Astral Cockroach

On the second basement level of the spaceship, two locations were equipped with defensive weapon systems: the living quarters of Rear Admiral Feline, the supreme commander, and the escape pod where the emergency escape vessel was docked.

Other cabins were also inhabited by high-ranking commanders, but they were not fortified, and the materials used were not as robust. The Blade Mantis Tribe had already forced open the cabin doors, and anything inside that could be dismantled was completely stripped and removed.

Banbu, along with King Rat and Bai Zhu, casually selected a room and settled down.

Banbu certainly didn't have the ability to destroy the level-seven weapon defense system. He put on an act, studying it cautiously and carefully, occasionally requesting Blade Mantis Tribe warriors to bring over some live animals for experimentation.

Initially, the Cyan Frame Mantis King was worried and stayed on the second basement level. It wasn't concerned that Banbu would find a way to open the cabin door and take valuable treasures; it was worried that Banbu would mishandle things and lose his life.

On this level of cabins, they had already lost a Mantis King and a Vice-Lord-level Tiger Beetle warrior. The Blade Mantis Tribe had paid a huge compensation to quell the matter.

The Cyan Frame Mantis King didn't want any more unexpected losses. After observing for several days and noticing that Banbu was always measured and cautious in his actions, and with other matters to attend to, he left after giving some instructions.

With the Cyan Frame Mantis King out of the way, Banbu immediately brought Baba, who had been feigning death for a year, to the front of Rear Admiral Feline's living quarters.

"Baba, can you control the defense system to stop running?"

"No."

"Then check if you can still get in?"

Baba didn't answer but directly activated the anti-gravity engine and flew towards the cabin door.

After pausing at the door for three seconds, the defense system completed authentication.

"Welcome home, my lovely and intelligent little master," a sweet female voice echoed from the cabin door, followed by a chime as it automatically opened.

Baba darted inside, waited for about two minutes, then flew back out, pushing a sphere approximately 25 centimeters in diameter along the ground.

The cabin door closed.

Baba exerted force, and the sphere rolled to in front of Banbu.

Bai Zhu, quick-witted, removed his backpack, stuffed the object inside, glanced back warily, and then quickly shoved the returning Baba into the backpack, asking, "Banbu, are we running away now?"

King Rat scolded, "Running now is just blatantly telling the Blade Mantis Tribe that we have a problem! You idiot!"

"Stop arguing, let's go!"

Banbu waved his antennae in indication, hurriedly returning to their living quarters.

He tightly sealed the cabin door.

Bai Zhu took out Baba and the sphere.

Banbu deployed his mental power to scan and carefully examine it. To be precise, the sphere was about 26.5 centimeters in diameter and almost weightless.

The crystalline, translucent white sphere had a somewhat gelatinous texture. Upon mental examination, the material could not be identified.

The surface was covered in grayish-white divine patterns, regularly distributed, forming nine distinct patterns.

Eight of them vaguely resembled trees, like eight grayish-white saplings. Each sapling varied slightly in size and shape, composed of different styles and quantities of divine patterns. The smallest consisted of 600 divine patterns of varying sizes, while the largest consisted of 1500 divine patterns.

However, they weren't strictly tree-shaped; the trunk, branches, and leaves were indistinguishable. It could only be said that the general shape was tree-like.

Approximately eight thousand divine patterns formed eight tree-shaped patterns, surrounding a circular pattern. The structure was relatively simple, consisting of only 50 divine patterns, which should be the main divine pattern, the central hub for regulating divine power.

"This isn't a technological product, is it?" Banbu said with doubt, "I've closely observed the metal core of a Dominator-realm being. The style is almost the same, exactly the the same, only the material is different."

Knowing that Banbu was illiterate, Baba patiently explained, "It doesn't possess any characteristics of a living organism. The divine patterns weren't formed through cultivation or innate abilities. There are traces of technology, so it's considered a technological product. But we can't rule out the possibility that it's the life core of some unknown living entity."

Banbu said, "I've enhanced my Force perception ability, and I can't sense this thing absorbing energy and converting it into Force."

King Rat said, "Our bamboo rat warriors have even more acute senses, and I can't sense it either."

Baba said, "Of course, you can't sense it. More precise instruments are needed for detection."

Bai Zhu reached out a paw and touched it, suddenly thinking of something, and exclaimed in surprise, "Banbu, this thing is edible!"

"? ? ?" Baba took two seconds to process before reacting and scolding, "Idiot!"

Banbu and King Rat both looked at Bai Zhu.

Bai Zhu said, "Banbu, just like last time, burn it with fire!"

"Eh!" King Rat exclaimed in delight, "That seems to make sense! Banbu, why don't you give it a try!"

