Chapter 45: The Zvika Insect Race!
"Whew… my state of mind really keeps surprising me," Jiang Zhe exhaled, a wry smile on his face.
"Consciousness, willpower—even my soul feels like it mutated somehow, birthing an entirely new kind of ability."
By all logic, he belonged to the Heaven-Man Unity school of thought. And yet, it felt like he'd veered down an extreme path.
Tricked by the teachings of Master Nanhua, he had sprinted headlong into a bizarre cultivation path known as Unity of Self and Object.
And strangely enough… it actually worked pretty well.
Jiang Zhe wasn't worried that his mental cultivation had gone astray. After all, there was no universal ranking to these states—what mattered most was finding what suited you best.
"Resonating with the world… Unity of Self and Object…" he mused with satisfaction.
Tossing his world bracelet to Orianna, he headed into the bathroom for a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
The world bracelet, an ancient war base once used by the Mechanical Race, was better off in Orianna's hands. She needed to inspect the internal world's condition thoroughly.
Blindly barging into an old mechanical race base? That would've been suicidal.
Even if it hadn't had an overseer for tens of thousands of years, a single leftover automated defense could still easily kill a Planetary-Level fighter.
Exiting the bathroom, Jiang Zhe found Orianna still seated on the couch, intently examining the bracelet. Clearly, her inspection of the "inner world" wasn't finished yet.
Curious, Jiang Zhe asked, "Is it difficult to operate the world bracelet?"
Orianna opened her eyes and shook her head. "No, Master. I've fully taken control of the bracelet. But… there's a slight complication inside."
"Oh?" Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow, now intrigued. He sat beside her. "Tell me what's going on."
"Master, there are living beings stored inside this world bracelet," Orianna said calmly. "And several of them possess Universe-Level strength."
"What? You've got to be joking!" Jiang Zhe's expression shifted instantly. He sprang to his feet.
Universe-Level!
In low-tier civilizations, Universe-Level individuals ruled territories of dozens of planets. They were the pillars of empires.
And this so-called treasure trove of a bracelet… was actually a freaking hornet's nest!
Can I still retrieve those scattered life seals? Or is it too late?
But when he saw Orianna's serene demeanor, Jiang Zhe paused and frowned. "Wait… something's off. Anna, are these 'Universe-Level' beings defective somehow?"
"You're sharp as ever, Master." Orianna smiled. "The beings inside are a peculiar species raised by the Mechanical Race, known as the Zvika Insect Race. They resemble giant silkworms. Fully grown, they reach lengths of around 40 meters. But their intelligence is lower than beasts—they only have two instincts: eating and excreting."
Jiang Zhe narrowed his eyes. "If the Mechanical Race raised them, and they can grow to Universe-Level despite low intelligence, they must have some exceptional traits."
"Indeed. They feed on metal and excrete alloys. Depending on what metals they consume, they can produce alloys ranging from Grade A to E," she explained.
Jiang Zhe scoffed. "That sounds exaggerated. They probably top out at Grade C, unless there are Domain Lord-level Zvika insects—which is impossible since they lack the intelligence to comprehend domains."
"Master, their saliva is extremely corrosive," Orianna said. "Only Grade F metals can resist the corrosion of a Universe-Level Zvika's saliva."
"They first melt the E-grade metal with saliva, swallow the resulting slurry, and after a series of biological reactions in their body, excrete solid alloy. This is a unique metallurgical process exclusive to the Mechanical Race."
Jiang Zhe frowned, thinking it over, but eventually nodded. "Primitive, but efficient. Still doesn't feel very… 'Mechanical Race.' Shouldn't they have more technological alloy-forging methods?"
"True," Orianna agreed, "but alloys produced by the Zvika insects are superior—no matter the grade, their alloys always outperform mass-forged equivalents. Their structure is more refined and can support higher-level tech."
Jiang Zhe couldn't help but admire the brilliance of such a material-processing system.
Yet he remained puzzled. "But resource-type creatures shouldn't be this much of a headache for you."
"You're right," she replied. "Zvika insects are only a minor issue. The real problem… is an intelligent lifeform."
Orianna's tone grew serious. "A remnant technological weapon of the Mechanical Race evolved over thousands of years into a true AI lifeform. It now controls all internal systems—factories, puppet machines, everything."
Jiang Zhe froze.
