Chapter 94

Wang Shan, you brat! Get out here, old man! I know you're nearby! You might escape for a moment, but you can't escape forever!

Wan Tianjue's roar sounded like rolling thunder, exploding outside the cave and shaking loose stones to patter down inside.

The sound came from far to near; clearly that old coot had already felt his way to the cave entrance.

Wang Shan's heart sank; the distance of that teleportation talisman was still too close! Damn it, this guy just won't quit!

Wang Zhize and Wang Zhitao also turned deathly pale, cold sweat sliding down their foreheads.

"Clan Leader, that old dog has caught up to us!" Wang Zhitao said, his voice a little tight.

"Don't panic!" Wang Shan barked low, cocking his ear to listen.

Wan Tianjue seemed not to rush in immediately, merely loitering at the cave entrance.

Wang Shan could feel a powerful spiritual sense trying to probe into the cave, but as soon as it touched the depths, it was like a mud ox entering the sea—shattered and absorbed by an invisible force.

"Huh?" Wan Tianjue let out a soft 'huh' outside the cave, evidently also sensing the cave's strangeness: "This broken cave still has some tricks? Hmph, playing mystical tricks!"

He dared not rush in; the depths of the Man Yun Mountain Range were inherently perilous—who knew what monsters lurked in that pitch-black cave? If Wang Shan brat had set some trap down there, or lured in some powerful demon beast, he'd be the one suffering a great loss.

"Wang Shan, do you think hiding in this dog hole means I can't do anything to you?" Wan Tianjue's voice came again, tinged with impatience and probing: "Be sensible, come out obediently to meet your death! Otherwise, once I blast this cave shut and bury you alive, you'll wish for life but not find it, wish for death but not get it!"

Wang Shan listened to the cursing outside, smirking: "This old thing, he's actually cautious."

"Clan Leader, will he really blast the cave shut?" Wang Zhize said, a little worried.

"Would he dare?" Wang Shan sneered, "He fears death more than we do. He doesn't know what's in here; if it collapses and awakens some slumbering big shot, could he get away?"

That said, but lingering here isn't a solution.

"System, scan this cave!" Wang Shan thought silently.

"Beep—cave structure scanning… scan complete. This cave extends about three hundred zhang underground, its internal structure complex with many branches. About one hundred fifty zhang to the southeast, a huge fissure was found, leading to an unknown abyss; the fissure emits high-intensity dangerous energy fluctuations, suggesting a powerful presence."

Abyss fissure? Dangerous energy fluctuations?

Wang Shan's mind stirred: "System, what's near that fissure? Can Wan Tianjue's spiritual sense reach there?"

"Beep—energy around the abyss fissure is chaotic, causing strong interference and shielding for spiritual sense. Preliminary judgment: below the fissure may dwell third-tier or higher underground demon beasts. The area may also contain undiscovered veins or special spirit plants."

Third-tier or higher demon beasts! And possibly existing resources!

Wang Shan narrowed his eyes. Hiding at the cave entrance, sooner or later Wan Tianjue that old dog will force us out by various means, or wear us to death. Rather than sit and wait for doom, we might as well… give it a shot!

"Zhize, Zhitao, we're going in!" Wang Shan decided on the spot.

"Go in?" Wang Zhitao blinked, "Clan Leader, couldn't there be even stronger demon beasts inside?"

"Outside there's Wan Tianjue, inside there might be demon beasts—either way it's perilous." Wang Shan said solemnly, "But deep in this cave, Wan Tianjue's spiritual sense can't penetrate; that's our chance! Using the complex terrain, perhaps we can shake him off, even… find a new exit."

Wang Zhize nodded: "What the clan leader says is true—better than starving to death in here."

The three no longer hesitated, crouching low, they stealthily moved toward the abyss fissure indicated by the system.

The deeper they went, the dimmer the light grew, the air more foul, permeated with a damp mildew smell and a nauseating stench. Underfoot they occasionally stepped on some slimy liquid, or the carapace of some insect.

"Watch out, these are corpse-eating worms; though low rank, large numbers can be troublesome." Wang Shan warned softly, relying on the system's hints to lead the two around several areas where fist-sized black beetles swarmed.

Even so, the rustling sounds and omnipresent stench still made one's scalp tingle.

"Damn it, this ghostly place is worse than the miasma in Hundred Beast Valley!" Wang Zhitao cursed, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

After advancing about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a faint "whoo-whoo" wind sound came from ahead, the stench in the air grew thicker, mixed with a hint of pungent sulfur-like odor.

"Should be getting close." Wang Shan's spirits lifted.

