He (she) made a split-second decision! He (she) forcibly turned the gun barrel, abandoning the attack on the mycelium core, and fiercely blasted a stream of high-energy particles in front of Pei Du's charging path! At the same time, his (her) body exploded at extreme speed, dodging to the side! His (her) target—Xu Shuangyao, lying on the glazed ground, nearly dead! It seemed as if he (she) intended to use her as a temporary cover or... something else?

boom--!!!

The blue high-energy particle stream collided fiercely with Pei Du's charging dark red energy! A dazzling light and a terrifying energy shockwave erupted instantly! The entire glazed ground shook violently! The violent mycelium whip was swept to pieces by the shockwave!

At the moment of the explosion, the sentry rushed in front of Xu Shuangyao, using his body to block some of the energy aftermath and the flying glass fragments! His (her) armor let out a sharp whine, and his (her) back was charred black!

Pei Du was struck head-on by this hasty yet powerful interception bombardment! Huge bone claws crossed in front of him to block the attack! A dark red energy shield instantly formed, but then violently fluctuated and shattered under the impact of the particle flow!

laugh--!

The residual energy from the particle stream fiercely tore through the black cuticle and part of the dark gray skin on his right arm! Dark red, hot blood gushed out! The immense impact abruptly halted his forward momentum, and his massive body slid back several meters, plowing two deep furrows into the glazed ground!

"Ah——!" The severe pain and impact made Pei Du roar furiously!

However, at the moment when he was repelled, the sentry rushed to rescue Xu Shuangyao, and the energy turbulence in the field was at its most chaotic—

The mycelium-covered stone tablet, with its mysterious patterns of stardust light, suddenly erupted! A repulsive force field several times stronger than before, mixed with the tablet's own sorrowful will, spread out in all directions like an invisible tsunami!

The first to be hit were the pale hyphae that connected to the cracks and were frantically absorbing the "void silt"!

Puff puff puff!

As if crushed by an invisible, immense force, most of the thick mycelial tentacles were instantly crushed and shattered by the repulsive force field! Transformed into a pale, fluorescent powder! Only the core mycelium, deeply embedded in the stone tablet's veins, survived, but their glow dimmed, their frantic dancing movements becoming sluggish!

Immediately afterwards, the repulsive force field slammed heavily into Pei Du, who was closest to the stone tablet!

Buzz!

Pei Du's massive form felt like it had been struck by a high-speed starship! He had barely regained his balance, unable to mount any effective defense! His dark golden pupils instantly shone from the immense force! Like a kite with its string cut, he was hurled violently into the air! Directed towards... the stone tablet half-embedded in the ground, covered in residual mycelium!

Boom!!!

A heavy muffled sound!

Pei Du's alienated back, covered with a black stratum corneum and dark gray skin, crashed firmly into the ancient stone tablet! The huge impact caused the stone tablet to shake violently, embedding deeply into the glazed ground, and the mysterious patterns on its surface instantly became disordered!

Pei Du himself felt like he had been struck by lightning! The stone tablet's cold, heavy, sorrowful, and repulsive will pierced his spirit like millions of ice needles! At the same time, the remaining mycelium on the surface of the stone tablet, like leeches smelling blood, instantly and frantically wrapped around his back, which was clinging to the stone tablet! The pale tips of the mycelium fiercely pierced the dark gray skin on his back, trying to take root and absorb!

"roar--!!!"

The indescribable pain caused Pei Du to let out a heart-wrenching roar! This pain wasn't just the piercing of his flesh; it was the simultaneous invasion and tearing of his spirit by two completely different terrifying forces! Was the ancient repulsive will of the stone tablet trying to push him away and purify him? Meanwhile, the violent mycelium was pulling him in, assimilating him, and devouring him!

His massive body was firmly "nailed" to the stone tablet! His back pressed against the cold stone surface, the remaining mycelium entwined and pierced frantically! He struggled desperately, his massive bony claws furiously scratching at the glazed floor, leaving deep furrows, but he could not escape the strange bondage of the stone tablet and mycelium! In his dark golden pupils, violence was overwhelmed by extreme pain and confusion. The faint fragments of Pei Du's consciousness wailed silently under this double purgatory-like torture.

Xu Shuangyao, shielded by a sentry, witnessed this terrifying scene. Watching Pei Du struggling in agony, nailed to the ancient stone tablet like a suffering giant, her heart felt as if it were being gripped by an icy hand.

The faint but clear sigh of the plant network echoed in her consciousness: [Thorns... shackles... have become... the key... touching... the covenant... yet... the pollution... also... deepens... time... is running out...]

Thorny shackles... Did Pei Du become a living bridge connecting the stone tablet (the fragment of the covenant) and the violent mycelium? Did the key touch the covenant? But did this also worsen the pollution of deep space?

The sentry quickly lifted himself off Xu Shuangyao's body, his compound eye helmet turned to face Pei Du, who roared in agony from being nailed to the stone tablet. He then looked at the mysterious lines on the stone tablet's surface, which had become even more unstable due to Pei Du's impact, and at the fingernail-sized cracks still swirling with dark purple "sludge." His (or her) electronic voice rang out coldly: "Target 'Lord of Ashes' has become an anomalous energy interaction node, indirectly connected to the 'Deep Space Source Rift'. The risk of contamination spread has increased exponentially. Execute final cleanup protocol: Annihilate the stone tablet and the symbiotic node!"

He (she) once again raised the long-barreled rifle, and a faint blue light condensed wildly at the muzzle! This time, the energy fluctuations were more terrifying than any before! The target was the ancient stone tablet pressed against Pei Du's back!

He wants to annihilate Pei Du as well!