The Lizardmen heard Zhou Qi's question, and a flash of panic crossed their eyes, but they realized Zhou Qi was still a Human Race, just with special abilities.
Then, a grotesque smile, uglier than crying, spread across his face, his voice sharp and somewhat hoarse: "Human Race, you are nothing but an ant in this world, yet you dare to pry into the world's secrets? What a pipe dream!
Zhou Qi's expression turned cold, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his Mental Power circulated slightly.
The Lizardmen's body instantly twisted and struggled painfully as if gripped tightly by an invisible large hand.
Large patches of scales fell from its body, revealing rough, reddish, wrinkled skin underneath, and a faint fishy smell permeated the air.
"You stinking bugs from underground, you all have this fishy smell once you reveal your true forms," Zhou Qi said, covering his nose, as he smelled the almost identical odor to the monsters he had encountered in the underground Cave.
"You, you actually dare to compare the great Berkrug's people to dirty fish, you heretic!" Several Lizardmen went mad, seemingly forgetting the pain.
"Stop playing word games with me!" Zhou Qi roared, his Aura suddenly surging, pressing down on the surrounding air until it trembled slightly.
"Quickly, honestly confess what evil stuff you're concocting here. Are you trying to summon that monster from underground? Don't force my hand!"
As Zhou Qi intensified the Mental Energy pressure, the Lizardmen's faces showed unbearable pain, and large beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads, splashing tiny droplets on the ground.
The few Lizardmen heard Zhou Qi's words, and their eyes all flashed with surprise, clearly hit by Zhou Qi's words, yet none of them replied.
Zhou Qi's expression became grim; he truly hadn't expected these few Lizardmen to be so stubborn.
"Fine, you won't talk, huh? Do you think I have no other way? I initially went easy on you, considering you're intelligent beings, but you brought this upon yourselves," Zhou Qi said with a grin, getting straight to the point.
Zhou Qi's eyes glowed as his Mental Energy directly destroyed the mental defenses of one of the Lizardmen, connecting to its inner mind.
Scenes flashed before Zhou Qi's eyes like a rapidly playing movie.
"Underground World, Lizardmen Race, controlling the world from behind the scenes, transforming into Human Race to replace the world's Human Race high-ranking officials to control the surface world, resurrecting the half-Lizardmen's god, Titan: Berkrug..."
With a "thud," the half-Lizardmen whose inner mind Zhou Qi had forcibly destroyed and viewed fell to the ground, its pupils turned white, utterly dead.
The other three, seeing this scene, were all startled, their muscles twitching constantly.
Zhou Qi paid no attention, still immersed in the Lizardmen's memories, his face growing increasingly somber. These mad half-Lizardmen were plotting a shocking conspiracy to overturn the world.
When he withdrew his Mental Energy, his eyes blazed with fury, wishing he could instantly grind these monsters before him to dust.
"You lunatics, do you really think you can overthrow the world?" Zhou Qi's voice was low and icy.
With a wave of his hand, Mental Power, like an invisible rope, tightly bound the few Lizardmen, rendering them immobile.
The leading Lizardmen was still resisting stubbornly; despite its body being restrained, it continued to roar: "You can't stop it! The day Lord Berkrug awakens is the day our race will reappear from underground!"
Its voice was filled with madness and unwillingness, and its sharp tone echoed in the silent mountain forest, appearing exceptionally terrifying.
Zhou Qi ignored its clamor, repeatedly pondering the information he had obtained from the Lizardmen's memories.
The deep pit in this canyon in the Huangshi Mountain Range, the soon-to-be-resurrected Titan Berkrug—all of it weighed heavily on his heart like massive stones.
"Speak! How deeply have you infiltrated the surface? Who have you controlled?" Zhou Qi demanded sharply, his gaze sweeping over each Lizardmen like a knife.
This world was truly no longer the original world. Thinking of people around him having their lives taken and the Lizardmen transforming into their appearance, a chill ran down Zhou Qi's spine.
The Lizardmen initially gritted their teeth, refusing to speak, but under the pressure of Zhou Qi's powerful Mental Energy, their psychological defenses gradually crumbled.
A small, thin Lizardmen was the first to cry out: "We... our branch has spies in some major cities, and we've controlled politicians in several small countries... Please let me go!"
Zhou Qi's brows furrowed into a "Sichuan" character, the situation was worse than he had imagined. He paced back and forth, contemplating a solution.
Suddenly, Zhou Qi thought about whether he could strengthen them into his dependents to infiltrate the Lizardmen's race.
No sooner said than done, Zhou Qi saw that the sky was gradually turning white.
With a thought, the Rank 10 Annam Centipede spewed venom from its mouth, dissolving all the dead Lizardmen, and Zhou Qi's Mental Power wrapped around several large stones, blocking the cave entrance leading underground in the canyon.
Looking at the human remains on the ground, not knowing where they were from, Zhou Qi felt a pang of pity. He manipulated Mental Energy to dig a deep pit and buried them, considering it a peaceful resting place.
Then, his vast Mental Power surged forth, carrying himself and the three Lizardmen to the White Snake Mountain Underground Base.
Along the way, Zhou Qi did not stop, flying relentlessly until he reached the sky above the Underground Base, bringing the three Lizardmen into the Underground Base.
"Where is this place? What do you want to do with us?" one of the Lizardmen said in terror, looking at the dependents surrounding them.
At this moment, Fourth-Order Four煞 Insect Soldiers and Fourth-Order Spiked Horned Beetles, bred over the past few days, surrounded the Lizardmen.
Now, the Eight-Order Army Ant Queen had bred over 500 of both types of dependents in the Underground Base.
Even a Rank 10 Annam Centipede would die a few times, so escaping from their numerous hands was out of the question.
Zhou Qi brought the previously leading Lizardmen to his side and pressed his palm against it.
The Lizardmen closed its eyes, thinking Zhou Qi was going to kill it, but he only placed his hand on its forehead.
"Ding, do you want to consume 100,000 Evolution Points to upgrade the Intermediate lifeform Lizardmen to First-Order Lizardmen? This enhancement requires consuming one animal enhancement slot."
Zhou Qi looked at it; it was still an Intermediate lifeform, and the Evolution Points required for enhancement were not too many.
"Ding, 100,000 Evolution Points consumed. Lizardmen enhanced to First-Order Lizardmen. Congratulations, Host, you have gained Elementary favorability with the First-Order Lizardmen."
The Lizardmen's injuries gradually recovered, its overall size increased by a circle, and the horns on the back of its neck and head turned into two. Most importantly, its gaze towards Zhou Qi was filled with favorability.
It was at this moment that Zhou Qi truly felt the power of this Evolution Space!
...