The sun in the sky grew scorching under the late spring.
Huagi Mountain.
Yellow Stem finished all the duties within his territory and, under the guidance of Quandong Divine Tree, ran up and down the winding rugged mountain paths for exercise.
Yellow Stem only stopped when they neared the Dominating Throne.
"Yellow Stem!"
Ink Orchid called out, soaring down and landing.
"Have you eaten the Moon Peach fruit?"
"I have—"
"How does it feel?"
"It feels amazing to have more lifespan than I could ever use."
Yellow Stem stared fixedly at Dragon Cypress.
Quandong Divine Tree’s spiritual power also remained locked on Dragon Cypress, scanning repeatedly before finally asking, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, the Forest Symbiont ability?"
Dragon Cypress: "Yes!"
Yellow Stem imdiately raised a claw and questioned, "How did you make those flashy colors?"
Ink Orchid answered ahead, "Whatever color leaf you eat, you manifest that color. The essence of the Forest Symbiont is the wood primordial energy decomposing the leaves and distributing it onto the carapace surface and mbranous wings. Insect Clan warriors form a symbiotic relationship with plant leaves, obtaining energy and nutrients from sunlight."
It was a reasonably clear explanation.
Yellow Stem tapped his antenna, "A marvelous ability!"
Quandong Divine Tree asked, "What about the strength of the ability? The energy consud by every move of an Origin Force Life is enormous."
Dragon Cypress replied, "The strength largely depends on which leaves I use. For , regular plant leaves can only sustain basic life when I’m still. If I switch to Origin Force plant leaves, it’s definitely better. I’m considering—even more so if I use leaves surpassing king-level..."
Yellow Stem and Quandong Divine Tree understood Dragon Cypress’s intention.
Yellow Stem tried to change the subject, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Ink Orchid, where are you two headed? When will this year’s Source Stones be delivered?"
Ink Orchid: "I’m at Huagi Mountain to keep Red Phellodendron company for a while. Dragon Cypress is about to begin transporting Source Stones this way."
Dragon Cypress: "Quandong Divine Tree, would you be interested in a small experint?"
Quandong Divine Tree: "..."
Quandong Divine Tree: "You may pick so leaves from the canopy where no sunlight reaches."
"Good!"
Dragon Cypress fluttered his wings and flew towards the Quandong Divine Tree.
...
The Divine-Given Seed surpassing king-level was truly overbearing.
All the ordinary leaves Dragon Cypress had eaten earlier were expelled; his entire body turned a deep ink-green, even the blue ring patterns on his abdon took on a thick green hue.
Under the sunlight, strands of energy and higher-order nutrients flowed ceaselessly into his body, rging within, even hastening the absorption of natural primordial force.
Dragon Cypress silently gauged and soon had a result: light utilization efficiency had improved at least tenfold, easily supporting daily activity. For example, maneuvering the Dominating Throne to deliver Source Stones, or commanding worker ants to work.
Of course, combat training and strenuous activity that spent large amounts of physical strength still required eating for replenishnt.
Moreover, Quandong Divine Tree’s leaves had another advantage,
Regular leaves would eventually die, in months or years, requiring replacent.
But the leaves from Quandong Divine Tree possessed extrely tenacious life force—they did not die, and could last a lifeti.
The only flaw was ending up totally ink-green—not exactly pretty.
Dragon Cypress then thought of another question: could Green Ants and Green Soldiers use the leaves from a Quandong Divine-Given Seed as well?
Dragon Cypress: "Yellow Stem, I’m thinking of setting up a small sub-nest on Huagi Mountain. Each year during Source Stone deliveries, I’ll raise specialized Green Ants here. Planning to deploy a hundred, dedicated to casting Flourish for Red Phellodendron’s Divine-Given Seed to boost growth."
Dragon Cypress earnestly suggested, "How about expanding the nest a bit? Breed more specialized Green Ants, and arrange so for you and Spruce’s Life Seeds as well."
Yellow Stem: "..."
Yellow Stem knew exactly what Dragon Cypress ant, and turned to look at Quandong Divine Tree.
