Chapter 31 Rolling up their sleeves and getting to work: Their first group fight

"You're not number one?" Guan Wangzhen was first surprised, then retorted indignantly, "Do I have that much free time? Do I need to pay attention to unimportant people?"

As he spoke, the talisman he held between his two fingers landed steadily on the white horse's saddle.

"Turn." Guan Wangzhen then quickly formed hand seals and whispered. The white horse, which was only about a hundred meters away from them, was suddenly turned 180 degrees and ran back the way it came.

The White Frost Snow Hoof Horse is famous for its ability to travel 10,000 miles in a day. Even though it is quite intelligent, it can still travel five or six miles by the time it realizes it is going in the opposite direction.

Just then, the rapidly twisting snake body caused the earth to tremble, and the ground in the direction the horses were running showed signs of cracking.

"Quickly!" Guan Wangzhen shouted.

Ji Mingran didn't know who he was calling, but he intuitively felt that some kind of spiritual energy that was heavily surrounding him was rapidly withdrawing and then gathering again.

She turned to look at Zhu Shibai and saw that he had already leaped forward several steps, his hand gestures constantly changing as he began to cast a new spell.

Ji Mingran understood, so he withdrew one of the spells and used another.

At the same time, Guan Wangzhen shouted to the horses, "Run to the other side, don't stay together! Watch the ground!"

The horse truly understood; it half-reclined, hoofed itself to a stop, turned sharply, and then leaped off in another direction.

"I just hope it runs fast enough to lure the red python away." Zhu Shibai quickly recast the Concealment spell. "At its speed, it should be able to run a thousand miles before the Annihilation Talisman burns out..."

The white horse, which should have run away, turned tail and galloped back, heading in another direction.

“Something’s not right,” Guan Wangzhen pointed out the signs that everyone had noticed.

Zhu Shibai held up a jade pendant hanging from his waist: "We cannot contact Feng Shutang."

Ji Mingran tilted his head back, his long bangs, reaching to his eyes, were blown about by the damp wind. The sky was now shrouded in thick, dark clouds, their edges radiating bursts of intense white light.

Is it going to rain?

"Ji Mingran, can your teleportation array send us away?" Guan Wangzhen asked.

“No.” Ji Mingran shook his head: “I can only teleport things that are ten times my weight, and the range is limited to a ten-meter distance centered on me.”

Although she could borrow their spiritual power, with her current cultivation level, she could only do so once or twice. Without knowing the location of the giant python, recklessly teleporting would likely send her into its belly in no time.

In the silence, the three men's hair stood on end, their muscles tensed, and they all slowed their breathing in unison.

The white horse couldn't get out of any direction, and there was only one reason.

A giant python coiled up.

They and the white horse were both trapped beasts.

The ground stopped trembling. The snake stopped coiling and crawling.

Two cracks appeared on their dark purple scales, and the cracks gradually widened.

The giant python, with its vertical pupils, was silently watching them.

"Heh. You're just playing us." Zhu Shibai sneered, his long hair ribbon fluttering even without wind.

The surrounding mist suddenly dissipated, and the pool water behind Ji Mingran suddenly exploded and swept up, with a huge torrent rapidly churning and gathering.

In front of her, mud and rocks tumbled and rapidly gathered, lifting one corner of the ground higher and higher.

"Tch." Guan Wangzhen stood still, clasped his hands together in a hand seal, and scoffed, "Two sorcerers and one formation master, our original intention was not to become warriors."

Amidst the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy and the raging winds, Guan Wangzhen turned his head and said, "Grandma Ji, you must find a way to keep us safe."

Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen controlled the water and the earth respectively, and the two chanted incantations in low voices, causing the two giant streams to rapidly converge in the middle.

Instantly, water surged and mud and rocks tumbled above the three people, and the splashing water and sand swept indiscriminately towards the three closest ones.

However, the water and sand were blocked halfway by an invisible barrier and bounced in all directions.

Ji Mingran had already stood up from the pool and activated the formation with his mind, using the Vajra Formation to protect the three of them.

The massive, converging mudslide roared like thunder, swirling and churning as it struck the snake's head with lightning force.

The giant python arched up and sprang forward, its gaping maw rushing straight towards the three of them.

A mudslide the same size as the giant python struck its upper jaw squarely. In an instant, a deafening roar erupted as the immense pressure from their head-on collision spread outwards, causing the heavens and earth to shake violently.

