Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 564 - 543: The Second Batch of Fruit from Great King Molan
Ink Orchid stayed at Xianglan Mountain, eating and resting.
Dragon Cypress drove the Dominating Throne, set out overnight, and hurried to Southern Sour Jujube Mountain to check the situation.
All five Divine-Given Seeds were safe and sound,
Black Leaf and Tie Bush stayed behind to take care of them.
Black Cory returned to Black Lotus Lake to rest.
Took Black Birch along, and headed to Molan Mountain to check things out...
After the Great King Molan Divine-Given Seed’s evolutionary withering, the stockpile of Glinting Gold was used, and the mother plant quickly regenerated. The surrounding 12 offshoots also began to sprout.
Black Birch stayed to help.
Finally, he rushed to Huagi Mountain to inspect the state of the Red Phellodendron Divine-Given Seed.
After making a round of patrols, Dragon Cypress confirmed all was well and returned to Xianglan Mountain.
Meanwhile,
After Ink Orchid finished eating and resting, and basked in the sun for two days, the leaf factor of the Linnan Divine Tree of the Forest Symbiont rapidly split and grew. A deep green layer covered the carapace, and the green began to spread towards the wings.
There were quite a few things Ink Orchid had to handle after the evolutionary breakthrough.
Together they went to White Lotus Lake, and sowed Large-Fruited Hippophae on the sand-loam mound that had been prepared in advance.
At this time, there was still snow on the northern mountain peak, and the temperature was still a bit low.
Dragon Cypress used the Hydrology Shield ability to create a warm-protective barrier over the mound. Water was brought in metal cans and heated with the Boiling Water Ability, while insects worked to create a warm climate.
One day later,
The seeds took root and sprouted.
Three days later,
The seedlings grew to 10 centimeters tall.
The weather was nice, with seven consecutive sunny days.
Another seven days passed,
The Large-Fruited Hippophae Divine-Given Seed grew over 30 centimeters tall, with lateral branches beginning to emerge.
With a Lord-Level life, reaching this height meant it had basically acquired the ability to withstand cold winds.
It was now early spring, as the ice and snow melted.
Ink Orchid stayed to take care of it.
Dragon Cypress hurried back to Xianglan Mountain.
With the attentive care of Fragrant Cypress, Black Persimmon, and Silver Cypress, the common Ink Orchid Life Seed Plants began transitioning towards Lord-Level.
Then headed to Molan Mountain...
The Dominating Throne anchored on a high hilltop, and Black Peach, Black Birch, and Giant Cypress came rushing over.
"Great King!"
"Great King, you finally arrived!"
"Great King, please take a look, is there any problem?"
"Don’t panic!" Dragon Cypress looked out from his vantage, surveying the situation.
In just eight or nine days, all 22,620 offshoots at the Mountain Lord Level stage had fully grown.
The fifth round of offshoots had already begun.
The Mountain Lord evolves to Lord-Level. The total number of fifth-generation offshoots would reach 248,832, covering an area with a radius of 500 meters.
Numerous underground stems spread to suitable positions, sprouting one after another.
There were still tens of thousands of robust underground stems, each over a dozen centimeters in diameter, striving to grow—the furthest might need to crawl over 200 meters to find a suitable place to take root.
The Great King Molan Divine-Given Seed was growing like mad.
Black Peach, Black Birch, and Giant Cypress were unable to communicate with the Senior Orchid Mantis, were unsure if there were any issues, and could only command the ant swarm to handle weeding, irrigation, use Source Stones to supplement Origin Force, and activate Flourish and Tranquility abilities to assist in growth as routine tasks.
"Black Peach, Black Birch, Giant Cypress, you’ve all done very well."
Dragon Cypress also couldn’t communicate with Senior Orchid Mantis, was unclear of the current status, didn’t know how the Glinting Gold’s stored Primordial Energy, energy, and nutrients were being consumed, or if they were enough to sustain the Senior Orchid Mantis’s rapid offshooting. He also wasn’t sure if anything was lacking, or what needed to be added.
"You wait a moment."
Dragon Cypress piloted the Dominating Throne off the ground, floating slowly closer, and hovered above the Senior Orchid Mantis mother plant. His tentacles tapped repeatedly, and first, eight blasts of the Flourish Ability landed.
The Senior Orchid Mantis sent over an affectionate mental force signal.
Dragon Cypress returned an inquiring mental force signal.
The Senior Orchid Mantis sent back a puzzled mental force signal.
Dragon Cypress sent another querying mental force signal.
The Senior Orchid Mantis was bewildered.
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Mental state was great, so there probably wasn’t a big problem.
Dragon Cypress sent a soothing mental force signal, then guided the Dominating Throne back to the hilltop.
The spiritual power of the Divine-Given Seeds—Thunder Oak, North Elm, Purple Poppet, and Zihuang Peach—floated over.
Thunder Oak: "Dragon Cypress, how’s the Senior Orchid Mantis? Nothing wrong?"
Dragon Cypress: "Very well, no problems spotted."
Purple Poppet asked, "Is it really necessary to hurry for blossoming and fruiting?"
Dragon Cypress: "No need to rush. Let’s observe for a while, and decide based on the situation. If it’s no good, blooming next year isn’t too late."
Dragon Cypress simply instructed Giant Cypress, Black Peach, and Black Birch: "Giant Cypress, Black Peach, you two keep up as usual. Black Birch, you come with me to White Lotus Lake."
"Okay!"
"Got it, Great King."
The three ants agreed.
...
Dragon Cypress brought Black Birch back to White Lotus Lake.
