Chapter 46 Competition

Three days later, inside the bunker laboratory.

Meng Fan patted Yinyuan on the head and chuckled, "All done, come down and give it a try!"

Yinyuan nimbly jumped off the operating table and, just like Zhao Cai and Jin Bao, stood right before Meng Fan.

At Meng Fan's command, the three exotic beasts simultaneously and slowly grew in size, towering up to five or six meters tall—almost matching the original white elephant.

Because the three beasts had been modified using Meng Fan's beast-tuning techniques, their fur was exceptionally slick and lustrous, standing straight up on end like steel needles.

Thanks to the fact that Liao Zhong had assigned Meng Fan a laboratory spacious enough to resemble a small playground, these three exotic beasts were able to fully stretch out their forms.

"Woof woof!"

"Meow!"

"Squeak!"

Experiencing their transformation for the very first time, the three beasts were not yet accustomed to their new forms. Seeing their master shrink away before their eyes, they fell into a brief moment of panic.

After thoroughly soothing them, Meng Fan gestured toward a thick steel plate erected nearby and said, "Take turns, one by one. Use your specialized abilities to attack that steel plate."

Though called a steel plate, it resembled a remarkably thick and heavy iron door standing upright in the room.

Zhao Cai went first. With a simple arch of its back, it moved with blinding speed, appearing instantly before the steel plate. Raising a pair of cat claws gleaming with a chilling light, it lashed out fiercely.

Following a piercing, grating shriek, a deep claw mark was gouged into the ten-centimeter-thick steel plate, surrounded by scattered metal shavings.

The steel plate had even been pierced right through, yet Zhao Cai's feline claws remained entirely undamaged.

Next came Jin Bao. Perhaps because it had not yet learned to properly control its own newfound strength, it slammed directly into the steel plate, leaving a massive, deep dent right where its skull struck.

Finally, Yinyuan whipped and lashed its tail, tossing the steel plate into mid-air. With a light leap, it clamped its jaws down in a vicious bite, leaving several cavernous teeth marks in the metal.

In the end, the three gigantic beasts tore that solid steel plate apart like a piece of paper.

Gulp!

Watching the terrifying destructive power of the three exotic beasts, Meng Fan couldn't help but swallow hard. An impulse suddenly surged within him: to inject the remaining three exotic beasts with the white elephant's genes as well.

The sheer power was simply too alluring. However, maintaining his calm rationality, Meng Fan ultimately chose not to do so.

Among the remaining three beasts, Huang Feng might be a successful experiment. After all, like Zhao Cai, Jin Bao, and Yinyuan, it was a mammal, just like the white elephant.

But Zeng Shou and Qi Fu were entirely different!

One was an amphibian, and the other was an oviparous creature.

Meng Fan could not guarantee their success rates. Besides, Huang Feng was already naturally small and stealthy, and Meng Fan wanted it to develop along the path of a mage and an assassin.

Most importantly, it could help him ambush people in the shadows!

Meng Fan called out to the three exotic beasts, signaling them to shrink back to their original sizes. Liao Zhong would naturally take care of the messy aftermath, so he didn't need to worry about it.

As soon as Meng Fan stepped out of the laboratory, he saw Liao Zhong hurrying toward him.

"Uncle Liao, is something the matter?"

Liao Zhong nodded. "A slight complication has arisen concerning the white elephant. Since you understand it better than anyone else, come along and listen in."

Meng Fan frowned and asked in puzzlement, "Uncle Liao, do I really need to go?"

Liao Zhong patted Meng Fan's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, it's a good thing. The white elephant is quite a hot commodity right now. I suspect the board of directors pulled some strings and tipped off the Buddhist sect."

"Now the people from Lingyin Temple are also interested in this white elephant. They've sent representatives over, and the Gao family has dispatched people as well. Everyone is currently in the reception room."

"This gives us a chance to wait for the highest bidder. The company's board of directors told me that since the white elephant is an asset of our South China Branch, we hold a certain degree of authority regarding its disposal and decision-making."

"So as for the benefits to be had from this..."

"Ah, I understand!"

Meng Fan caught the implication. "Uncle Liao, you're afraid this white elephant might be sold too cheaply, so you're bringing me along to help bargain!"

Liao Zhong laughed heartily. "Ha! I knew you were a sharp kid, catching on instantly."

"So, who exactly did Lingyin Temple and the Gao family send?" Meng Fan inquired.

Liao Zhong replied, "The Gao family sent the head of a major spirit-taming hall, so they're taking this quite seriously. However, Lingyin Temple has also sent a heavyweight figure."

A "hall" was professional terminology within the Chuma immortal-taming industry, meaning that the spirit medium served not just one immortal master, but several.

They were typically organized around four main pillars and eight major assistants, somewhat akin to the ranks of old bandits, though the underlying principles were the same.

The four pillars referred to the Hu, Huang, Chang, and Mang families, which formed the core strength of the hall. The Chang immortal actually referred to the Liu immortal, namely, the snake.

The eight assistants included hall-sweeping, hall-guarding, corridor-crossing, heaven-reaching, earth-returning, barrier-breaking, and scout-guarding positions, each undertaking distinct duties.

The medium, or Chuma immortal-practitioner, was regarded as the mortal spokesperson for the immortals. They could communicate with the immortals and utilize their power to resolve problems for people.

In the legends of Northeast China, mediums were typically individuals with special physiques or life experiences. After being chosen by the immortals, they would undergo a series of rituals and trials.

In the world of *The Outcast*, these were essentially individuals who had gained the recognition of the immortals and possessed the aptitude for practicing Qi.

A major hall often housed numerous immortals, with a more comprehensive range of types and abilities. Some halls even worshipped Qingfeng and Yanhun.

Qingfeng referred to male ghosts, while female ghosts were called Yanhun!

In short, Northeast shamanism worshipped a rather eclectic mix of spirits, though the mainstream remained the five great immortal families, which was widely known.

These immortals divided labor and cooperated: some were responsible for viewing the past, others for predicting the future, and others for handling illness-related matters. Collectively, this was known as "seeing affairs."

The larger the hall, the more immortals it worshipped—much like making petitions to deities, requiring plenty of incense to receive a response. For the Northeast to send the head of a major hall demonstrated just how seriously they took the matter.

Yet, the fact that Liao Zhong saved the Buddhist representative for last meant that the person from Lingyin Temple was certainly no ordinary individual.

Curious, Meng Fan asked, "A heavyweight figure?"

"Who is it?"

"Someone who can make even you take them so seriously?"

Liao Zhong's expression turned solemn as he said, "Abbot Jiekong of Lingyin Temple."

"Cough, cough."

Meng Fan choked on his own saliva. "Who did you say? One of the Ten Elders?"

Liao Zhong nodded, giving Meng Fan a definitive look.

"No way, could a white elephant really hold that kind of appeal?" Meng Fan asked, somewhat skeptical.

Monk Jiekong was one of the Ten Elders. Although he had become the abbot of Lingyin Temple, he still represented the sphere of influence of the Shaolin Temple, having originally been a veteran martial monk of Shaolin.

Though his martial arts had been crippled due to the incident with Xiao Zizai, his status could not be ignored.

He could be considered a true dual-representative of both factions, standing as a supreme leader of Buddhism—comparable to Zhang Zhiwei in the Daoist world!

"Heh, you're underestimating it!"

Liao Zhong smiled. "A white elephant is no trivial matter; naturally, people are going to be tempted. Once it's properly trained and disciplined, it becomes a temple-guardian spiritual beast!"