Without the ability to hatch and nurture larvae, the half of the Yunxia Ridge Swarm originally assimilated by Ling Yi had already lost over half its numbers from the daily strain of overwork.
This was especially true for the low-level Red-Armored Beetles. As the cheapest and most useful logistics Worker Zergs, their lifespans were directly tied to their work hours. With reasonable rest and rotation, they could barely survive for several months.
But with the Salvation Army’s desperate need for Nutrient Liquid, they collected Biomass almost nonstop, day and night, sending it to the Biological Meat Nest to be broken down and condensed into the initial Nutrient Liquid.
As a result, the Swarm, which originally numbered between twenty and thirty thousand, had seen over half its population die from exhaustion in just a few short days.
The decision to raid the two Early-stage Mother Empresses in the North was made not only to resolve the crisis facing Beihai Town and the Qin Tiger Corps but also to assimilate more leaderless Swarms.
Lin Feng now had his Warriors distribute the Organic Nutrient Liquid from the armored vehicle to everyone present. He paid special attention to Qin Hu, who had just absorbed a massive amount of Life Energy and was on the verge of evolution.
A Genetic Warrior like him needed to consume at least half a ton of Organic Nutrient Liquid to guarantee a successful Tier Three transformation.
As Qin Hu and his men prepared to leave, Lin Feng stepped forward and gave him some earnest advice.
"This Tier Jump Promotion will activate your Realm Power, allowing you to receive a more complete Realm Inheritance."
"You might even return to the Land of the End and see the legendary Tier Four Spine King. But your Realm Power is Fearless, not Slaughter, so the Spine King’s influence on you won’t be too profound."
"Remember to maintain your self-awareness. It’s the only way to break free from the shackles of the Spirit World after you receive the Realm Inheritance."
"If you’re worried, you can come with me."
Qin Hu hesitated for a moment before deciding to prioritize his own advancement.
"Alright. I’ll stay and go with you."
With that, he turned to his thirty-five Tier Two Peak Genetic Warriors.
"All of you head back first. The Salvation Army will handle everything here from now on. We have completed our mission."
Qin Hu knew full well that not only had they broken the siege of the Hive army with the Salvation Army’s help, but he himself had only completed the final kill—reaping the life of the near-death Mother Empress—because Lin Feng had intentionally held back and allowed him the opportunity.
This had granted him the sole opportunity to undergo a Tier Jump Promotion and enter Tier Three.
This was the most valuable treasure in the entire Zerg Race, across all Hives.
Not even a hundred Tiger Spine Zergs and a hundred Tier Two Zerg Eggs could compare to the opportunity of a Tier Three promotion gained from killing a Zerg Race Mother Empress.
He also knew that Lin Feng had been so generous for a reason; he clearly had a more important task to entrust to him.
That was why, for this crucial promotion phase, he chose to trust Lin Feng and follow him back to Yunxia Ridge.
The materials from the Mother Empress’s Corpse and some of the Tier Two Zerg Eggs were loaded into an armored personnel carrier.
Then, Lin Feng, along with Liu Yueqi and Qin Hu, who had now completed the task of killing the Mother Empress, returned to the main incubation Hive at Yunxia Ridge.
The rest of the Guard Battle Group, under Liu Yi’s command, continued to wipe out the remaining Tier Two Zerg Race.
The Salvation Army had no use for Tier Two Zerg Race as Slaves. These massive Soldier Zergs, over twenty meters in size, were only suitable for combat. They were useless for logistical support and simply didn’t fit in.
Their best fate was to become Promotion Energy for the Warriors or raw materials for weapons and equipment.
As for the other Low-tier Black Spine Zergs and the even lower-level Red-Armored Beetles, they would become part of Ling Yi’s diligent army of Worker Zergs.
When Lin Feng and the others arrived at the main Hive in Yunxia, Ling Yi had already been waiting for some time.
"Are you staying to watch their promotion process?" Lin Feng asked, walking over to Ling Yi.
He glanced at the two figures in the distance, lying inside the Incubation Pyramid, about to begin their Tier Jumping Upgrade.
The Tier Two Zerg Eggs served as biological pods for their dormant promotion, ensuring a stable supply of the nutrients they required.
Ling Yi shook her head.
"It’s enough that you’re here. Besides, Jiang Yun’er is back, so she can watch over them. There are some things we can discuss later."
"I’m leaving now. Remember to put the Mother Empress’s biological tissue and the two Golden Mother Empress Brain Marrows into the incubation tower. Give the rest of the Zerg Eggs to Jiang Yun’er to have them re-integrated."
Lin Feng nodded. He accompanied Ling Yi out of the main Hive to the foot of the Yunxia Ridge mountains, where she boarded a Cyan-winged Zerg.
