Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 716 - 595: Seeing Flash Butterfly Zi Again

The gathering ended.

No Insect was willing to leave.

They lined up beneath the Linnan Divine Tree, showing off their abilities, asking about ability combinations, and seeking advice on the path to condensing Divine Marks and advancing after reaching King-Level.

They braved the cold wind, heads down, diligently training beneath the tree.

Even Woodberry, who used to love playing dead on the ground, had become eager and enthusiastic.

The Linnan Divine Tree, too, unusually patient, tirelessly corrected and guided everyone.

The Linnan Divine Tree was most optimistic about Spiked Cypress, Red Moonseed, and Snakebark Maple, the three insects.

Spiked Cypress was brave and combative, perfectly inheriting the Giant-Headed Ant's combat talent.

Red Moonseed was innately bloodthirsty—a Beautiful Ji Bee was a born fighting species.

Snakebark Maple possessed Elemental Talent no less than Ink Orchid, and was exceptionally smart—any question, once explained, was immediately understood; any principle of ability combination, once taught, instantly mastered.

Snakebark Maple teamed up with Blue Catalpa. They currently each had three fairly good Divine-Given Seeds, with a solid income from resources—not poor insects. Snakebark Maple had a very promising future.

...

This winter, the Purple Tung Insect Nation was particularly lively; all sorts of insects gradually dispersed only as spring arrived.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid discussed with everyone and decided to change the gathering—every four years, there would be a small gathering, and every sixteen years, a grand gathering.

The small gatherings would only be held in the Purple Tung Insect Nation, no more traveling to the Areca Rainforest—it was troublesome to trek back and forth all over the land.

Here in Purple Tung Insect Nation, everyone could seek the Linnan Divine Tree's advice on abilities at any time.

...

Silver Cypress Year 41.

Early spring.

Dragon Cypress finished the post-gathering work for winter and returned to Xianglan Mountain.

Ink Orchid, relying on the Dominating Throne, fell into a deep sleep to undergo evolution once.

Age period 5, Lord.

Successfully awakened Life System Talent, comprehended a Life System attack ability named 'Decay'—causing the target plant or animal's Life Force to rapidly drain away, withering and dying.

The abilities Ink Orchid comprehended were never ones that supported territory management—they were mostly offensive, and not only tended toward the dark, but were also inclined to rage.

Usually, the abilities gained from evolution are influenced by three factors—bloodline, Origin Force Food, and temperament.

Dragon Cypress couldn't help but start to suspect Ink Orchid's true insect nature.

The spring sunlight was lovely,

The three Spikemoss Divine-Given Seeds were sown into White Lotus Lake.

Ink Orchid and Black Peach were tending to them.

Dragon Cypress was organizing the spring trade work...

…

…

Early summer.

Thousand Isles Archipelago.

The Forest Beard Bee Kingdom had changed the defenses on the near-sea islands, withdrawing all King-Level Worker Bees, and letting that Lord-Level Little Bee King dispatch Lord-Level bee swarms and Assistant Kings to manage the islands.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid only wished to hide their tracks, not that they feared them.

The search operation on Thousand Isles Archipelago was changed to a fixed twice a year.

Late at night, they stealthily approached a 400 square-kilometer island in the open sea.

"Huh!"

"Butterfly!"

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid simultaneously sensed, in the night sky clouds, a butterfly lurking in secret.

"The Flash Butterfly Warrior is still alive!"

"It was never confirmed to have died in battle."

"So, shall we—"

"Let's go ask!"

Dragon Cypress steered the Dominating Throne, sneaking around to approach the island's south end.

They put away the throne, surfaced, and skimmed over the sea at wing's edge.

As they neared the island,

The floating clouds above suddenly sagged, transforming into a giant butterfly that swooped down to attack.

"Ha~ha~"

"Ants! Mantis! Caught you two!"

Purple, for no reason at all, was acting arrogantly again—as it neared, the giant butterfly leapt and blinked, then with a loud flutter, split into tens of thousands of Small Flash Butterfly-sized 'little butterflies', swarming toward Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid.

Purple's ability had grown stronger!

It definitely must've condensed its first Divine Mark.

The biggest enhancement: its true body had now also split into countless small butterflies, hiding itself among this ability-conjured butterfly swarm.

—There must definitely be one butterfly housing its soul, the true body.

Dragon Cypress activated Soul-Setting Ability to sense, heart suddenly shocked.

No true body!

The Soul-Setting Ability spread throughout a fifty-kilometer radius—sky and ground—yet there was no trace of Purple's soul.

Dragon Cypress instantly realized.

This fellow Purple had most likely eaten a Divine-Grade Dew Pocket Fruit from Mighty Spirit Mountain, and comprehended the Soul System ability 'Nightfall.'

Unable to lock onto a target, Soul Seal could not be used.

"Ink Orchid, scare it a little."

Dragon Cypress retreated, putting a bit more distance between itself and Ink Orchid.

"Purple! Check out this ability of mine!"

Ink Orchid sent out shockwaves of spiritual power, silver lightning coursing over its body—Wind and Thunder Primordial Energy burst forth; it unleashed Ink Orchid Form.

The swarming butterflies all shrank back with a roar, converged with a rush, and reformed as a white cloud floating low, as Purple's figure emerged from the cloud, face full of incredulous fear.

"Mantis! That's a Form Ability! And it's a multi-system Primordial Energy Form Ability!"

"Scared yet?"

Ink Orchid withdrew the ability.

Purple was really shaken, stammering, "Bayonet, now you're... a Lord? What age period Lord? Form ability? How did you comprehend that? How is that even possible?"

Ink Orchid: "I asked if you're scared."

Purple, rather unconvinced, replied, "I think, unless you two become Insect Kings and have Divine Marks, you can't beat me..."

Purple then noticed the petite mantis standing atop Ink Orchid's forehead, narrowed its eyes to check, swept over it with spiritual power, and asked doubtfully, "Bayonet, what's that on your head—a junior? Doesn't look like it~"

Little Mantis lifted its catching feet, showing off, sending out a spiritual shock, "Beat you to death."

"Just a rather special ability, that's all."

Dragon Cypress said airily, then called out, "Bayonet, Purple, let's cut the jokes, and talk serious business."

Ink Orchid immediately asked, "Purple, where have you been all these years? We haven't seen you at all."

Purple: "I was training hard and preparing for battle!"

Ink Orchid: "And after the war? Yellow Stem and I came here every year to find you, but we never found you. We even thought you'd come to harm."