Chapter 158

Boom—!

A tremendous roar sounded, as if thunder had burst from flat ground, and the entire cavern shuddered violently.

The final light screen at the cave entrance, composed of several talismans, after withstanding an attack far beyond its limit, shattered like glass struck by immense force, turning into a shower of light points in a grating "crack" and vanishing.

"Hahaha! Wang Shan, you old dog, where do you think you can run this time?"

Wan Honghai's figure appeared at the cave entrance, his beard and hair bristling, his face showing a manic frenzy. Behind him, several Wan family cultivators filed in, each with a vicious glare.

At his side, the black-clad leader drifted in like a ghost, silent and unseen, his gaze from beneath his cloak sweeping over the scene before fixing on the two directions of the cavern.

One, the spiritual energy fluctuation deep within that was rising steadily and about to boil over.

Another, in the corner, the little boy Wang Zhitai tightly clutching the black jade slip in his hand.

The aura on that jade slip seemed to share a faint resonance with Wang Shan's aura deep in the cavern, making him instinctively feel that things were not simple.

"Li Hu! Zhang Mei!" Wan Honghai took in the scene inside the cave—the two heavily wounded people collapsed on the ground, plus the two trembling little brats—and his laughter grew unrestrained: "Just you two wastes think you can stop me?"

He didn't even regard these two Body Refining ants as worth his notice, his greedy gaze locking onto the black jade slip in Wang Zhitai's hand.

Before his words faded, he shifted his form, and a great hand shrouded in mighty spiritual power lunged toward Wang Zhitai!

Before his words even fell, his figure flickered, and a large hand shrouded in majestic spiritual power lunged to grab Wang Zhize!

Li Hu roared, dragging his wounded body forward in a fierce lunge, trying to block the strike with his own body.

Li Hu roared, dragging his heavily wounded body as he lunged forward, trying to block the blow with his own body.

Wan Honghai didn't even glance, backhanding a swing that unleashed a tremendous force, flinging Li Hu away to slam heavily into the rock wall, spouting a mouthful of blood and unable to rise.

"Big Brother Li!" Zhang Mei cried out, the fingers resting on the bowstring trembling from exhaustion, yet she couldn't draw the bow.

Just as that great hand was about to seize Wang Zhitai, a sudden change occurred!

A layer of ancient runes, nearly invisible to the naked eye, suddenly flared on the cavern's inner walls, forming an even sturdier invisible barrier that blocked Wan Honghai's palm from outside.

"Huh?" Wan Honghai blinked, then flew into a rage: "Another layer? Petty tricks!"

He channeled all his spiritual power and slammed a fierce punch into that invisible barrier.

He mobilized all his spiritual power and slammed a fist hard against that invisible barrier.

A dull, heavy boom echoed in the cavern, making the whole mountain tremble. The barrier shuddered violently, countless runes flowing, yet it actually withstood the blow.

The black-clad leader stepped forward, his voice hoarse: "This formation… is very ancient, not something he could have set up. It seems the cavern itself is problematic."

"Never mind the problem! Even if the Heavenly King himself came today, he couldn't save him!" Wan Honghai's eyes had turned bloodshot: "Let's join forces and smash this tortoise shell first!"

The black-clad leader offered no objection; Wang Shan's aura was growing stronger, already at the final threshold of breakthrough, and he must not be allowed to succeed.

The Black-clad Leader did not object; Wang Shan's aura grew stronger and stronger, having reached the final critical point of his breakthrough—he must absolutely not let him succeed.

Deepest part of the cavern.

Wang Shan's consciousness had sunk into a chaos.

In his meridians, the liquefied spiritual power raged like an uncontrolled flood, frenziedly striking the last invisible barrier; each impact brought heart-rending pain, as if his whole body were about to burst.

At the same time, each violent tremor from outside struck his soul like a heavy hammer.

At the same time, each violent tremor transmitted from the Outside World struck like a heavy hammer, pounding hard against his soul.

