Food was scarce in the winter. Many birds in the mountains survived on wild berries and grass seeds, and it was uncertain if desperation would drive them into the territory to search for food. The Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed was approaching maturity, so Dragon Cypress advised Ink Orchid not to leave the territory.
Additionally, the ant colony currently consisted of 51 Specialized Worker Ants and Soldier Ants, along with 22 voracious Worker Ant Larvae. These large individuals had a substantial demand for food. Within the ant colony's structure, the number of Soldier Ants responsible for hunting was insufficient, limiting their hunting capacity. It was crucial to store enough food before their departure.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid agreed they would set off after the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed was harvested in the depths of winter.
A cold drizzle persisted for two days.
When the rain finally cleared, Ink Orchid killed a wild boar. Dragon Cypress commanded the ant colony to butcher it, slice the meat into thin strips, and lay them out on a Stone Slab on the hillside to dry. Several warm, sunny days followed, slightly raising the temperature, and the meat strips turned into jerky. The Marsh Gas Pool was already nearing completion. However, the Specialized Worker Ants were low on strength, so Dragon Cypress personally took over, working overtime to finish digging it out.
The wind was bitterly cold as a new wave of freezing temperatures arrived, accompanied by a persistent drizzle. A layer of white snow capped the distant high mountains. It was the coldest time of the year.
Ink Orchid stood before the mother plant of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed, holding a Source Stone. The tips of its Catching Feet scraped against the stone, shaving off layers of white Crystal Stone powder. The Crystal Stone powder quickly turned gray as pure Origin Force dissipated from it, only to be absorbed by the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed.
In the final stage of maturity, the Capsule's exterior color transitioned day by day from a vibrant green to a dim, ink-green.
Completely ink-green, it began to express a withered yellow hue.
「Four more days later,」
The fruit skin was yellow-green, and the chambers split open, revealing the plump Orchid Seeds inside.
The Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds finally ripened and were laid under the sun to dry.
No mishaps occurred, resulting in zero losses and a full tally of 308 seeds.
As agreed, Dragon Cypress received 154 seeds.
He stored them in a Spider Silk Bag.
All preparations were complete, and they could confidently set out on their long journey.
The winter was quiet and cold, occasionally punctuated by one or two bird calls. The river surface was calm.
The Dominating Throne flew at a low altitude, slowly meandering along the river. This place was completely devoid of Origin Force, so the Throne automatically released a light blue Primordial Energy Shield to prevent the loss of its own Origin Force.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid lay side by side on the Throne's cushion, motionless.
The strengthening effect of the Divine-Given Seeds was indeed remarkable.
The Little Ant King, at its seventh Age Period, took almost an entire day to digest and absorb a single seed. Eating one a day was already a challenge; every two seeds consumed required a full day's rest.
But the corresponding growth could be clearly felt. The Divine-Given Seed was incredibly powerful.
Dragon Cypress estimated that consuming about 30 Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds would allow him to evolve to the eighth Age Period.
Ink Orchid was a Mid-Level Warrior at its first Age Period. Its digestive ability far surpassed Dragon Cypress's by a major level, allowing it to consume two Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds a day.
Having painfully completed his daily absorption of Origin Force from the Orchid Seeds, Dragon Cypress stood up from the cushion. He stretched his membrane wings, flexed his muscles and bones, and then kindly reminded Ink Orchid, who was beside him, "Ink Orchid, take it easy. If you eat any more, you'll just get fatter the next time you molt."
Ink Orchid's self-control was very poor.
Dragon Cypress advised it to take out 100 Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds and trade them with the Caravan. This would allow it to acquire other Origin Force Foods that strengthen muscles, internal organs, blood, physical power, speed, and other physical attributes.
Comprehensive strengthening and balanced development would be beneficial for both power enhancement and growth Evolution.
Ink Orchid understood the rationale, but it just couldn't help its gluttony.
