Ant Lord in the Star Realm

The inside of the Ant Nest was chilled by the heights of winter.

Dragon Cypress awoke from slumber.

Its body swelled and set in form, carapace rapidly hardening.

Body length barely reached around 90 centimeters; as a Male Ant, it was innately lacking, always a little shorter than Ink Orchid.

But precisely because it was that bit shorter, Dragon Cypress could pass through the Starship crevice while still at the Age Period 2 High-Level Ant King stage.

Spiritual power unfolded, spreading along the Ant Nest's passageways.

The augmentation effect of the Divine-Given Ghost Fan manifested; the soul-strengthening effect of the Six Path Subunits seemed to emerge as well. The maximum detection radius of spiritual power abruptly soared to about 35 meters.

—In theory, at the High-Level Ant King stage, spiritual power's maximum range could reach over a hundred meters; there remains much room for growth!

—Later on, Divine-Given Ghost Fans acquired should be eaten by me and Ink Orchid as much as possible.

Dragon Cypress was very satisfied with this post-evolution increase in spiritual power.

By rough estimation, he could now control the Dominating Throne and fly to Ghost Fan Mountain in just three days; to Black Lotus Lake, only a day and a half; and to the nearest Molan Mountain, it took just a bit over half a day.

Dragon Cypress shook its tentacles; two Blue Ants approached, offering Ant Honey.

After eating some and resting a bit to recover, he connected with the Dominating Throne and activated the Messenger function.

[Please select Messenger type]

[Guardian of Strength]

[Guardian of Hydrology]

[Producer of Agriculture]

[Producer of Refinement]

The Ant Kingdom was still vigorously replenishing Soldier Ants.

Dragon Cypress selected [Guardian of Strength]

The Dominating Throne immediately relayed quantity options.

[Please select quantity]

[Quantity 1]

[Quantity 2]

...

[Quantity 7]

As expected, with Age Period 1 evolving to Age Period 2 High-Level Ant King, the ant egg limit per batch hadn't changed.

That meant only as an Age Period 4 High-Level Ant King could you increase it to eight ant eggs.

Dragon Cypress conservatively chose [Quantity 4]

…

…

…

Dragon Cypress had awakened in the middle of the night, head buried in Ant Honey to recover from exertion.

Fragrant Cypress stepped in cautiously.

"Great King, you are awake."

"Mm—"

Dragon Cypress asked, "Fragrant Cypress, how many days have I slept?"

Fragrant Cypress: "Four whole days, plus a little of the night."

So it had gone quite smoothly.

Dragon Cypress wiggled his tentacles, feeling quite well himself.

"Fragrant Cypress, do you need something?"

"Great King—"

Fragrant Cypress lightly swayed her tentacles, faint sadness surfacing in her emotions.

A Large Worker Ant entered Dragon Cypress's nest chamber.

On the back of the Large Worker Ant stood a Little Worker Ant.

The Little Worker Ant held in its mouth the intact body of a small Worker Ant.

"Great King—"

Fragrant Cypress said sorrowfully, "A Worker Ant has passed away... died of natural old age."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Dragon Cypress sighed inwardly.

Worker Ants cultivated by the Dominating Throne had slightly longer lifespans, but only by a few years.

This dead Little Worker Ant was still recognizable to Dragon Cypress; it was among the very first batch bred when he settled on Xianglan Mountain. It had worked in the Hatchery for ten years...

If one dies of old age, it means those micro, small, medium, and large Worker Ants and Soldier Ants bred at the Primary-Level Ant King stage, plus the Specialized Worker and Soldier Ants, would gradually enter their periods of decline, and then ...

The Ant Kingdom was no longer young, and the cycle of generations had begun.

From now on, new ants would continuously be born in the Ant Nest, but old ants would also steadily age and die.

Semi-Origin Force Life of low, medium, and high levels might only live from about a dozen to forty or fifty years, just like Azure flowers—blooming briefly and then withering away.

"...Fragrant Cypress."

Dragon Cypress composed himself and instructed, "Bury it under the Green Torreya Life Seed Tree at the mountaintop."

"Understood. Great King."

Fragrant Cypress led the Worker Ants out of the nest.

Dragon Cypress spat out the Silver Cypress Life Seed incubated at Age Period 1 High-Level Ant King stage, carefully storing it for sowing next spring, then took a Black Lotus Seed into his Life Pouch, as the seed for nurturing in Age Period 2.

