Chapter 134

Wan Family Stronghold, council hall.

Bang!

The door was violently burst open from outside, a figure stumbled in—it was none other than the late Foundation Establishment Elder who had previously been full of vigor chasing Wang Shan—Wan Honghai.

At this moment, Wan Honghai bore no trace of an expert's demeanor. His hair bun was disheveled, his robes torn and scorched in multiple places, traces of fresh blood lingered at the corner of his mouth, his face was as pale as paper, and a shocking dark red stain marred the front of his chest. He leaned on a broken half of a magical sword, gasping heavily, his eyes bloodshot, feeling both the relief of having survived a catastrophe and deep shock and reluctance.

"Elder Honghai!"

"Third Elder, what...?"

Several senior members of the Wan family were present in the hall, including Family Head Wan Yongnian, all showing looks of astonishment as they rose abruptly. In the family, Elder Wan Honghai held a lofty position and possessed formidable strength—when had he ever been in such a sorry state?

"Family Head……Esteemed Elders……" Wan Honghai's voice was hoarse, tinged with weakness, "I……I almost couldn't make it back!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was startled.

Wan Yongnian frowned, stepped forward to support Wan Honghai: "Third Elder, speak slowly—what exactly happened? And that little brat Wang Shan?"

"Cough……" Wan Honghai coughed up several mouthfuls of saliva tinged with blood, his expression complex, "That brat……that brat is simply a monster! A freak!"

He haltingly recounted everything that had happened in the cave: from Wang Shan's strength surging after taking a pill, to his endless stream of strange talismans, especially the mysterious method that triggered the backlash of the contracted beast's power within him, and those two desperate, heavy blows—all described in meticulous detail.

"What? He actually managed to wound you?" a tall, thin elder exclaimed in disbelief, his face full of incredulity, "Elder Honghai, you are a late Foundation Establishment cultivator! He is merely a Body Refining novice!"

"If not for……" Wan Honghai gave a bitter smile, pointing to his slightly caved-in chest, "If not for my Protective Body Light activating in time, my dantian would have nearly been ruined by him! That brat's palm strike is strange—it can actually pierce through part of the spiritual power defense!"

"Backlash upon its master……he actually has such means?" another white-haired elder murmured, his cloudy eyes flashing a hint of gravity, "Could this be……the long-lost Beast Taming Sect Forbidden Art?"

Wan Yongnian's face darkened as if water could drip from it. He had originally thought that with Wan Honghai personally leading the pursuit, Wang Shan would be as easy as catching a turtle in a jar—within grasp. Who would have imagined the outcome would be like this!

"That brat is certainly no ordinary wandering cultivator!" Wan Honghai caught his breath and continued, "The pills and talismans on him are all of extraordinary quality, seemingly inexhaustible. Moreover, he seems……to have some kind of restraint against our Wan family's Ten Thousand Beast Method!"

"Restraint against the Ten Thousand Beast Method?!"

These words were like a massive stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up thousands of waves. The council hall instantly erupted in an uproar.

"How is this possible! The Ten Thousand Beast Method is the very foundation of our Wan family, passed down from……" an elder began, then abruptly stopped, looking toward Wan Yongnian.

"This is no trivial matter!" Wan Yongnian said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "Honghai, are you certain he can restrain the Ten Thousand Beast Method?"

"Absolutely certain!" Wan Honghai declared firmly, "When I deployed the spiritual power beasts condensed by the Ten Thousand Beast Method, under his strange array they moved sluggishly, their spiritual light dimmed, and I myself felt my qi and blood surge, nearly suffering severe injury from the backlash of my own bound beast's power! This feeling is unmistakable!"

"Hiss—"

The sound of drawing in cold breath rose and fell. If even the Ten Thousand Beast Method could be restrained, then the Wan family's greatest reliance would……?

"It seems we have all underestimated this Wang Shan." Wan Yongnian paced slowly, "Behind him, there likely lies a power unknown to us……or perhaps he has truly obtained the complete inheritance of the Beast Taming Sect!"

"Family Head, this brat must not be spared!" the previously thin elder shouted sternly, "Today he could injure Elder Honghai; if his cultivation advances further, he will surely become a grave internal threat to our Wan family! We must spare no expense to eradicate him completely!"

"Exactly! We must kill him!" another hot-tempered elder echoed, "I don't believe he could still overturn the heavens!"

"Nonsense!" the white-haired elder snorted coldly, "The situation is still unclear; acting rashly could lead to further loss of manpower, or even draw out the forces behind him—how would we resolve that? Isn't Elder Honghai's ordeal enough to warn you?"

"Then, according to the Great Elder's view, how should we handle this?" the thin elder said, somewhat unwilling to accept.

