234: A direct assault on the enemy's lair, a surprise attack on the mother nest, was met with resistance.

Deep within the Green Vine Forest, at the edge of the Filthy Basin where the Parasitic Mother Nest was located.

The sweet and fishy stench and chaotic will in the air almost solidified, like an invisible, viscous mire wrapping around every living being that stepped into this place. A dark purple network of mycelium was faintly visible on the ground, in the trees, and even in the air, resembling the diseased nerves and blood vessels of this region. In the center of the basin ahead, a giant, slowly throbbing purple-black sarcoma over fifty meters in diameter sat like the diseased heart of this forest; every contraction and expansion affected the hundreds of Parasitic Beasts around it, as well as the flow of filthy energy throughout the basin.

"This damn place... even the circulation of Divine Power has become quite sluggish," Zhao Hao whispered. His dragon might was suppressed by the environment, appearing somewhat dim. The Dragons circling in the slightly higher, relatively "cleaner" air also seemed somewhat anxious, instinctively repelled by the dense aura of pollution below.

"My Behemoths are doing alright; they're thick-skinned and tough," Wang Meng said in a muffled voice, but his Behemoths were also lowering their bodies and letting out uneasy low growls, clearly affected by the environment as well. The Dwarves had already activated the purification runes on their shields, their faint glow appearing like fireflies in the gloomy surroundings.

Lin Zhou closed his eyes and concentrated, operating the Fire of Civilization to its full extent to counter the pervasive chaotic erosion with his own relatively pure rules of Order. In such a high-concentration pollution environment, the coverage of his Net of Law was compressed to only a hundred meters around him, and maintaining it cost thirty percent more energy than usual. However, its effect of "defining Order" became even more prominent because of this, barely propping up a relatively stable "pure land" around the three-man team.

"We can't delay any longer. Every extra second gives the Mother Nest a chance to produce more Parasitic Beasts, and our strength will be continuously weakened by the environment." Lin Zhou opened his eyes, a golden light shining within his pupils as he scanned the defensive layout within the basin. "We are outnumbered, and the environment is extremely unfavorable. We must strike the vital point with thunderous force—the Mother Nest itself!"

He quickly used Divine Power to sketch a simple topographical map of the basin on the ground, marking the location of the Mother Nest and the observed distribution of the main Parasitic Beast clusters.

"Tactical core: Speed is of the essence, and to capture the bandits, capture their leader," Lin Zhou's voice was calm and resolute. "Zhao Hao!"

"Here!"

"All your Dragons will serve as the first wave's spearhead! Target: the Mother Nest itself! Ignore the ordinary Parasitic Beasts entangling you along the way; break through at maximum speed and use the most violent Dragon Breath to conduct an initial saturation strike on the Mother Nest! We don't expect a one-hit kill, but we must interfere with its production rhythm to the greatest extent, weaken its defensive energy, and draw the attention of its defensive forces! Remember, the Mother Nest's shell may be exceptionally tough or have special defensive mechanisms, so observe the feedback when attacking and adjust in time."

Zhao Hao licked his somewhat dry lips, Battle Intent rising in his eyes. "Understood! The flames of the sky will pave the way for us!"

"Wang Meng!"

"Present!"

"Your Behemoth and Dwarf allied forces will serve as the second wave's main ground advancement force, following closely behind the Dragons' assault. Your task is to clear and pin down the Parasitic Beast clusters that try to intercept or besiege the Dragons after being distracted—especially those Pouncing Beasts, long-range attack units, and Low-altitude Predators that could pose a threat to the aerial units or interfere with the Dragons from the ground. Create space and a safety window for Zhao Hao's subsequent attacks. Meanwhile, advance steadily toward the Mother Nest and establish a solid foothold."

Wang Meng nodded heavily, his fists cracking. "Don't worry! Those disgusting things won't touch a single hair on our Dragon brothers!"

"I will provide support from the center," Lin Zhou said finally. "The Net of Law will fully provide cover and buffs on the level of rules for your assault, focusing on defining the legality of 'Rapid Assault' and 'Precision Strike,' while suppressing the continuous erosion of the polluted environment on you. The Wenxin Elf Priest Order will provide long-range purification and healing support. Xuan Zhenzi and Gongsun Li are on standby, ready to respond to any mental shocks or counterattacks on the level of rules that the Mother Nest might launch."

"Operation Code Name—'Source Purge'." Lin Zhou looked around at his two comrades. "Remember, the key to this battle lies in 'speed' and 'accuracy.' Once the assault's rhythm is disrupted and we fall into a war of attrition with the massive number of Parasitic Beasts, we will be at an extreme disadvantage. Prepare yourselves; the assault begins in three minutes!"

Three minutes was both short and long. The three of them each adjusted their Divine Realm channels, projecting their most elite and well-conditioned combat units to the front line. Zhao Hao's five Dragons (three Red Dragons including Raging Flame, and two Blue Dragons) lowered their altitude, poised for action above the canopy, Dragon Breath churning in their throats. Wang Meng's twenty Behemoths and forty Dwarf warriors (a mixed formation of Heavy Shieldbearers and Lightning Crossbowmen) formed a compact assault array, like a heavy arrow about to leave the string.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, his Divine Thought sinking into the Temple of Civilization. A phantom of the river of civilization rippled slightly above the Divine Realm, and a powerful force of "principles of civilization" and "Order definition" began to condense.

