No more hesitation!
Xu Shuangyao bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, the intense pain causing her distracted gaze to focus instantly. She forced herself to suppress the dizziness and weakness brought on by the rupture of the symbiotic bond. The opportunity for redemption was before her, and perhaps the only slim hope of stopping the Fungus Master, or even... saving the man blinded by rage and instinct.
She took a deep breath of the hot, sweet, and poisonous air, saturated with toxic spores. A searing sting spread through her lungs. Without looking back at the direction Pei Du had vanished, she channeled all her mental energy, like a fine needle, fiercely stabbing the pulsating, pale, massive core node. At the same time, she summoned a long-forgotten special mental key from the depths of her consciousness, belonging to the highest-level researchers of the Pillars of Creation project—an extremely complex bio-energy code that fluctuated at a specific frequency. This was a backdoor reserved for the highest-level maintenance, a backdoor that even the Fungus Master might not fully grasp!
"Analyze the structure! Weakness! Energy flow!" Xu Shuangyao roared inwardly, her will like an invisible drill, struggling to penetrate inward despite the interference of the mushroom master's overwhelming will and the terrifying energy radiation emanating from the core node. Veins bulged on her forehead, and the blood vessels beneath her skin took on an ominous purple hue from overload. Tiny beads of blood oozed from the corners of her eyes and nostrils. The faint flow of information from the plant network became a crucial guide, painstakingly outlining the despairingly complex energy circuits and material structure within the core node in her mind.
Time passed in great pain and concentration, and every second seemed as long as a century.
Sudden!
When her spiritual key touched an extremely hidden ancient energy seal deep in the core node, an indescribable torrent of terrifying information spanning a long time, like the dying roar of an ancient behemoth, suddenly rushed back along her spiritual link and slammed into her consciousness!
A sticky, cold, rotting, sweet fungal mist enveloped Pei Du, blocking his vision and all sounds from the outside world. Only his own heavy breathing and the pounding of his heart could be heard in his ears. The burning sensation of the crown of thorns reached its peak, as if it was about to tear his skull apart. The whispers of the fungus master were no longer vague temptations, but had become countless overlapping, sharp, and malicious voices, screaming and tearing wildly in his shattered mind:
"Look! There you are!"
"Defective! Poor quality!"
"Come back! Perfection comes from being one!"
"She abandoned you! She only wanted to destroy your hopes!"
"Shut up! Shut up, everyone!" Pei Du roared, waving his hands, tangled in thorns and transformed into giant black claws, frantically tearing through the thick mycelial fog before him. Every swing of his claws sent a splatter of viscous liquid and broken mycelium. The tearing pain from the other end of the symbiotic connection and Xu Shuangyao's faint but clear anxious cries now became fuel to the fire, further convincing him that she was wrong! She only wanted to prevent him from finding the answer!
The thick fog suddenly thinned.
A massive cultivation device, resembling an insect cocoon, appeared before his eyes. It was composed of countless thick, pulsating, dark green mycelial tubes, deeply rooted in the thick fungal carpet below. The interior of the device was filled with a viscous liquid emitting a soft green light. And in the center of that liquid, a figure quietly hovered.
Pei Du's breathing completely stopped at that moment.
Time seemed to stand still.
That figure... was himself!
The exact same figure, the exact same facial features, even the tiny old scar at the corner of his eye, the origin of which he had almost forgotten, was perfectly replicated. The clone's eyes were closed, his expression serene, as if he were simply asleep. No hideous crown of thorns, no twisted, alienated limbs, no sickening green glow of mycelium in his left eye. His skin was smooth, emitting a soft, almost holy glow in the culture medium, like the Creator's most perfect masterpiece, a flawless work of art.
"Perfect..." The Fungus Master's voice was filled with endless satisfaction and temptation, like the sweetest whisper of a lover, pouring directly into Pei Du's soul, "Do you see it, Pei Du? This is the form you should have. Pure, powerful, immortal, free from all pain and flaws... No struggle, no betrayal... Only the eternal form of life, be with me..."
The immense impact froze Pei Du in place, his mind blank. The fury seemed to pause, replaced by an unprecedented, eerie, and cold attraction. He involuntarily took a step forward, each step heavy and sticky against the fungal mat. He reached out his hand, trembling, through the thick, transparent wall (which seemed to be composed of some highly crystallized mycelium), wanting to touch the perfect face that looked exactly like his own.
Is this the wholeness he seeks? The answer to the root of what's been haunting him, tearing him apart, making him feel forever incomplete? It's right before his eyes, within his grasp...
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the culture wall, the eyeballs of the clone suspended in the culture medium seemed to move very slightly under its eyelids.
An indescribable chill, like an ice cone, instantly pierced Pei Du's heart, which was paralyzed by temptation!
wrong!
That wasn't slumber! Beneath that calm and peaceful exterior, something... lay hidden! A cold, greedy, inhuman will! It lacked the vibrant energy of a living being, more like... an empty shell waiting to be "activated"! A perfect container for its master!
"No!" The belated warning from the depths of his soul exploded like thunder! Pei Du suddenly wanted to retract his hand and retreat!
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