Chapter 168: Pursuers Enter the Abyss

Ghost Sorrow Cliff, beyond the cave dwelling that Wang Shan and his party used as a springboard.

Wan Tianxiong's figure descended like a specter, without stirring a single wisp of dust.

He was tall, his brocade robe fluttered without wind, the pressure of his Half-Step Golden Core felt solid, compressing the surrounding air into a freeze. He simply stood there, and birds and beasts within a hundred‑mile radius fell silent as cold cicadas, as if the end of the world had arrived.

He closed his eyes and gently sniffed with his nose tip.

"Blood scent… Hong Hai's blood, and some scraps."

He opened his eyes, his gaze landing on the empty Cave Entrance, his expression calm yet colder than ten‑thousand‑year ancient ice.

"Did you hide in a mouse hole?"

He took a step forward, and his figure appeared deep inside the cave, before the ancient Altar.

The residual ripples after spatial teleportation, like ripples on water, were clearly presented in his perception.

"Want to run?" Wan Tianxiong's mouth curled a temperature‑less arc, "This Man Yun Mountain Range is my Wan family's backyard; where could you possibly run to?"

He pinched a meridian with one hand, sending a strand of pure magical energy into the void.

This is a tracking secret technique unique to the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate; as long as the target is stained with the blood of the Wan family, even across a world, he can lock onto an approximate location.

Soon, a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

"Hmm? The spatial coordinates are so chaotic… as if falling into a meat grinder."

In the void before him, a vague, twisted Light Spot radiating destructive aura materialized. That was the destination of Wang Shan and his party's teleportation — the Ten Thousand Beasts Origin.

"Interesting, it's actually this desolate place." Wan Tianxiong, far from fear, grew intrigued, "Thought hiding in a place like this would let you survive? Naïve!"

He raised his hand, about to forcibly tear the space.

But as his hand touched that void, a massive chaotic force, terrifying even to him, rebounded sharply.

That force was tangled and wild, like the dying resentments of countless demonic beasts, mingled with primal life and death energy.

"Hmph!"

Wan Tianxiong let out a muffled hum, and his figure was forced back half a step.

His Half-Step Golden Core cultivation could not easily break through!

"What a deadly place! No wonder the Beast Taming Sect idiots played themselves to death." A flash of greed crossed his eyes, "But it also means a great secret lies within."

Killing Wang Shan is one, exploring this forbidden ground even sects fear is the other.

He no longer hesitated.

"A Qi Training Stage old dog, worthy of draining my source? Never mind, today you'll die with some honor!"

He opened his mouth and spat, a golden radiant rope flew out.

【Fourth-Grade Magic Artifact — Binding Demon Rope】!

When this appeared, the surrounding Spiritual Power emitted wails.

"Go!"

Wan Tianxiong's complexion turned slightly pale, evidently the activation of such a magic artifact cost him much. He pointed a finger, and the Binding Demon Rope, like a living golden dragon, lunged at the chaotic void.

There was no earth‑shaking roar, only a teeth‑tingling "chi‑la" sound.

As if a tough rag were ripped apart.

A pitch‑black, twisted, constantly rotating fissure appeared.

Wan Tianxiong showed no hesitation, stepping in with a single step.

The moment his figure vanished, the fissure suddenly contracted, triggering a violent spatial shock.

……

Inside the Stone Hall.

Wang Shan, eyes closed and concentrating, was fully analyzing the information in the jade tablet, trying to find a way to suppress the Counter-Devouring within his body.

Suddenly, the entire Stone Hall jolted!

No, it's not the Stone Hall shaking, but this land, this space trembling violently!

"Sir!" Li Hu staggered, nearly falling, his eyes filled with terror as he looked outward.

Those twisted trees swayed like mad, and the ground cracked with slender fissures, spewing either pure or filthy chaotic energy.

【Alert! Alert! High‑intensity external energy source detected forcibly breaching the dimensional barrier! Causing localized spatial structural disorder!】

【Target rapidly approaching current coordinates!】

The system's alert sounded sharply in Wang Shan's mind.

Wang Shan suddenly opened his eyes.

"Damn, the lingering spirits won't quit!"

He didn't need to think to know who had arrived.

Wan Tianxiong!

That Half-Step Golden Core old monster had actually pursued here into this desolate place!

"Sir, what's wrong? Is… an earthquake?" Zhang Mei, cradling a child, said with a trembling voice.

"It's not an earthquake; the death‑summoner has arrived." Wang Shan's voice was ice‑cold, "Everyone stay calm, hold your ground!"

He grabbed Wang Zhize nearby, and with his other hand struck the ground hard, pouring more Spiritual Power into the protective light shield formed by the jade tablet.

"Buzz—!"

The black aura flickered violently a few times, nearly collapsing, but finally stabilized, isolating the external tremors.

"Li Hu, guard the entrance; he can't see us, but may barge in like a headless fly—don't let him get close!"

"Yes!" Li Hu clenched his great sword, palms sweating, staring fiercely at the outside of the hall.

……

On the other side.

Wan Tianxiong had just set foot in the Ten Thousand Beasts Origin when he immediately tasted bitterness.

The sky spun and the earth whirled!

The space here was distorted. His powerful Spiritual Sense extended outward like it was sinking into a mire, and the images fed back were all inverted and jumbled, making it impossible to lock onto any specific target.

"Damn it!"

He cursed under his breath, and another dharma treasure, the 【Soul-Suppressing Banner】, appeared in his hand.

He shook the black banner, and rings of invisible ripples spread out, forcibly smoothing some of the distorted space around him, and the detection range of his Spiritual Sense finally became slightly clearer.

"Over there!"

He sensed the faint trace of aura left by the Binding Demon Rope and immediately prepared to give chase.

"Roar—!"

Right at this moment, a monster lunged fiercely out of the jungle from the side.

The thing had a wolf's head, but its body was like a giant bear's, and it also had several pairs of mantis-like scythe-shaped appendages on its back. Its entire body radiated the violent aura of late Foundation Establishment, yet that aura was filled with chaos and madness.

"You ill-bred beast, get lost!"

Wan Tianxiong could not even be bothered to look, and waved his hand casually.

In his mind, given his status as the grand ancestor of the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate, ordinary demonic beasts that sensed his aura should at least flee in terror, if not kneel in submission.

But the monster did not retreat at all. Instead, it seemed to have been provoked, the bloody light in its eyes blazing brightly as it charged straight into his Protective Body Light without dodging or evading.

Boom!

Wan Tianxiong's Protective Body Light did not budge at all, but the monster was shaken until its flesh and blood were blurred.

Yet eerily, not only did it not flee, it attacked even more frantically, as if Wan Tianxiong were some sworn enemy.

"Hmm?" Wan Tianxiong frowned.

He discovered that the natural deterrent force over demonic beasts in his cultivation technique had… lost its effect here?

No, it had not even lost its effect — it had produced the opposite effect. These corrupted demonic beasts seemed to be extremely repelled by the aura of his cultivation technique.

"Interesting, truly interesting."

Wan Tianxiong no longer paid any attention to this small fry. His figure swayed and vanished from the spot.

He did not know that his arrival was like a drop of water falling into boiling oil. Not only did it bring the direct threat of pursuit, but his powerful Half-Step Golden Core strength and the aura of the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate's cultivation technique thoroughly disrupted this already fragile balance, drawing even more unknown, prying eyes.