The life span of a High-Level Warrior is only about a hundred years.

The White Poplar Divine Seed adds 90 years of life, which is tantamount to gaining an extra life.

Now, with two Roving Merchants, Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid, Yellow Stem felt a new hope kindling in insect life; but after a moment's thought, circling his mind twice, the hope died away, and the whole insect suddenly lost interest in conversation, slumping down, more fatigued and powerless.

Spruce screwed on the lid of the metal can, picking up the conversation and asked:

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, are you certain you haven't established trade relations with those White Poplar and Red Phellodendron Ant Kings?"

"No. All the relevant information was heard from a Level 1 High-Level Barley Bug Warrior. I was furious, indignant, but Ink Orchid and I were powerless, didn't dare linger, and even less dared to approach that White Poplar Ant King."

"Then—"

"We plan to launch a surprise attack while the White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen are in evolutionary slumber, and destroy their Ant Kingdom. As our reward for justice, we would seize the White Poplar Divine Seed and cultivate it as our own Life Seed."

"???"

Spruce's mind couldn't turn the corner for a moment, hesitated for several seconds, and asked: "Can a God-Given Seed from another insect even be taken?"

"Of course not. However..."

Dragon Cypress pointed westward and said: "To the west is the boundary barrier divided by the Natural God across the continent, and coincidentally a fallen Outworld Civilization Starship lies bridging the lands—we maintain contact with Flame Spider Roving Merchants from the other continent..."

Dragon Cypress did not conceal anything, and thoroughly described the layout of the Star Realm Continent and the information about One-Glimpse Flower.

Listening to the narrative, Yellow Stem unconsciously stood up again.

Spruce held its breath.

As Dragon Cypress spoke, he also observed the reactions of Yellow Stem and Spruce, growing more puzzled in his heart. With so much new information, neither of them showed much surprise or curiosity.

It was certain that these two had been isolated here, with no contact with other insects.

But seeing their calm bearing, as if used to great changes in the world, could it be that...

"I plan, after evolving to Evolution Mountain Lord Level, to begin making preparations for launching war. At that time, I will invite warriors of Mountain Lord level and above to assist in battle. If we succeed in obtaining the White Poplar Divine Seed, every participating Insect Clan Warrior will be rewarded with a free Divine-Grade Fruit..."

Dragon Cypress spoke as he observed Spruce's reaction.

The carapace of the Long Shield Grasshopper is fragile, its six limbs weak, and before Evolution Mountain Lord Level it has little combat power. But after advancing to Evolution Mountain Lord Level, it awakens Wind Elemental Talent, gains a racial ability called "Wind Veil", and leaps to excellent combat capability.

For dealing with the White Poplar Ant King, Spruce is an ideal candidate for the fight.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King—"

Spruce understood the other meaning behind Dragon Cypress' words, lifted his claw to indicate, and inquired: "A single Divine-Grade Fruit, does it extend life by 90 years?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes."

Spruce: "Do many insects need them? Yellow Stem is in desperate need of one."

Dragon Cypress: "Many need them, but it is not urgent for any. If you are willing to join the battle, after it's done, yours can take priority."

"Good!"

Spruce spoke solemnly: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, as long as each year in trade you can provide Origin Force Food of this year's high quality, I can guarantee to reach Evolution Mountain Lord Level in time, and will give my all to help you take down the White Poplar Ant King."

Yellow Stem, full of doubts, asked: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, attacking a Lord-Level Termite Kingdom—even catching them off guard in a surprise attack—still carries great risk, doesn't it?"

Dragon Cypress: "That's why I'll spend ten, twenty, or even more years planning, and only launch the attack once I'm certain there's no chance of error—the opportunity comes only once, so I will seek to strike a decisive blow."

Yellow Stem pondered a bit longer and then asked: "What if we need two Divine-Grade Fruits?"

Dragon Cypress replied tactfully: "Many Insect Clan Warriors will take part, and all have needs. Also, the White Poplar Divine Seed has a Blossom-Fruit Cycle of sixteen years, and each batch only produces nine fruits."

Dragon Cypress: "Spruce is still very young. In the future, when there's need, we can discuss again. After all, Ink Orchid and I are both trapped on Cloud Trace Continent; for long-term development, Divine-Grade Fruits should be prioritized for Cloud Trace Continental Insect Clan Warriors."

Yellow Stem and Spruce both tapped their tentacles in acknowledgment.

Dragon Cypress paused, picked up a pine nut, and probed, saying slowly:

"The Origin Force Food that has flowed past my toes—the total value runs into the tens or hundreds of thousands. I've seen Origin Force Food stored for a year or two, but something so fresh as this—this is a first. It's peculiar, and incomprehensible. It seems you have a remarkable... method for preserving Origin Force Food?"

