Only Chen Gu at the front remained unaffected, continuing to swing his sword in battle and forcibly carving a path through the giant insects.

If ordinary people were present, the sight would leave them dumbfounded. The insects were dozens of meters in size, and Chen Gu appeared minuscule before them. Yet, this tiny figure wielded a giant sword as if he had entered an uninhabited land. The behemoths in his path were split asunder by the gleam of his sword, their remains and fluids spraying everywhere...

But a large swarm of insects surged forward. The insect horde also moved with incredible speed. After the "airdrop" of these large insects slowed the team, they swiftly closed in for the kill.

At the critical moment, Gong Shuxu roared. His Sixth Energy Level power erupted. Even though the insects had been specially conditioned, many couldn't withstand his ability and instantly turned to attack their own kind.

The entire battlefield descended into chaos. Gong Shuxu strode forward, focusing intently, intent on leading everyone out of this encirclement before the insect swarm closed in.

As he passed by the others, a hand suddenly reached out. It lightly patted his shoulder, yet it produced a loud BANG!

A viscous, black substance, like crude oil, rapidly spread from the palm onto Gong Shuxu's shoulder. It covered most of his shoulder and threatened to expand further!

Gong Shuxu's sturdy frame wobbled. He turned his head in disbelief toward the attacker, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word. The ability he had been maintaining instantly collapsed. He then gathered all his strength and focus to combat the "blackness" on his shoulder.

The hand that had struck Gong Shuxu also turned pitch-black in an instant. It then swelled rapidly, veins bulging, skin rotting, as strange scales sprouted from it.

The transformation then spread rapidly. He let out a triumphant roar. His protective suit and breathing mask burst as his body swelled to over four meters tall. A crimson, forked tongue lashed out, flicking wildly in the air, as if a long-suppressed entity had finally been unleashed!

Ma Shuwen, caught off guard, was struck by the tongue. A sharp SLAP sent her flying, half her body instantly becoming bloodied. Nearby, a giant Ghost-Claw Insect raised its massive pincer, preparing to strike.

Ma Shuwen was momentarily immobilized. She watched the seven to eight-meter-long insect pincer, like Death's scythe, descend upon her. She sighed and closed her eyes, awaiting her end.

Suddenly, a streak of crimson lightning flashed from the side, CRACK! It sliced through the underbelly of the giant Ghost-Claw Insect.

Ma Shuwen heard the Ghost-Claw Insect utter a piercing shriek. Then, with a PLOP, she was drenched from head to toe in a foul-smelling, viscous fluid—dark green, thankfully.

She opened her eyes in a daze. Chen Gu was charging toward Gong Shuxu, sword in hand. The giant Ghost-Claw Insect before her had collapsed, its huge pincer severed, and a wound was gradually appearing down the center of its body.

Still reeling, Ma Shuwen saw Chen Gu rush to Gong Shuxu's side. He held his sword with both hands and shouted, "Don't move!"

WHOOSH—

A sword came down.

Gong Shuxu knew what Chen Gu intended. He was amazed that this young man was so decisive, instantly finding the solution with the least cost in this crisis. Simultaneously, he gritted his teeth, overcame his body's instincts, and remained perfectly still, just as Chen Gu had warned.

He felt a searing sensation flash across his shoulder. Chen Gu's sword had severed his arm along with the entire shoulder!

For an ordinary person, this sword strike would have been fatal. But Gong Shuxu was a Sixth Energy Level master. Although severely injured, the wound was not life-threatening. Indeed, once he returned to the main encampment, with his status and influence, various precious elixirs and healing methods could be employed. His shoulder and arm could regrow. After a period of recuperation and training, his strength would be completely unimpaired.

The severed shoulder and arm carried away the corrupting mutation, completely saving Gong Shuxu.

The Sixth Energy Level master was drenched in a cold sweat from the pain. For a time, he had lost all combat capability.

Chen Gu grabbed him and handed him to the doll Lisa, "Take good care of him!"

Chen Gu then took a deep breath. He held his sword upright before him, adopting a defensive opening stance from the Nuclear Combat Technique.

Before him stood the four-meter-tall, pitch-black creature with a blood-red tongue—the professional-turned-Mutant!

Ma Shuwen had regained her composure. She gathered the other professionals, forming a protective circle around the injured Gong Shuxu. Staring at the Mutant in disbelief, she stammered, "Boles... you... how could you become this!"

Her answer was a strange throbbing in the enormous Mutant's chest and abdomen. Suddenly, it spewed countless black specks, like tiny mosquitoes, from its mouth. These black specks swarmed out, landing among the surrounding insects.

Each black speck infected an insect. Given the already countless number of insects, the moment the specks landed, the creatures began to writhe in agony on the ground. For a critical moment, they stopped their assault on the humans.

Then the Mutant, Boles, moved abruptly, charging toward Chen Gu.

Chen Gu dodged and advanced. Their exchange was incredibly fast, the sounds of their blows—BANG! BANG! BANG!—echoing incessantly. Even the professionals behind them could only perceive a streak of crimson lightning weaving around a massive black shadow.

Gong Shuxu's severe wound had stopped bleeding. As he watched the huge black shadow, complex emotions surged within him. He had been wary of Chen Gu potentially mutating throughout the entire journey. Yet, he had never expected a true Mutant to be hidden among them—and for it to be Boles.

It was precisely because Boles had attacked at a critical moment that he himself was severely injured, and the entire team had teetered on the brink of collapse.

Yet, at the crucial moment, it was Chen Gu—the one he had constantly been wary of—who had turned the tide. He not only saved Gong Shuxu but also temporarily stabilized the situation.

Gong Shuxu felt a wave of shame and muttered to himself, This is bad. Now I owe that annoying Brain Domain Hacker three favors...

I wonder if I'll ever be able to repay this debt in my lifetime!

"You all go first!" Chen Gu shouted amidst the battle.

But the others couldn't bear to abandon Chen Gu and flee. Annoyed, Chen Gu yelled, "Go first! I can easily get away!"

He was inwardly anxious. You liabilities! Why aren't you running while these insects are still dealing with the effects of the corruption? Are you trying to get me killed?!

As soon as you're gone, this master actor can fight his way out. One Quantum Teleportation and I'll vanish!

At the critical moment, it was Gong Shuxu who made the decisive call: "Go!"

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