Chapter 149: Black Jade Slip Anomaly

The night was deep, the waterfall's roar outside the cave wove into a sound barrier that isolated all things.

Li Hu's snoring stopped at some point, his breathing became long and even; evidently the medicinal power had dispersed, and he sank into deep breathing exercises. Zhang Mei remained seated like a rock, but her aura had become somewhat more condensed than before, evidently she too had gained something.

Wang Shan withdrew his gaze and carefully examined his grandson Wang Zhitao's condition once more. The child's brows and eyes fully relaxed, the sickly pallor on his face faded considerably, replaced by a faint flush.

"Well, this antidote pill wasn't wasted after all." He felt somewhat relieved in his heart.

Inside the cave, aside from the water sound, only the occasional faint crackle of burning firewood remained. Wang Shan then took out that black jade slip again from his storage bag.

It felt slightly warm to the touch; compared to last time, the damaged inscriptions on the surface of the jade slip now seemed to have come alive, flickering faintly, no longer lifeless etchings but like some kind of breathing life pattern. Though the light wasn't blinding, it was noticeably brighter than before, faintly tracing out a more intricate trajectory.

He tried to channel a wisp of weak spiritual power into it.

"Hum…"

The jade slip trembled slightly, and an indescribable throb traveled along his arm, silently spreading through his limbs and finally gathering in his sea of consciousness. The area carrying the Beast Taming Sect's inheritance, at this moment, was like a tranquil lake into which a stone had been dropped, sending ripples layer upon layer. Some ancient markings and formulas that had once been blurry and obscure gradually became clear and lively under the pull of this throb, as if infused with a new interpretation.

"This thing… really is strange." Wang Shan's eyes narrowed slightly; this had already surpassed the scope of ordinary magic artifacts.

"System, analysis status." He silently chanted in his mind.

【Ding! Detected deep spiritual resonance between the host and the target object (Beast Taming Sect Ley Line Key Fragment). The fragmented seal information stored inside the target object is being passively activated and parsed at an unprecedented speed, with current overall parsing efficiency increased to 150%.】

"It increased this much?" Wang Shan was a little surprised. You know, to initially parse this jade slip, he had actually spent five hundred Spirit Plant Points on it, and back then the system wasn't this "generous".

【Supplementary explanation: The rune system currently being accelerated in parsing has antiquity, structure, and inherent laws that far surpass the inheritance the host previously obtained from the 【Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele】. This rune system is even closer to the source core of the Beast Taming Sect's inheritance.】

"Source core…" Wang Shan chewed on these words. The Ten Thousand Beasts General Compendium Stele already encompassed everything, worthy of being called the culmination of the Beast Taming Sect's teachings. If what's in this jade slip is even older and more core than that, what exactly does it carry? He couldn't help but recall those fragmentary sayings in the sect's classics, about how the founding patriarch observed the marvels of heaven and earth, comprehended the true meaning of myriad beasts, and thereby laid the foundation for the Beast Taming Sect's ten-thousand-year enterprise. Could it be that this jade slip is related to those most ancient legends?

With the system's efficient parsing, waves of information began to flood Wang Shan's mind. This information was not a complete cultivation technique, but rather scattered fragments, carrying the vast, profound aura of ancient primordial times.

【Preliminary analysis results show that the fragmentary content of this rune system vaguely points to the following aspects:】

【One: It may involve some unknown secrets of the early founding of the Beast Taming Sect, even concerning the sect's true origin.】

【Two: It elaborates in detail on how the ancestors of the Beast Taming Sect coupled their own power with the earth veins of the Man Yun Mountain Range, and even the broader regions, through a unique method of deep coupling and resonance. This method appears to be the foundation of many powerful secret arts of the Beast Taming Sect.】

【Three: It mentions several immensely powerful beast‑taming arts, but because their cultivation conditions are excessively harsh or their side effects difficult to control, the Beast Taming Sect has listed them as forbidden arts……】

"Origin? Vein coupling? Forbidden arts?" With each item he heard, Wang Shan's brow tightened a fraction.

He previously only knew that the Wan family and that group of black‑clothed persons were plotting against Ghost Sorrow Cliff for the Purple Monkey Flower, or for something in the earth veins. Now it seems their goal is likely far deeper than he imagined. And this jade slip is precisely the key to unraveling all these mysteries.

He couldn't help but recall how the jade slip had reacted when he was at Ghost Sorrow Cliff. Especially at the moment when the Purple Monkey Flower matured and the earth‑vein energy was most active, the jade slip's resonance was also strongest.

