Chapter 218: The Grandchildren's Protection

"Lord... I, Li Hu, understand!"

The heavy clang struck the hard rocky floor, and Li Hu's blood‑red eye sockets held no tears, only a fierce resolve forced to the brink. He sprang up abruptly, his turn whipping up a gust, and low‑growled at Zhang Mei, who in the corner had long been terrified into a helpless state:

"Mei, hurry! Take the young masters with you, let's go! Enter through that Cave Entrance!"

Zhang Mei shivered at his shout, instinctively clutching the unconscious Wang Zhize in her arms, while her other hand tightly grasped Wang Zhitao, her voice trembling: "Leave? Where to? Inside…"

She dared not continue, for the breath emanating from the depths of the blasted Cave Entrance made the heart race more than Wan Tiande.

"The Lord's life points us to the way! That's the true path to survival!" Li Hu's teeth chattered as he bit them, and he snatched up the supplies on the ground, ready to help the two children.

At that moment, the black statue blocking the Cave Entrance moved again.

Roar—!!!

A more painful, more suppressed roar squeezed out from the deepest part of Wang Shan's throat. The sound was no longer a pure beastly vent, but laced with an indescribable tearing sensation, as if two souls were waging a brutal war within his massive body.

The roar pierced like a needle, stabbing deep into the consciousness of the two unconscious children.

"Um..." Wang Zhitao's eyelids twitched violently a few times, then he snapped his eyes open.

Almost simultaneously, Wang Zhize beside him also slowly regained consciousness.

The first thing the two children saw upon waking was not Li Hu and Zhang Mei caring for them, but the statue standing at the entrance, exuding an ominous and violent aura... Grandfather.

"Grandfather!" Wang Zhize's voice was still weak, tinged with a sob.

"Don't go! Young master!" Li Hu turned pale with alarm, reaching out to block.

But it was too late.

The two children surged forward like iron filings drawn to a magnet, rolling and crawling. Their eyes held no fear, no dread of the snarling form, only a frantic concern born from deep within their bloodlines.

It is not a monster.

It is a Grandfather who values them more than his own life!

"Grandfather!"

Though young, Wang Zhize's mind was exceptionally keen. He clutched the Black Jade Slip that had never left his side, and his small body erupted with all his will, desperately trying to communicate with the slip.

"Please... save Grandfather... please!"

Buzz—!

As if it understood his plea, the ancient Black Jade Slip suddenly burst into unprecedented dazzling light. The black‑gold radiance was no longer the sharp, murderous aura of before, but became warm and heavy. Runes streamed from the slip, not toward an enemy, but willingly merging into the Cave's rock walls and floor.

In an instant, the ancient Seal of the Cave was awakened. A vast, ancient breath, sharing the same origin as the Wang Family bloodline, gathered from all directions, gently enveloping Wang Shan's raging beastly form.

On the other side, Wang Zhitao's action was even more direct.

"Grandfather!"

He let out a roar, and his tiny body astonishingly surged with speed, crashing headfirst into Wang Shan's steel‑like lower leg.

"Tao Er!" Zhang Mei screamed in terror.

But the expected scene of him being flung away never occurred.

Wang Zhitao's small hand pressed firmly onto Grandfather's cold scales; his internal 'Devouring Core Overlord Body' was actively triggered in an unprecedented way. This time, it was not to devour, but to give!

Golden patterns spread from his heart, instantly covering his entire body. Streams of ultra‑pure, untainted life energy surged along his palm, flooding Wang Shan's body.

"My life was given by Grandfather! I return it to you! I will not let you become like this!"

A child's thought is that simple, that pure.

One black‑gold, one pure gold.

One stream comes from the Core of inheritance, stirring the grand forces of heaven and earth—the 'Shi'.

The other stems from the bloodline's origin, giving without reservation—the 'Yuan'.

The two kindred forces, like clear streams, boldly surged into Wang Shan's blood‑red ocean formed of beastliness, slaughter, and corruption.

"Roar... Aoo..."

