The Monster is Coming

Chapter 348 Blind Box Region, Insects Transform into Dragons

"Any brothers who have finished blind jumping? Please report your coordinates and where you are."

Before him was a dazzling spatial tunnel turbulence. Inside the shuttle, Li Zheng asked curiously in the team channel.

The sound of eating dirt came first.

So poor I'm eating dirt: I'm still in the spatial passage. I hope I don't end up at the Black Tide node, otherwise the Blind Leap Trial will probably have to end prematurely.

Family Shared Godfather: Why? What's there to be afraid of about the Black Tide? Although it's a random blind jump, the Reverse Tide Legion must have done a general survey of the landing location. Even the Black Tide nodes are generally the places where new evil spirits descend. They can't possibly send us to the King's node, can they?

Poor to the point of eating dirt: Foolish. I'm not referring to the strength of the Black Tide Node. You've forgotten about the God of Wealth. The mission objective of descending upon the Evil Node is to kill the evil spirits and obtain Evil Crystals. Back then, the God of Wealth met us to collect Evil Crystals... The problem is that when we players kill evil spirits, we absorb them directly, leaving not even a trace. How can we obtain Evil Crystals?

Killing Heart Moved: Hey, you know what, if we encounter the Black Tide node, the trial can be judged as a failure.

Game grinder: Guys, are you nervous now?
Leopard Head Zero Charge: Not nervous... yeah right. What I'm most worried about right now is where those beasts will descend. I hope Brother Di Zhao will bless them and let them pass the Blind Leap Trial safely.

Fun and Free: This is the final stage of the training camp. Good luck, everyone! Lots of people are watching the live stream, so don't let our hardcore gaming team down.

……

During their conversation, a faint light appeared at the end of the spatial passage in Li Zheng's eyes, gradually spreading into a dazzling silver-white.

At this moment, the shuttle pod broke through the light membrane, and the engine exhaust trailed three pale blue streaks in the air. Then, it was pulled by an invisible force and plunged down towards the earth shrouded in black mist.

As we passed through the thick clouds, the cabin shook violently, and the view outside the window went from chaotic to clear.

The dark green swamp bubbled and churned on the surface, and dark purple vines coiled around the exposed rock pillars like giant pythons. In the distance, the mountain outlines were tinged with reddish light, and various rusted weapons could be vaguely seen embedded in the rock walls.

Ultimately, the shuttle pod crashed into a primeval forest entangled in vines.

At that moment, Chestnut suddenly pushed his grip on the club.

laugh!
White mist rose as the shuttle's hatch slowly opened.

As Li Zheng stepped out of the hatch, he immediately opened a world map and found himself in the southernmost part of the Pale Continent. The map only showed unexplored fog, with no navigational aids.

He closed the map and looked up at the sky.

Through the gaps in the dense foliage, one can see dark, heavy clouds in the sky.

The absence of the Evil Moon proves that this is not a Black Tide node.

Looking back at the shuttle, the first thing he did was to put it into his spatial bag.

A lesson from the past, a teacher of the future.

The God of Wealth's shuttle capsule was stolen years ago, allowing the player who accidentally discovered it to earn a huge reward of sacrificial power, causing a sensation on the forum.

He doesn't want to make the same mistake again.

Looking around, it was a dense jungle.

The giant tree branch that the shuttle pod had broken off at my feet was still trembling slightly, and thick, dark green sap was constantly seeping from the broken ends. The canopies of the towering ancient trees nearby blocked out the sun, and the gnarled branches intertwined with each other to form an almost airtight net overhead. Only a few scattered spots of light leaked through the gaps, illuminating the pale purple spores in the air that looked like fireflies.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves, and your legs could sink half a meter when you stepped on it. A foul stench permeated the air.

Every rock in sight was covered with dark yellow moss.

"Where are you all?" Li Zheng asked in the team chat instead of taking any action.

Immediately, the brothers in the "Liver King Group" sent messages one after another.

So poor I have to eat dirt: Here's a quiz with a prize. This is a picture I just took of the moon. Look how big and red the moon is, so where do you think I am? (Explorer wiping away tears.jpg)

Fun and free: I don't even know where I am. The map is completely dark. I see what looks like a small village in the distance, but I'm too scared to go there. I'm afraid of being caught and eaten by cannibals (explorer suspicious.jpg).

