PDLP Chapter 41 Team Formation and Mutation
Chapter 41 Team Formation and Mutation
"Fellow disciples, to pinpoint the exact location of that Five Elements Beast, it needs to be within a ten-mile radius of the positioning disc. Currently, the Five Elements Beast is clearly outside this range, so we cannot pinpoint its exact location. Therefore, we need to split into four groups and search in different directions. Once we find the beast, we will use the positioning disc to signal an alarm, and then we will all go together to capture it. Don't worry, fellow disciples, as long as we are in this space, the location of each of us will be displayed on the positioning disc. I believe everyone understands how to operate the positioning disc. You can form groups of three, and the rest of you will join me." Just a quarter of an hour later, Han Mang stood up and gave his instructions.
After the inner disciples made a commotion, they began to look for their familiar companions. Du Fan, Wang San from the warehouse, and Zhang Dashan from the Monster Garden exchanged glances, smiled at each other, and then walked together.
After a brief commotion, the others also formed teams. Xu Fu from the alchemy office teamed up with two familiar inner sect servants, while Zhao Kun from the scripture pavilion teamed up with two people he knew. In the blink of an eye, apart from Han Mang, there were only the servants from the general store and two people who were somewhat unfamiliar to Du Fan. It was unclear whether they didn't know anyone or had other plans.
"The three of you can team up with me," Han Mang instructed, pointing to the remaining three.
These three were naturally fine, so the people present were divided into four groups. Except for Han Mang's group of four, the other three groups each had three people. Under Han Mang's command, Du Fan's group and Zhao Kun's group, who was a servant in the Scripture Pavilion, were assigned to search in the jungle, while Han Mang's group and Xu Fu's group, who was a servant in the Alchemy Room, went into the depths of the grassland.
After reaching the edge of the jungle, Du Fan, Zhao Kun, and the other five exchanged a few words and then headed off in different directions into the jungle.
"Hopefully we won't run into it. Although this beast is not good at attacking, it is still higher in rank than us. If it attacks even slightly, the three of us will be in danger of death." Wang San muttered to himself as he followed the other two, looking at the positioning compass in his hand. At this time, the three of them had been walking in the jungle in one direction for nearly an hour.
Du Fan also looked at the positioning disc in his hand. On the white disc, there were thirteen small black dots. These black dots represented the thirteen quasi-Qi cultivators who had entered this place. At this moment, these black dots on the white disc were slowly moving outwards from the center in four groups.
"What are you afraid of? It's just that you two have the cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 1. Don't tell me that your senior uncle didn't give you some life-saving measures before you set off. If we find this beast first, we might get more rewards than the other groups after we get out." Zhang Dashan seemed to be indifferent, as if he was looking forward to encountering the Five Elements Beast.
"Brother Zhang is right. I believe you both have some means of self-protection. As long as we are careful, nothing should happen," Du Fan said, shifting his gaze from the positioning disc.
"Brother Du, I heard that Senior Sister Qin from Zhongyuan has been frequently visiting Lingyuan lately. You must have reaped quite a bit of benefits." Upon hearing this, Wang San was no longer worried and changed the subject, speaking to Du Fan with a meaningful tone. Zhang Dashan, who was standing to the side, also became interested and looked at Du Fan.
"Brother Wang's information network is indeed impressive, but it's just a few spirit stones. How could I possibly do something so blatantly? If I did, I would have been caught by the Enforcement Hall long ago," Du Fan replied calmly.
"Oh? I see." Wang San's eyes darted around, but he didn't press the matter further. As for how much he believed Du Fan's words, he had no idea.
"I wonder how you handled the mature medicinal herbs I gave you, Brother Wang. I'm quite interested in that," Du Fan said with a slight smile, seemingly asking casually.
"Hehe, Brother Du, haven't you also gone down the mountain before? Why are you being so cautious in trying to get information out of me? But given our relationship, I don't need to hide anything. The mature spiritual herbs you returned to me, I naturally didn't sell them at the sect's pharmacy. Instead, I sold them at a shop in Sangcheng. As for which shop, I'm afraid I can't tell you." Wang San chuckled, showing no intention of concealing anything.
"You two are doing well, both getting a hefty cut of the profits. I earn the least. I can only secretly trade with Brother Du a few times a day, and I don't have any business dealings with the other inner disciples." Zhang Dashan sighed, looking rather frustrated.
"Brother Zhang, you think you're not making enough money? I've heard that every time a core disciple goes to the Monster Farm to get a monster pet, they give you a lot of kickbacks in order to get some guidance from you. Tsk tsk, you're even doing business with the core disciples. That's quite a generous offer. You still think you're not making enough money?" Wang San rolled his eyes, looking completely unconvinced.
Zhang Dashan chuckled and offered no further explanation.
"Huh? Why is one of the black dots on the positioning disk missing?" While the other two were talking, Du Fan glanced at the positioning disk casually, and asked in surprise.
