Xu Zhi had never imagined that things would reach this point.
A mechanical voice resonated from the insect hive: "Shall we exterminate them?"
He held absolute control over every spore he produced—and thus over every lifeform that evolved from them, including these tiny insect-apes before him.
Xu Zhi paused thoughtfully before whispering, "Gilgamesh integrated termite DNA once. Now, he's far stronger than the others of his kind, with lifespans many times longer. Has he transcended?"
"Not transcended," replied the hive mind with detached calm. "He has merely taken the first step toward unlocking his genetic lock. True transcendence involves escaping passive evolution entirely, actively directing one's genome. He cannot rearrange his genetic sequence to create additional blank loci; thus, integrating a third gene is beyond his current capabilities."
Xu Zhi exhaled quietly. Indeed, true transcendence was not so easily attained. Even among countless spores dispersed across entire worlds, only a rare handful ever achieved genuine transcendence—how could three such beings emerge here simultaneously?
These three had successfully integrated a second gene, thanks not only to exceptional talent and determination but also to existing genetic space that permitted integration. Yet, two genes already reached their limit; without actively rearranging their genetic structure, adding a third gene was nearly impossible.
Though Gilgamesh had significant potential, potential alone could not excuse his arrogance, cruelty, and reckless destruction of the ecological sandbox Xu Zhi had cultivated. He had driven civilization to violent extremes.
"Hive mind, there's no need to exterminate them," Xu Zhi stated calmly. "I'd like to see exactly why Gilgamesh dares challenge me."
After enduring two mass extinction events, Xu Zhi's physique had greatly strengthened—he now possessed the fitness and physical power comparable to someone who regularly trained. No matter how formidable Gilgamesh became, his powers derived merely from termite DNA. Termites could lift many times their body weight—but could an ant-sized figure truly threaten a human?
At that moment, the ground suddenly trembled. A storm of arrows rained down upon Xu Zhi—Sumer's elite army was nothing more than a swarm of ants. Although their arrows were sharp, their tiny strength was barely sufficient to lodge harmlessly into the thick denim of his jeans, unable to penetrate further.
"Even our finest soldiers can't pierce his clothing?" Gilgamesh muttered in astonishment, quickly regaining composure. Undeterred, he sprang forward—launching himself seven or eight meters into the air and landing directly on Xu Zhi's shoe. Clutching his sword, Gilgamesh swiftly scaled upward, zigzagging across the massive fabric until, in moments, he reached Xu Zhi's knee.
"So fast... faster than even a flea," Xu Zhi murmured with slight surprise.
The explosive power of an ant combined with the agility of a flea was formidable indeed. Xu Zhi raised his palm and swiftly struck down toward his leg.
"Not so fast!" Gilgamesh growled. Reacting instantly, the aged king dodged gracefully, springing aside like a leopard to narrowly evade the blow. He continued ascending swiftly, using the thick threads of Xu Zhi's jeans as ideal footholds, noting grimly, "Is this the wise beast's power? Even the wind from his casual movements nearly knocked me away."
For a creature his size, Xu Zhi's denim jeans resembled a woven climbing wall—dense grids of fabric providing countless footholds.
"Your Majesty! Ishtar has come to assist!" a voice suddenly called from below.
In the same instant, Grassland Queen Ishtar appeared, muscular and majestic, wielding a bone hammer as tall as herself. She bounded upward seven or eight meters, landing deftly beside Gilgamesh on Xu Zhi's massive leg.
"Another one?" Xu Zhi remarked, casually swiping toward Ishtar. She dodged expertly, ascending his body with practiced agility born from decades of fighting giant beasts. Her muscular, battle-hardened form carried both strength and dignity befitting her royal status.
"She's equally swift," Xu Zhi acknowledged silently, "but the test is nearly over."
His movements suddenly accelerated. "Fast for your size—but you're still no match for me," he stated calmly.
His palm flashed down, and with a resounding impact, it struck Ishtar directly. Like a swatted insect, she flew backward, blood spraying as she was hurled violently through the air.
Xu Zhi instantly followed through, palm striking toward Gilgamesh. "Damn—!" Gilgamesh reacted in shock, raising his sword in a dazzling defensive slash at the last possible instant. A metallic clang reverberated as the giant palm collided with his sword, sending Gilgamesh hurtling backward and plummeting downward from Xu Zhi's waist—equivalent to a kilometer-high fall for creatures of their scale.
Ordinary ants could survive falls from mere meters thanks to their exoskeletons—but these insect-apes, possessing more humanlike skeletons, faced a deadly drop from such heights.
Yet, despite shattered bones and blood spraying freely, neither Gilgamesh nor Ishtar died immediately. Their extraordinary vitality defied belief.
Xu Zhi glanced down at his palm, noting a thin, bleeding cut inflicted by Gilgamesh's sword. "He actually wounded me… His swordsmanship is exquisite. If scaled to human proportions, they would become superhuman warriors—leaping effortlessly between rooftops, dodging bullets, surviving falls from aircraft—strength comparable to legendary beings like the Hulk or Spider-Man."
This represented the emergence of a genuinely transcendent species. His hypothesis was proven correct: smaller bodies accumulated energy more efficiently, resulting in profound transformations.
Yet, despite their extraordinary power, these ant-sized superbeings posed no real threat to Xu Zhi.
"One strike," Gilgamesh rasped, lying broken and bloodied on the ground, bones shattered yet eyes still burning fiercely. "All that, and I barely scratched his skin…"
He gazed upward in defiance, staring at the colossal giant shrouded in mist and glowing with pale, radiant light. Xu Zhi's overwhelming power had effortlessly crushed their rebellion, rendering every defiant act utterly futile.