The virus's capsid shivered, its protein shell resonating under the strain of the engineered resonance field. The harmonised wave—part spiritual, part biochemical—had been designed to unravel its essence. Seconds passed.
Then, with a faint, wet crackle, the shell collapsed, stripped of its sacred geometry; the exposed genetic core twisted violently before dissolving into inert fragments, its tether to the hive mind severed.
For a moment, silence reigned, and then, the chamber erupted into cheers.
Ryuu exhaled, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. They had done it; after days of research, countless frustrations, and several failed iterations, they had finally isolated and neutralised the central strain, decapitating the virus's collective awareness.
"Congratulations, Daoist Ryuu," Liu Lingyan said, her voice bright, a faint blush warming her cheeks.
