Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

The next moment, all the blood vessels on the surface of the ovum bulged simultaneously.

A large amount of black blood flowed back wildly along the blood vessels, and the Mo King, who was originally suppressed by the heavy water domain, suddenly convulsed.

Its life force is being forcibly drained away by the egg sac.

For the first time, terror was revealed in the dozens of dark red eyes on the Ink King's body.

It struggled frantically, trying to sever the thin black threads connecting it to its body.

But those thin threads had already pierced its flesh and internal organs, and each time one was torn off, it would bring out a large piece of flesh.

Seeing this, Gu Changhe's expression changed slightly, and he said, "It's devouring the Ink King."

Chu Zhou also noticed something was wrong.

The deep-sea mother nest eggs had clearly realized that, in their current state, they were no match for the Azure Lotus phantom and the Xuanjia armor.

It is preparing to abandon the parasite that is the Ink King.

They drained all of the Ink King's life force and forcibly hatched it ahead of schedule.

A system notification tone then sounded.

"Warning: Deep-sea broodstock eggs are being forcibly incubated."

"Incubation rate 83%...90%..."

In the center of Heilong Lake.

Chu Zhou's eyes instantly turned cold, and he sneered, "You want to get out? Did you even ask me?"

Bottom of Qingshi Reservoir.

The seven lotus leaves of the illusory blue lotus unfurled simultaneously, and the blue roots that had been spreading outwards instantly changed direction.

Hundreds of roots penetrate the surface of the egg sac.

The tough outer membrane of the egg sac immediately began to contract violently, trying to shake the roots of the lotus apart.

But Chu Zhou has now entered the late stage of the sixth rank.

Even if it's just a portion of the power cast by Zilian, it's not something a fifth-order egg that hasn't fully hatched can easily resist.

One by one, the roots of the lotus pierced through the flesh membrane.

The bluish light spread along the blood vessels into the inside of the ovum.

The previously growing incubation rate suddenly came to a halt.

The egg sac suddenly let out an angry hiss.

A sharp pain simultaneously rang in the minds of all living things in the reservoir.

Several low-level awakened individuals on the shore covered their ears and immediately knelt down.

Many second-tier water demons in the Zhenhai Navy also experienced a brief moment of disorientation.

The blue lotus mark on the back of the Xuanjia armor shone brightly.

A layer of cyan-blue light rose from the tortoise shell, enveloping the water demons behind it.

"Hold the formation!"

Xuanjia roared angrily.

The three water demons recovered from the mental shock.

They did not continue to retreat.

In the third part, the snake-eel water demon bypassed the Xuanjia's massive body and pounced on it from both sides of the egg sac.

Sharp teeth and demonic water blades continuously landed near the opening of the egg sac.

Although the attack of a single second or third-tier water demon is not enough to seriously damage a fifth-tier egg.

However, the simultaneous attack of dozens of water demons on the same spot continued to widen the crack.

Black blood gushed out wildly.

The eye inside the egg sac began to move.

His scarlet pupils were fixed on the black armor.

The next second, a black fleshy spike, even thicker than the Ink King's tentacle, shot out from inside the egg sac.

The flesh spikes moved with astonishing speed, tearing through the water in their path, their target being Xuanjia's brow.

Gu Changhe's expression changed, and he shouted, "Get out of the way!"

Xuanjia didn't dodge. Behind it were dozens of Zhenhai soldiers attacking the egg sac. If it moved aside, its fleshy spike would be enough to pierce through several water demons.

Xuanjia suddenly lowered its head, and all the sea chart patterns on the top of the tortoise shell lit up.

boom!

The fleshy spikes slammed hard into the head shell of the Xuanjia.

A terrifying power erupted instantly.

The massive Xuanjia body was slid backward dozens of meters by the impact, its shell carving a deep trench at the bottom of the reservoir.

The scales on its head split open, and blood gushed out from the wound. The black fleshy spike also broke off during the impact.

Xuanjia steadied itself, raised its head, showing no fear in its eyes. It opened its mouth, bit the broken flesh spike, and suddenly shook its head.

Large chunks of black flesh were forcibly torn out from inside the egg sac.

The egg sac emitted a piercing, shrill cry.

"The commander is wounded!"

Water monsters in the Zhenhai Navy began to stir.

