Ant Lord in the Star Realm

Ink Orchid stayed behind to dig the pit.

Dragon Cypress steered the Dominating Throne, traveling back and forth between White Lotus Lake and Night Fragrance Mountain.

Perhaps due to the Soul Consciousness awakening, the Night Fragrance God-Given Seed was shooting up at a speed of twenty or thirty centimeters a day.

Every time Dragon Cypress made a round trip, Night Fragrance's ability to absorb Natural Primordial Force would surge.

After five consecutive trips,

The Night Fragrance God-Given Seed had grown over 15 meters tall, its Origin Force vacuum extending to a terrifying radius of 300 meters, and Origin Force Fluctuations affecting up to a kilometer around.

...

Early morning.

Dragon Cypress packed up, controlled the Dominating Throne to skim close to the ground, and arrived beneath the Night Fragrance God-Given Seed tree.

"Night Fragrance, Ink Orchid and I are heading back to Xianglan Mountain first. Early winter season, and there are still two Origin Force Points in the north with roving merchant trade."

"When will you be back?"

"About half a month or so, we'll drop by after the trades are done."

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, are you two going to Huagi Mountain for business?"

"Of course."

"Then maybe we could do a little trade of our own."

"Go ahead."

"Could you help get me two bags of Quandong Divine Tree Exuviae? I happen to be able to answer a question that's been bothering Ink Orchid."

Dragon Cypress looked at Ink Orchid: Why do you have so many questions?

Ink Orchid was puzzled too, asking, "What question do I have?"

Night Fragrance: "Didn't you say you saw a light in the night sky? But Dragon Cypress didn't see it."

Ink Orchid: "Yes."

Night Fragrance: "It's not that he didn't see it, it's just that he wasn't paying attention for that brief moment. Ink Orchid, you're especially sensitive to subtle changes in your environment. That's probably the core reason you're always 'favored by the Natural God.'"

"Oh——"

Ink Orchid was happy, and a bit unhappy.

Always believed to be blessed by the Natural God, even Dragon Cypress thought so. But the well-informed Night Fragrance God-Given Seed wasn't convinced.

Dragon Cypress went directly to the point: "So, what's the light in the sky?"

Night Fragrance: "It's simple. The Law of the Natural Star Realm was triggered."

Dragon Cypress asked: "What triggers it?"

Night Fragrance: "There are lots of ways. The birth of a Divine-Given Seed, an evolution breakthrough of a Divine-Given Seed, the birth of an Insect Clan Warrior, a warrior breaking through to a new Great Rank, an Insect King evolving and meeting the condition to leave, and so on. You have to look at each case specifically."

Ink Orchid immediately asked: "When Mulberry evolved from Age Period 2 to 3, I saw a light appear in the sky."

Night Fragrance: "..."

Night Fragrance was stumped by the question for a while, thought hard, and said, "It was probably just a coincidence—an event triggering the Stellar Realm Laws happened nearby at the same time."

Ink Orchid: "Last time Dragon Cypress and I visited Huagi Mountain, after we left, a light appeared in the sky and there was a violent Origin Force Fluctuation, too."

Night Fragrance: "Now that makes sense..."

Night Fragrance pondered, then spoke slowly: "I suspect that Shield Grasshopper Warrior named Yellow Stem dug up their tribe's Divine Tree…and planted it? Didn't you say Huagi Mountain ran out of Source Stones? A Divine-Given Seed above King-Level needs an ocean of Origin Force—no Source Stones, no go."

Yellow Stem wanted to plant a Divine Tree even more than Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid.

He probably just charged in recklessly…

Could it be there's still a stash of Source Stones in a lower-level treasury under Huagi Mountain?

It's not impossible!

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid got excited, suddenly eager to leave.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Night Fragrance, if a Divine Tree is planted on Huagi Mountain, does that also trigger the laws?"

Night Fragrance: "Of course! The Natural Star Realm doesn't allow Origin Force Lives above King-Level to exist."

Night Fragrance: "Those three Divine Trees on Huagi Mountain—the moment even a bit of their aura leaks, it excites the Natural Law at once and Divine Power is cast down to take them away."

Night Fragrance paused for two seconds, feelingly explained:

"The evolution of Divine-Given Seeds and Insect Clan Warriors to Great Rank triggers the Natural Law to cast Divine Power, to help them ascend to a new Life Level."

"The birth of a Divine-Given Seed is the same—triggers the Natural Law, brings Divine Power, and boosts the chance of success."