Feeling guilty and a bit impatient with Dragon Cypress's repeated nagging, Ink Orchid quickly changed the subject, challenging him, "Dragon Cypress, you're already at the seventh Age Period, so why does the Dominating Throne still fly so slowly?"
Dragon Cypress: "The boost from Age Period Evolution isn't that significant, you know."
Dragon Cypress retorted, "Ink Orchid, how far did you travel last time? It's been a whole day, and we still haven't seen that exceptionally large river you mentioned."
Ink Orchid questioned again, "Dragon Cypress, could you have miscalculated? This river might not merge into the larger river."
"Impossible!" Dragon Cypress declared confidently. "There's no way I'm wrong."
Melde had once explained the fundamental principle of hydrological evolution in nature: streams flow into small rivers, small rivers merge into large rivers, and large rivers eventually join a particularly massive river that flows southward into the sea.
Dragon Cypress was following a river that was four or five kilometers away from their mountain range Territory and four to five meters wide, heading downstream.
Following the river would prevent them from getting lost. But this river meandered quite a bit.
However, Melde couldn't be wrong. Dragon Cypress firmly believed that this river would definitely merge into the particularly large river Ink Orchid had mentioned.
And that was indeed the case.
On the third day of their distant exploration, a river several tens of meters wide appeared in their sight that morning.
"Ink Orchid, we've arrived!"
Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to ascend at an angle, hovering high to get a better view.
Both banks of the river were covered in greenish-yellow grassland and brilliant yellow reed clusters, merging with the dark blue river water and stretching endlessly.
"Ink Orchid, downstream or upstream?"
Ink Orchid: "Downstream!"
Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to hover above the large river and said, "This river is huge. Left bank or right bank?"
Ink Orchid pondered briefly and said, "Left bank!"
Dragon Cypress maneuvered the Dominating Throne laterally, keeping it close to the right bank as they headed downstream.
Both Ink Orchid and Dragon Cypress paused their consumption of the Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds. They lay side by side on the edge of the cushion, their heads poking out, looking downward as they focused on their search.
The Dominating Throne was indeed a bit too slow.
After flying for a day, a night, and half the next day, Ink Orchid suddenly jumped up. It looked around, kicked its legs, launched itself from the Throne, and took flight, saying, "Dragon Cypress, this is the place!"
"The Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot was found over there."
After explaining, Ink Orchid tilted and landed in a patch of weeds on the riverbank, quite far from the river channel.
Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne and followed at an unhurried pace.
Hovering at a low altitude, he surveyed the surroundings.
Large areas of weeds were flattened, littered with tangled dead branches and leaves. The traces of flooding were very obvious.
Dragon Cypress inquired, "Ink Orchid, was it discovered here?"
Ink Orchid: "Of course."
Dragon Cypress: "Could you be more specific? I remember you said it was found in the bushes?"
Ink Orchid: "The heavy rain caused the water level to rise. Only a small part of it was visible in the flattened bushes where it had been washed down. I have keen eyesight and sharply noticed a metallic reflection."
Dragon Cypress: "Understood..." He lightly moved his tentacles, analyzing, "Then it must be that the flood washed the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot down from upstream."
"I think so too!" Ink Orchid agreed, then added, "But we've searched all the way here and haven't found anything."
Dragon Cypress: "It's not that easy..."
Dragon Cypress paused, then said, "Let's continue downstream for two more days and see what we find. If we don't discover anything, we'll turn around and search upstream along the other bank of the river."
"Okay!" Ink Orchid agreed without hesitation.
After thoroughly searching the nearby area, they set off downstream.
Two days passed, but they still found nothing.
As planned, they proceeded upstream.
Another three days passed, and still, they found nothing.
They returned directly to their mountain range Territory to rest. They needed to stock up on food for the ant colony, and the Dominating Throne had to restore its Primordial Energy reserves.
They set off again, continuing their upstream search along the large river.