The recovery process was slow and agonizing. The free energy in the outer region was already sparse and filled with impurities.
With supplements from Energy Crystals and the difficult refinement of the surrounding tainted energy, Ming Xin barely restored the energy within his body to around thirty percent. The exhaustion in his soul eased slightly.
But the injuries on his back still throbbed faintly and needed time to heal.
More importantly, the mental tension brought on by his recent flight from death was not something he could immediately dispel.
But he had no time to recover completely. The pollution source core consciousness's "attention" hung over him like a sword suspended above his head, and he did not know when it would fall.
He had to act quickly, test the feasibility of the "Purification Protocol," and look for an opportunity to enter the shelter.
For his first target, he chose a lone Rust Beetle wandering near the edge of the nearby metal ruins.
Individuals like this within the insect swarm possessed weak energy and low intelligence, making them ideal test subjects.
Ming Xin hid in the shadows and carefully observed the beetle.
It was about the size of a washbasin, its shell covered in barbs and slime, its compound eyes crimson.
Its mouthparts kept opening and closing as it gnawed on a rusted metal plate, producing a teeth-grating crunch.
Its energy core was a chaotic, pulsing violet-black speck of light the size of a fingernail, located beneath its shell.
He mobilized roughly ten percent of his Fusion Energy and shaped it according to the principles of the Purification Protocol.
Rather than the previous fierce and direct washing of Order, he attempted to weave the power of Order into an extremely fine, nearly invisible "energy filter."
At the same time, he infused