Xuanjia immediately roared, "Continue the attack! Anyone who disrupts the formation will be punished according to military law!"

The restlessness was instantly suppressed.

The more than three hundred water demons stabilized once again. Gu Changhe watched this scene with a look of shock in his eyes.

Ordinary beasts would instinctively flee when faced with the pressure of a high-level life form, but this Zhenhai Navy was able to maintain its formation even after its commander was injured.

They are no longer a group of water sprites that gathered temporarily.

Instead, it truly possessed the rudiments of an army.

Gu Changhe did not continue to watch; he pressed down hard with both palms.

The heavy water domain is entirely concentrated above the egg sac.

The tens of thousands of tons of water in the reservoir seem to have transformed into an invisible mountain.

The outer wall of the ovum, which was originally undulating violently, suddenly caved in, and the tear was further stretched open by the pressure.

Gu Changhe's forehead veins bulged, and blood began to flow from his nose. With his current strength, suppressing both the Ink King and the fifth-order egg at the same time had exceeded his own limit.

Upon seeing this, Luo Shan immediately stepped forward, and the yellowish-brown light spread along the rock strata of the dam.

Several huge rock pillars rose from the lake bottom, wedging the egg sacs tightly on both sides.

Shen Qinghe stood behind Gu Changhe, and green spiritual light entered her body, alleviating the backlash from the heavy water domain.

Gu Changhe roared, "Xuanjia, the final blow!"

Xuanjia didn't need his reminder.

It has started to accelerate again.

The lotus seeds and tortoise shell sea chart patterns on the back light up simultaneously.

A large amount of water-based spiritual energy converged towards the Xuanjia.

Within the illusory image of the blue lotus, a wisp of blue power entered the body of the Xuanjia.

The bleeding from the Xuanjia's previously injured head scales stopped quickly.

A layer of cyan-blue light gradually covered the surface of its enormous body.

The water began to swirl around it.

The speed is getting faster and faster.

In the end, it formed an underwater vortex with a diameter of tens of meters.

Xuanjia was located in the center of the vortex.

Like a moving mountain.

"Zhenhai!"

A deep roar echoed throughout the reservoir.

The black armor, carrying the entire vortex, crashed violently into the already ruptured wound of the egg sac.

Boom!

The rock strata beneath the dam collapsed instantly.

The outer wall of the ovum ruptured completely.

Large amounts of black flesh and blood mixed with mucus gushed outwards.

The eye, covered by a transparent membrane, was also struck head-on by the Xuanjia armor in this attack.

Numerous cracks appeared on the surface of the eyeball.

It then exploded with a deafening roar.

A piercing scream emanated from inside the egg sac.

The mental fluctuations burst forth from Qingshi Reservoir and spread along the eastern water system toward the sea.

Chu Zhou's consciousness stirred.

The illusory image of the blue lotus blocked the exit of the underground river.

The seven lotus leaves closed together.

The spiritual energy that was about to spread to the East China Sea was firmly locked within the Azure Lotus Domain.

"Want to send a message? Too late."

Chu Zhou's voice faded.

Hundreds of lotus roots simultaneously pierced the core of the egg sac.

Devouring ability activated.

The remaining life force of the egg sac surged wildly toward the illusory blue lotus.

System notification sounds rang out one after another.

"Ding, devouring the energy of the deep-sea mother nest eggs."

"Evolution Points +30"

"Evolution Points +45"

"Evolution Points +62..."

The egg sac struggled desperately. It had never even hatched. First, its core was shattered by the Xuanjia, and then it was suppressed by Chu Zhou's domain. It had completely lost its ability to resist.

The black exterior wall shrank at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The black blood vessels withered one by one.

In the end, only a dark blue crystal the size of a basketball remained, suspended in the center of the shattered flesh.

"Ding, the deep-sea mother nest has finished devouring the eggs."

"Cumulative Evolution Points Acquired: 3.6 million"

"Special item obtained: Mother Nest Source Crystal".

"Mother Nest Source Crystal: An energy core formed when the deep-sea mother nest nurtures its eggs. It can be used to strengthen aquatic companions, nurture high-level aquatic offspring, or track the mother nest itself."

In the center of Heilong Lake.

Chu Zhou's heart stirred.

3.6 million evolution points.

In addition, there is a Mother Nest Source Crystal.

