82: Chapter 82 The Corrupted Mother Spider's Spying and the Graveyard of Starry Sky Beasts

Upon the overlords throne, the cold metal armrests provided a reassuring sensation.

Su Chen tapped his fingertip lightly, freezing the final footage of Andra's test fire, which then dissolved into countless streams of data and fell silent.

Must-hit rule.

Causal lock.

The integration of these two brand-new concepts allowed the Zerg Swarm's attack methods to leap from the physical level to a higher dimension.

His mind sank into the gene bank, deducing the versatility of this ability. If he were to shrink this set of divine portfolio runes and apply them to more Zerg Swarm units, such as the Hydralisk's bone spines or the Mutalisk's glaive worms...

A thought had just arisen, only to be rejected by him.

High-precision causal weapons inevitably come with massive energy consumption and computational load. Andra as a hero unit was already at his limit bearing it. Large-scale deployment would only drag down the Zerg Swarm's entire energy cycle.

This was destined to be the fangs belonging to an ace.

Su Chen closed the data link and cast his gaze across the entire divine domain. The Iron Hive spread across the land of the divine kingdom, new life was gestating in the hatcheries, and everything was expanding in an orderly fashion.

However, beneath this order, a glaring red alarm pulsed incessantly in his divine sense.

He switched his consciousness to his avatar within the City of Deities.

...

Meanwhile, at the far end of the endless void beyond his sight, a divine domain shrouded in eternal darkness and the aura of decay was witnessing a completely different scene.

There was no order here, only thick spiderwebs and mountains of rotting corpses.

The air was filled with the sweet, cloying scent of fermenting corpses and a nauseating stench.

In the deepest part of the divine kingdom, a massive shadow coiled upon a throne built from the skulls of countless living beings.

It was a black widow spider the size of a mountain.

Her upper body, which belonged to a human, was beautiful enough to make any living being's heart flutter; her skin was pale, her features exquisite, and her flowing gaze carried a deadly allure.

Yet, this beauty was grafted onto a hideous spider body. Eight limbs covered in black carapaces and filled with barbs would occasionally scrape the ground irritably, emitting a teeth-grinding "rustle."

[Corrupt Matriarch Spider · Spider Goddess].

At this moment, an image constructed from divine power floated above her divine kingdom. In the image, a half-undead, half-mechanical Bone Dragon was tearing through the sky with an unrivaled posture.

It was Theodore.

"Hiss..."

A scarlet tongue tip swept across her pale lips, leaving a moist trail. Her compound eyes were fixed, reflecting the Bone Dragon's body, which possessed both the beauty of death and metal.

The perfect material.

The resilience of the undead.

The structure of machinery.

And that powerful life essence originating from the dragon race.

In her divine sense, she had already begun to conceive the perfect creation—injecting her most excellent offspring into this shell, the resulting "Spider-Dragon Hybrid" would become the sharpest butcher's knife in her hands.

Possess it!

This thought transformed into an irrepressible greed, scorching her divine soul.

"Contact the 'God of Proliferation'."

A sharp, viscous divine thought pierced through her divine kingdom and stabbed toward another filthy realm.

"Tell that guy whose brain is only filled with mating that I have discovered a newly born divine domain full of potential."

"As long as he is willing to send his offspring to join me in the expedition, we will split the spoils fifty-fifty!"

The order was issued.

In the darkness, countless shadows began to squirm. Dark Elf wielding scimitars with dark skin, Undead Knights riding bone steeds, and spider-hybrids with the lower body of a spider and the upper body of a deformed monster...

A massive coalition army, exuding an aura of corruption and death, quietly assembled in a corner known to no one.

...

City of Deities.

This was a transit hub where countless divine avatars conducted transactions, socialized, and exchanged intelligence.

Su Chen's avatar walked on streets paved with radiant boulders, surrounded by divine avatars of various shapes and forms. He ignored the curious or awe-filled gazes cast his way and walked straight through the stalls one by one.

His goal was clear. The Exchange.

However, after searching on the electronic screen for several minutes, his brows furrowed slightly.

Under the entry for "Light Energy Crystals," there were many listed items, but the quality was mediocre. Those low-purity energy blocks were, to the special units under his command, no different from rice mixed with sand.

