Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 497 - 477 Blue Crab Warrior: Tie Bush

Dragon Cypress and White Rice were very patient, waiting until dawn before setting out to approach.

In the dense forest at the foot of the mountain, a great tall tree stood proud and towering, right in the midst of flowering season, clusters upon clusters, blazing red.

There were also oval fruits hanging from the branches, about to ripen, bluish-black with brownish warty spots.

This is...

The Dominating Throne hovered above the treetop.

Dragon Cypress and White Rice searched through their inherited memory with all their might, and simultaneously found the answer: Ironheart Wood.

A large arbor species not found in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to inherited memory, Ironheart Wood only has 8 species, all of which strengthen the Metal System.

They couldn’t distinguish exactly which species this particular tree belonged to.

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to slowly descend, while at the same time expanding spiritual power to scan the area.

The ground beneath the tree was thoroughly cleaned.

A river wound down from the mountain, and when it was about four to five hundred meters from the Divine-Given Ironheart Wood Seed, it was carved into two, forming two wide river channels that circled around the tree, then merged downstream to flow into the sea.

Within the river channel, two large eyes stared intently at the Throne.

Stout pincer limbs quietly probed above the surface of the water.

Crab!

Dark greenish-blue carapace, pale blue legs and feet.

This type of crab is also found on the coasts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Blue Crab Warrior?

A crab can also evolve into an Origin Force Lifeform? First time seeing that!

"Be careful. This thing might be poisonous."

Dragon Cypress warned.

However, since the other side had only reached a high-level degree of evolution, it didn’t really bother them.

White Rice saw that it was just a small blue crab warrior, legs spread not even two meters wide, and his own tense nerves relaxed.

The Dominating Throne landed beneath the tree.

"Hello—"

Dragon Cypress and White Rice sent a friendly greeting via spiritual mind intent.

Dragon Cypress: "My name is Dragon Cypress Ant King, and this is Lord White Rice. We came from the distant Southern Continent and are traveling around the seas for fun."

The Blue Crab Warrior sensed that Dragon Cypress and White Rice had no hostility, withdrew its pincers, and surfaced half its body from the water.

"Hello—"

"My name is Rao."

It has a name?!

Rao?

Dragon Cypress and White Rice looked at each other, then glanced toward the nearby jungle, and immediately found quite a few Rao Flowers. Searching inherited memory, they found it was a shrub called Wikstroemia Oahuensis, not found in the Northern Hemisphere.

However,

Are crabs also a race favored by the Natural True God?

Do they have inherited memory?

"Hello, Rao."

Dragon Cypress greeted politely and asked, "Where is your Life Seed plant?"

Rao: "...I don’t have a Life Seed."

That makes sense.

Crabs aren’t a Divine-favored race, don’t have a Life Pouch, don’t have Life Seeds, and surely don’t have inherited memory. They shouldn’t recognize other animals or plants either.

Dragon Cypress: "Do you know any other Insect Clan Warriors?"

White Rice: "Are there any other Insect Clan members on the island?"

Rao: "...There used to be."

Rao mustered up courage and walked out of the river channel.

Two pincers, one large and one small.

Rao raised its big pincer clumsily, turned its body, and pointed to the big mountain behind, saying: "Its name was Dancing Leaf, Demon Flower Mantis Warrior. Dancing Leaf, like you, was a descendant of the Natural God, but the Natural God forgot about it and abandoned it on this deep-sea island."

Rao said sadly, "Dancing Leaf failed to evolve and died."

As expected!

This Blue Crab Warrior named Rao must have learned knowledge of various animals and plants from the Insect Clan Warrior called ’Dancing Leaf’.

Dragon Cypress and White Rice looked up again, gazing at the great tree before them.

Lord-level wild Swinging Leaf Iron Core Tree Divine-Given Seed!

The Divine-Given fruits it produced enhanced Metal System Affinity, very similar to Scarletlight’s Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed from back then.

Before reaching Mountain Lord Level, you can’t eat too many, otherwise...

Looking again at Blue Crab Warrior Rao...

Dark blue carapace—seems like it ate quite a few already.

But it probably learned from Dancing Leaf’s lesson, so didn’t dare eat anymore, and its evolution level remained at Age Period 1 High-Level.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Rao, have no other Insect Clan Warriors ever come to this island?"

Rao: "...No."

Rao: "All around is ocean."

Rao raised its pincer and pointed to the Dominating Throne, curious and confused: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Lord White Rice, what is this? It doesn’t have wings—how can it fly?"

Dragon Cypress and White Rice also couldn’t understand the flight mechanism of the Dominating Throne.

Dragon Cypress gave a brief introduction: "This is a God-Level Creation from Outworld Creator Civilization. It is powered by Origin Force Energy and doesn’t need wings to fly."

"Oh—"

Rao felt like it understood.

Rao asked again, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Lord White Rice, you came from the southern continent?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes."

Rao: "Is the southern continent very big?"

Dragon Cypress: "Very, very big."

Rao: "Are there many Insect Clan Warriors living there?"

Dragon Cypress: "Very many."

