Chu Xuan's plan could hardly be called good, because, like his previous schemes, it was too extreme: success meant massive rewards, failure meant near annihilation. Zheng Zha both admired and lamented this; couldn't the man devise something more conventional? Must he always push the team to the absolute limit every single time...

Chu Xuan began his strategy by manipulating the terrain. Firstly, the Central Continent Team was forced into a narrow passage with pursuers on both flanks. The scan showed that the Brain Bug was already converging on their location, accompanied by Tunnel Worms, its dark-shelled honor guard, possessing shells that were nearly impenetrable. Even without knowing the exact cutting power of the Tiger Soul Blade's energy edge, conventional weaponry was insufficient; even the Overlord's tube-fed pulse rifle would take a considerable time to fell a single one of these creatures. It was the appearance of these specific worms that worsened the Central Continent Team's predicament.

Chu Xuan decided to gamble on the environment and the fact that the Tunnel Worms wouldn't attack the personnel held by Zero Point. If Zheng Zha charged in now, he would only face an endless swarm until sheer exhaustion, likely failing to rescue anyone. Therefore, Chu Xuan reasoned, why not go all the way? Why not simply aim to kill the Brain Bug itself? The most likely outcome was being overwhelmed and killed by the surrounding worms; the second possibility, however, held a certain dramatic flair.

"I’ve watched this horror film over ten times. There’s a specific scene that left a deep impression on me: before humanity decided to bomb the planet, they first intended to conduct orbital strikes. In that scene, the camera panned over hillsides teeming with insects, and I distinctly saw two of them nearly attacking each other—at least, they looked poised to fight. This led to one of my hypotheses: the Brain Bug controls the thoughts of every insect on this planet. If the Brain Bug is killed, the rest might revert to pure instinct, with the highest probability being self-destruction." Chu Xuan explained this to Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha pondered this and replied, "What exactly is your suggestion? Have Zero Point hide among the swarm in an open area, and once the Brain Bug appears, Zero Point attacks it from several hundred meters away? Is that what you mean?"

"No. I mean, you will circle around to the front, blocking the Brain Bug’s retreat and driving it toward Zero Point’s position. Then, once Zero Point successfully kills the Brain Bug, you must both retreat at maximum speed to the narrow passage where we are stationed... After that, collapse the entrances of both passages. If the insects genuinely start fighting each other, once these rocks fall, they won't waste time digging through them; they will immediately begin attacking the nearest creatures. At that point, we will be completely safe and only need to wait out the remaining time in this passage... Of course, there's one final risk: running out of air would certainly be bothersome," Chu Xuan replied calmly.

Judging from the topographical diagrams Chu Xuan provided, there was indeed a high chance of intercepting and driving the Brain Bug into Zero Point’s area. However, the plan's greatest uncertainty was Zero Point's safety.

Once the Brain Bug was dead and the ensuing chaotic swarm erupted, Zero Point would likely be completely engulfed. After conferring with Chu Xuan, this problem was assigned to another person: Luo Gandao.

"Among us, the fastest person besides you is only Luo Gandao utilizing the electric thruster system. After unlocking his Gene Lock, he can certainly sustain that super-high-speed run. Therefore, you must reach the other side first, hand over the captive you are holding to Luo Gandao, and then proceed through the other passage to intercept the Brain Bug, driving it toward the plaza. Once the bug is killed, Luo Gandao will use the electric thruster system to immediately rescue Zero Point. Furthermore, Luo Gandao is mounted on a robot, which offers a minimal degree of defense against the insect attacks—an advantage none of the rest of us possess. That is the entirety of my plan," Chu Xuan stated with perfect composure.

Zheng Zha could only manage a wry smile and offered a two-word assessment: "Insane!"

He immediately connected his consciousness to Luo Gandao's and addressed him, "You've heard the plan? It is extremely dangerous, and death is a distinct possibility. In fact, we are all in peril right now. You have the right to choose, but I will only grant you this one choice—once you decide, do not regret it... There will also be rewards and punishments. If you succeed in saving Zero Point and completing this mission, I will permit you to execute one of the two captives you are currently holding. Both are members who have unlocked their Gene Locks, so you may weigh your options."