"Three, two, one... Assault!"

As Lin Zhou's Divine Thought exploded, the operation began!

"Roar—!!!"

Zhao Hao's five Dragons were the first to strike! They did not let out earth-shattering roars to avoid alerting too many enemies too early; instead, like five suddenly accelerating meteors, they pounced down from the gaps in the canopy, diving at a nearly vertical angle toward the huge throbbing sarcoma in the center of the basin! During the dive, the scorching Red Dragon Breath and the icy Blue Dragon Breath had already condensed into blinding orbs of light in front of them!

However, just as the Dragons had rushed past the basin's edge and entered the range of about five hundred meters above the sarcoma, a sudden change occurred!

From the seemingly disorganized, slowly squirming thick fungal carpets and twisted plant clusters at the basin's edge, several spots on the ground suddenly rose and split open silently! It wasn't the Burrowing Worms they had encountered before, but three monsters with even more bizarre forms and dangerous auras that burst out of the earth, blocking the Dragons' diving path!

Each of these three monsters was over eight meters tall, resembling scorpion-like creatures magnified several times with severely deformed carapaces. However, their carapaces were not made of insect chitin but presented a translucent, crystallized texture shimmering with an oil-slick luster! The surface of the carapaces was covered with irregular, circuit-board-like grooves through which viscous dark purple energy flowed. They had no obvious heads; the front of their bodies was a giant mouthpart composed of multiple crystalline jaw plates, while their tails were three flexible, whip-like tentacles with sharp crystalline stingers at the tips.

Most notably, their crystallized carapaces were actively absorbing the dense filthy energy from the surrounding environment, even pulling in the dragon might and elemental fluctuations naturally dissipated by the Dragons as they dived, forming a layer of blurry energy deflection field that constantly flowed over their body surfaces!

[Elite Parasitic Beast: Energy-Devouring Crystal Scorpion (Mutant)]

Quantity: 3.

Rank: LV40-42 (Elite Template, Attribute Enhanced).

Form: Giant Crystallized Scorpion, 8-10 meters high, body length (excluding tail whip) approx. 12 meters.

Core Attribute Tendencies:

Strength: 55-60 (Significant strength due to huge size and structure).

Agility: 35-40 (Relatively clumsy, but tail whip attacks are extremely fast).

Physique: 70+ (Extremely high! Crystallized carapace provides abnormal physical defense and energy resistance).

Spirit/Intelligence: Low, but highly controlled by the Mother Nest's unified will.

Traits/Talents:

[Energy Siphon Carapace] (Core Trait): Special crystallized structure on the body surface that can actively absorb and store most of the energy from non-physical energy attacks (Spells, Dragon Breath, energy impacts, etc.). Estimated absorption efficiency: 50%-70% (depending on energy attributes and intensity). Part of the absorbed energy is used to strengthen itself, while part is stored.

[Energy Deflection Field]: Generated jointly by the absorbed energy and carapace traits, it can deflect and weaken any remaining energy attacks that were not fully absorbed, further reducing actual damage. Particularly effective against elemental attacks.

[Energy Storage Rebound] (Passive/Active): After the absorbed energy reaches a certain threshold, it can actively release part of the stored energy mixed with its own pollution energy through the tail stingers or mouthparts, forming energy rays or pollution explosions. Power is approximately 30-50% of the absorbed energy (depending on the release method).

[Filthy Symbiosis]: Deeply connected to the basin's fungal carpet environment, it can quickly draw vitality and filthy energy from the surroundings to repair damage.

[Mother Nest Will Link]: Directly controlled by the Mother Nest, its actions are highly unified, and tactical Execution is resolute.

Attack Methods:

Crystal Jaw Bite: Physical bite, accompanied by crystal shattering damage and filth injection.

Crystallized Tail Whip Pierce/Lash: Fast, flexible physical attacks with high piercing damage, potentially accompanied by energy release (Energy Storage Rebound).

Pollution Energy Jet (Mouthparts): Spits a concentrated stream of filthy energy, causing continuous corrosive damage and mental pollution.

Tactical Role: Anti-air/Spell counter unit. Specifically used to intercept and wear down enemy high-energy attack units (such as Dragons and Mages), protecting the Mother Nest and key areas.

"What are those?!" Zhao Hao's pupils constricted, but his combat instincts and the pride of the Dragon Clan prevented him from immediately ordering the Dragons to turn. The five Dragons continued according to the original plan, slamming their prepared Dragon Breath toward the area below—targeting both the Mother Nest and the three suddenly appearing Crystal Scorpions!

"Raging Flame! Maximum power! Everyone else, focus fire on the Mother Nest!" Zhao Hao roared.

In an instant, three torrents of blazing fire (Red Dragons) and two interwoven frost breaths (Blue Dragons) tore through the murky air like five destructive beams of light, crashing down!

However, the scene that followed caused everyone's hearts to sink.

