CHAPTER 384: CHAPTER 369: THE SHAMELESS SPIDER

The Dominating Throne flying high in the sky lit up with a blue Primordial Energy Shield, slanting downward, piercing thick layers of clouds, trailing a long blue primordial energy tail, plummeting toward the center of Southern Sour Jujube Mountain.

Ink Orchid flapped her wings and took flight, coming up to meet it, her Soul-Setting Ability spreading out in perception.

"Dragon Cypress? Your soul..."

"Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruit! The effect kicks in immediately after use and delivers a portion of strengthening! My soul has ascended to Lord-Level!"

"That strong?!"

"Yeah!"

"Then now, the flying speed of the Dominating Throne..."

"Almost doubled! I set out this morning from Xianglan Mountain..."

The Dominating Throne slowed down.

Ink Orchid circled and landed on the throne.

Dragon Cypress raised his claw and pointed to the sky, "It’s barely noon, see!"

"Wow!"

Ink Orchid gasped in wonder.

Dragon Cypress: "Let’s head to Ghost Fan Mountain to check on Woodberry."

"Okay!"

Ink Orchid asked: "And the White Poplar Divine Seed? How is it?"

Dragon Cypress: "Growing fast. When I left, the tree was nearly 2 meters tall. It’ll definitely exceed fifteen meters this year."

"...Oh!"

"That’s so quick."

Ink Orchid sounded a bit disgruntled as she grumbled, "The Sea Blue Divine Seed is growing so slow!"

Judging by the normal growth rate of Sea Blue Trees, this was to be expected.

Dragon Cypress didn’t pick up the complaint.

The Dominating Throne blasted ahead at full speed, soaring over towering mountains and stretching valleys, crossing rivers and creeks—within a moment it reached Ghost Fan Mountain.

Spring was at its fullest, a riot of blooming flowers.

Woodberry was loosening the soil beneath the orchard trees.

"Woodberry!"

Ink Orchid called out.

"Ink Orchid—"

"Dragon Cypress Ant King—"

Woodberry looked in disbelief, baffled, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, weren’t you sowing the White Poplar Divine Seed in Purple Tung Insect Nation?"

Ink Orchid: "It’s blossom season, so I came back to Xianglan Mountain for a trade with the Flame Spider Roving Merchants."

"...Oh." Woodberry was still confused.

Dragon Cypress asked seriously, "Woodberry, everything good in the territory?"

Woodberry: "Very good."

Dragon Cypress: "Great. Then Ghost Fan can rest easy."

Woodberry mulled it over, then asked: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, is Ghost Fan at Jianlan Plain? Or still in Purple Tung Insect Nation?"

Dragon Cypress: "Purple Tung Insect Nation. I’ll bring him back this fall."

Dragon Cypress: "Woodberry, keep at it. I’ll come by to see you when I have time."

Woodberry: "Oh—"

Under Woodberry’s stunned gaze, the Dominating Throne shot up vertically, trailed a long blue tail, and disappeared fast beyond the horizon.

...

The Dominating Throne flew so fast that the wind whipped and tangled Dragon Cypress’s antennae.

If it were carrying goods, the strong airflow would likely blow the cargo away.

A Hydrology Shield would definitely be needed for protection.

In just a short while, they returned to Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, making a slanted landing by the river at Water Bay.

An uncertain, wary stream of mental power touched them from the little tree in the shallows.

The Sea Blue Tree had been sown for four or five months, and was only just a bit over two meters now.

Still, its innate temperament was distinctly different from plants under the Natural God System—it didn’t have such strong territorial instincts.

The Sea Blue Divine Seed showed no rejection toward Dragon Cypress.

"Ink Orchid, is it an Origin Force Life?"

"He’s Dragon Cypress Ant King! Head of the ants. My most trusted partner, my best friend!"

Ink Orchid enthusiastically introduced: "Sea Blue, your name was given by Dragon Cypress. All you Sea Blue Tree seeds were unearthed by Dragon Cypress from those treasure chests that dropped from the Outworld."

Sea Blue: "Uh—"

Ink Orchid: "Even the Source Stones you ate, Dragon Cypress brought them here for you."

Sea Blue: "Oh!"

Now that made sense to me.

Sea Blue sent a wave of affectionate mental power toward Dragon Cypress, greeting in friendship.

"Dragon Cypress! Sea Blue is greeting you."

"Oh—"

Dragon Cypress waggled his antennae as a reply.

Ink Orchid: "Look, does the Sea Blue Divine Seed seem like a Superior Grade to you?"

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Dragon Cypress: "No."

Dragon Cypress: "Superiors and Divine-Grades are both rare mutations—a matter of chance, not related to plant species. Azure’s case might be more special, but I’m certain: Just because a plant from Outworld Civilization spawns a Divine-Given Seed, doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily be Superior Grade."

"Alrighty."

Ink Orchid then reminded, "Dragon Cypress, go take a look at the Red Cypress Divine Seed."

...

The Red Cypress Divine Seed had grown over 60 meters tall, though its growth rate had slowed a bit, it was still rising steadily 3 to 4 meters per year.