Bai Zhu vividly remembered the benefits of eating the metal core last time, and King Rat was still jealous to this day.

Baba was puzzled and asked, "What are you talking about? King Rat, are you joking too?"

"…" Banbu said unhappily, "It's a completely different thing, okay?"

Bai Zhu urged, "Banbu, you can try it."

King Rat also urged, "That's right! Banbu, you can just breathe a mouthful of fire; it won't waste much Force."

Banbu thought about it and agreed, nodding his antennae, saying, "You guys stand back a bit."

Baba finally understood a little. These three idiots were seriously discussing eating the Primal Heart! It could only be said that their imaginations were impressive. Their ignorance and stupidity were beyond saving, and she couldn't be bothered to say more.

Bai Zhu directly held Baba and ran away.

King Rat carried the backpack, shrinking into the corner of the room.

Banbu lowered his head, locked onto the Primal Heart, opened his mouth, and sprayed a pillar of fire.

Like ice cream under the scorching sun, the Primal Heart slowly melted, quickly turning into a pool of translucent, viscous liquid.

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"This, this, this… Banbu, what kind of flame did you spray?" Baba was momentarily stunned, then broke free from Bai Zhu and rushed forward, scanning the object: The Primal Heart could clearly withstand high temperatures, so why was it melted? This thing actually melted!

"Banbu, it's your flame that's the problem!"

"Probably," Banbu replied casually, smacking his lips, eager to try.

Baba asked, "Banbu, are you planning to eat… eat the Primal Heart?"

"Yeah," Banbu replied perfunctorily.

Baba warned, "It'll kill you!"

Banbu didn't take it seriously. When he was human, he thought that the level-seven technological civilization of humanity was the strongest in the universe, but now it seemed… Baba couldn't analyze any useful information, so she issued an exasperated, dry warning.

Baba's scanning abilities and database information weren't omnipotent. When faced with truly unknown problems, she still had to rely on her own wisdom.

Bai Zhu and King Rat rushed forward, mouths open, looking at Banbu with anticipation.

Banbu thought for a moment and warned, "You can only eat a tiny bit. You don't have the inheritance of the bloodline of the gods; eating too much might be fatal."

Hearing this, King Rat and Bai Zhu hesitated, looking at each other: You go first!

Banbu urged, "What are you two standing there for? Eat it while it's hot!"

King Rat said, "Bai Zhu, same as always, you go first."

"I…" Bai Zhu said modestly, "King Rat is older; elders have priority."

Banbu waved his antennae, slapping Bai Zhu on the head, and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense, you go!"

Bai Zhu unwillingly stretched out his front paw, dipped a tiny bit with his fingertip, cautiously put it in his mouth, tasted it, and exclaimed in surprise, "Sweet, delicious! King Rat, you taste…"

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes rolled back, and he fell down.

"Bai Zhu?!" Baba exclaimed, shouting, "Banbu, what are you doing? Are you sure this thing is edible?"

Banbu said, "Not sure."

Baba said angrily, "You're too bad!"

"Don't panic," Banbu said calmly, locking onto Bai Zhu with his mental power and starting to examine him: His breathing was a bit rapid, his heart was beating too fast, the situation was similar to last time, his life was still there.

Bai Zhu wouldn't die, so this thing should be edible.

As for whether there were any benefits, he'd see after eating it. Anyway, it had already been burned into a puddle.

Baba was also scanning and examining, at a higher rate than Banbu, and then exclaimed, "Banbu, something is modifying Bai Zhu's genes!"

"I know," Banbu waved his antennae and asked, "King Rat, do you want to eat some too?"

"It seems really dangerous!" King Rat was conflicted, hesitating, stretching out his front paw, dipping a little, putting it in his mouth, and saying, "Sweet? No taste. Bai Zhu, this bastard, wanted to trick…"

As he spoke, he fell down.

"Hopefully, nothing goes wrong," Banbu stretched out his forelimb, dipped a little, put it in his mouth, and indeed, there was no taste. How dark was Bai Zhu's heart? He even wanted to drag someone down with him before dying?

As he stretched out his forelimb, when he touched it, the viscous liquid on the floor came alive, flowing up along his forelimb, penetrating through his carapace, directly seeping into his blood vessels, rushing straight to the second main heart in his chest.

The energy and nutrients stored in his body were rapidly consumed, his breathing became rapid, his brain was dizzy, and he fell asleep in a daze in less than three seconds.

"You… you dare to eat anything! You three idiots… it'll kill you!"

Baba complained, scanning back and forth over Banbu, King Rat, and Bai Zhu, constantly calculating: Bai Zhu and King Rat were fine. After the initial sudden change, their bodies gradually stabilized. This guy Banbu, was he going to die?