The killing intent is stirring: The location I landed at has a nice view (screenshot). It's a scene dominated by plant-based life forms. At least when plant-based life forms die, there are corpses to prove it. I'm going to temporarily switch to extracting life souls and start killing. I should be able to complete the trial requirements soon.

Leopard Head Zero Charge: I just exited the shuttle and am still descending, damn it... a horde of monsters has descended, I'm getting ready to run away, brothers, let's chat later.

……

Realizing that his brothers had already begun their trials, Li Zheng squatted down and began to examine the energy fluctuations emanating from the nearby plants and the soil environment.

This is used to determine the energy intensity of the current area, thereby assessing the probability of the presence of powerful monsters.

I picked up a pinch of black soil mixed with withered leaves and brought it to my nose to sniff.

Besides the earthy smell, there was also a very faint metallic rust smell. Upon further digging, many metal fragments were found on the ground.

After scanning the area, it was initially determined that this place seemed to have been an ancient battlefield, with fragments of weapons and equipment scattered everywhere in the soil, almost assimilated by the land.

But Li Zheng didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

The war in the monster world has never stopped, and every inch of land is soaked in blood, so discovering an ancient battlefield is perfectly normal.

The jungle beneath their feet had clearly regrown over the long years following the end of the war.

Just then, the vines behind me suddenly shook violently.

Something was dragging the roots of the vines, and a dull crushing sound came from under the soil, like heavy machinery moving.

Li Zheng suddenly turned around, and the ring in his hand instantly transformed into a golden battle blade.

Ahead, a nearly three-meter-tall "monster" was emerging from the depths of the forest.

This thing looks like an upright-walking rhinoceros, with layers of bone armor covering its back, but it holds a rusty giant axe in its hand.

Its left eye was an empty hole, while its right eye burned with a ghostly green flame. It emitted a low growl that was neither beast nor human, and every step it took caused the ground to tremble.

Upon seeing this weapon, Li Zheng couldn't help but frown.

The battle markings on the axe blade are clearly a symbol of the Reverse Tide Legion.

After the analysis was completed, the relevant information appeared in his mind.

【Reverse Tide Warrior - Ironback Beast (Parasite of Evil Gu Insects)】:
Hunting level: 82.

Target Introduction: Originally a soldier of the 7th Division of the 3293rd Legion of the Reverse Tide Legion, he died in the war against the Compassionate Clan. His remains were then parasitized by the descending force, the Evil Gu Insect Clan, who used his remains as a nest. The swarm of insects crawled between his bones, giving rise to layers of bone armor and a deformed body. His remaining combat instincts still allow him to wield the giant axe he used in life, making him a puppet without his own consciousness.

……

Analyzing the information allowed Li Zheng to understand why the other side was using the standard weapons of the Reverse Tide Legion.

At this moment, the Iron Spine Beast, controlled by the evil Gu worm, suddenly raised its giant axe, the blade slicing through the air and whistling as it came.

Li Zheng calmly dodged to the side, then crouched down and stepped forward, his inner energy surging out. He then slashed at the opponent's knee joint with the golden blade in his hand, where there was an old crack in the bone armor.

clang!
With a sharp crack and sparks flying, the Ironback Beast staggered half a step, its pupils burning with even greater fervor, and swung its axe horizontally in a backhand motion.

Using the momentum from his backward jump, Li Zheng spun the golden blade in his palm, gripped the handle with a reverse grip, and, taking advantage of the Ironback Beast's momentum as it swung its axe, slid sideways to its armpit.

"Instant kill."

The runic weapon hummed and glowed with golden light as it slashed diagonally upwards.

The blade tip pierced through the armor and skin, precisely severing the opponent's cervical vertebrae.

The protective energy erupted instantly, surging into the Iron Spine Beast's body like a tidal wave, pulverizing all the evil Gu worms.

The sudden burst of power caused the Ironspine Beast's body to swell up like an inflated balloon, with thick black energy continuously gushing out from within.

This is the life force dissipated from the shattered evil Gu worms.

After this attack, the giant axe in the Ironspine Beast's hand clattered to the ground, its massive body swayed, and the evil fire in its eye sockets struggled for a moment before finally going out.

It remained standing before crashing to the ground, the tattered insignia of the Rebel Legion on its chest striking the rocks with a soft thud as it fell.

The challenger's prompt sounded in his mind. Li Zheng waved his hand to disperse the golden blade in his hand, squatted down in front of the Ironspine Beast, gently closed its still open eyes, and then picked up the standard giant axe of the Reverse Tide Legion.

