Chapter 40: The Script Is Wrong!

Boom—!

A wave of visible Qi, centered on the cross‑legged Wang Shan, surged outward in all directions!

The Qi wave was forceful and domineering, kicking up the ground's stones and dust, roaring as it burst forth!

"What the heck?!"

"Not good!"

At the front were the two Wan Family Offering of Body Refining Seventh Peak, their faces still bearing blood‑thirsty snarls, ready to pounce on the nearest Wang Family disciple, never expecting such a turn of events!

The two were caught off guard, feeling a massive force slam into their chests, as if a wild ox had rammed them hard!

Pfft!

Ding ding ding...

The weaker one let out a muffled grunt on the spot, a strand of blood spilling from his mouth corner; both were violently knocked back three or four steps by the Qi wave, stumbling, their faces instantly filled with horror!

"This... what kind of power is this?!"

"Not just them!"

In mid‑air, Wan Hong's Black Fiend Claw, which was about to press onto Wang Shan's head, suddenly halted under the sudden onslaught of the forceful Qi!

The massive black claw silhouette seemed to slam into an invisible wall, its forward momentum abruptly stifled for an instant!

Wan Hong's snarling grin froze at the corner of his mouth.

His eyes bulged out, staring intently at the old fellow below whom his claw should have crushed!

"Array... pre‑breakthrough?!"

Wan Hong's voice changed tone, filled with incredulous terror, "Body Refining Eighth Stage?! This... how the hell could this be!!!"

He could hardly believe his own eyes!

A breakthrough in the midst of battle? Or breaking from Seventh Peak to Eighth in such a death‑defying predicament? What a joke! Could this old thing be a monster?!

Just as Wan Hong let out his startled cry, below—

Wang Shan snapped his eyes open!

Hum!

Two terrifying beams of light burst from his eyes, like twin swords piercing the night sky!

The massive vitality from the breakthrough surged through his body like sweet spring water; the horrific wounds inflicted earlier by the Black Fiend Claw were now healing at an astonishing speed, the searing chest pain fading, and the blood at his mouth corner becoming less glaring.

The Spiritual Power that had been depleted inside him was refilled like a dried riverbed flooded anew, swelling rapidly, even denser by several folds than during his Body Refining Seventh Peak.

His entire aura underwent an earth‑shaking transformation!

His body, once hunched from age and grievous injury, now involuntarily straightened a few inches; the pain‑twisted wrinkles on his face seemed to relax, still aged yet now bearing an indescribable dignity and sense of power!

"Body Refining Eighth Stage!"

"This is Body Refining Eighth Stage!"

"Old fellow... actually..." From afar, Chen Tianfeng, who had been watching coldly, now had his pupils contract sharply, his face showing emotion for the first time.

He hadn't expected Wang Shan to achieve such an almost impossible breakthrough under these circumstances!

As for the hidden scouts lurking in the shadows with various motives, they were so shocked by this sudden scene that their jaws nearly dropped!

"The script's wrong!"

"Weren't the Wan Family supposed to crush the Wang Family? How did the Wang Family Head get an upgrade right before death?! Is the sky over Luo Bay County really changing?"

For a moment, everyone's gaze focused on Wang Shan, filled with astonishment and doubt.

Yet Wang Shan himself showed no trace of joy after the breakthrough.

He could clearly feel that with the complete shattering of the protective clan Array, the strange power that had sustained the Array, emanating from the Array Core Enhancement Module, had entirely vanished.

The Wang Family's greatest backing was gone.

"So what if he broke through?"

He is now at the early stage of Body Refining Eighth, but what about the opposite side?

Wan Hong! Body Refining Ninth Peak! Just one step away from striking a higher realm!

And the four confidants beside Wan Hong! One at Body Refining Eighth, two at Body Refining Seventh Late Stage, and one Body Refining Seventh who was just knocked back by his own Qi wave!

"This power gap... is still as vast as heaven and earth!"

"What's more crucial is..."

Wang Shan subconsciously sensed the direction of the family storehouse and the spot that had served as the Array Eye earlier.

"Empty!"

