Chapter 38 - 37: Insect Swarm Gathering, Secret of the Blood Sacrifice

Chapter 38: Chapter 37: Insect Swarm Gathering, Secret of the Blood Sacrifice

Through his exploration over the past few days, Qin Yu had gained some understanding of the Insect Swarm.

Lifeforms whose genetic blueprints were analyzed by the Insect Race and nurtured by the Insect Nest were completely different from those born in nature. Under the optimization of the Insect Nest, they would directly reach a near-perfect state.

Take the Red-bellied Eagle, for example. In nature, an adult Red-bellied Eagle generally had a wingspan of about one meter, with only a very rare few reaching one and a half meters. However, those hatched by the Insect Swarm all possessed a Peak wingspan of one and a half meters! This was the difference!

As for integrating the genes of the Insect Swarm? That was another matter entirely. It would completely transform ordinary lifeforms into Weapons of war born for slaughter!

Naturally born lifeforms often grew wings or fur due to environmental and climatic factors, and their internal organs possessed conventional digestive and locomotor systems. The goal of their survival and evolution was more focused on natural reproduction and basic survival. But the Insect Swarm was different!

They were born entirely for combat. Discarding unnecessary abilities like natural reproduction, they were hatched in batches by the Insect Nest through the injection of genetic templates. The exoskeletons and Scale Armor on their bodies were meticulously designed for slaughter and could be optimized at any time according to tactical needs.

Given the same resources, Insect Swarm combat units were stronger than natural lifeforms! This was beyond doubt. What Qin Yu wanted to know was exactly how big this gap was.

As long as the difference wasn’t too outrageous, he planned to nurture a large batch of them to serve as combat units for the Insect Swarm. He would disguise himself as having obtained the inheritance of the Five Poison Sect to serve as a smokescreen.

Of course, when combining the Demon Giant Scorpion’s genes with the gene pool in the Insect Nest, the original genetic template would still be retained within the Insect Nest. It was entirely possible to hatch both simultaneously.

However, the Insect Swarm’s resources were limited. Completing this integration would cost at least several hundred points of Energy. Meanwhile, a massive battle could break out at Snake Valley at any moment. He needed to budget his resources carefully.

"Nurturing a Bone Forging Realm Demon Giant Scorpion costs 80 points of Energy, which is nearly equivalent to two Rapid Insects. Furthermore, it requires 10 kilograms of Purple Poison Ore," Qin Yu reasoned. With a single thought from him, a larva within the Insect Nest immediately began to mutate.

The Rapid Insect was the most Basic combat unit of the Insect Swarm. After countless adjustments by the swarm, its genetic structure had long become incredibly streamlined. A single larva could morph into two Rapid Insects. A single one only cost fifty points of Energy.

While waiting, Qin Yu cast his gaze toward the interior of the cavern. The purple Fungal Mat had long since spread, covering the entire Space within the mountain’s belly and preventing the toxic underground gases from seeping out. At the same time, large numbers of Worker Insects were already mining the exposed Purple Poison Ore in the cavern’s tunnels.

These Demon Giant Scorpions had survived in the mountains for a long time. Their physical structures had long adapted through natural selection, and even the special moss they consumed daily contained trace amounts of Purple Poison Ore. This was also one of the sources of their lethal venom.

Half an hour later.

The first Demon Giant Scorpion hatched from its egg. Its aura was comparable to that of a Rapid Insect. Because its body was built low to the ground, it appeared slightly larger than a Rapid Insect, and its entire form was covered in a heavy, metallic carapace. It brandished a pair of massive pincers, while the scorpion tail behind it was raised high, its stinger gleaming with a cold light.

"Go, test out your combat strength!" With a thought from Qin Yu, this newborn giant scorpion immediately charged at a Rapid Insect that had been waiting in the cavern!

There was no probing. Right from the start, it was the most brutal and bloody close-quarters carnage.

The giant scorpion’s massive pincers snapped viciously toward the Rapid Insect. However, the Rapid Insect was too fast; with a sudden twist of its body, it dodged the fatal strike. Immediately after, the Rapid Insect’s terrifying scythe-like limbs slashed directly at the giant scorpion’s head.

Blood splattered everywhere! Even with the protection of its heavy carapace, the giant scorpion’s head was still torn open.

But almost simultaneously, the stinger behind the giant scorpion pierced into the Rapid Insect’s body. A massive amount of lethal venom was frantically injected, causing the Rapid Insect’s body to sway unsteadily. Without a doubt, however, the Rapid Insect had won this battle.