Quandong Divine Tree: "..."
Quandong Divine Tree: "I rely on my leaves to absorb sunlight and synthesize energy, and to absorb origin force and transform it into primordial energy. If too many of my leaves are lost, it will certainly affect the growth of Soul-Setting Fruit. Likewise, sprouting new branches and leaves would consu a huge amount of primordial energy, energy, and nutrients, and would also impact Soul-Setting Fruit growth. Simple experints are fine, but large-scale raising of Green Ants by harvesting my leaves—it is not worth the loss."
Quandong Divine Tree: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, if you want large-scale leaf harvesting, go negotiate with Huagi and Linnan. Over in Purple Tung Insect Nation, the area is vast and origin force concentration is high, with no need to supplent origin force using Source Stones. If you just invest so Divine-Given Remains, and then properly compensate with the Flourish ability, that should make up the loss—without affecting the fruits."
Dragon Cypress: "...Understood."
The majesty of Huagi Divine Tree could not be violated.
So, Huagi Divine Tree was the first to be ruled out.
As for Linnan Divine Tree—with its explosive temper, to pluck its leaves...
That was downright perilous...
Urge Yellow Stem to do it?
Dragon Cypress gave up the idea for now, took a day off, and grew busy shuttling between Snow Cedar Mountain and Huagi Mountain.
He hurried to finish this year’s delivery of 4.5 million Source Stones before the height of sumr.
...
...
...
Purple Tung Insect Nation.
The Dominating Throne bore Ink Orchid and Yellow Stem straight toward the Huagi Divine Tree.
Before they could get close, they were intercepted by Linnan Divine Tree.
"Hey? Little Ant! Hold it!"
Linnan Divine Tree’s spiritual force surged, full of surprise, "You turned green? That’s the aura of that old coot Quandong! Is this that ’Forest Symbiont’ wood elent ability you ntioned?"
"Yes."
Ink Orchid helped answer.
Linnan Divine Tree: "How’s the effect?"
Dragon Cypress, resigned, controlled the Dominating Throne to land, proceeding on foot as he answered:
"Pretty decent. Basically ets my daily energy needs. In the intense sumr sun, I even have a surplus, needing vigorous movent to burn off excess physical energy."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Great! Very interesting wood elent ability!"
Linnan Divine Tree: "What about your Green Soldiers and Green Ants? Have they inherited the ability smoothly?"
Dragon Cypress: "Of course."
Linnan Divine Tree: "So you plan to mass-produce specialized Green Soldiers and Green Ants?"
Dragon Cypress: "Yes. The first step is mass-raising specialized Green Ants."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Not bad. Not bad. Really not bad. Little Ant, you must keep your promise—get a hundred thousand as well."
What promise?
Did I promise that?
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Dragon Cypress: "But then I’d have to pluck your leaves."
Linnan Divine Tree: "That won’t do, it would delay the growth of the Divine-Grade Kunlan Seed. Go pick from Huagi Divine Tree instead. Divine-Given Bestowed Floral Banner Pine Seeds aren’t so rare. Missing a year or two’s output isn’t a big loss."
The icy spiritual intent of Huagi Divine Tree swept over him.
Linnan Divine Tree: "Just joking. Little Ant, let be serious: specialized Green Ants are only semi-Origin Force life—they don’t need Divine Tree leaves. Night Fragrance God-Given Seed leaves suffice, pick from that."
Long story short, this Linnan Divine Tree wouldn’t give up a single leaf of his own, but kept pushing him to pick from others.
An old rascal of poor character.
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Night Fragrance is still a Divine Grade tree, and the fruits it produces are my own—so I clearly can’t keep taking from it irresponsibly.
Dragon Cypress, not wanting to argue, quickened his pace toward Huagi Divine Tree.
Linnan’s spiritual force followed like a shadow, "Little Ant, you’re in your 8th age period now. Shouldn’t you be strengthening your Water System ability and getting ready for Molan Continent?"
Dragon Cypress: "Yes."