The axe handle was engraved with a blurry legion number code, and it felt heavy in my hand.

This weapon is badly damaged and there's no point in keeping it.

The consignment gold coin merchant guild also failed to meet the completeness standard, so he chose to offer it as a sacrifice to Brother Di Zhao on the spot, gaining 828 points of sacrificial power.

After the battle, he had gained a basic understanding of the situation in the area.

It is obvious that this place was once the battlefield between the Reverse Tide Legion and the alien races, but it has now been occupied by the descending force, the Evil Gu Insect Clan.

This creature, as described in the analysis, is somewhat similar to the Soul Beasts created by the Soul Return Clan.

However, the differences in mechanism are significant.

Soul beasts perfectly inherit everything from their host except for non-rule abilities, including proficiency in using those abilities.

However, the evil Gu worms can only utilize the life strength and life structure of the dead, but cannot extract combat talents, killing skills, etc.

Based on preliminary assessments, this race's mechanics are weak, but the strength of its race cannot be determined at this time.

The core of the Blind Leap Trial is hunting and then acquiring loot. Li Zheng decided to target the Evil Gu Worm for his next hunt.

He picked up a piece of energy slag that had been refined from the ground and continued to explore deeper into the dense forest.

The device carried by the person could film the hunting process.

But the most important thing is to submit the spoils of the hunt.

The Blind Leap Trial only considers the result, not the process; the loot is the key to completing the trial.

During his subsequent exploration, Li Zheng encountered attacks from several creatures controlled by the evil Gu insect race.

Among them are veterans of the Rebellion, as well as the remains of Cixin tribe warriors who fought against the Rebellion warriors back then.

There are even twisted, stitched remains of veterans who defied the tide and compassionate warriors joined together.

Curious, Kuri, after killing a stitched creature, looked at the guiding water sphere and asked curiously:
"Brother Guidance, what exactly are these evil Gu worms? Are they a species, or pets controlled by a certain species?"

When asked, the water sphere opened its eyes:

[They can be understood as beings similar to the Zerg, but this race has multiple controllers, each of whom breeds and manipulates a group of evil insects.]

After speaking, the guide raised his hand and released a light screen, pointing to the twisted, dark red, thread-like worm in the image, and continued:
These creatures are as thin as a spider's thread, capable of easily piercing through sinews and bones. Their survival mode is an alternative form of parasitism; they do not obtain nutrients from a host, but instead weave together dead flesh and blood, stitching it back together to create a killing puppet.

[Dead lives, as long as their remains exist, will become their materials.]

For example, the broken spine of a veteran soldier can be forcibly straightened by evil Gu worms, and the rotting muscles can be tightened again under the control of the swarm. Even if the joints are broken, the evil Gu worms can still use silk threads to replace tendons, allowing the corpse to grasp the weapon it used in life.

This race has actually taken a shortcut to growth, evolving a symbiotic mode. They don't need to consider cultivation systems or life structure optimization; they only need to find the flesh and blood of the strong to create powerful puppet life forms. Even species with different life structures can be precisely pieced together, fusing two completely different life characteristics to give birth to deformed monsters.

Simply put, the flesh and blood of living beings are like spirit ores and plants to the evil Gu insect race. Equipment crafted from these materials becomes puppet-like structures. The stronger the target's remains, the higher the quality of the puppet. This bypasses the self-life optimization process, creating an alternative shortcut to power. However, this evolutionary method, aside from its rapid growth, is fundamentally flawed and far inferior to the Soul Beast system of the Soul Return race.

After learning the details, Li Zheng nodded in understanding.

During the battle, he felt that the puppets being controlled moved without any stiffness.

After listening to the explanation of the instructions, he roughly understood.

The evil Gu worms can be understood as warriors who control mechs, and their flesh and blood are the materials used to build the mechs.

The evil Gu worm swarm is an expert in this field; any flesh and blood material can be used to its full potential.

Picking up the refining residue left on the ground, he continued to explore deeper into the dense forest.

The Blind Leap Trial is undoubtedly a lonely journey.

But for Li Zheng, he can communicate with others in the team chat channel, and there are hundreds of millions of players and viewers in the live broadcast room, so he doesn't feel lonely at all.

Occasionally, I'll glance at the trending comments in the live stream and interact with them.

