Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 613 - 561 Black Sophora_3

"Really? Even the Dulai Flame Spiders of Shanglu still eat sweets? Has the long separation caused differences in our dietary habits?"

"I see—"

Dragon Cypress swayed his tentacles to issue an order, "Fragrant Cypress, hurry, go fetch two jars of Ant King Honey for the Snow Velvet Spider King."

"Yes, Great King!"

Fragrant Cypress, who had been overseeing the worker ants carrying spices up the mountain, dropped his task and dashed into the ant nest.

Dragon Cypress added, "Fragrant Cypress, bring out a jar of Scarletlight Ant King Honey. Also, you can take out some of the various Origin Force Ant Honeys we've developed in different fragrant and flavored varieties for the Snow Velvet Spider King to taste."

"Got it, Great King."

Fragrant Cypress departed.

Dragon Cypress turned back.

Different fragrant flavors? The Snow Velvet Spider King was secretly intrigued, but kept a nonchalant tone, asking:

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, along the way I noticed many plants blooming. Isn't it almost time for your trade with the Flame Spider Roving Merchants from the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent?"

"Still exactly 10 days away, Snow Velvet Spider King. You did arrive a little early."

"Hmm, all right. Next year I'll be right on time."

"No need to stand on ceremony, Snow Velvet Spider King—arriving a few days early is great, isn't it? I'll show you around and let you enjoy spring in the Northern Hemisphere."

"That would be nice…"

The Snow Velvet Spider King suddenly changed the subject: "Where's the Ink Orchid Lord?"

Dragon Cypress: "He's on Molan Mountain, looking after the Great King Molan Divine-Given Seed."

"Oh—"

The Snow Velvet Spider King raised a claw, pointing to the nursery below the mountain, and asked in confusion: "What kind of cypress is that? Looks beautiful! Is it a cultivated variant not recorded in the inherited memory?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes. Silver Cypress, a top-level plant seed we bred ourselves here in the Xianglan Mountain Kingdom. The entire kingdom is focused on optimizing its cultivation. Those seedlings down there are the third generation, Silver Cypress No. 3..."

Dragon Cypress and the Snow Velvet Spider King began chatting about plant cultivation and kingdom management trivialities.

Fragrant Cypress arrived with two jars of Ant King Honey and more than a dozen jars of regular Origin Force Ant Honey.

The Snow Velvet Spider King tasted them one by one, full of praise.

Snow Velvet Spider King had a special fondness for gourmet food, and the topic shifted back to cuisine.

A simple welcome banquet was held, with eating, drinking, and casual chat lasting late into the night.

After a night's rest, Dragon Cypress took the Snow Velvet Spider King on the Dominating Throne to tour White Lotus Lake, Red Cypress Mountain, Cicada Orchid Mountain, and other Lands of Origin Force.

After a round of sightseeing, they returned to Xianglan Mountain just as the annual trade time arrived.

Fragrant Cypress and Black Persimmon organized a team, loaded various goods for sale to the caravan, and with the support of the mixed combat legion, grandly set out.

...

"..."

Red Peach, Heliotrope, and Column Spotted stared through the Starship Rift, looking at the Snow Velvet Spider King, whose body filled nearly half of the Trade Cave, stunned.

—What a massive spider!

Dragon Cypress jumped in first, "Red Peach, Heliotrope, Column Spotted, don't be surprised—this is the Snow Velvet Spider King from Shanglu, the Flame Spider Ancestral Land in the Southern Hemisphere."

"???"

Red Peach, Heliotrope, and Column Spotted pretended to hear this for the first time, and coordinated their responses, projecting spiritual power full of shock, confusion, and questioning.

Dragon Cypress: "When Ink Orchid and I traveled the continent, we accidentally discovered an undersea Starship Passage running from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere, connecting Cloud Trace Continent with Bayonet Continent..."

Dragon Cypress recounted the story again.

Red Peach, Heliotrope, and Column Spotted repeatedly gasped, expressed astonishment, and even jumped in excitement…

After finishing,

Dragon Cypress turned toward the Snow Velvet Spider King.

"Greetings, Snow Velvet Spider King!"

"Hello, Snow Velvet Spider King!"

"Hello, Snow Velvet Spider King, my name's Column Spotted."

Red Peach, Heliotrope, and Column Spotted all greeted together.

"Ah… hello to you all…"

The Snow Velvet Spider King replied a bit awkwardly, then found it difficult, pondered for a few seconds, and asked in a chatty way: 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Column Spotted, things are going well for the Flame Spider Kingdom on the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent, right? No troubles in life?"

Column Spotted: "Thank you for your concern, Spider King, things are going very well. Most spiders are living prosperous lives."

Heliotrope: "Now that native breed Flame Spiders have joined, and we also have stable Origin Force Food production inside the kingdom, things just keep getting better."

"Prosperity is good… that reassures me…"

The Snow Velvet Spider King paused, then asked: "I heard your elder, the Aconite Spider King, is remarkable—the strongest and most famed among all the Flame Spider Caravans crossing the continent."

Heliotrope: "That's right!"

Column Spotted joked, "The fame of the Aconite Spider King has even reached the Shanglu Ancestral Land."

The Snow Velvet Spider King said seriously, "I have business with him."

Heliotrope nudged Column Spotted and asked earnestly, "Snow Velvet Spider King, what is it?"

From their short conversation, it seemed Column Spotted was lively and whimsical, while Heliotrope was the calmer spider.

Snow Velvet Spider King: "What I'm about to say concerns the highest-level secret of our Flame Spider Tribe. Heliotrope, you stay. I'll speak to you alone."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "Red Peach, Column Spotted, could you two step outside for a bit? Thank you."

Column Spotted: "???"

Red Peach raised a claw to poke the bewildered Column Spotted.

Column Spotted: "..."

Column Spotted: "Snow Velvet Spider King, I'm practically a direct descendant of the Aconite Spider King!"

Snow Velvet Spider King: "This year I was in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts. I'll make it up to you next year."

Column Spotted: "..."

Dragon Cypress gently waved a claw to signal them to leave for now.

Column Spotted left feeling a bit unwilling, following Red Peach away.

Fragrant Cypress and Black Persimmon also sensibly withdrew.

The Snow Velvet Spider King slowly turned to Dragon Cypress.

Dragon Cypress: "I'm an ant that follows the rules."

The Snow Velvet Spider King spoke gravely, "What I'm about to share is a secret that ninety-nine percent of the Flame Spiders in Shanglu have no idea about."

"Understood."

Dragon Cypress helplessly left the cave as well.

Now only the Snow Velvet Spider King and Heliotrope faced each other through the Starship Rift.

The Snow Velvet Spider King activated an ability, raising a Primordial Energy Shield to block out spiritual power probing. After a moment's thought, he asked:

"Heliotrope, do you know how the name of our Flame Spider place of origin, 'Shanglu', came about?"

Heliotrope: "...I don't know."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "It was named for the 'Shanglu Divine Tree.' In ancient times, beneath the Shanglu Divine-Given Seed tree, the native breed Flame Spider Tribe evolved a special offshoot: the Round Purple Flame Spider Tribe, from which the very first Flame Spider Roving Merchant was born..."