Purge

Inside the building, Wu Qi's injuries were gradually healing. Xu Chan stood across from it, but did not rashly advance again. Wu Qi's mental power pulsed outward in waves, forcing Xu Chan to focus intently on shielding his own mind, which in turn made it difficult to draw power from the other world. Even if ordinary Mind Jin landed a blow, its lethality was still somewhat insufficient against it. When he struck it earlier, he had already noticed: to say nothing of Wu Qi's sturdy exoskeleton, the mutated muscle fibers within possessed exceptional strength and elasticity, granting it tremendous resistance against jin, not to mention its extraordinary regenerative capacity. Relying on himself alone, he could certainly inflict severe damage, but bringing it down outright was impossible. Besides, judging by the intent from command, he didn't seem to need to go that far—he only needed to pin it down for a certain amount of time. He did not need to know the specifics of command's plan; he only had to execute his orders. Within Wu Qi's regenerative membrane, the missing tissues were gradually growing back. Moments later, the damaged areas on its body, including the fractured bones, had knitted whole, making it appear entirely renewed. Now, the rows of compound eyes that had regrown across its face and chest were all locked onto Xu Chan. Without question, he was the greatest threat to it on the field. Xu Chan held its gaze without flinching, his mental power standing firm like a reef against the relentless waves crashing toward him. Just then, footsteps sounded behind him as the team members who had been knocked out earlier returned, taking up positions behind him. By releasing vital essence, their injuries had also recovered. Captain Wang looked up and warned, "Captain Xu, it's about time we brought out the gear." Xu Chan said, "No rush. I already had the rear transport the supplies over. They should be arriving any moment." Even as he spoke, two heavy thuds echoed from the plaza outside—an approaching airship overhead had dropped two crates from above. The sole Pioneer Team member remaining in the plaza walked over to them. Dealing with different types of active conscious entities required different tools and equipment. Before, they hadn't known Wu Qi's full capabilities, but after testing it, they had gotten a fairly good measure of it. Now, they could deploy tailored weaponry. With a slap of his palm, he broke open the two crates, revealing specially made heavy nets and binding cords tied to short spears. Grabbing the gear, he carried it straight into the building. "Captain Xu, the gear is here." With a flick of his wrist, the binding cords and heavy nets landed in the hands of the others present. The moment they held the equipment, their minds settled, their confidence surging. They kept their eyes fixed on Wu Qi. The two pairs of legs beneath it could move freely in all directions, and with compound eyes and sensory organs distributed across nearly its entire body, it possessed virtually no blind spots. By all logic, if such an organism were to move around, its lethality and offensive prowess would increase severalfold at least. Yet up until now, no matter how they attacked, it refused to budge from its spot, acting almost like a practice target and allowing them to strike freely, completely forfeiting its natural advantages. Clearly, it only wanted to block the entrance behind it. Ferris Wheel Company's key figures had to be behind that doorway. To protect those people, it was unable to retreat from its post, which meant they could fully exploit this weakness. Xu Chan took hold of a short spear and tugged at the specially made long cord attached to it, finding its toughness and durability reasonably satisfactory. In truth, it would have been best to use Yang Shen's Coiling Dragon Jin cord. With someone holding the creature's attention at the front, Yang Shen would only need to complete the jin technique ritual to bind it with ease. Even if this conscious entity could break free, it wouldn't be able to do so in an instant, giving them plenty of time to pile on further restraints. But since the man wasn't here, they had to make do with tools. Xu Chan tightened his grip, looked up, and ignoring the relentless mental shockwaves pressing against him, let a faint gleam flash across his hand before hurling the spear violently forward. Wu Qi immediately moved to dodge the moment it saw his motion, but the strike came far too fast. To ensure success, Xu Chan had lunged forward at the same time as the throw. The creature had barely shifted sideways when the short spear pierced straight through its body, embedding itself deeply into the floor behind with a heavy thud. Simultaneously, Captains Lyu and Wang each grabbed a corner of the heavy net from behind, leaped forward, and brought the spread net sweeping down over it from above. Wu Qi tried instinctively to evade, but the mustachioed captain suddenly stepped forward and assisted Xu Chan—who was slightly disoriented by the mental impact—in grabbing the cord, preventing the creature from breaking free immediately. Although the spear embedded in the ground popped out a short distance with a snap under its thrashing, it was still a step too slow, and the heavy net smothered it from above. Next, they needed only to drive the spears at each corner of the net into the floor to further restrict its movement. Yet at that moment, an unexpected change occurred on Wu Qi. Where the exoskeleton covered its shoulders, razor-sharp bone blades suddenly branched out like blooming petals, propping up the net. Then, its shoulders flared outward in an exaggerated