Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 545 - 524 Silver Cypress No. 1

The climate adaptability of the Blue Ice Cypress is extremely strong, able to survive in all regions from the tropics to the frigid zones.

The Lord-level multi-seed Blue Ice Cypress Divine-Given Seed surely has even greater adaptability.

Sow it on Southern Sour Jujube Mountain.

Dragon Cypress also settled down at Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, and through the Dominating Throne, first produced 13 [Guardian·Wind Glyph] ant eggs.

Five nest chambers were arranged separately, carefully cultivated, each stimulated and differentiated into the five types of wind system fighting ants: specialized, large, medium, small, and miniaturized.

[Producer·Gatherer] should try a few as well...

...

One month later.

The multi-seed Blue Ice Cypress Divine-Given Seed has grown to a height of three meters.

Two mini wind system fighting ants underwent Feather Transformation and were born, each just over one centimeter in length, with three transparent rings on the abdomen representing the three wind system abilities currently mastered by Dragon Cypress.

The blue ring is called Blue Soldier, Blue Ant.

The blue-green ring is called Green Soldier, Green Ant.

This wind system ant’s ring is transparent, has no color...

How to name it?

Dragon Cypress named the wind system ant: Air Soldier, Flying Ant.

Small in size, but not at all clumsy.

Dragon Cypress placed the two mini Air Soldiers on its tentacle, issuing the command: Learn.

Next, wind system primordial energy gathered upon their carapaces, condensing wing blades.

Demonstrate once.

Issue command: Try.

The two mini Air Soldiers immediately comprehended, using primordial energy to condense an invisible pair of wind wings on their carapaces.

Dragon Cypress issued the command: Learn.

Then, flapping the wind wings, they rose gently into the air, then landed again.

Issue command: Try.

The two mini Air Soldiers comprehended, trying to beat their wings and take flight.

The Ant Clan and Bee Clan share a common ancestor.

Both Ant King and Ant Queen are born with wings.

Flight potential exists within the bloodline of the Ant Clan itself.

The two Air Soldiers kept trying, crashing ten or so times before gradually achieving stable flight.

Dragon Cypress guided them to continue practicing, and after half a day, the two Air Soldiers could fly relatively smoothly.

However, as expected, they were very clumsy, able to fly straight ahead but struggling with turns and vertical movement; one misstep and down they’d fall.

Dragon Cypress thought of two solutions: The first is to find a way to increase the number of wind system primordial energy wings to match their own membranous wings—two pairs, a total of four wings; the second is to use Zhifeng Fruit.

The two methods do not conflict.

The flight ability still needs improvement.

...

The wind system "wind wings" ability is neither inclined toward combat nor production support; it is more like the wood element’s "forest symbiont."

...

Five days later,

A mini flying ant underwent Feather Transformation and was born, also having three transparent rings on the abdomen.

After some teaching and testing, as expected, the flying ant smoothly inherited the "wind wings" ability.

It was just as clumsy when flying.

The wind system ants have only just begun to grasp the ability to fly; there is room for improvement.

At present, Dragon Cypress has not yet mastered any decent wind system combat or auxiliary production abilities, so for now, he refrains from large-scale cultivation of Air Soldiers and flying ants.

Dragon Cypress continued to focus on cultivating Specialized Green Ants.

...

The multi-seed Blue Ice Cypress Divine-Given Seed, after two months of growth, has reached just over five meters in height.

Its soul consciousness has awakened.

Dragon Cypress gained another duty: teaching the Blue Ice Cypress to recognize objects, perform arithmetic, and learn characters.

With the Red Cypress, Little Wild Chestnut, and Round Leaf Keg Vine—the three Divine-Given Seeds—he gave them deep lessons, telling them all sorts of interesting or mundane stories from across the continent, guiding them to learn about the world and all its things.

...

The long years flow by,

And now it is deep autumn again.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid return to Xianglan Mountain, tidy up briefly, then set out, trading as roving merchants during the autumn, and searching for Divine-Given Seeds in every Land of Origin Force along the way.

Areca Rainforest,

In the nursery, Rain Tree Number 1 sapling has grown to just over one meter in height, and compared to the native Rain Tree, there are no noticeable differences.

The degree of mutation is too small, insufficient to trigger a Natural Godsend.

After much thought, Dragon Cypress could only think of one solution: cultivate on a large scale at Swinging Leaf Island in the future, using insects for artificial selection, pick out seedlings with greater mutations, or find new mutated individuals based on Rain Tree Number 1.

For now, arrange for Black Leaf and Tie Bush to plant more in Areca Rainforest.

...

Depart and continue on, turning northward.

The Dominating Throne drifts into the realm of Hulan Mountain.

Dragon Cypress activates the Soul-Setting Ability, gently senses, and pinpoints the location of Giant Cypress.