By contrast, the Chestnut Bean God-Given Seed was falling more and more behind—not yet even 40 meters tall. Its yield was decent though; the first batch had 1000 fruits left, should ripen next year, and they ought to fetch a solid price.

This trip, Dragon Cypress mainly came to Southern Sour Jujube Mountain to inform Ink Orchid about the Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruit and his soul breakthrough.

Spring trading was still ongoing.

Dragon Cypress chatted with Red Cypress for a bit before saying his goodbyes.

Departed in the latter half of the afternoon, and reached Rednan Mountain just as night was falling.

Areca and Red Moonseed handled the goods transfer.

Round Cypress directed Worker Ants and Blue Ants to sort, refine, and repackage the Origin Force Honey that White Ivy had ordered.

Black Cory was in charge of the Grass Dragon’s Origin Force Honey order.

Dragon Cypress got stuck in too, sorting and prepping for the upcoming Superior Grade Barley Bug Warrior trade at Purple Tung Insect Nation.

After three more days of busy work, it was finally all done.

The Dominating Throne carried off Areca and Red Moonseed and returned first to Xianglan Mountain.

After a quick clean-up, straight to Huagi Mountain they went.

...

...

...

Ten Thousand Nations Continent, Starship Passage exit.

Red Peach was racing back with a slab wheelcart, hauling the last load of Origin Force Ant Honey.

"Red Peach, let me help you!"

Silvergrass was waiting at the cave mouth, bounding over in enthusiasm.

"Mm."

Red Peach replied, cool and perfunctory.

"Let me! Let me!"

Grass Dragon bounced with glee, deftly loosened the spider silk ropes binding the cart’s cargo, then manipulated them to unload the goods.

White Ivy stood cold-eyed, watching.

The trading for Grass Dragon and Silvergrass was over two days ago—yet they were still hanging around the cave mouth, refusing to budge.

White Ivy and Red Peach needed a private discussion.

These two spiders were sharp—sensed what was up, and were shameless enough to keep tagging along, blocking any chance for privacy...

Grass Dragon and Silvergrass competed to haul out the cargo, considerately dismantling the wheelcart and packing away the metal fittings.

"Respected Elder White Ivy, could you check over everything?"

Seeing no response, Grass Dragon pressed on, no less friendly: "Or how about I do the packing for you?"

As he spoke, he operated the spider silk rope, carefully rummaged on White Ivy’s carapace, and fetched out the Bee King Jelly.

Silvergrass pitched in, unscrewing the jars one by one for inspection, smearing, and then tightening the lids.

With lightning speed, they finished the last steps of making Origin Force Honey.

Grass Dragon and Silvergrass thoughtfully bundled and packed the lot.

—Honestly, these two have no shred of spiderly dignity~

—How unlucky am I, having to deal with such shameless juniors?

White Ivy sighed mournfully, waving a front leg, "Let’s talk down in the little woods."

Down the hill, in the woods, far from the Dulai Flame Spider Roving Merchant gathering spot.

White Ivy led the way, assessing that the Aconite Spider King’s formidable mental power couldn’t possibly eavesdrop here, only then stopping.

Her eyes glimmered with a crimson primordial energy light as she spun on the spot, scanning all around, confirming there wasn’t any insect spying before relaxing.

White Ivy jumped right in, "No matter what agreement Dragon Cypress Ant King reaches with Huagi Mountain, sooner or later, that Linnan Divine Tree will surely be revived. Each harvest yields five Divine-Grade Kunlan Seeds; two have already been snatched up—the remaining three will most likely go to Spurge, Aconite, and the Spider Kings who help with Source Stone shipping—one each for those three old spiders."

White Ivy: "The Aconite Spider King has terrible character—wants to take two seeds, maybe even all three!"

Silvergrass meekly said, "The Aconite Spider King does have that kind of power..."

Grass Dragon smacked Silvergrass’s head with a claw, scolding, "Silvergrass! Are you with me or not?"

Silvergrass: "With you—"

Grass Dragon: "Mind your place!"

Silvergrass hurried to sidle up next to White Ivy, standing tall.

Grass Dragon bitterly said, "I heard the Aconite Spider King also took two Divine-Grade Soul-Stabilizing Fruits! Too greedy! Snatches all the good stuff, never leaves us juniors even a bite."

Grass Dragon: "Back in the day, it was Melde who brought Dragon Cypress all the way to Cloud Trace Continent for development. It’s always been our caravans trading with Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid. But now... we’ve only got regular Origin Force Food trades, running back and forth, doing the grunt labor. All the Divine-Grade Fruit trades get hogged by the Spider Kings!"

White Ivy sternly said, "Grass Dragon, don’t speak ill of the Spider King behind his back."

Grass Dragon responded instantly, "Message received—"

White Ivy: "Say what you have to say to his face."

Grass Dragon: "..."

Grass Dragon: "I’m a lively, optimistic young spider, full of bright hopes for the future. I don’t want to die early... or end up crippled for life or something..."

Stating his stance, Grass Dragon then turned on a fawning tone, dropped his mental power down, and asked in a whisper:

"White Ivy Mountain Lord, my most most most respected elder, do you maybe have some brilliant idea to win back a Divine-Grade Kunlan Seed?"

White Ivy: "Yes!"

White Ivy looked at Red Peach.