Otherworldly Desert Dust

"I've only unlocked the power gene and speed gene of this host for now, but dealing with these Phoenix Bees shouldn't be a problem. Once I unlock the third Genetic Chain, they won't even touch the hem of my clothes," Gao Yu Yan said.

As she spoke, Gao Yu Yan's figure suddenly vanished from where she stood. One graceful shadow after another appeared on the ground, then her figure flickered repeatedly in midair. From the limited perception of the smaller clones, it seemed as though dozens of Gao Yu Yan had suddenly appeared, each engaged in combat against the vanguard units of the Phoenix Bees...

Upon closer observation, however, one would notice that these figures appeared with minute time intervals. Gao Yu Yan's speed was so fast that it looked as if she'd appeared dozens of times within a single frame, and each instance displayed different fighting forms—throwing punches, slashing, sweeping kicks, side kicks, and aerial stomps...

The Vanguard Phoenix Bees dropped one after another, their bodies turning into flames that burned endlessly upon hitting the ground.

Even so, the corpses of the Vanguard Phoenix Bees became nourishment for the Soul Nesting Wood, whose buds grew sturdier, showing signs of maturing into saplings.

"Buzz buzz buzz~~~~~~~"

The Phoenix Bees were indisputably the most dominant species in this hundred-mile radius. In solo combat, they already instilled fear in the fierce Beasts, let alone when they traveled in swarms, exuding an oppressive presence akin to imperial soldiers.

Soon, Gao Yu Yan was surrounded by the Phoenix Bees' army. They formed into a storm-like configuration, encircling Gao Yu Yan with a complete 360-degree assault. Whenever the surrounding temperature peaked, the tails of these Phoenix Bees would glow golden red, unleashing the terrifying Golden Red Bee Stings—a horror surpassing even a golden volley of thousands of arrows...

"Damn, these bee stingers are basically loaded like golden-bullet Gatling guns! With thousands of flame-enhanced rounds, even a Super Human would be reduced to a sieve. Are you sure you won't help out? Gao Yu Yan's awakened soul is linked to her; if she dies here, her main body will become a vegetative state. Reviving her would be nearly impossible," Wang Rui remarked.

Wang Rui was puzzled. Wu Hen, usually tender and protective of his loved maids, had surprisingly tasked Gao Yu Yan with the toughest challenge this time.

"Gene unlocking clearly requires high-stress battles. Humans have so many genes, and even you don't know how many strands of Combat Genes there are. She's undergoing self-cultivation here – why interfere?" Wu Hen replied.

Wang Rui nodded and said no more. He fixed his attention on the patch of soil ahead, stained crimson by the blood of Cannibal Worms. Soon, he noticed abnormal waves rippling through it, like a slow-motion earthquake surging toward him.

"Khoong!!!!!!"

Suddenly, an overwhelming swarm of Cannibal Worms crawled up from the soil. Their twisted bodies piled together, forming a mountain-like peak in Wang Rui's vision—sheer terror that sent a chill down his spine.

The Cannibal Worms that emerged this time were visibly larger, each comparable to a Deep Sea Giant Eel. They coiled together to create Worm Mountain, and an overwhelming stench assaulted the senses like crashing ocean waves.

"Damn it, those earlier ones were just the Cannibal Worm's child recruits; these must be the regular army!" Wang Rui cursed, hastily deploying tactical formations and ordering all Vine Beauties into first-level alert.

"I told you, they're the emperor of this land," Wu Hen commented.

"The advanced combat memory and silver mechanical Bloodline haven't fully loaded yet! Cover for me!" Wang Rui shouted.

"I'm still absorbing Spiritual Factors, and the Fire God Mahayana is just half a step away. I didn't ask you to guard me, which is already generous enough—how can you expect me to fight?" Wu Hen firmly refused.

"Ah, my three thousand beauties! No choice now, I'll have to use my true trump card!" Wang Rui exclaimed. He pulled out a type of Crystal Stone from his pocket, attaching them to three Rock Iron Mechanical Dogs.

The Crystal Stones seemed to contain an exceptionally powerful driving force. The three seemingly ordinary Mechanical Dogs were instantly encased in stone crystal, as though clad in heavy armor powered by Crystal Energy Technology.

Skinny and unimposing moments earlier, the Mechanical Dogs underwent full transformation. They became entities of Crystal Steel, armored beasts endowed with massive power, speed, augmented exteriors, and fortified bones—majestic and formidable!

"These Crystal Stones were supposed to be my prized collectibles, wasted on these patched-up dogs—truly feeding them to the dogs!" Wang Rui grumbled.

Grumbling aside, the ultimately evolved Crystal Steel Mechanical Dogs demonstrated explosive combat prowess. They charged straight into the Cannibal Worm Demon Mountain, battling the countless symbiotic Cannibal Worms. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, as thick, writhing worms fell rolling down, their blood gushing like springs.

The blood and corpses of the Cannibal Worms were immediately absorbed by the roots of the Soul Nesting Wood. The battles of Wang Rui and Gao Yu Yan seemed to directly fertilize it, aiding its rapid growth.

Having spent three months with Wu Hen in the Nightmare Realm, Wang Rui was well aware of his strength.

However, on Gao Yu Yan's side, she appeared to have temporarily reached a stalemate. The Phoenix Bees became even more ferocious, using coordinated tactics. With the limited evolution of Gao Yu Yan's host, even breaking through the Genetic Chains temporarily wasn't enough to achieve transcendence like her main body.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, Gao Yu Yan plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground with a loud impact that formed a massive crack.

At the same time, the entire formation of the Phoenix Bee storm surged in temperature to its extremity. The tails of all Phoenix Bees hatched anew, pointing their stingers directly at Gao Yu Yan on the ground. What followed was the terrifying downpour of Phoenix Tail Needles, akin to catastrophic flame-enhanced Gatling guns, leaving Gao Yu Yan with no room to dodge.

Wu Hen instinctively darted forward...

But just as he stepped halfway, Gao Yu Yan took a deep breath. She lay in the cracked earth, her pupils contracting, staring straight at the deadly Phoenix Tail Storm.

"Thud!"

A mysterious energy hidden within Gao Yu Yan suddenly surged, radiating from her through every pore. It formed an astonishingly unique Energy Shadow around her body.

The Energy Shadow dissipated instantly, and Gao Yu Yan vanished without a trace. Her speed was so rapid that Wu Hen's host body couldn't capture her with its vision. What followed were consecutive sonic booms in the air, and nowhere to be seen was Gao Yu Yan herself—only Phoenix Bees spontaneously shattering into fiery fragments, their shells scattering onto the ground.

Wu Hen also took a deep breath; in just the span of one breath, the corpses of the Phoenix Bees already blanketed the ground. Gao Yu Yan seemed to have unlocked the third Genetic Chain of her host, unleashing a portion of her main body's combat power...

Just unlocking one additional chain multiplied her strength tenfold. The Phoenix Bees had already diminished to mere harmless insects, slaughtered with blazing speed.

"Gao Yu Yan, their queen is in the flower valley. Bring me the Fiery Flame Flower Bud—I have great use for it," Wu Hen called out loudly.

"Alright!" Gao Yu Yan's voice echoed from midair, coming from several directions at once.