NOVEL NEXT Chapter 105 You Can Also Call Me Father King
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid searched around Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, but didn't find any Divine-Given Seed.
The Divine-Given Seed fruit standing at the center of the Land of Origin Force in Southern Sour Jujube was only half-grown, and likely wouldn't ripen until the autumn of the year after next.
The blossom-fruit cycle of this Mountain Lord Level wild Divine-Given Seed lasts a full five years!
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid loosened the soil and composted for it.
They continued north, passing Black Lotus Lake, delivering Origin Force Food worth 1000 Source Stones to White Willow.
White Willow had now reached mid-level Beautiful Winged Dragonfly Warrior of its second age period.
After a round of questioning, they still couldn't fully figure out the specific strengthening effect of the Black Lotus.
They could only roughly conclude it strengthens the brain, with the side effect… of making insects a bit smarter.
This was an extremely rare, perhaps even unique, type of strengthening.
But it wasn't the type Dragon Cypress liked…
The reason was simple,
If everyone on Cloud Trace Continent became smarter, then how would his roving merchant business grow and thrive?
He was sure no caravan would want to trade in this type of Origin Force Food.
Dragon Cypress had no plans to promote Black Lotus for now.
Just let Ink Orchid eat a bit more.
Mountain Persimmon could use some too, since it's just too slow-witted.
As for White Rice and Black Rice, forget it.
...
Further north, they searched Molan Mountain, but also found nothing.
At last, they returned to Xianglan Mountain.
Silent winter.
Dragon Cypress, controlling the Dominating Throne, floated along the mountain, searching for and transporting suitable rocks back to the South Mountain Reservoir.
As a 9th Age Mid-Level Ant King, Dragon Cypress could easily drag a full-grown wild boar, and carry it alone up to the throne.
Though Ink Orchid didn't have a Strength System talent, it was now a 1st Age High-Level Flower Mantis Warrior, had consumed all sorts of comprehensive physique origin force food, and its strength was no less than Dragon Cypress's.
An ant and a mantis working together could move a boulder fifty times Dragon Cypress's body size with ease.
Unfortunately, the Dominating Throne had its load limits; some especially large rocks had to be cut down before they could be moved.
Silent and ceaseless labor—up north, Molan flowers bloom, all things revive, life stirs.
Spring arrived right on time.
In the nursery,
saplings of Silver Cypress, Large Fruit Round Cypress, Dragon Cypress, Round Cypress and others had basically grown and could be transplanted out.
Large Fruit Hemlock, Green Torreya, Golden Pine Nut, Great King Fir, Dominant Chestnut, Black Emperor Peach, Spotted Star Pear and others had grown enough for relocation to the orchard.
The fruit tree seeds gotten last year from the Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord had been sown in the nursery, Purple Kiwifruit receiving special care.
Most important were the Six Paths Wood seeds carefully cultivated by Dragon Cypress, which were sown in a suitable place and guarded by Giant Cypress and the soldier ants.
Dragon Cypress's Cypress Life Seed plants had grown to heights of four to six meters, producing numerous catkins.
But with Dragon Cypress about to evolve into High-Level Ant King, the life seed plants too would undergo a life level leap and a period of rapid growth.
Without much hesitation, worker ants were sent up to cut off all the catkins. No flowering this year—saving energy for growth over the coming year.
The two Large Fruit Hemlocks planted at the summit surpassed three meters in height, producing their first catkins in their first year.
The Golden Pines were a bit quicker; both Golden Pine Life Seeds had catkins already.
Not a single flower left—everything clipped.
Judging by current trends, it would be next year or the year after, once they grew past five meters tall, before letting them fruit.
...
Currently,
Dragon Cypress had the following common Life Seed plants:
Primary Warrior stage: Dragon Cypress, Round Cypress, Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, Cypress, Dried Fragrant Cypress, Large Fruit Hemlock, Green Torreya;
Intermediate Warrior stage: Golden Pine, Great King Fir, Dominant Chestnut, Black Emperor Peach, Spotted Star Pear, Sky Blue Persimmon, Six Paths Wood.
All were arbors; the cypress trees' growth was on track, production increasing each year, and in another two or three years, the other life seeds would also start producing in turn.
Year by year, these top life seed plants from various tribes across the continent would bring Dragon Cypress abundant returns.
...
An early spring season that left the bugs busy to death.
Dragon Cypress, leading a small group of worker ants, was busy with transplanting fruit trees and tending life seed plants.
Round Cypress led the majority of worker ants, with Spiked Cypress commanding the soldier ants in collaboration, excavating water diversion channels.
