CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 378: THE GROWTH OF THE ANT COLONY

Southern Sour Jujube Mountain.

The Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed was in its fruit maturation and quality change phase, rapidly absorbing Origin Force.

Ink Orchid guarded beneath the tree, Source Stones paving the ground, strolling unhurriedly, channeling Primordial Energy to the tips of her toes, stirring up currents of highly condensed, spinning air, forming a sharp whirlwind to shatter each Source Stone.

Each burst of Origin Force exploded outward, to be absorbed by the Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed.

The ant colonies stationed at the Southern Sour Jujube Mountain’s sub-nest were drawn by the commotion here, clustering in threes and fives, groups of seven or eight, all standing nearby to watch curiously.

"Wow~"

Ink Orchid suddenly leaped, flipping backward in midair, wings beating as her figure turned into a streak of blue-white light, shooting straight up into the sky.

Red Cypress: "???"

Where are you going?

Red Cypress was a bit confused: My fruit’s ripening, just as I’m burning through Origin Force.

The nearby ants gathered to watch saw the Second King leave and all shuffled closer.

In past years, when a Command Ant was stationed here, during this season, it would direct Worker Ants to scrape and powder the Source Stones, supplementing Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed with Origin Force...

This year, there was no directive from a Command Ant.

Nor were there any written instructions.

The Mountain Lord Level Specialized Worker Ant circled the scattered Source Stones with large, medium, and small Worker Ants, hesitating uncertainly.

—The Divine-Given Seed’s maturing fruit urgently needs more Origin Force.

—But Source Stones are the kingdom’s most precious treasure, and without the Ant King’s instruction, no one dares use them carelessly.

Thus, a contradiction arose.

Some Worker Ants carried scattered Source Stones back to the spider silk bags for safekeeping.

While others took the stones out again from the spider silk bags, gripping them in their mandibular teeth but not daring to use them...

...

Above, in the drifting white clouds.

The Dominating Throne had just entered the range of Southern Sour Jujube Mountain when a flash of blue-white light appeared—Ink Orchid came to greet them, delighted and amazed.

"Wow!"

"Dragon Cypress!"

"Your timing is uncanny! The Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed’s fruit is just entering the Primordial Energy quality change, and you show up."

Is it really that coincidental? Dragon Cypress paused, then said calmly, "Just a small brain-teaser. Nothing worthy of fuss."

Dragon Cypress asked, "How is Sea Blue Divine-Given Seed doing?"

"About five meters, I guess."

Ink Orchid asked, "What about White Poplar Divine-Given Seed?"

Only five meters?

A Mountain Lord Level Divine-Given Seed, after all!

This growth rate sure is slow.

Dragon Cypress suddenly found it awkward to answer, vaguely replying, "Everything’s going smoothly—better than expected, actually."

"Oh!"

Ink Orchid didn’t press, instead spiraled down, alighting atop the throne’s back, eyes turning to Black Cory to ask, "Is Black Cory here to take over for me?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes."

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid, let’s hurry up, quickly finish the autumn Roving Merchant trade rounds, and get back to Purple Tung Insect Nation. In winter, you and Spruce will oversee things there. Ghost Fan and White Rice will return home to rest for a while, then head to Jianlan Plain to harvest Iron Sand and make metal cans. Snakebark Maple and Areca will return home for the winter."

Dragon Cypress: "I’ve got a lot going on. Once I’m done, I’ll also stay in Purple Tung Insect Nation for the winter."

Ink Orchid: "Got it!"

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid, next year you’ll also stay at Purple Tung Insect Nation. Black Cory will rest at Southern Sour Jujube Mountain for a year."

Ink Orchid: "Okay!"

Black Cory, only an 8-age high-level Assistant King, couldn’t understand what was being discussed, but seeing Ink Orchid tap her tentacle in agreement, muttered gloomily, "Not good—"

...

The Dominating Throne swiftly plunged down, hovering around the mid-trunk of the Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed. A sweep of spiritual power passed over.

The tree’s vigor was strong, vitality overflowing, in excellent condition.

"Eh?"

"Why?"

Ink Orchid suddenly jumped up, raising her foreleg to point down hard, "Dragon Cypress! Dragon Cypress! Come look!"

Under the tree,

Under the direction of the Mountain Lord Level Specialized Worker Ant, large, medium, and small Worker Ants were cooperating in an orderly fashion, scraping and powdering Source Stones, sprinkling the powder to supplement Origin Force for the Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed.