It is currently the golden autumn, when most northern plants are bearing ripe fruit; Giant Cypress is busy patrolling the garden, seeking mutated branches among the fruit.

The Dominating Throne sped in close.

Ink Orchid leapt down, routinely inquiring, "Giant Cypress, any findings?"

Giant Cypress: "Yes!"

"Oh?!" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Ink Orchid paused, tentacle raised in excitement, and asked, "What plant? What exactly has changed?"

Giant Cypress: "Great King! Second King! Major discovery! Mutant Silver Cypress!"

What?

Silver Cypress!

Oh my god!

This is huge!

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid jumped in excitement.

The value of Silver Cypress lies in its enhancement effect: body optimization.

At present, no other plant of the same or similar enhancement type can be found in the Origin Force Star Realm.

It’s unique and extremely useful as an enhancement.

Mutation? As long as the enhancement effect remains, it is undoubtedly a top-level plant seed. Triggering a Natural Godsend guarantees a unique, world-class top Divine-Given Seed.

"On the mountainside over there, the forest where the Huagi King Fir is planted."

Giant Cypress raised its claw to point the way, describing in detail: "I found a naturally grown little Silver Cypress by the ant trail there. It’s nearly two meters tall now. It’s likely that the wind brought the seed there, and it grew its own roots, sprouting and thriving for two or three years now..."

Giant Cypress: "The Silver Cypress itself mutated from the Large-Leaved Chinese Arborvitae; as a seedling it has spiny leaves, and the growth pattern is three-leaf whorled. But I discovered that the spiny leaves on that little cypress are paired, two-leaf opposite arrangement, the leaves are skewed, slender, long, and neat, resembling Flat Cypress, but definitely not Flat Cypress, and not a hybrid with Flat Cypress either. I’ve looked all over Hulan Mountain and there are no Flat Cypresses here."

Giant Cypress: "I also checked all the native Silver Cypress Trees in the Land of Origin Force, and found no mutated branches, so I concluded this is a seed mutation, that happened to land in a good spot, and managed to survive, growing into this mutant."

Dragon Cypress: "...A large mutation?"

Giant Cypress: "Yes, Great King. Looking at it as a whole, the tree shape is totally different. Branches and leaves grow in neat layers, showing strong structure, not as lush and chaotic as Silver Cypress or Large-Leaved Chinese Arborvitae."

Dragon Cypress: "Two-leaf opposite? Wouldn’t that be weaker?"

Giant Cypress: "Yes. It’s much smaller than the native Silver Cypress. But we can mass cultivate and select for optimized strains, picking out those with broad, strong leaves."

"Yes! Yes!" Ink Orchid quickly agreed, waving his tentacle, urging, "Giant Cypress, lead the way, let’s go see it first!"

Giant Cypress led the way up the mountain.

...

By the ant trail on the slope, a cypress two meters high, its trunk and branches a bit thin and weak, not a robust sapling.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Giant Cypress, when did you find it?"

Giant Cypress: "Back in midsummer. I started tending it the very moment I found it."

Dragon Cypress carefully examined it with his tentacle.

The surrounding vegetation had already been cleaned away; there’s no issue with sunlight.

The soil where it took root had a four to five centimeter thick layer of black humus, so the soil is fertile enough.

That means this mutant Silver Cypress Tree is inherently weak, a mutation from strong to weak.

There are almost no insects in Hulan Mountain, so for such a weak seedling to survive in the harsh natural environment is really lucky.

Extremely fortunate, in fact.

Hulan Mountain truly is a treasure land!

There was just a Nine-Leaf Huangqian Divine-Given Seed yielded here, still maturing in the Life Pouch, and now there’s also the chance for a mutant Silver Cypress Divine-Given Seed.

"Dragon Cypress?"

Ink Orchid asked, "What should we do? Leave it to winter on Hulan Mountain? Will it die from the cold in winter?"

"It definitely won’t die. If it survived the seedling stage through the cold..."

Dragon Cypress pondered, then spoke slowly, "Let’s name this mutant Silver Cypress: Silver Cypress Number 1. Silver Cypress is very cold-tolerant; transplanting in autumn shouldn’t be an issue."

Dragon Cypress decisively said, "Dig it up with the surrounding soil! I’ll make a day and night journey, take it back to Xianglan Mountain, and hand it to Azure for management. When spring comes and the weather warms, we’ll use bud cultivation technique to mass-propagate Silver Cypress Number 1 seedlings at the first opportunity."

Dragon Cypress: "Follow the method Giant Cypress described just now—select the robust seedlings with the broadest, thickest leaves. For years to come, our Kingdom’s main task will be to promote Silver Cypress Number 1 in all territories suitable for Silver Cypress, planting on a massive scale, selecting and breeding new stock."