233: An anomaly was detected; the parasitic mother nest was hidden deep within.

Green Vine Forest, the outskirts of the fourth Parasitic Beast gathering point.

The air was thick with a strange stench—a mix of heavy humus and sweet, cloying blood—sharper and more pungent than the previous areas. The battle had lasted nearly half an hour, but progress was not as smooth as expected.

The allied forces of Behemoths and Dwarves, commanded by Wang Meng, were engaged in a fierce battle against over eighty parasitic units (wolves, Vine Monsters, Mushroom Men, and several large LV36-38 Frenzied Boars) at the edge of a relatively open but root-twisted and slime-covered forest swamp. Following the "Lure the Enemy to Ambush Reinforcements" plan, Wang Meng deliberately slowed the pace of the offensive, fighting steadily to create the illusion that "our side's offensive is stalled and in a stalemate."

Zhao Hao's Dragons circled high above the battlefield on standby, vigilantly monitoring all directions—especially the deeper forest leading toward the suspected Broodmother area—waiting for reinforcements that might be drawn in by the "stalemate."

However, the expected "reinforcements" did not appear.

On the contrary, the behavior of these parasitic units on the battlefield began to reveal an abnormal and unsettling "discipline."

"Old Lin, something's wrong!" Wang Meng's slightly anxious Divine Thought came through. "These things are different from the ones at the previous points! They're not just blindly charging anymore! Look at those Vine Monsters; they actually know to hide behind the wolves and boars, using ranged corrosive slime and entanglement to interfere with my Behemoths' advance! Those Mushroom Men also know how to group up and take turns releasing spore clouds, covering a larger area and lasting longer! They... seem to be cooperating?"

Lin Zhou had been observing from the rear and had naturally noticed the abnormality. In previous battles, although the parasitic units were fierce, their behavioral patterns were closer to beasts driven by instinct and hunger—disorganized. Yet the batch of enemies before them, while still chaotic and frenzied, exhibited a crude but undeniable coordination in their attack rhythm, unit composition, and even simple tactical cover.

It was as if... an invisible hand was performing an extremely inefficient yet forceful unified dispatch behind the scenes.

"Zhao Hao, expand the reconnaissance range. Focus on scanning between us and the Broodmother's direction for any large-scale movement of energy or life signals. Don't miss anything on the ground or underground!" Lin Zhou immediately ordered, while simultaneously increasing the scanning precision of the Net of Law, attempting to catch any possible "hive mind" command signals.

"Scanning... Wait! There are faint vibrations in the ground! They're not coming from the combat zone!" Zhao Hao's Wind Dragon sent an emergency signal. "About two kilometers to our left flank, beneath the dense forest, I've detected rhythmic, faint but dense pulses of life energy. They're moving slowly but steadily... toward the ground beneath our combat zone?! The target is... the side and rear of Wang Meng's position?!"

"Burrowing?!" Lin Zhou's pupils constricted. The intelligence hadn't mentioned that Parasitic Beasts had underground movement capabilities, but considering their soft-bodied biological traits and high degree of control over hosts, it wasn't impossible for them to modify or drive certain burrowing hosts for an underground surprise attack!

"Wang Meng! Immediately contract your right-flank formation and strengthen your side and rear defenses! Turn the Dwarven shield formation and set up temporary ground spikes! Zhao Hao, immediately dispatch two Wind Dragons and a Raging Flame to perform a probing Dragon Breath coverage on the suspicious area two kilometers to the left to force them out! The remaining Wind Dragons are to stay on high alert to prevent any aerial or other directional surprises!" Lin Zhou's Divine Thought was like a storm, adjusting tactics in an instant.

The moment the command was issued, about fifty meters behind the left flank of Wang Meng's position, the soft, rotting ground suddenly bulged as if it were boiling!

"Puff, puff, puff—!"

Dozens of thick, slime-covered, and mud-caked Burrowing Worms (parasitized native earth-element creatures, LV32-35, about five meters long and one meter in diameter, with chrysanthemum-like mouths full of sharp teeth) burst from the ground! They had no eyes, relying entirely on the Parasitic Beasts' perception and some form of collective command. As soon as they appeared, they acted like giant drills, twisting their bloated bodies and charging frantically toward the relatively weak side and rear of the Dwarven shield formation! At the same time, highly corrosive slime secreted from their bodies splashed like raindrops!

