Under the crimson sky of the Iron-Blood World, Zhou Qi floated a thousand meters in the air, his dark robe flapping in the alien wind.
He overlooked the war-torn land beneath his feet, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
Dark golden Eleven-Order Army Ants moved like a tide through the ruins; their teddy bear-sized bodies maneuvered nimbly between the broken walls, and the plasma sparks from their biting mandibles melted obsidian into spiderweb-like cracks.
"Begin construction of the Bug Clan Fortress."
Zhou Qi issued the command through his Mental Network, his voice echoing like cold metal in the nervous System of every Bug Clan Family member.
In an instant, millions of Army Ants simultaneously stopped, their antennae vibrating at high frequency, emitting a uniform hum.
They had clear divisions of labor: some cut giant stones with their mandibles, their sharp mouthparts carving perfect facets into the obsidian;
some transported Materials, their six limbs working in coordination to smoothly carry multi-ton rocks;
others secreted a special viscous fluid, which solidified rapidly upon contact with air, forming building Materials even stronger than steel.
Zhou Qi noticed that a leader-class Army Ant was directing its companions to build the fortress's base; faint blue runes appeared on its chitinous carapace, resonating subtly with the Fifteen-Order Ant Queen's bio-force field.
These runes flowed like living things, refracting a rainbow-like halo in the sunlight.
"Dominator, the third zone's defensive fortifications are complete."
Uka's Mental Network transmission echoed in Zhou Qi's mind, his voice tinged with unconcealed reverence.
He could clearly perceive the powerful oppressive aura emanating from the Dominator now.
Zhou Qi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping into the distance.
Eleven-Order Spiked Horned Tyrant Bugs were dragging Ironblood Alpha Bugs, bound by spider silk, towards the base; these prisoners of war were enormous, the smallest being 20 meters tall.
Yet, they were immobilized by specialized spider silk secreted by Mind Control Demon Bug.
The surface of the spider silk shimmered with faint blue electrical light, with tiny arcs occasionally leaping across—that was the neurotoxin at work.
His gaze landed on a Fifteen-tailed Alpha Bug—ancient battle patterns were carved into its dorsal carapace, and its compound eyes gleamed with an unyielding light.
Unlike the other captives, this Alpha Bug, though bound, still held its head high, and the struggling force of its six limbs was significantly stronger than its peers.
"He's a good prospect, indeed."
Zhou Qi said softly, with a hint of appreciation in his voice.
He raised his hand, signaling the Mantis Demon to individually confine this Alpha Bug.
The Mind Control Demon Bug would "entertain" him well until he became a new fighting force for the Bug Clan.
As the Mental Energy command was transmitted, the construction project on the ruins began in full swing.
Eleven-Order He Bo Insect controlled water currents, evenly coating the building surfaces with special viscous fluid;
Four Fiends Insect Soldiers precisely cut stone with their segmented weapons, each swing bringing forth black Evil Qi;
Zhu Yan Demon Insects circled in the air, on alert, the lightning patterns on their wings occasionally flashing.
The entire scene was orderly, like a precise machine operating efficiently.
Zhou Qi closed his eyes, sensing the changes in his Mental Network.
Ever since the Ant Queen advanced to Fifteen-Order, becoming a planet-level lifeform, his Mental Energy had been continuously surging.
His Mental Network had now expanded to a 100,000-meter range, and his life strength had even broken through to 70 points.
He tried to extend his perception, instantly covering the entire battlefield.
Within the range of his perception, every Bug Clan Family member was as bright as a star.
Especially those Eleven-Order elite units; the Mental Energy fluctuations they emitted were like torches in the night.
Zhou Qi could even clearly "see" the trajectory of energy flow within the Army Ants' bodies and the faintly glowing biological organs beneath their carapaces.
"Is this the power of a planet-level lifeform...?" Zhou Qi murmured, a hint of intoxication in his voice.
He gently clenched his fist, and the surrounding air immediately twisted and deformed, emitting a strained popping sound.
Without needing any innate abilities, purely relying on the physical strength brought by his life strength, he could produce such an effect.
Suddenly, a strong energy fluctuation came from the newly constructed Bug Clan Fortress.
Zhou Qi turned to look, only to see that the energy pool at the core of the fortress had begun to operate.
A Clone of tai sui meat was placed in this energy pool, continuously devouring the corpses of the Ironblood Bugmen and expanding its own size.
It had now swelled to the size of several rooms and was still spreading.
"Dominator, remnants of Ironblood Bugmen are gathering in the northeast direction."
Uka's Mental Network transmission sounded again, with a hint of vigilance in his voice, "Approximately 100,000 in number, including several Ironblood Alpha Bugs with life strength exceeding 40 points."
Zhou Qi's lips curled slightly: "They've come at just the right time."
He just wanted to test his newly acquired power.
Since his life strength broke through 70 points, he had not yet truly unleashed his full power.
With a thought, Zhou Qi's figure instantly appeared a thousand meters in the air.
From here, one could clearly see the dust rising from the horizon—that was the fleeing remnants of the Ironblood Bugmen regrouping.
They formed neat formations, with several exceptionally large Ironblood Alpha Bugs at the forefront, the runes on their dorsal carapaces flashing with dangerous red light.
"All forces, listen to my command."
Zhou Qi's voice spread throughout the entire battlefield via the Mental Network, echoing like a divine oracle in the mind of every Bug Clan Family member, "Prepare to meet the enemy."
The dark golden tide of bugs immediately changed its mode of action.
Four Fiends Insect Soldiers unfurled their Evil Qi Domain, black mist coiling around their entire bodies like living things;
Zhu Yan Demon Insects ascended to form a battle array, the lightning patterns on their wings glowing with dazzling blue light.
The entire transformation process took only a few breaths, demonstrating astonishing discipline.
Zhou Qi nodded with satisfaction, then cast his gaze towards the distant enemy army.
He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upwards, making a simple lifting motion.
In an instant, the gravitational field within a ten-thousand-meter radius began to distort.
The Ironblood Bugmen suddenly found themselves unable to move; they discovered in horror that their bodies were uncontrollably floating into the air.
No matter how much they struggled, it was futile, as if an invisible pair of large hands had lifted them.
Those elite units with higher life strength could barely resist, but the ordinary Ironblood Bugmen were already suspended in mid-air like marionettes.
"Perish."
Zhou Qi closed his five fingers, his movement light and understated, yet carrying an undeniable majesty.
One hundred thousand Ironblood Bugmen simultaneously exploded.
Green blood mist bloomed in the air, like a bizarre fireworks display.
The elite units lasted a little longer, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on their carapaces, but ultimately, they could not escape the fate of bursting.
All of this life energy was absorbed by the tai sui meat within the Bug Clan Fortress nearby, transforming into its own size.
Zhou Qi felt the surging power within his body.