"Investigate!" the Great Elder uttered a single word, "Thoroughly investigate this person's origins! What is his exact connection to the Beast Taming Sect? Where do his endless array of techniques come from? Before we clarify these points, we should not launch another large-scale pursuit."

Wan Yongnian nodded: "The Great Elder makes sense. Honghai, what do you think?"

Wan Honghai fell silent for a moment, then spoke with difficulty: "That brat……is indeed strange. That backlash power of his still makes my heart palpitate when I recall it. If his cultivation weren't still shallow, I……" He trailed off, but the meaning was already clear.

"Issue the order!" Wan Yongnian decided decisively, "Temporarily retract the search forces in the Man Yun Mountain Range, switch to covert surveillance, focusing on intelligence gathering. Additionally, devote all efforts to investigate Wang Shan's background—let no clue slip by!"

"Yes, Family Head!"

……

Elsewhere, within the Wan Family Courtyard.

Wan Tianjue was somewhat gleeful at the misfortune of others as he listened to a servant report the "situation" from the front. Upon hearing that even Elder Wan Honghai had returned seriously injured and failed to capture Wang Shan, the smile on his face froze.

"What are you saying? Third Uncle also……also lost?" Wan Tianjue sprang to his feet, his eyes full of shock.

The servant stammered, "Reporting to Young Master, Third Elder indeed suffered serious injury, and that Wang Shan……apparently escaped using an Earth Escape Talisman."

"Earth Escape Talisman……again a talisman!" Wan Tianjue gritted his teeth, then felt a wave of helplessness. Even a late Foundation Establishment Third Uncle had stumbled—what on earth is Wang Shan's background? Could it really be just dumb luck, having obtained some tremendous inheritance?

"Huh, trash!" Wan Tianjue muttered under his breath, unsure whether he was cursing Wang Shan, the unsuccessful Wan Honghai, or both. The earlier schadenfreude in his heart had completely vanished, replaced by an inexplicable irritation and a hint……of fear?

"This Wang Shan must die!" he clenched his fists.

……

In the Wan Family Council Hall, the atmosphere remained oppressive.

"Family Head, in my view, this brat's threat is far greater than we anticipated." the Great Elder mused, "Should we……notify the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate? Even……request assistance?"

Upon mention of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Gate," everyone's expressions shifted slightly. That is the true reliance of our Wan family, and a colossal entity in the way of beast taming.

Wan Yongnian lightly tapped his fingers on the tabletop: "Ten Thousand Beasts Gate……if not absolutely necessary, I would rather not provoke them lightly. But Wang Shan's restraint of our Ten Thousand Beast Method is indeed a major headache. This matter, I will consider further."

He paused, his tone growing more solemn: "Effective immediately, raise Wang Shan's threat level to the highest! All family resources may be mobilized as needed!"

"Yes!"

These past few days, the atmosphere in Black Stone Town has also become somewhat subtle.

The Wan family descendants who used to swagger about seemed to have restrained themselves considerably. Rumors began to spread in the streets about the Wan family suffering setbacks in the Man Yun Mountain Range; though no one dared speak openly, the meaningful glances exchanged hinted at a significant challenge to the Wan family's prestige.

"Have you heard? That late Foundation Establishment Elder of the Wan family seems to have been beaten up!"

"Shh! Keep it down—you're asking for death!"

"What's there to fear? Even the Wan family themselves are now in a flustered state……"

Night deepened, in the Wan Family Secret Chamber.

Only Wan Yongnian, the Great Elder, and a few others were present.

"Family Head, regarding the【Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele】……" the Great Elder lowered his voice, "Since Wang Shan might be connected to the Beast Taming Sect and even able to restrain our cultivation method, do you think he might also know some secrets of the stele?"

Wan Yongnian's eyes flashed with insight: "You mean……?"

"If he truly grasps part of the Beast Taming Sect's core inheritance, then for our Wan family the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele is both a supreme treasure and potentially a death talisman." the Great Elder said anxiously, "Should we consider……revealing some of the stele's secrets within a certain scope……for instance, fully disclosing a portion to the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate? To gain their deeper assistance, or jointly study countermeasures?"

The air in the secret chamber seemed to congeal.

【Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele】, that is the Wan family's greatest secret, and also one of the foundations of their rise. Making it public is tantamount to handing over part of one's lifeline to others.

Wan Yongnian remained silent for a long time, his fingers unconsciously rubbing an ancient-looking jade pendant.

This Wang Shan is like a stone tossed into a calm lake; it not only creates ripples, but also faintly stirs the undercurrents the undercurrents at the bottom.

A greater storm seems to the bottom.

【64】 A greater storm seems to be brewing.