Chapter 42: A Clash of Wills

Looking at the blurry photograph in the file, a gleam of insight flickered in Meng Fan’s eyes. He reminded himself that to successfully refine and synthesize his "Flowery Fox-Mink," he required the genetic material of both elephant-like and avian species. He had dismissed the ordinary elephants in the zoo, which was why the project had been delayed until now. And now, this elephant—which appeared to have evolved into a spirit creature—had arrived at just the right time.

Meng Fan carefully studied the accompanying report. "Oh? It’s a white elephant!"

White elephants held a unique status; in Buddhism, they were considered the most auspicious of beasts, profoundly sacred. It was said that Shakyamuni Buddha entered his mother’s womb by manifesting as a white elephant. Ancient texts recorded: "He descended from the Tushita Heaven, manifested as a white elephant, and entered the womb of his mother; his father was Shuddhodana, and his mother was Maya." Furthermore, the mount of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was a six-tusked white elephant!

Seeing this, Meng Fan tentatively asked, "Uncle Liao, with a white elephant entering our borders, won't this cause any complications? You know that Buddhism is extremely influential in Annam."

Liao Zhong shook his head. "Once it has entered the territory of Shenzhou, it belongs to Shenzhou. Your mission is simply to 'escort' it back. However, you must be careful. According to my subordinates, this white elephant has sustained gunshot wounds and is extremely violent. Be on your guard."

Meng Fan smiled. "Don't worry, Uncle Liao. Even if this elephant has become a spirit, it can't turn the world upside down, can it? Just have the cage ready!"

On the road, Meng Fan looked at the silent Chen Duo and asked with concern, "How are you feeling, Duo-Duo? Are you nervous?"

Chen Duo shook her head, gazing out through the car window at the passing scenery with eyes full of curiosity.

Meng Fan ruffled her hair and smiled. "After this mission is over, I’ll take you out to wander around. You can do whatever you want."

"Anything at all?" A flicker of longing appeared in Chen Duo’s eyes, but she quickly lowered her head. "Won't that cause trouble for Uncle Liao?"

Meng Fan gave her a wink. "We'll just tell him that finding the elephant took a few extra days. If we’re flexible, I’m sure Uncle Liao won’t be that rigid."

The "All-Under-One-Crawl" (Na Dou Tong) employee driving the car felt a vein throb in his forehead. *Could you please not be so brazenly ignoring my existence? I’m still right here!* Faced with Liao Zhong’s future inquiries, should he report this or keep it to himself?

Noticing the driver's conflicted expression, Meng Fan laughed. "Brother Driver, you wouldn't want to lose this month’s bonus, would you?"

"Haha, I'll try my best, I'll try my best!" the driver replied, while silently weeping inside: *Boss, I’m sorry, but money is just too tempting!* Every employee in the South China region knew who the real financier was.

***

With the location provided by the company, Meng Fan and Chen Duo easily tracked the white elephant.

The creature before them stood five or six meters tall, nearly twice the size of a standard Asian elephant, which typically measured about 3.2 meters in height and 5.5 meters in length, weighing up to five tons. This one, however, likely weighed at least a dozen tons—the equivalent of a light battle tank.

Under the sunlight, the elephant’s hide shimmered like burnished silver. The muscles beneath its skin were bulging, looking as if they had been cast from steel, and its tusks resembled carved white jade. Its body loomed like a small mountain. Its skull was slightly arched, resembling a crown, and the entire beast exuded a sense of white, sacred holiness—solemn and inviolable. Yet, its eyes were blood-red, a stark contrast to its noble aura. The dried black blood around several bullet wounds further marred its aesthetic beauty.

Meng Fan observed it for a while. He could see the creature's distrust of humans, mixed with a hateful, violent rage. It seemed he would have to subdue it first.

Meng Fan stopped Chen Duo, who was about to act. "Let me play with it for a bit first. Once I’ve knocked it down, you use your Gu to put it to sleep. If I can’t handle it, then you step in."

Chen Duo nodded and slowly retreated.

Meng Fan looked at the white elephant. In an instant, a surging, overwhelming, and ferocious tiger-like spirit erupted from him!

He arched his spine, hunched his body, and then suddenly sprang forward, executing a "Tiger Embracing the Head."

The tiger possesses the courage to pounce on its prey; it is skilled at striking with its hips and sweeping with its tail, known as the "Three Supreme Tiger Techniques." It leaps through mountains and ravines with fierce, unmatched power—it is truly the king of beasts. As the manual says: "Before the tiger pounces, it embraces its head." This refers to how the tiger, before attacking, shrinks its body, pulls in its legs, and holds its front paws before its head and forehead to store power, utilizing the thrust of its hind legs and the torsion of its waist. This allows its pounce to be both high and long, swift and powerful. Once the claws arrive, the mouth follows, leaving the prey no room to escape.

"Roar—!"

The wind from his claws sounded like a tiger’s roar. Feeling this sudden, oppressive pressure, the white elephant’s eyes turned even redder as it let out a deafening trumpet.

Its massive body shook, causing the ground to tremble. The surrounding trees seemed to feel the force, their leaves rustling violently.

Meng Fan traced a fluid arc through the air, diving toward the white elephant like a tiger descending a mountain. However, just as he was about to make contact, the elephant suddenly raised its jade-like tusks, sweeping them horizontally with incredible speed and a sharp, whistling wind.

"So fast!" Meng Fan was secretly alarmed, but his body reacted instinctively. He twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. Utilizing the momentum, he rolled through the air and landed steadily, his feet rooting into the earth to dissipate the impact.

Meng Fan looked up at the elephant’s belly, pushed off the ground with his legs like a galloping horse, and shot forward like a bolt from a bow.

The white elephant charged with the force of thunder, its two pillar-like legs crashing down. Meng Fan spread his arms, channeling his *Xian Tian Yi Qi* into them. With the stance of "supporting the heavens and bracing the seas," he held the two elephant legs firmly in place!

Under the elephant’s immense force, mud splattered beneath Meng Fan’s feet. As he wrestled with the beast, he actually managed to push it backward, leaving deep furrows in the ground from its hind hooves.

"Rise!!!"

Meng Fan let out a roar and surged with power, actually flipping the white elephant onto its side.

Though Meng Fan was only twelve, he had been practicing *Xing Yi Quan* for six years without a single day of rest. Combined with the foundation-building of the "Twelve Forms," and the nourishment of the *Bei Ming* divine technique absorbing the *Qi* of heaven and earth, his bones and muscles were as tough as diamond and jade.

Still, even with his extraordinary foundation, his arms felt numb from the elephant's stomp. If he hadn't forced the issue and flipped the beast, lingering in a stalemate would not have been wise.

At the same time, Meng Fan inwardly cursed his own impulsiveness. He had chosen to engage in such a brute-force confrontation because he had been practicing *Xing Yi* for so long that his heart was itching to test his own limits. Wrestling with a white elephant was a feat that could rival the ancient stories of Overlord Xiang Yu lifting a cauldron.

But if he had to choose again, he would never do something so reckless.

This was the price of showing off!