Year 23 of Silver Cypress.
The spring trading season of the new year.
The Snow Velvet Spider King arrived at Xianglan Mountain on ti.
After exchanging greetings,
The Snow Velvet Spider King asked curiously: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, where is the Ink Orchid Lord busy again? Haven't seen it in so many years."
The past few years were spent worrying about the secret of the Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruit being exposed, so Ink Orchid deliberately avoided the Snow Velvet Spider King, but this year there was actually sothing going on...
Dragon Cypress explained: "Ink Orchid just went through a molting evolution, and as soon as the newly nurtured God-Given Life Seed was ready, he sowed it right away. Ink Orchid is taking care of the Life Seed saplings at White Lotus Lake."
"Oh—"
Snow Velvet Spider King: "Successfully awakened the Soul System talent, right?"
Dragon Cypress: "Both the Thunder System and the Soul System talents have awakened successfully, and even acquired a very powerful ability combining three systems: soul, wind, and thunder. Next year I'll make sure Ink Orchid stays at Xianglan Mountain, so you can take a look, Snow Velvet Spider King."
"Very powerful?"
The Snow Velvet Spider King seed indifferent, then changed the subject, saying, "Over at Rainbow Island, King Ant Goldna is fully prepared for its breakthrough and promotion to Insect King. When I'm done with trade here, I'll rush over to help guard and support its breakthrough."
Snow Velvet Spider King: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, do you want to co along and see it for yourself? Familiarize yourself with the details of an Insect King's breakthrough promotion—it'll be useful for your own future, one way or another."
Dragon Cypress: "!!!"
Everyone was planning to send off King Ant Goldna and let Xianglan Mountain Kingdom take over Rainbow Island.
This was a sensitive matter involving the territorial sovereignty of two Ant Kingdom lords.
Dragon Cypress hadn't dared to ask; he'd thought they'd need another five or six years to prepare, but surprisingly, it was happening so soon...
Dragon Cypress: "Of course I need to witness it with my own eyes!"
Dragon Cypress: "If it's convenient, I'd like for the Cypress, Black Birch, and Tie Bush stationed on Fragrant Silk Island to also co ashore to Rainbow Island and observe."
Snow Velvet Spider King: "Of course that's convenient. As long as you bring enough gifts, anything can be discussed, right?"
Dragon Cypress: "...Yes!"
Dragon Cypress: "It's a rare opportunity—Ink Orchid should also co along. Ink Orchid is currently at White Lotus Lake with Black Peach. Black Peach can't see..."
Dragon Cypress hesitated, at a loss for words for three seconds, then gave orders: "Fragrant Cypress, Black Sophora, there aren't any particularly major trades this year. You can handle it fully on your own. I'll go to Molan Mountain, then send Black Leaf back to White Lotus Lake to keep Black Peach company. I'll bring Second King back."
"Understood!"
"Rest assured, Great King."
Fragrant Cypress and Black Sophora responded.
Dragon Cypress added: "Also, please have the caravan coordinate, and try to select 1,000,000 each of strength system and wood elent Divine-Given Origin Force Foods from Northern Hemisphere specialties. Use the 50,000 per jar standard to produce Ant King Honey. King Ant Goldna prefers a lighter taste, so pick refreshing and mildly sweet nectar with less sugar."
"Got it!"
"Yes, Great King!"
Fragrant Cypress and Black Sophora answered.
Snow Velvet Spider King also said: "I have no urgent trades this year. Dragon Cypress Ant King, make haste and return quickly—I'll wait for you all at the Rednan Mountain outpost."
"I'll go at once!"
Dragon Cypress commanded the Dominating Throne and sped away…
…
Two days later,
Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, and the Snow Velvet Spider King t up at the Rednan Mountain outpost.
They pressed close to the Divine Force Barrier, traveling on foot across the ground.
The Dominating Throne was shrunk to a two-ter diater, carrying Ant King Honey, floating along behind.
The Snow Velvet Spider King was acting unusually, hurrying along in silence, not even asking what new abilities Ink Orchid had obtained from this molting evolution.
Dragon Cypress couldn't hold back, and tried probing: "Snow Velvet Spider King, the Divine-Grade Leizhe Fruit you promised Areca, will that be delivered next year?"
Snow Velvet Spider King: "That's right."
Dragon Cypress: "The thunder-fire dual-system unique technique you ntioned... is it related to the Origin Fire ability?"
The Snow Velvet Spider King gave a slight pause, then asked back: "Didn't I ever ntion this to you and Ink Orchid?"
"Oh! That's right! I recomnded Origin Fire and Touch of Silver Light to you both as great abilities, but never talked about ability combinations."
Snow Velvet Spider King: "Exactly, my signature technique is a combination of Origin Fire and Touch of Silver Light, which I nad 'Touch of Origin Fire.' Dragon Cypress Ant King, Ink Orchid Lord, you should try it too—it's a formidable and practical ability."
As they spoke, they just happened to crest a hillside.
The Snow Velvet Spider King slowed down, stopped, turned around, and aid at a fallen boulder a hundred ters away.
With a gentle lift of its claw, a silvery white electric flash streaked through the air.
With a soft pop, the huge stone was pierced by a hole two or three centiters in diater. Bone-white flas leaped in the wind, burning, spreading, and soon the entire boulder was ablaze.
"Touch of Silver Light has many advantages: low primordial energy consumption, quick to launch, fast attack speed, instantaneous firing wherever willed—point and fire, precise and penetrating. The only flaw is that its destructive power is not strong enough."
"Origin Fire's sole advantage is overwhelming lethality—it can adhere to nearly any material and set it ablaze until it is reduced to ash. Just a trace of Origin Fire is fatal, its might more than sufficient. But its weaknesses are equally fatal. First, the primordial energy consumption is enormous—it cannot create large-scale fire attacks like ordinary flas, only small bursts. Secondly, it moves very slowly, making it virtually impossible to hit a moving target."
"Origin Fire must be combined and fused with other abilities to unleash its power."
"The strengths and weaknesses of Touch of Silver Light and Origin Fire complent each other perfectly; fused together, 'Touch of Origin Fire' becos an almost flawless attack."
"Wow—"
Ink Orchid exclaid, "That's a genius idea!"
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Genius?
Is this really so hard to think of?
Any insect could co up with it, right?
Ink Orchid has learned flattery now.
Dragon Cypress secretly sneered, then asked, "Snow Velvet Spider King, combining abilities from different elental systems like this—it must be very hard, right?"
Snow Velvet Spider King: "It's almost impossible to fuse them together."
Dragon Cypress: "Then how did you..."
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