Ant Lord in the Star Realm

"Southern Gorgon."

"Dragon Cypress, where did you run off to?"

"North. Ink Orchid and I went searching for a Source Stone mine."

"Source Stone mine?"

"It's a mountain that spawns loads of Source Stones, you can dig up a ton of them there."

"Oh! Did you find it?"

"No—"

"Oh~"

Southern Gorgon rejects Origin Force Life, but doesn't feel anything toward the Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple on the Throne.

The two of them are too small, too weak, not worth mentioning.

"Dragon Cypress, what kind of insects are they?"

"Sky Ox Little Warriors."

"Why did you catch them?"

"Ink Orchid and I found them at a Land of Origin Force called 'White Lotus Lake'. We're planning to raise them strong, and then settle them somewhere. Once they're developed and powerful, they can join Cloud Trace Continent's trade circle."

"Oh!" Southern Gorgon said with relief, "You finally did something smart. You and Ink Orchid should protect and raise little warriors, and get other warriors to raise more as well. Only when the insect population rises can your trading business grow, then you'll be able to earn more Source Stones."

Hehe~

Do I need you to teach me?

Dragon Cypress ignored this, piloting the Dominating Throne at low altitude to check over Southern Gorgon's fruits.

They're growing well, probably just like Northern Gorgon's, maturing in winter.

"Southern Gorgon, do you need some extra fertilizer?"

"I need Source Stones."

"No Source Stones left."

"What about the Source Stones you made from trading?"

"All exchanged for precious Origin Force Food and stockpiled. Can't cash in until the year after next."

"How much did you hoard?"

"Not much—"

"You have a rest. I'll go set the two little warriors up with a place to stay first." Dragon Cypress directed the Dominating Throne up into the air, floating towards the mountains.

The noisy Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple suddenly quieted down.

"What's wrong?" asked Dragon Cypress.

Blue Catalpa: "So jealous."

Snakebark Maple: "When will I ever be as rich as Dragon Cypress Ant King."

Blue Catalpa: "Afraid it'll never happen in my life."

Snakebark Maple: "Yeah. So jealous I could die."

These two...

Little warriors who can survive in the wild do have some skills.

Ink Orchid, who was waiting nearby, flapped her wings, took off, and landed on the Throne.

"Dragon Cypress, where are they going to stay?"

"Let them stay at South Mountain Restaurant for now. Find a piece of deadwood, dig a tree hole for their nest."

"What about Origin Force Food?"

"Fragrant Cypress is commanding the Blue Ants to make Refinement Ant Honey."

Dragon Cypress led the two little ones around the mountain territory, setting up a place for them to stay.

Evening.

Ink Orchid brought back a wild boar she had hunted.

Spiked Cypress caught wild rabbit, pheasant, squirrel, snake, crab and other wild fare.

Cypress fished in the reservoir.

Fragrant Cypress directed the Worker Ants to boil up soup, cut up ingredients.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple huddled in a corner of the restaurant, their four tentacles shaking and buzzing.

—— What are they doing?

—— Told you they were vicious.

—— Are they preparing to eat?

—— Obviously.

—— Such a ferocious way to eat.

—— Well, they're ants after all.

—— Will they eat us?

—— Probably not. We're so small, no meat to us.

"What are you two afraid of?" Ink Orchid scolded with displeasure, taking two wooden dishes and placing them in front of a Blue Ant with a bowl of Origin Force Ant Honey.

The Blue Ant understood, put a blob of Ant Honey on each wooden dish.

Ink Orchid: "Hungry? Origin Force Ant Honey, have a taste."

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple waved their tentacles to sense, then went up and started tasting.

So sweet.

Too sweet.

Not tasty.

But, definitely Origin Force Food!

The two of them buried their heads and licked.

Ink Orchid took two pieces of pork heart, hung them on hooked branches, and put them in the stone pot to cook.

"This is good, eat more. Dip it in Ant Honey."

Blue Catalpa: "I don't eat meat."

Snakebark Maple: "Sky Ox eat trees."

Dragon Cypress couldn't help but remind, "After evolving into Origin Force Life, just eating fruits and trees can't provide the energy and nutrition needed for evolution. When I was in Ten-Thousand Tribes Continent, I visited a number of Sky Ox Tribes, and their little warriors had to eat meat every so often. As they evolve further, they gradually shift to being meat-based, with fresh fruits and branches as supplements."

"Oh—"

"Awesome—"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple nodded as if half-understood, instinctively resistant, perfunctorily amazed.