Wang Shan's massive body shuddered violently, his scales grinding and emitting a sour‑making 'clack' sound. In his vertically slit pupils, now wholly crimson, a storm erupted.

His consciousness was being pulled toward the Abyss by endless murderous desire.

Kill! Kill everything!

Devour! Devour everything!

It is instinct, the sole destination after the cultivation technique's mutation.

But at that moment, two warm currents broke in.

One force made him feel as if he had returned to the ancestral shrine, the heavy familiar sensation giving his chaotic soul a hint of foundation.

The other force made his whole body tremble. Inside it held no power, no spiritual energy, only the purest affection, like a pair of small hands desperately, clumsily trying to pull him out of the mire.

In the blood‑colored world, two points of light lit up.

Within the glow, he saw two vague figures. One clutching a scroll, a solemn face trailing behind him, asking questions. The other shirtless, standing in a waterfall, holding a horse stance, teeth bared yet refusing to give up.

"Zhe Er..."

"Tao Er..."

The two names rose from the deepest part of his soul.

In the very center of his crimson vertical pupils, a speck of blood color miraculously faded, restoring a faint human‑like dim glow.

【Warning! Unknown interference detected!】

【... Interference source identified: Pure bloodline feedback, Core of inheritance resonance...】

【Generating 'Bloodline Anchor'... Spiritual soul mutation forcibly suppressed... Beastly instinct temporarily restrained...】

【Zhuren rationality... gradually recovering from the brink of collapse... 1%... 2%...】

The system's alert tone echoed intermittently in his mind, like a broadcast with poor signal.

But Wang Shan could already 'hear' it.

He... returned? Even if only for a moment.

He could feel that his own body still didn't belong to him, the raging beast nature like a tiger temporarily bound, ready to break free at any moment.

But he saw hope.

He saw Wang Zhitao lying on his leg, his face turning pale quickly, his body swaying as if about to collapse.

He saw Wang Zhize, not far away, clutching a jade slip, his small face tense and drenched in sweat.

These two little guys…

These two hopes he would risk his life to protect, in turn became the ones protecting him.

An indescribable feeling washed over the hard‑won rationality within him—not moved, not comforted, but something deeper and heavier.

It was "home".

He still had time!

He must use this precious, uncertain‑duration clarity to finish the final arrangements!

He could not speak, not even move; all his strength was spent battling the "beast" inside him.

But he could still muster a sliver of mental power.

"Buzz!"

A faint yet crystal‑clear thought crossed the distance and rang directly in Li Hu's and Zhang Mei's minds.

It was not language, but a series of images.

The first image showed the storage ring clenched tightly in Li Hu's palm.

The second image displayed a mountain of elixirs, spirit stones, and various cultivation technique jade slips collected by Wan Tiande inside the ring.

The third image depicted Wang Zhitao and Wang Zhize desperately cultivating, their bodies steadily growing stronger.

The final image showed, against a pitch‑black backdrop, a huge, ferocious eye staring coldly from the distant heavens at this tiny Cave.

That was… Wan Tiande's sect!

Li Hu shivered all over; he instantly understood Wang Shan's meaning.

Use Wan Tiande's resources, sparing no cost, to nurture the two children! Because a greater crisis is about to arrive!

And he himself…

Wang Shan's mental power shifted toward his two grandchildren; this time, the thought became exceedingly gentle.

"Quick… go…"

"Grandpa… hold on…"

Having completed all this, the faint clarity that had barely returned to his eyes began to flicker violently, like a dying candle in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment.

The beast's backlash came.

"Grandpa!" Wang Zhitao seemed to sense something; he used his last ounce of strength to pass even more life force over.

"No… don't…"

Wang Shan struggled to convey his final thought, and immediately, crimson again engulfed everything.

But this time his roar was forced shut down in his throat. His massive body froze abruptly, then, like a true mountain range, it remained utterly still, continuing to guard the entrance leading to the unknown.

He was still that beast.

But it was a beast with attachments, with something it needed to protect.