The trip to Qingshi Reservoir was more fruitful than he had anticipated.

Especially the last one, tracking the mother nest itself.

This means that by using this source crystal, he has the opportunity to pinpoint the location of the mother nest deep in the East China Sea.

However, now is not the time to venture deep into the East China Sea. The Zhenhai Navy has just completed its first actual combat, and the strength of the East China Sea Mother Nest is completely unknown.

We must first turn Qingshi Reservoir into a stronghold, and then gradually advance towards the coast.

The ovum dies.

All the thin black threads connecting the Ink King's body withered.

Mo Wang's massive body trembled violently.

The madness in those dozens of dark red eyes gradually subsided.

It lost the replenishment of egg sacs, and the bone armor that had been shattered by the Zhenhai Navy could no longer be restored.

Gu Changhe reclaimed the heavy water territory.

He stumbled and nearly fell to his knees at the bottom of the lake.

Shen Qinghe immediately supported him and asked, "Captain Gu, you've used up too much of your spiritual energy."

Gu Changhe waved his hand, his gaze falling on Mo Wang: "That beast is still alive."

Xuanjia did not continue its attack, and the Mo King's massive body sank to the bottom of the water, his mental fluctuations chaotic and weak.

After a long while, a fragmented consciousness finally emerged.

"Nest...eat everything...escape..."

The black armored creature moved closer and asked, "Where did you come from?"

The Ink King struggled to move his dozen or so eyes, finally looking eastward: "There's a city at the bottom of the sea, and that city is full of eggs..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Changhe and the nearby members of the Ninth Bureau changed their expressions at the same time. An egg, which had not yet hatched, was already at the fifth level.

If there are indeed a large number of similar egg sacs in the depths of the East China Sea, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Gu Changhe immediately took out his underwater communicator: "Record its mental fluctuations and report to the Lingnan branch immediately."

Xuanjia did not stop them.

This matter is not just a problem for Heilongshan.

Coastal human cities are also within the range of the mother nest threat.

The sooner humans know this, the more pressure they can alleviate on the coast of Heilongshan.

Chu Zhou's voice came from Zi Lian: "Xuan Jia."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Keep the Ink King for now and take it back to the deep waters of the Blue Stone Reservoir so that I can remove any remaining contaminants from its body."

"It comes from the East China Sea and is useful to the naval forces."

Xuanjia bowed his head: "Yes, sir."

King Mo has lost the ability to resist.

The second water monster quickly surrounded it.

Several giant fish demons and crocodile demons bit onto the remaining tentacles of the Ink King and dragged it away from the dam area.

Seeing this, Gu Changhe frowned slightly: "You're taking it away?"

Xuanjia turned and glanced at him: "It's spoils of war."

Gu Changhe fell silent. Judging from the course of the battle, it was indeed Xuanjia and the Lord of Qinglian who truly shattered the egg sac.

Although they participated in suppressing Mo Wang in the ninth round, their main objective was always to save people.

Moreover, given the current situation, even if he wanted to stop it, he wouldn't have the power to do so.

Gu Changhe ultimately did not contest the claim. He said, "The survivors in the reservoir belong to us."

Xuanjia said, "That's fine."

Gu Changhe was taken aback. He had been prepared for negotiations and even conflict, but he did not expect Xuanjia to agree so readily.

Xuanjia continued, "The Qing Shi Reservoir will henceforth belong to the Qinglian Forbidden Zone."

Gu Changhe's face darkened.

Sure enough, Black Dragon Mountain couldn't have sent over three hundred water demons on an expedition without a reason.

The other side's real goal is to occupy Qingshi Reservoir.

Gu Changhe looked around.

The area below the dam has been riddled with holes by erosion from egg sacs.

A large amount of pollutants still remain in the underground river.

Without the purification of the Azure Lotus power, this place would not be able to recover in a short period of time.

Qingshi Reservoir is also far from major human cities.

Gu Changhe said in a deep voice, "I have no right to agree to this."

Xuanjia didn't argue with him: "You can go back and report that the Zhenhai Army will not attack nearby human villages and towns, but from today onwards, no one is allowed to enter the core area of ​​the reservoir without permission."

Gu Changhe stared at the black armor for a moment.

He finally nodded and said, "I will report it truthfully."

The two sides did not continue their conversation.

