Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 426 - 408: Dry Stone Green Ground Beetle

Black Fruit Mountain.

On a flat ridge, spider silk bags spread out, Red Moonseed gently swept with membranous wings, laying out this year’s harvest of bright-leafed maple to dry.

Judging by the time, in another ten days or so, the Dragon Cypress Ant King would come to purchase the harvest.

—Hmm?

Red Moonseed, busy at work, turned around and looked south in confusion.

After a moment,

the Dominating Throne, shining with blue light, sped over.

It approached, slowed down, and came to a stop.

Ink Orchid spread her wings, leaped lightly, and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Red Moonseed!"

"Mountain Lord Ink Orchid—"

"Dragon Cypress Ant King—"

Red Moonseed was full of confusion.

"Red Moonseed, look!"

Ink Orchid wiggled her antennae, raised her front foot, and carefully pointed behind her own head.

"Huh???"

Red Moonseed looked several times before seeing that a tiny little insect, only about two or three centimeters tall, was standing on Ink Orchid’s head.

The little thing was eagerly waving its antennae at her in greeting.

A little warrior just recently born?

What kind of insect is this?

Some kind of green ground beetle?

Red Moonseed began searching her inherited memory.

Ink Orchid enthusiastically introduced, "This little one is a descendant of a green ground beetle offshoot tribe, whom Dragon Cypress and I found on Xuelan Mountain. Its name is White Clematis."

White Clematis?

Red Moonseed was dumbfounded by the explanation, and then suddenly understood what Ink Orchid and Dragon Cypress were implying.

Ink Orchid said, "Red Moonseed, you and White Clematis are really connected by fate."

Red Moonseed: "The names really are similar..."

Dragon Cypress also jumped down from the Dominating Throne, lifted a leg and nudged Ink Orchid, interrupting, and said:

"Red Moonseed, you’re living alone on Black Fruit Mountain, managing your territory solo, which brings all sorts of inconveniences. For example, last time when the black fruit huckleberries ripened, they ended up being eaten by birds when you weren’t looking, but if you had another Insect Clan Warrior to help, this kind of accident wouldn’t happen. So Ink Orchid and I thought to send White Clematis here as your companion."

When Dragon Cypress finished, he quickly added, "Of course, if you’re like Mountain Persimmon and prefer living alone, we won’t force you. White Clematis could also settle in the Purple Tung Insect Nation, where there are plenty of insects and it’s quite lively."

Red Moonseed began to waver.

It’s not so bad being a lone little bug.

Eat when you want, sleep when you want, bask on the mountain top when it’s cool, hide deep in the cave for shade when it’s hot. When happy, go reclaim land and plant trees; when bored, chat with the Black Fruit Divine-Given Seed.

Free and unrestrained, doing whatever one wants.

But,

maybe having another insect wouldn’t be so bad.

You could work together to reclaim land, bring more Black Fruit Mountain under cultivation, plant more high-quality arbor trees, and have a better chance to obtain another Divine-Given Seed. Manage the territory together, help each other out, and have someone to look after things when traveling far away, without having to worry about your Life Seed Plant.

There’d also be someone to chat with during leisure time.

Ink Orchid, seeing this, boasted, "Before White Clematis evolves into an advanced warrior, all her Origin Force food will be provided by me and Dragon Cypress."

How many resources can it take to grow from primary-level to intermediate warrior? Just a drizzle, nothing at all.

That’s not what Red Moonseed’s struggling with.

Dragon Cypress could more or less guess what Red Moonseed was conflicted about and pointed a claw toward the southern mountain, suggesting, "White Clematis can live over there. You two could live a little apart and just be neighbors."

Red Moonseed’s eyes lit up.

Right!

Keep a bit of distance! Mind your own business most days, and hang out together when bored.

Red Moonseed: "I think that’s great!"

Red Moonseed added, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Ink Orchid, winter is almost here, and it gets very cold up on Black Fruit Mountain. In the first winter after my awakening, I nearly froze to death in the cave..."

Ink Orchid: "That’s easy. I’ll take care of White Clematis for now, and teach her advanced farming techniques. Little warriors grow quickly—feed her well, and in two years she’ll be an intermediate warrior."

"..."

Dragon Cypress sighed helplessly at those words.

Isn’t all your ’advanced technology’ from the Huagi Knowledge Hall anyway? And it’s not even certain you’ve learned it properly.

Dragon Cypress leaped lightly, jumped onto the Dominating Throne, and said, "Let’s go check out that mountain over there. Red Moonseed, you really should start planning and use your claws to develop Black Fruit Mountain. Everything needs some structure; you can’t just dig a little here today, then go somewhere else to clear another patch tomorrow, going east one day and west the next, whenever and wherever you feel like it."

