Spring blossoms in full bloom—it is the season for annual trading once again.
As usual, Dragon Cypress arrived at Rednan Mountain with his team a day in advance to organize all the preparations.
Red Peach and Silvergrass also dragged their stone slab wheelcart and arrived right on ti.
They greeted each other.
All eyes from Dragon Cypress’s side focused on Silvergrass’s carapace.
On top of Silvergrass’s carapace, a small tawny Little Fla Spider, only thirty to forty centiters from outstretched leg to leg, was quickly climbing. It clambered up onto Silvergrass’s forehead, lifted its forelegs high, and announced its greeting.
"Greetings, Dragon Cypress Ant King!"
"Hello, Chinese Clematis!"
"Hello, Fragrant Cypress!"
"Hello everyone, my na is Heliotrope, a 7th age primary-level Dulai Fla Spider warrior. Please take care of ."
"Little Spider~"
"Hello~"
"What a cute little fellow~"
Sporadic, scattered responses.
Dragon Cypress asked, "Red Peach, isn’t this the Little Fla Spider that was born to White Ivy and the Luoli Caravan?"
Red Peach retorted, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, how do you know it’s not the Little Fla Spider born to White Ivy and the Luoli Caravan?"
Dragon Cypress: "There’s good reason why Fla Spiders value bloodline inheritance. No way could there be such a well-behaved and clever Little Fla Spider from the lineage of White Ivy and Luoli."
Red Peach: "...Is that so?"
Red Peach: "Heliotrope was hired at great expense by Seven-Leaf Lord from Mountain Lord Bead Sprout."
Hired?
It should be bought.
Even within the Fla Spider roving rchants, they conduct ’insect population transactions’ amongst themselves.
The most common is that so poor roving Fla Spider rchants, unable to raise their offspring, send their younger generations to strong, wealthy caravans.
You can’t call it outright buying and selling—they "hire" them with Flower Origin Stones.
There are also special situations like Silvergrass. Back then, Wormwood Spider King saw how Seven-Leaf, Luoli, and White Ivy were dominating trade on Cloud Trace Continent, wanted to get a piece, and also shrewdly realized the great potential in the Origin Force Honey business, thus arranged for Silvergrass to cooperate with Grass Dragon.
Wormwood Spider King’s judgnt was quite accurate. Over the years, he himself received rich returns, while Silvergrass also fared very well.
Silvergrass said with so reluctance, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, I should be considering evolution to the Mountain Lord Level. Next year I’ll co once more to finish our Divine-Grade Night Fragrance Fruit transaction, but the year after I might not be able to make it."
Chinese Clematis gave a gentle sigh, "Ti really does fly, doesn’t it? Before we noticed, we’ve all grown up. I should also advance to High-Level Warrior. I plan to evolve right after spring trade next year."
"Yeah~"
Red Peach also got sentintal, saying, "Back in the day, when I first ca, I was just a 1st age high-level Little Golden Mantis. At first, I traded with Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, then with Areca, Red Moonseed..."
Dragon Cypress: "Next spring, I’ll bring Ink Orchid, Black Cory, Red Moonseed, Areca, Blue Catalpa, and Snakebark Maple all together. After so many years being acquainted, we’ll have a proper farewell."
Silvergrass: "Thank you, Dragon Cypress Ant King."
Red Peach: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, haven’t you invited any new Little Warriors?"
"No."
Dragon Cypress: "Our core business is quite stable. Everyone knows the prices for various Origin Force Foods; there aren’t any urgent trades now that require a ssenger, so there’s no need to bring in Little Warriors for now."
Dragon Cypress turned, waggling his antennae. "Fragrant Cypress, since it’s your first eting, go back to the nest and prepare a jar of Ant Honey for Heliotrope."
"Yes, Great King."
Fragrant Cypress placed two spider silk bags in front of Dragon Cypress and hurried off.
Dragon Cypress imdiately stuffed them through the crack, saying, "Divine-Grade Kunlun Seeds are harvested successfully. According to our agreent, for this batch, Aconite Spider King receives 2 seeds, Wormwood Spider King, Spider King Spurge, and Lord White Ivy each get 1."
"Red Peach, Silvergrass, check them over."
Chinese Clematis also handed over the spider silk bag she was carrying.
"No problem."
"Thank you, Dragon Cypress Ant King!"
Red Peach and Silvergrass opened them in turn, checked, and quickly tidied up their things.
Dragon Cypress: "One more thing—my god-given seed for the 9th age period has already sprouted. In twelve years, I plan to break through to Evolution Lord Level. I’ll arrange for the God-Given Life Seed to rest flowers and fruit two to three years ahead of ti, to accumulate force for the breakthrough. Just informing you in advance."
Red Peach: "!!!"
Silvergrass: "Congratulations, Dragon Cypress Ant King!"
Red Peach: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, do you want us to ask Spider King Spurge about news on the Mountain Pillar Fruit?"
The Mountain Pillar Fruit bestows Earth Elental Talents.
If successful, by the established pattern, the Dominating Throne could cultivate a new type of ant inheriting Earth Talent.
