Ant Lord in the Star Realm

With the increasing population of the Ant Kingdom, food was definitely becoming a major problem.

In recent years, due to overhunting, the number of large animals near Xianglan Mountain had noticeably decreased.

A hunting ban would have to be imposed for a while.

Dragon Cypress had set his sights on Black Lotus Lake long ago.

This lake had been formed naturally and was irregular in shape.

Overall, it was over 3,000 meters long, nearly 2,000 meters wide, and covered an area of about 5 to 6 square kilometers.

A river flowed into its northwest end and out from its southwest end.

The lake teemed with a variety of fish, big and small, seemingly inexhaustible.

...

The Dominating Throne hovered low in the sky.

Dragon Cypress lay at the edge of the Throne, watching the battle.

The Worker Ants who followed him crowded around to join in the excitement, forming a circle at the edge of the Throne. As far as the eye could see, there were only the dark heads of ants.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Cypress decided to showcase his ability. Walking on water, he locked onto a large green fish nearly a meter long. He directed 40 Specialized Blue Soldiers to move quietly in an arc, encircling and converging on the target. They then dived, secured the fish, and collectively used their Water Control Ability to trap it within a Water Sphere, pulling it to the surface together.

With a wave of his tentacle, Cypress signaled. Twenty Large Blue Soldiers ran across the water, swarming the fish and tearing at it.

After a flurry of violent struggling, the large green fish was bitten into a sorry state, barely alive. Finally, two Specialized Blue Soldiers dragged it to the shore.

"Go, Cypress!" Fragrant Cypress cheered, waving his tentacles and simultaneously directing 5 Large Worker Ants and 10 Small Worker Ants to come forward, dissect the catch, feed it to the Blue Ants for Refinement, and store it.

The Blue Soldiers can fish, but sadly they haven't inherited my Strength System Talent. Their strength is insufficient for close combat.

Dragon Cypress silently assessed.

Cypress realized the problem and stopped showing off. He adjusted his tactics: the 40 Specialized Blue Soldiers were divided into eight groups of five. They searched for schools of fish, encircled them, dived, and collaborated using their Water Control Ability to capture fish about 20 centimeters long—neither too big nor too small.

Eight shads were trapped in Water Spheres and pulled from the water.

Twenty Large Blue Soldiers pounced.

After a fierce struggle, one got away, leaving only seven caught.

They were brought ashore and handed over to the Worker Ants for dissection, then to the Blue Ants for Refinement.

Looking back, the schools of fish had been disturbed and scattered.

Cypress led the Blue Soldiers across the water's surface, searching once more.

The efficiency is a bit low.

If the number of both Specialized Blue Soldiers and Large Blue Soldiers is increased to 80, the efficiency could increase fourfold.

Corresponding numbers of Blue Ants and Worker Ants would also be needed for transportation, requiring me to make several trips back and forth.

It's a waste of time! Far less efficient than hunting near the Divine Force Barrier.

During the winter downtime, I could consider fishing in Black Lotus Lake to supplement the Ant Kingdom's food stores for the coming spring.

A hunting ban in winter and spring...

After a brief observation, Dragon Cypress had some plans in mind.

Cypress found a school of white-striped fish near the edge of the lake. He adjusted his formation again, having the Specialized Soldier Ants hunt in pairs.

These white-striped fish were only a few to a dozen centimeters long. Offering little resistance, twenty of them were easily captured and brought ashore by the Large Blue Soldiers.

The Blue Ants and Worker Ants on the shore now understood what everyone was doing and were clear and familiar with their own tasks, requiring no further instructions.

Dragon Cypress steered the Dominating Throne toward the shore.

White Willow gently beat her wings and followed.

Dragon Cypress called out, "White Willow, bring Fragrant Cypress up here. Let's go for a look around nearby."

He continued, "Fragrant Cypress, come up. I'll teach you how to direct the Worker Ants to dig a Marsh Gas Pool."

White Willow picked up Fragrant Cypress and gently placed him on the Throne.

The Dominating Throne took off, flying to a chosen spot on a nearby hill where it landed.

After briefly instructing Fragrant Cypress, Dragon Cypress let him try directing the Worker Ants to start digging.

… … …

After settling the tasks for Cypress and Fragrant Cypress, Dragon Cypress set out. Traveling at night, he returned to Xianglan Mountain to bring back 50 Specialized Blue Ants and 30 Large and Medium Worker Ants.

This time, without being overloaded, the Dominating Throne flew faster. It set out in the morning and arrived by the evening of the next day.

「Lakeside.」

From a distance, he could see Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, White Willow, and a large gathering of Blue Soldiers, Blue Ants, and Worker Ants.

What's going on?

What happened?

Curious, Dragon Cypress had the Dominating Throne speed up.

White Willow took to the air to meet him, performing a backward somersault in mid-air, retreating in sync with the Dominating Throne.

"Dragon Cypress!" White Willow called.

"Has Ink Orchid still not arrived?" Dragon Cypress asked.

"No... What are Cypress and Fragrant Cypress doing?"

"They're boiling water."

Dragon Cypress was baffled. "Boiling water?"

"Then they put the fish they catch into it to scald them."

"And then? Does it make Refinement easier?"

"It tastes a little better," White Willow replied.

"Uhh..." Dragon Cypress was still trying to understand.

