Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 730 - 599: The Tenth Fruit Expansion_3

White Ivy: "Exactly!"

White Ivy: "I hope Dogtooth Violet Great Leader will allow us to let Dragon Cypress Ant King use the Ghost King Sophora Seeds."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader remained silent.

White Ivy: "Dogtooth Violet Great Leader, there is another crucial issue. At present, as far as I know, only Blue Island in the northern and southern hemispheres produces Divine-Grade Fruit that bestows Wind System Talent."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader shook his tentacle. "A single portion of Ghost King Sophora Seeds is far from enough to tip the scales of war on a continent."

White Ivy: "Blue Island will definitely be destroyed. Snow Velvet Spider King and I support Dragon Cypress Ant King for the purpose of seizing the Divine God-Given Seed that bestows Wind System Talent, when dividing the spoils after Blue Island's destruction."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader pondered for two seconds and said, "Aren't you Flame Spider Roving Merchants a neutral race, not involved in any continental strife?"

White Ivy: "Yes, we are neutral, that's the ancestral rule. But if it affects our regular trade, we will not be happy. If it threatens our survival, although we won't intervene openly, we will still take action secretly. Neutrality doesn't equal sitting and waiting for death."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader lightly tapped his tentacle. "To make an exception for the Ant Clan isolated on Cloud Trace Continent, that's acceptable."

White Ivy: "Due to the delay caused by war, by the time the next batch of Ghost King Sophora Seeds matures and is harvested, I fear I won't be able to gather the full three hundred million Source Stones for my deal with Red Crow Mountain. I hope to receive the Ghost King Sophora Seeds in advance. With the restoration of north-south traffic as Wanglan Continent's situation stabilizes, we'll make up for it as soon as possible."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader said briefly, "Agreed!"

White Ivy: "Many thanks, Dogtooth Violet Great Leader!"

White Ivy: "Also, I hope Dogtooth Violet Great Leader can exchange a few more portions of Ghost King Sophora Seeds. Both Snow Velvet Spider King and I hope to have one each, in addition, our caravan..."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader shook his tentacle and said, "White Ivy Spider King, you must have done the math. It takes thirty-nine years to yield a single portion, even our own consumption on Red Crow Mountain is insufficient."

White Ivy: "We can trade with Divine-Grade Fruit, or exchange with Wild God-Given Seed."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader: "Wild God-Given Seed?"

White Ivy: "Blue Island."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader hesitated, tempted, weighed it, and still shook his tentacle. With helplessness he said, "At most, I can only guarantee one portion for you and one for Snow Velvet Spider King. No more. There's nothing I can do, production is insufficient, our own needs are unmet."

White Ivy: "Alright. Dogtooth Violet Great Leader, we can continue this discussion later..."

Dogtooth Violet Great Leader shook his tentacle repeatedly in silence, quickly packed up the Divine-Grade Fruit obtained this year, switched topics, and asked:

"White Ivy Spider King, I'm very curious about that Ocean God's Scepter, the Sea Beast Devouring Ability, and about Eddy and Eddy Scorpionfish Ant King. Could you elaborate? For a single Water System to reach such a realm, there must be something worthy for us to learn from!"

White Ivy: "Before this, I only understood the general situation on that side of Wanglan Continent. It was only last year that I learned more detailed information..."

…

…

…

Dragon Cypress began to get busy at the end of winter, traveling between each Land of Origin Force, transporting Round Cypress, Giant Cypress, Cypress, Black Cory, Black Leaf, Black Persimmon, Black Birch—all to the Areca Rainforest.

Together, they guarded beneath the King Cypress Tree, shared meals, chatted leisurely, and waited for the tenth Fruit Expansion.

Three hundred meters from the trunk, mountain after mountain of Source Stones were piled in a massive ring.

Dragon Cypress and Black Peach took turns activating the Flourish and Tranquility Ability, to help King Cypress make its final push.

Winter passed, spring came.

Silver Cypress, year sixty-nine.

After over a month of long anticipation, finally, at the tree's waist, a smooth cypress fruit showed, with silvery-white powder fluttering away in the wind, bit by bit, revealing a brown woody shell beneath.

King Cypress's absorption rate of Origin Force gradually sped up.

—It's begun!

—Prepare the Source Stones!

Assistant Kings retreated quickly.

The ant colony grew restless, everyone taking their positions.

Soon, an Origin Force vacuum formed beneath King Cypress's trunk, and slowly began to spread outward.

By dusk, the Origin Force vacuum had expanded to a radius of three hundred meters.

"Dragon Cypress, we're running low on Origin Force."

Spikemoss reminded.

"Alright—"

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacle, issuing instructions.

The orders were relayed down in layers.

A thousand medium and small Worker Ants started up all at once, the dense sound of Source Stones shattering resounded.

Large waves of Origin Force exploded forth, only to be instantly sucked away.

Spikemoss personally commanded the Worker Ants, controlling the rate of stone breaking, keeping the Origin Force vacuum within a radius of three hundred meters.

The scale of this Fruit Expansion was several times greater than the previous nine.

The entire tree's Origin Force absorption remained steady, suggesting the process would last a considerable time.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid, along with a number of Assistant Kings, stood atop a hillside, quietly watching.

After one night, there was no visible change.

By rough count, about two hundred thousand Source Stones had been used.

After another day,

King Cypress continued to absorb Origin Force rapidly and steadily.

About two hundred thousand Source Stones were used as well.

The average daily consumption hovered around four hundred thousand.

After three more days,

The two million Source Stones Dragon Cypress had prepared were almost depleted, while King Cypress's absorption showed no sign of slowing.

In a hurry, another two million were moved over from the sub-nest Treasury.

After two more days,

King Cypress's absorption rate suddenly surged for about half a day, then abruptly plunged—the Origin Force vacuum rapidly contracted, and gradually returned to calm.

The cypress fruit at the tree's waist swelled slightly, settling at about fifteen centimeters in diameter.

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne, carrying Ink Orchid forward for a close inspection. On the brown woody shell, faint silver-white Origin Force patterns appeared.

Spikemoss: "Dragon Cypress, it's over."

Dragon Cypress: "When will the fruit be mature and ready to pick?"

Spikemoss: "Probably two or three months. The massive Origin Force just absorbed needs time to transform."

So it'll ripen in summer?

Dragon Cypress: "Spikemoss, we don't need Source Stones anymore, right?"

Spikemoss: "No need."

Dragon Cypress landed the Throne, stopping beneath the tree, tentacle rapidly tapping, eight volleys of Flourish Ability were cast in succession, tentacle waving as he issued orders:

—Black Cory, tally up Source Stones used.

—Black Birch, assist, Black Peach, activate Tranquility Ability.

—Other Assistant Kings, lead the ant colony to guard the vicinity. This is a Law Divine Fruit worth three hundred million!

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid returned together to Xianglan Mountain to organize this spring's roving merchant trade operations.