Ahead lies a relatively open forest area, where sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Here, Li Zheng smelled an unpleasant odor.

It doesn't smell like decaying leaves, nor like metallic rust; rather, it smells like the bitter, slightly crushed scent of some kind of plant.

Pushing aside the vines blocking his path, he found a half-withered herb growing next to a broken and tattered shield. Its leaves were stained with dark brown dirt, which, upon closer inspection, looked like dried bloodstains.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this was actually a fifth-tier spiritual plant.

Li Zheng immediately beamed with joy.

That's the joy of exploration; the unknown road ahead always holds unexpected surprises.

This is also a unique kind of joy for players.

Their exploration was filled with trepidation, but the players were full of anticipation.

He decisively pulled the herbs up by the roots and threw them directly into his spatial bag for storage.

Continuing deeper into the area following the direction of the herbs' growth, the number of broken metal objects on the ground becomes increasingly dense.

He also found a palm-sized metal plaque on the ground with the words "Reverse Tide Legion 3293 - Python Battle Formation" engraved on it. A broken chain was still hanging from the edge, presumably the identification tag that Reverse Tide warriors used to wear on their waists.

The fog in the forest gradually thickened, carrying a faint sweet and fishy smell.

Li Zheng stopped and listened carefully. Besides his own breathing, there was a very faint rustling sound, as if something was crawling among the vines.

He slowly walked towards the source of the sound, parted the ancient tree covered with vines, and suddenly the view opened up before him.

A sunken valley appeared before us, its walls studded with countless arrows, some with faded strips of cloth wrapped around their shafts.

The bottom of the valley is covered with half a foot of black mud, and when you step on it, you can hear the soft sound of bones cracking.

During the live stream, some observant viewers commented that the soil there should be a layer of remains, with layers of bones partially covered by the soil.

Even substances that appear to be soil may be the remains of soldiers from that era.

This shows how devastating the war was that took place here back then.

Looking into the distance, one can see many stitched-together life forms controlled by evil Gu worms wandering around.

According to the explanation in the guide, this behavior is not aimless wandering, but a training compatibility pattern of the evil Gu insect race.

Continuously refine your skills until you achieve "human-machine integration".

Li Zheng looked up towards the east side of the valley, where the vines grew exceptionally thick, and upon closer inspection, he could see some grayish-brown things standing behind the vines.

Upon approaching, he released his inner energy, transforming his fingers into blades, and swung them to cut down the vines blocking his path.

Behind the vines, they discovered a row of vertical stone slabs with blurry inscriptions.

The topmost stone slab has a crooked "evil" character carved on its corner.

A broken sword was stuck in the mud in front of the stone slab. Although the strips of cloth wrapped around the hilt had faded, it was still clear that it was a standard weapon used by the Reverse Tide Warriors. In front of the broken sword was a skull with only bones remaining.

Li Zheng couldn't determine the specific race of the other party.

Although he spent more than two years at Ni Chao, he only came into contact with a part of Ni Chao's vast system.

His region belongs to the 138th Legion of the Reverse Tide, which is commanded by the "Floating Pagoda" Legion Commander, and he will also go to the 138th Legion to participate in the war in the future.

The 2500 anti-tide training camps, from the first to the fifth phase, were also the new recruit training bases of the 138th Army Corps.

The alien trainees he had encountered were only a drop in the ocean of the vast system of the Reverse Tide Legion; there were far too many races he had never met.

He gripped the hilt and pulled the sword out, the blade bringing with it a string of tangled bones, one of which was still tightly clutching the copper ring on the scabbard. This stunned Li Zheng.

Suddenly I realized that this wasn't a stone slab, but a tombstone.

He crouched down and used his fingers to peel away the grime from the tombstone, revealing the inscription on the back, bold and striking, as if carved with a knife and axe:

The Seventh Regiment, led by Eman, fought fiercely for three days. Their blades were broken and their armor shattered, yet they still held the enemy's head and laughed.

"Senior, that's awesome!"

Upon seeing this line of text, Li Zheng couldn't help but give it a thumbs up in his heart.

He felt guilty for bringing out the remains of his predecessor when he drew his sword, but he never expected that it was the remains of the great enemy that his predecessor had killed.

This blood-stained stone tablet is not a tombstone, but a war monument.

The dying veteran who defied the tide did not carve an epitaph for himself. Instead, in the last moments of his life, he used all his remaining strength to press the enemy's head onto a stone, thus carving his own record of victory.

