Ant Lord in the Star Realm

Between the mountain ranges, following the winding riverbank, there was a massive trading plaza, a thousand meters long and over a hundred meters wide.

The hardened, flat, solid ground had been reinforced with Earth System abilities, leaving round soil pits about 1.5 meters in diameter, each reserved for a Flame Spider Roving Merchant's Life Seed to take root.

One pit per stall.

The annual grand event lasts for half a month.

Hundreds, even thousands of Flame Spider Roving Merchants came here to trade.

Mantis Warriors of all sizes hustled and bustled, weaving through the crowds.

As she entered the trading plaza, White Ivy was suddenly no longer anxious. She led Red Peach, Grass Dragon, and Lupine on a slow, meandering stroll, browsing what other Spiders were selling and greeting a few acquaintances from the Diaphus Flame Spider Tribe.

After walking through the entire plaza from end to end, only then did she find a good spot, spat out her Life Seed, and let it take root.

Metal cans were laid out before her.

She selected a can as a sample and loosened its lid, letting origin force and fragrance waft out.

Soon, a Little Mantis was drawn over.

— What is this?

— Is it tasty?

— How do you sell it?

— How many Source Stones do you pay for Divine-Given Hidden Wing Seeds?

...

In Great Tribes like Hidden Wing Mountain, Primary- and Mid-Level Warrior Life Seed Plants bore no fruit, producing no Origin Force Food, solely focused on nurturing the trees, with direct-line elders and the tribe providing the resources needed for growth.

Even High-Level Warriors could only have some early-sown Life Seed Plants allowed to bear fruit.

Those carrying Origin Force Food to the trading plaza to sell were basically all Mountain Lord-Level Warriors, with fixed trading partners. They sold resources produced in their territories while purchasing necessities.

The White Ivy Trade Caravan was a newcomer, with little overlap in insect veins, so few Mountain Lord-Level and above Mantis Warriors would proactively approach and inquire.

Occasionally, only a greedy Little Warrior would drag an elder over…

Two peaceful days passed by,

And finally, a familiar figure appeared before her stall.

"Lord Heartwing!"

"White Ivy Mountain Lord."

They were not acquainted; a simple greeting sufficed.

White Ivy deftly untied the spider silk rope binding her goods atop her carapace, took down two large spider silk bags, and handed them forward.

"The Origin Force Honey you ordered last year, please check."

"Alright—"

Lord Heartwing unscrewed each canister for inspection.

White Ivy struck up a conversation: "Lord Heartwing, are you purchasing for yourself, or for the tribe?"

Lord Heartwing: "The 5,000 Source Stones per can are for my own use. The 1,000 and 2,000 per can go back up the mountain to feed the Little Warriors."

"You must be very wealthy then."

White Ivy praised sincerely, then added, "You still look very young to me; have you already brought forth so many direct-line descendants in your territory?"

Lord Heartwing: "Then you've misjudged. I'm not young—almost two hundred years old now."

Lord Heartwing looked up at White Ivy and said, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, forgive my bluntness, but you aren't that young yourself, are you? Barely five Age Periods? With business this big, you surely aren't short on Source Stones, but you must beware, don't miss the prime time for growth and evolution."

The conversation shifted onto the right track~

White Ivy half-joked and said lazily, "I'm in no rush, I have longevity."

Lord Heartwing sensed something unusual and asked, "Longevity?"

White Ivy: "Lord Heartwing, if you need it, you may also come to me. Provided, of course, you can offer something of equal value in exchange."

"!!!"

Lord Heartwing stiffened inwardly. Thoughts racing, he released the metal can, swept his attention to both sides, lowered his telekinesis, and asked in a hushed tone, "Could it be... origin force food for life extension?"

White Ivy: "Life-Extending Divine Good."

White Ivy: "In Youlian Kingdom, I know a Bee King named 'Yellow Poplar.' It recently acquired a Divine-Given Seed of this kind, called White Poplar—a divinely granted variant of the Poppet."

"Recently?"

Lord Heartwing was seventy or eighty percent convinced. With such a newly emerged divine-grade, a roving merchant like White Ivy might truly have access.

White Ivy: "Very new. Only acquired recently. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the chance either."

