Chapter 63: I, the Old Man, Head Toward Thunder Mountain!

The system scan results spread across Wang Shan's mind like a real‑time updating battlefield map.

This Thunderstorm Canyon really isn't a solid slab; there are many hidden passages inside.

On the map, the red dots representing thunder energy are distributed extremely unevenly.

In some places the red is so intense it turns purple—like a thunder party, dense in patches, clearly the most forbidden of the Forbidden Zones.

In other areas the red dots are sparse, even interspersed with the relatively safe Green Area; still dangerous, but compared to those thunder‑dense zones it's practically heaven.

This discovery lifted Wang Shan's spirit, letting him glimpse a sliver of hopeful dawn.

Immediately, the light spot marking Wan Tianjue's position lingered like a festering sore behind them, the distance shrinking a little more each moment.

Although the Chaotic Magnetic Field of this cursed place crippled his speed and suppressed his Spiritual Sense, the Foundation Establishment base he possessed meant his adaptability far outstripped that of us chain‑Qi cultivators and a broken ship.

Damn, this old dog just won't die out!

If we're caught, it's a dead end. If we keep running until the spirit stones run out, that's also a dead end.

Wang Shan stared at those purple‑red zones on the map, and a wild thought sprouted like weeds, quickly occupying his entire mind.

Since every path leads to death, why not… dive into the most dangerous place!

Right! Head for the core area where the thunder is most ferocious!

The environment there is the harshest, the interference to Spiritual Sense and flight the greatest; even an old Foundation Establishment dog would have to shed its skin! Perhaps the chaos there could finally shake him off!

"System! Lock onto the densely thunder‑filled area slightly to the left ahead! Plot a thrust route!"

"Ding! Target area locked, danger level: extremely lethal! Planning evasive thrust route… route generated, success rate estimated: below ten percent."

Below ten percent?

Wang Shan twisted his mouth into a grin, flashing white teeth, his face bearing an almost mad resolve.

Ten percent is ten percent! Better than waiting to die now!

He slammed the Control Console, shouting at the pale‑faced Wang Zhitao and Wang Zhiyuan beside him, "Listen up! Change direction! We're going there!"

The direction his finger pointed was exactly that region where violet lightning danced wildly, marked on the linked map as "extremely lethal."

"Dad!?" Wang Zhize, not far away, nearly fell from the jolt and cried out, "That… that's the very center of the thunderstorm! If we charge our broken ship in there, aren't we courting death?!"

The other few crew members responsible for piloting also wore horrified expressions, clearly startled by Wang Shan's decision.

"Courting death?" Wang Shan whirled around, his scarlet eyes sweeping the crowd, his voice squeezing out of his teeth, "Aren't we already courting death the way we are now? That old dog behind us is closing in step by step, the spirit stones burning faster than water! If we charge forward, we'll either be caught or run out of spirit stones and fall to our death! Tell me, do we have any other choices?!"

He paused, his tone decisive: "In this Thunderstorm Canyon, the more dangerous the place, the greater the restriction on that old Foundation Establishment dog! Only by plunging into the Thunder Eye can we possibly snatch a sliver of survival! Put yourself in a death trap to be reborn! Everyone, gear up! Trust me!"

Wang Shan's voice carried an unquestionable authority and a reckless, all‑or‑nothing madness, silencing the cabin for a moment.

The others stared at Wang Shan's twisted face, warped by fatigue, anger and resolve; despite lingering fear, a spark of ruthless determination ignited in the face of their desperate plight.

Indeed, whether it's death all around or not, better to gamble!

"Dad… I understand!" Wang Zhize gritted his teeth, the first to speak, "Your command!"

"Listen to the Family Head!" the others echoed.

"Alright!" Wang Shan stopped the idle chatter, pushed aside the crew member who had been in charge, and seized a portion of the core Control Compass himself.

His hand trembled slightly from prolonged tension and the ship's rocking, but his gaze was unusually focused.

"System, assist control! Push energy output to the limit! Give me thrust!"

Buzz—!

The Black Feather Boat's Energy Core emitted an overburdened roar, and the dim spirit‑stone glow suddenly burst, then consumed even faster. Under Wang Shan's command, the damaged hull tilted sharply, wobbling like a drunken man yet surging forward with unstoppable momentum toward the left‑front violet‑light, most intense thunder‑light region, and charged ahead!

Behind them, the relentless Wan Tianjue frowned, adapting to the ever‑strengthening gale and thunder interference within the canyon.

This cursed place was indeed troublesome; his speed had been forced down to less than seventy percent of normal, and his Spiritual Sense was suppressed to barely lock onto the silhouette of the broken ship ahead.

Nevertheless, in his eyes, catching the opponent was only a matter of time. A broken Low‑Grade Flying Boat and a swarm of ants no higher than late‑stage chain‑Qi could not possibly turn the tide, could they?

Yet at that moment, he keenly sensed the Black Feather Boat ahead suddenly change course.

It wasn't continuing to flee nor trying to skirt any obstacle, but… it barreled straight toward the canyon's depths, into the thunderstorm core area that even made his heart race.

"Hm?" Wan Tianjue's Flying Sword form paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.

Crazy?

The thunder intensity in that area, even his Protective Body Light, could not be wholly ignored. The scattered thunder power alone could threaten a Foundation Establishment novice, let alone hit directly.

