Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

It was late at night. Lin Yi, Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, Baha and Am were immersed in a black battle. After a long wait of eight hours, Jila finally completed the transformation from the third level to the fourth level.

Such a long advancement time is enough to prove that the gap between the fourth level and the third level is not a simple quantitative change, but a qualitative leap.

[Reminder: Your temporary summon, Zerg Mother, Jila, has been promoted to the fourth stage. ]

[The insect nest has evolved to the fourth stage, and the accompanying abilities have been improved. 】

[The energy storage organization has been upgraded to the fourth stage, and the energy storage limit has been increased to 500000 points. ]

[The egg-laying tissue has been upgraded to the fourth stage, and can produce 1000 Zerg eggs at a time, and the egg-laying speed has increased by 100%. ]

[The breeding capsule has been upgraded to the fourth stage, and can breed 500 small and medium-sized Zerg units at a time, and the breeding speed has increased by 200%. 】

[The cultivation speed of super-large Zerg units is increased by 50%. 】

[The hive has acquired a new organ, the energy conversion device (fourth stage).]

[The hive has acquired a new organ, the Evolution Chamber (Phase 3, cultivating sac appendages, when cultivating combat Zerg, there is a % chance of producing elite individuals). ]

[A new genetic memory has been awakened: Blood Shadow Guards (Exclusive Guards for the fourth-stage Insect King). ]

[New genetic memory has been acquired: Star Guardian (fifth-order combined combat Zerg, medium-sized, alien species, must be used with humanoid Zerg). ]

……

The reason why only the fourth-level Insect Queen can call herself the Insect King is very simple. Only the Insect Queen who advances to the fourth level can awaken the genetic memory of the Royal Guards.

These guards are not ordinary combat units, but the ultimate trump card of every Zerg King. Their combat power is at a level that can be called a gap among the fourth-order Zerg, and they are the sharpest blade in the Zerg war system.

More importantly, each Insect King’s guard is unique.

Their forms, abilities, and fighting styles are all deeply bound to the Insect King they belong to, which makes each guard the most unique symbol and support of the Insect King.

"Jila, breed a Blood Shadow Guardian and a Star Guardian, and start expanding the hive at the same time."

"Yes Master."

After advancing to the fourth stage, Jila couldn't help but shiver after sensing the breath of Lin Yi and Su Xiao, and then immediately followed Lin Yi's orders.

Before Jila advanced to the third level, although he vaguely sensed that the two people were in great danger, he did not know where the danger lay. But now after advancing to the fourth level, Jila's mental power has undergone a qualitative change, and he can sense the essence of the two people.

In Jila's mental power, Su Xiao was like a walking incarnation of killing, with a faint aura of blood lingering around him. The mere perception of touch made it tremble instinctively, as if facing an unsheathed butcher's knife.

And Lin Yi... is even more terrifying.

Whenever Jila's mental power tried to detect him, it would fall into nothingness - its perception tentacles were like falling into a black hole, and were instantly swallowed up without a trace.

As Jila's mental tentacles were silently swallowed by Lin Yi again, it instinctively retracted all its probing intentions.

Arriving near the insect nest, in the breeding cabin on the left, the outline of the Blood Shadow Guards is gradually becoming clear.

It was a dark red humanoid Zerg with a slender and agile body, sharp barbs extending from the joints, and three pairs of translucent membrane wings extending from the spine on its back. When it vibrated at a high frequency in the air, it could even cause tiny ripples in space.

It is obvious that this Zerg should have spatial abilities.

Unlike the Blood Shadow Guards, the birth process of the Star Guards is like a visual feast.

Its shell is a deep blue like the starry sky, with silver spots of light flowing on its surface, as if the entire starry sky has been compressed into its shell.

I have to say that the name Star Guardian is really not wrong. From a distance it looks like a small piece of starry sky.

Five minutes later, the biomass liquid in the incubation pool slowly receded, and the Blood Shadow Guards completed the cultivation first.

The moment it opened its eyes, it disappeared.

There was no acceleration process and no moving track. The next moment, its figure appeared next to the insect nest of Jila. Its dark red body was slightly crouched, showing an absolute protective posture.

Although this Blood Shadow Guard was just born, a single mission has already been engraved deep in its genes: to protect the Insect King.

To it, Jila's existence is the truth, and the will of the Insect King is above everything else.

As Lin Yi and Su Xiao approached slowly, the three pairs of membrane wings behind the Blood Shadow Guards suddenly vibrated at a high frequency.

"Buzz!"

Tiny ripples appeared in the space.

Without even turning his head, Su Xiao turned around and kicked behind him with a fierce whip kick.

