Chapter 707: The Insect Mutation Breeding Room, Ever-Strongening Life Energy

Beep, beep—

Dale’s identity verification succeeded. The electronic security door opened.

Simon also hurried over.

“Leader!”

Yu Yuan smelled a rich floral fragrance on him. It was an extremely complex scent, formed from the mingled aromas of many different flowers.

Simon was clearly in the middle of making Hundred Flowers Nectar when Zhou Yuan summoned him.

“Let’s go! We’ll enter together!”

This breeding room was divided into two sections, an outer room and an inner room.

The outer room was larger, while the inner room was smaller.

Yu Yuan noticed, however, that entering the inner room from the outer room required passing through another electronic security door.

The walls of the inner room also seemed to have undergone special reinforcement. Judging by their apparent thickness alone, they were half a meter thick.

The inner room’s security rating was even higher than that of the outer room.

Yu Yuan had already guessed what was inside.

He turned his attention to the arrangements in the outer room. Twenty independent cultivation tanks were arranged in a five-by-four formation.

Beside each cultivation tank was a separate computer with a touchscreen display.

Yu Yuan walked over to the nearest cultivation tank.

Snap—

The lights came on. A spotlight overhead illuminated Yu Yuan and the cultivation tank together.

The computer screen lit up.

It displayed the following information.

Baseline species: Tenebrio molitor

Mutation duration: 11 days, 6 hours, 53 minutes

Mutation plan: 1 drop of Hundred Flowers Nectar per day + thermal radiation from Lava Crystals

Number of individuals: 1

Initial cultivation tank temperature: 25 degrees Celsius

Current cultivation tank temperature: 35 degrees Celsius

Mutation status: Increased heat resistance, red lines appearing on the body surface, significant increase in body size

Biological danger level: Extremely low

Biological mutation level: High

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Inside the cultivation tank, a mealworm as thick as an index finger lay quietly inside, completely motionless.

Its plump body still showed traces of its original mealworm appearance, but it had grown several times larger. Its head had turned red, and a red line ran down the center of its back.

At the top of the cultivation tank was a tiny piece of Lava Crystal ore fixed to the lid, continuously emitting thermal radiation.

“Leader, this mealworm began cultivation eleven days ago. Its mutation status is good, and it is absorbing the external mutagenic factors quite well. Based on Simon’s and my deductions, there’s a high probability that it will trigger a genetic mutation.”

Dale explained the situation.

Yu Yuan had already turned his attention to another cultivation tank.

Baseline species: Crimson Ant Queen

Mutation duration: 17 days, 3 hours, 12 minutes

Mutation plan: 1 drop of Hundred Flowers Nectar per day + blood crystal from a Silver-tier vampire + Lava Crystal ore

Number of individuals: 1

Initial cultivation tank temperature: 25 degrees Celsius

Current cultivation tank temperature: 41 degrees Celsius

Mutation status: Enlarged abdomen, significant increase in body size, wings regrown, increased appetite, fondness for Blood Offerings

Biological danger level: High

Biological mutation level: High

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Good grief.

Yu Yuan stared at the Crimson Ant Queen inside the cultivation tank. It was already about the size of a fist, and it blinked its eyes.

At present, the Crimson Ant Queen’s abdomen occupied three-fifths of its entire body.

“This Crimson Ant Queen is the ruler of a newly discovered Crimson Ant nest in the world of Dead Mine Town. Since we previously asked Chief Zhou Yuan to search for Rare insects, he brought it back.

“Considering that Crimson Ants are highly venomous and aggressive, we specifically sought out Lord Hammond and borrowed some of his blood crystal. Combined with Lava Crystal ore, we carried out a targeted mutation on this Crimson Ant Queen. This is also the insect we have the highest expectations for.

“As long as we raise the certainty of its mutation a little further, it can be transferred directly to the Insect Isolation Room for enhanced cultivation.”

As he spoke, Dale pointed toward the Crimson Ant Queen’s chest.

“Leader, look. There are two scars on the front of this Crimson Ant’s chest. These are wing-shedding scars, marks left from its former wings being broken. But now, it has grown wings again.

“If it successfully evolves, then combined with its ability as a queen to produce offspring, it may create an entirely new mutant insect species with a strict and highly organized hierarchy.”

As Dale explained, Yu Yuan also sensed the potential and danger of this Crimson Ant Queen.

“Dangerous creatures like this need to be monitored closely. Cultivating mutant insects is certainly important, but safety must always come first. If one escaped, it would cause catastrophic damage to the world’s ecology.”

“Leader, rest assured. We’ve already made every possible preparation.”

Simon pointed toward several corners of the ceiling.

“There are eight cameras here providing surveillance with no blind spots, as well as a danger alarm system. If any of these cultivation tanks are opened or damaged without authorization, it will immediately issue a warning.

“At the same time, alerts will be sent to me, Professor Dale, and Chief Zhou Yuan. The guards outside are also on duty twenty-four hours a day, rotating without interruption.”

As he spoke, he pressed several buttons on an operating panel mounted on his arm.

The ceiling of the room contracted, revealing four nozzles.

“These are flame-throwing devices. They can spray flames reaching 1,100 degrees Celsius at any time, purifying the entire room. The walls have also undergone special treatment, all to ensure that none of the organisms here can reach the outside world.”

Yu Yuan nodded lightly. He briefly inspected all the cultivation tanks. One-third of the baseline species were mealworms.

The remaining two-thirds consisted of other insects, including dangerous creatures such as Rhinoceros Beetles and spiders.

Finally, Yu Yuan’s gaze turned toward the door leading to the inner room.

Simon had already walked over and completed the identity verification.

When they entered the room, Yu Yuan saw that there were only three cultivation tanks inside.

The first cultivation tank contained a completely black scorpion about the size of a palm.

Black spikes had grown from the joints of its limbs, giving it a particularly savage appearance.

“This is a venomous scorpion we discovered in the Giant Tree Forest. Its venom is extremely potent. When we first found it, it was only eight centimeters long and was devouring a Rat. After the patrol team discovered it, they brought it back.”

Dale explained the situation.

Yu Yuan, however, sensed traces of spirituality fluctuating from the scorpion. Clearly, it was not far from evolving.

The second cultivation tank contained a gigantic butterfly.

It was truly enormous.

Its wingspan appeared to be around twenty-five to thirty centimeters. Yu Yuan was seeing a butterfly of this size for the first time.

Especially when Yu Yuan looked at it, the butterfly’s compound eyes also turned toward him.

It seemed to be observing and studying him.

Yu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

“Could it already possess a trace of intelligence?”

That was not impossible.

After the Electromagnetic Pulse Worm successfully evolved, it had clearly developed intelligence. It could understand and carry out Yu Yuan’s instructions.

The organisms cultivated in this room all possessed tremendous evolutionary potential. It was reasonable for some of them to develop intelligence ahead of time.

When Yu Yuan saw the final cultivation tank, he froze.

The insect inside had already pupated.

But there was something strange about this pupa!

“Leader, this was the second mealworm we cultivated back when we were in the shelter. It showed no changes for a long time, until it suddenly pupated recently. However, this pupa is no different from an Ordinary mealworm pupa, so we planned to report it to you when it hatched. After all…”

Dale did not finish speaking.

Yu Yuan understood what he meant. A mealworm that had not mutated was completely worthless.

But…

Yu Yuan looked at the chrysalis before him, and his eyes shifted slightly.

Because he could actually sense that the life energy inside the chrysalis was growing ever more vigorous.