Chapter 009: Petrified Spider

"I am too," Cole said.

What should we do? Someone has died! Someone has been eaten by a python, the adventure ends here!" Jill exclaimed excitedly

"How is my charm?" Tao Cheng said, winking boastfully as he took Jill, who had run over, by the arm and walked towards the direction of the adventurers.

Hi! What are you all doing? Come over quickly!" Bill Johnson shouted loudly, while Tao Cheng waved his hand at them, signaling that it was alright: "Liu Yun, use your mental power to check if there are any pythons nearby.

This is a world fraught with the crisis of life and death! Even if you come to complete a mission, you will have no advantage; a moment's inattention could lead to your eternal demise in this world

Bastard! Liu Yun watched as the two of them walked away, muttering a curse under her breath

Xu Le picked another large leaf, wrapped it again, and secured it tightly with vines before placing it into his clothing pocket. Liu Yun watched his actions, slightly shook her head, but did not say anything.

A small spotted spider descended from the leaf in front of him. Xu Le carefully lowered his head and walked past it. Behind him, Teren smiled and said, "Your choice is correct; a bite from this creature can leave you immobile for two days and two nights, as stiff as a stone"

Every person who has died thought this way before their death. Tran shook his head and walked past Xu Le.

Jill looked at the Tao Chengshi beside her, who smiled and said, "It's just a python; we can handle it. Moreover, such pythons are quite rare, aren't they?"

Liu Yun nodded and began her mental detection. Everything appeared to be normal at first, but when the crowd reached a certain point, the sound of splashing water suddenly erupted. Several splashes rose from the bushes, and without Liu Yun's prompting, everyone realized: "Something is coming!"

Xu Le glanced at him: "If you are unwilling, that is also acceptable. I remember that there will be a few individual pythons coming out later, and the one that will attack the team doctor Doug is a solitary one. By that time, you can fight it and see the true caliber of these giant pythons."

Tao Cheng clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, clearly surprised that Liu Yun had revealed all her abilities to Xu Le

Tao Chengshi pondered and said: "No one will die. Next, let us proceed towards the Blood Orchid. We need not concern ourselves with the Head-Hunting Tribe for the time being. I am too curious about what kind of plant can actually extend human life. I believe I should support you, Professor Jack"

"Then let's do it this way," Tao Chengshi said with a smile. Xu Le followed his gaze and saw the Black female scientist, Jill, jogging over: "Oh my God, Tao, what are you doing? There's a python here, we need to get out of here!"

"It’s alright, no one will die. You need to trust me," Tao Chengshi said.

However, Jill frowned as she looked at Tao Chengshi, not expecting him to continue taking risks

"It won't happen. The activity range of pythons is limited. With one present, there should be no pythons in this vicinity," Bill Johnson stated confidently, as he was the first to step down into the waist-deep water.

Bill Johnson glanced at her and said, "The decision-making power does not lie with you, but with those around you. It is he who funded our outing, so for the next steps, you should seek his opinion"

"No, I am only in it for the money; I certainly do not want to lose my life like this," Jill said, curling her lip.

What should we do? Xu Le looked up at Liu Yun and Tao Chengshi, saying, "Boss Tao, Sister Liu, I would like to know if you can handle that snake from just now"

Jill looked at Tao Cheng with a hint of guilt: "I’m sorry, Tao. We didn’t tell the truth at the beginning. The Blood Orchid is exactly the type of plant we are looking for. Its petals can extend the lifespan of cells and can surpass the biological Hayflick limit. In short, if utilized properly, it could truly be the elixir of life"

Xu Le did not expect Liu Yun to confide in him so candidly, even revealing his own weaknesses. Upon careful consideration, he felt somewhat invigorated. Does this not imply that the gap between Tao Chengshi and Liu Yun is widening?

Xu Le looked at them in surprise: "My goodness, I never expected that you were actually pursuing such a noble goal. If you succeed, will you be able to extend the lifespan of all humanity"

Oh no! There will be large pythons under the water!" Cole exclaimed

Hmm. Liu Yun glanced at him, carrying a unique significance.

Be careful, we must navigate through the water ahead!" Bill Johnson said in a low voice.

