Ant Lord in the Star Realm

The main vine of the male Green-Red Kiwifruit Divine-Given Seed, under the guidance of the stump and spider silk, spread along the ridge. In just one year of growth, its length exceeded ten meters, with seven secondary vines of varying lengths.

If it were an ordinary kiwifruit tree, the main vine should be topped, and the secondary vines also need to be pruned appropriately so that it can bear more fruit.

But Origin Force Plants don't work that way—Common Life Seeds and Divine-Given Seeds are higher-level lives and will adjust themselves according to the environment. They don't need and shouldn't have their branches or leaves arbitrarily pruned.

...

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple were working on the mountain, clearing plants and digging soil. They planned to dig a reservoir at the site Dragon Cypress helped plan, to use for now and expand it little by little in the future.

Noticing the Origin Force fluctuations from the flying Dominating Throne, they stopped their work and ran off toward the location of the Green-Red Kiwifruit Divine-Given Seed at the foot of the mountain.

"Ant King Dragon Cypress!"

"You're finally here!"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple greeted him.

"The growth rate is pretty fast, huh."

Dragon Cypress sighed, his spiritual power sweeping over the Green-Red Kiwifruit Divine-Given Seed's vines. With some surprise, he said:

"Hey! Flower buds! It can blossom this year!"

—Yes.

—It's grown really fast.

—It should bloom in late spring.

—This year we can help pollinate the common Green-Red Kiwifruit Life Seeds.

—All thanks to Ant King Dragon Cypress's technical guidance.

—And also the exuviae from the Fruitful Dragon Cypress Divine-Given Seed.

—The Divine-Given Remains had a huge effect on the growth of the Green-Red.

—It would be even better if we had more.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple played off each other in perfect harmony, their eyes fixed on Dragon Cypress.

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacles and said, "Alright. When I have time, I'll bring a few bags over for you."

Dragon Cypress: "You're digging a reservoir? Let Round Cypress handle that. You two come with me. I'll take you back to my hometown for a look."

Blue Catalpa: "Hometown?"

Snakebark Maple: "Xianglan Mountain?"

Dragon Cypress: "…White Lotus Lake."

Blue Catalpa: "Ant King Dragon Cypress, is Southern Sour Jujube Mountain finished construction?"

Snakebark Maple: "Are we going to open up White Lotus Lake next?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes. And also no."

Dragon Cypress: "Come on, pack your things and follow me. I'll fill you in on the way…"

...

White Lotus Lake.

The Dominating Throne slowly entered the Land of Origin Force.

—Were we born on that hill?

—It seems so?

—Is your old nest still around, Snakebark Maple?

—That catalpa tree? It must be dead by now?

—Look over there!

—Wow!

—Is that a King-Level Divine-Given Seed?

—That's terrifying!

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, who had been chattering all the way, suddenly fell silent, staring in stunned awe in the direction of the lake.

The Night Fragrance Divine-Given Seed had already grown to nearly forty meters tall.

The Dominating Throne approached in flight, and along the way, the concentration of natural Origin Force decreased layer by layer, all gathering into rain-like Origin Force lines connecting the branches and leaves of the Divine-Given Seed, continuously being absorbed.

At about a thousand meters away, the Origin Force was nearly a vacuum.

"Night Fragrance! How's it going?"

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne, gliding close to the trunk and calling out.

Night Fragrance: "The Origin Force of White Lotus Lake is barely enough, but the nutrient supply can't keep up."

Night Fragrance: "Ink Orchid didn't come over."

Dragon Cypress: "The Divine-Given Seed that Ink Orchid is nurturing was just planted, it has to watch over it. These are Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple—a Furry-Horned Beetle Warrior and a Purple-Spotted Capricorn Beetle Warrior. They both originated at White Lotus Lake, so I brought them to help."

"Greetings, Senior Night Fragrance!"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple greeted enthusiastically.

King-Level Divine-Given Seed!

Divine Grade!

Though the power granted is rather useless…

Blue Catalpa: "We'll help you dig holes."

Snakebark Maple: "Where, how big, how deep, just say the word."

Night Fragrance: "Thank you. Clever little Sky Ox Warriors."

Blue Catalpa: "You're welcome."

Snakebark Maple: "It's our duty."

Blue Catalpa: "Dragon Cypress says you're a wise Divine Tree."

Snakebark Maple: "We have the greatest respect for wise elders."

...

