Chapter 574 - 385: Clearing the Nest and Deducing the Meditation Method

"A forbidden art," Ian muttered to himself, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Manifesting one’s true body required burning World Origin or soul fragments as a price. This was in direct conflict with his cultivation path, which centered on Order.

But the ability to project into countless worlds was stunning enough on its own.

’It’s a shame it’s just an incomplete version.’ He shook his head to himself, a flicker in his eyes.

But according to the information he’d scoured from Haina’s memories, there was more than one Summoner in the Esok World.

’To complete this Secret Technique, I’ll have to keep capturing Summoners... and maybe even find this world’s Will.’

Ian raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the thick rock layers toward the sky.

’If I exterminate all the native lifeforms...’ Ian’s gaze hardened as he rapidly deduced the consequences in his mind.

Then the Insect Race would face no further resistance and could devour this world without restraint.

The Crystal Core Insects would frantically convert the World Origin, which the Nest would absorb even faster. When that happened, his and Aisala’s share of the World Origin might disappear.

This was not an outcome he wished to see.

’I need to create a balance.’ Ian decided.

’From now on, for every Summoner I capture, I’ll destroy a few Nests.’

This way, he could collect the Cosmic Subconscious Fragments he needed to complete the Secret Technique while also slowing the Insect Race’s progress in devouring the world.

This would give the Essoke People some breathing room, allowing them to continue their struggle against the Insect Race.

That way, he could collect the World Origin converted by the Crystal Core Insects at his own pace.

’Besides, these Crystal Core Insects are truly valuable.’ Ian recalled the underground Energy Node he had detected earlier.

The World Origin converted inside the bodies of over a thousand gathered Crystal Core Insects was as dense as liquid. If he could seize it all and take it to another world...

’Even the members of the Insect Race themselves would make a good fighting force.’

As this thought arose, a strange light flashed in Ian’s eyes.

What was the Insect Race? A highly unified war machine.

An endless supply of soldiers, fearless charges, and perfectly coordinated tactics.

If he could control an army of the Insect Race...

"Could I enslave these members of the Insect Race?" Ian muttered, his voice echoing in the underground space.

’Since they’re controlled by a Mother Insect, I should just... control the Mother Insect.’

The idea was tempting, but also dangerous.

The Wizard Civilization and the Void Insect Race had fought several great wars. If any Wizard had ever successfully enslaved the Insect Race, such a distinctive army should have been famous.

But he had never heard of any Wizard having an Insect Race army.

At Nicholas’s Morning Star gathering, none of the many Morning Star Wizards had ever mentioned it.

’Has no one ever tried?’ Ian’s gaze sharpened.

No. It wasn’t that no one had tried. It was that everyone who tried had failed.

Why?

’Could it be that every nest’s Mother Insect is controlled not only by the Void Insect Nest, but also by the Void Empress at the very top?’

If that were really the case, then it would make sense.

The Void Empress was an existence of at least Level Seven True Spirit. To try and wrest control from a being of that caliber...

Ian shook his head. With his current strength, it was completely impossible.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: what is the essence of enslavement?

Soul control!

’If I mastered the Dream Rule, and with help from the panel...’

In the Jade Dream Realm, Aisala had demonstrated the power of the Dream Rule, pulling his consciousness into the Dream Realm to construct realistic illusions and even simulate Rule Fluctuation.

What if he used the Dream Rule as a medium to construct a ’false hive mind,’ deceiving the Mother Insect in the Nest and making it believe it was still under the Empress’s control?

In reality, all commands would be transmitted by Ian through the Dream Realm.

’Theoretically, it’s feasible, but the success rate...’ Ian rapidly calculated.

He knew he couldn’t possibly deceive the Void Empress. His initial target would have to be a Level Four Queen Insect.

However, a Mother Insect’s soul structure was extremely unique, designed entirely for a hive mind. Invading, deceiving, and altering it with the Dream Rule would be incredibly difficult.

’There’s only a slim chance right now, and the risk is too high.’ He temporarily shelved the idea.

’I should focus on delaying the Insect Race’s invasion and collecting Crystal Core Insects and Cosmic Subconscious Fragments for now.’

Ian stood up, the Gravity Rule flowing around his body.

His figure flashed, and he reappeared silently on the surface from the space five hundred meters below ground.

He chose a relatively large Nest, covering an area roughly five thousand kilometers across. Deep underground, an Energy Node had attracted a cluster of Crystal Core Insects.

’I’ll use my Domain to temporarily block it off, then end this quickly.’ A cold light glinted in Ian’s eyes as his figure shot toward the sky.

In an instant, he was a thousand meters in the air, directly above the Nest.

Below, the Insect Nest looked like a giant, purplish-black tumor sprawling across the land. Countless insect-like figures writhed on its surface, and the air was filled with their unending screeches.

Ian wasted no time. His Rule Domain descended.

A spherical space, three thousand kilometers in radius and centered on him, suddenly froze solid!

He hadn’t used a simple Gravity lockdown, but a complete Domain woven from five interlocking Rules.

Gravity formed the skeleton, locking the spatial structure in place. Thermal Energy was the heart, ready to ignite everything at a moment’s notice.

Purification dispelled the foul aura of the Insect Race, Time distorted localized temporal flow, and Earth stabilized the Domain’s connection to the world.

The Insect Nest below instantly fell into a dead silence.

Every member of the Insect Race, from the Low Tier Mating Bees to the patrolling Swift Beasts, froze where they stood.

They looked like a vast and grotesque relief sculpture, each one frozen in the pose it held just a moment before.

Deep within the Nest, the auras of two Level Four Insect Race Guards suddenly erupted. They had sensed a fatal threat and instinctively tried to resist.