CHAPTER 395: CHAPTER 380 BLACK BIRCH

The preliminary division of the Purple Tung Insect Nation’s territory was clear; the Xianglan Mountain Ant Kingdom occupied about 350 square kilometers of land.

This was fertile territory with dual superiority in Origin Force environment and soil condition, and all the plots had been developed and cultivated, with a high probability of producing Divine-Given Seeds.

Ink Orchid spent a whole four days thoroughly searching every part.

Nothing was found.

Twilight,

Ink Orchid flew low and slow, weaving back and forth as she passed over the land jointly owned by the Barley Bug Tribe.

On the way, she decided to help check for the Barley Bug Warriors too, in case anything was missed...

A vast open woodland being logged caught Ink Orchid’s attention, and she sped over.

Right by the riverbank,

led by High-Level Barley Bug Warriors Magnolia Bark, Mountain Thorn, and Fuzzy Flower, they were clearing poppet fruit groves and digging deep pits.

Wuye was there too.

"Wuye! Fuzzy Flower Mountain Lord!"

Ink Orchid called out as she landed.

"Mountain Lord Ink Orchid!"

Wuye ran up to greet her.

Ink Orchid asked, "Wuye, what are you all doing?"

Wuye explained, "Dragon Cypress Ant King said that next spring, he’ll use the Dominating Throne to help me evolve into a High-Level Warrior at age period three. When my harewood Divine-Given Seed is ready, it will be planted here. We’re digging the pit ahead of time and preparing the substrate soil."

"Oh—"

Ink Orchid understood instantly, saying, "I remember, Dragon Cypress and I once found an exuviae of a taimu Divine-Given Seed; when there’s time, we can bring some over and make wood shavings for compost—it’s the best fertilizer."

"Dragon Cypress Ant King said the same thing..."

Fuzzy Flower, Mountain Thorn, Magnolia Bark, and the other Mountain Lords all stopped working and gathered around.

It was time to clock off anyway, and everyone came together to chat.

Back when Ink Orchid was still a Junior Warrior, she had already acquired her first Fruit-Scented Orchid Divine-Given Seed, and later received five more: Northern Gorgon, Cuihua Hanlan, Chestnut Beans, Snow Orchid, and Sea Blue Tree, so her experience was highly extensive.

Ink Orchid loved being an insect master, and animatedly shared with everyone her experiences and insights on cultivating Divine-Given Seeds.

They chatted until dusk as the sky darkened, and just as she was about to say goodbye and leave, Wuye lifted a claw and pointed toward the riverbank.

A large group of bored Blue Soldiers were piled together across the river, watching this side.

Little Warrior Pueraria, who lived on the same mountain ridge as Wuye, had somehow ended up by the riverside.

A Specialized Blue Soldier was employing the freezing ability, freezing the river’s surface and leading Pueraria to play on the ice.

Wuye said, "Mountain Lord Ink Orchid, that Blue Soldier ant looks kind of strange..."

Fuzzy Flower Mountain Lord also said curiously, "It’s carving the same type of symbol marks that Dragon Cypress Ant King uses, on the ice. Seems like it wants to teach Little Pueraria..."

Ink Orchid swept the area with her spiritual power—sure enough...

This Blue Soldier wasn’t just making random marks; it was neatly writing the characters for one, two, three, four, five, and so on—representing numbers. It was clearly trying to teach Pueraria.

Little Warrior Pueraria watched with confusion, yet with bright interest, following along attentively.

Ink Orchid had a sudden inspiration and activated her Soul-Setting Ability to scan carefully, a touch perplexed.

—A Specialized Blue Soldier like Black Cory and Black Leaf, one that can evolve into an Assistant King?

—Was Dragon Cypress really this careless? How could he not notice something so important?

"This Blue Soldier is suspicious!"

"I’ll catch it and show Dragon Cypress Ant King."

With those words, Ink Orchid sprang up, her figure flashing above the Blue Soldier on the river, grabbing it tightly with all six legs and furiously beating her wings, taking off at low altitude and flying toward where the White Poplar Divine Seed was rooted.

...

Inside the Royal Palace, atop the Dominating Throne, Round Cypress was sleeping and evolving, breaking through to Mountain Lord Level.

Black Leaf led the Soldier Ants on guard.

At the base of the White Poplar Divine Seed tree,

Spruce and Snakebark Maple were standing guard, not moving a step away.

Dragon Cypress was there too, surrounded by piles of dark brown wood; in front of him were shavings and chips, and he was focusing all his primordial energy through his toes as he carved patterns into a wood plaque.

Ghost Fan, White Rice, and Areca, who had gone out to work, returned together.

Fragrant Cypress was commanding Soldier Ants, bringing back fresh meat hunted from the edge of the origin ground.

Fragrant Cypress was also back from work, directing the Worker Ants to divide the catch, adding spices to the stone pot, and starting to cook a broth.

Everyone gathered together, chatting idly.

"Dragon Cypress!"