He pondered for a long time, then rose and walked through the Ant Nest for a careful inspection.

...

South Mountain Restaurant.

"Dragon Cypress, you're awake." Ink Orchid greeted him, already certain Dragon Cypress's evolution would go smoothly, so not surprised.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King."

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple also greeted him.

The two of them knew that flattery was useless on Dragon Cypress, so simply omitted it.

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to exit the cave, body shifting larger, then turned back to ask, "I'm heading down to check the mountain, do you want to come?"

"Together!"

"Let's go down!"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple cheered, flapping their wings to land on the Throne.

Ink Orchid followed out of the Ant Nest, leaping onto the Throne, "Why isn't the Southern Gorgon ripening yet? Dragon Cypress, go hurry it along."

"Go ask it."

Dragon Cypress steered the Dominating Throne aloft toward Southern Gorgon Reservoir, but then saw below, along the ant roads, Cypress was leading a swarm of Soldier Ants charging up and, upon noticing, they all halted in unison, raising their heads to the sky and waving their tentacles vigorously.

The Dominating Throne descended in a straight line.

"Great King! Great King!"

Cypress called out excitedly, "Southern Gorgon fruit is ripe! Source Stone!"

"Dragon Cypress?" Ink Orchid asked.

Dragon Cypress: "Southern Gorgon has entered fruiting, needs Source Stone."

"I'll go fetch it!" Ink Orchid tossed down these words, kicked off to the air, sped to the Ant Nest mouth halfway up the mountain, slipped in and vanished.

"Cypress! Go notify Round Cypress and Fragrant Cypress!"

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne, accelerating towards Southern Gorgon Reservoir.

The windless winter day.

Intense pheromones permeated the air.

Eighty Specialized Blue Soldiers and forty Large Blue Soldiers stood beneath each cluster of gorgon fruit, arrayed in full battle posture.

The hills and forests around the reservoir were scattered with patrolling Soldier Ants, who, upon receiving the pheromone signal, moved to converge here, surrounding the reservoir in layers.

"Southern Gorgon?"

"The fruit is about to ripen! Source Stone!"

"Ink Orchid took it."

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurr—"

Within Southern Gorgon's urging, Ink Orchid arrived, clutching a Spider Silk Bag, landing at an angle atop the Throne.

They waited for a bit.

Fragrant Cypress arrived with Worker Ants.

The Dominating Throne docked at the shore.

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacles, directing the Specialized Blue Ants ashore.

Fragrant Cypress instructed the Large Worker Ants to collect the Source Stone.

Specialized Blue Ants loaded up the Large Worker Ants, trekking over the water, taking up positions beneath the lush leaves of each gorgon cluster, scraping Source Stone powder and scattering it onto the water surface.

As if holding back all along, Southern Gorgon suddenly erupted, swiftly absorbing Origin Force.

To the east of the mountains, Round Cypress led a great many Worker Ants from excavating Shandong Reservoir to join them.

Spiked Cypress, stationed at the western peaks' fortress, also sensed the commotion and brought Soldier Ants back to join in the excitement.

Southern Gorgon Reservoir was encircled by three tiers.

From morning till mid-afternoon, five hundred pieces of Source Stone were used up, and Southern Gorgon's Origin Force absorption started to slow.

By dusk, everything returned to calm.

"Cypress, lead all Blue Soldiers and fifty Specialized Soldier Ants to garrison Southern Gorgon Reservoir."

"Spiked Cypress, take a hundred Soldier Ants to patrol and secure the other Life Seeds within the territory."

Dragon Cypress issued concise orders.

"Yes, Great King."

"Understood, Great King."

Cypress and Spiked Cypress answered crisply.

Fragrant Cypress and Round Cypress led the Worker Ants back to the nest.

Southern Gorgon, still unsatisfied, clamored noisily for more Source Stone.

Dragon Cypress ignored it, controlling the Dominating Throne—carrying Ink Orchid, Blue Catalpa, and Snakebark Maple—to swing by the Azure Blue Reservoir.

Azure was shrewd in its management; lush aquatic plants grew around the reservoir, drawing frogs and a variety of waterfowl to forage, while inside the reservoir, great and small fish swam in shoals.

Gradually, Dragon Cypress began to discern Azure's purpose.

The various plants and creatures formed a thriving web of ecology, shaping an environment ideal for the growth of the Deep Blue God-Given Seed.

Azure would, according to its own preferences and needs, transform its living environment.