Currently, Round Cypress and the other Command Ants haven't yet developed spiritual power and can't communicate with Night Fragrance.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple are already Intermediate Warriors in their fourth age period, with some ability for labor, so Dragon Cypress conveniently grabbed them to help out.

Their nature is hard to change; as soon as they arrived, they started laying on the compliments thick.

Dragon Cypress swung his tentacles to smack them, "Cut the crap! Get to work!"

Then he turned to the Night Fragrance Divine-Given Seed and said, "Time is tight. I'll go arrange things; after a short rest, we'll set out. You direct Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple where to dig."

"Alright——"

Following Night Fragrance's directions, Blue Catalpa began digging while Snakebark Maple transported the soil—work began.

Dragon Cypress piloted the Dominating Throne, shuttling between Night Fragrance Mountain and White Lotus Lake, making five round trips in a row.

The remains he brought didn't need processing—just bury them in the pit directly.

Night Fragrance would control its roots to extend over, countless fine roots piercing and enveloping the wooden chunks, absorbing and reclaiming the Primordial Energy Substance that once belonged to itself.

The Night Fragrance Divine-Given Seed grew rapidly—the tree's height surpassed fifty meters, and its absorption of natural Origin Force grew even stronger. The average Origin Force concentration of White Lotus Lake was only about one-tenth of what it used to be.

Such a powerful life level must be supported by a strong body.

For Insect Clan Warriors in the Primary, Mid, and High-Level stages, the main focus is strengthening comprehensive physique. Only at Evolution Mountain Lord do they awaken Elemental System abilities.

The same goes for plants—a super high degree of evolution must be supported by a massive tree body.

Fifty meters still isn't enough to support Night Fragrance's King-Level cultivation, so it continues to grow rapidly. Correspondingly, its Origin Force consumption increases. Of all the massive Origin Force it absorbs, eighty percent goes to growth, and twenty percent is stored in Glinting Gold as backup.

"Night Fragrance, at this rate, when your tree reaches about sixty meters, your Origin Force absorption and consumption rates will balance out. When your tree goes past sixty meters…"

"Once I'm over sixty meters tall, I'll need to control my growth with my will, slow it down as much as possible, and try to store as much Origin Force in 'Glinting Gold' as I can."

"Can you manage that?"

"Hard to say. White Lotus Lake is just too small."

"Right——"

Dragon Cypress asked, "I remember you said your original tree height was three hundred meters?"

Night Fragrance answered, "Yes. Three hundred."

"Then you…" Suddenly, Dragon Cypress grew worried.

He and Ink Orchid had planted five God-Given Life Seeds on Xianglan Mountain; when they evolve to King Level in the future, would there be a shortage of natural Origin Force?

Night Fragrance, keenly picking up on Dragon Cypress's worry, explained:

"At my peak, I was at King-Level Peak evolution. I don't need to fully recover that peak, and can't do so directly anyway. About a hundred meters in tree height will suffice for normal survival—after that, growth slows to a normal pace, and Origin Force consumption sharply drops as well."

"Is that so? That's a relief."

Dragon Cypress asked, "Under normal conditions, how many King-Level Divine-Given Seeds can survive on the scale of White Lotus Lake's Land of Origin Force?"

Night Fragrance: "Ink Orchid said you have many Divine-Given Seeds? You mean daily absorption and emission of Origin Force?"

Night Fragrance: "It could hold about ten, I'd say. In their normal state, King-Level Divine-Given Seeds don't consume so much Origin Force."

"Oh! Good!"

Dragon Cypress felt a little reassured.

When he was young and traveling with the caravan, Melde had said: under normal conditions, a King-Level Divine-Given Seed affects an area with a radius of 500 meters due to its daily Origin Force breathing. If they're too close, they'll compete for Origin Force, so the minimum planting distance for God-Given Life Seeds is 1000 meters.

Dragon Cypress had been cautious—the current five Divine-Given Seeds are as far apart from each other as possible.

There should be no problems.

Night Fragrance: "You're a smart Ant King, and you've even been to the Huagi Knowledge Hall, so you know a lot. Still, there's something I should remind you of."

"If you have many Divine-Given Seeds, when breaking through to Evolution Mountain Lord Level, Lord Level, or King Level—those major ranks—there may be serious shortages of natural Origin Force. You should prepare lots of Source Stones if you can."

"Understood. Thank you for the reminder."

Dragon Cypress had thought about this issue long ago, but still thanked politely and added:

"This year, my trades with the Flame Spider Roving Merchant will begin. I'll head back to Xianglan Mountain first and come back after the transactions are done."