One can imagine the exhilaration the senior felt in his final moments.

However, the remains of the predecessors who should have fallen near the stone tablet have long since disappeared.

It is highly likely that it has been possessed by an evil Gu worm.

Below this line of text, there was a large amount of text written densely, but most of it was already blurred and illegible.

Li Zheng put away the broken sword and continued to examine the other stone tablets.

These are all monuments to meritorious service.

"Fighting fiercely against the nine merciful warriors, I broke my sword and switched to my fists, killing six of them and crippling the other three so they could escape."

"He was struck by seventeen arrows, but used the arrow shafts as spears to pin the enemy's head to a rock."

"His abdomen was ripped open and his intestines spilled out; using his intestines as a rope, he strangled the enemy's head..."

……

Every mark on the stone tablet exudes fighting spirit, and every stroke carries the scent of blood that is still wet on the skin.

Li Zheng took a deep breath.

I can picture the scene from my mind.

This senior was clearly out of the battle and alone at the time.

However, they did not give up the fight.

Wandering alone on the edge of the battlefield, constantly eliminating powerful enemies.

He was seriously injured several times during this period, and he recuperated here before returning to the fight.

This is not a resting place for the dead, but a monument to the victors.

This is the most domineering aspect of the Reverse Tide Legion.

Soldiers need no tombstones when they are out in the field; their names will only be etched in the fear of the enemy.

His life story will only be written on the edge of the blade.

Just as the Magic Shield instructor said.

A true warrior doesn't need a square stone to prove his existence.

Their tombstones are the cracks on the bones of the enemy, the undying flames on the battle flags, and the sighs of "the former ferocity of our predecessors" in the hearts of those who come after them as they tread the blood-soaked path.

This is the most glorious moment in the eyes of the warriors who defy the tide.

Making future generations proud of him is also the lifelong goal that his good brother, Ghost Eye, and other students strive for.

Li Zheng's gaze swept over the last stone tablet, which bore only four characters:
"This place will be the burial ground for the enemy!"

The pen strokes are sharp as knives, exuding a murderous aura.

Erecting monuments for the enemy and offering sacrifices for the battle—this is the spirit of the warriors who defy the tide.

Li Zheng took out the spirit wine from his spatial bag and stepped back to stand still.

"Senior, this junior is Li Zheng, respectfully yours." He unscrewed the lid and addressed the layer of bones beneath his feet.

He then poured the spirit wine in his hand onto the ground.

Just as Li was about to turn and leave, he suddenly heard a rustling sound behind him.

Looking back, three stitched-together bodies controlled by the evil Gu worms were rushing towards them at an extremely fast speed.

Their eyes glowed with an eerie green light, and they clutched their remaining weapons tightly in their hands. The skeleton at the front still had the Reverse Tide Legion's identification tag hanging around its neck.

Inspired by his predecessors' heroic deeds, Li Zheng felt a strong fighting spirit welling up in his heart.

He slowly clenched his fist, and his inner energy emanated from his body, spreading out in ripples beneath his feet like blooming flowers.

Before the stitched body could get close, he had already shot off like an arrow.

The ripples of the qi that exploded beneath his feet instantly solidified, smashing a crater several meters in diameter into the ground.

The stitched-up body with the identification tag at the front had just raised its broken knife when Li Zheng had already closed in.

With his left hand, he directly gripped the opponent's bony arm that was wielding the battle blade, while his right hand formed a fist, and the force of his fist, carrying a powerful aura, tore through the air.

Click!

With a crisp cracking sound, the fist slammed into the eye socket of the person who had been stitched up, causing the entire skull to collapse backward.
Bone fragments mixed with dark red insect splattered, and the identity tag hanging around her neck was shaken off its rope and flew off.

Li Zheng caught the identity card with his backhand and put it into his spatial bag.

The living are gone, but their identity tokens can be brought back to the Rebel Legion to erect a cenotaph for them.

The next second, the qi in his fist suddenly surged, and Li Zheng's body sank down, his right arm pressing down like a mountain.

The spine of the sutured body was crushed inch by inch from the coccyx to the cervical spine.

On the other side, a stitched creature thrusts forward with a rusty spear.

Li Zheng neither dodged nor evaded, using his inner energy as a shield to make the spearhead stop a fraction of an inch in front of him.

His left arm swept across like an iron whip, striking the bone armor on the opponent's chest.