Dragon Cypress: "Would you mind sharing?"

Yellow Stem hesitated slightly, then answered readily: "There's nothing inconvenient about it. Huagi Mountain is the Shield Grasshopper Tribe's territory, and we possess an Outworld Civilization Artifact used for seed preservation. It has passed through countless generations of insects and endless years, handed down to now. If you're interested, you can climb the mountain and see for yourself."

Outworld Civilization Artifact?

Handed down for countless generations and endless years?

Yellow Stem's words shocked the insects.

This Shield Grasshopper Tribe Warrior lineage on Huagi Mountain had actually never lost its inheritance!

Throughout the conversation, these two insects always felt odd—and so it was! Indeed!

The long-silent Ink Orchid suddenly roused, in disbelief: "High-Level Warriors have only a brief hundred years of life—how do you ensure there are always Little Warriors born, how is the inheritance kept unbroken?"

It should be known, Ink Orchid also sheltered many ordinary Orchid Mantises on Xianglan Mountain; White Rice and Black Rice sheltered vast numbers of Sphere Insects; Mulberry alone sheltered over a million Nine-Star Roaches in his own territory.

So many years have passed, but no one's seen even a single Little Warrior.

The odds of ordinary insects evolving into Origin Force Life are hardly higher than the probability of producing a God-Given Seed.

"No special trick." Yellow Stem said lightly:

"Take myself as an example: after I awakened as a Junior Warrior, with help from my elders, I was quickly promoted to Mid-Level. From becoming a Mid-Level Shield Grasshopper Warrior onward, apart from caring for the territory's Life Seeds, all my remaining time was spent tending grasslands, sheltering common kin..."

Yellow Stem: "Spruce can be considered my junior, born unexpectedly on my grassland."

Spruce put the metal can into the spider silk bag, saying: "If you two hadn't come, or if luck failed and no Shield Grasshopper Warrior was ever born in the future, I would continue to shelter ordinary Shield Katydids, ensuring that Huagi Mountain's inheritance never dies."

Yellow Stem: "If Spruce had terrible luck as well and couldn't raise a Shield Grasshopper Warrior, then he would initiate plan number two..."

Yellow Stem broke off halfway, turned, and walked up the mountain, declaring proudly: "You'll understand after you see it. I can say without exaggeration: Huagi Mountain once was the most prosperous place on Cloud Trace Continent, and the Shield Grasshopper Tribe was the strongest of the Natural God System's tribes."

"I believe it—" Dragon Cypress ordered the ant swarm to stop and rest, jumped down from the throne, and followed up the mountain.

Yellow Stem led the way, squeezing into an inconspicuous hole; ahead was a passage, square, more than 2 meters in width and height.

The brown-gray floor was extraordinarily hard.

The gray-brown stone walls were carved with vibrant and lifelike images.

On the paintings were undulating forests and neatly reclaimed woodlands. On the ground, Shield Grasshoppers and Ant Clan members busied themselves; in the sky, Butterflies and Bee Clan fluttered by; on the mountain paths, groups of Flame Spider Roving Merchants seemed to be hurrying to trade.

Yellow Stem introduced: "This was left by our Shield Grasshopper Tribe Insect King-level ancestors, recording the grand scenes from the annual Huagi Mountain autumn harvest trade."

Yellow Stem pointed to a pine tree as immense as a mountain and said: "This is our tribe's Divine Tree, the Huagi—a King-Level Wild God-Given Seed. As long as the Shield Grasshopper Tribe endures, the Huagi Divine Tree is eternal. With the Huagi Divine Tree present, the tribe is always prosperous."

"Oh—"

"How impressive—"

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were stunned.

Huagi Mountain used to be a place just like Crown Mountain, described by Grass Dragon—perhaps even greater.

Judging by the stone mural, it was led by the Shield Grasshopper Tribe, uniting many insect clans in joint management.

By the shape and stretch of the mountains, it must have extended several hundred kilometers.

Sweeping with spiritual power, a rough estimate showed tens of thousands of insect clan warriors carved on the murals.

Yellow Stem led the way through the straight passage, left and right turns, arriving at a dome-shaped cave carved within the mountain's heart.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were stunned once more.

The cave spanned more than 100 meters in diameter, erect with 31 pillars each a meter thick.

Insect King Level Shield Grasshopper Warriors had once hardened the entire structure with Earth System Abilities; the smooth stone walls were covered in every kind of design.

Yellow Stem announced grandly: "Welcome to the Shield Grasshopper Tribe's Huagi Knowledge Hall. Here is assembled the wisdom fruit of all the Insect Tribes of Cloud Trace Continent for an entire Origin Force Era—recording knowledge not found in our inherited memory, but invaluable for our management and survival."

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