Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 538 - 517 Flowering Indigo Basket

Red Peach pulled the large stone slab wheelcart, dashing ahead in the lead. Tiankui, Column Spotted, and Ivy came running back together.

Ivy: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, bad news—Spurge, Aconite, Wormwood, Purple Jade, and Tiankui, the five Spider Kings, all said they’ve never heard of any other Divine-Grade fruits that grant Earth Element Talents."

Tiankui: "The five Spider Kings will help inquire. If there is one, they’ll definitely try to help get a fruit over."

Red Peach: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, for fruits that grant Elemental Talents, you’re looking to use Shashuo Fruit, Thunder Melia Fruit, and Winged Gourd, right?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes. There’s also an unknown Divine-Grade one that grants Life System Talent. I’m waiting for the Aconite Spider King to retire."

Red Peach: "..."

Red Peach: "So you’re still missing Fire System?"

Red Peach said hesitantly, "At Yuezuo Mountain, among the Sun Burying Bettle Tribe, the Crimson Moss Bettle King, who handles tribal war affairs, has both Metal and Fire Talents. Lord White Ivy inquired—Crimson Moss Bettle King awoke the Metal Talent, and then gained the Fire Talent by using a Divine-Grade fruit. But, the Divine-Grade fruit wasn’t sent by a caravan. Supposedly, Crimson Moss Bettle King exchanged for it herself, as for where it was obtained, it cannot be disclosed..."

Red Peach: "We figured, in Yuezuo Mountain, there’s only one place that can’t be talked about—Sunlight Mountain."

Dragon Cypress was well aware of the history and grudges between Yuezuo Mountain and Sunlight Mountain, as well as the Sun Burying Beetle and True Burying Beetle, and tapped his tentacle to indicate his understanding.

Red Peach continued, "Our caravan has also traded in Sunlight Mountain. However, due to limited resources, our activities are small-scale, limited to routine trades of Origin Force honey and small amounts of Bee King honey and Divine-Given Origin Force Food. We asked around privately, but couldn’t get any information about Divine-Grade fruits from Sunlight Mountain."

Red Peach: "Lord White Ivy means that the latest batch of Divine-Grade Moon Peach Fruit has just ripened. When we go up the mountain to visit Crimson Moss Bettle King, we’ll ask her about the source of the Divine-Grade fruit that gives Fire System Talent. If it doesn’t work out, then we’ll have to wait until the next batch of Divine-Grade Kunlun Seeds ripens to send to Sunlight Mountain and feel out the situation."

Dragon Cypress understood what Red Peach meant and readily replied, "Alright! If this works out, I’ll give you another share of Divine-Grade Molan Seed."

Red Peach: "We’ll do our best!"

...

No other matters.

Red Peach began shuttling back and forth, tirelessly transporting Source Stones.

Dragon Cypress once again adjusted the spring work order, while also sending shipments to Huagi Mountain.

The trading that had stretched on for half a month came to an end.

Of the 4.5 million Source Stones sent to Huagi Mountain, the majority was complete—just five more busy days to finish everything.

Returning to Molan Mountain for inspection, the Purple King Peach tree had grown over five meters tall, having already awakened its soul consciousness, and started communicating with the Giant Cypress, Thunder Ridge, and North Kui.

Black Peach was leading the ant colony all around, gathering samples, and teaching the tree to recognize things.

Back then, Purple Poppet had also been taught by Black Peach, so there were no issues. Dragon Cypress entrusted it with confidence, and together with Molan, set out for various Lands of Origin Force, searching for Divine-Given Seeds.

After a leisurely tour, they finally arrived at Black Fruit Mountain.

The inherently warlike Beautiful Ji Bee Warrior, Red Moonseed, was neither good at nor interested in managing gardens.

The Dry Stone Green Ground Beetle Warrior, Chinese Clematis, was skilled at and enjoyed managing gardens, but, alone, wasn’t capable enough.

Dragon Cypress had established a branch nest at Black Fruit Mountain, leaving behind various ant types at the Mountain Lord Level. Every summer, when farming was idle, if there wasn’t anything else to do, Black Birch or Round Cypress would be dispatched to command the ant colony in cultivating wasteland and planting various kinds of easy-to-grow great tall trees.

Black Fruit Mountain could just about be considered cultivated now.

