Chapter 204: Crisis Approaches

Wang Shan was leaning against a stalagmite, idly watching his two grandsons "play" there.

Wang Zhitao sat cross‑legged by the lake, his chest like an inexhaustible bellows, gulping down the surrounding Spiritual Power. He was bathed in a faint aura of precious light, his breath rising step by step, and the Devouring Primordial Overlord Body seemed tailor‑made for a place like this.

On the other side, Wang Zhize looked clumsy. He cradled the grayish Beast‑Taming Origin Pearl, his little face flushed bright red, wrestling with a thin vine. The vine twisted before him, sometimes stretching a bit, sometimes recoiling, refusing to obey, like a worm that wouldn't cooperate.

"You clumsy kid, even controlling root grass takes you this much effort," Wang Shan muttered, pursing his lips.

Though he said that, he felt satisfied inside. One was in charge of "eating," one of "using," and he himself of "striking"—the combination was perfect. Once these two kids are trained, any Ten Thousand Beasts Gate, any damn Elder, will be theirs.

He was happily plotting his future revenge when a sharp buzzing suddenly rang in his head, exploding without warning.

【Highest Emergency Alert! Threat Level Assessment: Annihilation!】

【Tracking target "Wan Tiande" has forcibly broken through the final outer interference array! Rapidly approaching current coordinates!】

The contentment on Wang Shan's face froze instantly.

He snapped upright, and before he could ask, the system's cold alert tone kept firing like a rapid‑fire cannon.

【Detected high‑grade Seal‑breaking Magic Artifact "Barrier‑Breaking Vessel" energy fluctuations! All spatial folds and teleportation nodes set by the Zhuren have been fully pierced, providing no delaying effect!】

【Detected Causal Law Magic Artifact "Star‑Fixing Disk" strong lock! Zhuren's position has been precisely anchored, unable to perform spatial transfer, unable to evade!】

A barrage of bad news poured over Wang Shan like a bucket of ice water, chilling him to the core.

"Damn it!" Wang Shan muttered low, "All the stuff I painstakingly fiddled with, is it all paper‑thin?"

He had thought those Misty Arrays salvaged from Beast Taming Sect ruins and combined with system simulations, even if they couldn't stop a Golden Core cultivator, would at least buy ten days or half a month, buying precious time.

Who could have imagined the opponent possessed such unreasonable Magic Artifact, pushing straight through!

Almost at the same moment the system alert sounded, a vague massive pressure seeped in from distant strata. The pressure wasn't violent, but carried a detached, ant‑like indifference, as if an invisible giant hand were slowly pressing down on this tiny Cave.

Mid‑stage Golden Core pressure!

Wang Shan's whole scale‑like armor tingled under the pressure, and the aberrant force inside him roiled uncontrollably, as if confronting a natural predator.

"So fast…"

His original plan was to use this time to fully merge himself with the Cave, then slowly raise his grandsons, and finally go after Wan Tiande for reckoning. Now, everything has been thrown into chaos.

Time—completely insufficient!

"Li Hu! Zhang Mei!" Wang Shan's voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the Cave.

"Here!" The two, already startled by the pressure, rushed out of a nearby rock cave, faces ashen.

"Lay all our belongings—Talisman, one‑time Magic Artifact—everywhere at the Cave Entrance! Don't worry about waste! When I command, hurl everything out in one go!" Wang Shan spoke at breakneck speed, leaving no room for doubt.

"Yes!" The two hurriedly sprang into action, hands fumbling.

"Zhize!" Wang Shan turned his head toward the little grandson.

Wang Zhize was startled by the sudden turn of events, his face turning pale as he ran over clutching the stone pearl, "Grandpa?"

"Take this!" Wang Shan pointed at the Beast‑Taming Origin Pearl in his hand, voice stern, "This thing isn't for you to use as a walnut disc! Listen up, no matter what you see or hear, hide at the back! Use every ounce of strength to stir up the energy inside this pearl, and the entire lake's energy!"

He grabbed Wang Zhize's shoulder and shouted, "I want this place turned into a pot of boiling oil! If Wan Tiande dares step in, I'll turn him and his bones into mush! Understand?"

"I… I…" Wang Zhize trembled, frightened by his grandfather's madness.

"No me, me, me!" Wang Shan shook his shoulder, "You are of the Wang Family blood! There's no 'can't'—only 'won't'! Protect your brother, protect yourself! If you die, even as a ghost I won't spare you!"

Wang Zhize shivered from the shout, fear fading, replaced by stubbornness. He nodded vigorously, clutching the stone pearl tightly, "I understand, Grandpa!"

Wang Shan released his grip and looked at the now‑standing, solemn Wang Zhitao beside him, "You, stay close to your brother. If he makes any mistake, you'll answer to me."

"Yes, Grandpa." Wang Zhitao replied succinctly, silently stepping in front of his brother.

After arranging all this, Wang Shan finally steadied his mind a little.

He knew that Wan Tiande, bearing a Magic Artifact of this caliber, would spare no Spiritual Power to break in, and it wasn't merely to capture him for a reward.

【System Analysis: Target Wan Tiande's craving for the Ten Thousand Beasts Origin is extremely high; action pattern assessed as "No Cost". It is inferred the goal is to seize the Zhuren and related inheritance to break through personal bottlenecks.】

"You think you can use me as a stepping stone? Dream your spring‑and‑autumn fantasy!"

Wang Shan's heart hardened, and his original defensive plan was instantly overturned.

Defense was futile, so the only option… kill!

"System, don't damn me with a funeral report! That old thing has a ship and a plate, I've got this whole Cave! Re‑run the simulation immediately! Abandon all conventional defenses, twist all energy, all Seals into a single rope! Here, I'll set a death‑trap for him!"

【Command received… Re‑planning trap schemes based on "Origin Purification Protocol" and "Environmental Resonance" abilities… Scheme 1: Energy Tide. Scheme 2: Ten‑plant slaughter. Scheme 3: Induced Beast Source Core Rampage…】

Wang Shan watched the schemes scroll rapidly across the system Light Screen, the blood‑red gleam in his eyes growing brighter.

He slowly walked to the Cave entrance, turned his back to the others, and stared into the bottomless dark passage. The pressure of a Golden Core cultivator was drawing nearer, as if it would appear before his eyes any second.

He knew this would be the most terrifying and direct life‑or‑death test the Wang Family had faced since its self‑destruction.

No retreat.

Wang Shan cracked his mouth open, revealing a set of stark white teeth, and a ferociously grim smile spread across his half‑human, half‑beast face.

The aberrant force inside him, fueled by fierce battle intent, let out an excited roar.

"Wan Tiande…"

He whispered to himself, his voice tinged with a sickly anticipation.

"Come on, let me see… whether your Magic Artifact is tougher, or my life is tougher."