Ji Mingran swiftly drew her cane from behind her back, planted it straight in the ground, knelt on one knee, and supported herself with one hand. She looked up at the two people in front of her; they remained rooted to the spot, concentrating on their incantations.

A metallic taste of blood rose in her throat, but despite her efforts, she managed to hold on to the Vajra Formation.

The preemptive mudslide swept the giant python back more than a hundred meters. The giant snake stopped its retreat and immediately confronted the mudslide with its forehead.

The two remained locked in a stalemate with the giant python, but soon, Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen began to tremble slightly.

"It was almost there." Guan Wangzhen gritted his teeth and said, "It was just one more turn. Why couldn't we have sent more people to help?"

Clatter, clatter, clatter... The white horse, which had galloped off in another direction and disappeared, reappeared in the three's sight. The earth shook, but it did not affect its steady and swift pace as it searched for a way out.

Not only them, but the giant python also lowered its vertical pupils and noticed the pure white horse.

“It still has some capacity left.” Zhu Shibai’s voice was low and hoarse, tinged with heaviness.

The white horse sensed the danger and let out an uneasy neigh that echoed through the forest. It quickened its pace, its white shadow moving as fast as lightning, but the giant python pounced on its prey in the same instant, pushing back most of the mudslide. Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen staggered back more than ten meters.

Just as the terrifying sharp teeth charged forward, the white horse was about to perish when its jaws snapped shut, the sharp teeth that had been closing suddenly and abruptly stopped!

The white horse leaped out narrowly, its hooves landing on the ground.

The white horse, which had narrowly escaped death, no longer showed fear and stopped fleeing. Instead, it looked towards the side and top of the giant python.

On the branches of a towering ancient tree, a girl in red knelt on one knee, her face cold and stern, her eyes sharp. She gripped a long sword tightly in one hand, the blade half-buried in the trunk, while her other hand was tightly bound by a long whip, her palm swollen and purple. The other end of the whip was wrapped around the sharp fangs that had just been about to close.

"Second, third." Her gaze swept over the two boys and settled on the girl behind them. Shen Qingluo nodded and said, "Ji Mingran, you're here too."

"Hey! Don't we have names?" Guan Wangzhen said indignantly, nudging Zhu Shibai beside him with his elbow: "She's the one who's rude."

Shen Qingluo's gaze followed the three people to the mudslide that was barely holding off the giant python. "Go!" she commanded the horse, and the white horse, receiving its master's order, immediately retreated.

Shen Qinglu raised her arm, the whip broke free from the fangs, and then changed direction, lashing out at the snake's eyes!

A loud whooshing sound rang out along with thunder.

The immense power unleashed by the whip struck instantly! The giant python's left eye was injured, and it convulsed violently, causing the ground to tremble violently.

"It's just one first place, what's there to be so proud of?" Guan Wangzhen muttered, extremely dissatisfied with Shen Qingluo's attitude.

He and Zhu Shibai waited for their opportunity, concentrating their strength, and the mudslide suddenly grew several times larger than before, rushing straight towards the giant python's head and knocking it over. The water and mud were like incredibly sharp blades, scraping away the dark purple scales on the python's forehead, and the blood seeping from its dark red skin stained the mudslide a dark red and murky color.

"Well done!" Guan Wangzhen cheered. "Our strength has improved again."

"Is that so?" Zhu Shibai lowered his eyes and saw a fleeting golden light on the ground.

He turned his head in the golden light.

He drained most of the pond, revealing its muddy bottom. Amidst the struggling fish and shrimp, a mud figure knelt on the ground, her palms supporting her weight. Her eyes were closed, her expression solemn, her hands supporting her weight.

Centered on her, intricate scratches appeared on the ground, forming a complete array pattern.

He didn't know what kind of formation it was, but the enhancement of the spells just now was related to it.

Boom! A thunderclap resounded. Several streaks of lightning ripped across the sky, and in an instant, a torrential downpour began.

The rain pattered down on the three of them.

"Huh?" Guan Wangzhen's face, hidden beneath his drooping red hair, looked puzzled and confused. Had the protective formation for them disappeared?

As he made hand seals to use a water-repelling spell, he turned around and was startled to find Ji Mingran kneeling on the muddy ground, covered in mud: "What happened to you?"