Now that is a disaster.
"How about… you use the world's power to extract the tech core?" he suggested. "The AI's consciousness must be tied to it. If you isolate it, we can sever its control over everything."
"That could trigger a self-destruct protocol," Orianna warned. "With a single thought, it could detonate the entire factory, every puppet—it would all be lost."
Jiang Zhe sighed and massaged his brow. "Alright… you handle it. I know nothing about tech."
"I've already sent a sub-core into the system," Orianna replied. "It has merged with one of the collection puppets and is infiltrating the factory to seize control. Once successful, we'll have the entire facility under our command."
Jiang Zhe nodded. This was similar to how Babata was dealt with in ancient times. He couldn't intervene—everything now rested on Orianna's skill.
---
In the following days, Orianna battled the AI in a virtual war of wits.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhe immersed himself in the virtual world—learning Galactic Common, studying spiritual force basics, and referencing Yin Mo Star's explosive power techniques.
He placed special emphasis on a soul defense secret art called "Tower of Void."
When not in the virtual realm, he spent time building soul defenses in his sea of consciousness and refining a new power-exertion secret manual—one he planned to pass on to Earth's warriors as a foundational gift.
---
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, his second uncle, Jiang Chengying, broke through to Planetary-Level. His gene origin awakened into a water-type ability: basic water control.
By the twelfth day, his father also advanced to Planetary-Level, awakening the metal-type Diamond Body—the same as Luofeng's.
That gave Jiang Zhe pause.
"Gene origin power… gene origin… shouldn't it have some genetic trace?"
He found it strange that the Jiang family had always leaned toward the space-type, yet his own ability leaned into the time-type. Something didn't add up.
His gaze shifted to his older cousin Jiang Wu and cousin Sisi. He wondered what their gene abilities would be once they hit Planetary-Level.
But that was a matter for years later.
Both of them still hadn't used their Muya Crystals—and that was because of him.
Jiang Zhe demanded that they only ascend after meeting his standards for physical power.
Yin Mo Star's average power output was 10x. Jiang Wu only needed to reach 6x, and Sisi 5x. Only then would he let them take the shortcut and ascend.
And it had to be cosmic-grade exertion, not Earth's flawed path.
His eldest brother Jiang Wen, after much deliberation, gave up martial arts entirely. He was now focused on building a commercial empire.
He began taking spiritual herbs and Muya Crystals to extend his life, content with the prospect of living a thousand years.
Jiang Zhe even asked Orianna to design an auxiliary AI assistant for him to handle the business side.
As for Aunt Jiang Chengcheng, she withdrew from the company to resume her martial training, now being personally trained by their grandfather.
---
After the Lantern Festival, the Lunar New Year was officially over.
Major powers across the globe started arriving at the Jiang estate, sending in their "elite talents."
The weakest among them were mid-tier War Generals, the strongest mid-tier War Gods—all hoping to learn Jiang Zhe's explosive strength techniques.
Though the Jiang family hailed from the traditional martial arts world, they didn't reject outsiders. The old man was more than happy to contribute to the betterment of Earth's humanity.
The older, less-talented fighters were sent to train under Jiang Chengbo and his two brothers—traditional strength training.
The younger, more talented ones—including a few psychic-type candidates and bloodline elites personally selected by the old man—were brought to Jiang Zhe's courtyard.
---
Jiang Zhe opened the door… and nearly fainted.
The crowd outside was massive.
He understood the logic, but…
Why the hell was the gender ratio three men to seven women?!
"Am I here to teach disciples… or choose concubines?"
Jiang Zhe released a faint soul-pressure.
The crowd fell silent instantly.
A few young War Gods stiffened up, their bodies locked in place as if a predator had just entered their domain.
The War Generals shivered outright. They were frozen in place by sheer spiritual might, unable to move an inch.
Only now did they fully understand just how terrifying this youth was.
He wasn't someone who lucked his way into the parliament.
He had killed a fellow council member while still a high-tier War God!
As for the women who had come for… "marriage interviews"…
Some fainted.
Others trembled like leaves in the wind, clinging to one another like captives huddling in fear.
Truthfully, Jiang Zhe didn't mind the idea of passing on his lineage—it was the duty of every male in a major clan.
But seriously?
How's a tiger supposed to sleep with a housecat?
(End of the chapter)