Chapter 99

As Wang Shan's words fell, the burly man, namely Li Hu, with bell-like eyes stared at Wang Shan, as if trying to see a flower on his face.

"Really? Don't try to fool us brothers……siblings!"

The companion beside him, slightly frail and who had remained silent all along, at this moment gave a light cough, lifted her head, revealing a face covered in dust and sweat, yet still showing a hint of delicate beauty.

She was Zhang Mei.

Zhang Mei's gaze was far more meticulous than Li Hu's; she sized up Wang Shan, her voice carrying a hint of hoarseness yet very steady: 'Fellow Daoist, just how dangerous is it down below? And how did you get here? I can see you're badly injured; unless you truly have some great trouble, you probably wouldn't resort to such a risky move.'

Wang Shan's heart skipped a beat; this woman's observation skills were truly keen.

He gave a bitter laugh, his face showing a mix of alarm and fatigue at the right moment: 'This is a long story. I am Wang Shan, a mere loose cultivator. Not long ago, while searching for a spiritual herb deep in the Man Yun Mountain Range, I inadvertently uncovered a great conspiracy and was hunted down by cultivators from several forces. In my panic, I fled into a deadly place, and finally… finally lost my footing and fell into that abyss fissure.'

He deliberately concealed the Ten Thousand Beasts Gate and his own family name, presenting himself merely as an unfortunate loose cultivator.

After all, the identity of the Wang Family Head is too sensitive; who knows what background these frontier settlers of the wilds have? If they happened to have any grudge with us, it would truly be jumping out of the dragon's pool only to fall into the tiger's den.

Li Hu stared, stunned: 'Deep in the Man Yun Mountain Range? Good heavens, we wouldn't dare go there! I've heard that the demon beasts inside, even a random one could make a snack of our little group! You actually dared to go exploring there?'

Wang Shan sighed: 'If not for breaking through a bottleneck, who would willingly court such peril? Alas, nine deaths to one life!' He pointed at the pitch-black passage below: 'Below that fissure lies a huge underground dark river; the water is ice-cold and piercing, and it carries poison. Even more terrifying, lurking by the dark river is at least a third-tier peak mutated giant lizard, possessing immense strength and able to spew corrosive venom—it's formidable! I also lured one of my enemies down there; now I estimate…'

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Zhang Mei's eyes flashed: 'A third-tier peak mutated giant lizard? Then you…'

'Pure luck, just luck.' Wang Shan rubbed his still faintly aching chest, 'The talismans I carried were nearly exhausted; I summoned my last breath to leap into the dark river, drifting with the current to this place. Had you two not lent a hand, I would likely have perished in this lightless realm.'

Li Hu and Zhang Mei exchanged a glance, each seeing a hint of surprise in the other's eyes.

Anyone capable of escaping from a third-tier peak demon beast and the hands of Foundation Establishment cultivators, even if now looking disheveled, is certainly no ordinary person.

'Fellow Daoist Wang, you said you're a loose cultivator…' Zhang Mei pondered for a moment, then shifted the topic: 'Do you happen to know some methods for alchemy and talisman crafting?'

Wang Shan's heart stirred; he knew the opportunity had arrived. He now possessed nothing, his Spirit Plant Points were a mere seven, and to gain trust—or even aid—he needed to show some real skill. He nodded, feigning humility: 'I know only the basics. Years ago I was fortunate to receive guidance from a senior, learning some rudimentary alchemy and talisman crafting, but materials are hard to come by and my cultivation is shallow, so I cannot reach the hall of masters.'

'Oh?' Li Hu's eyes lit up, his tone growing warmer: 'Fellow Daoist Wang, you also know this? That's… fantastic! To be frank, we who scrape a living on the frontier of the wilds are most lacking in pills and talismans.'

Zhang Mei also showed a hint of expectation: 'If Fellow Daoist Wang can truly refine some pills and talismans, our camp will surely be grateful.'

Wang Shan secretly rejoiced, seeing that this move was wise. He glanced at the scattered rubble around and said: 'Fellow Daoists, this place is not suitable for lingering. Why don't we join forces to completely clear this passage, then leave and talk later? As for alchemy and talisman crafting, once we find a secure spot, I will certainly do my best.'

'Good! Let's do that!' Li Hu, being straightforward, immediately picked up his second-order pierce-armor awl: 'Fellow Daoist Wang, your wounds aren't healed yet; just rest aside, I and my junior sister will handle it!'

Wang Shan shook his head: 'Just a few minor injuries, no problem. The sooner we break through, the sooner we can relax. I'll also pitch in; maybe it'll go faster.' Having said that, he walked over to a half‑human‑high boulder, carefully examining its grain and stress points.

