Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

Thirty minutes after William's master met his end, Liam and his companions finally managed to break free from the pursuit of the fourth-realm beasts as they approached one of the headquarters' sanctioned pathways.

Had it not been for the area's sacred protocols and the absolute deference every creature in this forest showed toward these official routes, they would have faced certain death against that formidable beast!

The investigation team, operating near City Five, watched with relief as the crimson ape reluctantly withdrew. Only then did they allow themselves to breathe easier, with all four Spirit Earth cultivators, Liam included, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.

"Damn it all!" Liam spat out, seething with rage. "That was William Semple's accursed master!" His fury was so intense that he almost regretted killing the Officer—if only to have the satisfaction of doing it again.

"William Semple?" Toby exchanged puzzled glances with the First Officer-clad woman beside him, both clearly unfamiliar with the name.

"An old adversary of Chief Porter's from Thirteen Town," Jane explained succinctly. "He ambushed us during our separation from your group… Apparently, he was the one who incited that primate against us."

"That explains the creature's unbridled fury," the woman sighed heavily, her body wracked with pain from both the loss of several Spirits and the numerous surface wounds she'd sustained.

Toby, despite his superior strength and better performance during their desperate moments of combat and escape, wasn't faring much better himself.

"Did you manage to secure his possessions?" Toby inquired, prompting Liam to swiftly materialize a space ring from his own storage artifact.

"Indeed, I did," Liam confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent," Toby remarked, rising to his full height. "Within Demon Gate, it's strictly forbidden for a subordinate to assault a superior. Given that he attacked you, Chief Porter—despite being merely an Officer while you hold the rank of Division Chief—you're entitled to claim his merit points and any other assets he possessed."

Liam, still acclimating to the perks of his elevated position within the sect's hierarchy, hadn't even considered this possibility until Toby's timely reminder.

"I'll certainly exercise that right," he grinned, carefully stowing away the evidence of the encounter. With three of his Officers as witnesses, he wouldn't even need additional testimony. The sect held its high-ranking members in such esteem that Liam's word alone would suffice to resolve this matter in his favor.

The group allowed themselves a brief respite, using the time to process the shock of the primate's assault and reassess their circumstances.

As the tension began to dissipate, Liam broke the silence. "I believe we can resume our original plans," he stated decisively. "That beast pursued us due to William's master's actions. By now, it's likely lost its fervor for the chase and retreated to its territory. We've covered significant ground to reach this road, so we should be able to traverse the forest without risking another encounter with that creature."

"We still have a mission to complete," Toby affirmed with a resolute nod, steeling himself to return to their original path despite having lost two of his Spirits to the primate's earlier onslaught.

"Are you certain?" Jane interjected, her voice laced with doubt. "We're completely exposed without our Spirits." Her discomfort at proceeding in their current state was palpable.

Only Liam and his two First Officers retained Spirits for combat. The others, while having recovered their expended mana and mended minor physical injuries, remained bereft of their spiritual allies—effectively incapacitated for serious confrontations.

Liam's voice took on a tone of conviction. "You have my word that you will return home safely. I understand the challenges of pressing on without your Spirits, but the completion of this mission is paramount.

We can't predict the fate of City Five if we delay even a day. After all we've accomplished, abandoning our quest now could birth regrets that will haunt us indefinitely. Don't underestimate the impact of what we stand to achieve by saving City Five!"

Toby chimed in with a persuasive edge to his voice, "This could be our gateway to substantial merit points, paving the way for future promotions."

The Officers found themselves unable to refuse. With reluctant acquiescence, they followed the sanctioned insider's path for a brief stretch before plunging back into the forest—this time at a different entry point from their previous forays.

...

As dawn broke, hours after their harrowing encounter, the group investigated the final two locations on their list, guided by the intelligence gathered in City Five.

As they had expected, none of the leads from City Five yielded the magical plant they sought. However, their thorough examination of these sites proved far from fruitless. Both locations offered deeper insights into the movements of individuals infected by the insidious fungus.