Our goal? Blood Orchid? To hell with the Blood Orchid! All I know is that I want to survive! I will not lose my life just to extend someone else's!" Cole shouted and jumped around madly, like a frenzied monkey

Xu Le said softly: "It is very dangerous here, keep a close watch."

Enough! Cole!" The young Professor Jack stood up, "As Mr. Tao said, this is nothing to worry about, just a larger python. Don't forget our objective

The person next to me, Cole, shouted: "It's just a python? It's just a python! I've seen it on the Nature Channel, I know how terrifying they are! They move quickly and strike with deadly precision! They can constrict a person and slowly suffocate them, then swallow them whole! They..."

Bandog thought for a moment and said, "I do not wish for anyone to die anymore"

Only after the two of them returned to the team did the entire adventure group cease their frantic escape, coming to a halt together on the riverbank

Xu Le shook his head, opened the suitcase, took out the old-fashioned rifle, and pulled the bolt, finding no issues. "Sister Liu, shall we leave as well?"

Liu Yun closed her eyes for a moment and then said: "There is only this one python; it hasn't left yet, it's still under the water. Xu Le, what do you think we should do next?"

Jill thought for a moment and nodded: "I believe you"

Everyone screamed and retreated, running dozens of meters along the riverbank, but Tao Cheng, Liu Yun, and Xu Le did not run

"It can be said that." Jack quickly remarked, having detected the inclination in his tone.

What should we do?" Bill Johnson said hoarsely

Xu Le opened his mouth, feeling as though he wanted to say something but could not find the words. As he looked at the enormous snake head and watched helplessly as Zhang Fei the cat was swallowed, he gained a deeper understanding

Keep this detail in mind, Xu Le said to Tao Cheng: "Boss Tao, what you said is merely an estimate. I believe that to truly understand the combat capabilities of these pythons, you must personally engage with them face to face."

The company liaison representatives, Michelle and Shan, hesitated for a moment, looking at Jack. Ultimately, they did not speak, but it was evident that they too were wavering and were reluctant to continue with the risk.

Xu Le smiled and said, "I will be careful"

"Are you joking with your own life? Do you know what consequences it will have if it bites you?" Tran warned Xu Le

Everyone, feeling helpless, had no choice but to slowly follow into the water

Xu Le was standing next to Liu Yun, holding an old-fashioned rifle in his hand, vigilantly on guard. Liu Yun was capable of mental detection, which meant she could sense danger in advance, significantly increasing Xu Le's chances of survival.

Jack's eyes lit up with joy, and he quickly nodded: "Mr. Tao, I will not let you down. If the elixir of immortality is developed, I guarantee that you will be the first to take it"

Xu Le turned around and looked at the spotted spider, signaling to Tran not to kill it: "A spider that can petrify people? This is truly an unexpected surprise." He picked a broad leaf from the side and carefully wrapped the little spider in it, then found a thin yet sturdy vine to tie it securely, sealing its mouth and making a makeshift box.

I also believe so. If anyone else dies, then the adventure will come to an immediate end. Bill Johnson said to Tao Chengshi, with the helmsman Tran following closely behind, certainly aware of his captain's opinion

Tao Chengshi pondered: "There are no issues on land, but I fear I may not be as agile underwater. However, I can manage it, though I might sustain some minor injuries"

Liu Yun said: "My abilities are mental shock and mental detection. If I want to kill the python, just one strike is enough. However, I can only unleash it two or three times in total, and the recovery is very slow, so I can only use it for life-saving purposes at the most critical moments"

However, Tao Cheng clearly noticed this and silently took out two daggers from his storage ring, distributing them to Cole and Bill Johnson. Xu Le, on the other hand, handed his own dagger to Bandog for self-defense, as Bandog was crucial to one of his side quest storylines, making his safety extremely important

Xu Le clapped his hands and said, "Can someone explain this to us? What is a blood orchid?"

The opinions have been temporarily unified, and the group tidied up their clothes before setting off again. Xu Le knew that they were now facing far greater difficulties than in the movie, lacking fire, weapons, and being completely unarmed, which meant that the danger was even greater.

"Confront it directly? But now it is hiding underwater. Am I supposed to dive in and fight it? It's only a reward of 100 points, and I might get injured. This is simply not worth it," Tao Cheng said with an unhappy expression.