His spiritual power was now empty, his flesh utterly exhausted, but his eyes and experience remained. Although the system could not directly help him move stones, its analysis of force and judgment of the optimal application point were spot‑on.

'Fellow Daoist Li, strike this stone three cun below its left side; I will lend force here, perhaps we can give it a try.' Wang Shan pointed out.

Li Hu was half‑believing, half‑doubting, but he still followed the instruction, thrusting his pierce‑armor awl at the spot Wang Shan indicated. Wang Shan then drew a deep breath, bracing his shoulder against an inconspicuous protrusion on the opposite side of the rock, and exerted a sudden force.

'Hey!'

Only a soft 'crack‑clack' was heard, and the massive stone actually loosened a bit.

'There's hope!' Li Hu exclaimed delightedly, redoubling his effort. Zhang Mei also hurried over to help.

Although Wang Shan could not rely on brute strength, his grasp of timing and his guidance of force were extraordinary. Often when Li Hu and Zhang Mei lacked strength or used the wrong method, he could always apply just the right amount of power or adjust the angle just enough to make the previously immovable stone shift.

'Fellow Daoist Wang, what kind of clever force are you using? It's far more effective than my brute strength!' Li Hu panted while moving stones, admiringly.

'Heh, I picked it up from doing manual labor.' Wang Shan chatted casually. Inside, however, he was silently communicating with the system: 'System, analyze the structure of the next stone, determine the best point of force.'

'Beep—analysis complete. The target rock shows uneven force at three points; it is recommended to apply pressure from the top…'

Thus, the three worked together, with Wang Shan offering pointers from the side, and the efficiency was surprisingly high. Originally estimated to take half a day to clear the passage cleanly, it was completely opened in less than two hours.

The sunlight, though merely dappled spots filtering through gaps in the trees, seemed like celestial light to Wang Shan, who had long dwelt in darkness. He narrowed his eyes, greedily inhaling the air scented with soil and fresh greenery, feeling as if he had stepped into another world.

'At last we're out!' Li Hu plopped onto the ground, wiping his sweat: 'Fellow Daoist Wang, you're truly something! Without you, my sister and I would have had to expend twice the effort!'

Zhang Mei also nodded, her gaze toward Wang Shan gaining a touch of genuine respect: 'Fellow Daoist Wang, great kindness needs no thanks. This place is the opposite edge of the Man Yun Mountain Range, relatively safe. Our camp is not far away; your injuries are serious, so why not come with us to rest at the camp?'

Wang Shan had exactly that intention. He was unfamiliar with the terrain, his spiritual power not yet restored, his wounds serious; wandering alone in this wilderness would be tantamount to seeking death. Li Hu and Zhang Mei did not look like wicked people, and moreover they had a need for him, so for the time being it should be safe.

'Then I will impose on you two.' Wang Shan clasped his hands.

'What's with the politeness! Later we might have to rely on Fellow Daoist Wang's pills and talismans!' Li Hu laughed heartily, helped Wang Shan up, and said: 'Come on, back to camp! Let you taste our camp's roasted meat—it's fragrant indeed!'

The three followed a trail made by hunters' footsteps heading out of the woods. Along the way, Wang Shan silently activated the system scan to probe the surroundings.

'Beep—scan radius fifty zhang… detected two first‑order wind wolves, located thirty zhang behind the left‑front thicket… detected three first‑order venom‑pattern spiders, positioned on the right‑side cliff… no second‑order or higher demon beasts found.'

Indeed, as Zhang Mei had said, the demon beasts' level and density here were far inferior to those deep in the Hundred Beast Valley. Wang Shan relaxed a little, but he did not dare let his guard down. Who knew whether some formidable figure might suddenly appear? In this wilderness, the unexpected is never in short supply.

After walking about an hour, the trees ahead grew sparser, and faint traces of human activity could be seen.

'Aooo—!'

Suddenly, a wolf howl rang from the dense woods to the side, and immediately a bluish shadow shot out like an arrow from a bow, aiming straight at Wang Shan, who was walking last and somewhat weak!

'Careful!' Zhang Mei reacted fastest, giving a crisp shout; her Kaishan Axe swept horizontally, a pale yellow light flashing as she struck at the blue shadow.

Li Hu also roared angrily, his pierce‑armor awl flaring as he turned to shield Wang Shan in front: 'Beast, you're asking for death!'

It was a sturdy, blue‑tinged demon wolf, fangs bared, eyes blood‑red—clearly a first‑stage second‑order gale demon wolf!