"boom!"

There was a dull crashing sound in the air. The Blood Shadow Guard who had just completed the space shuttle was kicked away and fell heavily on the fungal blanket.

It quickly turned over and stood up, its dark red body slightly arched, obviously preparing to attack again.

"Quiet."

All the attack postures of the Blood Shadow Guard collapsed instantly. It lowered its head silently, standing still like a dark red sculpture.

“Yes, although the space shuttle is still a little clumsy, it is more than enough to deal with most enemies.” The reason why Su Xiao was able to see through and counterattack in an instant was very simple - Dragon Shadow Flash.

This skill is similar to the Blood Shadow Guard's spatial ability. Both are not conventional space teleportation, but directly tearing the space for short-distance shuttle, completely abandoning the process of coordinate positioning.

Because of this, when the Blood Shadow Guard activated his ability, Su Xiao would directly launch a counterattack.

[Blood Shadow Guards]

Category: Tier 4 Elite Zerg

Health: 100%
Bioenergy: 100/100
True Strength: 91 points

True Agility: 95 points

Real physical strength: 82 points

Intelligence: 2
Charm: Lower-level Zerg have no charm attribute.

Skill 1: Guards (Passive, LV.30): HP +1000 points, attack power increased by 100 points, all attributes +100 for every 2 friendly units around.

Skill 2: Brutal Hunting (Passive, Lv. 25): Deals an additional 40% damage to targets with health below 30%.

Skill 3: Space Jump (Passive, Lv.35): Consumes 10 points of biological energy, flashes a short distance behind the target, and the next attack increases the attack by 50%.

技能4：血怒（主动，Lv.40）：牺牲30%当前生命值，提升50%攻击速度和20%攻击力，持续10秒。

The Blood Shadow Guard is worthy of being a fourth-tier elite Zerg. Its three true attributes have all reached the peak level of the fourth tier, and each skill exists for ultimate killing.

The only problem is that the hive consumes a staggering 1000 points of biological energy for every Blood Shadow Guard it cultivates.

The Blood Shadow Guards have no ordinary form. Each one is an elite when it is born. From the moment it breaks out of the cocoon, it possesses complete combat memory and spatial talent, which is why the manufacturing price is so outrageous.

However, the advantage of the Blood Shadow Guards is that they consume very little bio-energy every day. In addition, they belong to the Guard sequence and enjoy priority supply of bio-energy.

As long as they don't use their energy-intensive space flashing abilities too frequently, their sustained combat capabilities are perfect.

After the expansion after Jila's advancement, the hive's stored bioenergy has exceeded 400,000 points, but these resources are still insufficient to form a complete Blood Shadow Guard.

"Master, the Star Guardian will need another 12 minutes to hatch." Jila's voice sounded in the mental link, "According to genetic memory, the Star Guardian's 'energy refraction' ability can greatly reduce the consumption of the Zerg..."

"Team-based gain? Interesting." Lin Yi raised his head and looked towards the incubation pool. He didn't expect that there would be a surprise.

However, it is not surprising that the Star Guardian, as a fifth-level Zerg, has any skills. It is a "remaining individual" left behind by the Zerg Overlord.

As the hatching pool surged, a star-like pattern suddenly lit up on the ground of the hive.

The Star Guardian, who had not yet emerged from its cocoon, released energy fluctuations in advance, and a silver-blue stream of light spread along the fungal carpet.

[Tip: Star Guardian (incomplete) activates the aura effect - 'Star Energy Supply']

[All Zerg units within range have bioenergy recovery speed +300%]

The effect of this halo may seem simple, but for the entire Zerg system, it is a breakthrough of incredible magnitude.

The reason why ordinary Zerg need to continuously consume a large amount of bioenergy is that the speed at which they produce bioenergy on their own is far behind the consumption in combat.

This phenomenon hides a fatal flaw in Zerg evolution - most Zerg Queens have too superficial an understanding of biology when constructing new Zerg units.

To put it in professional terms, their knowledge of biology cannot be said to be completely absent, but it is definitely not systematic and complete.

In the eyes of these Zerg queens, as long as the Zerg they produce can run, jump, and show their fangs and claws, they are considered successful.

This extensive evolutionary concept resulted in the creation of Zerg that was like a group of biological building blocks that were barely put together - the more bizarre and complex the structure, the more astonishing the energy consumption.

Just like a poorly designed building, more materials are needed to maintain its stability. Abyssal Devil is a typical example of this kind of design flaw, and its energy conversion efficiency is shockingly low.

If a worm queen who is proficient in biology were to redesign the physiological structure of the Abyss Demon Beast, her bioenergy consumption could be reduced by as much as 50% simply by optimizing the skeletal system and organ distribution.