As the Dominating Throne approached, Cypress and Fragrant Cypress hurriedly waved their antennae in greeting.

"Great King!"

"Great King, you've come!"

"Great King, eat fish!"

"Cooked fish!"

"Delicious!"

"You try it!"

Dragon Cypress scanned the area. The 10 Specialized Blue Ants and 10 Great Blue Ants he had brought last time already had their abdomens full of food.

Cypress must have been bored, as he was commanding the Specialized Blue Soldiers to play around.

Bamboo Tubes, made by piercing holes in bamboo and tying Spider Silk Rope through them, were originally for White Willow to fetch Swamp Water.

Now they were being used to fetch water, heat it, and then cook fish.

Other ingredients had been added to the Bamboo Tube as well.

"Fragrant Cypress, is the Marsh Gas Pool dug out?" Dragon Cypress asked sharply.

"Not yet—" Fragrant Cypress began to explain. "Cypress found a kind of wild herb. When boiled in water with the fish, it makes the fish taste a bit better. He didn't recognize it, so he asked me to identify it, but I don't recognize it either..."

Cypress quickly interjected, "Great King, I've finished my work!"

Dragon Cypress picked up a blade of grass from the ground. "Alright then." He brought it closer, his antennae touching and sniffing it. "Is this harvested from the water's edge?"

"Yes," Cypress confirmed.

Dragon Cypress mused, "This is Water Shield... Is it edible?"

Inside the Bamboo Tube, there weren't just tender Water Shield leaves; the ingredients were quite numerous, including Lotus Seeds and several kinds of pulpy fruits.

"It's edible too, but not very tasty," Cypress replied.

Fragrant Cypress added, "When boiled with fish, the fish meat tastes a bit better."

"The fish must be cleaned thoroughly," Cypress chimed in.

Fragrant Cypress continued, "You can also add other things, like Lotus Seeds. And the dried fruit of this herb has a very unique fragrance..."

Having overindulged in Ant Honey during their Larvae stage, had they been cultivated into foodies?

Dragon Cypress picked up one of the dried fruits and sniffed it, scrutinizing it carefully. "This looks like a Fragrant Fruit. It could also be some kind of Cardamom. They're related; most of them have distinct scents."

Ants are exceptionally sensitive to scents. After becoming Origin Force Life forms, as their Evolution Level rises, the range of their diet expands, allowing them to accept a wider variety of fragrances.

Dragon Cypress found the scent pleasing.

"Great King, please try it too!" Fragrant Cypress urged.

Cypress immediately directed three Specialized Blue Ants to activate their abilities in unison, Heating the water in the Bamboo Tube until it was Boiling.

Fragrant Cypress then commanded a Worker Ant to toss a gutted and beheaded white-striped fish into the Bamboo Tube.

It cooked for a while.

A lucky Worker Ant was chosen. Prompted by a pat from Fragrant Cypress's antennae, it came forward and fished the fish out of the Boiling Water.

"Great King, eat it while it's hot!"

Dragon Cypress gently touched it with his antennae.

Indeed! The unpleasant fishy odor was diminished, largely masked by the scent of the Fragrant Fruit.

He lowered his head and took a taste.

Compared to eating it raw, the texture was completely different.

It was indeed better; the texture had improved.

"You two are really something!" Dragon Cypress praised them lavishly. "So, this is possible..." He then turned his head. "White Willow, go catch another snake, or perhaps a wild rabbit. Let's try boiling it."

"Okay!" White Willow's wings flapped as she took off vertically. She flew low and fast along the lakeside, then suddenly swooped down, snatched up a Black-Striped Snake, and headed back.

Dragon Cypress personally instructed the Worker Ants. They stripped the skin off the snake, gutted it, rinsed it with clean water, and cut it into pieces before throwing them into the Bamboo Tube.

He personally activated his Boiling ability, Heating the water.

The Great King was showing his might! Seeing this, the surrounding Worker Ants backed away, nudging each other. "You go get it!"

They couldn't resist their curiosity about the spectacle, yet they were afraid of being chosen to fetch food from the Boiling Water; they were torn.

After it boiled for a while, Dragon Cypress didn't make it difficult for the Worker Ants; he personally used his claws to fish out the snake meat.

He took a taste; the flavor had completely changed, becoming more palatable and delicious.

Once eaten, it was clearly easier to digest and absorb.

This was impressive indeed!

"I'll go catch some more things to try," Dragon Cypress announced.

Dragon Cypress went into the woods himself, bringing back wild rabbits, moles, wild chickens, and rails, among other things.

He tried cooking each one.

Without exception, once boiled in the hot water, their taste and texture underwent a qualitative transformation.

Dragon Cypress had previously seen Mountain Lord Level Insect Clan Warriors with awakened Fire System abilities roast food with fire, and their flavor was said to be very good.

He never imagined that boiling with water would work too!

Moreover, by adding various plant leaves, branches, and fruits that ants liked to the water, the flavor became even more wonderful.

This was a major discovery that would revolutionize the Kingdom's dietary habits!

Our Civilization had advanced!

"Cypress! Fragrant Cypress!"

"You two, get back to your tasks and do them well!"

Dragon Cypress rebuked them solemnly, but then his tone softened. "Later, I will procure a Metal vessel. From now on, when we eat meat, we shall boil it!"