Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 429 - 411: The Spider King’s Little Gift

Spring blooms and flowers blossom—the new year’s roving merchant trading season.

This year, Dragon Cypress arrived two days early, bringing White Rice and a large team of worker ants to the Rednan Mountain sub-nest.

Excavating and expanding the Starship Rift cave, White Rice reinforced it with earth-stone ability, transforming it into a spacious trading-dedicated mountain cavern.

The mound of dirt that had built up above was over-excavated; in heavy rains, there might be seepage or even collapse.

Dragon Cypress then directed the worker ants to renovate the top of the hill, digging intersecting drainage ditches, strengthened and guided for flood drainage by White Rice’s earth-stone ability.

...

When Natsumi, Silvergrass, and Red Peach came rushing over with their stone slab wheelcart, rumbling and speeding along, they peered through a gap and were all stunned.

The opposite cave was crammed brimming full with insects.

"Natsumi. Silvergrass. Red Peach."

Dragon Cypress greeted, his antennae pointing, introducing White Rice, then ceremoniously continued, "This is White Rice Mountain, a Mountain Sphere Centipede Warrior, the White Rice Mountain Lord. The White Rice Ant King Honey you got at a low price was produced there."

"Greetings, White Rice Mountain Lord!"

Natsumi, Silvergrass, and Red Peach snapped out of it, greeting enthusiastically.

"Hello——"

White Rice replied, his gaze sweeping back and forth, finally resting on Red Peach.

It was White Rice’s first time seeing a Dulai Flame Spider Warrior and a Gorgeous Gold Mantis Warrior.

The Dulai Flame Spider wasn’t anything special, looking pretty much like the native breed Flame Spider Areca.

However, the Gorgeous Gold Mantis’s metallic carapace was really dazzling—a rare species living in the tropical rainforest, according to inherited memory.

Dragon Cypress continued, "This one here is Fragrant Cypress, a Command Ant of the Xianglan Mountain Ant Kingdom, responsible for kingdom agriculture and nest logistics."

Everyone exchanged greetings.

Dragon Cypress tapped his antennae again, "Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress—they’re fighting-command ants of the Xianglan Mountain Kingdom."

Dragon Cypress: "This one is an all-rounder Command Ant, Black Cory, 9th-age-period High-Level Assistant King, planning to evolve to Mountain Lord Level next year."

Everyone exchanged greetings and got acquainted.

Dragon Cypress gestured with his antennae, Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress exited first.

Dragon Cypress explained, "Our trading has stabilized year after year. Give it a few more years, and Areca might not even participate anymore. Fragrant Cypress has always managed the Xianglan Mountain Treasury and knows a lot about Origin Force Food; Black Cory is smart and will catch on fast. Going forward, I’ll still oversee the trades in Divine-Grade Fruit and Divine-Given Seed, but routine Origin Force Food trading can be handled by Red Moonseed, Fragrant Cypress, and Black Cory."

Dragon Cypress: "I look after the Purple Tung Insect Nation, Xianglan Mountain, and each Land of Origin Force, so the spring season is especially busy. To save time, for spring trading and Origin Force Honey production, I might not be involved anymore."

"Understood!"

"Got it."

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, you can rest assured."

Natsumi, Silvergrass, and Red Peach all responded.

Dragon Cypress waved his antennae; Black Cory and Fragrant Cypress left.

The crowded mountain cave immediately felt much more spacious.

Areca stepped forward, undoing the spider silk rope binding the cargo to his carapace.

Red Moonseed helped unload three medium spider silk bags, passing them to Natsumi through the rift, "Divine-Grade Soul-Stabilizing Fruit, three pieces."

"Wow!"

Natsumi, having been impatient about this, cheered as she saw them and quickly opened the bag.

Silvergrass and Red Peach each grabbed a metal can to help check.

Silvergrass: "All good!"

Red Peach: "No problem!"

Natsumi: "Areca, that was tough work! Thank you, Dragon Cypress Ant King!"

Natsumi quickly packed everything up, tied them on her carapace, her tone cheerful and a bit impatient, calculating:

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, the One-Glimpse Fruit from the Aconite Spider King is 3 million Source Stones, the Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruit is priced 12 million Source Stones, totaling 15 million. Soul-Stabilizing Fruit is 5 million Source Stones each, three pieces is 15 million in all."

Natsumi: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, in this round of Divine-Grade Fruit trading with Aconite Spider King, accounts cleared."

Dragon Cypress: "All clear. No debts owed either way."

Natsumi asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, this spring, both the Linnan and Quandong Divine Trees bloomed and bore fruit, right?"

Dragon Cypress: "Of course! The moment the weather warmed, they immediately bloomed and set fruit. In 10 years, the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit will mature; in 11, Kunlun Seeds can be harvested."

Dragon Cypress: "The next batch of Soul-Stabilizing Fruit will have to be bought with Source Stone on spot. Specifically, what do Aconite Spider King and Spider King Spurge have arranged?"

Natsumi: "Next year, we can send 5 million Source Stones as advance payment. When the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit is delivered that year, pay another 5 million; again, 5 million the following year—split in three batches, settled in full."

Natsumi: "The caravan can deliver at most 5 million Source Stones in cash per year. If future trades in Divine-Grade Kunlan Seed and Jinhe Fruit open up, the caravan will reliably bring 5 million Source Stones each year. For any fractional shortfall, the five Spider Kings will make up for it with high-quality Divine-Given Origin Force Food, ensuring you, Dragon Cypress Ant King, don’t lose out at all."