"Shield wall! Turn! Hold your ground!" Wang Meng roared. The Dwarves did not panic; under pressure, their experience quickly translated into instinct. A portion of the Dwarves turned swiftly, slamming their heavy shields into the ground, managing to construct a temporary defensive line just moments before the worms struck!

"Boom! Sizzle—!"

Violent collisions and the sound of corrosion rang out! The Dwarven shields were driven deep into the mud by the massive force of the impact, and the sturdy alloy shield surfaces emitted green smoke and ear-grating noises under the corrosion of the strong acid slime. Several Dwarves were shaken until blood seeped from their noses and mouths, but the defensive line ultimately held against this sudden underground assault!

Meanwhile, the Dragon Breath from the Raging Flame and the two Wind Dragons commanded by Zhao Hao slammed into the dense forest two kilometers away! Flames and wind blades turned large patches of twisted trees and fungal mats into charcoal and debris, blasting several deep pits into the ground.

"Underground tunnel entrances!" Zhao Hao saw the scene after the explosion through the Wind Dragon's vision—several hidden tunnel openings, about two meters in diameter and slick with slime, were exposed, still oozing dark green pus.

"There really is an underground network! The command System of these Parasitic Beasts is more sophisticated than we thought!" Lin Zhou's heart chilled. Being able to organize a coordinated ground/underground offensive across regions, and even knowing how to utilize terrain and unit synergy, was no longer the behavior of scattered beasts, but ironclad evidence of a clear will coordinating behind the scenes! The Broodmother, or rather the controller behind the Broodmother, might have a level of intelligence beyond expectations!

"Wang Meng, can you hold?" Lin Zhou asked quickly.

"It's a bit tough! These big bugs have insane strength, and the acid is fierce! The Behemoths are tied up by the enemies in front and can't pull away for now!" Wang Meng's voice was panting.

"Zhao Hao, have the Raging Flame and Wind Dragons continue to suppress and blockade the exposed tunnel entrances to prevent more underground units from pouring out. The other two Wind Dragons, immediately provide low-altitude support to the combat zone, focusing on using wind blades to cut those Burrowing Worms! Do not use Dragon Breath, to avoid friendly fire and triggering uncontrollable pollution explosions!" Lin Zhou adjusted rapidly.

"Understood!"

The battle became more complex and dangerous. In front were swarms of Parasitic Beasts capable of simple cooperation; to the side and rear were the suddenly appearing, thick-skinned Burrowing Worms with strong acid attacks. Both Wang Meng and Zhao Hao felt unprecedented pressure, and commanding became increasingly difficult. However, it was precisely under this pressure that their potential was further stimulated—their command decisions became more decisive, and the Execution of their Tribes was tempered to be even more resilient on the edge of life and death.

[Deepening of the School of the Military's Practical Drill Effect]

High-Pressure Command Experience Surge: Zhao Hao and Wang Meng's experience gain rate for responding to sudden and complex battle situations has increased by 80%.

Multi-Front Combat Coordination Tempering: Significant growth in simultaneous command capabilities for ground defense and aerial support, as well as frontal resistance and side/rear defense.

Tribe Limit Response: The steadfast will of the Dwarven shield formation under surprise attack and acid corrosion, the tactical awareness of the Behemoths attempting to split forces for reinforcement while engaged in combat, and the operational precision of the Wind Dragons' low-altitude support to avoid friendly fire have all been significantly enhanced.

Ultimately, at the cost of five heavily injured Dwarves (destroyed shields and corrosive damage) and three lightly injured Behemoths (entangled by vines and struck by boars), this gathering point and the Burrowing Worms from the underground assault were completely eliminated. The battle time was nearly double the estimate.

The smoke (mixed with the smell of char and rot) temporarily cleared, but the mood of the three was incredibly heavy.

"This is definitely being commanded." Zhao Hao recalled his weary Dragons, his expression serious. "And the commander is very cunning, knowing how to use underground tunnels for tactical maneuvers."

