He swiped his finger across the screen, and a node in the chain was marked red. Then, as if alive, the poisonous insect rune rushed towards the node. In a matter of seconds, the entire node collapsed, the psychic light vanished, leaving behind a suffocating darkness. "See? The poisonous insects are not just simple invaders. As they spread, they selectively destroy the psychic network, creating irreparable 'dead zones.' If we want to analyze their spread, we must first understand how they choose their targets, and this is the most difficult part."

Ling Ruoxi stared at the screen, her slightly furrowed brows appearing even more icy in the virtual light. Her voice was soft yet chilling, a hint of caution in her voice: "You mean... we need to directly observe the spread of the poison?"

"That's right." Bai Zang's gaze remained fixed on the screen, his tone growing heavier. "But this behavior is extremely dangerous. The poison's rune chains aren't inanimate objects; they possess a degree of pseudo-intelligence. As soon as they sense external interference or monitoring, they'll activate their counterattack mechanism. In other words, if we try to observe it, it might just locate us." He paused, his gaze growing colder. "And when it finds our psychic node, the consequences will be disastrous."

A brief silence fell in the conference room, everyone's expression etched with solemnity. The horror of the poisonous insects went far beyond this. Not only could they corrupt the network, they even possessed a strange "spirituality," as if hidden behind an invisible controller. It was this hidden malevolence that made each of them feel an unprecedented threat.

Suddenly, Shadow Killer's cold laugh broke the silence. His virtual mech appeared agile and sharp, its twin blades gleaming with a cold light. "What's the danger? Every time we do something, it's dangerous. Since we know this is the only way, let's do it. There's no need to hesitate."

The Xuanwu guard's steady voice sounded, deep and powerful: "He's right. If there's no other better option, then give it a try. Delaying will only make the situation worse."

Xiang Fan's gaze swept across the conference room, and he couldn't help but feel moved by everyone's resolute expressions. He knew that everyone on this team had already experienced countless life and death situations, and danger would never make them retreat. He took a deep breath, and his voice was firm and clear: "Since everyone agrees, then it's settled. First, observe the spread of the poison, find their flaws, and then formulate a countermeasure."

Ling Ruoxi nodded slowly, but the worry between her brows did not dissipate. She warned, "But we must be careful. The poisonous insects are likely to have anti-location capabilities. If they capture our signal, it will be like inviting disaster."

Bai Zang folded his hands, and a cold glint flashed in the eyes of the projected mecha Gu Master. He said in a deep voice, "Don't worry. I will design a temporary shielding program to disguise our psychic signals and try to avoid being captured by them. But you must act quickly. The poison Gu changes much faster than normal programs. The longer you delay, the greater the risk."

Xiang Fan nodded and gripped the console armrest tightly. His voice was firm, "Understood. Then proceed as planned. Time waits for no one."

The virtual conference room gradually faded, the screens vanished piece by piece, and the projections of everyone gradually dissipated. However, the oppressive feeling that permeated the air lingered for a long time, as if the scent of a poisonous insect had seeped through the network and seeped into everyone's heart.

Xiang Fan's consciousness returned to the cockpit of his mecha. He slowly opened his eyes. The screen before him was still flashing with the data from the poisonous rune chain. The runes danced mockingly, as if challenging his courage. He leaned back in his seat, staring at the flashing red psychic nodes on the screen, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

"Who is behind this...?" His voice was barely audible, yet it carried an indescribable complex emotion. He closed his eyes, as if trying to search his mind for an answer, but aside from those undecipherable rune chains, everything remained a mystery.

The cockpit was completely silent. The faint light of the psychic indicator flickered, casting cold shadows on the metal walls. Xiang Fan knew that each of them was heading towards an unknown catastrophe. The only thing he could do was to cling to every ounce of hope and confront the enemy lurking in the darkness head-on, regardless of victory or defeat.