Spring in the north comes later than in the south; now it was prime blossoming time, the mountains ablaze with vibrant colors and overflowing with vitality.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King!"

"Mountain Lord Ink Orchid!"

Red Moonseed soared in toward the Dominating Throne, circling it and exclaiming excitedly, "Black Fruit Mountain is about to give birth to a Divine-Given Seed!"

"!!!"

Dragon Cypress and Molan rose to their feet, tentacles standing on end.

Molan: "What plant? Is it a great tall tree?"

Red Moonseed: "No. It’s the Flowering Indigo Basket. A small shrub."

Red Moonseed: "I heard from Chinese Clematis, the seed was collected from the Purple Tung Insect Nation. She thought the flowers were pretty, hardy against poor soil, even able to grow in cracks between rocks, so she planted plenty of them on those wastelands."

Red Moonseed spiraled down to the top of the throne’s backrest, lifting her claw and pointing far away.

Flowering Indigo Basket...

The one sent by the Wormwood Spider King—a type of legume, useful for casting the ’Bean Vine Entanglement’ ability. This plant resists cold, drought, and poor soil. Dragon Cypress had planted some on two barren, rocky hills of the Purple Tung Insect Nation, barely ever tending to them.

A low, short shrub, barely a meter tall.

It nurtures a Life Seed, with a strengthening effect specialized for the ’Origin Force Affinity’ of the carapace—specifically, the conduction of natural primordial force and one’s own primordial energy through the carapace, and the rate at which the carapace absorbs primordial force from nature.

Top-level strengthening effect.

It’s a perfect match for the Purple Kiwifruit, which boosts the blood’s Origin Force Affinity.

"Not bad at all!"

Dragon Cypress gave a word of praise.

"Very impressive!"

Molan praised enthusiastically.

Following the direction Red Moonseed pointed with her raised claw, barren hills of hard stone came into view, with sparse clumps of Flowering Indigo Basket taking root in cracks among the rocks.

Chinese Clematis lay sprawled atop a giant, egg-shaped boulder on the slope, waving her tentacles in greeting: "Dragon Cypress Ant King! Molan!"

There were also 27 clever Mountain Lord Level Specialized Green Soldiers, under a single Lord-Level Specialized Green Soldier, on strict alert, standing guard nearby, all waving their tentacles: Hello, Ant King!

Another 27 Mountain Lord Level Specialized Blue Soldiers, led by one Lord-Level Specialized Blue Soldier, were busy drawing water from the rivers at the bottom of the mountain and hauling it up.

One Flowering Indigo Basket, rooted in a rock crevice, had already been tended, leaving only a single pale red and white bud emitting a faint Origin Force fluctuation.

It was discovered very early, before the blooming season for Indigo Baskets in the north.

Lord-level ants are truly smart—even without command ants, they know to water all the surrounding rocks, letting moisture seep into the stone itself, so this Flowering Indigo Basket won’t wither from drought.

"Chinese Clematis, did you find this yourself?" Molan leapt down, moved closer to inspect, and asked.

"Yes!" Chinese Clematis answered excitedly.

Molan asked, "When did you discover it?"

Chinese Clematis: "The day before yesterday! I had nothing to do, so I was walking the mountain path and found it."

Red Moonseed: "Luck is always the key to finding Divine-Given Seeds. For every blooming plant on Black Fruit Mountain, I flew over to check it as soon as it flowered. I kept an eye on all the plants—except for this barren hill, which I’d never visited."

Chinese Clematis chuckled: "And in the end, the Divine-Given Seed showed up right here on this wasteland."

Red Moonseed: "This is perfect; now Chinese Clematis has a God-Given Life Seed too. I’ll never have to worry about her dying of old age at the Mountain Lord Level."

Like I need your worry~ Chinese Clematis said nothing.

Red Moonseed, noticing Dragon Cypress hadn’t spoken, took the initiative to ask: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, you reached Lord at age 2 already? Did you succeed in awakening Earth Talent?"

Can you not ask like that...

Dragon Cypress: "No luck, I failed..."

...

Dragon Cypress and Molan lingered at Black Fruit Mountain for five more days.

Dragon Cypress cautiously used Flourish and Tranquility abilities, to help the Flowering Indigo Basket seedling that was nurturing the Divine-Given Seed to grow even better.