Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 632 - 568 Melde is Doomed_2

Snow Velvet Spider King: "I've also thought about it, and it's very possible. This is a concern for many Insects: when entering the Outworld, will we be sent to battlefields? To rob other civilizations?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes, I've considered this issue for a long time, which is why I've always insisted on enhancing our combat power."

Snow Velvet Spider King suggested, "Combat power is secondary. The key is scouting ability and the ability to escape and preserve one's life."

Dragon Cypress nodded his tentacles in agreement.

This was a heavy topic. Contact with unknown alien civilizations brought a sliver of anticipation, but far more apprehension and worry. Moreover, most Insects harbored a deep-seated repulsion to the act of robbery.

Snow Velvet Spider King changed the topic, lifting a claw to point at the forest on South Mountain, and asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, have your cultivated Silver Cypress Trees developed new mutant strains?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes."

Dragon Cypress briefly explained, "The original Silver Cypress came from a mutation of the Large-Leaved Chinese Arborvitae. Later, it mutated into the flat-leaved Silver Cypress No. 1, which was then improved to Silver Cypress No. 2 and Silver Cypress No. 4. Silver Cypress No. 2 also mutated into Silver Cypress No. 3. Last year, we discovered that an older Silver Cypress Tree had produced another new mutant strain, Silver Cypress No. 5. It's currently being cultivated, and we still need to test if its enhancement effect has mutated before deciding whether to focus on its cultivation."

Dragon Cypress: "Regardless of whether the enhancement effect has mutated, we need to cultivate it on a certain scale. Currently, three cultivated variants—Silver Cypress No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5—are being planted simultaneously, and things are becoming progressively more complex. The scale of cultivation is also increasing, but not a single Divine-Given Seed has emerged."

"You are still young; you have plenty of time. Persistence will eventually bring you your heart's desire."

Snow Velvet Spider King casually offered these comforting words, then advised, "You can refer to those top-level Great Tribes. If multiple cultivated variants are planted simultaneously, it's best to use multi-digit numbering. For example, the first cultivated variant derived from the native Silver Cypress could be classified as one type and numbered Silver Cypress 1001. The second cultivated variant from the native Silver Cypress could be numbered Silver Cypress 2001, the third type 3001, and so on. If further mutations occur from an existing variant—for instance, if Silver Cypress 1001 mutates again—it could be numbered Silver Cypress 1101. Another mutation could be Silver Cypress 1201, and so forth."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "If you choose Silver Cypress as the emblem plant of the Xianglan Mountain Kingdom, considering the long term—spending hundreds or even more years focusing on cultivation—it's certain to yield various good and bad cultivated variants. Such numbering can make the origins and lines of the different mutant branches clear. For large-scale cultivation, you could erect stone steles on-site, marked with characters for easy identification, preventing confusion from the sheer number of similar types."

Dragon Cypress: "That sounds very organized…"

Dragon Cypress: "Thank you for the advice, Snow Velvet Spider King!"

"It's a small matter. Even if I hadn't mentioned it, you would have figured it out yourself and made adjustments when the time came."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "With my three hundred years' experience as a Roving Merchant and my innate, keen intuition for plants, I believe Silver Cypress has great potential. It's entirely capable of supporting a Kingdom, a Tribe!"

Dragon Cypress had always believed so, and for a moment, he hardly knew how to be modest.

Snow Velvet Spider King continued, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, the first time I came to Xianglan Mountain, I noted many weeds growing under the orchard trees. At first, I thought it was because you were too busy with farming to handle them in time. But observing over the past two years, it seems intentional, doesn't it?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes. Mainly Thousand-Leaf Fescue, Thousand Mountains Wild Peas, and the Chicory we've selected ourselves. These plants have shallow roots, so they won't compete with Arbors for underground nutrients. There are many benefits to this approach. First, their cycle of growth and decay is short, and the decomposed stems and leaves turn into fertilizer for the soil. Second..."

Before they knew it, the conversation had shifted to plant cultivation and Territory management.

...

At noon, they held a simple banquet, eating and drinking their fill.

They organized their teams, preparing a day in advance for the trade.

After resting for a day, they arrived on schedule.

As usual, Red Peach, Heliotrope, and Column Spotted were already waiting at the Starship Passage.

This year, Heliotrope had brought ordinary White-Legged Little Flame Spiders.

Column Spotted had also brought a small group of Dulai Small Flame Spiders.

Upon meeting, Snow Velvet Spider King first offered small gifts and then accepted the Little Flame Spiders.

The Dulai Small Flame Spiders belonged to the Melde-White Ivy lineage.

Snow Velvet Spider King seemed quite pleased.

Column Spotted kept expressing his gratitude.

Dragon Cypress watched, feeling an urge to laugh. Flame Spider Warriors born from this lineage would likely be the Grass Dragon Feather Bean type; this Little Column Spotted wasn't a very 'proper' spider. Recalling Snow Velvet Spider King's words, that best-developed caravan from the Shanglu Dulai Flame Spider Tribe was probably in for some amusement.

The trade began. Heliotrope and Snow Velvet Spider King communicated, hurrying back and forth.

Dragon Cypress conducted normal trade with Red Peach and Column Spotted.

Taking turns, a day later, Snow Velvet Spider King concluded his communications with the Steward Spider Kings of the Flame Spider Kingdom from the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent.

Column Spotted suddenly said, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, I should start planning for the Evolution Mountain Lord Level now. The plan is to evolve into an 8th-Age-Period High-Level Warrior next winter. By the year after next, you won't see me anymore."

Dragon Cypress: "Little Column Spot, what's the rush? Stay a few more years."

Column Spotted: "Melde and Lord White Ivy are competing for the leadership of our Dulai Flame Spider Tribe! I want to help White Ivy!"

Dragon Cypress was taken aback. "Leader?"

Column Spotted: "Leader!"

Dragon Cypress: "Isn't there a group of Steward Spider Kings at the Ancestral Land handling various matters?"

Column Spotted: "Right! The Old Spider Kings all stay cooped up in the Ancestral Land and rarely travel, so they can't fully manage affairs on the mainland. The world underfoot is only so big, and benefits are finite. Caravans under different Spider Kings of the same tribe, and caravans from different tribes—our trading partners often overlap, leading to inevitable competition and disputes over benefits..."