"Damn it, these filthy things are getting harder and harder to deal with." Wang Meng cursed as he had the Elf Priests treat the wounded. "If we keep pushing further in, who knows what other dirty tricks they have."

Lin Zhou crouched down, examining the remains of a Burrowing Worm that had just been killed. He carefully wrapped his fingertips in Divine Power and brushed aside the thick, still-twitching body that had been sliced open by wind blades. Near its nervous System, he discovered a nodule that was slightly different from other parasitic tissues—it was more solid, dark purple, and had subtle pulsating runes on its surface.

"A Secondary Control Node?" Lin Zhou's heart stirred as he attempted to use the rule power of the [Net of Law] to touch and analyze the nodule.

In an instant, a faint but extremely cold, chaotic shard of will, filled with greed and the desire to devour, stabbed back along the Divine Power connection like a poisonous needle! Simultaneously, the internal structure of the nodule began to twist and glow with extreme instability, about to self-destruct!

Lin Zhou was already prepared. The Fire of Civilization flashed, instantly incinerating that shard of will, while he used a Daoist "Suppress" rune to forcibly stabilize the nodule's structure. Although the nodule eventually shattered, he successfully captured a fleeting fragment of an "Information Flow" pointing to a specific coordinate deep in the forest, as well as an extremely blurred background sound of "Collective Whispering," sounding like countless tiny voices overlapping.

"Found you..." A cold light flashed in Lin Zhou's eyes. He stood up and looked at Zhao Hao and Wang Meng. "We can't keep pushing forward bit by bit like this. The enemy is already alert and has demonstrated a certain level of tactical ability. Continuing to disperse and clear them out will only give the opponent more time to mobilize troops, set traps, and may even cause the Mother Nest to relocate or hide deeper."

"You mean..." Zhao Hao vaguely guessed.

"Strike straight at the heart," Lin Zhou said decisively. "Based on the Information Flow captured from that secondary node just now, the core location of the Mother Nest can basically be locked down. It's in the central-southeast part of the forest, about fifteen kilometers from us. The energy fluctuations there are abnormally concentrated, and the underground structure is complex."

He pulled up a holographic map and marked a general area. "I've decided to abandon clearing the remaining peripheral outposts. We will concentrate all our forces and strike the area where the Mother Nest is located at maximum speed! Before it can fully react and mobilize all its troops, we'll destroy the core in one fell swoop!"

"Good! We should have done this long ago!" Wang Meng's spirit lifted. "Dallying with these things that hide their heads and show their tails is frustrating!"

"Leave the aerial reconnaissance to me. I'll have the Wind Dragon scout for any anomalies along the route to clear the way for the ground advance!" Zhao Hao also immediately voiced his support.

"But this operation is extremely high-risk," Lin Zhou said in a low voice. "The area near the Mother Nest is bound to have the tightest defenses, the deepest level of parasitism, and possibly unknown mutant units. We might face enemies far outnumbering those before, as well as the Mother Nest's own defense mechanisms. Moreover, fighting deep in enemy territory makes the environment harsher, and both supplies and retreat will be more difficult."

"What's there to fear? We're already here; if we don't wipe out its nest, can this mission even be considered complete?" Wang Meng didn't care at all.

"With the three of us working together, plus your Hundred Schools tactics, what's there to be afraid of? It's the perfect time to test the results of our troop training!" Zhao Hao was also full of fighting spirit.

Seeing the looks of trust and Battle Intent in his two comrades' eyes, Lin Zhou said no more and nodded heavily. "Good! Rest for one hour, treat the wounded, and replenish your status. In one hour, we set out! Target—the Parasitic Broodmother!"

An hour later, having sent some of the seriously wounded back to the Outpost Platform via the teleportation array and replenished their status, the three Divine Realm Allied Forces formed a more compact assault formation. Under the cover of Lin Zhou's [Net of Law] (range contracted, intensity increased), they were like three sharp knives, rapidly advancing along the relatively safe path scouted by the Wind Dragon toward the area marked as "High Risk" deep in the forest!