The first site bore telltale marks of combat, leading the group to theorize that one of the city's infected had contracted the fungus from an opponent during a fierce confrontation in the area. From this scene of battle, they discerned tracks they believed belonged to the fungus-infected adversary.

The second location provided more tangible evidence of the special plant's presence, offering additional clues about the enemy's physical characteristics.

Armed with this new information, the group traced the path from the combat site, following the trail of what appeared to be two grievously wounded Spirit Masters. The tracks led them on a grueling two-kilometer journey to their current position.

Near a modest stream, in an area characterized by undulating terrain, the group discovered a small cave nestled into the stream-bank. A putrid stench of decay assaulted their senses, serving as a grim harbinger of what lay ahead long before they reached the cave's mouth.

As they donned their specialized masks, still functioning despite their recent ordeals, the group encountered a grisly scene: two corpses, male and female, both enveloped in a sinister shroud of toxic fungi.

The stench of decay emanating from the bodies was overwhelming, yet curiously, there were no visible signs of decomposition or insect activity.

Jane's voice cut through the tense silence, her tone sharp. "Our quarry is near." She crouched beside the deceased, her expert eyes scrutinizing every detail of their macabre state.

While the Healer and Alchemist were still processing the scene, Jane's trained gaze had already zeroed in on a crucial detail. She gestured towards the hair of both corpses, drawing her colleagues' attention.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Is that pollen?" the Healer ventured, lacking the specialized knowledge of the group's Alchemist and Herbalist to make a definitive identification.

"Yes," Jane confirmed, her voice tinged with grim satisfaction. "These two likely handled the plant responsible for this calamity, probably just before their fatal encounter with the group that left them gravely wounded."

Despite the fungal growth carpeting the bodies—a process that appeared only a week old—their demise had clearly been caused by severe hemorrhaging, evidenced by the dried blood stains surrounding them.

The Healer corroborated Jane's assessment, confirming that combat injuries were indeed the cause of death. Meanwhile, Jane had already begun the delicate process of accessing the artificial storage items still attached to the corpses, her movements precise and purposeful.

Liam examined the rings of the deceased, uncovering even more compelling evidence linking them to the initial outbreak in City Five.

"I've found a plant leaf," he announced, carefully handing the item to Jane.

Jane's eyes widened instantly, her senses overwhelmed by the potent aura emanating from the fragment—one that seemed to surpass even her own power.

"Necrotic Parsnip," she breathed, using her mana to levitate the leaf before her, wisely avoiding direct contact. "Now it's clear. They attempted to harvest the Necrotic Parsnip's flower but failed, only securing this leaf. As a defense mechanism, the plant retaliated, infecting their blood with a fungus that coexists harmoniously with it but proves catastrophically malevolent in human hosts."

The Alchemist took the leaf for his own analysis, his expert senses recognizing that this unassuming foliage held the potential for crafting a myriad of potent poisons and pills.

"Not all concoctions are meant for benevolent purposes. Some are designed for the covert poisoning of adversaries, or even to blight crops, taint soil, and foster pest infestations.

This single leaf would be considered a priceless treasure by high-level Spirit Earth cultivators. Yet these were mere disciples from City Five, likely novice Spirit Earth practitioners at best."

Liam's brow furrowed. "That's fascinating, but how does this aid our pursuit of the Necrotic Parsnip itself?"

Jane smiled under her mask and said, "Chief Porter, I can make a mixture with a special paste made from this leaf that will basically point us to areas where there is a presence of plants with similar characteristics to it, probably showing the place where these two found this leaf."

"Very well. Do it, Jane." Liam ordered, pleased to finally get to it.

"I'll need an hour, but I must warn you it could be dangerous to follow the path that this mixture will show us," she said seriously. "It will lead us to places with the presence of extremely defensive and powerful plants, capable of contaminating humans easily."

"We'll keep that in mind." Liam didn't fear trouble on the way. "But since you'll need all that, we'll take a break to cultivate for the four hours indicated by the Healers of City Five. We'll turn our attention to resolving this matter by nightfall tonight."