Ant Lord in the Star Realm

This early summer's trade, all of Dragon Cypress's goods have switched to being canned, with a price tag of 1000 Source Stones per can.

Among them, there are 8 cans of Origin Force Ant Honey which enhances comprehensive physique; 1 can of mixed-effect Origin Force Ant Honey for carapace, senses, body shape optimization, and so on.

In addition, they brought along 3000 Source Stones.

Soldier Ants are still being cultivated, so the Stump Ant Nest can't be left behind.

The Dominating Throne is a bit overloaded, wobbling unsteadily as it flies southward.

...

Just as they approach Scarletlight Mountain, they sense a rhythmic, pulsing Origin Force fluctuation— a sign that the fruit of the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed is about to enter the ripening stage.

Dragon Cypress is always spot-on with timing.

This year's arrival is neither early nor late, just right.

Mulberry senses the Origin Force fluctuation and is already waiting under the Scarletlight Tree.

"Mulberry!"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, those two, are quite pragmatic.

Mulberry provides Source Stones to raise them, so naturally they're especially close to Mulberry.

The Dominating Throne hasn't even approached yet, and the two little guys are already flapping their wings, flying straight to land on Mulberry's back carapace, excitedly reporting on the development situation of their Life Seeds.

"Mulberry." Ink Orchid comes in carrying a big Spider Silk Bag of Source Stones, fanning her wings, gliding to the ground, and greets them.

She looks at Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, clearly annoyed with them.

Dragon Cypress very skillfully lands the Dominating Throne, wobbly as ever.

A simple round of greetings is exchanged.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid get right to unloading the Source Stones first.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple hurry to be the first to tell Mulberry this year's plan:

—Dragon Cypress Ant King said this year's Source Stones are sufficient; 3,000 pieces have been delivered.

—They plan to improve the quality of the Scarletlight Fruit.

—Improved quality means increased price.

—No way we'll lose out.

"That's enough! We have work to do!" Ink Orchid snapped, interrupting:

"You two behave and stay on the Dominating Throne, watch quietly, and don't mess around!"

Ink Orchid forcibly chased Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple off Mulberry's back, and then brought over two heavy mountain rocks for Mulberry: Don't just stand around, help out and smash them together!

Dragon Cypress commands 30 Large Worker Ants, who march out of the Stump Ant Nest, land, dig a shallow pit, then carry the Source Stones over and begin scrapping off Source Stone powder, sprinkling it into the pit.

Dragon Cypress herself also drags two chunks of mountain rock, setting one on the ground, placing a Source Stone on it, then raising the other rock in her forelimbs and smashing down hard—bang, bang, bang—splintering it after three solid hits…

Mulberry and Ink Orchid help out as well.

Beneath the tree, waves of pure, dense Origin Force are released.

The Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed seems to sense this, and its absorption speed of Origin Force skyrockets.

—Wow!

—Oh!

—Such a powerful Divine-Given Seed!

—Only one step away from Lord-Level!

—Dragon Cypress Ant King said, each winter during blooming season, they will invest another 1000 Source Stones to help it grow and evolve.

—So it should happen soon, right?

—When it evolves to Evolution Lord Level, how much return does it generate each year?

—Definitely a lot, right?

—An endless supply of Origin Force Food.

—We need a Divine-Given Seed too.

—That all depends on luck…

—Ink Orchid's luck is especially good…

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple perch atop the Stump Ant Nest, gazing up in awe at the magnificent Divine Tree. After a moment of exclamation, they collapse onto the ground and start chatting idly, then suddenly become all friendly with Ink Orchid again.

Ink Orchid, are you tired?

Nope.

Ink Orchid, take a break, we can help.

Move! Don't mess around. Careful or I'll smash you both with a rock.

...

Started in the late morning, by dusk the 3000 Source Stones were all used up, and the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed's Origin Force absorption rate began to drop.

It finally calmed down by deep into the night.

By now, the south has entered a hot, sweltering season.

The color of the Scarletlight Fruit shifts day by day, swiftly turning from glossy orange-red to a vibrant, mouth-watering scarlet.

