The encirclement shrunk from a diameter of 300 meters to about 100 meters.
The mushroom was less than 50 meters away from them.
This is the moment!
"He Dong!" Qin Feng shouted.
"Understood!"
Dark golden divine light flashed in He Dong's eyes, a sign of his mental power at its absolute limit, under high-load output.
"Everyone, get up!"
Spatial shields appeared one after another.
Everyone jumped onto the spatial shields, able to hover in the air briefly, their feet not touching the ground.
On the other side.
The giant mushroom prepared to launch an attack.
But at that moment.
An earthquake-like tremor occurred within a radius of over a hundred meters.
The soil and rocks underground churned.
The ground flipped into the underground.
The underground flipped onto the ground.
Heaven and earth were turned upside down!
The mycelial network, originally spread over twenty kilometers and now contracted to a hundred meters, was flipped out of the ground.
Due to its extreme 'concentration'.
There was almost no soil.
The grayish-white mycelial network formed a massive clump.
Mycelial networks rely on soil. Upon being flipped out of the ground, it immediately sensed danger.
It frantically tried to burrow back into the earth.
"Liu Pi, freeze it!" Qin Feng shouted.
"Yes!"
At this moment.
Everyone finally understood why the captain had asked An Ling to reinforce Liu Pi.
Liu Pi possessed ice-type abilities.
Back in "2012," the triangular prism forged by Zhou Haiyang had been immersed in molten lava.
It was Liu Pi's abilities that cooled it down.
Crackling sounds...
Ice-blue mist was released.
Instantly!
The mycelial network, which was preparing to burrow into the ground and spanned a hundred meters, turned ice-blue.
It was directly frozen into an ice sculpture.
Even if it had mutated, its essence remained unchanged.
Upon encountering extreme cold, fungi would enter hibernation.
Simultaneously.
Deprived of energy supply from the mycelial network.
The giant mushroom's attacks stopped instantly.
The released spores, like hailstones, fell to the ground, losing their offensive power.
*Hoo...*
Qin Feng collapsed onto the ground, his legs giving out.
Everyone looked at him.
They paused for a moment.
Then, some sat down, while others simply lay on the ground.
Finally, they had succeeded!
"Captain, what do we do with this thing?" Tang Xiaoying panted.
This battle.
Everyone had exerted their full strength.
Initially, they hadn't paid much attention to the honey fungus.
Its attack power was ordinary and posed no threat to true experts. But they hadn't expected...
When Xiao Ruoruo controlled the mycelial network, the honey fungus units immediately rushed to its aid.
Frenzied concentrated fire!
The attacks were so powerful they brought despair!
"How large are the main base and the branch bases?" Qin Feng asked, not answering directly.
"Each branch base is several kilometers from the main base, with an overall diameter of approximately..."
Suddenly!
Tang Xiaoying's eyes widened.
She stopped speaking.
Because she understood Qin Feng's intention!
If they could completely control the honey fungus, they could place it within the base.
The main base and all branch bases would be situated on the mycelial network.
Indeed.
When dispersed, its attack power would be weak.
But!
Because the base was on the mycelial network, any base experiencing an invasion would be immediately detected by the honey fungus.
The honey fungus detected it.
Xiao Ruoruo, who controlled it, would also detect it.
It could be said that.
Xiao Ruoruo could completely understand the status of all bases and grasp the overall situation!
Not only that.
While the dispersed mycelial network's power was indeed not impressive and didn't pose a threat to experts,
It could contract!
Once concentrated...
They had just experienced it firsthand.
Even two teams of elites combined could barely fend it off.
This thing.
Integrated warning, attack, and defense.
It was an absolute super weapon!
At this, everyone became excited.
Once successful.
All bases would be impregnable.
Outside, they might not be the most powerful.
But as long as they entered the area covered by the mycelial network, they would be absolutely invincible!
"I can't control it." Xiao Ruoruo gave a wry smile.
Even though their levels were comparable.
She couldn't control the honey fungus.
It was too large.
Earlier, even in the struggle for control of the mycelial network, the honey fungus was not her opponent; she could only secure a small portion.
