Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 450 - 430: Exchange: Thunder Oak

Royal Palace.

Ink Orchid ran fast, rushing into the King Nest first and taking the central spot.

"Dragon Cypress, you want to go first?"

"Such a hypocritical mantis. You first. I’ll guard for you."

"Oh——"

"Dragon Cypress, you’re too polite~"

Ink Orchid prompted: "Let me use the Throne for a moment."

Dragon Cypress didn’t want to say much, and with a thought, the Dominating Throne, now transformed into a small orb above its head, floated into the King Nest, rapidly expanded to its largest form, and docked steadily.

Ink Orchid leapt up, opened the spider silk bag, took out the Kunlan Seed, focused intently on it for a while, then gathered primordial energy at the tips of its toes, split it open, took out the kernel, and swallowed it in two bites.

Vast origin force quickly spread in the belly,

and a thick green primordial energy rose from Ink Orchid’s carapace, immediately suppressed yet lingering by the origin force released by the Dominating Throne.

Dragon Cypress shook its tentacles, commanded the soldier ants to bite each other’s legs and feet, forming an ant wall to block the entrance to the King Nest.

Spruce also carried the spider silk bag, running over at a leisurely pace.

After a brief greeting, he stood quietly at the passage with Dragon Cypress to keep guard.

Orchid Mantis Warriors are born with talents in earth, wood, water, and wind, and upon evolving to Mountain Lord Level, will randomly awaken one of them.

Ink Orchid awakened the wind talent.

Since Ink Orchid already had innate talent potential, eating the Kunlan Seed guaranteed a 100% awakening of the wood element talent.

The integration of primordial energy was also fast,

beginning in the morning and all done by dusk that day.

"I’m done!"

Ink Orchid swung its claw, knocked down the blocking ant wall at the entrance, and rushed out.

Spruce hurriedly asked, "Ink Orchid, how do you feel?"

Ink Orchid: "Excellent! Feels like my wood element talent is just a step away from activating. Next Age Period metamorphosis will definitely do it, but I’m not sure if I’ll comprehend any wood element ability."

Spruce: "Eat more divine-given wood element Origin Force Food!"

No need for you to say that~ Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid both twitched their tentacles, staring straight at Spruce.

Spruce: "Uh, Dragon Cypress Ant King, you want to go next?"

Dragon Cypress: "You go ahead. Ink Orchid and I will guard for you."

"Then let me thank you both first."

Spruce couldn’t wait, darted into the King Nest, and leaped onto the Throne.

Like Ink Orchid, he first took out a Kunlan Seed, examined it in front of his eyes, then split it open, took out the kernel, and swallowed it...

Long Shield Grasshopper does not have wood element talent potential.

Fusing the power of the Kunlan Seed was noticeably harder.

It took three full days before all the primordial energy was absorbed.

"Spruce, how is it?"

"The primordial energy strengthening is robust. I think if I eat more divine-given wood element Origin Force Food, the next Age Period evolution will most likely let me awaken the wood element talent."

"Any details to watch out for?"

"Not really. Just eat as usual and quietly wait for your body to absorb and fuse it."

Dragon Cypress thought for a moment, then said, "My turn!"

Giant-Headed Ants also don’t possess innate wood element talent potential.

Dragon Cypress also took three days to completely absorb and integrate all the primordial energy.

The physical transformation first granted wood element talent potential, and together with his already awakened water system talent, satisfied the condition to use the Spotted Thicket Fruit.

Experiencing it personally, he felt a much closer affinity to flowers and plants, and vaguely sensed that, during the 6th Age Period, eating lots of wood element divine-given Origin Force Food would, in all likelihood, awaken the wood element talent.

The specifics were hard to explain.

The 65% probability was based on Huagi Mountain statistics from many Insect Clan Warriors who ate divine-grade Kunlan Seeds.

Success or failure was still greatly related to the individual’s state, so it couldn’t be generalized.

An important factor: eating more divine-given wood element Origin Force Food increases the odds of success.

