The biological technology of Er'naga is vast and profound. In creating the Mind Slugs, they drew upon many inspirations, imbuing each one with its own distinct style. Spreading microorganisms is the specialty skill of the Mind Slug Veda.

After the Elder commanded a full lockdown on all aircraft departing the biological experimental vessel, the entire fleet mobilized. Realizing it was too late to intercept those who had already left, the Elder issued a directive: deeming the biological experimental vessel contaminated, everyone who had left that warship was to be classified as a virus carrier.

Furthermore, anyone on other vessels who had contact with these virus carriers was also designated as a carrier and required immediate quarantine.

The Elder sensed something intangible in the air—something with its own intelligence, harboring intense malevolence toward the Haisen people. These "things" had clearly spread from those "mysterious creatures."

Since Veda had not yet begun its main offensive, the Elder’s understanding of the danger posed by these "things" was incomplete. Otherwise, Old Zuo would likely have already declared the entire fleet under maximum alert, prohibiting all communication between warships.

However, the Elder was unaware.

He did not know that a Level Four entity, one highly skilled in microbiological assault, had already targeted their fleet, and thus, he was only employing containment measures to deal with this biological crisis.

Soon after, the Elder received reports from various ships stating that the quarantine process was proceeding smoothly, and everyone who had come into contact with the virus carriers was now under control.

Hearing this, the Elder felt a slight easing of tension. He summoned the laboratory supervisor and stated, "Take me to see the bodies of the mysterious creatures."

"Yes, sir," the lab director agreed.

The Elder called for a squad of troops clad in full hazardous material suits, escorting them to the bio-analysis laboratory.

"The bodies of those mysterious creatures are stored in the specimen containment units," the lab supervisor said, stepping forward to open a containment unit. Using hands covered in thick gloves, he retrieved a biological detector, cradling it as he approached the Elder.

The supervisor’s movements appeared entirely normal. Yet, the Elder suddenly experienced that prior sensation of being trapped in a spectral realm, as if the lab director had reverted to a vengeful ghost, baring fangs and claws at him.

"Halt!" the Elder commanded, but the lab director ignored him, taking another step closer. Simultaneously, he lifted his head, revealing a single, completely blood-red eye in the center of his face, leaking fluid as it stared back at the Elder.

"So, it was never cured—you cunning wretch!" The Elder felt an immense sense of peril emanating from the lab director. He casually raised his hand, unleashing a surge of immense force that struck the supervisor, sending him flying backward.

But just as the lab director’s feet left the ground, he emitted a ghastly, spectral cry and spontaneously detonated. His hazmat suit instantly shredded into fragments, flesh and gore scattering everywhere with devastating power, much like shrapnel from a bomb.

The force of this explosion was formidable because the lab director had already been converted into a suicide bomber by the Zerg spores. This type of explosive agent, normally produced when a Queen infects a human base, reached its zenith under the control of the Mind Slug Veda. The pressure the Elder had exerted on the supervisor earlier had only forced out surface-level bacteria and viruses; those deeper Zerg spores were not so easily expelled.

The explosion of a suicide bomber generates intense heat, high pressure, and a physical shockwave of biological matter, comparable to the full power of a Level Three master’s strike. Moreover, within the confined space of the specimen storage room, the explosive yield was maximized.

The moment the Elder pushed the supervisor away, he felt a violent impact and immediately erected a mental energy shield. However, due to the haste, the shield’s defensive capacity was clearly not at its peak, but in the Elder's estimation, it was barely sufficient to cope with the suicide bomber’s blast.

The biological shockwave slammed against the mental shield, making it tremble precariously. The Elder was forced to continuously pump his spiritual energy into the barrier—desperately, fearing that even the slightest lapse would result in grievous injury.

The splashing gore clearly contained a massive quantity of Zerg spores. Being struck, even slightly, or wounded by them, would be a hundred times more difficult to handle than the spores suspended in the air.

Although the Elder had his mental shield, the soldiers dressed in hazmat suits did not. The instant the lab director self-destructed, they were pulverized by the biological shockwave. The entire laboratory, including the biological detectors, was utterly annihilated in the explosion.

After the shockwave subsided, the lab was consumed by fire, the temperature soaring dozens of degrees, resembling a volcanic crater. Everything in sight was a wreck: blood splattered across the floor, walls, and ceiling, and the air was thick with vaporized blood mist, bathing the entire room in an unnerving scarlet hue.

The Elder dared not lower his mental shield, maintaining it as he rushed outward.

But as soon as he stepped into the corridor outside, he saw that the area was entirely filled by a group of what were formerly lab personnel. Every one of them had blood-red eyes, staring fixedly at him.