Dragon Cypress: "That’s exactly it. After advancing to Evolution Lord Level, I plan to use one right away."
Silvergrass: "Got it!"
Dragon Cypress: "Also, about the Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruit, I hope Aconite Spider King can give a specific tiline. So Mountain Lord Ink Orchid can properly plan their evolution schedule."
Silvergrass: "Noted."
Dragon Cypress: "Good. Nothing else. Let’s trade."
According to tradition, trade of the Divine-Given Origin Force Food cos first.
Dragon Cypress waved his antennae, sending bag after bag of Divine-Given Origin Force Food and massive jars of Ant King Honey into the Trade Cave.
They counted the goods and calculated the prices.
Heliotrope lay quietly on Silvergrass’s forehead, staring in awe.
After spending most of the day, the two sides completed their exchange and settled their accounts.
Red Peach and Silvergrass loaded Heliotrope and Chinese Clematis onto the stone slab wheelcart and sped away.
...
After waiting an entire day and night,
the next morning,
Red Peach, Silvergrass, Chinese Clematis, and Heliotrope all hurried back.
Chinese Clematis rushed to report: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Spider King Spurge said the Mountain Pillar Fruit will be delivered in fifteen years."
Dragon Cypress: "Good! Be sure to thank Spider King Spurge for when you go next."
Chinese Clematis: "Aconite Spider King said the next batch of Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruit will mature in seven years. Barring surprises, it’ll be delivered on ti."
Dragon Cypress: "Great!"
Silvergrass continued, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Spider King Spurge asked if you still need Youlian Seed. He can sell you one."
Dragon Cypress: "Hmm—"
The Exotic System powers granted by Youlian Seed have so practical use, especially the ’Youlian Form’ ability, which can help an insect dodge lethal attacks at a critical mont and save a life.
You never know when such an ability might co in handy.
1.2 million Source Stones is quite cheap, too.
However,
During his 9th age period Mountain Lord advancent, Dragon Cypress planned to eat Divine-Grade Spotted Embrace Fruit and Night Fragrance Fruit, so it wouldn’t be wise to ingest more Divine-Grade Fruits right now.
There are almost too many Divine-Grade Fruits to eat.
Maybe he should assign them all to the Command Ants?
At the very least, it’s necessary for the specialized Combat Cibai, Giant Cypress, Cypress, and Silver Cypress to have one each.
Even the dual-role battle commanders Black Cory, Black Leaf, Black Birch, and Black Peach would benefit from enhanced survival abilities.
Dragon Cypress pondered and said, "I’ll take one. But one isn’t enough; if possible, send more over."
Chinese Clematis: "I’ll talk to Spider King Spurge."
Silvergrass: "There’s no reason Spider King Spurge would refuse."
Silvergrass: "Wormwood Spider King ntioned the second Divine-Grade Green Bean..."
"Hold off. Put it off for now."
Dragon Cypress waved his antennae, "Green Bean isn’t urgent. Thousand-Layer Fruit isn’t urgent either. Just hold off a bit—when needed, I’ll inform you in advance."
Dragon Cypress called out, "Let’s trade quickly."
"Alright!"
Silvergrass, Red Peach, and Heliotrope replied together.
Dragon Cypress couldn’t help his curiosity and asked, "What did you do with the Divine-Grade Kunlun Seed? Did Luoli really eat it?"
Red Peach: "Yes. It’s eaten."
Silvergrass: "Spider King Spurge and Wormwood Spider King both ate their own Divine-Grade Kunlun Seeds as well."
Red Peach: "Funny thing is, Aconite Spider King wasn’t as stingy as I thought—he split his two Divine-Grade Kunlun Seeds between Seven-Leaf and Natsumi."
Chinese Clematis calmly analyzed, "It’s not that Aconite Spider King is generous. Didn’t you notice? He once complained that Lord White Ivy spoiled the trend. That was the truth. Lord White Ivy started out relying on itself, awakened a second Wood Elent Talent, and even shows it off now and then. So the others had to keep up, especially Seven-Leaf Lord. And since Natsumi has run errands for so many years, naturally she couldn’t be left out. In essence, Aconite Spider King had no choice."
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Dragon Cypress urged, "Let’s get on with the trade. Trade."
...
It took half a month to finish trading with the Fla Spider roving rchants.
Dragon Cypress launched into all the busyness of spring.
Up until early sumr, the mission of transporting Source Stones for Huagi Mountain was completed.
Then he set off for Kiwifruit Mountain to bring Blue Catalpa to Xianglan Mountain to help.
Last spring, all 1,000 Black Peach No.1 saplings cultivated by Azure ended up with bent trunks, leaning all over, and slender side branches. Although they survived, they were all so weak that it would be hard for them to mature and flower or bear fruit normally.
Fortunately, Dragon Cypress was smart enough to keep half of the old breed Black Peach Trees planted on Xianglan Mountain.
Blue Catalpa used the "Grafting" ability to harvest suitable buds and branches from the Black Peach No.1 saplings and grafted them onto old Black Peach Trees that were in their pri fruiting years.
Let’s try it out and see what happens.
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