Along the way, they indeed encountered sporadic but more frenzied resistance, even coming across several "Parasite Aggregates"—monsters forcibly fused from multiple host remains, LV40+ with bizarre abilities. However, under the well-prepared and increasingly coordinated attacks of the three, they were all swiftly defeated.

The deeper they went, the more terrifying the forest's appearance became. The trees were almost completely covered by dark purple Mycelium Networks, pulsating like blood vessels. The ground was covered in a thick layer of viscous, foul-smelling Fungal Carpet that felt soft and greasy underfoot. The concentration of gray spores floating in the air was extremely high; an ordinary creature inhaling them would likely be parasitized in an instant. Various twisted and strange, semi-plant, semi-animal deformed creatures writhed in the shadows, emitting hair-raising whispers.

Finally, they reached the outskirts of the target area.

Before them was a massive forest basin surrounded by countless twisted ancient trees and heavy curtains of mycelium. The ground in the center of the basin was not soil or rock, but a layer of dark red Flesh Membrane that rose and fell, writhing like a living internal organ! In the center of the Flesh Membrane was a purple-black sarcoma over fifty meters in diameter, pulsating slowly like a giant heart!

The surface of the sarcoma was covered with thick vascular networks flowing with viscous pus, as well as countless holes of various sizes that opened and closed like breathing. Some semi-transparent Parasite Embryos, not yet fully formed, were being "born" from those holes, falling onto the Flesh Membrane below, where they were quickly wrapped in mycelium and injected with nutrients, growing and hardening at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Around the sarcoma, at least two hundred various parasitic units were densely crowded! Among them were the Burrowing Worms and Aggregates encountered before, as well as several never-before-seen types: Thorn-ball Monsters that could fire bone spikes, Shell Colossi that moved slowly but had extremely high defense, appearing like mobile fortresses (suspected to be a Fusion of parasitized Rock Elementals and crustaceans), and even several Flapping Beasts with tattered fleshy wings on their backs capable of low-altitude gliding!

The entire basin exuded a suffocating sense of biological filth and the oppressive weight of a chaotic will. Just standing on the edge, they felt their sanity being slightly eroded and interfered with.

[Target Confirmed: Parasitic Broodmother (Green Vine Forest Pollution Source)]

Form: Giant purple-black sarcoma-like lifeform, approximately 55 meters in diameter and 25 meters in height.

Vital Signs: Active, high-intensity life energy reaction, accompanied by strong pollution and chaotic rule fluctuations.

Health Points: ??? (Exceeds the precise estimation range of current reconnaissance methods; estimated to be extremely high, and may possess multiple life stages or special protection mechanisms).

Observed Capabilities:

Parasite Production: Observed an average of 15-25 basic Parasite Embryos "born" from surface holes per minute (subsequent growth speed depends on environmental nutrients). Shows signs of directional production of specific parasite types (e.g., Burrowing Worms, Flapping Beasts).

Swarm Consciousness Hub: Emits a powerful and unified field of chaotic will covering the entire basin, performing real-time (though inefficient) command and reinforcement of all parasitic units.

Environmental Modification/Defense: The basin's Flesh Membrane and Mycelium Network constitute its defense and nourishment System, potentially possessing the ability to absorb attacks, release pollution, or hatch special defensive units.

Energy Reaction: Abnormally high concentrations of biomass energy and an unknown Alien Rule Source (suspected to be the root cause of this pollution) detected at the core.

Defense Force: Approximately 200-250 various Parasitic Beasts (average level LV33-40, including multiple special variants), terrain advantage (basin, Fungal Carpet environment).

Threat Assessment: Extremely High. Requires careful formulation of an attack plan, prioritizing the destruction of its production capacity and command hub.

"My god... this thing... is just too disgusting." Zhao Hao couldn't help but shudder as he looked at the pulsating giant sarcoma.

"How many of these do we have to kill before we can reach its main body?" Wang Meng also felt the pressure.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in his heart, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "Found you... Now, the next step is to decide how to 'visit' you."

Striking straight at the heart, they had reached the doorstep of the nest. The true final battle was about to unfold tragically in this completely polluted basin, teeming with endless malice.