming Sect's Core Inheritance and invite them to dispatch elite forces to jointly eradicate this beast! The spoils can be negotiated."

"Ten Thousand Beasts Gate?" the steward hesitates. "Brother, the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate has always been a rival of our Wan family; would they truly cooperate?"

"Hmph," Wan Tianhao sneers. "They covet the Beast Taming Sect's inheritance even more than we do! Moreover, since Wang Shan can suppress our Ten Thousand Beast Method, there's no guarantee he can't suppress the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate's tactics either. They understand the principle that if the lips fall, the teeth feel the cold. Tell them that Wang Shan is slippery, cunning, and his methods are bizarre; relying on our family alone, we may let him slip away."

"Understood!" the steward departs with the order.

"Tianjue," Wan Tianhao turns again to Wan Tianjue, "though you failed this time, you brought back vital intelligence. Recover well; the family won't let your injury be in vain."

Wan Tianjue's eyes flash with venomous resentment, "Brother, I only ask for one thing: capture that kid and hand him over to me! I'll make it so he cannot live nor die!" His standing in the family, dented by this disastrous defeat, will surely suffer, deepening his hatred for Wang Shan to the bone.

Wan Tianhao nods, a tacit approval.

"Everyone," Wan Tianhao surveys the room, "Wang Shan, though young, already possesses such scheming and power. Might there be other forces behind him? Or perhaps remnants of the Beast Taming Sect are covertly supporting him?" This is a question that cannot be ignored.

The lean elder says, "This matter indeed requires thorough investigation. Yet the immediate priority is to capture him as soon as possible; delay may cause complications."

"Indeed." Wan Tianhao's voice deepens. "Mobilize all family experts above the ninth level of Body Refining, including the Offering who have been in Closed Meditation for years, and send them immediately toward the deep interior of the Man Yun Mountain Range! Also, deploy all domesticated second‑stage and higher later‑stage beasts; we must locate Wang Shan's trail in the shortest time possible!"

"Brother, that kid's tactics are bizarre; ordinary people's hands might be…" a elder worries.

A flash of steel appears in Wan Tianhao's eyes. "If needed, I'll consult the second Elder in Closed Meditation, and even deploy the Binding Demon Rope and Soul‑Suppressing Banner, the two family treasures!"

"What? Use those two treasures?" the crowd gasps again. The Binding Demon Rope and Soul‑Suppressing Banner are the Wan family's bottom‑drawer treasures, rarely employed, underscoring Wan Tianhao's seriousness about Wang Shan.

"What exactly is this Wang Shan…?" a deep dread rises in everyone's hearts. A ninth‑level Body Refining youth has forced the Wan family to this point.

This makes them more cautious in subsequent actions, yet also strengthens their resolve to capture Wang Shan.

"Also, issue the harshest warning to all forces allied with our Wan family," Wan Tianhao's voice is icy. "Anyone who dares to shelter Wang Shan or aid him, once discovered, will be slain without mercy! Their entire clan will be eradicated! They will be deemed relentless enemies of the Wan family!"

Orders stream out from the tiny council hall like an invisible net, swiftly enveloping the entire Man Yun Mountain Range and surrounding regions.

Wan Tianhao stands alone by the window, gazing toward the deep reaches of the Man Yun Mountain Range, muttering, "Beast Taming Sect… Wang Shan… how many secrets do you truly hide? Heh, no matter what demon or spirit you are, once in the Wan family's hands, I'll have to peel off a layer of your skin!"

Meanwhile, deep within the Wan family, inside a stone chamber that has remained sealed for years.

An elderly man, hair and beard all white, gaunt in appearance, slowly opens his eyes; his pupils are clouded, yet occasionally flash a chilling spark.

"Oh? A counter to the Ten Thousand Beast Method? The Beast Taming Sect's Core Inheritance?" the hoarse voice echoes in the stone chamber. "Interesting… it's been many years since I've encountered such an intriguing junior."

He extends a withered, stick‑thin hand, gestures lightly, and a jade message tablet materializes into his grasp.

A moment later, he sets the jade tablet down, a faint smile curling his lips. "Wan Tianhao, that kid, still can't keep his composure. Still, this matter is worth my personal visit. Beast Taming Sect… if we obtain the complete inheritance, the Wan family might truly ascend another level, perhaps even covet the legendary Golden Core Path, who knows?"

The elder rises slowly; as his hunched frame straightens, a terrifying aura as deep as a abyss and as towering as a mountain emanates—clearly a powerful cultivator in the later stages of Foundation Establishment.

"Wang Shan… little brat, I hope you won't disappoint me."

An invisible pressure spreads silently toward the Man Yun Mountain Range. The true storm has only just begun to brew.