CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 058 WHITE RICE AND BLACK RICE

It was only when night fell that they approached the Land of Origin Force.

The mountainous terrain was distributed in a vein-like pattern. Their usual routine was to find a dense forest to hide in, wait patiently, and only set out to explore at midnight.

They circled the periphery.

They roughly determined that this Land of Origin Force was shaped like a rather round ellipse. After choosing a direction to cross, they confirmed its longest diameter was about four to five kilometers.

It was an area about the size of Xianglan Mountain, with a mountain range that was much smaller, perhaps only two to three hundred meters high.

Insect Clan Warriors preferred to live near mountains.

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne, flying along the southern side of the mountain range and searching.

"Dragon Cypress..." Ink Orchid was the first to sense an unusual Origin Force fluctuation. It raised its left front leg, pointing towards the back of the mountain range. "It seems like a Wild Divine-Given Seed!"

Ink Orchid then pointed ahead. "Over there too. Those should be common Origin Force Plants..."

Dragon Cypress also sensed the unusual Origin Force fluctuation but was not as sharp as Ink Orchid and could not distinguish it at first.

Ink Orchid sensed again. "No mistake!" it confirmed. "A few hundred meters ahead, there’s a concentrated sowing area of Life Seed Plants by Insect Clan Warriors. Correspondingly, on the north side of the mountain, a Wild Divine-Given Seed is growing."

"That’s fantastic!" Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid cheered.

"Dragon Cypress, it’s midnight now," Ink Orchid reminded.

Dragon Cypress said, "First, let’s count its Origin Force Plants. If it’s not particularly powerful, we’ll visit tomorrow morning."

"Right..." Ink Orchid agreed, concealing its Origin Force aura.

Dragon Cypress carefully controlled the Dominating Throne to climb upward, slowly drifting and using the cover of night to stealthily approach.

They saw a cave.

In front of the cave was a gentle slope, with a Black Rice Tree planted on each side and a tall Betel Elm Tree further down the hillside.

In total, 21 Life Seed Plants. Likely a High-Level Warrior, Dragon Cypress assessed. They were exclusively small arbors and arbors. Two Black Rice Tree Life Seeds and two White Rice Tree Life Seeds; the others are all unique species.

These insects are very clever, he thought. They seem fond of Rice Trees, cultivating orchards up and down the mountain and planting them extensively. However, after sowing four Rice Tree Life Seeds, they must have realized a problem and decisively chose various constitution-strengthening arbors as their Life Seed Plants instead. This Insect Clan Warrior’s Evolution State definitely wouldn’t be too poor. It also has a Wild Divine-Given Seed... I wonder what species it is...

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to continue rising, quietly cresting the mountain range, and then began to descend slowly.

Under the moonlit night, he immediately recognized it. "A Rice Tree Divine-Given Seed!" Dragon Cypress exclaimed.

Ink Orchid asked, "Is that a White Rice Tree or a Black Rice Tree?"

The Origin Force Fruit of a Black Rice Tree strengthened Wood Element abilities; its value was ordinary. If it were a White Rice Tree, its value would be high. The strengthening effect of its Origin Force Food enhanced the ’Healing Ability’ of a comprehensive life system. This was beneficial for Molting Evolution and could also be used for injury recovery. For plants of the same type but different species offering different strengthening effects, the selling price of their fruits could differ by two to three times for the same quality.

"Are there any fruits on the tree?" Ink Orchid inquired.

Black Rice Fruits are black. White Rice Fruits are crystal-clear and snowy white. They are easy to recognize.

"I can’t see clearly..." Dragon Cypress said.

Ink Orchid added, "The Insect Clan Warrior lives on South Mountain; this is North Mountain..."

"Let’s get closer!" Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne to descend.

Rice Trees are small arbors; ordinary Rice Tree heights are only between 1 and 3 meters. This Rice Tree Divine-Given Seed wasn’t tall either, only about ten to less than twenty meters high. Its main trunk was indistinct, but it had many stout branches, forming a lush, dense crown.

Their timing was perfect. The tree was currently bearing fruit that was not far from maturity—pale, faintly greenish-white fruits.

Dragon Cypress exclaimed, "White Rice Fruit!"

"We’re going to be rich!" Ink Orchid cheered. Now quite savvy in business, it began to calculate with Dragon Cypress. "We’ll sell the Ghost Fan to the local Insect Clan Warrior. Then, we’ll buy White Rice Fruits from here and sell them to Ghost Fan, earning a profit on both ends! Plus, with my Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed, the output of Common Life Seeds from our Territory, and the various Origin Force Foods acquired from Caravans, our range of goods will be quite extensive. Our trading can operate smoothly!"

