Chapter 139: Fierce Battle with the Fourth‑Tier Beast King

Wang Shan sat cross‑legged inside the cave, eyes tightly shut, but his mind had already passed through the system and projected into the Core Area of Ghost Sorrow Cliff.

"System, transmit the images and energy fluctuation data of the Core Area to me in real time."

【Command received. Core Area battlefield monitoring activated.】

In an instant, a series of heart‑pounding scenes unfolded in his mind as if he were there in person.

Only to see deep within Ghost Sorrow Cliff, a relatively open canyon basin had already turned into a scorched wasteland. Crimson flames interwove with various Spiritual Lights, colliding terrifyingly, and the raging energy aftershocks ravaged the mountain walls, carving grotesque ravines.

"Boom—!"

The deafening roar, even from far away, seemed to convey that destructive force.

"Boss, what's the situation? Has Wan Tianjue started fighting that big lizard? The commotion is so huge that even from afar the ground feels shaking!" Li Hu leaned in, excitement and a hint of nervousness on his face.

Wang Shan gave a "hm" without opening his eyes: "They've started fighting, and it's quite lively."

In the scene, Wan Tianjue, dressed in splendid robes, now looked somewhat disheveled. He hovered mid‑air, surrounded by flickering Spiritual Light, his hand forming shifting sigils as sharp attacks whooshed out, bombarding the massive creature below.

It was a gigantic lizard, its size comparable to a small mountain, its body covered in crimson scales. It bore a single horn on its head and a pair of wings on its back; each flap whipped up scorching gale. It was the Four‑Tier Beast, the Red Flame Flying Lizard King!

"Roar—!"

The Red Flame Flying Lizard King let out a earth‑shaking roar, opening its mouth to spew a thick red flame column that shot toward Wan Tianjue like a volcanic eruption.

Wan Tianjue dared not meet it head‑on, flashing away and narrowly dodging. The flame column struck a distant cliff, instantly melting the hard rock into a huge cavity, its edges still bearing glass‑like crystals.

Li Hu, listening to Wang Shan's brief description, couldn't help but click his tongue: "Goodness! If that fireball hits us, we'd be turned to charcoal in an instant, right?"

Wang Shan's mouth twitched with a hint of coldness: "A Four‑Tier Beast is no trivial matter. That red flame, once it touches you, will probably strip a layer off. Wan Tianjue, that kid, is already drinking his fill now."

【System Analysis: Target Wan Tianjue has merged part of the Yushou Sect Inheritance; the beast‑control methods currently displayed exhibit characteristics of forceful mind twist. However, control over the Four‑Tier Red Flame Flying Lizard King is noticeably unstable, with the beast's resistance will strong.】

"Oh?" Wang Shan thought, "Control unstable? Seems his inheritance fusion isn't great, or perhaps the Four‑Tier Beast's bones aren't that easy to gnaw."

That's an interesting discovery. If Wan Tianjue cannot fully command this ferocious beast, the variables become significant.

In the scene, Wan Tianjue seemed to notice the Red Flame Flying Lizard King's resistance intensifying; a feral glint flashed across his face as he abruptly formed a strange seal with both hands, muttering incantations.

As his chant took effect, the Red Flame Flying Lizard King's movements visibly stalled, pain and bewilderment flashing in its eyes before being quickly replaced by ferocity; however, its attack rhythm and patterns seemed somewhat affected.

"Hum, forceful mind twist?" Wang Shan mused silently, "Such domineering technique likely carries considerable side effects, or drains the practitioner enormously. Moreover, the stronger the beast, the firmer its will, and the greater the chance of counter‑devouring."

He judged that although Wan Tianjue's power had surged, this forced‑growth fusion made his foundation inherently unstable. Coupled with the Four‑Tier Beast's already high Spiritual Intelligence and strong will, fully enslaving it would be as hard as scaling heaven.

"Watch further." Wang Shan signaled Li Hu to stay calm.

The fierce battle continued. Each attack of the Red Flame Flying Lizard King—whether claw swipe, tail sweep, or that terrifying red‑flame exhalation—carried a faint, inexplicable rhythm, as if it were stirring some force of Heaven and Earth.

【System Prompt: Four‑Tier Beast attacks have begun to incorporate partial Power of Heaven and Earth Law, their destructive power far exceeding the conventional attacks of cultivators of the same tier.】

"Power of Heaven and Earth Law?" Wang Shan felt a chill. No wonder Wan Tianjue fights so constrained, relying only on footwork and artifacts, daring not to clash head‑on with the Red Flame Flying Lizard King. This level of power already exceeds the comprehension of ordinary Foundation Cultivators.

"Wan Tianjue, that kid, is consuming a lot of Spiritual Power," Wang Shan keenly observed that the Protective Body Light surrounding Wan Tianjue had dimmed noticeably after several close dodges, even showing unstable fluctuations at times.