Ink Orchid was responsible for its own life seed plants in the northern mountains, and still had to help hunt; there was no time this year to mess with the ordinary orchid grass.
After a dozen days,
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid each finished their own tasks, mobilized 150 specialized worker ants and 500 worker ants, and called in Spiked Cypress and the soldier ants to begin constructing the reservoir dam.
They still worked in layers upward, each layer fifty centimeters high.
Trapezoidal, with each layer fifty centimeters narrower than the last.
The dam was only twenty meters long; Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid worked overtime at night, moving large stones to build the dam margins, not resting until midnight.
Early the next morning, they led worker ants to fill in clay and rubble, compacting the earth.
Four days to complete the first layer.
Less than four days, the second layer was done.
The third layer took only three days…
The ant swarm led by Round Cypress finished the water diversion channel.
Water was drawn from a mountain spring three kilometers away to begin filling the reservoir.
Round Cypress brought a large number of worker ants to join the dam construction, boosting efficiency again.
A layer a day, building upward.
Perhaps the Natural God had witnessed the diligence of Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid—a heavy spring rain fell all through the night.
Streams from a hundred valleys converged, the reservoir water level reached the pond where the Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed was rooted.
Dragon Cypress quickly used the Dominating Throne to transport soft humus for backfilling, raising the pit by half a meter.
Amid the bustle,
A strange, faint, and angry-minded mental power fluctuation suddenly rose from below.
Dragon Cypress poured out the humus from the sheepskin bag, turned his head, and calmly said to Ink Orchid:
"Southern Gorgon has awakened its consciousness."
"Huh?"
"Southern Gorgon has awakened its consciousness."
"I sense it!"
"It's angry. Ink Orchid, step aside."
"…Oh!"
"I'll get some Source Stones." Ink Orchid fluttered away.
Dragon Cypress sent out a friendly intent toward the Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed: "Hello—"
Southern Gorgon sent back an angry mental intent.
Dragon Cypress: "I am Dragon Cypress; you are Southern Gorgon. Me, Dragon Cypress. You, Southern Gorgon."
Southern Gorgon—all anger and confusion.
Dragon Cypress: "I am Dragon Cypress Ant King. I am your creator; I created you. You can also call me… Father King."
Southern Gorgon—questioning, bewildered, raging.
Plants of the Natural God System were certainly ill-tempered.
Its just-awakened consciousness was still fragile—it couldn't be teased recklessly.
Dragon Cypress fell silent for a long time.
"Dragon Cypress Ant King?"
From the bank, Round Cypress shook its tentacles, sending a remote, questioning call.
Dragon Cypress shook his own tentacles, explaining: "Southern Gorgon has awakened its consciousness. Round Cypress, notify Spiked Cypress and have it bring the soldier ants down."
"Yes!" Round Cypress, surrounded by the ant swarm, hurried away.
Ink Orchid, carrying a Spider Silk Bag, rushed over and landed on the Dominating Throne.
The just-calmed Southern Gorgon immediately erupted with strong anger.
Ink Orchid was so startled it ran off right away.
Rip~ sss~
Dragon Cypress opened the Spider Silk Bag, picked up a Source Stone, stood at the edge of the Dominating Throne, and waved it.
"Southern Gorgon. This is a Source Stone!"
Introduction completed.
Mandible teeth grasping, he waved his forelegs, sharp claws scraping, Origin Force powder drifted down.
Feeling the thick, pure Origin Force fluctuation, Southern Gorgon's anger dissipated, replaced by curiosity: What is this?
Dragon Cypress: "Source Stone."
Southern Gorgon: "Source Stone?"
"Source Stone! Source Stone! Source Stone…"
Southern Gorgon projected waves of strong desire and urging.
"Don't worry, all of it is yours." Dragon Cypress reassured.
Southern Gorgon's mood gradually calmed down.
Dragon Cypress: "I am the Ant King. In a bit, I'll have worker ants scrape Source Stones for you."
Southern Gorgon responded with happy, expectant intent: "Source Stone! Source Stone! Source Stone…"
One Source Stone scraped down.
Spiked Cypress also rushed over with twenty Specialized Blue Soldiers.
Round Cypress selected twenty large worker ants, Dragon Cypress gave out Source Stones to each of them.
The large worker ants stood atop the Specialized Blue Soldiers, entered the reservoir, and positioned themselves under the leaves of the eighteen sub-plants and the main plant, scraping the Source Stones in unison, dust drifting down.
It took most of the day to use up one hundred Source Stones.
Southern Gorgon's weak spiritual consciousness stabilized for the first time.
Just awakened to awareness, the mind was still simple; give it a taste, and it immediately recognized and accepted Dragon Cypress.