The clear raindrops pattered on her face, and Ji Mingran's dazed mind gradually cleared. Swallowing the heavy, metallic taste of blood in her throat, she wiped her face and stood up. "I'm alright. Do you still have enough spiritual energy? I'm out."

To be precise, her sea of ​​consciousness was not yet open, so she was unable to use spiritual power. However, she was an array master, and some array masters could activate arrays by using the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but she was just one of those who happened to be able to do so.

Simultaneously using the spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator to control three formations is her limit.

Just now, Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen's spiritual power surged forth, and she had to draw upon a small portion of it to simultaneously activate two formations, so she needed to catch her breath for a moment.

"Take a break first." Zhu Shibai keenly sensed Ji Mingran's condition and cast a water-repelling spell on the three of them.

"Where is Shen Qingluo?" Ji Mingran asked.

“Her,” Guan Wangzhen clicked his tongue, “is adding insult to injury.”

A series of silver flashes streaked across the air. Shen Qingluo's long whip had disappeared without a trace. She held a knife in both hands and unleashed a series of attacks with unstoppable force. With each move, a huge blade of energy appeared in the void and attacked the giant python.

The giant python, with its vertical pupils, relentlessly pursued the red figure attacking it, twisting and turning, but its momentum gradually weakened, and it teetered on the brink of collapse.

Boom! A thunderous roar echoed through the heavens and earth as a blinding white lightning bolt struck down from the sky, instantly hitting Shen Qingluo's location.

She reacted with lightning speed, flipping in mid-air to dodge and using her twin swords to parry, switching from offense to defense. At the same time, the python swept its tail, intending to knock Shen Qingluo down from mid-air.

A massive mudslide rushed forward, colliding with the snake's tail and creating a deafening roar.

The dazzling white lightning momentarily blinded everyone, and Shen Qingluo, unable to dodge in time, was struck by the lightning, her entire body flying out like a kite with a broken string.

"Chen Qingluo!"

Boom! Another clap of thunder, and another bolt of lightning struck the mudslide, which collapsed and swept in all directions.

She was struck head-on by lightning and lost consciousness. Falling from a height of 100 meters would severely injure even a Foundation Establishment cultivator, let alone someone who was already seriously injured.

However, the giant python's tail had already risen, sweeping towards the fiery red figure once more.

"Block it first." Zhu Shibai made a quick decision. Guan Wangzhen nodded without saying a word.

The two worked in perfect harmony, and the mudslide that had collapsed on the ground re-coalesced. Although it could not gather into the massive torrent it had formed before, a semi-circular high wall had been formed, blocking the sweeping snake tail in mid-air.

Amidst the roar, the figure beneath the high wall plummeted rapidly.

"Chen Qingluo!" A clear voice rang out again.

"When did she get there?" Guan Wangzhen couldn't believe his eyes. He turned around and saw that Ji Mingran, who was behind them, had somehow run ahead of them.

Shen Qingluo fell headfirst to the ground. The giant python had no intention of letting her go. With its injured vertical pupils fixed on its target, it once again bent over, tensed up, hissed, and launched itself back into a spiral, swallowing the falling person whole.

In the next instant, a pale golden light shone from the snake's not-quite-closed mouth. The mud-covered horses, almost blending into the mudslide, galloped off, brushing against the snake's head and jaw. On the horses' backs, a mud-covered figure lay sprawled, struggling to lie face down, his hands tightly clutching a bundle of red clothing.

A series of pale golden flashes appeared, and with the horses galloping wildly, Ji Mingran and his horse rushed back behind Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen in just a few moments.

Ji Mingran shouted, "We have to find a way to wake her up!"

The two, who had been stunned, came to their senses. Zhu Shibai applied a water-repelling spell to the soaking wet Shen Qingluo, while Guan Wangzhen threw out a talisman and said, "Put it on her face."

Ji Mingran did as instructed swiftly. The talisman on Shen Qingluo's face ignited, and a refreshing fragrance filled his nostrils, instantly invigorating Ji Mingran.

“This thing benefits both the user and the enemy.” Guan Wangzhen stared intently at the giant python opposite him, his face contorted with embarrassment. “Anyone who smells its scent becomes invigorated.”

"It's alright," Zhu Shibai said calmly. "The smell won't spread in this downpour." His gaze was also closely following the movements of the enemy opposite him.

The torrential rain diluted the scent, and coupled with the injury to one of its pupils, the giant python failed to spot Ji Mingran and his horse, who blended into the mud and rocks in time. This allowed the latter to take Shen Qingluo away unexpectedly.