With a muffled thud, the bone armor shattered.

He reached out and grabbed the gap between the other person's ribs, and with a sudden burst of strength, he forcefully broke the stitched body in half.

The thread-like swarm of insects poured out from the break, but before they could even land, they were burned to ashes by the surging qi around Li Zheng.

The last stitched-together body was the most ferocious, wielding a two-meter-long thick shield as it slammed down.

Li Zheng charged forward towards the rock, throwing out both fists simultaneously, his inner energy condensing into a crimson glow on his fists.

The moment his fist collided with the shield, the shield actually withstood the release of his inner energy.

But Li Zheng's offensive did not stop, his fists moving like phantoms.

The sturdy shield gradually crumbled before Li Zheng's ferocious power, and fragments mixed with the force of his punches slammed into the stitched body, sending it flying backward.

Before it could land, Li Zheng had already caught up and stepped on its chest.

The stitched body was still struggling, its blood claws reaching for his ankle.

Li Zheng suddenly bent down, pressed down on its head with one hand, grabbed the bone spur on its back with the other hand, and pulled it out forcefully.

The entire skeleton was torn off by the spine, and dark red worms wriggled wildly in the gaps between the bones, but he grabbed the spine and slammed it to the ground.

boom! boom! boom!
He stomped down one foot after another, each stomp carrying bursts of powerful energy, crushing the bones into pieces and turning the swarm of insects into minced meat.

He stopped moving only when all that remained at his feet was a pool of blurry blood. His chest heaved violently, and the insect sludge on his body was vaporized into white smoke by his inner energy.

The challenger's prompt echoed in his mind. He picked up the refined remnants of his spoils from the ground and continued to explore deeper into the valley.

The number of sutures encountered along the way has increased significantly.

They even launched a continuous attack, seemingly encircling us.

Li Zheng immediately realized that his appearance had attracted the attention of the insect king behind the scenes who controlled these stitched bodies.

But he showed no intention of stopping.

As the fog on the map gradually dissipated, he found many traces left by the Reverse Tide warriors in this area.

Through the guided explanations along the way and the library information provided by meticulous players in the live stream chat, he gained a general understanding of the war.

The trigger for this war was a rule-level item: Compassion.

The scouts of the Reverse Tide Legion, who were exploring and investigating outside, learned that the Merciful Clan, a descending force, possessed a rule-level item. They then relayed this information to the 3293rd Legion of the Reverse Tide Legion.

At the time, the Reverse Tide Legion was going through a war and could not spare its core forces, so the 7th Regiment stationed on the border participated in the plundering rule campaign.

Ultimately, they captured the Compassionate Heart Rule at the cost of almost total annihilation.

This rule is currently the strongest rule-level power in the hands of the Reverse Tide 3293 Legion.

As for right and wrong in this battle, only children argue about right and wrong.

Warriors of the Rebellion can fight to the death to cover their comrades, or they can slaughter the women and children of the enemy tribe.

This has nothing to do with good or evil; it is the most basic law of survival in this world.

Therefore, the Reverse Tide Legion is regarded by countless forces that have come into contact with it as: demons, butchers, a legion of evil, and so on.

But nobody cares about these titles.

In the monster world, all factions share one consensus: survival is the right thing to do, and those who can ensure the survival of their own people are heroes.

In the eyes of foreign powers, the heinous demons in the Reverse Tide Legion are generally heroes in the eyes of the Reverse Tide Legion's inhabitants.

When external threats arrive, only the "demons" mentioned by these foreign forces will stand at the forefront of the attacking enemy lines.

While hunting, Li Zheng was also keeping an eye on the performance of his other brothers.

Aside from the dangerous start of being stuck with dirt and constantly being chased by the evil forces controlled by the Black Tide, the other brothers had a pretty good start, at least they hadn't encountered any insurmountable threats yet.

Li Zheng didn't pay much attention to his brothers, focusing more on hunting.

During this time, he discovered something strange.

As they ventured deeper into the valley, the appearance of the stitched-together life forms they encountered was changing.

Initially, we encountered all sorts of bizarre, stitched-together structures made of flesh and blood, but the shapes of the stitched-together structures deep in the valley tended to be homogenized.

Both physical agility and combat effectiveness have been significantly improved.

As their numbers surged, their behavioral patterns also changed.

They no longer wander aimlessly; they also gather and hunt.