Let alone controlling the entire organism.
"That's why we asked Liu Pi to freeze it first."
Qin Feng smiled, "After being frozen, it will temporarily stop evolving. You need to improve quickly."
As long as Xiao Ruoruo's strength advanced further.
She could use quality to overcome quantity.
And achieve complete control!
Only by completely controlling this honey fungus could the base ensure absolute safety.
In the future.
Qin Feng would no longer worry when he left the base.
However...
It sounded easy, but it was difficult to achieve.
Xiao Ruoruo was currently at Level 8, the same as Qin Feng.
To control the honey fungus by quality over quantity, her strength had to reach Level 9.
Breaking through from Level 8 to Level 9.
Absorbing Level 7 crystals would take a very, very long time.
Half a year?
Or a year?
By then, how much plot would have passed, and the honey fungus's value would have significantly decreased.
Even absorbing Level 8 crystals would take about a month.
Moreover.
Qin Feng didn't have many Level 8 crystals on hand right now.
With Level 8 strength, absorbing Level 9 crystals would be sufficient in about ten days.
Unfortunately.
There was only one Level 9 crystal.
After Qin Feng and Xiao Ruoruo both broke through to Level 8, the energy was only sixty percent left.
Absorbing twenty percent at a time.
It was only enough for three days.
Not enough to break through.
The fastest method was to absorb Level 10 crystals.
Breakthrough could be achieved in fifteen minutes.
But Level 10 monsters had not yet appeared in the current post-apocalyptic world, so where would Level 10 crystals come from?
"Ruoruo will stay at the main base. Xiaoying, take a team and guard the honey fungus on site. Liu Pi will assist," Qin Feng instructed.
Most of the first team were at the branch bases.
They could only transfer Tang Xiaoying over.
As for Xiao Ruoruo...
After being transferred to the main base, those powerful combat plants would rely on her control.
With those plants, the main base would be impregnable.
As for Liu Pi, needless to say.
Ice would melt.
He had to use his ice-type abilities periodically.
With the strength of Tang Xiaoying and Liu Pi, plus another group of people, no one would dare to covet the honey fungus.
However.
Camping out in the open wasn't a solution.
He had to go to the Pacific as soon as possible.
And obtain crystals quickly.
To allow Xiao Ruoruo to break through to Level 9, completely control the honey fungus, and resolve the issue once and for all.
"Alright, I'll be leaving then."
Qin Feng prepared to depart and meet up with Neptune.
"Leaving again already?"
Xiao Ruoruo was taken aback, a sense of loss washing over her.
How long had it been since he returned?
As soon as he returned, he had her absorb crystals to break through.
She had just broken through.
He immediately came to deal with the honey fungus.
And now he was leaving again?
"Captain, why don't you... stay one night before you go?" Han Ling said.
Qin Feng hesitated.
This time, it wasn't as urgent.
The last time he dealt with the two-headed crocodile, it was because he had memories of his past life and knew when and where it would appear.
This time.
Obtaining high-level crystals wouldn't be easy.
The Pacific Ocean was vast.
The ocean depths were immense.
It was all down to luck!
However, the longer Xiao Ruoruo delayed her breakthrough, the longer Tang Xiaoying and Liu Pi would have to guard here.
It was unfair to the other team members.
Moreover.
Controlling the honey fungus sooner would also ensure the absolute safety of the main base and the seven branch bases.
"Captain, don't worry about us."
Tang Xiaoying saw his hesitation at a glance. "Ask He Dong to help and build us some houses. It'll be no different from being at the base."
"Right, right!"
Liu Pi quickly nodded, winking. "A short separation is like a new marriage..."
"Get lost!" Qin Feng snapped.
"Captain, I've awakened a new ability."
Suddenly!
Han Xiao's words caught Qin Feng's attention.
A new ability?
"What ability?" he asked urgently.
"I'll tell you when we get back," she said, grinning and winking at Xiao Ruoruo.
Sister!
Little sister is being considerate, right?
For you, I'm even asking for conditions from the captain, not afraid of being beaten to death!
"If you dare to lie to me, you're dead!" Qin Feng glared at her.