Ink Orchid, carrying the Specialized Blue Soldier, came flying back unsteadily, shouting from a distance as she descended to a lower altitude, tossing it to the ground.

"This Blue Soldier is acting strange!"

"Strange?"

"Soul-Setting Ability—look at its soul."

"Oh?"

Dragon Cypress got up.

Spruce quickly twitched his tentacles to issue an order.

The slightly nervous Blue Soldier hurried over to Dragon Cypress.

Dragon Cypress activated his Soul-Setting Ability, his expression immediately turning grave.

The typical soul of a Specialized Blue Soldier was a faint, feeble little clump, but this Blue Soldier’s soul was much more compact and substantial.

The difference was obvious.

The most distinctive difference between Origin Force Life caste is in their souls.

—Strange!

Ever since Dragon Cypress used the Soul-Setting Fruit and grasped the Soul-Setting Ability, every newly feathered Specialized Ant had been inspected with the Soul-Setting Ability as soon as it emerged.

Additionally, back at the Desolation Plains, Dragon Cypress had conducted a universal check on all Blue Soldiers and Soldier Ants.

Checked twice—there should have been nothing missed.

But this Blue Soldier here...

Could it be...

Dragon Cypress’s thoughts raced, and suddenly enlightenment dawned. Under the crowd of insects’ questioning and curious gazes, he explained:

"That’s right! Just like Black Cory and Black Leaf, ones who can keep rising up in rank and evolve into Assistant Kings. I get it now—this sort of thing isn’t innate, but arises probabilistically during the growth process, or is triggered by some external stimulus to awaken."

Dragon Cypress: "It’s similar to how an ordinary insect’s Origin Force Awakening lets it ascend to become an Origin Force Life."

Dragon Cypress pointed at the Specialized Blue Ant before him, delighted: "This guy must have just awakened recently!"

Ink Orchid tilted her head, unconvinced: Was it really not that you were just careless and overlooked one?

Fragrant Cypress cheered, "Great King, our Kingdom has gained a new Assistant King?"

Dragon Cypress: "Yes!"

Fragrant Cypress said with delight, "Wonderful!"

No one was more excited than Fragrant Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, and the other Command Ants—there was just so much work in the Purple Tung Insect Nation, it was overwhelming.

Having an additional Assistant King meant a huge reduction in pressure.

Dragon Cypress was happy as well.

Black Cory and Black Leaf, these kinds of all-rounder Command Ants, weren’t specialists in fighting or logistics, but could handle all kinds of work competently.

Years of practice had already proven that these all-rounder Command Ants were the most useful.

"Don’t get too happy just yet!"

"Fragrant Cypress, is there any Black Lotus Seed stored in the Royal Palace warehouse?"

"Yes, Great King. Sold some to Mountain Persimmon and Red Moonseed earlier this winter."

"Hurry! Bring one out for this fellow to try."

"Yes, Great King."

Fragrant Cypress ran off toward the Royal Palace.

Spruce moved in closer, joining Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, Ghost Fan, White Rice, Spruce, Snakebark Maple, and Areca to surround and examine the Specialized Blue Soldier.

Spruce suddenly remembered something and questioned, "Great King, Black Cory and Black Leaf were both Senior Specialized Ants you nurtured when you were a High-Level Warrior. This one is from your Mountain Lord Level... "

Spruce: "Will its caste evolution be any different?"

That was a question.

The group of insects pondered.

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacles: "Not sure, can’t say, let’s find out."

Soon,

Fragrant Cypress came hurrying over with a small spider silk bag, opened it, peeled a Black Lotus Seed and handed it to the Specialized Blue Soldier’s mouth.

Spruce twitched his tentacles to signal.

Surrounded by a crowd and somewhat apprehensive, the Specialized Blue Soldier opened its mouth and swallowed.

The primordial energy in the Black Lotus Seed mostly fused into the bloodstream, gathering in the brain and being absorbed there.

Only a tiny part escaped through the gaps in the carapace nodes.

Under the Soul-Setting Ability’s observation, the soul of this Specialized Blue Soldier became a little more solid.

"That’s it!"

"No problem!"

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid confirmed together.

Ink Orchid urged, "Dragon Cypress, quickly give it a name."

"Alright!"

Dragon Cypress looked around, searching for a pleasing plant.

Ink Orchid raised a claw, suggesting, "How about ’Black Birch’?"

Ink Orchid pointed at the remains of a Black Birch Divine-Given Seed beside them.

The name was just right.

Black Cory, Black Leaf, Black Birch—they matched nicely.

Dragon Cypress lightly tapped his tentacles in agreement, pressed his claw on the still somewhat confused Specialized Blue Soldier, waved his tentacles and declared, "Second King bestows upon you the name ’Black Birch’. From today on, you have an official name—Black Birch!"

The Specialized Blue Soldier was bewildered, twitching its tentacles.

Dragon Cypress said to Spruce, "Spruce, take Black Birch under your wing, teach him more. Make sure he eats a Black Lotus Seed each day, keep a close watch, report any changes to me right away."

Spruce declared firmly, "Understood, Great King!"