Although Zhang Mei's Kaishan Axe also carried a bit of spiritual power, against a second‑order demon wolf it still seemed somewhat strained; the axe blade struck the wolf's body, drawing only a spray of sparks and a few wolf hairs, the wolf howled in pain, yet its assault grew even fiercer.

Li Hu's pierce‑armor awl, however, had some potency; each thrust left a bloodstain on the wolf. But the wolf was extremely swift and agile, so eight or nine out of ten of Li Hu's attacks missed. Together they could barely hold their own against the wolf, and at times even found themselves at a disadvantage.

'How did this beast end up here!' Li Hu dodged and weaved in a sorry state, groaning, 'Normally we never see a second‑order creature around here!'

Wang Shan watched from behind, his brows slightly furrowed. Although Li Hu and Zhang Mei's cultivations were both at the eighth layer of Body Refining, their combat experience seemed lacking, their coordination not seamless; facing a first‑stage second‑order demon wolf, they actually struggled this much. It appears the frontier settlers of this wilds indeed lead a hard life.

Seeing Zhang Mei inadvertently struck on the arm by the wolf's claw, blood spurted out at once. The wolf, noticing this, grew even more ferocious, opening its blood‑filled maw to bite at Zhang Mei's neck!

'Junior sister!' Li Hu's eyes nearly burst with fury, wanting to rescue but already too late.

At this critical moment, Wang Shan, who had been standing by with folded sleeves, moved.

His footwork was uncanny; in a ghost‑like flicker he appeared beside Zhang Mei, without any visible motion—he simply raised his right hand slightly and slapped his palm onto the wolf's waist and abdomen.

'Bang!'

A muffled thud.

The gale demon wolf, as if struck by an invisible massive hammer, let out a miserable howl; its huge body actually flew sideways, slamming heavily into a large tree with a tremendous crash, then slid limply to the ground, twitched a few times, and fell silent.

Li Hu and Zhang Mei were both dumbfounded.

Just one palm?

With such a light, casual palm strike, it actually… slapped to death a second-rank early-stage Swiftwind Demon Wolf?

Li Hu gaped, unable to close his mouth for a moment: "Wang… Wang Daoist friend, you… you…"

Wang Shan coughed twice, his face slightly pale, as if that palm just now had drained much of his strength: "In a moment of urgency, I aggravated my injury. I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed." He certainly wouldn't say that he had used the "Splitting Stone Hand", which suppressed the vast majority of its power, and had precisely struck the demon wolf's vital organs. Even so, it also consumed a trace of his already depleted spiritual power.

"This… this still counts as aggravating the injury?" Li Hu stared at the demon wolf lying dead on the ground, then glanced at Wang Shan, his eyes filled with disbelief and profound awe: "Wang Daoist friend, your technique is just too superb!"

Zhang Mei held her injured arm, her pretty face turning pale, but her gaze toward Wang Shan shone unusually bright. She fully understood how perilous that moment had been; without Wang Shan's intervention, she likely would have perished.

"Many thanks, Wang Daoist friend, for saving my life!" Zhang Mei said sincerely.

Wang Shan waved a hand: "Just a small effort. Since we're fellow travelers, we ought to look out for each other." He paused, then added: "We shouldn't linger here; the smell of the demon beast's blood will soon attract other trouble. We'd better leave quickly."

"Exactly!" Li Hu snapped out of his daze, rushed forward to examine the demon wolf's corpse: "A second-rank demon wolf—its pelt and fangs can fetch some spirit stones! And its meat is also a great tonic!" He swiftly began processing the demon wolf.

Zhang Mei also simply bandaged her wound and came over to help.

Wang Shan watched their busy backs, silently calculating. From that fight, he gained a rough grasp of their abilities and a more intuitive sense of the danger in this wilderness frontier. It seemed that establishing a foothold here, or even finding a way back to his clan, would not be easy.

However, the ones who found a treasure might not be just Li Hu and Zhang Mei. To Wang Shan, these two seemed fairly honest and were in urgent need of his pill-refining and talisman-crafting abilities; they might well be his best foothold and support at present.

"Wang Daoist friend, this wolf heart is a fine thing—it greatly replenishes qi and blood; you're injured, take this!" Li Hu handed over a wolf heart still slightly warm.

Wang Shan looked at the bloody object, his mouth twitched, but he still accepted it: "Many thanks, Li Daoist friend."

Hmm, it seems I still need to adjust well to life in this wilderness. He lifted his gaze to the sky; in the distance, cooking smoke could faintly be seen. A new beginning seemed just ahead.