Time was still in the summer season.
The southern sun was scorching hot.
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, those two fellows, had gotten familiar with the accompanying worker ants and squeezed into the stump ant nest with them to escape the heat.
"Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple! We're at Scarletlight Mountain! Hurry out and see the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed." Ink Orchid called out.
One blue, one black—two little heads with long tentacles poked out from the entrance of the ant nest, quickly darted out, climbed to the top of the stump, and stood at a high vantage point to look out into the distance.
They gazed at the arbor trees in the distance, taller than mountains, lush and towering like peaks, and gave out a chorus of "Waa wow!" in amazement.
The Dominating Throne slowly moved closer, hovering above the Divine-Given Scarletlight Seed. After watching for a while, it circled around the tree trunk before picking up speed and flying over the mountains, landing steadily in front of Mulberry's dwelling cave.
Mulberry was hugging a metal can, quietly lying inside the cave.
"Mulberry." Dragon Cypress greeted.
"Dragon Cypress Ant King. Ink Orchid."
Mulberry responded and got up.
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple unfolded their elytra, fanned their wings, and hovered down to land on top of Ink Orchid's head.
Ink Orchid introduced:
"Blue Catalpa, a Furry-Horned Beetle Warrior in its third age period."
"Snakebark Maple, a Purple-Spotted Capricorn Beetle Warrior in its third age period."
"Mulberry." Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple waved their tentacles in greeting.
Blue Catalpa: "We're here to help you evolve."
Snakebark Maple: "You'll definitely succeed!"
Blue Catalpa: "We just went through evolution with the help of the Dominating Throne."
Snakebark Maple: "It was totally a breeze."
Mulberry, who was just about to walk out of the cave, stopped in his tracks.
"You two, that's enough. Go lie on that locust tree over there, and stop running around."
Dragon Cypress admonished, set up a wooden board, waved its tentacles, and the worker ants carried ant eggs and larvae in a row as they filed out of the nest.
The big and little blue ants landed and followed suit.
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple had already noticed that when it came to Xianglan Mountain, the Dragon Cypress Ant King called the shots, and Dragon Cypress could be strict. Hearing the order, they quickly hopped down from Ink Orchid's head and scuttled off to wait under the designated great locust tree.
"Mulberry, have you finished all the ant honey?" Dragon Cypress asked, while simultaneously shrinking the Dominating Throne.
Mulberry snapped back to attention and replied, "There's still a little less than half left in this can that strengthens comprehensive physique. But I feel I'm about to evolve, so I haven't dared to eat more."
Ink Orchid stepped forward to help unload the stump ant nest.
Mulberry also came over, but felt a bit at a loss, wanting to help but unsure what to do.
"That's good. You can keep eating, then get ready to advance."
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid carried the ant nest and set it down under the great locust tree.
Ink Orchid hopped onto the Throne, pointed to two gourds placed atop it, and said, "Mulberry, this is meat-refined ant honey. Eat a little more to supplement your strength and nutrition."
Dragon Cypress slowly floated the Dominating Throne into the air and gently landed it inside the cave, making sure it wouldn't be disturbed, with the soft side facing the rock wall at the back of the cave.
Ink Orchid hopped down and said, "Mulberry, all set. You go on up. From now on, just live on the Throne, eat your fill, rest, wait to sleep and evolve. Once you wake up, you'll be a high-level, third-age Nine-Star Li Warrior."
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple lay quietly on the locust tree, watching. At last, they couldn't resist their restlessness and came running over again.
"Mulberry, is that your Life Seed?"
"The fruit's not picked."
"So many have fallen to the ground and rotted!"
"Let us help you pick them!"
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple waved their tentacles with enthusiasm.
Mulberry was stunned again, then said, "Okay—"
Suddenly, Mulberry realized these two little warriors weren't really helping—they just wanted a snack. Laughing, he said, "If you like them, go ahead and pick and eat."
Not far away, in the garden patch, the Life Seed fruits of Mulberry's mulberry and lychee trees had long since ripened. Large amounts of fruit had naturally dropped to the ground and rotted in heaps.
The scent of Origin Force Fruit attracted all sorts of small animals in search of food. Ordinary creatures couldn't withstand Origin Force Energy, and after eating, their bodies burst; corpses lay everywhere.
There were also four different-sized Longan Life Seeds and two Fragrant Leaf Life Seeds, all in the height of harvest season. But Mulberry hadn't bothered with them at all.
So much Origin Force Food, simply left to rot—it was heart-wrenching just to see it.
Dragon Cypress waggled its tentacles, "Mulberry, how about I buy this year's output from your territory's Life Seeds for 4,000 Source Stones in total?"
Mulberry glanced at Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, hesitated, and said, "Alright—"
Dragon Cypress flicked its tentacles, "Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, you two go up and pick."
Ink Orchid, unusually strict, warned, "Lychee strengthens Fire System Ability. You two cannot eat it, not allowed, you hear?"
— We're here to help.
— We're not greedy eaters.
The two little guys cheered and dashed towards the mulberry trees.
Dragon Cypress waved his tentacles, directing the worker ants up the trees to harvest.
Ink Orchid spread her wings and released Origin Force aura, driving away those reckless birds and beasts.
Mulberry watched for a while, then asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, did these two little warriors originate in your territory?"
Dragon Cypress explained, "There's a Land of Origin Force called 'White Lotus Lake' where Ink Orchid and I found them by chance. Without any clan elders to shelter them, little warriors rarely survive, so we brought them back to Xianglan Mountain, providing Origin Force Food for their evolution and growth, and protecting them through their vulnerable stage."
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Mulberry was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about later? Will their Life Seeds take root in Xianglan Mountain?"
The moment Dragon Cypress heard this, he understood right away that Mulberry wanted to keep the two little beetle warriors for company.
"Xianglan Mountain has limited space and no land left for their roots."
"Still considering. But since they were born in the snowy northern winter, they might not adapt to the south where winter is as hot as summer."
Mulberry couldn't hide the disappointment in his heart.
Dragon Cypress comforted, "Ink Orchid and I have found quite a few Lands of Origin Force in the southern territories. Every year, we spend lots of time searching. If we find little Insect Clan warriors in the south, we'll bring them for you to keep company."
Mulberry: "Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple are very sensible."
These are two sly little bug spirits, okay?
Dragon Cypress: "Yes, they are."
After a moment's thought, Dragon Cypress said, "In the future, Ink Orchid and I can bring them to visit you when we go out as roving merchants."
He added, "Mulberry, once you get through this, you can try sheltering a bunch of ordinary Nine-Star Li. With some luck, you might get little warriors from your own kind—now, that would be best."
Mulberry thought for a while, feeling both happy and hopeful, and said, "Right! My own kind!"
Dragon Cypress waggled his tentacles, "Mulberry, hurry up and go try the Dominating Throne."
Mulberry turned and walked into the cave to prepare for evolution.
Dragon Cypress took off and searched nearby, cutting and carrying thorny branches back to the cave to block up the entrance.
You could tell by the choice of Life Seeds that Mulberry especially loved fruits.
Nearly all its Life Seeds were berry plants, and most ripened towards the end of summer or start of autumn.
Dragon Cypress directed the worker ants—it took two whole days and nights just to finish picking, and the blue ants needed another day to complete refinement.
Dragon Cypress kept watch outside the cave with Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple.
Ink Orchid went off to hunt large animals, dug pits beneath the Divine-Given Scarletlight Tree for compost, then busied herself gathering various wild tropical fruits for refining and fermenting ant honey.
Another two days went by,
In the cave, Mulberry sent out a mental message: Dragon Cypress Ant King, I'm about to evolve