Ant Lord in the Star Realm

——Will Sang make it?

——Definitely!

——What if it fails?

——Then the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed will belong to Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid.

——Then why are we still helping Sang?

——Ink Orchid is a beautiful and kind Flower Mantis Warrior.

——Dragon Cypress Ant King is, too.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple drilled two holes into the Great Locust Tree beside the cave, opening up tree nests, the two little ones lounging at the entrance, tentacles swaying idly as they chatted disinterestedly.

They knew Dragon Cypress's spiritual power was strong, able to perceive their conversation, so they only said pleasant things.

Sensing Origin Force fluctuations, Ink Orchid flew back.

"Dragon Cypress, how is it?"

"Stable."

"No problems?"

"No problems discovered at the moment."

"Sigh—"

Ink Orchid let out a long sigh.

The auxiliary power of the Dominating Throne only provided ample Origin Force, shortening the time needed for evolution and reducing physical loss. It was effective for Molting Evolution, but couldn't guarantee a hundred percent success.

The injuries on Sang were truly too severe, making both Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid anxious and worried.

They waited in nervous uncertainty for two days.

The Dominating Throne kept absorbing Natural Primordial Force at a steady rate, indicating Sang's condition was stable.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid felt a bit relieved.

They waited another two days, but saw no further change.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid started to get nervous again.

On the fifth day of Sang's slumber, there was still no response.

——Isn't Sang supposed to wake up by now?

——Why hasn't it woken up yet?

——Could it be... that?

——But there are still Origin Force fluctuations, aren't there?

——But it's already been so many days.

——Yeah.

The chattering Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple realized something was wrong and fell silent, anxiety written all over them.

The autumn cicadas in the tree prolonged their shrill cry. The young Little Warriors couldn't stay still, crawling out of the tree hollow to climb the tree and shoo them off.

Another day and night passed.

Dawn broke faintly. Ink Orchid suddenly awoke from sleep, sensing Origin Force fluctuations, spread its wings and nudged Dragon Cypress beside it.

"Dragon Cypress—"

"Rest assured."

"The Throne's absorption of Origin Force has slowed down."

"Maybe it's entering the very last stage of the slumber evolution."

But more likely, Sang's life was fading.

Many insects perished soundlessly in evolution sleep, their life spent before waking.

A sorrowful mood spread between Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid.

And passed on to the confusedly-awakening Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple.

The wind howled, dark clouds billowed in from the sea.

Lightning and torrential rain.

Are they really about to witness the passing of an elder from the Insect Clan?

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, the two little ones, suddenly grew uneasy and at a loss.

The rain stopped.

The sun rose.

The sun set.

The moon ascended.

The silver moon shone bright.

——Seven days now.

——Sang still hasn't woken up.

——Maybe it...

——...won't wake up again.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple couldn't sleep, drooping their tentacles, spirits low, deeply feeling the hardship and perils of Life Evolution at their young age.

——Will we have a Divine-Given Seed?

——We definitely will.

——Will we die?

——The earth gives life to all things, and all things eventually return to the earth.

——Sang cleared away all the common plants around the cave, leaving only this Great Locust Tree.

——It must really like this locust tree.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple crawled out of the tree hollow, down under the locust tree, and began digging a hole.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid watched them in silence, not stopping them.

The Dominating Throne's Origin Force absorption had slowed to about one third of the initial stage of evolution, and continued slowing, a sign that life was on the brink.

"Dragon Cypress, maybe… we should forcefully wake Sang?" Ink Orchid suggested.

Maybe if they tried to save it now, Sang might yet live.

If they waited any longer, Sang might...

Dragon Cypress gently shook its tentacles, rejecting Ink Orchid's proposal.

Forcibly waking Sang might save its life, but failing in Molting Evolution would mean losing the chance to advance further, dragging on with a badly injured, crippled body, living only a few more years.

In Dragon Cypress's belief, life was not about survival, but about hope.

——Natural God, please help Sang.

Ink Orchid silently prayed to the full moon.

Suddenly,

On the dark sky, a point of white light flashed.

Ink Orchid spread its wings, just about to call Dragon Cypress to look, but the white light vanished.

Was it a mistake?

It seemed something flashed just now.

Ink Orchid froze. In that dazed moment, a violent fluctuation of Origin Force erupted from inside the cave.

Ink Orchid: "???"

Dragon Cypress jumped up, "A turn for the better?!"

Dragon Cypress turned to look at the wing-spread Ink Orchid, also confused.