Linnan Divine Tree: "And what about that Longhorn Beetle?"
Dragon Cypress: "Ghost Fan will reach its 9th age period by the end of autumn this year."
Linnan Divine Tree: "The Little Mantis and Mountain Sphere Centipede are evolving a bit slowly."
Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid isn’t rushing—he’ll go in thirty years. White Rice isn’t slow at all. She’s about to reach her 7th age period."
Linnan Divine Tree: "How’s your Divine-Grade Ink Orchid? Flowered yet?"
Dragon Cypress: "It has flowered, but no fruit set. We’ll consider setting fruit in this winter’s flowering."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Little Grasshopper, why’d you co to Purple Tung Insect Nation?"
Yellow Stem: "I’m staying here to learn from Huagi Divine Tree. Spruce has returned to Huagi Mountain to stand watch. We’ll swap again in autumn."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Wisdom is innate. To act as an insect is about talent and self-enlightennt—there’s nothing Huagi Divine Tree can teach you. Physical strength and might can be gained through acquired training—co, let teach you..."
"Okay~ okay~ okay~"
Yellow Stem responded perfunctorily, speeding up to escape.
The group reached Huagi Divine Tree’s base.
Everything they intended to report to Huagi Divine Tree had already been asked by Linnan Divine Tree.
After a bit of chatting, they went on to visit Night Fragrance, Purple Tung, Jinhe...
This ti, Dragon Cypress didn’t have further business in Purple Tung Insect Nation—he mainly ca to send Ink Orchid.
Ink Orchid stayed to guard White Poplar Divine Seed.
Dragon Cypress returned to guard Molan Mountain.
The Divine-Given Seed of the Two Kings Ink Orchid was split with a threefold propagation rate. After all the offshoots matured, they developed soul consciousness, and the personality was much like Southern Gorgon—irritable, greedy, and foolish.
Dragon Cypress tried to slowly educate and guide them, but results were minimal.
...
This year’s sumr dry season was not obvious, and there was less to do.
Dragon Cypress fulfilled his promise, arranging for Black Cory to go to Green-Red Kiwifruit Mountain and help Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple reclaim wasteland.
...
Ti moved to the end of autumn.
After half a year, the first batch of six specialized Green Ants finally erged after feather transformation.
Dragon Cypress grouped them into three pairs for testing.
The first group, using cypress leaves, activated the "Forest Symbiont" ability.
The second group used Amaranthus Spinosa.
He hurried to Huagi Mountain to ask Quandong Divine Tree for so leaves, which were provided to the third pair.
Dragon Cypress instructed all three groups of specialized Green Ants to eat and drink their fill, reach peak condition, perform Flourish twice in succession, depleting their energy, then line up for a sunlight recovery trial.
The third pair recovered to full status in just one day.
The first and second groups, without feeding, recovered especially slowly.
Continued observations,
The two in the second group were first to regain physical strength after five days.
The first group’s ants recovered after 13 days.
Dragon Cypress had long observed which plants best used light, and found that Amaranthus Spinosa, this unremarkable low-growing herb, had the highest light-use efficiency.
Actual results agreed with this.
The specialized Green Ants in the first and second groups rely restored physical energy; their overall condition wasn’t optimal and still required small amounts of at-based food.
However, compared to earlier specialized Green Ants without the "Forest Symbiont" ability, their need for at had dropped by eighty to ninety percent.
Sub-nests on Molan Mountain produced new specialized Green Ants one after another.
There was a second experint as well.
Dragon Cypress had long noticed that many plant seeds could sowhat substitute for at diets.
He made all specialized Green Ants use Amaranthus Spinosa to activate "Forest Symbiont" and after deploying Flourish, while recovering under the sun, also let them eat ant honey made from various plant seeds to assist recovery.
Comparative observation.
He quickly found that specialized Green Ants eating legus recovered fastest.
The ant honey refined from Thousand Mountains Wild Pea seeds, planted en masse in the orchard understory, was very effective for aiding Green Ant recovery.
With the food problem for specialized Green Ants solved, he could confidently expand their breeding.
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