Prism Mantis.

These transparent killers, on which he pinned high hopes, were natural light-shadow assassins. They could refract light to achieve perfect optical stealth and, even more, concentrate light energy into devastating high-energy beams.

But their consumption was also a bottomless pit.

Ordinary energy supplies simply could not meet their high-intensity combat needs.

"Light Energy Crystals... high-purity Light Energy Crystals..."

Su Chen closed the trading interface, his mind quickly searching for backup plans in his database.

Finally, a name emerged.

He turned and walked toward the most magnificent hall in the center of the city, which radiated a soft holy light throughout. The Temple of Light.

"Respected Overlord, Her Highness Venus is waiting for you."

The petitioners at the entrance of the temple had long received the oracle and respectfully led the way for Su Chen.

Passing through the holy prayer hall, Su Chen met that old acquaintance in the garden behind the temple. The Goddess of Light, Venus.

She was sitting by a white jade round table, elegantly watering a pot of blooming Holy Light Orchids with divine power. She wore a simple white divine robe, her golden long hair like flowing sunlight, and her face wore a commercial, impeccable smile.

"A rare guest."

She put down the jade bottle in her hand and signaled for Su Chen to sit.

"I need a large quantity of Light Energy Crystals."

Su Chen got straight to the point, without a word of nonsense.

"A large quantity?"

Deep in Venus's eyes, a flash of keen light passed. Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, emitting a crisp sound.

She certainly knew that Su Chen had a powerful Zerg Swarm legion under his command, but she never thought that the other party would need resources of the light energy system.

This was a signal. An excellent opportunity to win over this mysterious powerhouse.

"Ordinary crystals, I have as many as you want in my warehouse."

Venus leaned forward slightly, a mysterious smile appearing on her fair face.

"But if what you want is that kind of... high-purity crystal that can power high-tier divine artifacts..."

Her voice lowered a few decibels, carrying a hint of temptation.

"I know of a place."

Su Chen's gaze locked onto her face, waiting for what followed.

"Deep in the void, there is a chaotic zone known as the 'Graveyard of the Starry Sky Behemoth'."

Venus enunciated every word, and the information she spat out was enough to move any deity.

"According to reports from the eyes I planted there, just a short while ago, the corpse of a high-tier creature just drifted to the periphery of the graveyard."

She paused, as if enjoying any change of expression that might appear on Su Chen's face.

"The corpse of a [Radiant Star Whale]!"

Radiant Star Whale?!

Su Chen's calm, unruffled pupils suddenly constricted.

This name, he had seen deep in the Zerg Swarm's gene database. It was a cosmic behemoth belonging to the legendary level, living by devouring the light of stars; throughout their endless lives, their bodies themselves would gradually transform into a mobile, massive, high-purity light energy mine!

The corpse of a Radiant Star Whale, the energy it contained, was enough to support the Prism Mantis legion in conducting high-intensity warfare for several eras!

"That place is very dangerous."

Venus watched Su Chen's reaction and threw out her bargaining chip with satisfaction.

"Countless void predators dwell there; they feed on the carcasses of behemoths, and among them are not a few deity-level existences."

She picked up the divine power drink on the table and took a shallow sip, her posture elegant.

"How about it? Interested in forming a team and exploring it together?"

"The corpse, it's yours."

"I only want the star core inside its brain, which condensed the essence of its entire life."

Su Chen's mind completed an analysis of the pros and cons in 0.01 seconds.

Danger? To the Zerg Swarm, danger is equivalent to nutrients.

Star core? Venus's goal was clear; it was a supreme treasure that condensed the laws of the light element.

And he, what he valued was far more than the massive energy contained in that corpse. It was the genes!

If he could successfully analyze and extract the relevant gene fragments for "light energy conversion" from the Radiant Star Whale's corpse and integrate them into the Zerg Swarm's genetic sequence...

Then, the entire energy system of the Zerg Swarm would welcome a revolutionary transformation!

His gaze moved away from Venus's confident face, as if he had already seen that dark and opportunity-filled starry sky graveyard.

"Deal."

Su Chen spat out two words, crisp and decisive.