It has now been found to have problems.

The prey slipped through its teeth a second time. The giant python, trembling and shaking in the downpour, had already gone into a frenzy. It reacted, its vertical pupils turning to stare at them!

"Scatter!" Zhu Shibai had barely finished speaking when a ferocious bolt of lightning struck the spot where they had gathered.

The vast, scorched earth was deserted. Several people stood scattered a few meters away from the scorched earth.

Shen Qingluo held a rope in one hand and a knife in the other, looking solemnly at the spot where she had stood.

Upon waking and hearing Zhu Shibai's reminder, she immediately rode her horse and led Ji Mingran away, using her longsword to slash through the aftershocks of the lightning attack, causing the latter to vanish without a trace.

"Are you alright?" Ji Mingran's voice rang out from behind him.

Shen Qingluo nodded, "A little injury, I can handle it."

Junior Uncle Luanfeng was indeed exceptionally intelligent. Upon realizing he had woken up, he grabbed him immediately without needing to be reminded, and the two of them escaped safely on horseback.

"You saved me?" Shen Qingluo asked to confirm.

Ji Mingran said, "Your little horse ran to save you and just happened to run into my formation range. It's not the first time we've cooperated, so we're pretty in sync."

She couldn't ride a horse, but she had ridden this horse when she passed through the Heavenly Gate, and the horse knew that she could use the teleportation array.

Ji Mingran patted the horse's rump and praised, "Compared to flying on a sword, you are still better."

It has a spiritual quality, yet doesn't require spiritual power—how wonderful!

“She is perfectly fine.” Shen Qingluo smiled in agreement, then said softly, “I will definitely repay the life-saving grace.”

"What is there to repay?" Ji Mingran was about to say when an extremely foul odor wafted over.

Ji Mingran looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dark figure leap out from a long, thick, dark green paste, jumping around wildly in the downpour.

Zhu Shibai's voice drifted faintly through the rain: "That giant python was probably already unwell. It's malfunctioning."

Diarrhea?

So suddenly?

Ji Mingran turned his head in astonishment to look at Zhu Shibai, who stood gracefully in the forest on the other side, his robes spotless, and then turned to look at Guan Wangzhen, who was running wildly in the rain.

Discussion: Four people retreated into the dense forest in different directions. What kind of luck did they have? One of them was hit by the excrement of a giant python along the way.

With a thunderous roar, Zhu Shibai cast a sound-concealing spell to cover up Guan Wangzhen's desperate cries.

After the initial surprise, Ji Mingran calmed down: "In fact, its excrement might actually mask its shape and smell?"

“Wang Zhen’s sense of smell is more sensitive than that of ordinary people. I’m afraid he’ll be the first to go mad.” Zhu Shibai had already taken a detour to arrive. His lips twitched slightly as he performed a purification ritual for Wang Zhen.

However, the filth was so thick that even the cleansing magic couldn't completely remove it. But the reduction in filth finally made Guan Wangzhen stop, and he spotted his companion not far away. His sanity returned largely, and he rushed over, furious, to join him, gritting his teeth and saying, "I'll kill it!"

A lump of something approached from afar, and Zhu Shibai's handsome, calm face showed hesitation: "This..."

Shen Qingluo let out a soft "Hey." Without thinking, she quickly made a hand seal.

The water-repelling spell on Guan Wangzhen was released, and a torrential downpour instantly poured down on him, leaving him completely soaked. However, most of the remaining excrement on his body was also washed away.

"How could I not have thought of that?" Guan Wangzhen stopped and began to spin and jump on the spot, letting the raindrops fall on him as if he wished the rain would pour down even harder!

But Zhu Shibai had already cast a water-avoidance spell, saying, "This rain is strange; it's best to avoid contact with it."

Ji Mingran dismounted, his gaze sweeping over Guan Wangzhen, who was approaching with a dark face, then towards the giant python that had inexplicably fallen silent, before gazing into the distance at the sky filled with heavy dark clouds and slanting rain.

She reached out her hand, and the rainwater, which should have fallen into her palm, slid off her skin at a fraction of a second due to her water-repelling technique.

Thunderstorms, gales, and lightning.

And the faintly familiar flow of spiritual energy fluctuations.

"This is the illusion array used for the Luanfeng Peak Trial."