Red Moonseed: "...Yes."

Dragon Cypress: "Red Moonseed, which kind of plant do you like best?"

Red Moonseed: "..."

Red Moonseed: "Top-level plants?"

Dragon Cypress: "Ha! Ha! Ambitious!"

Most Insect Clan Warriors have their own favorite plants.

For example, Ink Orchid is obsessed with orchid grass.

Mountain Persimmon has eyes only for persimmon trees.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple are devoted to Life Seed kiwifruit.

White Rice and Black Rice love rice trees.

Mulberry loves mango trees.

Ghost Fan loves ghost fan trees.

Truly clear-headed insects are very rare.

Red Moonseed, like Dragon Cypress, isn’t fixated on any single plant; it loves all excellent plants.

Dragon Cypress: "So it’s Sky Blue Persimmon and Silver Cypress Tree, and on top of that, plant a little of every other high-quality great tall tree that takes root easily—various pines, cedars, cypresses, persimmons, pears, elms, oaks, zelkovas, maples, soapberries, catalpas, hackberries, jujubes, and so on."

Red Moonseed: "...Okay."

Dragon Cypress asked again, "White Clematis, what kind of plant do you like?"

White Clematis, baffled: "...I don’t know."

A little warrior at age period 1 has very limited knowledge of awakened plants and animals.

Dragon Cypress: "Forget it. Let’s go take a look."

Dragon Cypress led Ink Orchid, Red Moonseed, and White Clematis to investigate the mountain, choose a suitable place to live, and help White Clematis dig a cave to live in.

Surveying the terrain, offering advice, clearing woodland and planting orchards.

...

...

...

The temperature in the Purple Tung Insect Nation was already very low.

White Clematis sprawled atop a metal can full of fresh water, as Dragon Cypress used water system ability to warm it up.

The Dominating Throne returned from the northeast, deliberately making a detour to avoid the Linnan Divine-Given Seed, and rushed toward the central Royal Palace.

"Huh?!"

Even from over a thousand meters away, the Linnan Divine Tree’s spiritual power swept over.

"Little ant, where did you pick up a dry stone green ground beetle!"

Dry Stone Green Ground Beetle? You recognize it?

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to shift course and draw a little closer.

"Linnan Divine Tree, its name is White Clematis. I found it at Xuelan Mountain, near a Land of Origin Force in the Lanmeng Kingdom."

"Oh—"

The Linnan Divine Tree actually withdrew its spiritual power.

Dragon Cypress had to control the Dominating Throne to get even closer.

White Clematis stared up at the giant tree, three or four hundred meters tall, in stunned amazement; her big orange eyes were wide with wonder.

Ink Orchid asked, "Linnan Divine Tree, do you know about White Clematis’s origins?"

The Linnan Divine Tree sighed, "Of course I do. She’s a variant offshoot of the dry leaf green ground beetle tribe, the dry stone green ground beetle. As far as we know, they are the only Insect Clan able to evade the perception of soul-setting ability. When they lie motionless on the ground, they’re just like stones—no origin force fluctuation and no life qi machine."

The Linnan Divine Tree was uncharacteristically gentle, its mental power warm and kind, and actively asked, "It’s been a long time—where have you all been?"

Ink Orchid: "Traveling for fall roving merchant trade trips, and stopping by various origin force points to search for Divine-Given Seeds."

Linnan Divine Tree: "Didn’t drop by the neighboring Origin Force Continent? Molan Continent?"

Ink Orchid: "Molan Continent...we didn’t go... It’s pointless to go now anyway."

Linnan Divine Tree: "Indeed. Going there would only mean death."

Linnan Divine Tree: "After careful consideration, I believe you all very much need to undergo formal combat training."

Ink Orchid: "Formal combat training?"

Linnan Divine Tree: "Don’t think you’re impressive just for managing to ambush and kill two termites. From what I’ve observed, you don’t know how to fight at all, nor how to use your power in combat."

"Oh—"

Ink Orchid, skeptical and wary, tilted her head in thought.

Dragon Cypress didn’t question it, instead deflecting: "We’re too weak right now—when we evolve to Lord Level, we’ll ask you for guidance then."

Judging by the lack of insect visitors, the Linnan Divine Tree was clearly bored out of its mind.

Dragon Cypress quickly added, "Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring Spruce over and let it study with you first."

The Linnan Divine Tree retorted angrily, "Little ant, I’m talking about you! You can’t fight, your ant colony can’t fight, you’re all useless."

"Yes, Linnan Divine Tree, your lesson has been taken to heart. When farm work is light, I’ll send an Assistant King over to study under you."

Dragon Cypress made his excuses, steering the Dominating Throne to quickly flee.