This was Shen Jie’s Realm Trial.

Naturally, the final decision had to be his.

Even Lin Feng couldn’t interfere too much on this point. After all, the Slaughter Realm could no longer be reformed, and the deadline was less than thirty days away.

Although he had long since come to terms with life and death, Shen Jie hesitated now that the time had come to make a choice.

This was because the one who had proposed the plan was the woman before him.

This "woman," named Ling Yi, was actually a potential Zerg Race Mother Empress.

Just like Chen Yanyan, Shen Jie was also suspicious of Ling Yi’s unsolicited proposal.

He could face his own death calmly, but he couldn’t die an ignoble death, caught in a web of lies and schemes.

"A direct confrontation... only a thirty percent chance of success?"

Shen Jie asked, a hint of unwillingness in his voice.

Ling Yi pursed her lips and glanced at the Tiger-toothed Chainsaw Sword in Lin Feng’s hand.

"Of course. And of that thirty percent, twenty percent is thanks to that thing," she said. "Only this Chainsaw Sword can break through the King Spine Zerg’s solid Defense. The final ten percent comes from Lin Feng and me."

"As for you..."

"If you want to remain lucid, you can’t allow yourself to be completely corrupted by the Slaughter Realm. Your maximum power will naturally drop by several levels, so you don’t even account for ten percent."

"Moreover, if the Realm Trial fails, the Slaughter Realm contained within your brain will spread like nuclear radiation. It will contaminate the nervous systems of all nearby life, forcing them into a murderous frenzy and turning the surrounding several hundred meters into a forbidden zone."

"Only a powerful expert who can resist its influence and also wields a Mental Realm can clean up the mess."

"Otherwise, we’d have to wait for all the nearby Biomass to be burned away, and this contamination could last for decades or even centuries."

Shen Jie’s face paled. He knew she was right about his strength and the odds of success.

Both times he had entered the volcano, he had been exhausted just dealing with the King Spine Zerg’s attacks. Furthermore, his own close-combat techniques couldn’t break through the King Zerg’s Armor and Defense...

If he just kept trying to wear it down, he had no chance of victory.

Even if he repeated his actions in the Underground Nest—putting himself in harm’s way to create an opening for Lin Feng—he had to consider that the King Spine Zerg had multiple escape routes in the volcanic magma, where it could retreat and heal at any time.

However, the consequences of failing the trial worried Shen Jie even more than all of this.

After entering the Mental Realm World, Shen Jie had thought this challenge was only a matter of his own life and death. He never expected that his failure would affect the Real World after he died.

At that point, the many Warriors in the camp, including the elite Tier Two Corps, would be driven into a bloodthirsty frenzy by the influence of the Slaughter Realm...

If the top fighting forces of the Thirteenth Division, the ones resisting the Zerg Race, were all to perish here with him...

Then the entire Wu City defensive line would crumble at the first touch, and Zhang Liying, who was waiting for his triumphant return, would also suffer a cruel fate.

At this thought, Shen Jie fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"If the trial fails and this Slaughter Realm is released from my body to contaminate the outside world, then the Warriors outside should be ordered to get away as quickly as possible!"

"Letting them come in here to risk their lives killing Tiger Spine Zergs... what if I run out of Spiritual Energy or just give up? Wouldn’t that get them all killed with me?"

Lin Feng sighed softly and then revealed the truth.

"If we let you create a contaminated zone, the Zerg Race Mother Empress will use this area to grant the Tiger Spine Zergs an extra Slaughter-type Attribute Skill. It would be just like me sending Tier Two Awakened Warriors near the Zerg Cocoon—it would just be giving the Zerg Race a free advantage."

"That’s why we came this time, to help you make one last gamble. Otherwise, according to the original plan, we would have had to destroy you from a distance to eliminate any future threat."

Ling Yi also nodded, continuing where Lin Feng left off.

"That said, I’ve already made preparations. Before establishing the Spiritual Passage, I created an Energy Protection Shield of Spiritual Energy on the surface of the Zerg Cocoon. It can temporarily slow the spread of the Slaughter Realm, giving the nearby soldiers time to retreat and prepare to destroy the Zerg Cocoon."

Hearing that they hadn’t acted recklessly, Shen Jie breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at Ling Yi, his voice low.

"One last question..."

"Why did you choose to help humans, especially risking your life to save me? I know Brother Feng isn’t under your control."

At this, Ling Yi glanced at Lin Feng, as if asking whether she should tell the truth.

Lin Feng’s gaze was calm as he gave a slight nod.

Shen Jie was a smart man, but he was also a man on the verge of death. Since he wanted to resolve his doubts and know the truth before going all in...

Lin Feng had no reason to hide it any longer.

Besides, if the trial succeeded and the three of them actually managed to kill the King Spine Zerg, a Shen Jie who had obtained the Slaughter Realm would naturally become a strong contender for the title of Tier Four Hunting King.

With such potential, he would be qualified to participate in Lin Feng and Ling Yi’s collaborative plan.

After receiving Lin Feng’s approval, Ling Yi began to speak.

"The Zerg Race you see now is not in its original form. It has been enslaved and controlled by a terrifying existence, turned into a war machine."

"With Lin Feng’s help, I was able to remove my Genetic Seal and recover my consciousness. So, I decided to form an alliance with him, to band together for protection against our current common enemy..."

"The Hai City Mother Empress, who has already entered the Tier Three Middle Stage!"

"That is the reason I am following Lin Feng. As for my main body, it needs to use the Biomass resources of Taihu Lake to close the power gap between myself and the other Mother Empresses as quickly as possible."

Shen Jie’s expression was one of astonishment, which then shifted to contemplation.