While watching Lord Heartwing's reaction, seeing his interest piqued, White Ivy seized the moment and asked, "You all at Hidden Wing Mountain surely have some Divine God-Given Seeds as well, don't you? Not just one, I suppose? If you're interested, we could exchange. The Bee King in Youlian Kingdom is also interested in swapping for divine-grade items to boost combat power—or even something else, that could also be on the table."

Lord Heartwing: "…We do."

Lord Heartwing: "If it's exchange, I have no say in this. If it's purchase, maybe I could consider using Source Stones to buy."

White Ivy gently shook her pincer limb.

White Ivy asked, "How many divine-grade seeds does Hidden Wing Mountain have? Lord Heartwing, do you know?"

Lord Heartwing lowered his head, lapsed into silence, deliberated, then muttered, "The only one I know of is called 'Lightwing Wood.' The fruit is called 'Lightwing Seed'... also Life System... grants a special healing ability... lightspeed healing."

Lord Heartwing: "If one is wounded, or other insects are injured, physical wounds can all be rapidly healed."

Lord Heartwing: "Over on the Ten Thousand Nations Continent, where there's war every day, Lightwing Seeds can realize their greatest value…"

Lord Heartwing asked, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, do you have secured trading rights for that Divine-Given Seed? Or is the Bee King asking you to seek a swap?"

White Ivy answered frankly, "An exchange. Still, if I need it, I can acquire it. The trading rights for such coveted life-extending divine rarities—everyone keeps a share to freely allocate, yes?"

Lord Heartwing nodded his tentacle vigorously, "I roughly understand your meaning."

Lord Heartwing asked, "About the White Poplar Divine-Given Seed, could you be more specific?"

White Ivy: "The first fruit gives 50 years, the second gives 30, the third gives 10. But the price is per fruit. The blossom-fruit cycle is sixteen years, yields are extremely scant, and only six fruits per Mountain Lord phase."

"Oh—"

Lord Heartwing suddenly became eager.

"I know the Spiky Wing Mantis King in charge of Lightwing Wood—I can go and inquire."

With that, he scooped up all the metal cans from the ground into the spider silk bag, tossed the bag containing the Spider King Silk Scrolls to White Ivy, and hurried away.

...

Hidden Wing Mountain was vast.

Standing on the trading plaza, if one looked up, they could clearly see the Divine-Given Seed of Hidden Wing Mountain aloft among the clouds, though in reality there were still four or five mountain ranges between them.

Lord Heartwing sprinted over two mountain ridges, but suddenly stopped at a mountain stream, head lowered in contemplation.

— How do I explain this to the Spiky Wing Mantis King to ensure a one hundred percent success in the divine-grade exchange?

— If the deal is struck, will I get a share of the divine-grade White Poplar Fruit?

— Can I hope to use Source Stones to buy a share from White Ivy Mountain Lord?

— White Poplar Fruit comes as a set of three; the first one has the best effect and is the most worthwhile—the second is a large drop-off.

— There's a lot of room to maneuver here!

— If I pull this off, the direct and indirect benefits will be tremendous.

Thinking this, Lord Heartwing couldn't help feeling a surge of excitement, but quickly calmed himself, racking his brain for strategies.

After a long while, having prepared a range of arguments, he set off again, climbing mountains and crossing valleys, until he arrived at the sacred grounds beneath Lightwing Peak.

"Spiky Wing Mantis King—Spiky Wing Mantis King—Spiky Wing Mantis King—"

Standing at the mountain path, Lord Heartwing looked up at the mountainside, cautiously broadcasting his spiritual power.

The Insect King resided in deep, silent seclusion, rarely showing himself. One did not disturb him without good reason.

Calling three times in a row meant there was something important to report.

Soon, there was a response—a calm, slightly questioning mental voice.

"You are... that little one from Heartwing Peak?"

"Yes... I have a Divine-Given Seed of Heartleaf Grass."

"Oh! Yes! I know you."

"Spiky Wing Mantis King, I have something very important to report to you."

"Something important? Come up the mountain and speak."

"Alright!"

Lord Heartwing grabbed the spider silk bag and trotted up the mountain path, arriving at the mountainside.