Chapter 125: Mysteries Concealed Deep Within the Mountain Range

"Brother Wang, are we really not going southeast?" Li Hu drew his neck back, clearly still shaken by the earlier Foundation Establishment later-stage pressure, "If that old monster were to fire a returning spear..."

Wang Shan glanced at him: "He's a cat now, we're mice. The cat expects the mouse to head for the granary, but we won't, we'll first go to the latrine and disgust him."

"Latrine..." Li Hu grinned, that metaphor was really flavorful.

Zhang Mei asked softly, "Brother Wang, which direction are we heading now?"

Wang Shan pointed toward the northwest: "First go that way. That old bastard Wan Honghai's Spiritual Sense mainly covers the southeast, so moving opposite will buy us time. Once the heat passes, we'll find a way to loop back." He mulled it over: the clues about the grandsons were in the southeast, but survival was paramount now. If Wan Honghai blocked us head‑on, we wouldn't even be able to look for the grandsons; we'd be trapped ourselves.

The three changed direction, plunging into a more unfamiliar dense forest. Wang Shan, relying on Third Tier Concealing Breath Art and his increasingly refined perception of the woods, carefully avoided some demonic beast lairs. This time he was even more cautious, stopping after each stretch to let the system scan the surroundings, ensuring no Wan Family Cultivators' presence.

"This Man Yun Mountain Range is getting more and more sinister," Li Hu muttered as he brushed aside the vines before him, "We've been walking for half a day, haven't seen a single hair, just trees, only trees. Brother Wang, you said, besides those Wan Family bastards and demonic beasts, are there any other living people in these mountains?"

Wang Shan felt a stir. Li Hu's words weren't entirely unfounded; in such a vast range, hidden dragons and crouching tigers weren't surprising.

After about another hour, dusk fell. Wang Shan found a wind‑sheltered mountain hollow and signaled the two to stop. "Tonight we'll rest here. Li Hu, go nearby and find some dry firewood, stay safe. Zhang Mei, keep watch."

"Got it!" Li Hu replied, hoisting his sword and went.

Zhang Mei climbed onto a large rock, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Wang Shan sat cross‑legged, his mind racing. Wan Honghai's appearance had completely upended his plan. Purple Monkey Flower, Third Tier Demonic Beast—those would have to be set aside for now. The immediate priority was to shake off the pursuers, while still not abandoning the search for the grandsons.

"System, scan this area for any abnormal Spiritual Energy Fluctuations, or... special markings?" Wang Shan whispered mentally. He always felt that deep within the Man Yun Mountain Range, it shouldn't be this "calm".

*Ding! * Scanning started... scanning range ten li... detected faint Array remnants, seven li to the southwest. Very old, not Wan Family technique.

Array remnants? Wang Shan's spirit perked up.

Before long, Li Hu and Zhang Mei returned almost simultaneously, their faces bearing a hint of oddity.

"Brother Wang, we found something!" Li Hu said as if presenting a treasure, "Mei girl and I just now split up to scout, and both saw something strange."

Zhang Mei reported, "Brother Wang, at the mouth of that mountain hollow I found some signs of human activity, very concealed, as if someone frequently passes there, but there are no footprints, rather marks that look like something was dragged."

Li Hu scratched his head: "I was on the other side, saw an unremarkable cave, its entrance cleverly concealed with vines and stones. I peeked out of curiosity; inside was dark, but it felt... not like an ordinary beast den. Moreover, near the entrance I seemed to smell a faint... herbal scent? And a hint of incense."

Wang Shan stood up: "Exact location?"

The two pointed the direction. Wang Shan thought briefly, "Isn't this exactly the area where the System Prompt indicated Array remnants?"

"Let's go, take a look. Move carefully."

The three, using the hazy moonlight and forest shadows, slipped forward silently. First they reached the spot Zhang Mei described; indeed, some shrubs bore long‑term disturbance marks, and the ground had fine scratches that were invisible unless examined closely.

Afterwards, they turned toward the cave Li Hu discovered. The entrance was indeed concealed, hidden behind a tangle of rocks and hanging vines. Wang Shan signaled the two to step back, and he focused his senses.

After a moment, he opened his eyes: "There's definitely something odd inside. A faint Array fluctuation, very weak, but not naturally formed. Moreover... it seems someone is inside."

Li Hu and Zhang Mei both felt a bit nervous.

"Brother Wang, should we..." Li Hu made a gesture of wiping his neck.

Wang Shan shook his head: "No rush. First see where it comes from." He had the system scan the cave again.

*Ding! * Scanning... life signs detected inside the cave, cultivation level unknown, but Spiritual Energy Fluctuation pattern... shares some similarity with Beast Taming Sect, yet older and more tangled, seeming to fuse other systems. No Wan Family technique detected. Warning: the cave's Array possesses some anti‑recon and offensive capabilities.

Similar to Beast Taming Sect? Even older? Wang Shan's heart leapt. In this Man Yun Mountain Range, such figures are hidden? Could they be remnants of Beast Taming Sect? Or a branch that split off long ago? Or perhaps... the predecessor of Ten Thousand Beasts Gate?

He recalled the Black Jade Slip obtained from a Wan Family Cultivator; its rune system was even older than the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele. Could the people in this cave be linked to that slip?

"These people hide deep," Wang Shan muttered to himself. They operate here, and Wan Family doesn't know at all? Or they know but keep their distance?

He suddenly thought: Could Wan Family and these mysterious forces have some covert connection? Or perhaps these forces are secretly watching Wan Family, even observing his own conflict with them?

"Brother Wang, what should we do? Should we go in and meet them?" Li Hu asked in a lowered voice, his face showing a mix of excitement and unease.

"No," Wang Shan said firmly, "The situation is unclear; reckless contact is too risky. If they are in league with Wan Family, or are interested in what we carry, that would be walking into a trap."

He thought a moment, then added, "But we can't just let it go. This might be an opportunity."

Zhang Mei asked, "What opportunity?"

"These hidden people might know secrets even Wan Family doesn't, perhaps... clues about Beast Taming Sect relics," Wang Shan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Wan Honghai's old bastard is chasing us hard; we can use the mountain's complexity to play hide‑and‑seek with him. Maybe we can stir the waters and make those hidden rats come out for air."

He glanced at the concealed entrance: "First we find a place to hide, observe them covertly for a few days. See what they truly are and what their purpose is."

*System Prompt: * Detected two additional spots with similar concealed aura nearby; one of them shows at least Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation fluctuation.

"Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!" Wang Shan inhaled. It seems the deep Man Yun Mountain Range truly isn't a benign place. Besides Wan Family's hungry wolf, there are also unknown ferocious beasts lurking.

"This Man Yun Mountain Range is livelier than I imagined," Wang Shan's mouth twitched with an inscrutable meaning, "Interesting, getting more interesting." He decided not to alarm the snakes for now, but first uncover these mysterious forces' details. If he could use them to check Wan Family, that would be ideal. Even if not, gaining more information can't hurt.

"Li Hu, Zhang Mei, let's leave here first. Change direction, find a more concealed spot. In the coming days, besides evading Wan Family, we must also watch these... 'neighbors' movements."

Li Hu clicked his tongue: "Brother Wang, you think these people might be... the legendary reclusive masters?"

"Whether they're truly lofty, I don't know, but they're certainly not good folk," Wang Shan led the two away, slipping into the deep night. His mind was already planning how to gather intelligence on these mysterious forces, perhaps they could be of great use later.