Chestnut Beans is a tropical plant, and also a Mountain Lord Level Divine-Given Seed, so there's no need to worry about the season when sowing.

The seed goes into the soil and quickly takes root and sprouts.

Dragon Cypress stayed to observe for three days. When he saw the seedling grow to over ten centimeters tall, he felt relieved.

Ink Orchid stayed behind to guard, and Silver Cypress left Command Ants to help defend together.

Dragon Cypress himself continued on to White Rice Mountain, to harvest the White Rice Divine-Given Seed and refine it into 'White Rice Royal Jelly'. On the way, he picked up White Rice and went to visit Xianglan Mountain together.

White Rice stayed at Xianglan Mountain to help, using Earth System 'Earth-Stone Solidification' ability to reinforce the reservoir dam and ant nest caves of Xianglan Mountain, and to build firmer earth-stone supports for the Purple Kiwifruit and Black Yellow Divine-Given Seeds' vines to climb and grow...

The project was quite large and would take several months.

Time moves into winter,

Dragon Cypress traveled north alone, doing roving merchant trade, and on his way went to the Desolation Plains to prepare for the winter for the split ant colonies.

Next was using the Dominating Throne to help Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, White Willow, Black Rice, and other Insect Clan Warriors to enter evolution slumber.

And there's also the Areca Rainforest reclaimed by Black Leaf, where fruit saplings could now start to be transplanted...

...

Time rushed by—another winter passed.

The spring arrived,

The reinforcement work at Xianglan Mountain was completed.

Dragon Cypress asked White Rice for one more small favor, asking it and Black Cory to go to the Desolation Plains together.

The soil here was loose, and Dragon Cypress had always worried that nest rooms dug too large would collapse, so he asked White Rice to use Earth System abilities to reinforce them.

There was also the reservoir, which he asked White Rice to harden as well.

Each split-nest could house 500 ants. Two years ago, only three split-nests had been built. Now, the total number of Specialized Blue Ants and larvae had exceeded a thousand; adding in supporting ants, the three nest rooms were already filled to capacity.

Black Cory led the ant colony to continue excavating and constructing more split-nests.

White Rice would need to stay on the Desolation Plains for a year. Black Cory would dig a nest, then White Rice would harden it. Doing it all at once, so as to avoid making extra trips.

...

Last year Dragon Cypress transported only 800,000 Source Stones to Huagi Mountain. This spring, he started hauling early.

...

Time flies,

Once again spring flowers bloom—it's the season for roving merchant trade.

Dragon Cypress headed to Scarletlight Mountain, picked up Areca, then went to Southern Sour Jujube Mountain to fetch Ink Orchid back to Xianglan Mountain. He assembled a team to go to the Rednan Mountain ant nest.

This year's trade with the Flame Spider Roving Merchants involved many big deals.

Natsumi, Silvergrass, and Red Peach were already waiting.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King!"

"Areca!"

Greetings exchanged upon meeting.

Silvergrass was the first to step forward, untied the spider silk bag on her carapace, unloaded the goods on her back, pulled out a spider silk bag from the bottom, opened it, and took out an oval porcelain bottle, wrapped with multicolored spider silk embroidered with lotus leaves, flowers, and pods.

Silvergrass: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, the 'Divine-Grade Ghost Lotus Seed' you ordered from Spider King Spurge in your early years was harvested and produced at the end of autumn last year; it's been delivered this year."

"Good!"

Dragon Cypress took the porcelain bottle and opened it to check.

Sealed with Bee King Jelly, inside was a greenish-gray lotus seed, five or six centimeters long, with black Primordial Energy patterns on the surface.

"Everything's fine! Silvergrass, please send my regards and thanks to Spider King Spurge."

"Alright!"

Silvergrass replied, then added, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, Grass Dragon has successfully evolved to Mountain Lord Level."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Why the rush?

In such a hurry to die?

Dragon Cypress felt annoyed on hearing this. However, since it was already confirmed the evolution to Mountain Lord Level went smoothly, nothing else needed to be said.

Dragon Cypress: "Please send Grass Dragon my congratulations."

Silvergrass hesitated a bit, then said shyly: "Grass Dragon asked me to check if there are any gifts or… tokens for it?"

Dragon Cypress: "No. Nothing like that."

Silvergrass: "...Got it."

Silvergrass: "Mountain Lord Melde asked me to check on the status of the Snakebark Maple Divine-Given Seed?"

Natsumi echoed, "Seven-Leaf Lord is also very concerned about how the Snakebark Maple Divine-Given Seed is growing."

Dragon Cypress: "The Snakebark Maple Divine-Given Seed is currently just over 35 meters tall. It has been confirmed that its flowering and fruiting cycle is: it blooms every year, bears fruits every year, and matures fruits every year. The fruit growth cycle should be five years."

Dragon Cypress: "Last year I kept 200 fruits, and this year I've again only kept 250. The Snakebark Maple Divine-Given Seed was only sowed recently; nurturing the tree is the priority. I plan to retain 300 fruits next year, 350 the year after, and keep increasing gradually each year."

