Xiang Fan watched Lu Qingli leave, then sat back down at his desk, exhausted. He scratched his tangled hair and stared blankly at the psychic network simulator on his desk. The simulator emitted a faint light, like a little helper urging him to get to work, but Xiang Fan's heart was heavier than the machine itself.

"The poison is really haunting me." He muttered, started the simulator and loaded the psychic rune data he had just extracted into it.

The rune chains on the screen pulsated rapidly. Those tiny symbols seemed to be imbued with life, twisting and wriggling within the virtual network, even tentatively invading the core nodes. Xiang Fan narrowed his eyes, his expression gradually shifting from helplessness to intense interest.

"It's a lot more complicated than before... Could these guys be using cheats?" Xiang Fan joked, splitting and extracting some data and inputting it into the simulation network for a test run.

As expected, as soon as the data entered the simulated network, the runes immediately splashed like water droplets into fire, spreading wildly and even forming a small "rune rain." A large hole was torn in the simulated virtual network on the screen, and the flow of spiritual energy was instantly disrupted.

"It's evolving so fast." Xiang Fan stroked his chin and muttered, "It's quite intelligent. Could it be that some madman modified it?"

He turned off the simulator, looked up at the dilapidated mecha in the yard, and sighed: "It seems I have to ask those people." He climbed into the mecha cockpit, activated the psychic core, and connected to the virtual conference space of the spiritual battlefield.

Soon, the mecha images of other members in the virtual space appeared one after another.

Shadow Killer spoke first, his tone as mocking as ever: "Boss, have you changed a bit recently? From a tech geek researching mechas to a paranoid madman specializing in poisonous insects?"

"Stop talking nonsense, it's work time, shut up." Xiang Fan was too lazy to argue with him and directly projected the abnormal rune chain onto the main screen of the conference space.

On the screen, the rune chain twisted and spread outward like an enraged snake. The image of the Xuanwu guard in his mecha stood still. He said calmly, "This thing is indeed more troublesome than the poisonous insect we encountered before. Its invasion logic has been significantly enhanced, and its efficiency has increased by at least three times."

Ling Ruoxi frowned and stared at the rune chains carefully for a while. "Have you noticed that their spiritual energy consumption has also decreased? This design... feels like it's been optimized specifically for large-scale deployment."

"So it's mass-produced Gu?" The Shadow Killer exclaimed in amazement. "Oh my god, who did this? Are they trying to destroy the world or something?"

At this moment, the image of Gu Master Bai Zang's mecha emerged, and his deep voice interrupted everyone's discussion: "Indeed, this is not an ordinary poisonous Gu, but a modified version."

Xiang Fan raised an eyebrow: "Reform? Who has that ability?"

Bai Zang magnified the rune chain and pointed to several key nodes. "Look here. The original Gu program was designed for small-scale control, but the structure of these nodes has been clearly optimized. They have stronger replication capabilities, lower consumption, and can penetrate deeper into the psychic network."

Xiang Fan pondered for a moment and asked, "So, these things...are no longer for one person to use for fun?"

"Yes," Bai Zang said solemnly, "This is more likely designed for large-scale use, potentially targeting the entire psychic network." He paused, a hint of coldness in his tone, "If it were actually deployed, the consequences would be disastrous."

Ling Ruochen frowned as he maneuvered the mecha closer to the rune chain on the screen. A hint of uneasiness lingered in his tone, "Large-scale deployment? This is no joke. If the psychic network collapses, won't the world of immortal cultivation be thrown back into the Stone Age?!"

The Xuanwu guard said solemnly, "It's not just the world of immortal cultivation that will be affected. The psychic network has now even permeated the lives of mortals. Can you imagine a world without psychic energy? The foundation of the entire immortal civilization would completely collapse."

Shadow Killer slapped his knee and said nonchalantly, "Hey, don't be so pessimistic! Don't we still have the boss? Once Zero takes action, a mere poisonous insect can be dealt with in minutes."

Xiang Fan rolled his eyes. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me. But don't make things worse for me. I only know a little more about rune structure and psychic calculations than you do. If this kind of thing were to spread, I'd probably have to run away."

Bai Zang interrupted coldly: "If this evolved poison spreads to the psychic network, you can escape, but I can't. The psychic network will be the first to be paralyzed, and my bond with it is deeper than all of you combined." There was an unquestionable sense of oppression in his voice.

Xiang Fan sighed and rubbed his temple. "Stop arguing. We need to all work together to find a solution. Bai Zang, I also think the source of the problem you mentioned is very important. The characteristics of these poisons have changed. It can't be a simple individual act. There must be someone behind it, or even an entire force behind it."

Ling Ruoxi nodded, her brow furrowed. "With the speed of spread being so fast, the resources used to release the Gu must be staggeringly huge. This kind of thing is definitely not a small matter."

Shadow Killer waved his hand, his face full of impatience: "Alright, alright, all this analysis is giving me a headache. Boss, just give the orders directly. Fight if you want to, investigate if you want to! I'll just take care of the action, and leave the rest to you smart guys."

Xiang Fan glanced at him and said with a smile, "Don't be too reckless this time. The Gu problem is more difficult than you think. It may be more complicated than any enemy we have encountered before."

Bai Zang said coldly, "Stop talking nonsense. To solve the problem, we must first find more samples and clues. Otherwise, even if a bunch of us sit here and discuss it forever, it will only be empty talk."

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!