"Ink Orchid, did you sense something?"

"I—"

Ink Orchid flicked its tentacles, lifted its forelegs and pointed at the pitch-black sky: "I saw a white light flash in the sky. I was about to call you to look, but it disappeared…"

Ink Orchid hesitated: "Then the Origin Force fluctuation erupted in the cave."

Ink Orchid: "I think I wasn't imagining it."

A white light?

Dragon Cypress looked at the night sky.

The dark and deep night, with the full moon hanging.

Where's the light?

Dragon Cypress was full of question marks.

Ink Orchid: "Maybe I was just lightheaded and imagined it."

Ink Orchid: "Sang will survive!"

Dragon Cypress said seriously: "For now, it's alive and has entered the final stage of slumber evolution. But after waking up, there's still the hurdle of molting to rebirth…"

Ink Orchid grew nervous, "It's slept for more than seven days. Does it have enough physical strength left?"

For a normal Insect Clan Warrior's Age Period Evolution, sleeping seven days isn't much.

But Sang's Comprehensive Physique Enhancement is lacking. Plus, it's injured all over. Sleeping this long is very dangerous.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid both raised their tentacles, waiting anxiously.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple stopped what they were doing, came to Ink Orchid's side, and stared intently at the cave entrance.

The fierce Origin Force fluctuation lasted for a while before subsiding.

The Dominating Throne's Origin Force absorption returned to the rate at the start of Sang's sleep, then quickly slowed, until all was calm again.

By experience, this meant Sang should have woken and shed its old shell...

At this moment was when Sang's evolution was most dangerous.

Success or failure would be decided right here.

Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, Blue Catalpa, and Snakebark Maple all tensed, sealing their breathing holes, forgetting to breathe.

A long, tormenting wait.

The moon set, Venus rose.

The red sun rose from the eastern horizon.

From inside the cave came a rustling.

Two slender tentacles poked through the branches blocking the cave entrance, swinging left and right, pulling the branches aside.

Sang: "Alive—"

Hoo—

Dragon Cypress breathed a sigh of relief, spiritual power sweeping across.

Sang not only survived, its broken tentacle and elytra were whole again, the crack on its left eye healed.

The new carapace was flawless, unmarred by scars.

Only the left middle leg, which was previously broken off at the tibia, was now regenerated after molt, but the new limb was much shorter and thinner than a normal one.

This kind of lost limb would need two to three Age Period Evolutions to fully recover.

Sang not only survived, but its Phase 2 injuries were almost completely healed.

"Ooo~woo~"

"That's great!"

"The effect of the Divine-Given Sky-Blue Persimmon is incredibly strong!"

Ink Orchid cheered excitedly.

"Wow!"

"Oh!"

"What an amazing Divine-Given Seed!"

"Sang's carapace is healed."

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple hopped around in joy.

"Sang, you've slept too long, you must be weak, right? Don't move, eat something first!"

Dragon Cypress trotted to the Great Locust Tree, in front of the wooden Ant Nest, and took out two wooden dishes.

"Sang, what flavor do you like? Lychee? Longan? Mountain Raspberry? Durian? Grape? Mangosteen? Wax Apple? Mango?"

Sang: "..."

Sang: "Mango, I guess."

Dragon Cypress: "You can choose more."

"Mango… Durian… Mangosteen…" Sang was weak to the extreme, its Mental Power spasmodic, only holding on by a breath.

"Okay! Rest, don't move."

Dragon Cypress waved its tentacles. Three Large Blue Ants carrying Refinement Ant Honey stepped out, jogging to the cave entrance.

Placed the wooden dishes.

The Blue Ants stepped up and secreted Ant Honey.

Sang buried its head to lick.

Eating and eating, food constantly added, until the three Large Blue Ants had no Ant Honey left in their abdomens.

Sang looked up, gazing toward the locust tree, confused. It lifted a forefoot, pointed to the freshly-dug pit, and asked:

"What are you doing…"

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Ink Orchid: "..."

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid turned to look at Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple.

Blue Catalpa: "..."

Snakebark Maple: "..."

Everyone thought you were gone…

Unexpectedly,

Sang was moved: "If I died, to have someone dig a hole to bury me, that's actually nice."

Sang shook its tentacles, pointing at the Life Seeds in front of the cave, saying: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Ink Orchid, from now on, all the ordinary Life Seeds produced in my territory will belong to Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple. Until they evolve into High-Level Warriors."