"How could that be? You must be mistaken. Each black dot on the magic plate represents one of us. These are magic tools issued by the sect, so there won't be any problems, unless that person dies, hahaha..." Zhang Dashan didn't take it seriously, thinking that Du Fan had made a mistake, and laughed heartily.
"That's right, there are only twelve black dots now, but Senior Brother Han Mang is missing one!" Wang San didn't pay attention at first, but after carefully observing the positioning compass, his expression suddenly changed and he spoke urgently.
"What!" Zhang Dashan was shocked upon hearing this. He quickly took out his magic disc, stared at it for a moment, then his tall body trembled violently. He muttered, "Impossible, impossible..."
"Does this mean that someone in Senior Brother Han Mang's team has died?" A hint of panic flashed in Wang San's eyes.
"That's most likely the case. And look here, the three black dots representing Zhao Kun's group—judging by their speed, they're clearly running at breakneck speed. They must have encountered danger. They're in the same jungle as us, so we need to be careful. The remaining group is also in danger!" Du Fan said solemnly, pointing to the black dots representing the other two groups on the magic plate.
An incredibly heavy atmosphere of tension instantly spread, enveloping Du Fan and his two companions.
"Why don't we go back to the entrance first, gather the others, and then discuss our next move?" Wang San, who was more composed than the burly Zhang Dashan, suggested after suppressing his nervousness.
"No, we've been in the jungle for almost an hour. Turning back now would inevitably lead to danger. Even if we get back to the entrance, we'd still have to search for the Five Elements Beast, which would be like going through two dangers in one. Don't forget, we must succeed on this mission, otherwise, even if we don't perish here, we'll have no way to survive once we get out!" Du Fan's face was gloomy. After pondering for a while, he decisively rejected Wang San's suggestion.
"Brother Du, you are usually the most composed person. Just say it, we'll listen to you." Zhang Dashan's face was pale and trembling, but after gritting his teeth, he made up his mind and said it.
Wang San didn't speak, but nodded firmly to Du Fan.
"Our previous plan is clearly no longer viable. Judging from the situation on the magic disc, apart from us who are still safe, they have all encountered danger one after another. Judging from their condition, even their own survival is questionable, let alone mutual support. We will continue forward, but this time we can no longer pray that we will not encounter the Five Elements Beast. Instead, we hope to find it and, with the combined strength of the three of us, subdue, capture, or kill it. Then we can obtain that mysterious token, return to the entrance, and send a message to our fellow disciples." After pondering for a long time, Du Fan spoke slowly with a solemn expression.
"Alright, it seems this is the only way now. If we really encounter that Five Elements Beast, it's not impossible to accomplish this with the methods taught to us by our Uncle and Grandmaster." Wang San and Zhang Dashan nodded, indicating that they had no problem.
"Let's go, be careful." Du Fan patted the storage bag at his waist, and a silver longsword flashed into his hand. After bracing himself, he took the lead and walked forward.
Seeing this, the other two also took out their weapons and followed closely behind.
……
Across a green grassland, Han Mang and the other two raced in one direction, their clothes fluttering and creating a series of whooshing sounds as they went. All three were in a sorry state, covered in wounds, and one of them had a purplish-black face, looking as if he had been poisoned.
Behind the three, a giant black-green python, five zhang long and as thick as an adult's thigh, was hot on their heels. The python's body was covered with dense black-green spots, and it had two horns on its head. A one-foot-long forked tongue flickered on and off outside its head, with green slime dripping out. It was ferocious and terrifying. With a single coil, it instantly covered several zhang on the grass and was not far from the three in a few breaths.
"Junior brothers, don't panic. Hold on a little longer. There's a desert area ahead. Once we enter there, this python's speed will definitely drop significantly, and we can escape." Han Mang, who was running wildly, was overjoyed when he saw the desert ahead and shouted encouraging words.
……
In the same grassland, three people were running wildly in one direction. One of them was Xu Fu, a handyman in the alchemy room. The three of them were pale and bloodless, and a look of despair flashed in the depths of their eyes.
Behind them was a dense swarm of locust monsters, their ear-piercing buzzing covering the sky for dozens of feet, howling past like dark clouds pressing down. Upon closer inspection, one could see that each locust was about half a foot in size, with sharp teeth protruding from its mouth, gleaming coldly and incredibly sharp.
……
With a deafening roar, a two-zhang-tall white giant bear slammed its paws together, turning a young man dressed in the uniform of an inner disciple of the Kongsang Sect into a bloody pulp between the bear's thick paws. The enraged white bear then tore him in two with its paws, scattering blood and colorful entrails as it fell to the ground, creating a shower of blood and gore.
The other two who witnessed this scene were filled with extreme fear. Their faces were bloodless, and their legs trembled so badly that they couldn't take a step.
"Roar..." Another furious roar erupted from the white giant bear's mouth, its eyes flashing with a ferocious crimson light as it glared at the other two...