"Ah, I see. Ghost Sorrow Cliff… is not merely the place where the Purple Monkey Flower grows." Wang Shan realized. That place is probably the spot in the entire Man Yun Mountain Range that has the deepest connection to the Beast Taming Sect's origins, or rather, is the location of an important "node" of the Beast Taming Sect. The Purple Monkey Flower is merely an occasional strange bloom on that node.

"System, does the jade slip's pointing to the earth veins have any more specific clues?"

【Ding! According to tracking analysis of the activated rune information flow, its energy fluctuations and directional markers vaguely point to deep within the Gui Chou Ya Core Area, an ancient altar sealed by an extremely powerful sealing force……】

"An altar?" Wang Shan's heart gave a jolt. "Sealed by a strong seal?" For the system to rate a seal as "extremely powerful," what kind of hand could have made it? At least it would be a Nascent Soul, even a Divine Transformation‑level expert who laid it down.

【It is speculated that this altar may be closely related to the rise and fall, survival or demise of the Beast Taming Sect, and may even conceal the ultimate secret behind the sect's final destruction, or be the sect's most core inheritance object.】

Wang Shan felt his hand holding the jade slip grow somewhat heavy.

Purple Monkey Flower, the Wan family's pursuit, the black‑clothed persons' designs…… He had thought these were the biggest troubles. Now it seems he has unknowingly stepped a foot into the center of a massive vortex of the sect's destruction thousands of years ago.

"I'm… picking up a sheep and ending up dragging back a slumbering primordial beast?" He self‑mockingly shook his head. This was already beyond what a low‑level body‑refining cultivator like him could easily dabble in.

But unfortunately, this 'key' is right in his hand.

【Warning! In the parsed fragment of forbidden beast‑taming arts information, the system found that its theoretical power far exceeds ordinary arts of the same rank, but the cultivation threshold is extremely high, and it imposes stringent demands on the cultivator's soul strength, physical constitution, and even life origin. If one forcibly cultivates it, they are highly likely to suffer an irreversible backlash—lightly, their cultivation is ruined; heavily, both soul and body are destroyed. Please, host, treat it with caution; do not attempt it until your strength and foundation are sufficient.】

"Both soul and body destroyed… wow, that's a hefty price." Wang Shan smirked. Great power, great risk—fair enough. He never believed in free lunches falling from the sky.

But, the temptation of such power……

He glanced at the still‑asleep Wang Zhitao, then stole a look at Li Hu and Zhang Mei. No, now isn't the time to study these. If something went wrong, he couldn't afford the gamble.

"Foundation Establishment, I must first achieve Foundation Establishment!" Wang Shan's eyes hardened.

These secrets, these potentially existing powerful forbidden arts, must be built upon absolute strength. Otherwise, everything is mere illusion, and could even bring fire upon oneself.

The Wan family, the mysterious black‑clothed organization, and now an additional unknown force possibly interested in this jade slip and the Beast Taming Sect's secrets…… Compared to these colossal entities, his current strength is no different from that of an ant.

"The title "Alchemist‑Talisman Fierce Elder" may scare off loose cultivators and small clans, but when facing truly deep‑pocketed powers, they probably wouldn't even lift an eyelid."

He carefully wrapped the black jade slip in a clean piece of hide and solemnly placed it deep inside his storage bag, as if only thus could he temporarily isolate that weighty pressure.

"Eat rice bite by bite, walk the road step by step." Wang Shan adjusted his breath, "Right now the most important thing is to increase strength and charge for Foundation Establishment. Only upon reaching Foundation Establishment does one truly have a foothold in this cultivation world."

As for the earth‑shaking secrets behind this jade slip, and that so‑called ancient altar…… When he has sufficient strength, he can slowly explore them later; now overthinking only adds worries, with no benefit.

The secrets of Ghost Sorrow Cliff are like a huge treasure veiled by layers of mist, and this black jade slip obtained by chance is undoubtedly the key that opens the treasure's great door. He knows he may already be not far from some astonishing truth. But the road to truth is also bound to be filled with unprecedented peril.

"Hah, trouble." Wang Shan muttered softly, not knowing whether he was referring to this jade slip, or to his own constitution that constantly invites trouble.

He shook his head, temporarily suppressing these chaotic thoughts, and his gaze cleared and steadied once more.

Foundation Establishment!

At present, only this thought.