The fragrance of the fruit fills an area of several kilometers.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple stand on Mulberry's back carapace, waving their tentacles with all their might to drive away all sorts of attracted insects, beasts, and birds.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid flit up and down the towering tree, busy harvesting.

They finish quickly.

This year the yield is a bit higher, totaling 122 clusters, 2088 pieces.

Dragon Cypress begins settling accounts with Mulberry.

"Mulberry, as agreed, you get 1044 fruits."

"Yes."

"We used more Source Stones this year, so the quality improved a bit. The unit price per fruit can reach 14 Source Stones… Compared to last year, we invested 2000 more Source Stones, but it seems like we didn't make extra profit."

"We got a lot of valuable Source Stone powder that helps the Divine-Given Seed grow." Mulberry has learned to be witty.

Dragon Cypress laughed cooperatively, then said: "Mulberry, your proceeds this year from selling Scarletlight Fruit are 14,616 Source Stones. The 3,000 Source Stones invested are split, so after deducting 1,500 Source Stones for operating costs, you still have 13,116 Source Stones."

Dragon Cypress: "This winter, when the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed blooms, I'll send another 1,000 Source Stones over."

Mulberry: "Got it!"

Dragon Cypress: "That operating cost is still split, so after deducting another 500 Source Stones, you have 12,616 Source Stones left."

Dragon Cypress: "Mulberry, it'll take two more years for you to evolve from Age Period 3 to Age Period 4. You can't spend all these Source Stones."

"Oh—" Mulberry's tentacles curl backward, then point at Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, standing atop his head.

Dragon Cypress: "They're too little. The Origin Force Food produced in your territory from Common Life Seeds… they can't finish it either."

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple objected at once:

—We're still growing!

—We have big appetites!

Mulberry sighed, "There's a harvest every year…"

Having more money than you can spend is a kind of trouble too.

Dragon Cypress said, "Mulberry, this year you first take five cans of physique-enhancing Origin Force Food to eat. The rest can be kept with me for now."

Mulberry: "Alright."

Ink Orchid hops onto the Dominating Throne, using a large Spider Silk Bag to pack up five cans, gliding down to hand them to Mulberry.

Dragon Cypress: "That's 5,000 Source Stones. Mulberry, your balance is 7,616 Source Stones."

Dragon Cypress: "Last year's leftover from the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed is counted under Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple. Currently, their account holds 3,400 Source Stones."

Dragon Cypress: "Later, I'll find a way to get more expensive Divine-Given Origin Force Food."

Mulberry: "Okay!"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple: "We need some too!"

Dragon Cypress, not in the mood, said, "Haven't you two eaten enough already?"

Blue Catalpa: "Not really."

Snakebark Maple: "We can never have too much."

Little Warriors shouldn't eat too much; you have to manage the time intervals between Molting Evolutions.

Dragon Cypress ignores them, shakes her tentacles, and commands the Worker Ants and Blue Ants to start up the Refinement work.

Ink Orchid: "Mulberry, how are the Golden Light Fruit Saplings doing?"

Mulberry replied awkwardly, "Seems like they're struggling. The sun's so fierce lately, the weaker seedlings just got scorched to death."

Dragon Cypress: "???"

Ink Orchid: "The weak ones? What about the strong saplings?"

Mulberry: "…many of those died too."

Dragon Cypress: "Let's go take a look!"

...

The sun beats down relentlessly.

In Ink Orchid's nursery, some weak saplings have been scorched to death.

On Mulberry's side, the nursery was opened late, seeds sown about a month later, so before the saplings could grow, they couldn't withstand the sun, and a large number were baked to death.

Not a huge issue.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid hurry to the nearby forests, break off plenty of branches, stick them in the ground to shade the surviving saplings.

At night, they fetch water from the river gullies and give one thorough watering.

Every year there's a big demand for regular Golden Light Fruit Refined Ant Honey, since it's used to blend and make 'Scarletlight Honey.' Having the Dominating Throne fly around in the Origin Force Vacuum Land to pick is a waste of time. This batch of saplings is important.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid stay behind, working in the nursery for two days before packing up to leave.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple stay for now to help Mulberry run the nursery and take care of the Golden Light Fruit saplings.