Chapter 498: Broodmother
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
Under Li Wei’s control, the Blade of Judgment continuously slew the Star Worms that drew near.
But there were too many Star Worms; the Blade of Judgment alone couldn’t possibly kill them all.
If he used Magic, however, the Star Worms would evolve to adapt, gradually becoming immune to Magic Attacks.
Li Wei scanned their surroundings and said, "We have to find the Star Worm Nest and kill the Star Worm Queen. Otherwise, we’ll never be able to finish them all off."
After leaving the Infinite Maze, Li Wei had studied the peculiar race of Star Worms in detail.
He had discovered that while the Star Worms appeared to be individuals, they were in fact all controlled by a single hive mind: the Star Worm Queen.
As long as the Star Worm Queen was killed, all the Star Worms would be paralyzed until a new queen took control of the swarm.
Saint Xi quickly shouted, "Where is the Star Worm Nest?"
Li Wei looked around, but he couldn’t spot the nest either.
The nest was likely built in a very concealed location.
He shouted, "Look for an Energy Core Star Worm! They have enormous abdomens and are larger than the regular Star Worms."
Energy Core Star Worms are the logistics units of the swarm, responsible for transporting energy and materials to the Star Worm Nest.
If we follow one, we can find the location of the Star Worm Nest.
Hearing this, Saint Xi’s sharp, vertical pupils narrowed to pinpricks as she rapidly scanned the battlefield, searching for the Energy Core Star Worm Li Wei had described.
Normally, Dragon Mighty would be the most suitable ability for dealing with a massive number of creatures like the Star Worms.
Unfortunately, the Star Worms were also resistant to Dragon Mighty.
Dragon Mighty couldn’t kill the Star Worms outright. After weathering the initial shock, they would gradually adapt to the intimidating aura released by the transcendent creature.
That was why Li Wei had told Saint Xi from the beginning not to use any of her abilities lightly.
They had to save all their abilities for critical moments to prevent the Star Worms from evolving immunity.
THWAP THWAP THWAP!
The nearest Star Worm had already charged to within twenty meters of Li Wei.
For Li Wei, that was already a dangerous distance.
He was already considering whether to use a wide-area magic attack.
Doing so would inevitably cause the Star Worms to evolve Magic Resistance.
To use Magic against them again, he would have to use even more powerful spells, and the surviving Star Worms would just evolve even greater Magic Resistance.
This would continue until Magic became completely useless against them.
Saint Xi shouted, "I found one! It’s three thousand meters away, over there!"
Li Wei looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a slow-moving Energy Core Star Worm on the plains.
The front half of the Energy Core Star Worm’s body was just like any other Star Worm’s: a slender, insectoid form with several thin legs on either side and sharp mouthparts on its head. The mouthparts varied among the different types of Star Worms; some had flat, pincer-like mandibles, others had guillotine-style jaws that opened vertically, and still others had circular maws lined with sharp teeth. The Energy Core Star Worm possessed an extendable, tube-like proboscis.
Beyond that, its greatest difference from other Star Worms was its abdomen, which swelled into an enormous sac. This sac was several times the size of the worm’s front half and could store vast amounts of energy and matter.
It was, in effect, the transport vehicle of the Star Worm swarm.
Once Li Wei locked onto the Energy Core Star Worm’s position, he yelled, "Saint Xi, charge over there and grab it!"
Saint Xi understood his plan and unleashed a dazzling white Holy Light from her entire body.
Li Wei didn’t hesitate either, casting a spell—Enhanced Fire Resistance Ring!
FWOOSH!
The immense, enhanced Fire Resistance Ring erupted like a wall, blasting all the surrounding Star Worms away and creating a clearing over fifty meters in diameter.
A normal Fire Resistance Ring had a maximum range of only ten meters.
Saint Xi transformed into a Giant Dragon.
Li Wei grabbed her tail, and with a roar, Saint Xi charged toward the Energy Core Star Worm three thousand meters away.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Any Star Worms in their path were smashed to pieces.
"ROAR! I’ve got it!"
Saint Xi’s hind legs deftly snatched the Energy Core Star Worm’s body, lifting it into the air as she flew off into the distance.
Li Wei had already climbed onto her back. He shouted, "Quick, fly that way! We need to shake off the Star Worms behind us."
"Right."
WHOOSH!
Saint Xi tore through the Ice Emperor’s innards at breakneck speed.
It was hard to say what the Ice Emperor made of all this, but it likely felt nothing at all.
After all, the space inside was simply too vast.
Neither the previous battle nor Saint Xi’s frantic flight had caused any damage to the surrounding flesh and tissue.
Saint Xi’s flying speed was far greater than the Star Worms’, and in the blink of an eye, they left the swarm far behind.
However, Li Wei knew they weren’t out of danger yet.
As long as Saint Xi held the Energy Core Star Worm, it would continuously transmit its location, allowing the other Star Worms to track them.
Once the Star Worms were out of sight, Li Wei had Saint Xi descend with their captive.
THUD!
Saint Xi tossed the Energy Core Star Worm onto the ground and looked at Li Wei. "What now?"
Li Wei said, "We hide and follow it to the Star Worm Nest."
Saint Xi nodded, reverted to her human form, and hid with Li Wei.
After being thrown to the ground, the Energy Core Star Worm remained motionless for a while. Once it determined there was no threat, it resumed its duties.
It extended its slender proboscis, plunging it into the fleshy ground beneath to absorb energy and nutrients.
Li Wei and Saint Xi waited anxiously, afraid that the pursuing Star Worms would catch up and ruin their plan.
Fortunately, the Energy Core Star Worm had already absorbed nearly a full load of energy and nutrients before Saint Xi had captured it.
After a few minutes, it began to drag its heavy, enormous body toward the darkness ahead.
Li Wei and Saint Xi exchanged a look and quietly followed it.
Seeing the direction the Energy Core Star Worm was headed, Li Wei grew thoughtful.
’Is the Star Worm Nest even deeper inside the Ice Emperor’s body?’
Li Wei had originally thought the Star Worm Nest would be near the teeth, like a cavity.
But the Energy Core Star Worm was heading in the complete opposite direction.
If that was the case, the number of Star Worms inside the Ice Emperor was terrifyingly large.
Something occurred to Li Wei.
Why had the Ice Emperor slept for a thousand years?
He looked at the Energy Core Star Worm in the distance, a vague theory forming in his mind.
’Could it have been to suppress the Star Worms inside its body?’
It was a distinct possibility.
Such a massive number of Star Worms couldn’t possibly have been produced in the few days since the Ice Emperor had awoken.
Li Wei looked up into the darkness above.
’Looks like this is going to be more trouble than I thought.’
Li Wei and Saint Xi followed the Energy Core Star Worm through the long darkness, heading ever deeper into the Ice Emperor’s body.
They encountered several groups of Star Worms along the way, but they carefully avoided them all.
They passed from the wide plains of the mouth through a vast and lengthy canyon that was its esophagus.
There, Li Wei and Saint Xi saw an ocean.