Inside the virtual lab, streams of light flickered as five people stood around a suspended rune screen. The atmosphere grew solemn as the complex runes slowly flowed across the screen. Xiang Fan wore a serious expression, while Shadow Killer Ning Yuge portrayed a different image—he crossed his legs and lazily popped spiritual fruit into his mouth, chewing with a creaking sound.

"Boss, what's the matter with all the fuss?" Ning Yuge asked vaguely, even taking the time to lick his fingers.

Xiang Fan glanced at him, took a deep breath, and pointed at the rune code on the screen: "Look carefully, these things may make your back colder than the spiritual fruit in your hand."

"Is it that scary?" Ning Yuge's interest was finally piqued, and he leaned forward slightly.

Ling Ruoxi stood aside with her arms folded, raising her eyebrows: "Zero, are these runes the reason why our mecha collapsed last time?"

Xiang Fan nodded, his tone low and serious: "The behavior pattern of these runes is completely consistent with the content recorded in the ancient books I found in the sect's sea of ​​books - this is an extension of the Gu Dao."

The Shadow Killer couldn't help but bite the half-eaten spiritual fruit crookedly. "Gu Dao? Wait a minute, Boss, don't scare me. I remember that Gu Dao is one of those ancient demonic things that crawls into people's stomachs and causes trouble, right?"

Xiang Fan's mouth twitched slightly. "You're quite right, but this time the Gu is even more troublesome. These Gu don't need to crawl into your stomach, they drill directly into your psychic network system, playing a digital invasion."

Ling Ruoxi narrowed her eyes slightly upon hearing this, and spoke slowly, "So, these things aren't ordinary viruses, but... a group of psychic beings that look like little bugs?"

Xiang Fan nodded, and the runes projected on the screen instantly magnified, revealing subtle details of the shimmering light. "This is their operating logic. Self-replication, datalink infection, core takeover—these runes can not only steal your data, but also turn your mech into their puppet."

Luo Tiangang finally spoke in a deep voice, "In other words, our failure in the Spirit Realm battlefield last time wasn't because we weren't quick enough, but because... these Gu directly controlled our mechas?"

"That's right," Xiang Fan said, quickly pulling up the battle log and projecting a replay of the invasion onto the screen. "Look here, the Shadow Killer's mecha's psychic core was infected first, followed by its weapons system and mobility module. The entire process took less than thirty seconds."

Ning Yuge stared at the projection, his eyes widening. "Thirty seconds? Boss, isn't that an instant kill? Then what's the point of fighting?"

"That's why I said this is a big problem," Xiang Fan said calmly. "The threat of this thing isn't just its speed, but also its stealth. Do you know when it started invading?"

Ling Ruoxi's eyes moved: "Isn't it... the moment when we were hit?"

"Of course not." Xiang Fan lightly tapped his finger, and the scene returned to the beginning of the battle. "In fact, from the moment you entered the battlefield, these Gu had already infiltrated your mecha system through the flow of psychic energy."

Ning Yuge's spiritual fruit fell out of his mouth. He stared at the screen with his mouth half open. "Wait a minute, are you kidding me? Boss, this is worse than robbery! We just stood there and haven't even started fighting, and they're already stealing things?"

Xiang Fan's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of danger lingered in his eyes. "That's why I said this isn't an ordinary virus. Its logic stems from Gu Dao, and the core of Gu Dao is parasitism and control. Now someone has brought it into the psychic network and optimized it into a program capable of active attack."

Inside the virtual lab, light and shadow intertwined, runic data flowed across the screen, the alternating light and dark reflecting the expressions of several people, some solemn, some teasing. Xiang Fan stood at the control console, brows slightly furrowed, about to further elaborate on the threat posed by the combined Gu and psychic network, but was interrupted by the Shadow Killer's sudden remarks.

"Boss!" Shadow Killer slammed his hand on the table, his tone filled with awe. "Sure enough, my guess was right! You must be the descendant of a great leader from some lost holy land, right? Otherwise, how could you know so much about this ancient taboo!"

This statement startled the others, and they all stared at Xiang Fan with strange eyes. Ling Ruoxi was the first to laugh out loud: "Shadow Killer, what kind of drama is going on in your head every day?"

"This isn't fantasy, it's fact!" Shadow Killer looked at Xiang Fan with a firm expression, pretending the truth was out. "The boss usually pretends to be so ordinary and low-key, but he must be a hidden big shot! Hey, I saw it a long time ago, but I just didn't say it."

Xiang Fan held his forehead helplessly and sighed, "How many times have I told you this? I only found the information from the sect's sea of ​​books. What holy land inheritance? Can you please stop imagining it?"

"Boss, don't be so modest." The Shadow Killer squinted at him and said firmly, "The more you deny, the more I think there's something wrong with you. Who can't find that information? But after finding it, you can study it thoroughly, and then apply it in practice. This is clearly the rhythm of a god-level inheritance!"

Ling Ruoxi laughed so hard that tears almost came out, and her tone was full of undisguised teasing: "Shadow Killer, your imagination is really amazing. If Xiang Fan doesn't play the boss, I think you are very suitable for writing scripts."

"Don't laugh!" Shadow Killer glared at her, then turned to Xiang Fan confidently, "Boss, it's okay. We're family. Just admit it. Was it some lost demon cultivation holy land that chose you?"

Xiang Fan looked at the Shadow Killer's smug face and felt like he might have a stroke if he continued explaining. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "I'm saying this for the last time: no."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!