"Indeed. The Common Life Seeds from South Mountain are mostly good..." Dragon Cypress’s words abruptly stopped. He suddenly turned around.

Not far away, among a clump of Rice Trees, two luminous green eyes stared intently at them.

A sweep of his spiritual power confirmed it, and Dragon Cypress instinctively spread his membranous wings. "Beast Clan! A Red Fox Warrior!" he exclaimed, struggling to control the Dominating Throne and ascend rapidly.

"AH!" Ink Orchid cried, startled by Dragon Cypress’s sudden movement. It turned, and after a sweep of its own spiritual power, exclaimed in panic, "A High-Level Red Fox Warrior! Dragon Cypress, run!"

When the Dominating Throne reached a height of fifty to sixty meters above the ridge, it suddenly paused.

"This isn’t right." Dragon Cypress was the first to calm down from the panic.

The Beast Clan has no Life Pouch; they can’t nurture Life Seeds. So where would the Life Seed Plants on South Mountain come from? There must be Insect Clan Warriors there! And in a sealed Land of Origin Force, if Insect Clan Warriors are already living here, why would there also be a Beast Clan member?

"Right!" Upon hearing this, Ink Orchid also calmed down and guessed, "Are the Red Fox Warrior and the Insect Clan Warrior living together?"

Dragon Cypress mused, "It’s quite possible..."

The Beast Clan members were not incapable of communication. On the contrary, they possessed high intelligence. On the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent, many Flame Spider Caravans would head to the northern wilderness each summer to risk trading with the Beast Clan members who controlled the Source Stone Mines.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid simultaneously leaned over to look downward.

The Red Fox Warrior, only about two meters long with reddish-brown fur, was squatting on the hillock, looking up at them.

It also saw Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid peering down and let out a series of "YIP YIP YIP" cries.

"Dragon Cypress, is it greeting us?" Ink Orchid asked.

"That sound... it doesn’t seem like a threat or intimidation..." Dragon Cypress mused.

"Foxes can’t fly. Should we go down and ask?" Ink Orchid suggested.

"Let’s wait and see..." Dragon Cypress decided.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Soon, on South Mountain, an Insect Clan Warrior sleeping in its cave was awakened by the Red Fox Warrior’s calls. It ran out and swiftly sprinted up the ridge.

It was an insect warrior more than a meter in length. Its cerci (tail pincers) were sixty to seventy centimeters long, slender with sharp curves. Its antennae were also sixty to seventy centimeters long, segmented like long whips. Its legs, head, antennae, elytra, and cerci were all black, while its abdomen was reddish-brown.

No, it’s not an Earwig, Dragon Cypress realized. It’s a Sphere Insect—a Mountain Sphere Centipede! A Sphere Insect Tribe Warrior!

The Sphere Insect Warrior stood beside the Red Fox Warrior. Together, they looked up, gazing at the Dominating Throne suspended in the air.

Ink Orchid said, "They really are living together! I understand now. The Divine-Given White Rice Fruit tree on North Mountain must belong to the Red Fox Warrior, while the Sphere Insect Warrior resides on South Mountain."

"That’s obvious," Dragon Cypress said joyfully. "Sphere Insects, like Wooden Darkling Beetles, aren’t good at flying. We don’t need to fear it."

However, Dragon Cypress quickly added a warning, "They are both High-Level Warriors. We’d better be careful and not get careless."

The Dominating Throne slowly descended.

Dragon Cypress began, "Greetings. I am the King of the Creator Civilization, Dragon Cypress Ant King. This is Ink Orchid, the king of Xianglan Mountain."

Dragon Cypress immediately announced their ’King’ titles.

But the Red Fox Warrior and Sphere Insect Warrior below didn’t buy it at all.

Possessing Inherited Memory from the Natural God System, the Sphere Insect Warrior recognized the origins of Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid. "A Mid-Level Ant King?" it asked. "And a Mid-Level Flower Mantis Warrior? Why are you blue? Which Flower Mantis Tribe are you from?"

"Orchid Mantis," Ink Orchid replied quickly and honestly.

Dragon Cypress quickly nudged Ink Orchid with his hind leg, signaling it to say less, then asked, "And how should we address you two?"

The Red Fox Warrior replied simply, "Red Fox."

The Sphere Insect Warrior said, "White Rice."