Year 143 of Silver Cypress.

The earliest batch of Silver Cypress seedlings, number 4101, initially matured and blossomed, triggering a Natural Godsend and birthing a Divine-Given Seed.

Named as Wuwang Cypress.

Ink Orchid directly brought it into the Life Pouch to nurture, thus having the God-Given Life Seed needed for Evolution to Age Period 3 of the Insect King.

In the same year,

Finally, Black Birch and Silver Cypress both successfully condensed Refinement Divine Inscription.

Of the four Assistant Kings who first advanced to Insect Kings, only Spiked Cypress had yet to condense a single Divine Mark...

...

Year 144 of Silver Cypress, spring.

Snow Velvet Spider King arrived on time, and Ink Orchid accompanied it to Rednan Mountain for trade.

On the afternoon of the next day,

Snow Velvet Spider King returned alone, finding Dragon Cypress on the beach, flashing about, diligently practicing his Flash Strike Ability.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, good news, Xianglan Mountain has an appearance of a Divine-Given Seed. It's quite strange; according to Fragrant Cypress, it's a cultivated variant of White Mulberry, with the mulberry fruit becoming red and white bicolor."

"Oh!"

Dragon Cypress rejoiced, flashed to appear in front of the Snow Velvet Spider King, and asked, "Spontaneous generation?"

"Not sure..."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "Ink Orchid stayed on that side. I'm notifying you in passing."

Snow Velvet Spider King departed.

Dragon Cypress activated his Soul-Setting Ability, briefly instructed the ants on the island, and set off.

...

Xianglan Mountain.

Under the bright warm sun, it was the season when flowers were in full bloom.

South Mountain, the reservoir where the Deep Blue God-Given Seed once took root, was filled in, leaving only a drainage channel.

Mulberry trees were planted on the reclaimed and transformed land along the riverbanks, all still young Little Trees, two to three meters tall.

Ink Orchid and Black Persimmon were guarding next to a mulberry tree.

A solitary cluster of mulberries on the tree, all other fruits had withered, leaving only one tiny berry, emitting a faint, almost undetectable Origin Force Fluctuation.

"Great King!"

Black Persimmon called, "Great King, come and take a look... so strange!"

Ink Orchid raised a claw to point and said, "Dragon Cypress, these mulberry trees, including the one birthing the Divine-Given Seed, have mulberries that are still in red and white colors."

Black Persimmon: "Snow Velvet Spider King also took a look, it thinks it's an ancestral regression combined with mutation. Meaning, White Mulberry was a stable variant cultivated by allowing hybridization and grafting techniques from some Tribe in the last Origin Force Era, stimulated by factors like soil and climate after migrating to Rainbow Island. Some hidden Ancestral Bloodline got triggered and revealed itself, causing further mutation, resulting in this appearance."

Ink Orchid supplemented: "Snow Velvet Spider King said that our Inherited Memory lacks information related to 'White Mulberry', indicating that it was not recognized by the Natural God. Because the bloodline is unstable, it's not recognized and was not included."

"Oh——"

Dragon Cypress asked, "Spontaneous generation? Could it be triggered by Law Divine-Given? The mother plant is in Rainbow Island."

Black Persimmon uncertainly said, "Should be spontaneous generation, right? Second King found it only when he came to Xianglan Mountain the day before yesterday."

"Alright——"

Dragon Cypress twitched his tentacle, not dwelling on the issue, gestured with his claw, and said, "Ink Orchid, Black Persimmon, you guard it, I'll transport the Source Stone first."

Consuming 10 days, sending 4.5 million Source Stones to the Purple Tung Insect Nation.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid immediately set off to start their spring exploration of Divine-Given Seeds around Cloud Trace Continent's Lands of Origin Force.

...

"Dragon Cypress, our Divine-Given Seeds are becoming increasingly abundant!"

"Thanks to Second King and Giant Cypress."

"Mainly thanks to me and Giant Cypress, other ants have contributed as well."

Ink Orchid happily, proudly raised her tentacle, paused, tilted her head, sternly asked:

"How should we handle the mutated White Mulberry Divine-Given Seed? Exchange it for a wild Scarletlight Divine-Given Seed; we still owe Mulberry one Divine-Given Seed..."

Dragon Cypress: "Wait and see. I have a hunch that it's not just an ancestral return as Snow Velvet Spider King said. Observe closely. If enhancement effects don't change, or if they change insignificantly, then this Divine-Given Seed could be given to Mulberry."

The enhancement effect of White Mulberry is the sharpness of carapace spines and the strength of Tumorous Protuberance, applicable to almost all Insect Clan Warriors, rare but not considered Top-Level.

If enhancement effects remain unchanged, the value of this mutated White Mulberry Divine-Given Seed is similar to a Scarletlight Divine-Given Seed.

If mutated, then it's uncertain...

Ink Orchid: "I think so too..."

...

Traveling overnight.

Dominating Throne swiftly entered Areca Rainforest, directly descending to the Land of Origin Force's edge, where Ability practice used to take place.

"Second King, keep going~"

Dragon Cypress flashed to land.

It wasn't particularly late, allowing him to train his Flash Strike Ability before resting.

Ink Orchid didn't bother talking to ants, flapped her wings, soaring, swiftly scanning along the forest.

Just after flying out, she suddenly discovered something, vibrating her spiritual power to call out.

"Great King! Great King!"

"Second King? Divine-Given Seed?"

"...Divine-Given Seed."

"Oh! Clever Second King!"

Dragon Cypress flew up, his body shimmering with thunder lights, rapidly arriving.

Approaching the Central Region of Land of Origin Force, where Great King Cypress was responsible for planting a patch of Red Leaf Rain Tree forest.

Red Leaf Rain Tree? At least a Great Tall Tree, still decent...

Dragon Cypress looked up in observation.

Ink Orchid murmured softly, "Ants, underground, be cautious of stepping on..."

"Uh..."

Dragon Cypress gradually lowered his head, expanded his spiritual power, and scanned back and forth with his gaze.

Thousand-Leaf Fescue, White Three Leaf, Purple Three Leaf blended among the understory grass.

Amid the weeds, a faint Origin Force Fluctuation.

A seed, half-grown, emanating faint Origin Force Fluctuation.

An emerging growing Purple Three Leaf Divine-Given Seed...

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Ink Orchid: "..."

"Not right!"

Dragon Cypress suddenly noticed a problem; around the Purple Three Leaf Chickweed nurturing the Divine-Given Seed, within approximately one square meter range, all other weeds had withered.

Spiritual power scanning confirmed, the roots and stems were cut by some kind of organism.

The surroundings were cluttered with many thorny brambles.