Chapter 183

【Warning! Analysis request received! Invoking highest authority, parsing the will composition of the target "Ten Thousand Beasts Ancestor"…… consuming Spirit Plant Points: one million…… two million…… five million……】

The system's alert tone in Wang Shan's mind was no longer a cold mechanical sound, but a screech mixed with electrical static, as if it too was on the verge of collapse under this terrifying will impact.

But Wang Shan had no time for that.

That ancient will utterly disdained communicating with him; it was like a moving continent, sweeping straight over to crush him, that pesky bug in its way, along with the ground beneath him, into powder.

His mental space, or rather his sea of consciousness, completely changed the moment it was invaded.

This was no longer the familiar mental realm he knew, but had become a twisted, bloody hell.

Before him lay mountains of corpses and seas of blood; in his ears roared the myriad beasts. One after another, cultivators who had practiced the Ten Thousand Beasts Devouring Master saw their final moments like shattered shards, flashing wildly before his eyes. Some were torn apart alive, some transformed into monsters and then beheaded by their own hands, and others self-detonated in endless madness.

"Save me……"

"I don't want to die……"

"Power! Give me stronger power! Kill! Kill them all!"

Countless whispers of despair, greed, and malice, like innumerable invisible maggots, burrowed into his mind, gnawing at his reason, eroding his defenses.

At the same time, an irresistible temptation directly targeted his instincts.

It was a promise.

A promise to become the supreme ruler.

As long as he abandoned resistance, as long as he opened his heart, he could obtain all the power accumulated since the birth of this secret realm, becoming the true "Lord of Myriad Beasts", looking down upon all life and crushing stars.

"Power?" Wang Shan let out a cold sneer from the depths of his sea of consciousness.

To be a puppet on a string, and call that power?

This old monster, having slept for tens of thousands of years, has its brain gone stupid?

His careless, ruthless streak deep within was fully provoked.

"Get lost!"

A roar emanating from the depths of his soul made the entire twisted illusion tremble for an instant!

However, that roar elicited an even more ferocious counterattack.

The Counter-Devouring force of the Ten Thousand Beasts Reversal within his body, now like a rebel that found its backbone, went completely out of control. Dark-gold light surged frenetically under his skin, and the mixed beastly power in his meridians, like a flood released from a gate, roared and cheered, actively rushing toward that external sovereign will.

Crack…… crack……

Wang Shan could clearly hear the sound of his bones dislocating; his body was being forcibly remolded, twisting into an inhuman form.

【Warning! Host's soul integrity continues to drop! 92%……85%……79%……】

【Warning! Once soul integrity falls below 50%, the will shall be assimilated, and the host will be completely transformed into a 'Divine Descent Vessel', becoming the mortal flesh of the 'Ten Thousand Beasts Ancestor'!】

【At that point, you will no longer be yourself.】

The system's scarlet warnings, like a series of heavy hammers, hammered hard onto Wang Shan's last line of defense.

He knew the system wasn't joking.

If he couldn't hold on, he would become a monster that even he himself feared; and that monster's first target to tear apart would be Li Hu, Zhang Mei, and his two grandsons right nearby.

"Master!"

From the Outside World, Zhang Mei's wails and Li Hu's roars faintly came through, but had become extremely distant, as if separated by a thick layer of water.

Wang Shan strained to respond, but couldn't even move a finger.

He watched helplessly as his hands turned: nails blackened and sharpened, fine dark-gold scales appearing on his skin. The human warmth in his gaze swiftly faded, replaced by a cold, bone-chilling beastliness that looked down on ants.

Cannot…… absolutely cannot!

He could die, but could not become this monstrous form! Moreover, he could not personally harm them!

This thought, like a flash of lightning in the darkness, forcibly illuminated his consciousness about to be devoured.

Just then, a weak call penetrated layer after layer of mental barriers and precisely reached his ears.

"Grandpa…… Grandfather……"

It was Wang Zhitao!

Wang Shan jolted violently!

He summoned all his strength, turning his already scattering gaze toward the Sheng Ming Quan.

His eldest grandson, Wang Zhitao, had at some point sat up from the spring, his pale face etched with anxiety and worry. Though his body remained weak, his eyes locked onto him, filled with filial affection.

And by the spring, his younger grandson, Wang Zhizhe, seemed to have sensed something amiss, no longer playing in the water, his big, glossy eyes brimming with tears, his little mouth pursed, on the verge of crying.

Two grandsons……

They are his roots!

"You want to take my old man's dwelling?" Wang Shan's soul let out a silent, manic laugh inside his sea of consciousness, "Did you even ask my grandsons if they agree!"

He no longer cared about his bodily aberrations, nor resisted those illusions and whispers. He made a crazy decision, contracting all his mental power, all the will belonging to the person "Wang Shan", inward to a point, firmly pinning it to the deepest part of his sea of consciousness.

You want to come in, huh? Fine! I'll fling the doors wide open for you to enter!

But you'd better not think you'll get off easy! Even if my soul and spirit are destroyed today, I'll dig a bottomless pit in your new house!

"System!" Wang Shan's will roared, "Have you figured it out! What the hell is this thing's weakness!"

【Analysis complete! Target "Ten Thousand Beasts Ancestor" is not a traditional soul entity! Its essence is a conglomeration of 'Beast Source Energy' and the 'resentment' of generations of practitioners who failed in cultivating the Ten Thousand Beasts Devouring Master! Intangible, immune to conventional soul attacks!】

【Generating emergency response protocol…… protocol generation complete!】

【Plan One: Self-annihilation of soul, perishing together with the invading will. Success rate 99%, host survival rate 0%.】

【Plan Two: Quench thirst with poison.】

Quench thirst with poison?

【Utilizing the 'Beast Taming Sect Inheritance Core' (Black Jade Slip) as a medium, forcibly guiding the purest energy of the 'Sheng Ming Quan' into the host's sea of consciousness!】

The system's prompt flashed by swiftly.

【Warning: This move carries extremely high risk! The pure life energy, the host's violent beastly Counter-Devouring force, and the invading will of the 'Ten Thousand Beasts Ancestor' will clash violently within the host's sea of consciousness!】

【The result will most likely directly detonate the host's soul, causing an annihilation even more thorough than Plan One!】

【But……】

The system rarely paused for a moment.

【This is also the only method that can create a sliver of vitality! Using purity against chaos, using vitality against stillness! In the offset of the three energies, perhaps we can find a hint of possibility to detach the will of the 'Ancestor of All Beasts'!】

【Please, host, decide immediately!】

Wang Shan's consciousness had blurred to the extreme, that icy bestiality almost about to completely engulf him.

He finally glanced at his two grandsons.

Zhitao had already stood up from the spring water, being tightly held by Li Hu, not allowing him to approach.

Zhize's tears had already fallen, as he stretched out his little hand, seemingly wanting to come over and pull him.

"Heh……"

Wang Shan laughed.

Screw mutual destruction, I haven't lived enough yet!

I still want to watch my grandson become a true successor of the Beast Taming Sect!

"System!"

His soul issued the final, and also the craziest, command.

"Just do as you said! Pour that spring water…… all of it into me!"