The moment the first shadow stepped into the Huo Grass, both Ye Zhongming and the other squad members were extremely tense, ready to act. Yet, nothing happened.

The squad members were puzzled. Typically, whether mutated animals, mutated plants, or even parasites, all had a strong sense of territory and would relentlessly attack any lifeform that dared to invade their domain.

Mutated plants, in particular, were less intelligent than other mutated lifeforms and mostly acted on instinct. So, it was quite unexpected that the shadow did not come under immediate attack.

The shadow, identical to Ye Zhongming, took a few more steps forward. Finding nothing amiss, it paused briefly, then suddenly pressed its hands downward. A surge of power erupted from its palms, striking the Huo Grass on the ground and sending clumps of dirt flying.

Yet, the entire Hive Nest remained silent.

He’s expression grew grim. She did not believe the Huo Grass was afraid, nor that it was in dormancy.

Since neither of those explanations fit, it meant only one thing: they did not fully understand the Huo Grass, and something was amiss that explained their lack of response.

“Shi Yong, use your speed to strike a single Huo Grass quickly. Remember, launch the attack and then retreat immediately.”

After some thought, He decided to try a different approach.

Though sending Shi Yong in was risky, he was a Star-Eye Clan member with a speed advantage. With He’s Water Chain protecting him, his safety could be maximized.

Shi Yong moved out from behind and stood at the edge of the Hive Nest. He took out a long dagger, signaled to He, and then suddenly charged forward. His body turned into a blur as he dashed into the Hive Nest, the dagger slashing a cold arc downward toward a Huo Grass.

Shi Yong’s current combat ability was roughly equivalent to a warrior of twelve thousand Furelai. This strike was no small matter—even if these Huo Grass were mutated plants beyond Level Nine, it would not be easy for them to withstand.

The moment the blade was about to strike the Huo Grass, a thick root burst from the ground and deflected it.

He’s Water Chain landed on Shi Yong, and before that, she had already shouted for him to retreat.

Shi Yong had been prepared all along. As soon as he sensed something emerging from the ground, he began to retreat. But beneath his feet and behind him, several more roots shot up.

Shi Yong was sent flying instantly—barely a moment after his dagger had been knocked aside.

Everyone’s expression changed.

It was too fast!

They were not yet sure how powerful the attacks were, but the speed at which these roots struck was terrifying—so fast it made them feel a sense of despair.

The moment they sensed the roots, they had already hit Shi Yong, the fastest among them.

Shi Yong’s luck was poor. Though his defense, bolstered by He’s Water Chain, was not breached, the immense impact sent him flying deeper into the Hive Nest. It was easy to imagine that once he landed in the depths, there would be no escape.

However, the Water Chain could not pull him back. Beyond a certain distance, it would fail.

Shi Yong remained calm. One of his arms had already gone numb—that was from the first impact. With his other hand, he drew a weapon and slashed at another root rising toward him.

This was the only thing he could do. Better than waiting to die. As he swung, he even used a bit of technique, hoping that the force of the collision would carry him back toward the squad.

But the impact came faster than expected. He had barely begun his swing when the root struck vertically, sending his weapon flying again. His body was not spared either—the root hit him once more.

Struck a second time while airborne, Shi Yong felt nothing but frustration. He had many ideas he could have tried, and several of his Red Condensation-grade pieces of equipment had abilities that might have helped.

But these roots were simply too fast, too powerful. Though the Water Chain and his high-grade armor protected him from being killed, the immense force still transmitted through, making his blood surge and his bones feel as though they might shatter.

Under such conditions, he lost most of his strength, and the Star-Eye Clan’s famed speed was irrelevant.

Tumbling through the air, Shi Yong saw that he had drifted far from the squad. A third root was already streaking toward him like lightning.

Despair rose in his heart.

At that moment, many of the shadows around Ye Zhongming moved. They charged into the Hive Nest, attacking the roots that had emerged from the ground.

At the same time, the squad members unleashed their prepared abilities. A wave of light erupted from their side.

There was no denying that the Huo Grass’s attacks were ferocious. Once caught within their range, the unrelenting, lightning-fast strikes were overwhelming. But they were not invincible. Under the assault of several dozen warriors, the roots protruding near the edge were severed in one wave.

Perhaps because only Shi Yong had entered, not many roots had emerged—just four or five. All of them were cut. After being struck three times, Shi Yong finally had a brief moment to breathe.

A squad member immediately threw his shield, while another lashed out with a long whip.

The shield was meant to give Shi Yong something to push off from, allowing him to change direction. The whip was for him to grab onto, to pull himself back toward the squad.

The Huo Grass, having been injured, was not about to let things go. More than twenty roots immediately erupted from the ground. Some targeted the shield, others the whip, but most were aimed at Shi Yong.

Clearly, these mutated lifeforms were determined to kill the Star-Eye Clan warrior as quickly as possible.

As the situation shifted and everyone’s focus was on Shi Yong, the remaining shadows around Ye Zhongming surged into the Hive Nest, launching a fierce assault on the exposed roots.

The shadows’ attacks were not as powerful as those of the squad members, but there were many of them. To save his trusted subordinate from the Assault Camp, Ye Zhongming held nothing back. Not only did he target the emerging roots, but he also bombarded the immediate surrounding area, sending leaves and roots flying.

Seizing the opportunity, Shi Yong pushed off the shield, reached out with his still-functional arm, grabbed the whip, and was pulled back by the squad members.