Rao: "Then there must also be lots of Origin Force Food, right?"

Dragon Cypress: "Of course. Different Insect Clan Warriors cultivate different plants as their Life Seeds, producing all kinds of Origin Force Food with various strengthening effects."

Dragon Cypress lifted a claw and pointed at the Swinging Leaf Iron Core Tree Divine-Given Seed, saying: "We can send you some Origin Force Food you need for evolution, in exchange for your Divine-Given Ironheart Fruits."

"Trade? Sure! I also want to exchange!"

Rao raised its pincers high and cheered, then looked toward White Rice with some unease and asked, "Lord White Rice, are you from very far away? Will it be too much trouble for you?"

White Rice lifted its head and pointed a claw towards Dragon Cypress: "I’m just traveling for fun, it has nothing to do with me, ask it."

Dragon Cypress: "The Dominating Throne is fast. It’s no trouble to make a trip here every year if there’s time."

"Oh—"

Rao still didn’t feel totally assured, and asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, I only have one Swinging Leaf Iron Core Tree, and it doesn’t produce many fruits..."

Dragon Cypress: "Such a big Lord-level Swinging Leaf Iron Core Tree Divine-Given Seed is enough to feed you."

Dragon Cypress: "When do the fruits ripen and get harvested? Autumn? Winter?"

Rao: "???"

Rao had no understanding at all.

Dragon Cypress suddenly realized—this is the tropics, there aren’t distinct seasons, and neither Rao nor Dancing Leaf had ever left the island, so they have no concept of the seasons.

Dragon Cypress pointed a claw at the tree and asked, "When will the new batch of fruits mature?"

Rao: "It will still be a while. But, I have some Ironheart Seeds I gathered from the mountain..."

Dragon Cypress swept spiritual power across the mountain.

On the mountain peak were several open clearings where great tall arbors had died.

They must have been the Life Seed plants of the deceased Dancing Leaf.

The ground beneath the trees had been recently cleaned, with marks from drawing water for irrigation.

The trees had been dead for many years.

Rao was still taking care of them.

Maybe hoping for resurrection.

Maybe just unwilling to let go, or not resigned to it.

Sigh—

Dragon Cypress sighed inwardly.

The mountain was rather tall. Even with Lord-level peak spiritual strength, he could only scan the mid-levels, and didn’t find any living caves.

Dragon Cypress leaped lightly off the Throne and called out, "Rao, let’s go up the mountain and take a look."

...

They went up together.

On the southwest side of the peak, halfway up, there was a naturally formed cave.

Inside the cave, containers made from split giant sea coconut shells were lined up, storing dried black fruits inside.

Dragon Cypress picked one up to look.

The rough, tough leather-like fruit skin, when peeled open, revealed eight slender, shiny black seeds—Divine-Given Ironheart Wood Seeds.

The woody shell on the outside was rather thick, and peeling deeper, the kernel inside was reddish-brown.

These were pure wild Divine-Given Seeds, never improved or selectively bred. After all the peeling, only a little edible kernel was left.

The trees seemed to flower and bear fruit every year, with mature fruits every year.

In a corner of the cave, there was a little mountain of them piled up. The Origin Force aura was weak, probably collected many years ago.

Rao didn’t dare to eat these, but couldn’t bear to throw them away.

Dragon Cypress: "Rao, these are quite good."

Dragon Cypress: "I’ll send you a batch of Origin Force Food you need for evolution and growth."

Rao: "Thank you—"

White Rice also picked up a seed, peeled it and took a look, hesitated twice, then tossed it away.

The stuff was good, but it was Metal System.

White Rice’s gaze turned to the cave entrance and suggested, "There are lots of plants here that we don’t have back home, let’s go around and take a look."

With that, he ran to a big arbor, buried his head and started searching.

Pulled out a pod.

Then looked up at the arbor and asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, is this the twisted Inca Bean?"

Dragon Cypress: "Should be."

White Rice: "This tree is nice. We can gather a batch of seeds to take back."

Dragon Cypress: "...As you wish."

These are tropical plants.

Chances are, they won’t grow on White Rice Mountain.

Of course, if they do survive, there’s a chance that with extreme changes in environment, they might mutate and give rise to a new species, triggering a Natural Godsend.

That’s exactly what White Rice was hoping for.

He ran down the mountain, fetched a Spider Silk Bag from the Dominating Throne, and started collecting seeds everywhere.

The island isn’t big, but it has quite a few top-quality arbors unique to the Southern Hemisphere: Big-leaf Enterolobium, Green Ebony, Chinese tallowleaf maple, Toothed-leaf Vaccinium, Purple-flowered Pittosporum...

The tropics have indistinct seasons, so it just so happened that many tall trees were fruiting in abundance now.

Dragon Cypress and White Rice, acting as tourists, wandered with Rao through the jungle for most of the day.

In the evening, they discussed matters privately.

White Rice stayed behind to keep collecting seeds.

Dragon Cypress drove the Dominating Throne alone, heading for the Mainland to scout the situation, and then set off to return to the Cloud Trace Continent.