The Dominating Throne flew at a low altitude, hugging the mountainside as it slowly headed toward the east of the mountain.
From a distance, they saw neatly cultivated orchards planted with Persimmon Trees.
How capable was this Longhorn Beetle Warrior when it was alive? Dragon Cypress was puzzled.
The Dominating Throne descended, following the path of the orchard.
Suddenly, Ink Orchid, who had been listless and curled up, jumped up excitedly.
"Dragon Cypress! I sense Origin Force fluctuations from a Life Seed Plant!"
Ink Orchid pointed northward. "Fantastic! There are still living Insect Clan Warriors here!"
So that’s why... Dragon Cypress had been wondering why there were no signs of neglect in the orchard, despite the Longhorn Beetle Warrior having died many years ago.
There was another Insect Clan Warrior managing it!
Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to climb, heading north.
Soon, two tall and lush cypress trees appeared in sight, surrounded by four tall Persimmon Tree Life Seed Plants and so other Arbor Life Seed Plants.
Between the two cypress trees, a steep slope lay behind, leading to the entrance of a mountain cave blocked by withered branches.
At the cave entrance, many frozen persimmons were neatly stacked.
Getting closer, they sensed the scent and Origin Force Fluctuation of an Insect Clan Warrior.
It was already daybreak, yet the cave’s occupant was still asleep.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid unfolded their wings and vigorously released Origin Force Fluctuations.
Imdiately, the obstructing withered branches were smashed open, and a Beetle charged out. It looked left and right, then raised its head to see the hovering Dominating Throne. On the Throne sat a portly Ant King and a blue Mantis. The Beetle was utterly shocked and stupefied.
Which Ant Clan? Which Mantis Tribe? What is this hovering creation they’re riding? It racked its brain, searching its Inherited mory.
At the sa ti, Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were also assessing the newcor.
Its body was slightly slender, with a dark brown Carapace and dark red edges.
Possibly from the Red-Margined Tenebrionid Beetle Tribe.
But its tentacles were especially long, even longer than those of the Sphere Insect Warriors. They had up to seventeen segnts and looked very flexible.
This did not match the description of the Red-Margined Tenebrionid Beetle in their Inherited mory.
It must be a mutation caused by the cold weather...
Its body length was 1.2 to 1.3 ters; it was likely a High-Level Warrior.
"Hello!"
Dragon Cypress greeted politely, followed by the standard introduction upon encountering an unfamiliar Insect Clan Warrior:
"I am the King of the Creator Civilization, Dragon Cypress Ant King."
Dragon Cypress then pointed to Ink Orchid beside him. "This is the King of Xianglan Mountain, nad Ink Orchid."
"Um—" The Longhorn Beetle Warrior remained stunned for a long while. It then lifted a foreleg, pointed at the Dominating Throne, and asked, "What is this?"
Dragon Cypress, "The supre creation of the Creator Civilization, called the Dominating Throne."
Dragon Cypress continued, "Our civilization is called Natural Civilization, also known as Insect Clan Civilization. The Natural God used the Divine Force Barrier to divide the planet we stand on into eight continents. The continent we currently inhabit is called the ’Cloud Trace Continent’..."
Dragon Cypress was still using the sa half-true, half-false rhetoric as always.
The Longhorn Beetle Warrior looked upward, motionless.
Impatient at the other party’s long lack of response, Ink Orchid said, "My first Life Seed is an Ink Orchid plant, so my na is Ink Orchid. Dragon Cypress’s first Life Seed is the Dragon Cypress Tree; its na is ’Dragon Cypress’."
Ink Orchid asked, "What’s your na?"
The Longhorn Beetle Warrior slowly turned around, looking toward the cypress tree at the cave entrance.
Ink Orchid leaned closer to Dragon Cypress, suppressed its spiritual power, and quietly asked, "Dragon Cypress, you must know a lot about cypress trees, right? What type of cypress is that?"
Dragon Cypress said awkwardly, "By the shape of the tree, it sowhat resembles the Large Fruit Round Cypress, but it’s a bit off..."
Ink Orchid, "Dragon Cypress, you can’t even recognize all types of cypress trees?"
Dragon Cypress said innocently, "That is a cypress from the north of the Cloud Trace Continent. I am an insect from the south. It’s quite normal for not to recognize it right away, right?"
Ink Orchid, "Doesn’t seem normal, does it?"
Dragon Cypress, "What’s so abnormal about that..."
The Longhorn Beetle Warrior seed to be pondering and appeared sowhat confused. After a very long ti, it slowly said:
"My na is Mountain Persimmon!"
Mountain Persimmon? Not a type of cypress? Aren’t there two cypress trees planted at the entrance to your cave?
Ink Orchid, "..."
Dragon Cypress, "..."
Dragon Cypress imdiately thought of a possibility and asked, "Mountain Persimmon, did you plant all the persimmon trees on the mountain?"
Mountain Persimmon, "Yes."
Dragon Cypress, "But your first Life Seed doesn’t seem to be a persimmon tree?"
Mountain Persimmon, "Yes..."
Mountain Persimmon said, "It’s a Silver Cypress Tree."