The Flame Spider Caravan delivers fresh supplies every year, and Dragon Cypress had hoarded about two million’s worth in the Huagi Mountain Treasury, with more on the way.

There are three wood element divine-given seeds on Cloud Trace Continent: Wood Tangerine, Emerald Flower Cold Orchid, and Snow Orchid, plus their own internal production.

Divine-given wood element Origin Force Food is absolutely enough to eat.

Dragon Cypress was fully confident.

...

Dragon Cypress always had a suspicion: corresponding to Ant Clan’s Strength System talent, the Dominating Throne breeds soldier ants and worker ants; corresponding to his own water system talent, the Throne breeds blue soldiers and blue ants.

So,

If he could awaken the wood element talent, would there be a third type of ant as a result?

Dragon Cypress was determined to gain the wood element talent.

If the divine-grade Kunlan Seed didn’t work, he could always commission the Flame Spider Caravan to seek out other divine-grade fruits that bestow wood element talent.

...

Dragon Cypress suddenly became very anxious to evolve to the 7th Age Period, eager to know the answer.

But he’d had bad luck these years,

and every spring and autumn had gone with Ink Orchid, searching all the Lands of Origin Force, but for nearly ten years had not found a single randomly born divine-given seed.

The black peach and Ink Orchid raised with great effort and land investment also hadn’t produced any results.

This kind of plant breeding project was pure probability—a matter of luck.

With good luck, it could take eight or ten years.

With bad luck, decades or even a hundred years might still yield nothing.

For great tribes passing down through the generations, this time scale didn’t matter.

But Dragon Cypress was impatient.

He couldn’t help but wonder again: over the past four or five thousand years, how many divine-given seeds had Huagi Mountain stored up?

...

The Dominating Throne carried Yellow Stem, flying above the clouds.

"Ants have the keenest sense of smell. Yellow Stem, I smell death on you."

"Isn’t the White Poplar Fruit about to ripen?"

"Four years."

"Then I won’t die."

"Of course! The Moon Peach Fruit will also be delivered in four years. Eat the White Poplar Fruit first, then the Moon Peach Fruit. Yellow Stem, your lifespan will increase by one hundred and ninety years."

"What’s the use of such a long life? Isn’t it a bit of a waste of Source Stones..."

Thinking about returning to youth, Yellow Stem felt a surge of excitement, but was also cautious.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, how about the Moon Peach Fruit?"

"The Flame Spider Caravan sells it to me for two million apiece."

"You don’t make any profit?"

"Of course. We know each other too well, there’s no way I’d earn a margin off you."

"I trust you."

Yellow Stem suddenly began to feel some pain over the Source Stones again.

Dragon Cypress, seeing that the groundwork was laid, asked seemingly offhand: "Yellow Stem, you’re waiting till you evolve to Mountain Lord Level before using a divine-given seed to nurture the God-Given Life Seed?"

Yellow Stem: "Of course. The risk of dying in a failed Mountain Lord evolution is not negligible. I want to cross that life-and-death chasm first, then rest easy."

Dragon Cypress followed up: "Yellow Stem, I’m really curious—how many divine-given seeds are hidden in the Huagi Mountain Treasury? Thousands of years’ accumulation must be a lot, right?"

Yellow Stem was wary: "Not many. Hardly any left. Spruce used up two, there are almost none remaining."

Dragon Cypress was dissatisfied, "Don’t be so stingy. I need to clarify the situation so I can explain to the Spider Kings Purple Jade and Tiankui. They send us divine-given Origin Force Food every year, but here on Cloud Trace Continent, we never sell them any in return. If this goes on, it won’t work."

Yellow Stem: "Alright then——"

Yellow Stem: "There’s one top-level Nine-Leaf Huangqian, and it’s confirmed to be used. You tell the caravan, let them rest assured!"

Dragon Cypress: "!!!"

A flash of insight crossed Dragon Cypress’s mind, and he suddenly guessed, "Your name is Yellow Stem; don’t tell me, this seed was found by you..."