Black Birch stayed to take special care of the Large-Fruited Hippophae Divine-Given Seed.
Dragon Cypress carried Ink Orchid, and hurriedly rushed to Molan Mountain.
Before the Dominating Throne had even entered the Land of Origin Force, Ink Orchid leapt into the air, body flashing, and landed near the Great King Molan Divine-Given Seed.
"Senior Orchid Mantis, how is it?"
"I’m fine."
"How are the Glinting Gold reserves holding up?"
"Energy and nutrients are about to run out. Origin Force is still about half left. Origin Force is enough, so no need to use Source Stones for now."
"Oh—"
"So, the Glinting Gold reserves alone aren’t enough to sustain the derivative offshoots?"
"A little short. I need more Flourish Ability and stronger Tranquility Ability."
"Alright! I’ll arrange it for you!"
Ink Orchid flapped its wings and soared, circling and landing at the top of the throne’s backrest. "Dragon Cypress, for generating offshoots, the main consumption is energy and nutrients. We can suspend Source Stone supply, and reinforce Flourish and Tranquility abilities."
"Alright!"
Dragon Cypress agreed cheerfully, "Then let’s transfer the Green Ants assigned to Thunder Oak, North Elm, and Purple Poppet over to help here. Ink Orchid, let’s also stay here at Molan Mountain a few more days."
Ink Orchid: "That’s exactly what I mean!"
Ink Orchid looked up towards the sky.
Spring’s rainy skies.
Dragon Cypress also looked up and said, "Not enough sunlight! That’s the main cause of the Glinting Gold reserves depleting faster!"
Ink Orchid: "Yes. Plants need sunlight to obtain energy and synthesize the nutrients needed for growth."
Ink Orchid said gloomily, "In past years, the weather was always good at this time."
Dragon Cypress: "I was here the day before yesterday and there was still sun... I’ve got a new insight about water’s changes, and I have an idea, maybe worth trying!"
While talking, Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to ascend straight up, reaching above the cloud layer.
It was morning,
Beneath the clouds was a dark, rainy sky.
Above the clouds, the sunlight was intense and dazzling.
"Ink Orchid, Ability—Water Making!"
"???"
Ink Orchid pondered a moment, then condensed Water System Primordial Energy on its tentacles, shaping it into two giant Water Spheres, each one meter in diameter.
Dragon Cypress took them, controlled them, split two into four, four into eight...
With strong soul ability, he rapidly split them into countless tiny water drops.
The water drops stretched, turning into thin films.
He gave his all with the Freezing Ability.
Countless sheets of thin ice condensed, floating down towards the cloud layer below.
An intense chill spread through the clouds. Vapor rapidly coalesced into water drops, then froze into snowflakes.
The snowflakes drifted down,
melting midair into fine droplets that fell to the ground, forming heavy, large-particle rain.
Correspondingly, the dense clouds rapidly thinned and vanished, revealing a huge "hole" in the gloomy sky.
Ink Orchid: "???"
Dragon Cypress explained calmly, "I’ve long noticed that hot vapor condenses into water droplets when it meets cold air..."
Dragon Cypress: "It just came to me on a whim—tried it, and it actually worked."
Ink Orchid: "Big-head ant is smart!"
Ink Orchid urged, "Again!"
Dragon Cypress guided the Dominating Throne to fly sideways, changing positions.
Ink Orchid shook its tentacles, created two huge Water Spheres, precisely controlled, quickly divided them into fine drops, which then formed into thin films.
"Dragon Cypress!"
Ink Orchid called.
"Okay!"
Dragon Cypress responded, Water System Primordial Energy bursting forth, Freezing Ability exerted to the fullest...
After another heavy downpour, the "hole" in the gloomy sky expanded again.
Sunlight shone through the hole, illuminating the earth.
But soon, another drifting cloud covered it.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid continued to use their abilities, the insects bringing rainfall.
With practice, their teamwork grew more skillful and efficient.
Below,
A localized shower fell on Molan Mountain.
It went on and off, lasting most of the day.
By twilight, the rain had stopped, and the sky cleared.
Thick clouds kept drifting in from elsewhere.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid rested for half the night, then resumed in the second half.
By dawn,
The blue sky was spotless.
Lord-Level strength was already enough to change natural weather!
It was just a bit tiring.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid stayed temporarily at Molan Mountain.
Under strong sunlight, Senior Orchid Mantis’s growth went much more smoothly.
Five days later,
All the offshoot underground stems reached their proper places and took root and sprouted.
Another five days,
The slowest batch of offshoots had also produced four leaves each, and stood over half a meter tall.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid returned to Xianglan Mountain to check on things.
The evolutionary transition of common Life Seed Plants to Lord-Level proceeded steadily; in about one or two months, they could all gradually reach Lord-Level.
They then rushed to White Lotus Lake to check things there.
The Large-Fruited Hippophae Divine-Given Seed had grown over one meter tall, developing rapidly.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid used their abilities to bring rain to White Lotus Lake, then hurried back to Molan Mountain...
Another ten days passed,
All the Great King Molan Divine-Given Seed’s offshoots matured, and began accumulating energy.
When the Peach Blossom season arrived,
The Great King Molan Divine-Given Seed bloomed, still with the cluster of 12 offshoots around the mother plant, 12 flowers.
The flowers bloomed and faded, yielding 12 Divine-Grade Molan Seeds.
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid felt at ease.
Ink Orchid and Black Birch stayed to watch over things, while Dragon Cypress and Giant Cypress went off to handle other matters.