"Agreed!"

Dragon Cypress nodded his antennae vigorously in approval.

The main goal of earning so many Source Stones was to exchange them for Divine-Given Origin Force Food, for evolution and growth.

Red Peach added, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, I’m planning to advance to Mountain Lord Level this winter. Then I can make the stone slab wheelcart bigger and longer, so I can haul 100,000 Source Stones in a single trip. I’ll try to eat more comprehensive physique boosters and Origin Force Food enhancing speed and strength—the Source Stone transport won’t be a problem."

The Metal Mantis, being long and slender, could easily pass through the Starship entrance on the Wan Country side even after evolving to Mountain Lord Level.

Red Peach could take on the Starship Passage transport duty for that stretch.

"Good!"

"I’m confident."

Dragon Cypress approved.

Soul-Stabilizing Fruit and Kunlun Seeds were bought for 4.5 million Source Stones each from Huagi Mountain, sold to the caravan at 5 million; Jinhe Fruit bought at 2 million, sold at 2.2 million each.

Dragon Cypress turned the difference right into on-hand Source Stones and Divine-Given Origin Force Food.

But the primary need remained Source Stones—scarce on Cloud Trace Continent.

Source Stones had many uses.

They’re needed for Divine-Given Seed fruit ripening day-to-day.

Reaching Evolution Lord Level demands a lot of them.

And future Evolution King Level would burn through a colossal number.

A dedicated treasury could be built at Xianglan Mountain to stockpile them—the more, the better.

Dragon Cypress asked, "About what we agreed on last year, the two new Spider King Caravans—are they confirmed?"

Natsumi: "Of course! The Purple Jade Spider King Caravan and Spider King Tiankui Caravan."

Dragon Cypress: "Oh——"

Dragon Cypress: "Aren’t they sending over two Little Flame Spiders to discuss things with me? Not interested in Jinhe Fruit? Or they just look down on me?"

Natsumi hastily waved her pincer limbs, "No, not at all—Dragon Cypress Ant King, don’t misunderstand."

Natsumi explained, "Little Flame Spider Warriors are hard to find; especially bright and clever Little Flame Spiders even more so. The Purple Jade Spider King asked me to negotiate on its behalf."

Silvergrass: "Spider King Tiankui asked me to trade on its behalf."

Natsumi turned, raising a claw to point at the cargo on the stone slab wheelcart. "This was entrusted to me by the Purple Jade Spider King—a gift of Divine-Given Origin Force Food worth one million Source Stones. Dragon Cypress Ant King, Purple Jade Spider King asked me to bring greetings and thanks, and to give you this little token in gratitude for your care and trust."

Silvergrass copied instantly, "Spider King Tiankui also sent me with a gift of Divine-Given Origin Force Food worth one million Source Stones. Dragon Cypress Ant King, Spider King Tiankui sends greetings and thanks for your care and trust. Here’s a little gift from it."

Gift?

White Rice, Areca, and Red Moonseed were all stunned.

Dragon Cypress was startled as well, then quickly regained composure.

The two extra Spider Kings were a request from the Huagi Divine Tree—Dragon Cypress was just doing as told, though he’d been thinking to demand a favor...

These two Spider Kings had such high awareness!

"How can I possibly accept this..."

Dragon Cypress was inwardly beaming, "Red Moonseed, be sure to go over in a bit and thank Purple Jade and Tiankui for me personally."

Red Moonseed: "Oh——"

Natsumi waited two seconds, then asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, has the final quota allocation for Kunlun Seed and Jinhe Fruit been decided?"

Dragon Cypress looked towards Silvergrass, then to Red Peach.

Red Peach bobbed her antennae frantically.

Silvergrass said, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, this year, Lord Melde and Lupine Mountain Lord both showed up. Lord Melde secured a stable and large supply of Bee King Jelly at Yuezuo Mountain, plus a massive Origin Force Honey order. Lord Melde and Lupine plan to switch focus and merge with White Ivy Mountain Lord as a single caravan, focusing exclusively on top-tier Great Tribes—specializing in high-end Origin Force Honey trade. This year’s trade volume already broke the 10-million mark."

Dragon Cypress: "Oh..."

Dragon Cypress was delighted. "Good! Very good! Excellent!"

He paused, then said solemnly, "Each batch of Divine-Grade Kunlan Seed yields five units: two for Aconite Spider King, one each for Spider King Spurge, Wormwood Spider King, and the Luoli Caravan."

"Unit price: five million Source Stones apiece; Aconite, Spurge, and Wormwood must pay in spot Source Stone. The Luoli Caravan will deliver an equivalent amount of premium Origin Force Food in trade."

Dragon Cypress: "Each batch of Divine-Grade Jinhe Fruit yields eight units; Purple Jade and Tiankui each receive three units, Luoli Caravan one, and I’ll keep one for myself for now—Cloud Trace Continent needs some for ourselves. If we don’t need it in the future, I’ll redistribute as needed."

"Jinhe Fruit unit price: 2.2 million Source Stones each. Purple Jade and Tiankui must pay in spot Source Stone. The Luoli Caravan delivers premium Origin Force Food in trade."

"Hooray!"

Silvergrass and Red Peach cheered.

Natsumi: "..."

One unit of Kunlun Seed’s quota still got snatched away!

Natsumi was inwardly vexed, thoughts spinning; all eight eyes lit up: A single unit of Jinhe Fruit allocated independently?!