Tang Hao stood frozen, his gaze lost in the sight before him. The once-familiar Holy Spirit Village had transformed into a grotesque nightmare, and a cold chill ran down his spine.
The fearless Tang Hao, a man who feared neither heaven nor earth, now felt a rare trace of dread bloom within his heart.
Holy Spirit Village…
What on earth had happened here?
Staring blankly at the hellish landscape of the village, Tang Hao slowly raised one arm from beneath his cloak.
In his palm lay a small, round sphere that flickered with a faint bioluminescent glow. However, its light was already dim, the final flickers dancing like a candle about to be extinguished.
"If… If only I had come back sooner…"
His voice cracked with despair as he whispered to himself, his heart overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow.
The last soft part of this hardened man's soul had been completely shattered.
He remembered Old Jack's kind face… the way he had taken care of Tang San like his own.
The hope Tang Hao had once felt for life, ignited by Tang San's awakening of his spirit, was now thoroughly crushed.
He lowered his head in silence, the oppressive aura around him growing ever darker and heavier.
Suddenly—
Caw! Caw!
A pitch-black crow let out a piercing cry, flapping its wings as it flew toward the mountains behind the village.
Startled back to awareness, Tang Hao lifted his head. The ground within the village was now covered in eerie purple-black grass, stretching toward the distant mountain like an endless wave.
This grass... it hadn't been here when he first arrived, had it?
With urgency in his steps, Tang Hao moved toward the back mountain, his pace long and steady.
As he departed, the purple-black grass behind him twitched ever so slightly—almost as if it were transmitting a message.
Star Luo Empire — Within a Zerg Wormhole
On a bio-engineered bed of energy-infused creep, Lin Fan lay resting, embraced by Zhu Zhuyun and Xiao Wu. But suddenly, his spirit jolted.
He frowned, mentally processing a sudden incoming message.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, a strange glint flickering within them.
Tang Hao?
He hadn't expected the Overlord dispatched as part of the "Dandelion" plan to stumble upon that location.
Holy Spirit Village...
That was Tang San's birthplace.
And to think—it lay within the Heaven Dou Empire, worlds away from his own Zerg base in the Star Dou Forest.
What a twist of fate.
Lin Fan sighed, but his expression soon turned awkward.
Not only had one of his Zerg units ended up in Holy Spirit Village, but it had also triggered such a mess… and provoked Tang Hao of all people!
Now that was trouble.
Even though Tang Hao had long since severed ties with the Clear Sky Clan, the man himself was still a Title Douluo at Rank 95.
Not to mention—he possessed a 100,000-year soul ring obtained through Ah Yin's sacrifice. His true strength was immeasurable.
Worst of all, Tang Hao wielded the legendary Nine-Ring Explosive Technique—a god-like skill that allowed him to detonate all nine of his soul rings in an instant. He could unleash devastation as easily as breathing.
He was simply absurdly overpowered.
And although Tang Hao no longer claimed allegiance to the Clear Sky Sect, the sect itself still bore him deep loyalty.
If he were pushed too far and decided to return to the sect—bringing it back into the world—it would throw everything into chaos.
This situation required careful planning.
Lin Fan sat upright, eyes gleaming with a strange light.
Faced with such a dangerous force, the only proper countermeasure was to pit one faction against another.
Zhu Zhuyun and Xiao Wu, seeing the look on Lin Fan's face, leaned in and each took hold of one of his arms.
"What's wrong, Master?" Zhu Zhuyun asked gently.
"It's nothing," Lin Fan replied. "Just some little rats interfering with my plans."
Then, turning toward Zhu Zhuyun's beautiful face, a strategy began to form in his mind.
"Zhuyun," he asked, "where's Davis right now?"
Zhu Zhuyun tilted her head, thinking. "Probably still in the palace. My father said he hasn't stepped outside since returning."
Lin Fan's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Back then, he had clearly sensed that his Zerg neural net had two power surges—one from Zhu Zhuyun, the other surely from Davis.
If Zhu Zhuyun's Zerg base had already developed so quickly, then Davis's side couldn't be far behind.
Lin Fan stood up and closed his eyes.
In his mind, he gave an order to the Hive Mind:
"Hive Mind, temporarily assume control of this base."
[As you command.]
[Control authority reclaimed.]
Lin Fan nodded.
"Hive Mind, begin constructing Tunneling Worms! Connect this base to Davis's base!"
[As you command. Initiating neural link confirmation.]
Star Luo Empire — Royal Palace
In his private chambers, Davis was meditating cross-legged on his bed when his eyes suddenly snapped open, a flash of crimson light passing through them.
A look of excitement spread across his face.
"Master!"
He quickly scanned his surroundings with spiritual power. Confirming he was alone, he slipped into the secret chamber hidden behind his room.
Riiip!
The floor cracked open, revealing a tunnel entrance. Davis leaped down and rushed along the passage, his heart pounding with anticipation.
Soon, he emerged into a vast underground Zerg cavern.
Grotesque Zerg structures filled the space chaotically, built without rhyme or reason.
Davis walked into the Primary Hive, placing his palm against the living wall and closing his eyes.
Wuuuuuuum!
A surge of intense psychic energy flooded his mind.
Back in Lin Fan's base—
The Hive Mind spoke directly into Lin Fan's thoughts.
[Neural link established. Begin incubation?]
"Yes."
[Beginning incubation. Establishing two-way tunnel.]
Davis's eyes opened again. A new command had appeared within his mind.
He looked around his base and muttered, "So we need a clear area?"
Then he awkwardly scratched his head.
He had just realized—there wasn't a single open space in his Zerg base!
Due to his poor planning, Zerg structures were built haphazardly, with units crammed together wherever they could fit. The entire cavern was cluttered and suffocatingly cramped.
Fortunately, Davis had an idea.
He ordered the creep and drones to begin expanding through an unused tunnel.
Acidic secretions quickly corroded the surrounding rock, and the area began to widen.
In just a few minutes, a massive open space had been carved out.
Davis finally sighed in relief.
Lin Fan, waiting back in his own base, still hadn't received an update. Curious, he used the neural link to check on Davis's side.
What he saw made his face twist with frustration.
"IDIOT! Davis, you damned fool!"
Nothing is more dangerous than an ally who acts like a pig.
Thankfully, Davis wasn't entirely brain-dead.
Suppressing his rising anger, Lin Fan gave the order:
"Begin incubation!"
[As you command!]
****
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