They will actively dig up various skeletons buried deep underground, and even attack some animal and plant monsters, dragging their remains towards the center of the valley.

Through the fluctuations in his qi and blood, he sensed that there seemed to be a huge life transformation device inside.

It's like the Evil Eye Tower controlled by the Earthly Bully, capable of devouring and converting energy.

Following the trail of the stitched body, he passed through a narrow passage obscured by huge vines and jagged rocks.

The view ahead suddenly opened up, but the scene was terrifying.

At the deepest part of the valley is a flesh furnace made up of countless pieces of flesh and blood.

Its surface undulates and wriggles like a living thing, with countless evil insects darting around inside, just like blood in a vein.

Its skeleton is its framework, its flesh and blood are its filling, and the broken metal fragments are like scales embedded in its surface.

The top of the furnace has several crater-like openings that continuously spew out dense, dark purple energy mist, which is the source of the blood and qi fluctuations that were sensed earlier.

Around the furnace was a dense army of stitched-together bodies, like worker ants.

They continuously fed the collected materials into several huge openings at the top of the furnace.

During this time, a dull sound like the beating of a giant heart could be heard from inside the furnace, mixed with the sound of bones being crushed and dissolved.

Here, the sweet, fishy smell in the air, mixed with the stench of rusted metal and burnt flesh, reached its peak, causing Li Zheng to unconsciously frown.

The analysis revealed information that startled him.

【Bloodstone (Pseudo-Rules - In Progress)】:
Target Description: The Bloodstone Furnace, infused with the primal power of the "Flesh and Blood World," has not yet advanced to the rule level due to its incomplete rule framework. It can continuously generate pure flesh and blood through devouring, purifying, and transforming, which can be used to forge a flesh and blood body.

……

"Guide, what is this thing again?"

After reading the explanation, Li Zheng was completely confused and decided to ask for guidance whenever he encountered something he didn't understand.

When questioned, the guide opened its eyes at that moment:

You can think of it as a robotic processing plant, but it doesn't process metal parts; instead, it processes highly optimized human bodies.

The materials thrown into the furnace are forcibly decomposed, purified, and reconstructed by the rule-level primal power of the "Bloodstone Furnace." This process is similar to melting scrap iron into high-purity alloy ingots, then stamping and forging them according to a pre-set blueprint, ultimately assembling them into a sophisticated mechanical body.

[But here, the Bloodstone Forge doesn't forge gears and bearings; instead, it creates strong muscle fibers, efficient energy circulation systems, and tough bio-armor skeletons. Therefore, it's a bio-processing plant.]

Hearing this, Li Zheng nodded in understanding, then asked in confusion:

"Brother Guidance, is the Evil Gu Worm trying to create a stronger puppet body?"

[Wrong. The Evil Gu Insect Clan is itself the operating system and driver program of flesh-and-blood vehicles. Integrated into the created flesh-and-blood bodies, they will no longer be low-level parasitic puppet controllers, but will evolve into highly condensed consciousness clusters, a biological intelligent core that can perfectly control the full potential of this new flesh-and-blood body.]

The process was simulated on the guiding light screen.

Countless tiny evil insects merged and recombined with the surging flesh and blood in the furnace's energy field, just like chips being implanted into various parts of a newborn body.

The interconnectedness of the insects forms a complex structure similar to the neural network in the human body.

"I still don't understand, what's the difference between this and manipulating the sutures?"

The difference is significant. The project they are undertaking can be understood as a 'clan-wide ascension' ritual. This clan has considerable ambitions. They are tired of merely patching up corpses and remains, parasitizing the decaying bodies of others, and forever relying on external forces to survive. They want to use this bloodstone furnace to completely shed their fragile insect-like form and elevate the entire clan from parasites to: masters of perfect life forms.

Every insectoid vessel born from this furnace will be a new life form composed of pure flesh and blood, striving to possess a life form comparable to, or even surpassing, those naturally powerful races. They do not desire to control corpses, but to become new gods.

"A pure body? Isn't that what we players are?"

[That's right, the ultimate goal of the evil Gu worms is to create a perfect life form similar to a player, capable of integrating any external force and achieving near-perfect growth potential.]

"Hiss, I never thought that in this dusty corner of the pale continent, there would be insects that want to transform into dragons... The whole clan ascends to heaven and forges their own divine bodies. What a great ambition and what a wild heart."

　Here are 8800 words~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)