Chapter 136

Inside the cave, the campfire crackled, illuminating everyone's faces.

Wang Zhitao leaned against Wang Shan, small face still somewhat pale, but breathing had steadied considerably. Wang Zhize was in better spirits, nibbling slowly at a piece of roasted meat, eyes occasionally glancing toward grandfather.

Li Hu grinned, adding firewood to the campfire: "Boss, now that you've awakened, our hearts have finally settled!"

Zhang Mei sat to the side, silently wiping her short blade, hearing this she also nodded slightly, a faint smile on her lips. The relief of surviving the ordeal, the warmth of family reunion, permeated the small cave.

Wang Shan patted Wang Zhitao on the back, then turned to Wang Zhize: "Zhize, earlier you said that when you were being chased, you mentioned Ghost Sorrow Cliff and the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele—what exactly happened?"

Wang Zhize swallowed the meat in his mouth, fished out a somewhat damaged bamboo slip from his bosom, and handed it to Wang Shan: "Grandfather, this is it. We obtained it by chance; those pursuing us seem to be after this."

Wang Shan received the jade slip, probed it with spiritual power, his brow twitching slightly. The slip not only contained a simple map to Ghost Sorrow Cliff, but also mentioned some properties of the Purple Monkey Flower; more importantly, it obliquely pointed out the flower's growing environment, which seemed related to a special earth vein energy, and this energy was in turn linked to the legend of the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele.

"This jade slip……" Wang Shan mused, "It seems we must go to the Purple Monkey Flower on Ghost Sorrow Cliff." Not only for Foundation Establishment, but also to unravel the mystery behind why our grandsons were hunted, and to uncover any secrets possibly hidden behind the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele.

Wang Zhize asked, eyes holding a hint of anticipation and nervousness.

"No rush, wait for my injuries to heal a bit more, and for your younger brother's poison to be completely cleared." Wang Shan looked at the two grandsons, "This time going to Ghost Sorrow Cliff, I intend to try using that 【Life Essence Core】 to see if it can hasten the Purple Monkey Flower's maturation, to avoid complications later."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu's spirits lifted: "Using a treasure to hasten maturation? Great idea, boss! That thing is the essence of a Third Tier Demonic Beast—it'll definitely work!"

Zhang Mei also added: "The terrain of Ghost Sorrow Cliff is treacherous; if we get the item early, we can leave the Man Yun Mountain Range sooner."

Several days later, the group silently left their hiding cave and sneaked toward Ghost Sorrow Cliff. Wang Shan, guided by the System Map, avoided several possible patrol points of the Wan Family.

The closer they got to Ghost Sorrow Cliff, the stronger the sulfurous smell and a certain violent demonic qi in the air became.

"The area ahead should be Ghost Sorrow Cliff's range." Wang Shan lowered his voice, gesturing for everyone to stop.

Just then, a sharp, piercing alarm blasted in his mind—unprecedentedly the highest level!

【Highest‑Level Alert! Detected target individual Wan Tianjue obtaining a major opportunity in the Abyss region of Ghost Sorrow Cliff! He has successfully entered the Beast Taming Sect's core relics and fused with part of the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele's inheritance, his power surging dramatically!】

【Alert! Wan Tianjue has already reached the core area of Ghost Sorrow Cliff ahead of others, currently attempting to subdue the Fourth‑Tier Crimson Flame Flying Lizard King! His current aura far exceeds that of an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator!】

Wang Shan's heart leapt—Wan Tianjue?! He wasn't supposed to be at the Wan Family Stronghold? How did he end up here, and even obtained the Beast Taming Sect's inheritance? This brat's luck is too heaven‑defying!

"Boss, what's wrong?" Li Hu noticed Wang Shan's expression was off.

Wang Shan's face grew grave: "Big trouble. Wan Tianjue… he's also at Ghost Sorrow Cliff, and he's become much, much stronger."

Before his words faded, a deafening beast roar erupted from deep within the cliff ahead, filled with anger and unwillingness; immediately after, a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation exploded, so overwhelming it was suffocating, mixed with a feeling both familiar and strange, carrying a hint of divine majesty and the aura of a beast king.

"That's the Fourth‑Tier Crimson Flame Flying Lizard King!" Zhang Mei exclaimed, she could clearly feel that demonic beast's pressure.

"And Wan Tianjue's aura…… so strong!" Li Hu broke out in a cold sweat: "What elixir did this kid take to become this powerful all of a sudden?"

Wang Shan's heart sank. Wan Tianjue had fused with part of the Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele's inheritance, his power surging; now he was also attempting to subdue a fourth‑tier demonic beast. If he succeeded, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"We……" Wang Shan was about to say something when the system prompt sounded again, this time pointing toward another direction.

【Alert! A third‑party unknown powerful force is rapidly approaching Ghost Sorrow Cliff! The target is suspected to be the Purple Monkey Flower and the secrets deep within Ghost Sorrow Cliff!】

Wang Shan snapped his head toward the direction indicated by the system prompt. In the distant woods, several black shadows moved like ghosts, extremely swift. They wore uniform black cloaks that hid their bodies and faces in shadow, moving soundlessly yet exuding a chilling, heart‑pounding aura.

The leader's aura was actually not much weaker than that of Wan Honghai, whom he had previously clashed with!

"Another bunch?!" Li Hu also noticed, his voice tinged with surprise: "Who are these people? They feel… even harder to deal with than the Wan Family!"

Wang Shan's heart turned completely cold.

One: Wan Tianjue, whose power has surged and who is currently attempting to subdue a fourth‑tier demonic beast.

Second: a Crimson Flame Flying Lizard King of the fourth tier that could go berserk at any moment.

Third: a group of black‑clothed persons whose strength is unfathomable and intentions unknown.

Plus, Wan Honghai might come chasing at any moment……

Ghost Sorrow Cliff had become a vortex where various powers converged, a true‑to‑its‑name Foundation Establishment death trap!

Wang Zhize and Wang Zhitao, the two children, had never seen such a scene; their faces turned pale, and they clung tightly to Wang Shan's side.

"Grandfather……"

Wang Shan shielded them behind him, his mind racing. Retreat? Perhaps it was already too late—they had already been drawn into this vortex.

【System Prompt: The earth vein energy beneath Ghost Sorrow Cliff is abnormal, possibly hiding a deeper secret, perhaps related to the truth behind the Beast Taming Sect's downfall.】

The truth behind the Beast Taming Sect's downfall?

Wang Shan gazed at the chaotic scene before him: Wan Tianjue was battling the demonic beast, the mysterious black‑clothed persons lurked in the shadows, and the various forces were locked in a tangled standoff.

Desperate straits!

But within desperate straits, there often lies a sole chance of survival.

He must stay calm, he must find the key to break the situation. The Purple Monkey Flower must be seized, the grandsons must be protected, the Beast Taming Sect's secret…… perhaps it could also become his chip for a turnaround.

"Don't panic." Wang Shan's voice remained steady, "The more critical the moment, the more we need to stay calm. Li Hu, Zhang Mei, protect the children. Let's first find a place to hide and watch how things unfold."

Damn it, what the hell is this! I just came to pick an herb, and now it's turned into a three‑way talk—no, maybe a four‑way brawl!

Wang Shan drew a deep breath of the cool mountain air, his gaze shifting between the distant cliff, the faintly visible black shadows, and the blinking red dots on the System Map.

This game, he had no choice but to play.