Wang Shan… is he trying to commit suicide? Or does he have some other backing?

Wan Tianjue's eyes grew heavy. He recalled the tragic death of Chen Tianfeng he had seen in Luo Bay County, and the Wang Family's decisive, ruthless evacuation tactics, heightening his wariness toward Wang Shan.

That kid's mind is tighter than a wasp's nest; he's definitely not the type to give up easily or rush to his death!

He must have a purpose for doing this!

Could he be using that extreme environment to escape himself?

Hmph! Naïve!

Wan Tianjue let out a cold snort; though wary, he didn't halt his pursuit. He wanted to see what tricks the Wang Family were really playing! The chasm between Foundation Establishment and chain‑Qi cannot be bridged by a little cleverness and fearlessness alone.

The cauldron is ready, just waiting for the turtle to arrive! Today, the Wang Family must be annihilated!

Meanwhile, the Black Feather Boat had already plunged into the outer rim of the thunderstorm core area.

Boom—boom—boom—!!!

Screech—!!!

The deafening thunderclap almost tore a person's eardrum apart!

Purple, silver, even black lightning tinged with a hint of destruction, several times thicker than before, raged like a mad dragon across the narrow airspace!

Each flash of lightning split the darkness, illuminating the surrounding snarling, twisted cliffs and the bottomless abyss below that seemed to connect to the Nine Nether Hell.

The air was saturated with thunder‑charged sulfur smell to a suffocating degree; the violent energy turbulence, like massive hands, tore and slapped the Black Feather Boat, making the already dilapidated flying boat emit an even more mournful groan.

Creak—crack!

Tiny fragments constantly peeled off the hull under the raging wind and energy turbulence, drifting in the air and instantly shattering.

"Hold steady! Everyone, hold steady!" Wang Shan's eyes widened, staring fixedly ahead, his hands' muscles bulging as he frantically spun the Control Compass.

In his field of view, with the system's assistance, countless massive bolts of thunder formed an interwoven death net, repeatedly exploding in front of and around him!

He must, in the gaps between the falling lightning, amid the onslaught of raging air currents, find a minuscule lifeline and steer this near‑disintegrating wreck through it!

It's like dancing on the tip of a blade! No, it's ten thousand times more thrilling! It's as if a mountain of knives and a sea of fire were just a stroll, while the netherworld constantly drops by!

Screech!

A purple bolt of thunder as thick as a bucket of water skimmed past the top of the Black Feather Boat! The terrifying heat and stray arcs instantly scorched a large blackened patch on the boat's deck!

Crackle!

Countless electric snakes slithered down the hull, and the Protective Light Shield flickered like a dying candle in the wind, flashing wildly a few times before it seemed about to go out completely!

"Energy! Quick! Middle‑Grade Spirit Stone! Use the Middle‑Grade Spirit Stone!" Wang Shan roared without looking back.

The energy output of the Lower Grade Spirit Stone can no longer keep up with this level of consumption and impact!

"Got it!" Wang Zhiyuan fumbled out several Middle‑Grade Spirit Stones emitting purer energy waves from his storage bag, trembling as he jammed them into the Energy Core's spare slot.

Buzz!

As the Middle‑Grade Spirit Stone's energy poured in, the nearly extinguished Protective Light Shield flared back to life, barely blocking the subsequent stray lightning strikes.

But everyone's hearts were bleeding.

Middle‑Grade Spirit Stone! That's equivalent to a hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones! In the blink of an eye it burned away several of them! It hurts more than cutting flesh!

Inside the cabin, the remaining Wang Family youths had long ceased their frantic shouts. It wasn't that they were no longer afraid; the hellish scene and relentless violent jolts had worn them out to the point where they lacked the strength to scream.

They could only cling tightly to anything that could be anchored, curl their bodies up, their faces pallid, lips turning purple; each thunderclap and violent shake made their bodies convulse uncontrollably.

Fear coiled around each person's heart like a cold poisonous snake.

Yet their gazes, involuntarily, kept turning again and again toward the figure ahead, standing before the Control Console, steering the flying boat through the thunder like a mad demon.

Family Head... can he really lead us out?

Wang Shan at this moment had slipped entirely into a self‑forgetting state. His mind raced at high speed, his eyes glued to the System Map and the ever‑changing lightning ahead, his hands, guided by instinct and the system's assistance, continuously executing extreme evasive maneuvers.

Dodge! Flash! Rush!

The Black Feather Boat was like a tiny craft struggling in raging waves; each close pass with thunder was accompanied by a harsh metallic screech and splattering sparks.

The hull's cracks multiplied and widened, with several spots already leaking wind, as icy, bone‑chilling gale mixed with arcs poured back in.

Creak!

Another ear‑splitting roar echoed, and on the left side of the boat, the wing joint that had been barely repaired after being severed by Sword Qi split open a huge gash again!

The hull suddenly lost balance, tilting sharply to the left!

"Not good!" Wang Shan's pupils narrowed sharply as he tried to yank it back forcibly.

But at that moment, to the side and ahead, a massive silver thunder column that nearly illuminated the entire canyon, like a Heavenly Punishment Spear, thundered down!

The route was completely sealed!

And the boat, out of balance, hurtled uncontrollably toward the side of that thunder column!

"Dad!" Wang Zhize let out a desperate scream.