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid looked at each other, pondering and intensely searching their Inherited mory.
Ink Orchid, "Is there such a cypress in the Inherited mory?"
Dragon Cypress, "Could it be a variant?"
Mountain Persimmon, "Yes..."
Mountain Persimmon waved its tentacles, pointing toward the southeast of the mountain, and said, "Previously, an elder living over there cultivated a new species of tree. This type of cypress has young branches and petioles covered with silvery-white down. The elder nad it ’Silver Cypress.’ That was also the elder’s na."
Dragon Cypress, "!!!"
Ink Orchid asked, "A variant of the Large Fruit Round Cypress? Or a new species obtained by hybridization?"
Mountain Persimmon, "I don’t know. I had just awakened not long before Silver Cypress passed away due to old age."
Dragon Cypress asked, "What about the enhancent effects? Are there mutations as well?"
Mountain Persimmon, "Yes, the mutations are significant. Silver Cypress, similar to Giant Cypress, enhances physical stature, but it differs. The specific enhancent effect of Giant Cypress is to greatly increase size. In contrast, Silver Cypress optimizes the physique."
Top-tier tree species!
Dragon Cypress, "!!!"
Ink Orchid, "That’s quite valuable!"
No wonder Mountain Persimmon seed much sturdier than the Red-Margined Tenebrionid Beetles in the Inherited mory—it turned out it had been transford by the Origin Force Food produced by the Silver Cypress Life Seed.
Dragon Cypress eagerly asked, "Mountain Persimmon, do you have any ordinary Silver Cypress Tree Seeds stored?"
Mountain Persimmon, "No."
Dragon Cypress, "Then are there any Silver Cypress saplings on the mountain?"
Mountain Persimmon, "I haven’t noticed any."
Dragon Cypress, "But there must still be quite a few Silver Cypress trees on the mountain, right?"
Mountain Persimmon, "There should be, I guess."
Mountain Persimmon realized Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid longed for Silver Cypress Tree Seeds. It understood they surely intended to acquire a couple for their Life Seeds. Pointing toward the southeast of the mountain, Mountain Persimmon said with so regret,
"Previously, an orchard cultivated by an elder of my kind had many cypress trees planted. Then... later... I replaced them all with persimmon trees..."
Ink Orchid, "Replaced them all?"
Mountain Persimmon, "Replaced them all."
What a wasteful child! Dragon Cypress asked, "So there must still be Silver Cypress trees in other parts of the mountain, right?"
Mountain Persimmon, "I haven’t noticed. I’m not sure."
Dragon Cypress, "..."
Ink Orchid, "..."
Mountain Persimmon remained calm throughout, amid the desolate surroundings of the Origin Force Isolated Island, showing no excitent or joy upon seeing other insects. Its reactions seed sowhat slow. After thinking and pondering, it asked:
"Dragon Cypress, which Ant Clan are you from?"
Dragon Cypress, "Giant-Headed Ant."
"Oh!" Mountain Persimmon acknowledged. "You are different from the Inherited mory," it murmured, then asked, "Ink Orchid, which tribe of Mantis Warrior are you from?"
Ink Orchid, "Orchid Mantis."
Mountain Persimmon was stunned. It searched its mory, pondering deeply. Suddenly, realization dawned, and it said, "You’ve been living on the Dominating Throne for a long ti—you’ve turned blue!"
Ink Orchid, "Yes..."
Mountain Persimmon, "Are you Southern Insects?"
Ink Orchid, "Yes. We co from the far south."
Ink Orchid clarified their intent, "Dragon Cypress controls the Dominating Throne. It can carry Origin Force Food and shuttle between different Origin Force Points. Mountain Persimmon, we have co to you seeking trade, just like a Fla Spider Roving rchant."
Mountain Persimmon blanked out, searching its Inherited mory for knowledge about roving rchants. It stood still for a while, its tentacles shook, then drooped again, and it said:
"I don’t have Origin Force Food to trade with you."
Ink Orchid, "What about the Silver Cypress Seeds?"
Mountain Persimmon, "I’ve eaten them all."
Ink Orchid, "You have four different types of Persimmon Tree Life Seeds."
Mountain Persimmon, "I love eating persimmons the most."
Ink Orchid, "I see you’ve also planted many other types of Life Seeds."
Mountain Persimmon, "I’ve eaten them all."
You eat even more than I do, huh? Ink Orchid was left speechless.
Dragon Cypress looked around and noticed that Mountain Persimmon’s Life Seed Plants were exclusively arbors, with few repetitions.
It must have been taught by that deceased elder of its kind. If not naturally clever, or taught and sheltered by an elder, it would be almost impossible to survive to the High-Level Warrior stage. Mountain Persimmon obviously belonged to the latter.
Dragon Cypress, "No worries. We can trade next year then."
Dragon Cypress opened a Spider Silk Bag and took out two Southern Sour Jujube Seeds. He placed them into another Spider Silk Bag, rolled it into a cylinder, and threw it down, saying:
"Life on the Cloud Trace Continent is harsh. Insects are few, so the Natural God must have arranged our eting. Since we’ve t, we’re friends. As a token for our first eting, here’s a small gift for you..."
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