Chapter 529 - 250: Choice, Tier Three Hunter King, Spine King, Mad King

Chapter 529: Chapter 250: Choice, Tier Three Hunter King, Spine King, Mad King

"Shen Jie, now that you’ve reached Tier Three, you can claim the title of Hunter King as a Mixed Blood Species. Especially since you’ve mastered the Slaughter Realm..."

"Historically, almost every Spine King has used the Slaughter Realm to crush their rivals and ascend to the status of a Tier Four King."

"As it stands, you have the potential to be a strong contender for the title of Tier Four Hunting King. It’s incredibly difficult for Samurai Hunter Zergs to master the Slaughter Realm; the requirement of spiritual stability alone weeds out ninety-nine percent of the competition."

Lin Feng and Shen Jie exchanged a look.

This was the first time they had heard Ling Yi speak of such matters.

This was likely due to Shen Jie’s successful advancement; only a Tier Three Life Form was qualified to learn about matters concerning Tier Four.

But before the two could celebrate for long, Ling Yi let out a soft sigh and continued.

"But Slaughter is a double-edged sword..."

"Mastering the Slaughter Realm means that when the time comes to unlock deeper levels of Realm Power, you will inevitably have to confront the current Tier Four Spine King..."

Lin Feng’s brow furrowed, and he asked in surprise,

"The Tier Four Spine King is still alive?!"

He knew the Tier Four Realm King was still alive, out in the cosmos above them.

Like the Spine Zergs, the World Zerg Race was one of the races absorbed into the Zerg Race’s system after being defeated during the war for the Zerg Race Star System.

Moreover, because they originated from the same Star System, their genetic makeup shared many similarities.

But unlike the docile, support-oriented World Zerg Race, the Spine Zergs are extremely aggressive.

In the sealed memories of the Zerg Race, back when the Black Heaven God King descended and instantly defeated the Zerg God, many of the Zerg Kings who relentlessly charged into battle were defiant Tier Four and Tier Five Spine Kings.

They charged without hesitation toward that undefeatable, terrifying existence, even knowing it meant certain death.

Later, when the Zerg Race invaded the Alien Star, they took every precaution against the Spine Zerg Race. They neutered their Spiritual Attributes, prevented the Awakening of their Mental Realms, and even restricted their advancement to Tier Three.

That was why Lin Feng had subconsciously assumed that the Spine Zerg Race no longer possessed any members at Tier Four or higher.

Yet while Lin Feng was taken by surprise, Shen Jie’s expression became thoughtful.

Ling Yi looked at Shen Jie and explained slowly,

"That’s right. It’s still here."

"On the previous Red Star battlefield, we created a Tier Four Spine King to kill the Tier Four Red King. But after it received the inheritance of all the Spine Kings before it..."

"It gradually lost its sanity and went mad."

"We don’t know what exactly happened in the Spirit World of the Spine Zergs. All we know is that after it became the Mad King, even Tier Three King Spine Zergs would, after receiving the Realm Inheritance and completing their trial..."

"...also become agitated and difficult to control."

"So, this Tier Four Spine King is still sealed by the Zerg God in the Land of the End, with its Realm Energy simply being repurposed."

After speaking, Ling Yi stared at Shen Jie and asked,

"During your advancement process, you must have descended on Ceres again to enter the Realm of Meditation Trial, right?"

Shen Jie nodded, his expression grave.

"Then I think... I saw it!"

"The Spine King’s limbs and Giant Mandible were nailed to a cliff wall, and its entire body was bound by enormous chains, unable to move."

"It seemed surprised by my presence, but that sliver of clarity vanished in an instant. It went back to being crazed, constantly letting out strange, guttural roars."

"Under the influence of that sound, my own Spirit started to become unstable. I could feel an inexplicable rage and panic. My whole body entered a berserk state of Assimilation, transforming me into one of the Zerg People, leaving only a pair of glowing red eyes."

"In that Mental Realm World, countless Tiger Spine Zergs and even King Spine Zergs below were all trapped in a ceaseless slaughter. They fought and tore at each other tirelessly..."

"The scene was ten thousand times more terrifying than my last Realm Trial."

"It was comparable to the Divine Realm summoned by a Mother Empress."

"I thought I would be consumed by it, unable to escape, but my human rationality prevented me from diving straight into the slaughter. So, while I was still lucid, I immediately began to search for an escape."

"Then, I remembered the volcano from my last Realm Trial—the place where the King Spine Zerg that embodied the Slaughter Realm had hidden."

"So I found an active volcano, killed the Tier Three King Spine Zerg within, and took its place."

"I endured the intense heat of the volcanic magma, using the pain to stimulate my nerves and fight the influence of the slaughtering impulse..."

"To keep from gradually losing my mind, I forced myself to remember the Real World, to recall my memories of being human."

"I could feel myself constantly sinking through the searing magma, plunging deep into the Earth Core."

"My whole body began to melt, to fade away..."

"Until at a certain moment, I suddenly heard two words: ’Wake up!’"

"Then I opened my eyes, and I was back in reality..."

After Shen Jie finished describing his experience in the Spirit World, his voice trembling slightly, Lin Feng stepped forward and patted his sweat-drenched shoulder.

"It’s okay now. It’s all over."

"You’re now a Tier Three Hunter King, capable of easily killing an Early-stage Mother Empress. Your strength is undeniable."

"Go take a walk outside. Clear your head and get some rest. Come back later to give us a hand when we’re ready to start the Realm Trial."

Shen Jie nodded, glanced at Ling Yi, who had been staring at him, and left the oppressive Nest.

As they watched Shen Jie’s retreating figure, Lin Feng and Ling Yi turned to face each other, both holding their tongues.

They were waiting for him to get out of earshot.