Dragon Cypress realized instantly.

Black Cory climbed to the edge of the throne, peeked down, and asked in confusion, "Great King, did you leave written instructions? How did the Worker Ants dare to use the Source Stones?"

"There were no written instructions..."

Dragon Cypress turned, puzzled. "Ink Orchid, did you command them?"

Ink Orchid: "I did try giving them orders... but they didn’t respond..."

"Dragon Cypress!"

Red Cypress called out, seeing Dragon Cypress unresponsive, and after a few seconds, urgently repeated, "Dragon Cypress! Dragon Cypress! Dragon Cypress..."

"Red Cypress!"

Dragon Cypress replied, steering the Dominating Throne to descend and park on the ground.

Black Cory leapt down, dashing ahead, waving her tentacles to question a Mountain Lord Level Specialized Worker Ant: "Who told you to use the Source Stones?"

The Specialized Worker Ant waggled its two tentacles, body turning this way and that, clearly nervous.

"Great King!"

Black Cory turned to report: "It looks like they acted on their own initiative?"

"Seems so."

Dragon Cypress asked, "Red Cypress, the Worker Ants used Source Stones on their own to help you supplement Origin Force?"

"Yes—"

"The Cypress Fruit is ripening, so I urgently needed Origin Force. Just now, after Ink Orchid left, the ant colony crowded closer, then they all started squabbling—with some Worker Ants cleaning up scattered Source Stones and putting them in the spider silk bag; others took Source Stones out from the bag..."

"Then, all of a sudden, they reached a consensus and began to use the Source Stones in an organized, orderly manner to help me supplement Origin Force."

"Oh!"

Dragon Cypress bowed his head in thought, generally grasping the situation.

"Mountain Lord Level Specialized Worker Ants have pretty good memory and learning skills, as well as a long life span. Over time, they accumulate knowledge and experience, gradually gaining the ability to judge independently."

"Without a Command Ant present, when faced with uncertain situations, Specialized Ants begin to have their own ideas..."

"But when encountering the same problem, each Specialized Ant has its own independent view and judgment, which leads to contradictions and confusion."

"It’s the way of the Ant Clan; once divergent opinions come to a consensus, they act as one."

Dragon Cypress explained simultaneously to Ink Orchid, Black Cory, and Red Cypress, concluding: "When there’s time, we can give the Specialized Ants unified training, so next time when faced with a similar problem, they can quickly reach an agreement."

It’s a novel phenomenon, but not really hard to understand.

In the future, as they evolve to Evolution Lord Level or King-Level, these Specialized Ants will have even better learning and independent judgment skills. With written instructions, they could accomplish much without needing the Ant King or Command Ants.

Let’s move on.

Dragon Cypress looked up, sweeping spiritual power up and down.

After a year of growth, the Red Cypress Divine-Given Seed’s trunk had reached over sixty-five meters, really starting to have the grandeur of a towering tree.

Dragon Cypress withdrew his gaze, and simultaneously instructed Black Cory and Red Cypress: "Next year, let a thousand flowers blossom. When the trunk surpasses a hundred meters—maybe in about ten years—keep fifteen hundred blossoms annually. Afterwards, depending on conditions, increase the output up to two thousand."

"Understood, Great King."

Black Cory agreed.

"Alright—"

Red Cypress also agreed, then asked: "Dragon Cypress, have you been up north in Purple Tung Insect Nation all year?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes. I’ve been watching over the newly planted White Poplar Divine-Given Seed."

Red Cypress asked: "Is White Poplar Divine-Given Seed growing quickly?"

Dragon Cypress: "Very quickly..."

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacle, suggesting Black Cory go off to work, then stayed behind to keep Red Cypress company, sharing stories from the past year.

From noon, they chatted all through to late afternoon.

Then Dragon Cypress went with Ink Orchid to bid farewell to Chestnut Beans and Sea Blue, the two other Divine-Given Seeds.

The Dominating Throne sped eastward, traveling through the night toward Kiwifruit Mountain.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple had evolved to Mountain Lord Level, so the Green-Red Kiwifruit Life Seed’s annual harvest had soared.

Cloud Trace Insects ate a portion first, then the rest could be sold to caravans in the form of Bee King Honey.

This year, the harvest of White Rice Fruit, Ghost Fan Tree, Sky Blue Persimmon, and Black Fruit Huckleberry—all excellent Divine-Given Seed fruits—was also due for gathering.

Very busy.