Vaslarld, leader of the Qiya People, could hardly believe that a spacefaring civilization had evolved naturally in the Northern Realm.
"Are they mechanical life-forms?" he asked in astonishment.
Zhang Fan shook his head. "No, they're biological organisms. After our Insect Race studied their genetic structure, we found that they could be considered relatives of you Qiya People. We could loosely call them Second-Generation Qiya People."
Vaslarld's thoughts were in disarray, his half-mechanical brain working furiously. "That makes no sense. Mechanical and half-mechanical beings both evolve faster than biological life. And in terms of overall capabilities, biological organisms simply can't compare with mechanical life-forms."
Zhang Fan shot him a glare, then smiled. "Don't forget that our Insect Race is biological too. We hardly fall short of you in combat strength, do we?"
Vaslarld immediately realized he had misspoken and hastily corrected himself. "That's not what I meant. No one can compare with the Insect Race in combat strength. But if someone wants to build a powerful army quickly, mechanical or half-mechanical bodies are the fastest choice."
Zhang Fan nodded. "Yes, mechanical and half-mechanical beings can skip the evolutionary stages. But on Earth, we have a saying: haste makes waste."
The two had barely finished speaking when Nexis arrived to report, "Overlord, humanity's newly appointed leader, Ouyang Jie, has come to pay his customary visit."
Escorted by several dozen people, Ouyang Jie entered the Council Hall and bowed to Zhang Fan. "Ouyang Jie, third leader of the Human Federation, has come to pay his respects to the Insect Race Overlord."
Zhang Fan carefully sized up humanity's newly appointed leader. He looked only about thirty. Though refined and courteous, he gave off a faint sense of ruthlessness and concealed ambition.
"Congratulations on your appointment. Leader Ouyang Jie, what are your thoughts on the