Those three Energy-Devouring Crystal Scorpions, facing the roaring Dragon Breath, did not dodge but actively charged forward! Their crystallized carapaces, shimmering with an oil-slick luster, acted like a dry sponge meeting a stream of water the moment they touched the Dragon Breath, actually absorbing a massive amount of the crimson flames and icy blue currents!

The Dragon Breath struck the surface of the Crystal Scorpions' bodies but did not trigger the expected violent explosion or freezing. The flames flowed over the surface of the carapaces and were "sucked" into the grooves and patterns; the frost caused thick ice to condense on the carapaces, but the ice also quickly melted and was absorbed! Only about thirty to forty percent of the Dragon Breath's power penetrated that eerie energy deflection field to actually affect the scorpions' carapaces, blowing off some fine crystal shards and leaving scorch marks, but it was far from causing fatal damage!

Even more troublesome, the crystal stingers at the ends of the three whip-like tentacles on the tail of the Crystal Scorpion that had absorbed the most Dragon Breath from Raging Flame suddenly lit up with a piercing red light! It violently aimed its tail at Raging Flame, who had just finished its breath attack and was pulling up to fly away—

"Swoosh—!"

A scaled-down but more condensed fire ray, mixed with dark purple pollution energy, shot out from the crystal stinger with extreme speed, heading straight for Raging Flame's belly!

"Raging Flame! Dodge!" Zhao Hao's eyes were nearly bursting.

Raging Flame reacted extremely quickly, rolling sideways, but the ray still grazed the edge of its left wing!

"Sizzle!" The tough dragon scales were scorched into a charred mark, and the dark purple pollution energy, like maggots on a bone, began eroding the dragon wing tissue, bringing intense pain and a sense of paralysis! Raging Flame let out a roar of pain, its flight posture becoming noticeably sluggish and unstable.

"Damn it! These things can absorb Dragon Breath and even reflect it back!" Zhao Hao was both shocked and furious. The pride of a Dragon made it impossible for him to accept that his attack had been so easily neutralized and countered.

"They're specialized Spell/energy counter units!" Lin Zhou's voice rang out in time with a calm analysis. "Zhao Hao, change attack modes immediately! Dragons, stop breathing Dragon Breath and switch to physical dive attacks (claw strikes, wing strikes, tail sweeps)! The target remains the same; prioritize trying to destroy or heavily damage these Crystal Scorpions to clear the way for subsequent attacks! Wang Meng!"

"Here!"

"Your Lightning Crossbowmen and Behemoths, provide long-range fire cover for the Dragons! The Lightning Crossbows will fire Armor-Piercing Explosive Bolts, and the Behemoths will throw boulders, targeting the Crystal Scorpions' joints and weak points in their carapaces! Draw their attention and share the pressure on the Dragons!"

"Received! Dwarf brothers, aim for the leg joints and necks of those big scorpions! Behemoths, smash them!" Wang Meng immediately commanded.

The ground troops opened fire, as bolts enchanted with armor-piercing runes and boulders thrown by the Behemoths whistled toward the Crystal Scorpions. Physical attacks were indeed effective; though the Crystal Scorpions' carapaces were hard, cracks and damage began to appear under the bombardment of the specialized armor-piercing bolts and the Behemoths' immense strength, and their movements were disrupted.

However, a new problem arose. The Crystal Scorpions seemed to have also received Orders from the Mother Nest, as two of them immediately turned around, using their massive bodies and tail whips to block and intercept the long-range attacks aimed at the Mother Nest. Their goal was clear: protect the Mother Nest at all costs, and wear down and delay the invaders' assault force.

Simultaneously, other Parasitic Beasts in the basin were also alerted and began to gather toward them. Pouncing Beasts tried to take to the air to harass the Dragons, Burrowing Worms burst out from the ground attempting to attack the ground troops' flanks, and dense crowds of ordinary Parasitic Beasts surged forward like a tide.

The carefully planned "Source Purge" raid had just begun when it encountered an unexpected and powerful resistance, falling into a brief stalemate.

Zhao Hao's Dragons were countered by the Crystal Scorpions, making it difficult to cause effective damage to the Mother Nest.

Wang Meng's ground troops were blocked by the tide of Parasitic Beasts and the Crystal Scorpions' interceptions, making their advancement slow.

Time was ticking away, which was extremely unfavorable for the three-man team deep in enemy territory with the environment against them.

Lin Zhou's brows furrowed tightly as his mind raced. The appearance of these Energy-Devouring Crystal Scorpions had disrupted the plan for a quick victory. A solution had to be found immediately, or the assault might fail at the last hurdle.

"Energy absorption... crystallized carapaces... physical attacks are effective but inefficient... the Mother Nest's defenses are indeed thorough." Lin Zhou's gaze swept across the battlefield. "It seems some unconventional means need to be used. Perhaps the 'Spell-Breaking' equipment Li Mo prepared earlier should make its debut ahead of schedule..."

He looked at the three Crystal Scorpions, which were like mobile energy fortresses, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

The surprise attack was blocked, but the battle had only just entered its climax. The real test was only beginning now.