Night Fragrance: "The Natural God really exists. It shelters all living things, but it doesn't favor any one life in particular. And of course, the Natural God doesn't hate any one life either. Those three on Huagi Mountain—relying on Glinting Gold to defy Divine Power—often deliberately provoke the Law and challenge the Natural God's dignity, but you never see the Natural God get angry and smite them dead with Divine Punishment."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Ink Orchid: "I see!"

Dragon Cypress: "Got it."

Night Fragrance: "Please bring me two bags of Quandong Divine Tree Exuviae. Thanks."

Dragon Cypress: "I'll do my best."

No need to ask further. Night Fragrance's soul and spiritual power seemed especially feeble, as if wounded. The remains of a Soul System God-Given Seed above King-Level would help it recover.

...

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid made a detour to Xiaoyang Mountain, packed eight bags of Divine-Given Exuviae, headed straight south to Molan Mountain, searched the place for God-Given Seeds but found nothing, picked a batch of wild fruits along the way, then turned back toward Xianglan Mountain.

After two days' rest and getting goods in order, they headed north, stopped by Xinghu Lake, loaded six bags of Dragon Cypress Divine-Given Exuviae full of big fruit, and rushed to Silver Cypress Mountain.

Every year at this time, as if nothing ever changed, Mountain Persimmon was busying itself with picking persimmon fruit.

There were changes though: Mountain Persimmon insisted on using Divine-Given Southern Sour Jujube Seeds and Silver Cypress Seeds to reinforce its wings and body, and it could now fly steadily.

Currently, Mountain Persimmon would hover beating its wings, then use its thin, flexible tentacles to pick persimmons, much quicker and easier than before.

As picking efficiency improved, so did the yield.

Mountain Persimmon worked alone, cleared and tilled new land, and had planted over two thousand Sky-Blue Persimmon Trees—some already bearing abundant fruit.

Everything was great, except that, to the dismay of all insects watching, Mountain Persimmon just couldn't bring itself to weed out the weak seedlings. Not only that, it even gave them the best land for planting.

Mountain Persimmon was stubborn—that much, Dragon Cypress had tried to talk out of it many times, but to no avail.

"Mountain Persimmon!"

The Dominating Throne landed. Ink Orchid hopped down with a Spider Silk Bag. "We've brought you something good."

"What good thing?"

Mountain Persimmon, carrying its own Spider Silk Bag packed with persimmon fruit, landed smoothly. "Dragon Cypress Ant King. Ink Orchid. Have a persimmon."

"Sure."

"Thank you."

Ink Orchid opened the Spider Silk Bag, mysterious: "Mountain Persimmon, come see what this is?"

Mountain Persimmon shuffled over, took a look, stared for a bit, grabbed a piece of wood and examined it closely. "Could this be the remains of a Divine-Given Seed? Or some Insect Clan Warrior that failed to evolve and died?"

Ink Orchid was speechless, nearly choked.

Why is your mind so dark?

Dragon Cypress explained: "We dug this up while excavating Insect Clan ruins from the past Origin Force Era. Divine-Given Remains make the best fertilizer for Origin Force Plants. There's plenty. We'll share some with you. Just dig a pit under your Life Seed Tree, scrape it into wood shavings with your toes, and mix it in."

Dragon Cypress continued with his business: "Mountain Persimmon, Ink Orchid and I also found a massive Land of Origin Force, the old Purple Tung Insect Nation, with a peak Lord-Level Purple Tung God-Given Seed and many Insect Clan Warriors living there…"

Dragon Cypress detailed their plan to attack the Termite Kingdom and the White Poplar God-Given Seed, then concluded:

"Mountain Persimmon, we need your help. If you agree, once it's done, you'll get a Divine-Grade Baihe Fruit."

Ink Orchid added: "Every year after that, Dragon Cypress and I will bring you a batch of Divine-Given Remains to help your Life Seed Plant grow even better."

"Alright——"

Mountain Persimmon hesitated, stammered: "But if I leave, what about my persimmon trees?"

Dragon Cypress: "I'll send an Assistant King to lead an ant colony over and take care of them for you."

Mountain Persimmon reluctantly agreed: "Alright then."

Dragon Cypress understood Mountain Persimmon's mind well—when it came to its persimmon trees, no one but itself could be trusted to take care of them.

Dragon Cypress: "Right now, I've already turned all of Xianglan Mountain into an orchard, growing over a hundred kinds of fruit including Sky Blue Persimmon. Rest all you want—my ant colony is great at running orchards."

Mountain Persimmon: "…I feel at ease."

Didn't look very much at ease though.

Saying you're at ease is fine—just follow the plan when the time comes.

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacles, urging: "Mountain Persimmon, come on, let's get this trade done. Ink Orchid and I are busy this year."

PS: There's an extra chapter today, please subscribe~