Luo Gandao remained silent for a very long time before finally responding, "Understood. I agree to take on this task, but I have one condition... Everything from the past is now wiped clean. Whether it was me pointing a gun at you, or you forcing me to do things—starting today, I become an ordinary member of the Central Continent Team. Is that acceptable? I... I know Chu Xuan planned to have me killed; you all understand that even if I don't mention it. Let's be frank: I admit I was furious. But I also hope you understand that I cannot survive alone. To live, I cannot harm you all. So please, trust me. Believe that I will not betray you."

Zheng Zha paused briefly before replying, "I agree to that. As for the rest... let's discuss those matters after we all make it back alive."

Luo Gandao fell silent again. Zheng Zha then detailed the plan to Zero Point, instructing him to prepare at the coordinates shown on the scan. Meanwhile, Zheng Zha sprinted towards Chu Xuan and the others. When he reached their location, he was startled by the sight of an actual mountain range of dead insects piled up outside the cavern entrance. While he couldn't see the situation on the other side, he assumed it wasn't much better, so without hesitation, he raised the Tiger Soul Blade, preparing to strike. This action sent Nigaya Bin into a screech, and the man roared, "Don't attack! If you attack, we lose our protective layer and will be instantly devoured by these countless bugs! You absolutely must not strike!"

Zheng Zha frowned. Too many corpses blocked the entrance; how could he get inside without attacking? But a solution soon presented itself. A brilliant, spherical ball of plasma suddenly erupted at the cavern mouth. The insects closest to the plasma were instantly charred to carbon, while those slightly further away were scorched and curled up. Once the plasma explosion subsided, the entrance was momentarily clear. Zheng Zha immediately utilized his Qigong movement skills and dashed toward the opening, piercing into the cavern before other insects could swarm. His consciousness remained linked to the others' via the scanner, eliminating any risk of friendly fire.

When Zheng Zha reached the others, the desperate scene before him shocked him to the core. Wang Xia was reduced to a single arm, the other clearly ripped away violently. Overlord bore a terrifying gash across his abdomen, and the barrel of his rifle was glowing red hot, looking ready to fail at any moment, yet the bear-like man stood firm, raising his gun and roaring, incinerating any incoming bugs at the threshold.

In comparison, the others looked much better off. Chu Xuan had only sustained minor injuries and maintained his completely placid expression. The two girls were entirely unscathed, having been perfectly protected. Oh, and Luo Gandao's cartoon bear robot was covered in wounds, looking as if it had been gnawed on by the swarm.

The situation was dire, so Zheng Zha wasted no time. He dropped Rost, whose four limbs and eyes were gone, and urgently spoke to Chu Xuan, "I'll go intercept the Brain Bug now... What if I just kill the Brain Bug nearby?"

Chu Xuan said nothing, merely snapping his fingers at Overlord. The big man tossed over a segment of a dark, greenish-black limb. Chu Xuan said, "This is a near-guard insect from the Brain Bug's retinue. Test if your Tiger Soul can sever it. If it can, then letting you kill the Brain Bug nearby is entirely fine. If not, then you must simply keep attacking it from behind, making it flee..."

Zheng Zha took the dark limb. It felt like black metal in his hand. Without a second thought, he brought the Tiger Soul Blade down upon it. A sound of clashing metal echoed, but the limb only sustained a deep black indentation—there was no visible sign of the blade's previous destructive power. Unconvinced, Zheng Zha summoned the blade's energy edge and struck again. The result was not significantly different; the only change was that the energy cut left a deeper mark, yet it failed to break the shell.

"Now you understand? Moreover, this insect is incredibly fast, and according to the scan, they are numerous around the Brain Bug. Unless you use your 'Destruction' skill, you can never get close. But if you use 'Destruction,' how will you manage to run back? Therefore, the only way is to drive the Brain Bug toward our side until it is within effective long-range sniping distance. You won't have to fear being trapped by the guard insects, and we can calmly seal the cavern after you return..."

"Understood! Then the Brain Bug is up to you. Zero Point, use the Gauss Burst Rounds..." he jumped to