The outside attacks…… have become this strong?

Li Hu and the others……

No, that's not right!

There is also a force…… coming from deeper within. The previously gentle vein qi has now turned violent, seemingly resonating with the external attacks, inside and out, trying to tear him apart completely.

There is also another force… coming from deeper within. The previously gentle Vein Qi has now turned violent, seemingly resonating with the Outside World's attack, inside and out, seeking to tear him apart completely.

He wanted to spare a thread of mind to investigate, but the spiritual power spring in his dantian had already reached the boiling point, and the Foundation Establishment barrier showed faint cracks.

Retreat, and all prior effort is wasted, leading to a self‑explosion death.

Advance, and it's a nine‑deaths‑one‑life gamble, but perhaps there remains a sliver of hope.

To advance is to face nine deaths and one life; perhaps there remains a sliver of hope.

Wang Shan cursed in his heart, gathered all his focus, and no longer paid heed to any outside disturbance.

"Come on! It's just risking your life! In this life I may lack many things, but I never lack the grit to keep my head tied to my waistband and press on!"

He mustered the last shred of will, commanded all his spiritual power, and launched a final all‑out assault on the barrier riddled with cracks.

He mustered the last vestige of his will, commanding all his spiritual power, and launched a final all-out assault upon the barrier riddled with cracks.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Outside the cavern, Wan Honghai and the black‑clad leader's attacks never ceased.

One possessed immense spiritual power, his moves wide and sweeping, each strike carrying the force of ten thousand jun.

The other employed wicked, deceptive tactics, specifically targeting array nodes, each move utterly vicious.

Under the full‑force onslaught of the two Foundation Establishment powerhouses, the ancient internal restriction finally groaned under the strain; its light flickered, the runes on the rock walls dimmed, and clear cracks spread across the barrier.

Under the full-force onslaught of the two Foundation Establishment powerhouses, the ancient Internal Restriction finally groaned under the strain. Its light flickered erratically, the runes on the stone walls began to dim, and clear cracks spread across the barrier.

The backlash from the shattered array struck again, dealing further heavy blows to the already gravely injured Li Hu and Zhang Mei; they each spat a mouthful of blood, their breath fading to the extreme.

Wang Zhitao lay on the ground, his face already black from poison, now twisted into a grimace as he uttered painful groans before slipping completely into unconsciousness.

Wang Zhitao lay on the ground, his young face already darkened from poison, now twisted into a grimace as he uttered painful groans before slipping completely into unconsciousness.

Wang Zhitai watched Li Hu and Zhang Mei lying in their blood, and his unconscious brother; his small frame trembled incessantly. His eyes held no tears, only a near‑numb despair.

He clutched the jade slip desperately, as if it were his last reliance.

"Hahaha, it's almost done! It's about to break!" Wan Honghai gazed at the barrier about to shatter, a cruel, triumphant smile on his face: "Wang Shan! Once I get in, I will surely extract your soul and refine your spirit, leaving you unable to live or die!"

The black‑clad leader said nothing, but his eyes beneath the cloak were locked firmly on the cavern's depths, as if trying to see through the rock to the figure struggling on the brink of life and death.

The Black-clad Leader remained silent, but the eyes beneath his cloak were locked firmly on the depths of the cavern, as if seeking to see through the rock to the figure struggling on the brink of life and death.

In his view, Wang Shan was already a dead person.

Next, it was time to reap the spoils.

「Crack—! 」

A crisp crack, like the final straw that breaks the camel's back.

The largest crack on the barrier pierced through the entire Array.

Wan Honghai and the Black-clad Leader exchanged a glance, simultaneously unleashing their greatest power, preparing to deliver this final fatal blow!

At that very moment, deep within the cave, in Wang Shan's consciousness, that impregnable Foundation Establishment Barrier was completely smashed open by his resolute will and violent Spiritual Power, creating a gap.

A new heaven and earth lay right before his eyes!

But in the Outside World, the shadow of death had already descended.