"Just as I thought. It consumes so many more resources than a Rapid Insect, yet in a life-and-death struggle, the Rapid Insect actually comes out on top." Qin Yu shook his head slightly, unsurprised by this result.

Even though the Rapid Insect was unsteady on its feet after being poisoned, the genes within its body were already evolving at a rapid pace to adapt to the toxin. As long as it didn’t die on the spot, the Rapid Insect could expel the toxin by consuming a large amount of flesh and blood, expending Energy to accelerate its metabolism.

Of course, the Purple Poison Scorpion had its own advantages. Its immense strength was one. If those massive pincers caught their target, a Rapid Insect would lose a layer of skin even if it didn’t die. Unfortunately, the Rapid Insect was simply too fast.

Moreover, just like other Demon Fiends, the Purple Poison Scorpion also possessed a bloodline Talent. Namely, Earth Escape! Given just a little time, it could use its massive pincers to quickly burrow underground. But in a battle against a Rapid Insect, it had no chance to use this ability at all. If it had created distance and escaped underground beforehand, the Rapid Insect would have been helpless against it.

However, this battle was solely a test of pure combat strength.

"It falls a bit short, but it’s barely usable. It’s more than enough to serve as a smokescreen. I’ll nurture thirty giant scorpions first, name them Purple Poison Scorpions, and add them to the Insect Swarm’s combat roster.

"I’ll integrate their bloodlines later on. The Earth Escape Talent is very important to the Insect Swarm." Qin Yu’s eyes flashed as he made his decision.

He always had to pay some price to fake receiving the Five Poison Sect inheritance and give the Insect Swarm a reasonable identity. This was a price he could afford.

"Once the Purple Poison Scorpions are nurtured, the Black Thorn Eagles will transport them to the frontline battlefield!"

FLAP! FLAP!

The Black Thorn Eagles flapped their wings vigorously and soared into the sky. Their thick, sharp talons actually grasped a Purple Poison Scorpion each. They soared rapidly through the sky, heading toward a valley hidden dozens of miles outside Snake Valley.

Aerial transport! With a wingspan exceeding two zhang, the Black Thorn Eagles’ powerful wingbeats could easily lift prey twice their own weight. Aside from the Profound Armor Barbarian Bears, they could quickly transport any other unit. Naturally, there was no problem using them as transport vehicles. It was even possible to use them for aerial drop decapitation strikes.

Upon arrival, the Black Thorn Eagles spread their wings and descended slowly. When they were a few meters above the ground, they released their giant talons, and the Purple Poison Scorpions dropped heavily to the earth. Qin Yu himself also leaped down from the back of a Black Thorn Eagle.

Here, the main force of the Insect Swarm had already assembled. A dense mass of Insect Swarm units lay in ambush. There were a full 240 Rapid Insects, 5 Profound Armor Barbarian Bears, 25 Black Thorn Eagles, and the newly arrived 30 Purple Poison Scorpions. Aside from a small fraction left behind to guard the Insect Nest, it could be said that the Insect Swarm had turned out in full force.

A crowd of over a hundred formed a veritable sea. When over three hundred hideous Insect Race units gathered together, the sight was simply awe-inspiring. Massive creatures like the Profound Armor Barbarian Bears, in particular, made a surge of heroic ambition rise in Qin Yu’s heart.

With the Insect Swarm’s speed, they could cover a distance of dozens of miles in an instant. They could be thrown into the battlefield at a moment’s notice.

Walking quickly into the valley, Qin Yu found a random spot to sit down.

A moment later.

Qin Yu’s eyes went vacant, his consciousness having possessed a venomous snake nurtured by the Insect Nest to observe the situation inside Snake Valley through its perspective. A hoarse voice drifted over.

"The people from the Demon Suppression Bureau have made their move. Prepare to strike. Dispatch the snake swarm to lure them into the Array. Master She wants to use that Li Wanqing’s power to break the Array. Hmph.

"We’ve stayed in these mountains for so long. Two consecutive small-scale blood sacrifices failed to break that Array, so can those few from the Demon Suppression Bureau actually break it?

"It’s a pity that stupid tiger was too useless. To think it was slain ahead of time and even drew in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"Otherwise, by sacrificing Cyan Peak County, the power of the blood sacrifice statue would have surely broken that Guardian Array. Once we took the treasures inside and left, it would have been a great merit upon returning to the sect."

The venomous snake looked toward the source of the voice. It was actually a hideous, hulking man with a human upper body and a snake’s tail. His lower serpentine half was already rotting and crawling with maggots, which fell to the ground in droves as he moved.