Snakebark Maple was a bit braver, tried tearing off a shred of meat, dipped it in Origin Force Ant Honey and tasted it.

"Eh! It's not sweet like this."

"How does it taste?"

"Not bad."

"Not tasty?"

"Try it yourself."

...

The food wasn't even ready, but the two little ones started eating first. Under Ink Orchid's stern gaze, they reluctantly finished the two pieces of meat.

Dragon Cypress set a rule: Every time they return from a far trip, everyone must gather for a grand banquet.

Round Cypress, Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, and Cypress all reported on their territories, discussed problems if any, and if not, planned together about next steps for development.

This went on from dusk till deep into the night.

A drilled tree trunk was set up in the South Mountain Restaurant, where Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple stayed inside.

Ink Orchid didn't feel safe with just the two of them, so she stayed at the South Mountain Restaurant too.

The next day.

Ink Orchid took the two little ones around to sightsee, and showed them all the kinds of Spring Orchids she grew herself.

Dragon Cypress, meanwhile, patrolled the mountains, checking on territory development progress.

The canal from Shanxi Reservoir to Southern Gorgon and Northern Gorgon Reservoirs had already been dug out.

Round Cypress was leading the ant colony to open up new fields on some cliff slopes. Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid had managed to get 100 Purple Kiwifruit Seeds from the Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, the seedlings in the nursery had already grown, pruned at the end of autumn, and would be transplanted next spring, fruiting that same year.

Next, Shandong Reservoir needed to be built.

Then more nurseries needed to be plowed, to get ready for large-scale seedling raising, large-scale new land clearing, and building orchards.

According to Dragon Cypress's plan, every inch of land on Xianglan Mountain would be fully used, planting cypress trees and all kinds of top-level fruit trees from the continent both up the mountain and down below.

But Dragon Cypress's ambitions didn't stop there.

In the future, Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, Molan Mountain, Jianlan Plain, even White Lotus Lake and Black Lotus Lake, would all be covered in all sorts of top-level plants.

Through large-scale cultivation, they could selectively get divine-given seeds.

...

Dragon Cypress had always placed great emphasis on the fighting power of the Ant Kingdom.

After nurturing all through spring and summer, there were now 112 high-level specialized soldier ants, 103 large soldier ants.

There were 63 soldier ant larvae in the nest.

The number of high-level soldier ants was still far from enough. It wasn't enough even to guard the mountain fortress on the west side.

Breeding had to continue.

The numbers of high-level specialized soldier ants and large soldier ants had to reach at least a thousand each.

As the number of soldier ants rises, the Blue Ants that support them must also increase appropriately.

The number of Blue Soldiers for fishing and Worker Ants for chores also had to be supplemented appropriately.

At least two or three years would be needed for this to be completed.

The Dominating Throne was producing Ant Eggs too slowly.

…

…

…

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple were lively and smart. Realizing Ink Orchid was easy to talk to, they stuck to her side every step.

Ink Orchid took them everywhere, gathering wild fruit.

Little warriors in their early age period grow fast.

Half a month later,

After eating less than 200 Source Stones' worth of Origin Force food, Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple each went into evolution hibernation using the Dominating Throne.

Stage 3, Primary-Level Sky Ox Warriors, Dragon Cypress picked Purple Kiwifruit as their next Life Seed.

They could evolve to age stage 4 in winter.

The following spring, they'd reach stage 5.

With two 5th age Sky Ox Little Warriors teaming up, their survival ability would greatly increase.

To avoid repeating Origin Force foods, next year they'd have to get other kinds of top-level plant seeds from the caravan.

Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, and other insects on Cloud Trace Continent all had this need.

...

"Blue Catalpa. Snakebark Maple."

"Great King, awaiting your orders."

"..."

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid and I have business in the south, will you stay on the mountain?"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple exchanged glances, then turned to Ink Orchid.

—— Ink Orchid, are you going to Scarletlight Mountain too?

—— To help that Nine-Star Li Warrior with evolution?

—— Take me along.

—— Take me too!

—— We can help!

Ink Orchid looked at Dragon Cypress and said softly, "There are soldier ants everywhere on and off the mountain, and they're all fierce. It's not safe for Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple to stay on Xianglan Mountain. Let's take them with us."

Sky Ox chew on wood. Normal Sky Ox are orchard pests, prime targets for the ant colony.

Dragon Cypress was also worried about them running around and being killed by mistake, so simply said, "Alright! Then let's have them see the scenery in the south together."