"What about the later stage of Foundation Establishment? Grappling with a Four‑Tier Beast of this caliber, he can't sustain it," Wang Shan sneered internally. He hoped the two sides would cripple each other, allowing him to reap the profit.

"Boss, what about those wearing black?" Li Hu lowered his voice to ask.

Wang Shan's thoughts shifted, and the system screen switched.

In some hidden corners around the outskirts of Ghost Sorrow Cliff, the mysterious Black‑clothed Persons flickered like phantoms. They were not rushing into the Core battlefield; instead, in their respective assigned zones, they methodically set up something.

"What are they doing?" Zhang Mei also leaned in; she had always been in charge of watch, and now also sensed something unusual.

"Establishing sentry points, laying seals," Wang Shan said slowly, "These people act professionally, with strong purpose, unlike ordinary roaming cultivators or family forces."

The system magnified the actions of one figure resembling a Black‑clad Leader. He held a black array plate, intermittently emitting strange black light that sank into the ground or cliff, vanishing.

【System Analysis: That Black‑clothed Person faction is setting up a seal with regional blockage and energy interference properties. Preliminary judgment suggests its target may not be merely the Purple Monkey Flower.】

"Not for the Purple Monkey Flower?" Li Hu was startled, "Then what are they after? Besides the Purple Monkey Flower, does Ghost Sorrow Cliff have any other treasures?"

Wang Shan gave no answer, but his mind raced. The Black‑clothed Persons' actions exuded a strange aura; they did not join Wan Tianjue's and the beast's clash, but seemed to be waiting for something, or preparing for a larger scheme.

"Block the area? Weaken opponents? Or activate some unknown secret deep within Ghost Sorrow Cliff?" Wang Shan muttered. He recalled the system's earlier hint that beneath Ghost Sorrow Cliff might hide the truth of the Yushou Sect's annihilation.

Could these Black‑clothed Persons' goal be more far‑reaching than the Purple Monkey Flower?

"Damn, this Ghost Sorrow Cliff is getting livelier and livelier," Wang Shan cursed, yet without agitation, feeling a strange excitement.

The more chaotic the situation, the greater the opportunity for a player like him who fishes in murky waters.

"Boss, what should we do? Should we slip by while they're heated up and secretly snatch the Purple Monkey Flower?" Li Hu rubbed his hands, eager.

"Why rush?" Wang Shan glared at him, "Going over now is courting death. Wan Tianjue and that beast are fighting with bloodshot eyes; anyone who gets close gets unlucky. Those Black‑clothed Persons aren't harmless either; once their seal is complete, likely a portion of Ghost Sorrow Cliff will fall under their control."

He paused briefly, then continued: "What we need to do now is wait."

"Wait?"

"Yes, wait!" Wang Shan's eyes flashed with a keen light, "Wait until Wan Tianjue and that Red Flame Flying Lizard King are exhausted, wait for those Black‑clothed Persons to reveal all their trump cards. The mantis catches the cicada, the oriole waits behind. We aim to be that final oriole."

He glanced again at Wang Zhitao, still drowsy but breathing more steadily, and at the equally frail Wang Zhize beside him.

"The Purple Monkey Flower must be obtained! Zhitao's poison cannot be delayed any longer!"

He inhaled deeply and instructed Li Hu and Zhang Mei: "Both of you take turns on watch, especially monitoring the Black‑clothed Persons' movements. Report any abnormality immediately. Remember, observe without moving; never expose our position."

"Understood!" Li Hu and Zhang Mei replied in unison.

Wang Shan closed his eyes again, his mind sinking into the system, simultaneously continuing battlefield monitoring while fully analyzing the runes in his mind concerning the Yushou Sect Ley Lines, arrays, and beast taming.

He had a premonition that the Black Jade Slip obtained from the Wan Family Cultivators, together with the system's alert about the Ghost Sorrow Cliff geomantic vein anomaly, would be the key to breaking the deadlock in this chaos.

"Wan Tianjue, the Red Flame Flying Lizard King, and those mysterious Black‑clothed Persons..." Wang Shan let a cold smile slip from his mouth, "Let them fight, the fiercer the better. When they're all worn out, that's when I make my entrance!"

The wind of Ghost Sorrow Cliff seemed to swallow even more. Outside the cave, faint energy ripples and beast roars hinted that a greater storm was brewing.

Wang Shan was like a patient old wolf, lurking in the shadows, silently honing his claws and fangs, waiting for the optimal hunting moment. He knew that only when everyone was exhausted and guard slackened would be the sole chance for him, with his grandsons and subordinates, to seize survival and unveil the secret.

And this opportunity, he must grasp firmly!