stretch, ripping several tears through the specially made net with sharp tearing sounds. Seeing this, the last team member immediately hoisted another short spear, preparing to pin it down while it had nowhere to dodge. But right then, Wu Qi let out a piercing screech. A mental shockwave far more intense than before erupted outward, rattling his and the others' minds, their movements unconsciously stalling by half a beat. And in that briefest of moments, Wu Qi tore the heavy net completely to shreds, causing their attempt to end in failure. At the same moment, aboard the submarine beneath the building, several directors of Ferris Wheel had grown tense when they saw Wu Qi trapped under the net, only breathing a sigh of relief when it broke free. Yet anyone could see that Wu Qi was being far too passive like this. The proper course was to let it move freely, but at this moment, no one seemed willing to broach the subject. Director Yingwei spoke up then: "There is still no word from ashore. It is highly likely they have been intercepted. I believe we still need to send another team to make an attempt." The directors considered it and agreed. So much time had passed without a reply from above, making it quite likely Director Yingwei was right. Dispatching another team couldn't hurt, so the decision was swiftly approved. Upon receiving this order, Guan Shangjing had no choice but to pull six men from his twenty-man guard unit, sending them along with ten more armed security guards to skirt their way ashore through the seabed. Once that was confirmed, Director Yingwei spoke again: "Gentlemen, my recommendation is that we should temporarily vacate this place. Our presence here is holding Wu Qi back." Another director objected immediately: "But outside isn't safe! Once we leave, it will be hard to know what's happening. I don't agree to leaving." Another director chimed in matter-of-factly: "Wu Qi's very purpose is to ensure our safety. If we are made to go somewhere unsafe, what do we even have Wu Qi for?" "An insolent proposal, Director Yingwei. You are putting the lives of the directors at risk." Facing their accusations, Director Yingwei bowed slightly in his seat and said earnestly, "Directors, please do not fret. In truth, I have a sound solution." The director sitting at the head of the table gestured for quiet and said solemnly, "What solution do you have, Director Yingwei? If it is reasonable, I believe the board will adopt it." Director Yingwei slowly raised his head, a strange expression surfacing on his face. "It's very simple. If none of you are around any longer, Wu Qi won't have anyone left to protect. Then, of course, it won't need to stand guard there, and will be free to move as it pleases." "Yingwei, what foolish nonsense are you spouting!" "Do not make such ill-timed jokes!" Some directors thought he was raving, but others felt a prickle of vigilance, quietly resting their hands on the alarm button, ready to summon guards inside the moment anything went wrong. Director Yingwei remained seated, his gaze growing even stranger. "Do you directors not feel this is the right course?" One director barked, "Yingwei, we've told you, this is no place for jokes!" Director Yingwei smiled. "I am speaking with you in all seriousness." Just then, a colossal shadow suddenly cast itself across the wall behind him, and the bright lights of the conference room abruptly dimmed. A director sitting close to him stood up in horror. "You're not Yingwei..." With that, he slammed his fist down on the alarm, scrambled to his feet, and bolted toward the door. But barely two steps in, he crashed to the floor. His feet had somehow twisted around each other, writhing into a braided knot, and he couldn't help but scream in excruciating agony. Another director was far more ferocious; having evidently practiced fighting arts, he drew the long saber at his side with a swish. Bellowing a war cry, he leaped onto the conference table and slashed downward toward Director Yingwei's head. Yet after lunging forward merely two paces, he discovered to his horror that his arms had checked the blade, drawing the edge up against his own throat. Then, with a savage pull, he slashed so violently that he nearly severed his own neck. Except for the director sitting at the head of the table who still sat with forced composure, the rest of the directors scrambled up, retreating in terror. "Y-You're not Director Yingwei!" Director Yingwei wore a mysterious smile. "I am. How could I not be?" As he spoke, the directors' limbs stopped obeying them. Under their own terrified gazes, their hands seized their own necks and snapped them with a sickening crunch. The force was so immense that their faces twisted completely toward their backs before they collapsed one by one. The director at the head of the table stared at him. "Are you It? What in the world do you want?" Director Yingwei smiled and said, "Isn't this wonderful? I'm lightening the burden for the Ferris Wheel Company, and Wu Qi can fight without restraint." The director still managed to cling to some composure: "Actually, we could cooperate..." Suddenly his expression shifted. His hand trembled as it rose, holding a gun, slowly lifting it until it pointed at his own head. His face flushed crimson, veins bulging along his neck as he fought desperately to stop himself, but it was futile. His hand rose with unwavering resolve, and then pulled the trigger. Director Yingwei watched with a smile. With a loud bang, the body across from him slumped onto the conference table. Now, inside the conference room, there was no one left alive except him—surrounded by a floor strewn with corpses.