Chapter 132

Wang Shan had just fed the two grandsons their medicinal pills, and before he could even catch his breath, the air inside the Cave suddenly sank.

A bone-chilling, icy killing intent that seemed able to freeze even the soul surged from the Cave Entrance like a tsunami.

「Plop! 」 Li Hu and Zhang Mei, whose cultivation was slightly weaker, went weak at the knees under this pressure, almost collapsing to the ground, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.

Wang Shan tightened his grip on the grandsons' arms; his Spiritual Power circulated on its own to resist, yet he also felt as if a boulder weighed on his chest, making his breathing difficult.

The light at the Cave Entrance twisted for a moment, and a tall, slender figure stepped in slowly; each footfall felt as if it were stepping on everyone's hearts.

The newcomer wore a brocade robe, his visage sinister—could it be anyone other than the Wan Family's late-stage Foundation Establishment Elder Wan Tianjue?

「Wang Shan, you really make me work hard to find you. 」 Wan Tianjue's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cat-and-mouse teasing tone; his gaze swept over the two children in Wang Shan's arms, then landed on him: 「Hand over the item, and come with me for a trip, and this old man might let you die a painless death. 」

He had obviously used some secret art to lock onto Wang Shan's position—or rather, onto Wang Zhitao, who had just awakened in Wang Shan's arms.

This old dog, he arrived so quickly!

Wang Shan's thoughts raced; at this moment, a direct confrontation would be no different than striking a stone with an egg.

「Li Hu, Zhang Mei! 」 Wang Shan barked, leaving no room for doubt: 「Take Zhitao and Tao'er and retreat via the Water Passage we prepared earlier! 」

Li Hu and Zhang Mei heard this and both froze.

「Brother Wang, what about you—」 Li Hu urged anxiously.

Wang Shan shoved the two children into their arms, his tone irrevocable: 「You go first; I have my own way to escape! 」

「But... 」 Zhang Mei still wanted to say something.

「No buts! Their lives are more important than mine! 」 Wang Shan shoved them hard, 「Go! 」

Li Hu gritted his teeth, glanced at the stern-faced Wang Shan, then at the unconscious, faintly breathing Wang Zhitao in his arms, and nodded firmly: 「Brother Wang, take care! We'll be waiting for you! 」

Having said that, he hesitated no longer, pulling the still‑hesitant Zhang Mei, cradling the child, and turned to dash down another narrow water passage they had previously scouted deep inside the Cave, which led to the Outside World.

Wan Tianjue watched the scene, a faint cold smile curling his lips, yet he did not immediately intervene. In his view, these few Qi Training Stage cultivators were mere insects incapable of making waves. His target had always been Wang Shan, and any secret Wang Shan might possess.

「You think you can let them escape? Aren't you being too naive? 」 Wan Tianjue spoke slowly, his late-stage Foundation Establishment pressure like a tangible force crushing toward the direction Li Hu and Zhang Mei were fleeing.

Li Hu and Zhang Mei felt as if a thousand‑jin weight had suddenly been placed on their backs, each step becoming extremely arduous, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down their foreheads.

「Hmph! 」 Wang Shan snorted coldly, the aura of his Body Refinement, Ninth Stage, Early Phase exploding, forcibly carving out a small space within Wan Tianjue's pressure field.

He stepped forward, placing himself between Wan Tianjue and Li Hu.

「Your opponent is me! 」 Wang Shan's voice was ice‑cold. He knew he had to hold Wan Tianjue at bay, even for a single breath, to buy his grandsons a bit more chance of survival.

Wan Tianjue's gaze finally locked fully onto Wang Shan, greed and killing intent intertwining in his eyes: 「Oh? Body Refinement Ninth Layer? You have a bit of spine. But an ant trying to shake a tree—you overestimate yourself. 」

He seemed in no rush to attack, instead appearing to savor the feeling of total control, his vast Spiritual Sense pressure washing over Wang Shan like wave after wave.

Wang Shan felt a stabbing pain in his sea of consciousness, but he gritted his teeth, his eyes blood‑red, holding firm.

Cannot retreat! Not a single step!

With a thought, he activated several Defensive Talismans at once, layer upon layer of Light Screens forming before him. Simultaneously, he pulled a medicinal pill from his storage bag and swallowed it without hesitation.

【Third Tier Burst Pill】!

The pill dissolved upon entry, a violent surge of medicinal power exploding through his limbs and bones; Wang Shan's aura rose steadily, and in a short time he was forcibly elevated to the Body Refining Ninth Layer Peak!

「Huh? 」 Wan Tianjue's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise upon seeing this, then turned to deeper contempt: 「Just a dying struggle! You think these little tricks will let you jump around in front of me? 」

He finally moved, raising his right hand slightly.

「Myriad Beasts Pay Homage! 」

With his low shout, the spiritual qi in the surrounding air surged violently, and several black shadows coalesced out of nowhere—three ferocious‑aura Third Tier Demonic Beasts! A blue‑faced, fanged evil wolf, a body‑scaled giant python, and a strange bird whose flapping wings brought a fishy wind!

These beasts were not physical entities but rather spiritual‑power constructs formed by his Wan Beast Sect's secret art, the Myriad Beast Method; yet their might was in no way inferior to that of genuine Third Tier Demonic Beasts!

The moment the three beasts appeared, under Wan Tianjue's mental control they lunged at Wang Shan from three directions!

「Good timing! 」 Wang Shan advanced instead of retreating, thunder light flashing on his palms as he unleashed the Thunder Rush Palm with full force!

He had to take the initiative, disrupting the opponent's rhythm!

Meanwhile, Li Hu and Zhang Mei, carrying the children, struggled to move under the dissipating pressure from Wan Tianjue. They could clearly feel the intense Spiritual Power fluctuations and the beasts' roars coming from behind, their hearts burning with anxiety, yet they dared not look back.

「Brother Wang... 」 Zhang Mei's voice trembled with tears.

「Don't lose focus! Move fast! Trust Brother Wang! 」 Li Hu snarled, his steps quickening.

Wang Shan and the three spiritual‑power beasts instantly became entwined in battle.

Boom! Bang! Pop!

Each impact made the entire Cave tremble slightly.

Relying on the strength boost from the Burst Pill and his skillful use of talismans, Wang Shan found himself evenly matched with the three beasts for a time.

Yet his heart grew heavier and heavier.

Wan Tianjue's strength is nothing like that of Wan Tianjue from before! The beasts he summons each carry a faint, mysterious rhythm in their attacks, as if they embody some heavenly principle—could this be the power of law?

Foundation Establishment cultivators—indeed terrifying!

What made Wang Shan even more wary was that Wan Tianjue stood rooted in place from start to finish, merely waving his hand occasionally to control the beasts; his composed demeanor showed he had not yet exerted his full strength.

If this continues, defeat is certain!

What to do?

Wang Shan, in a sorry state, dodged the python's foul, poisonous mist while his mind raced.

A head‑on clash won't work; we must find a weakness!

Myriad Beast Method… Beast Taming Sect…

Right! The Black Jade Slip I obtained from the Wan Family cultivators, plus the Beast Taming Sect Runes I exchanged for through the system!

Although these beasts are formed of spiritual power, their essence must surely be tied to the Beast Taming Sect's teachings!

A flash of insight crossed Wang Shan's eyes; in the gap between blocking attacks, he quietly stirred the familiar Beast Taming Sect Rune power within him, silently sensing the spiritual‑power circulation of the three beasts.

He must seize a chance at life in this life‑or‑death instant!