Chapter 196

Splash—

The sound of water came from ahead, breaking the deep silence of the ruins.

After squeezing through a narrow rock crevice only wide enough for one person to slip through sideways, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

A massive underground Cave, at its center lay a lake stretching beyond sight, its surface calm as a mirror, emitting a faint glow. The surrounding rock walls were covered densely with Ancient Runes, which seemed like living things, slowly flowing in the dim light, forming an invisible barrier that enveloped the entire space.

"My goodness……" Li Hu's mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg, "How…… how is there even a sea hidden down here?"

No one paid attention to his exaggeration. Zhang Mei's attention was completely captured by the lakeside scenery.

Along the lakeshore, in the damp soil, grew clusters of various plants. Some resembled red coral, their bodies flowing with light; some had leaves like ice crystals, exhaling cold air; and a small tree bore fruit that was actually translucent, as if lightning flickered inside.

"Thunder Origin Fruit…… Ice Soul Mystic Leaf…… and Scarlet Blood Dragon Beard Grass!" Zhang Mei's voice trembled; these were priceless treasures in the Outside World, even existing only in ancient texts.

Wang Shan didn't look at those Spirit Plants; his gaze passed over the calm lake surface toward the deepest darkness. The air was filled with a strange energy—not demonic, not spiritual, but a more primal, pure power. This power made his Ten Thousand Beasts Reversal technique stir restlessly, and that man-eating hunger rose again in his heart.

He knew the pursuers had been shaken off for now. That guy named Wan Tiande, even if he had a "Breach-Busting Boat," would have to go to great trouble to find this place hidden by an ancient Seal.

But that didn't mean they were safe.

Hiss—

A sharp scraping sound came from behind the stalactites nearby.

Li Hu drew his waist blade with a swish, nervously placing it in front of the children, "What is that?"

A wholly jade-green monster snake, with seven or eight vine-like tentacles, poked its head out from the shadows. Its head wasn't that of a snake but a pallid flower bud about to bloom. The aura it emitted was cold and eerie, far surpassing any mutant demonic beast they had encountered before.

Wang Shan raised his eyebrows, and before he could act, Wang Zhitao beside him suddenly moved.

The child seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; at the moment the monster snake's vine-like tentacle whipped over, his body twisted at an extremely awkward yet unusually swift angle to dodge the attack.

"Huh?" Wang Zhitao himself froze for a moment; he had just felt danger there, and his body moved on its own.

The monster snake's missed strike caused its flower-bud-like head to fling open, spraying a yellow-green poisonous mist.

"Be careful!" Zhang Mei exclaimed.

Wang Shan stepped forward, blocking everyone. He used no Spiritual Power shield, merely extending a hand. In the dim light, fine patterns seemed to move beneath his skin.

The poisonous mist rushed forward, and upon touching his palm, it actually encountered its nemesis, making a hissing sound and dissipating into green smoke, not a bit getting past his hand.

The monster snake also seemed to feel fear, turning to flee.

You think you can run?

Wang Shan's voice was slightly hoarse. His figure flickered, and he instantly appeared before the monster snake, fingers curled like claws, grabbing directly for its flower-bud-like head. His movement was so fast it didn't resemble an old man, but more like a hunting leopard.

Plop—

No Spiritual Power burst, no Talisman glow—just pure, savage force. The flower bud was squeezed until its juices sprayed, the whole monster snake twitched a few times, then went limp on the ground.

Li Hu and Zhang Mei stared dumbfounded. In that instant, they felt from the Old Ancestor an extremely unfamiliar aura—ferocious, powerful, making their hearts tremble.

Wang Shan shook off the green juice on his hand, lowered his head to glance at the back of his hand. The layer of scale-like hardened tissue seemed a bit clearer. He ignored the astonishment of the two behind him and strode straight to a stalk of Scarlet Blood Dragon Beard Grass, pulling it up by the roots.

This Spirit Grass, which could make Golden Core cultivators fight over it in the Outside World, he didn't even look at, just shoved it into his mouth and chewed like a grass root.

A surge of pure fire-attribute energy exploded inside him; before, he would have had to refine it carefully. But now, as soon as this energy entered his body, it was violently devoured, torn apart, and assimilated by the Counter-Devouring force of the Ten Thousand Beasts Reversal.

He could feel that the "ferocious beast" inside him was cheering, while his own reason was pressed down another notch.

"Grandfather." Wang Zhitao had somehow come to his side, tugging at his sleeve with a small hand, his big eyes full of worry, "You…… aren't you happy?"

Wang Shan's chewing motion stopped.

He lowered his head to look at his grandson's clear eyes, and the brutality in his heart faded somewhat.

Yeah, what exactly am I doing? Pinning my hopes on this drink-thirst-quenching method?

He squatted down and rubbed Wang Zhitao's head. The child's body was warm, brimming with vitality, forming a stark contrast with the dead, frenzied power inside himself.

"Zhitao, from today onward, Grandfather will teach you cultivation."

"I…… can I?" Wang Zhitao said, lacking confidence.

"Of course you can." Wang Shan rose, his gaze sweeping over the treasure-littered lakeshore, "This is where our new beginning lies."

In his mind, the vast heritage of the Beast Taming Sect was rapidly turning over. Talismans, pills, Seals, Arrays… countless pieces of knowledge once obscure now became crystal clear. He realized that the Beast Taming Sect's inheritance had never been merely about taming demonic beasts.

Its true core lay in how to harness the power of the Beast Source.

And this place was one of the locations where the Beast Source energy was purest and most abundant.

"Li Hu, Zhang Mei."

"Present, Old Ancestor!" the two replied immediately.

"Guard the surroundings, don't touch anything here randomly, especially the water." Wang Shan's tone returned to calm, but with an added unquestionable authority, "From now on, we're not leaving."

"Not leaving?" Li Hu blinked, "What about the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate……"

"Let them come." Wang Shan curled the corner of his mouth in a humorless arc, "I've been worried about having no place to test what I've just learned."

He turned his gaze toward that deep lake.

He could feel that the source letting him see visions and informing him of the existence of the Whirlwind Trap Zone lay deep in the lakebed. There lay great danger, and also great opportunity.

His own bodily aberration was like a blade hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. He could wait no longer; he must take the initiative.

Using the resources here, I will raise my two grandsons. Using my newly acquired knowledge, I will turn the Ten Thousand Beasts Reversal—a double-edged sword—into power truly my own. I will even… try to control that Counter-Devouring force, shaping it into a unique combat form.

He looked at Wang Zhitao, this innate "purifier", and then at Wang Zhize holding the now-calm jade slip in his arms.

A bold idea took shape in his mind.

Perhaps he didn't need to suppress this aberration.

Perhaps he could guide it, use it, and even… coexist with it?

"Ten Thousand Beasts Origin, Beast Taming Sect……" Wang Shan muttered to himself, "Just what secrets have you hidden? Let me uncover them myself."

He was no longer the Wang Shan who had fled in disgrace while being hunted.

The roles of hunter and prey quietly reversed from this moment onward.

"Zhize, hand over the jade slip." He reached out his hand to the young grandson.

Wang Zheze obediently handed over the jade slip.

Wang Shan took the warm, lustrous Black Jade Slip, walked to the lakeside, and dropped a drop of his own blood onto it. The moment the blood touched the slip, it was completely absorbed.

Immediately afterward, all the runes along the lakeshore lit up.