Turning a bend, the view suddenly opened up. A huge subterranean fissure over ten zhang wide lay before them, like a ferocious scar. The fissure was bottomless, pitch black, with only gusts of gloomy wind howling up from below, carrying heart-pounding energy fluctuations.

"Good… good heavens, what a huge fissure!" Wang Zhize stared at the sight, somewhat speechless.

"System, double-check—can Wan Tianjue's spiritual sense reach here?" Wang Shan confirmed again.

"Beep—confirmed. The energy field here interferes extremely strongly; a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator's spiritual sense coverage will be compressed to within ten zhang, and cannot penetrate the energy barrier beneath the fissure."

"Good!" Wang Shan resolved in his heart.

He looked at Wang Zhize and Wang Zhitao: "You two, find a concealed spot to hide, restrain your aura; no matter what happens, don't come out!"

"Clan Leader, what about you?" Wang Zhize asked urgently.

"Me?" Wang Shan's lips curled into a cold arc, "I'm going to give that old dog a big gift!"

With a thought, he said: "System, redeem 【Concealment Pill】."

"Beep—redeemed one 【Second-tier Concealment Pill】, consuming fifty Spirit Plant Points. Host's current Spirit Plant Points remaining: two hundred fifty."

Wang Shan swallowed the pill; moments later his aura seemed to completely blend into the surrounding darkness and stone—if not seen with one's own eyes, his presence would be utterly undetectable.

"Clan Leader, you're going to…" Wang Zhitao seemed to guess something.

"Using his own methods against him." Wang Shan patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, I know my limits."

Having said that, his figure flickered and he silently slipped back the way they came, leaving Wang Zhize and Wang Zhitao staring at each other as they found a depression beside the fissure to hide in.

Wang Shan, like a ghost in the night, soundlessly crept back to a spot about twenty to thirty zhang from the cave entrance. Wan Tianjue's curses still came intermittently from the mouth of the cave, showing that old coot hadn't lost his patience.

"Old dog, let you live a little longer." Wang Shan snorted coldly in his heart.

He contacted the system again: "System, any Spirit Plant Points left? Give me something that can explode, with a big commotion!"

"Beep—detected host's current Spirit Plant Points: five. Can redeem one 【Micro Explosive Bead】, a single-use item, blast radius three zhang, power equivalent to a full-strength strike of Body Refining seventh layer. Redeem?"

"Five points?" Wang Shan blinked, recalling he thought it had been zero before—had the system miscalculated, or was the Transformation Fruit's reward more than three hundred? Never mind! Even a mosquito leg is meat; having something is better than nothing.

"Redeem!"

A bead the size of a pigeon's egg, utterly unremarkable black, appeared in his hand.

Wang Shan carefully placed the 【Micro Explosive Bead】 in an inconspicuous crevice in the cave wall, then cleverly concealed it with rubble, leaving only a trace of fuse almost impossible to notice.

Having done all that, he took a deep breath and steadied his emotions.

Then he abruptly cleared his throat, adopting a tone of feigned weakness and panic, shouting toward the cave mouth: "Cough… Wan… Wan Senior, let's talk! Junior… junior merely stumbled into this place by accident, not intending to be your enemy!"

Outside, Wan Tianjue heard the voice, first startled, then burst into a proud laugh: "Hahaha! Kid, you finally decided to come out? I thought you'd stay a shrinking turtle your whole life!"

"Senior… senior, your divine powers are vast; junior… junior knows I'm no match." Wang Shan's voice sounded even more "weak," "Just… just this cave's depths seem… seem to hold something extraordinary; junior dares not go deeper, wishes… wishes to ask senior to decide…"

"Oh? Something extraordinary?" Wan Tianjue's heart stirred, a flash of greed passed. This kid indeed discovered something!

"Cut the nonsense! Get out here, old man! Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Wan Tianjue's words were harsh, but his steps unconsciously moved a bit closer to the cave entrance.

"Senior... junior... junior will come out now, will come out..." Wang Shan's voice carried a sobbing tone, while he quietly retreated; the effect of the Concealment Pill still held, he was merely simulating the source of the sound.

Wan Tianjue could no longer bear it; in his view, Wang Shan was surely at the end of his rope, trying to trade some discovery inside the cave for a chance to live.

"Hmph! I doubt you can pull any tricks!"

Wan Tianjue roared, his figure flickered, like an enraged lion, carrying a mighty aura, he charged into the mountain cave!

He had just stepped into the cave entrance, not yet had time to adjust to the darkness inside, when he felt as if he had stepped on something underfoot.

"Now!" Wang Shan shouted in his heart, his divine sense stirred!

Boom——!!!