In the ninth inning, the team began bringing the survivors ashore.

Zhenhai Army, under Xuanjia's orders, cleaned up the remaining flesh membrane at the bottom of the reservoir.

After the battle.

For the first time, more than three hundred water monsters suffered real casualties.

Thirteen second-tier water demons died.

More than thirty water monsters were injured.

Five of them were seriously injured.

Xuanjia was not excited by the victory; it ordered the third part to collect the corpses of its comrades, leaving no one behind.

Although those water demons were only the weakest group in the Zhenhai Army, they were the soldiers who followed them on their first expedition.

Those who are alive must be brought back, and those who are dead must also be brought back.

Gu Changhe's expression turned complicated as he watched the water demon gather the corpses.

He originally thought that the beasts wouldn't care about the death of their companions, but this Zhenhai Navy was clearly different from ordinary beast packs.

They have commands, discipline, and even a sense of belonging.

On the shore, the deputy captain asked in a low voice, "Captain Gu, how should we write about the Qing Shi Reservoir incident?"

Gu Changhe looked at the blue-green lotus blooming in the center of the water.

After absorbing the energy of the egg sac, the lotus seed has taken root completely at the bottom of the reservoir.

One by one, blue-green lotus leaves floated to the surface of the water.

The originally murky and black water is gradually becoming clear again, with the lotus seed as the center.

The dead fish and black slime floating on the shore were gradually purified by the blue light.

Gu Changhe said, "Write the truth: the Qinglian restricted area's naval forces cleared out the deep-sea eggs and rescued the missing personnel from the hydroelectric power station."

"At the same time, occupy Qingshi Reservoir and establish a new water area stronghold."

The deputy captain hesitated and said, "If we report it like this, headquarters will probably have a hard time accepting it."

Gu Changhe retorted, "Then what do you want me to write? Say that we killed that fifth-order egg-shaped creature?"

The vice-captain fell silent. Gu Changhe looked at Xuanjia and said, "Facts are facts. It's true that the Azure Lotus Forbidden Zone expanded, and it's also true that they rescued people. We can't erase the latter just because we have different stances."

The vice-captain nodded: "Understood."

……

Heilong Lake.

Chu Zhou reopened the system panel.

[Evolution Points: 2610 million/3000 million]

With only 3.9 million evolution points left to reach the seventh rank, Chu Zhou was filled with anticipation, wondering just how terrifying his strength would become once he reached the seventh rank.

A single unhatched brood egg brought him 3.6 million. If there were tens of thousands of brood eggs deep in the East China Sea, how many evolution points could they provide him?

He was also very much looking forward to it, but at the same time, so many eggs would be a disaster for other life forms.

The consequences would be unimaginable if it were born.

Chu Zhou's consciousness landed on the Qing Shi Reservoir, where the Azure Lotus had taken root completely, and a system notification sounded.

"Ding, the host has established a third peripheral outpost."

"Outpost Name: Qing Shi Shui Fu".

Current status: Beginner.

"Functions: Water-based area projection, water vein perception, and increased recovery speed of water-based companions."

"The area affected by the Qinglian restricted waters has expanded eastward by 370 kilometers."

Chu Zhou was satisfied.

Once the Qing Shi Water Mansion is established, there will be another transit point between Black Dragon Mountain and the East Sea.

The naval forces can rest and recuperate here.

With the help of Zilian, one can gain a deeper understanding of the coastal water system.

However, what really concerned Chu Zhou was that Mother Nest Source Crystal.

The three uses provided by the system are all valuable.

Strengthen the Xuanjia armor, nurture high-level lotus seeds, and track the mother nest in the East Sea.

Chu Zhou did not use it immediately.

Xuanjia is now close to the fifth rank.

If we directly use source crystals for enhancement, it might indeed allow it to break through faster.

But the scent of the mother nest still lingers within.

Allowing the Xuanjia to devour it rashly carries the risk of contamination; nurturing a higher-level lotus seed is a safer approach.

If successful, I will be able to project a stronger power near the East China Sea.

As for tracking the mother nest, it's too early now. With that in mind, Chu Zhou made a decision.

"System, purify the mother nest source crystal."

"Ding, purifying the Mother Nest Source Crystal requires 500,000 Evolution Points."

"Should we purify it?"

Chu Zhou did not hesitate: "Purify."