But Jila is, after all, just an illiterate, so how could she understand these advanced biological principles?

In her opinion, it is enough for the Zerg units to tear the enemy apart. As for the "details" such as energy utilization efficiency, they have never been within her consideration.

The magic of Star Guardian lies precisely in its ability to automatically repair these inherent design flaws of the Zerg.

Just like a skilled craftsman, carefully carving out a rough piece of work.

As long as those fighting Zergs put together by Jira can survive on the battlefield, they will gradually optimize their own physiological structure under the nourishment of star energy.

"It turns out that if you learn math, physics and chemistry, you won't be afraid to travel around the world."

After a few more minutes, the Star Guardian slowly opened its compound eyes, and a silver-blue halo flowed around it, as if it was covered with a layer of star gauze.

Although the seven-meter body size was not outstanding among the large Zerg that were often more than ten meters long, the energy field emitted by the Star Guard changed the atmosphere of the entire Zerg nest. The air became as viscous as liquid.

【Star Guardian】

Category: Tier 5 Combat Zerg

Health: 100%
Bioenergy: 500/500
True Strength: 95 points

Agility: 60 points

Real physical strength: 102 points

Intelligence: 5
Charm: Lower-level Zerg have no charm attribute.

Skill 1: Heavy Armor Barrier (Passive, LV.30): Reduces all physical damage received by 30%, and rebounds 20% of the damage after a successful block.

Skill 2: Charge (Active, Lv.25): Charge in a straight line, causing physical damage of 200% of Strength to enemies on the path, with a "knockback" effect. (Requires rider guidance)

Skill 3: Symbiotic Armor (Passive, Lv.35): While the rider is alive, his health recovery speed increases by 100% and he is immune to control effects.

Skill 4: Star Energy Recharge (Passive, Lv. 40): The bioenergy recovery rate of all Zerg units within a 10km radius is increased by 300%.

The Star Guardian has a very special position in the Zerg system - rather than being a combat unit, it is more like a battlefield auxiliary core similar to the Abyss Amplification Tower.

However, the Abyss Amplification Tower can only provide blessings for specific Abyss Demonic Beasts, while the aura of the Star Guardian can cover all Zerg units. This global gain effect can be called a strategic-level existence.

"Create 100 Blood Shadow Guards to ensure the stability of the defense line, and then immediately switch to the explosive mode of Star Guards and Abyssal Devil Beasts."

After receiving Lin Yi's order, Jila immediately controlled the worker insects to start exploding.

Thousands of hatching sacs on the fungal blanket wriggled at the same time, and the entire insect nest instantly turned into a huge biological arsenal.

As for upgrading to the fifth stage? When Jila stored up enough bioenergy, her memory suddenly unlocked a staggering list of materials - more than a dozen rare evolutionary materials, each of which could only be obtained under specific circumstances.

With the remaining ten days, it is simply a fantasy to collect all these materials.

With the injection of the last batch of biological energy, the Zerg war machine finally began to operate at full speed.

The insect nest that has completed the accumulation stage is now like a ignited powder keg, erupting with terrifying productivity.

The explosion efficiency of the fourth-stage hive is far different from that of the third-stage. The densely packed hatching sacs on the fungal blanket expand and contract at a speed visible to the naked eye. Accompanied by a sticky bursting sound, one abyss demon beast after another breaks out of its cocoon.

At the same time, Su Xiao asked Jila to produce a logistical force called the spore tank.

The umbrella-like tops of these spore tanks can be unfolded into storage compartments, and special biological vesicles inside the body can compress and preserve the spoils.

However, this astonishing rate of troop growth also exposed a fatal weakness - the reserves of bioenergy were being consumed at an alarming rate.

Even though Lin Yi and Su Xiao had already cleared all the surrounding insect nests, the looted resources still could not withstand such squandering.

The bioenergy on the panel was dropping rapidly, and one-third of the reserves had been consumed in a short period of time.

After discussion, Lin Yi and Su Xiao reorganized the existing forces and divided them into four tactical groups.

The final teams are as follows:
Lin Yi: 1800 Shadow Corps soldiers, 984 Demon Beasts (14 elite individuals), 6 Spore Tanks, and 3 Star Guards.

Bahamut: 1800 Shadow Legion soldiers, 996 Demon Beasts (17 elite individuals), 7 Spore Tanks, and 2 Star Guards.

Bubuwang: 1800 Shadow Legion soldiers, 861 Demon Beasts (15 elite individuals), 8 Spore Tanks, and 3 Star Guards.

