The early morning forest was shrouded in a thin layer of mist. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground, gently swaying in the breeze. Xiang Su and several teammates journeyed deep into the forest, silently tracking a rare spiritual beast. The beast was enormous, its limbs strong, and a faint aura shimmered from its body. A natural aura of spiritual energy flowed with its steps. For cultivators, such beasts were undoubtedly extremely valuable prey. Their essence and spirit cores could not only be used to enhance their cultivation, but also provided excellent materials for refining weapons and crafting talismans.
"It can't get far," Xiang Su whispered, dragging behind him a semi-mechanized combat device. Its metal shell was covered in intricate psychic runes, and psychic energy pulses flowed along them, providing energy support for the entire device. Xiang Su operated the device expertly, his eyes fixed on the psychic network tracking signal on the panel. The psychic veins outlined the movement of the spirit beast. His tone was calm and confident.
A young cultivator among his teammates lowered his voice, unable to conceal his excitement, and said, "Uncle Xiang, this time it's all thanks to your equipment. If it weren't for this psychic device that locked onto the spirit beast's trail, we wouldn't have been able to catch it. This large amount of spirit stones, if divided among us, will be enough for us to practice for a long time!"
Xiang Su smiled when he heard this, but his voice remained cautious: "Don't be happy too soon, the spirit beast is cunning, wait until you catch it." As he said, he quickly adjusted the parameters of the psychic network, and the red dot of psychic lock on the screen gradually approached the target area.
Just as he was about to activate the psychic net and securely capture the spirit beast, something unexpected happened. A sharp buzzing sound suddenly erupted from the cyborg, and the psychic data on the control panel began to jump wildly. The once smooth psychic signal instantly became chaotic. The screen flashed a glaring red alarm, and the light on the rune chain dimmed sharply, replaced by a series of abnormal symbols.
"Oh no! The device is out of control!" Xiang Su's face suddenly changed and he shouted loudly. His fingers slid quickly on the control panel, trying to manually shut down the psychic network's operating system, but it was too late.
With a violent explosion, the energy from the psychic network suddenly flowed back into the device, instantly tearing the entire machine apart with a tremendous impact. The shockwave, carrying with it a scorching aftermath of psychic energy, swept out, sending Xiang Su flying several meters. His body slammed into a large tree behind him with a muffled thud. Shattered metal fragments flew everywhere, and the surrounding trees were affected by the explosion, their branches and leaves charred black. The air was thick with the scent of burning psychic energy.
"Uncle Xiang!" Several teammates cried out in terror, rushing toward the epicenter of the explosion. Xiang Su collapsed to the ground, his robes ripped in many places, blood streaming down his forehead. His eyes were closed, his breathing was shallow, and half his body was burned by the aftermath of the psychic energy, a horrifying sight.
The team lifted the unconscious Xiang Su and glanced around in shock. They discovered the spirit beast had vanished into the forest, and the wreckage from the explosion still emitted black smoke. The cyborg, which had once brought hope, was now reduced to shattered parts scattered across the ground.
Meanwhile, in the Lingxiao Sect's courtyard, Xiang Fan was tidying up the yard with a broom. The sun shone on his shoulders, and he looked up at the azure sky. A hint of unease seemed to permeate the air. Just as he put down his broom and prepared to tidy up the room, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
"Xiang Fan! Open the door quickly!" someone shouted outside the door, his voice filled with anxiety and panic.
Xiang Fan quickly opened the gate and saw several familiar figures hurrying in, carrying his blood-soaked father, Xiang Su. Xiang Su's face was as pale as paper, his breath weak, his right arm hanging limply at his side, and traces of psychic burns still lingered on his chest. Xiang Fan's pupils suddenly constricted, and his mind went blank.
"Dad!" he yelled, rushing forward to take his father's body. Together with several teammates, he carried Xiang Su into the room. He carefully laid his father on the bed and reached out to check for his breathing. Although weak, it was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiang Fan felt a sharp pain in his heart as he looked at his father's closed eyes and blood-stained body. He raised his head, his eyes filled with anger and anxiety, and asked his teammates in a trembling voice, "What happened? Why did my father become like this?"
The teammates were panting, their faces still terrified. One of them explained anxiously, "Uncle Xiang's mechanical device suddenly malfunctioned... The energy in the psychic network was flowing backwards! We don't know what happened. Just as we were about to capture the spirit beast, the device lost control and exploded!"
Xiang Fan was stunned upon hearing this. His mind was in a turmoil, but his thoughts were gradually brought back to reality by his teammates' descriptions. He recalled the recent rumors of abnormalities in the psychic network, and the poisonous insects that his master had mentioned. Combined with the loss of control of the device, he instantly realized that this was no ordinary mechanical failure, but rather the infestation of the poisonous insects.
"It's a poisonous insect..." Xiang Fan muttered, his voice barely audible. He slowly stood up, his gaze darting towards his father. His fingers unconsciously clenched, his knuckles turning white from the strain. A searing rage welled up in his chest, burning like a raging fire.
Not long after, Lu Qingli arrived at Xiang Fan's courtyard. The sky was gloomy, with low, gray clouds hanging low, and even the air seemed oppressive. Lu Qingli stood at the courtyard's entrance, her cold gaze sweeping over everything within. The once clean and tidy courtyard now looked somewhat disheveled, with herb residue and broken pottery scattered across the ground. The faint sound of breathing coming from within the room made her heart tighten.
She stepped into the courtyard and saw Xiang Fan sitting beside the bed, head bowed, tightly gripping his father, Xiang Su's hand. His expression was deep and gloomy, like a volcano brewing a storm, poised to erupt at any moment. Xiang Su lay in bed, his face pale, his breathing shallow. Although his wounds had been bandaged briefly, the internal injuries from the psychic feedback were still lingering.
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