"This is bad. We have a major problem," the Elder communicated via telepathy to the Fleet Commander and the Chief Military Officer of the warship. "Put the entire fleet on immediate, full lockdown!"

"Advisor, what has happened?"

"We are caught in an extremely dangerous biological crisis."

Telepathic communication was nearly instantaneous. The Elder explained the situation in less time than a blink.

"In that case, we must take immediate action," the Fleet Commander replied.

Simultaneously, all the researchers who were suicide bombers charged toward the Elder, then violently detonated themselves, launching their most potent attack against him.

A biological shockwave tens of times more powerful than that of a single lab supervisor slammed toward the Elder. This attack was equivalent to the full might of a peak Level Three master.

"Break for me!" As they detonated, the Elder drew his golden light saber and thrust it into the floor, instantly carving a circle. Then, he stomped downward, causing himself and the segment of floor beneath him to sink to the level below.

The biological shockwave plunged through the incision in the floor, following closely behind the Elder. The Elder repeatedly used short-distance spatial shifts, his movement like lightning, distancing himself from the shockwave while simultaneously erecting a wall of psionic energy to delay its pursuit.

The psionic wall held for less than a tenth of a second before being torn apart, but that brief delay was enough for the Elder to escape over a hundred meters away, vanishing around the corner of the corridor.

The Elder, having narrowly escaped death, intended to return to the hangar bay and leave on the vessel he arrived in. However, before he had gone far, he saw groups of soldiers, eyes blood-red, charging at him from both the front and the rear.

The Elder sighed, "It seems Old Dong Ji has grown careless; they underestimate me. Do they truly think this show of force can hold me?"

The suicide bombers roared in unison and charged toward the Elder in hordes.

The Elder held his light saber before him and delivered another diagonal slash, transforming himself into a swift gale. In an instant, he cut through the first few suicide bombers.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The bombers exploded sequentially. The Elder kept his mental shield active, continuously feeding it spiritual energy to withstand the biological shockwaves. He now had time to channel energy, making the shield far sturdier than the one he constructed in haste earlier.

At the same time, he used his golden light saber to slash left and right, cutting down the suicide bombers who hadn't yet detonated.

These bombers were originally Haisen people, crew members of this ship, but the Elder showed no mercy when fighting, cutting them down like vegetables.

However, after traversing only two corridors, the Elder’s heart chilled. He realized the suicide bombers exhibited precise coordination, seemingly sharing a common mind. The moment he revealed his position, they would flood in continuously from all directions, wave after wave, an endless tide he could not extinguish.

Even as a peak Level Three master, he could not ignore attacks equivalent to Level Three assaults. One slip, one blow from the biological shockwave landing on his body, could result in catastrophic consequences.

High-intensity breakthrough demanded everything he had. His mind was intensely focused, like a dancer on the edge of a blade, every move executed with perfect precision. As he neared the hangar bay, two to three hundred suicide bombers lay defeated in his wake.

By this point, the Elder’s spiritual energy was nearly depleted. How could a mental shield withstand the shockwaves from so many Level Three attacks without exacting a cost?

Much like overexerting oneself can strain a muscle, the excessive, rapid use of his spiritual power caused some damage to his mind. Even if he managed to escape, he would need more than half a year to recuperate his spirit to its current level.

When the Elder was only one corridor away from the hangar bay, he stopped.

Over a hundred suicide bombers were packed tightly before the hangar doors. Without needing to ponder, the Elder knew that if these bombers detonated simultaneously as he charged, his mental shield absolutely could not withstand it.

"Come out. I know these suicide bombers are being controlled. The timing and combat proficiency they displayed as I fought my way here are not the standard of ordinary people. You who can perfectly mask your presence must be a Level Four entity."

The Elder spoke his thoughts aloud to the empty air. He felt no fear; through years of arduous cultivation, fear had long vanished. Even as a peak Level Three presence facing a Level Four, he would accept the outcome calmly, without showing a shred of cowardice. A suicide bomber stepped forward and addressed the Elder: "You guessed correctly. I am a Level Four entity."

"Why attack us?" the Elder demanded.

"The reason?" the suicide bomber pondered for a moment before replying, "Reasons are unnecessary. But if you insist on one, you can consider this: it is a competition for survival. The victor claims everything; the loser faces certain death."

For those following along, Diamond will be visiting the World Expo again tomorrow. I have an evening ticket, but I still need to leave early. I will try my best to release a chapter before 2 PM; if not, it will likely be around midnight. Also, please continue to vote for monthly tickets. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to [Platform Name] for more chapters and support.