In the surging black mist of the mountain forest, hundreds of villagers clustered tightly around the City God Statue, terror and desperation etched on every face.
The golden radiance emanating from the City God Statue had shrunk to a radius of only twenty to thirty feet.
Beyond the circle, countless wolves, tigers, and leopards manifested from the black mist relentlessly assaulted the final line of defense.
Each one glared viciously, ready to devour!
Such a terrifying scene made all the villagers participating in the road construction regret to the core.
They absolutely should not have violated the warnings and admonitions left by their ancestors, seduced by the money and grain promised by Landlord Chen, entering the mountains for logging and road building, thus angering the malevolent spirits residing in Qianfeng Mountain!
Seeing the black mist inching closer, the villagers, with nowhere left to retreat, could only desperately climb onto the altar.
Treating the City God Statue as their final lifeline.
Crying and pleading, they trampled and even fought with each other.
Someone was accidentally pushed outside the area covered by the golden light, and immediately vanished into the black mist with a wail.
At this point, everyone realized that the City God Statue, with its ever-dimming light, could no longer protect them.
In the chaos, the statue toppled from the altar.
The golden light instantly vanished.
The fierce beasts in the surrounding black mist roared in unison, pouncing on the panicking villagers.
Strands of mist quickly burrowed into their noses, mouths, and ears.
These villagers, whose minds had already collapsed, immediately let out beastly howls, their eyes turning crimson as they clutched and bit each other.
Skin torn, blood splattering, it was a hellish scene!
While the City God Statue, trampled underfoot by the villagers, cracked inch by inch on its surface, golden light pouring out from countless fissures.
Boom!
Far away a mile, Zhang Yuan saw a thick golden beam suddenly shoot into the sky.
The golden light pierced through the shroud of the black mist, shooting straight into the heavens!
However, this beam was only as fleeting as a flash in the pan, lasting only two or three breaths before extinguishing and vanishing.
The breach it created was swiftly filled by the mist in the blink of an eye.
Not only that, but the black mist sweeping the mountain forest seemed to be enraged, with its expansion and spread accelerating suddenly.
Wherever it reached, all life was devastated!
Countless birds, beasts, snakes, and insects living in the trees and grass fled desperately as if the apocalypse had arrived.
Likewise fleeing, Zhang Yuan couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle, sensing something was terribly wrong!
Run! Run! Run!
Only one thought remained in his mind.
[Gene Body detected for containment!]
Just as Zhang Yuan fled a hundred steps further, a conspicuous alert suddenly popped up in his view.
At this moment, the Divine Nest was triggered!
Damn!
Zhang Yuan's feelings were beyond words.
Over the past while, during his daily hunts and herb-gathering in the mountains, he had been constantly searching for new hosts.
To fill the last empty nest room of the Divine Nest.
After spending a vast amount of time and effort, Zhang Yuan had found nothing, even growing a bit disheartened.
He once thought that within the raven spirit's territory, there was no third extraordinary life form suitable for containment by the Divine Nest.
But unexpectedly, at the crucial moment of life and death, a new host target actually appeared!
What to do?
Zhang Yuan kept running, his mind in utter turmoil.
Desire told him this was his chance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if he let it go, he might never be this lucky again.
But reason simultaneously warned Zhang Yuan not to act recklessly.
For any opportunity to count, one must be alive to seize it!
Desire and reason clashed violently in his mind.
In the end, reason outweighed desire.
Zhang Yuan put his head down and sprinted desperately!
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a golden streak flashing past him.
Zhang Yuan instinctively turned his head to look.
He was astonished to discover that the golden streak was actually a gigantic golden grasshopper.
This large grasshopper mingled among the countless fleeing insects, its distinctive color and texture especially eye-catching!
Zhang Yuan was, of course, familiar with grasshoppers.
In the past, when he couldn't catch game, he would often catch some to roast and eat.
They could somewhat supplement his protein intake.
But such a large, peculiarly colored grasshopper.
This was the first time Zhang Yuan had seen one.
Could it be...
Zhang Yuan considered a possibility, his heart pounding fiercely, feeling parched.
Going for it!
In the next moment, he exerted his strength, leaping forward, arms outstretched, lunging at the golden grasshopper.
Zhang Yuan suspected it was precisely the extraordinary life form that had activated the Divine Nest!
He had initially given up.
But since this creature had flown right in front of him, it would be improper not to try to capture it!
The golden grasshopper had just landed on a patch of grass.
It wobbled a bit, then spread its wings and flew off.
Unexpectedly, a figure suddenly pounced, reaching out with lightning speed to grab the grasshopper.
The golden grasshopper, caught off guard as it just took off, was immediately seized!
Success!
Zhang Yuan fell to the ground, rolling with the momentum.
He felt a sharp pain in his palm.
The grasshopper clutched in his hand was struggling fiercely, its stout hind legs lined with sharp spines had slashed open his palm!
Zhang Yuan felt nothing, immediately activating the Divine Nest.
The grasshopper vanished from his hand instantly!
[Host: Zhang Yuan]
[Realm: Tier One (Light Force)]
[Divine Nest: Level 1 (45%)]
[Host: Level 2 Black Giant Ant (18%)/4x Strength]
[Host: Level 2 Jade Mantis (5%)/Intermediate Sword Mastery]
[Host: Level 1 Golden Grasshopper (1%)/2x Agility]
[Qi Blood: 105/112]
[Source Material: 2.7]
Three days ago, through Zhang Yuan's constant input of Source Material, the second host, the Jade Mantis, successfully advanced.
The original Basic Sword Mastery thereby elevated to Intermediate Sword Mastery.
He then saved all newly acquired Source Material, not investing it into the two major hosts or the Divine Nest itself.
Now, having unexpectedly contained a new host, these stored Source Materials were immediately put to use.
This third host, the Golden Grasshopper, unquestionably offered extraordinary abilities just as practical as those from the Black Giant Ant!
Strength and agility are complementary attribute abilities!
Zhang Yuan felt extremely joyful, nearly forgetting the immediate crisis.
Intuition told him that catching the Golden Grasshopper in one lunge without mishap was surely due to sheer luck.
Knowing that its extraordinary ability was agility, after all!
But Zhang Yuan's joy only lasted for a moment.
He realized the danger he faced not only continued to expand but was approaching from different directions.
Zhang Yuan looked around, seeing nothing but thick black mist in every direction.
The worst had come to pass.
Now, let alone escaping, he couldn't even discern the path!
Zhang Yuan's heart turned icy, sinking steadily, as if into a bottomless abyss.
Faced with this outcome, all his frantic fleeing earlier seemed like a joke.
Like a fish caught in a great net, all struggles were in vain!
With a bitter smile, Zhang Yuan drew the long blade strapped to his back.
Even if by dying, he would fight one last time!
At this moment, a black feather flew out from Zhang Yuan's bosom.
Suspended silently before him!