To sustain the enhanced Misty Spirit Gathering Array's hard resistance against Wan Hong's attacks, the family's years‑long stock of Spirit Stones was nearly exhausted! Especially the Middle‑Grade Spirit Stone that served as the Array Eye core, its energy completely depleted, now a waste stone!

Without Spirit Stone replenishment, even with the breakthrough he cannot quickly restore his condition to the peak, let alone endure a prolonged battle!

"This... breakthrough, is it merely drinking poison to quench thirst?"

After a brief shock, the terror in Wan Hong's eyes swiftly gave way to an even stronger murderous intent and ferocity!

"Hmph! Old thing! Luck's not bad!" Wan Hong's voice was icy and biting, with a hint of annoyed embarrassment after being toyed with, "But even if you got lucky, what does breaking through to Body Refining Eighth even matter?!"

"Today, you will still die!!"

He cannot tolerate Wang Shan's survival! An old fellow who can break through in a death‑defying situation has terrifying potential! He must be eliminated now!

"What are you still standing around for?!" Wan Hong roared at the two knocked‑back Body Refining Seventh Offerings, "Charge! Slaughter that old dog!"

At the same time, he again summoned Spiritual Power; the Black Fiend Claw, which had paused briefly, churned with black vapour, becoming denser and more sinister, bearing a lethal resolve, and lunged fiercely back toward Wang Shan below!

This time, he will crush this death‑unaware old thing with absolute force!

"Yes, Helmsman!"

The two knocked‑back Body Refining Seventh Offerings, along with the other Body Refining Eighth and Body Refining Seventh Late Stage Wan Family experts, heard the command and reacted.

"Breakthrough or not, the Helmsman is at Body Refining Ninth Peak!"

Kill!

Among them, the Body Refining Eighth Layer master and another Offering at the Body Refining Seventh Layer Late Stage locked eyes, then bypassed Wang Shan, who was locked by Wan Hong's aura mechanism, sneered, turned into two black shadows, and lunged straight at Wang Zhize and the others on the other side!

First, eliminate these troublesome ants!

"Watch out!" Wang Zhize's eyes widened to the brink of splitting; seeing two fiendish stars charging, he didn't think and swung his sword to block at the front.

"Young master, retreat quickly!"

"Protect the young master!"

The Wang Family scions nearby also rushed forward, trying to form a defense.

However, the gap in strength was too great!

That Body Refining Eighth Layer master merely brushed out a casual palm strike!

Bang!

Ah—!

The two Collateral Branch youths of the Wang Family who charged at the front didn't even have time to react; their Protective Spirit Power was instantly shattered, their chests collapsed, they screamed in agony as they were flung backward, crashing heavily onto the ground, blood gushing wildly, clearly on the brink of death!

"Xiao Liu! Third Uncle!" Wang Zhize's eyes instantly reddened, and he let out a mournful howl.

Those were his clan uncle who had raised him, and his newly adult clan junior!

"Hahaha! A bunch of trash!" The Body Refining Eighth Layer master landed a hit, cackling wildly, and struck again, his target fixed directly on Wang Zhize!

"Scoundrel!!"

On the other side, seeing his clan members brutally slain, Wang Shan's eyes turned blood‑red, his heart feeling as if it had been gouged open!

He wanted to rush to rescue, to tear those two executioners apart!

But!

Above his head, Wan Hong's Black Fiend Claw, bearing a destructive aura, pressed down again! That terrifying pressure from the Body Refining Ninth Layer Peak locked onto him tightly, making it impossible for him to divert his attention!

On one side were his son and clan members about to perish; on the other side stood a life‑or‑death foe whose strength far surpassed his own!

Spiritual stones depleted, successors lacking strength!

The massive strength gap, the scarcity of resources, the clan's tragic deaths…

At this moment, three immensely heavy mountains slammed down on Wang Shan's heart!

Could it be… truly impossible?

Even if he broke through, could it still not change the Wang Family's doomed fate?

Could today truly be the end of my Wang Family?!

A deep sense of helplessness, like cold tide water, began to spread, not only over Wang Shan's heart but also shrouding the hearts of every surviving member of the Wang Family.

The shadow of despair seemed, at this moment, to become exceedingly clear.