Su Xiao: 1800 Shadow Corps soldiers, 924 Demon Beasts (16 elite individuals), 7 Spore Tanks, and 3 Star Guards.

Although the number of Star Guardians is limited, it is sufficient for initial expansion missions.

After the teams were divided, Am stayed in the core area of ​​the hive as the last line of defense.

Although the Blood Shadow Guards, a royal guard, had been trained, Jira's almost zero battlefield judgment was really worrying, so Am was kept behind for safety reasons.

With the final confirmation of the combat order, the biological communities in the area surrounding the base camp suffered a devastating disaster.

Four iron-powered legions swept across the wilderness with devastating force, and all the insect nests and large predators they encountered could not escape the fate of being annihilated.

If someone were to check the holographic strategic map of the war channel at this moment, they would see a shocking scene - the red mark representing the hive is extinguishing at an alarming speed, like candles being extinguished one by one by invisible hands.

Several people strictly followed the combat principle of annihilation and marking, and updated the status on the war channel every time they cleared a insect nest, effectively preventing others from making wasted trips.

As for how to deal with the Zerg mother, if there are rare Zerg in the hive, bring the mother back. If not, execute it on the spot.

Unlike the last raid where they deliberately avoided the third-order insect nest, this expedition can be said to be full of strength.

All insect nests that blocked the advancement route, regardless of their level, became nails that had to be removed.

Time is life, resources are fighting power, and now every minute and every second is accumulating chips for the final decisive battle.

Amid the roar of the spreading fungal blanket, the dust from the collapsed hive had not yet settled, and the worker insect swarms began to efficiently recycle every available resource.

The storage chamber of the spore tank is filling up at a speed visible to the naked eye, and these spoils will be continuously transported to Jila in the rear through biological pipes.

Eastern Front·Lin Yi Corps.

The shadow army surged across the wasteland like a tide, their figures turning into flowing shadows under the moonlight. Wherever they passed, low-level Zerg were torn to pieces without even a chance to resist.

Lin Yi stood on the back of an elite demon beast, looking calmly ahead.

Three Star Guards followed behind him, and a silver-blue halo enveloped the entire legion, ensuring that the creatures of the Abyss Demon Beasts could always maintain their peak condition.

Lin Yi took a look at the intelligence in his hand and found that there was actually a more special Zerg in the third-level Zerg nest in front. This auxiliary Zerg that can provide instant recovery for Zerg units is exactly the strategic resource they need most at present.

If its gene sequence can be integrated into the hive system of the Thorns, the losses in future large-scale battles will be greatly reduced.

Western Front·Baha Corps.

"Hahaha! Charge at me! Crush them!" Bahamut's wild laughter exploded above the battlefield, and his jet-black wings rolled up a hurricane.

The group of abyss demon beasts below let out a deafening roar, and like a swarm of burning meteors, they launched a death charge towards the target insect nest.

"boom--!"

With a loud earth-shaking noise, the leading elite Demon Beast smashed through the shell of the insect nest with an extremely brutal attitude.

The thick biological armor was like paper in front of it, and the broken shell fragments flew everywhere.

The Zerg mother inside the nest hadn't even recovered from the shock when a black shadow fell from the sky - Bahamut's claws pressed her down hard on the fungal blanket like iron pliers.

"Oh, you're pretty, but it's a pity that you don't have anything good. I'll send you off now." In the horrified eyes of the insect queen, Bahamut tore her body apart with one claw, shook his claws, and threw the broken corpse to the spore tank on standby at the rear.

"Move faster, it's next." Bahamut was very excited at the moment. Under his urging, the entire legion was like a clockwork war machine. The abyss demon beasts violently tore apart the remaining structures of the hive, and the worker insects swarmed towards the valuable biological tissues like locusts.

Southern Front·Su Xiao Corps.

Su Xiao's figure shuttled through the insect swarm and ended the life of the insect queen with one knife.

He shook the blood off the knife and looked at the map on the war channel.

The red dot representing the hive is disappearing at an alarming speed. Behind it, the storage chambers of several spore tanks have already been filled to the brim.

These giant mushroom-like creatures not only carry a large number of hive fragments, but also preserve the "remaining individuals" of more than ten rare Zerg species.

Soon, Su Xiao advanced to the edge of the forest.

This is a large swamp. If you cross the swamp, you will reach a poisonous fog area. Even with the tolerance of Demon Beast, it will be corroded by the poisonous fog within a few minutes.

It's not that it can't be explored, but it's unnecessary. According to Su Xiao's observation, there is a huge red frog deep in the poisonous fog. With that poisonous frog there, there can't be other insect nests in the nearby area. (End of this chapter)