The pair of Membrane Wings on its back began to vibrate at a high frequency. After taking off, Ling Yi piloted the Cyan-winged Zerg, keeping it in a low, swift flight until it quickly vanished into the moonlit night.
Back inside the main Hive, Lin Feng noticed that Jiang Yun’er seemed somewhat dispirited after her meeting with the Mid-stage Perfection Mother Empress from the east.
She seemed lethargic and listless even as she controlled the Incubation Pyramid to store the Mother Empress’s tissue.
’Did the meeting to secure her allegiance not go well?’
Lin Feng thought about asking, but on second thought, he decided it was better to wait for Ling Yi to return so they could hear the full story together.
「Four hours later」
Just as dawn was breaking, Ling Yi returned to Yunxia Ridge, leading a Low-tier Zerg Swarm of a hundred thousand, including over sixty thousand Red-Armored Beetles.
Inside the Egg Pods of the Hatching Meat Tower, the two individuals undergoing the Tier Jumping Upgrade had also entered the most critical stage.
Liu Yueqi had already completed her transformation. A powerful Tier Three aura could be felt slowly emanating from the fleshy shell of her Zerg Egg.
Ling Yi walked over to Lin Feng. She looked at the two pods, her attention immediately focusing on Liu Yueqi.
She, too, was paying close attention to the human girl.
While the Superpower she had Awakened wasn’t as outrageously powerful as Lin Feng’s, it was still exceedingly rare and held immense potential.
"Judging by Liu Yueqi’s current State, she’s likely in the process of condensing her own Realm Power..."
Lin Feng’s brow furrowed. Liu Yueqi was a critical part of his future plans; he couldn’t let anything happen to her here.
"Is it dangerous? What happens if she fails to condense it?"
Ling Yi shook her head.
"It’s not life-threatening. Even if she fails, the worst that can happen is her Spiritual Power will be depleted somewhat. It won’t affect her overall combat effectiveness."
"But opportunities like this are rare. Historically, any genius with the potential to reach Tier Three Peak and challenge Tier Four..."
"...will find their own unique Path of Realm upon entering Tier Three. That’s the only way they can grasp a fundamentally complete Realm Power by the time they reach the Tier Three Late Stage."
"So for a planet’s native civilization, their most gifted members are the lucky ones. Though the path forward is uncertain, they can at least write their own legends."
"But most Cosmic Races, especially the descendants of Divine-level Civilizations, are locked into a Mental Realm cage by their very bloodline from birth. They are forced to live their entire lives in the shadow of their betters, only to return to dust after a mere ten thousand years."
"Let’s just wish Liu Yueqi good luck."
With that said, Ling Yi turned to look at the other Egg Pod.
"Qin Hu’s Fearless Realm shouldn’t be too affected by the Spine King. That Mad King’s mind has been completely consumed by the Slaughter Realm. As long as Qin Hu can hold out until he finishes absorbing the Fearless Realm’s inheritance, he will return safely."
Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Ling Yi’s explanation.
He was just about to ask about Jiang Yun’er.
Just then, the Egg Pod holding Qin Hu was the first to show signs of activity.
Abruptly awakening from his Realm Inheritance, Qin Hu reached out and tore through the fleshy shell of the Zerg Egg.
He threw his head back, gasping for breath.
His body was now covered in mutated growths, taking on numerous characteristics of a Spine Zerg. A hard, orange-gold carapace covered his limbs and torso, even spreading halfway across his face.
He looked as if he had transformed into a Tier Three King Hunter Zerg!
With his awakening, a powerful Realm Power erupted from his body and began to spread throughout the main incubation Hive.
Fortunately, Ling Yi was quick to react. She immediately activated her own Infinite Reproduction Realm, mobilizing her Spiritual Energy to contain the Fearless Realm that Qin Hu was unconsciously releasing.
The Fearless Realm was highly effective against the Spine Zerg Race’s Low-tier Zerg Swarms. Even a Tier Two Tiger Spine Zerg would become ferocious, frenzied, and utterly fearless under its influence.
This was precisely why a Mother Empress disliked the other two types of King Spine Zergs, aside from the one with the Unyielding Realm. Their very existence was a threat to a Mother Empress’s rule over the Zerg Race.
Fortunately, Qin Hu’s dazed state upon awakening didn’t last long.
After about ten seconds, he regained his self-awareness, began to recall past events, and reined in the release of his Fearless Realm.
At that moment, the results of an Identification of Qin Hu’s Attributes appeared before Lin Feng’s eyes:
[Qin Hu, lv30/39]
[Life Value: 1.4k, Physique: 1.4k, Spirit: 1.2k]
[Superpower Awakening: Physical Enhancement 100%]
[Realm Power: Fearless...]