Silvergrass: "Understood!"

Natsumi praised, "Wise arrangement!"

Silvergrass stepped back and said, "I have nothing else."

Red Peach took down a spider silk bag from the stone slab wheelcart, bounced forward, and asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, has the Divine-Grade Night Fragrance Fruit ripened?"

"Of course!"

Dragon Cypress lightly shook his tentacle, and Worker Ants behind brought up a spider silk bag, passing it over through a gap.

Red Peach accepted it and opened it.

Natsumi and Silvergrass were both curious and crowded forward to look as well.

Natsumi, experienced and well-traveled, swept the fruit with her spiritual power and exclaimed, "Such massive Primordial Energy contained in this fruit! Judging by Primordial Energy alone, this is top-level among Divine-Grade Fruits."

Dragon Cypress said calmly, "The Night Fragrance God-Given Seed is very advanced in Evolution, at King-Level Peak, touching the Law limits of the Natural Star Realm."

Dragon Cypress briefly explained, "Wild God-Given Seeds, after evolving to King Level, are similar to our Insect Clan's Insect Kings. They also need to comprehend Nature and condense a Divine Pattern in the tree trunk's heartwood. Each Divine Pattern breaks a shackle. Only then can they undergo an Age Period Evolution, and the upper limit is Nine-Age Period Tree King. The difference is, Wild God-Given Seeds are plants after all and can't move on their own. They need Insect Clan Warriors to help them leave."

—Oh!

Natsumi, Silvergrass, and Red Peach were all stunned, and then a bit regretful.

Such an incredibly strong Divine-Given Seed, but unfortunately the fruits' enhancement effects are lacking.

After being shocked, emotional, and regretful, Red Peach nimbly put the lid back on, twisted it tight, wrapped it in three more spider silk bags, and tied it securely to her carapace with spider silk rope, making a dead knot.

Red Peach: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, 400,000 Source Stones? Correct?"

Dragon Cypress: "Correct. I'm just doing a little favor, not earning a single Source Stone."

Heh~heh~

That's the line us Flame Spider Roving Merchants love to say most.

Natsumi and Silvergrass didn't believe it.

Red Peach didn't really believe it either.

But, for a Divine-Grade Fruit with such high Primordial Energy content, the mature fruit really does require 300,000 Source Stones as investment.

If the Night Fragrance God-Given Seed really operated independently, then each fruit would have to be priced at 100,000 Source Stones.

So,

At a price of 400,000 per fruit, Dragon Cypress really earns no profit.

It seems unreasonable, hard to believe.

But they can't figure out what the problem is.

Red Peach opened the spider silk bag, took out a metal tube holding Spider King Silk Scrolls, and said, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, can you repay the 100,000 Source Stones you borrowed from White Ivy Mountain Lord?"

Dragon Cypress: "Of course. You just need to give me 300,000 Source Stones."

Red Peach: "Alright!"

Red Peach counted out thirty Spider King Silk Scrolls, each worth 10,000, double-checked them, and handed them over to Dragon Cypress.

Dragon Cypress cheerfully counted them once more.

In recent years the Kingdom's business has been running at a loss; thanks to the Divine-Grade Night Fragrance Fruit, he finally recovered some vital resources.

All accounts settled.

Red Peach packed up and stepped back.

Natsumi then stepped forward, suppressed her Mental Power, and asked gravely, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, did you and Ink Orchid both eat the Divine-Grade Soul-Setting Fruit?"

Dragon Cypress: "Of course. Ink Orchid and I have both undergone Evolution slumber once and successfully acquired the 'Soul-Setting Ability'. The accompanying remote-sensing, long-distance communication ability has also been confirmed. That makes two extremely handy and useful abilities acquired at once."

Natsumi, Silvergrass, and Red Peach all turned to look at Areca.

On Areca's carapace was a spider silk bag, wrapped in several thick layers. Judging by its shape, it was a Metal Can…

Areca: "..."

Areca's thoughts turned, loosened the spider silk rope, and took out the item.

Dragon Cypress shook his tentacles vigorously and scolded, "It's fine to take a look at the Ghost Lotus Seed and Night Fragrance Fruit. But a Divine-Grade Soul-Setting Fruit is priceless—there's no room for error. Please don't open the Soul-Setting Fruit for inspection."

Dragon Cypress: "Red Peach, Silvergrass, hurry up. Give me the stone slips for this year's Origin Force Honey ordered by White Ivy Mountain Lord and Grass Dragon Mountain Lord, and move over all the goods."

"Okay!"

"Alright!"

Red Peach and Silvergrass moved quickly.

Everything finished swiftly.

Areca carried the Metal Can containing the Soul-Setting Fruit on his back.

Natsumi carried Areca on her carapace.

Red Peach and Silvergrass guarded front and back, setting off at a quick trot.

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