Yellow Stem: "No. My elder’s name was White Fir. He got a Nine-Leaf Huangqian divine-given seed, and was so happy he named me ’Yellow Stem’."

Dragon Cypress: "...I see."

Huagi Mountain maintains a special forest planted with many top-grade great tall trees.

Dragon Cypress’s thoughts spun, and he asked, "There isn’t just one top-level divine-given seed, right?"

Yellow Stem: "Just one."

Dragon Cypress didn’t believe it.

Yellow Stem skipped the topic, saying: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, one thing—I never had a good chance to say it, but since we’re on this subject, let me just bring it up..."

Dragon Cypress: "Go ahead."

Yellow Stem: "Huagi Mountain is too small to fit any more divine-given seeds. In the future, my God-Given Life Seed should preferably be planted on some other Land of Origin Force."

Dragon Cypress had already thought about this for him: "Purple Tung Insect Nation? The Central Region, west side, still has lots of empty land—just keep White Poplar, Purple Tung, and Night Fragrance each a thousand meters apart. Altogether, you can fit about three trees. When the fruit matures, there’s no need to spend Source Stones. It’s very economical."

Yellow Stem: "What about you and Ink Orchid?"

Dragon Cypress: "We wouldn’t rest easy letting more Life Seeds take root in Purple Tung Insect Nation. If you’re fine with it, go ahead and plant your God-Given Life Seed there."

Dragon Cypress: "Only three?"

Yellow Stem: "The land the Barley Bug Tribe occupies is also fertile and extensive. In the future, we could consider talking to them about it."

That meant Huagi Mountain had more than three divine-given seeds!

"Oh——"

Dragon Cypress: "No problem! Leave this matter to me."

Yellow Stem: "Thanks in advance."

Dragon Cypress: "Yellow Stem, there’s also a small favor I need from you..."

Yellow Stem: "What is it?"

Dragon Cypress: "I’m desperate to evolve to the 7th Age Period, desperate to reach Lord-Level, but I can’t bear to forfeit even a single Life Seed slot each Age Period..."

Dragon Cypress: "Let’s trade! Yellow Stem, lend me a tree-type divine-given seed first—not a high-end one, just an arbor will do. In the future, when Purple Tung Insect Nation breeds new divine-given seeds, I’ll pick one of similar quality and return it to you. How about it?"

"Not exactly excited about it..."

Yellow Stem subconsciously shook its tentacles in refusal, hesitating and mentally calculating, then asked, "Have you and Ink Orchid’s God-Given Life Seeds already passed double digits?"

Dragon Cypress: "Fourteen in total—including one divine-grade, one superior grade, and two top-levels."

Dragon Cypress: "Yellow Stem, you’re from a great tribe—you know this. With the large tract of land reclaimed in Purple Tung Insect Nation, all planted with premium tree species, and plenty of Assistant Kings and ant swarms to take care of them, sooner or later, quality divine-given seeds will appear. With luck, it’ll be next year; without, maybe ten or even dozens of years, but it’s guaranteed eventually."

Theoretically and by experience, that’s how it is.

Yellow Stem thought for a moment, then said, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, I can lend you a tree-type divine-given seed first. But when Purple Tung Insect Nation produces new divine-given seeds, I want to pick and choose—a better one for myself."

Yellow Stem: "Roving merchants don’t lend for free. What’s the value of a divine-given seed? What about interest? Dragon Cypress Ant King, you’re an experienced roving merchant, you ought to know that."

Dragon Cypress: "Of course!"

Dragon Cypress: "But let me see what kind of divine-given seed you’re lending me first."

Yellow Stem: "Thunder Oak. It’s a unique quality cultivar from Huagi Mountain, with strong overall thunder system ability enhancement—a bit more valuable than a typical elemental system type. Great tall tree, quality is assured, production isn’t bad either."

Dragon Cypress immediately got it—the weak point: low yield.

Dragon Cypress didn’t hesitate and cheerfully agreed: "Deal! When Purple Tung Insect Nation produces a divine-given seed, as long as it’s top-level or below, you can pick whichever you want."