CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 045 WHITE IVY

Round Cypress did not disappoint with its exceptionally large brain. Although it had not undergone Awakening to gain inherited knowledge, its memory and comprehension abilities were very strong. Dragon Cypress spent three days teaching Round Cypress simple addition and subtraction. He then began to take it around the mountain, teaching it to identify various plants, how to command the ant colony to collect weeds and leaves for managing the Marsh Gas Pool, how to dig ponds, and so on. Ink Orchid also joined them, focusing on teaching Round Cypress how to identify different varieties of orchids, as well as their cultivation and management.

The weather grew warmer each day. The six Cypress Life Seeds planted near the Ant Nest eagerly sprouted new buds. The season had arrived. Dragon Cypress selected a suitable location in the lower part of the mountain range and sowed the Green Torreya Life Seeds he had nurtured as a Primary-Level Ant King in its 9th Age Period. The Keg Vine Seeds brought back in winter were also planted in appropriate spots.

The Soldier Ants became increasingly active. They began to form teams according to the lineup Dragon Cypress arranged: 12 Mid-Level Specialized Soldier Ants leading 24 Primary-Level Specialized Soldier Ants to hunt larger animals such as wild rabbits, squirrels, and moles. Meanwhile, Large Soldier Ants led medium and small Soldier Ants in activities near the Territory, hunting the larvae of butterflies, Sky Oxen, and beetles, thereby enriching the Ant Nest’s food variety.

The Specialized Worker Ants, having been on vacation for the entire winter, also needed to leave the Ant Nest and get to work. Last year, the excavation of the pond in the Dragon Cypress Territory was only half-completed. This year, after draining the pond water, the work resumed.

Ink Orchid was also busy. Last year, it had cultivated orchid seedlings in four nurseries, and this year they were ready for planting. Round Cypress led 10 Mid-Level Specialized Worker Ants and 20 Primary-Level Specialized Worker Ants to assist Ink Orchid with the transplanting. Once all suitable places for planting orchids on North Mountain were filled, they began searching for locations on South Mountain.

The Ink Orchid near the Ant Nest bloomed again, its subtle fragrance lingering in the air. The four Cypress Life Seed plants—Dragon Cypress, Round Cypress, Spiked Cypress, and Giant Cypress—also began to sprout flower spikes. Round Cypress was the tallest, having shot up since the start of spring, currently reaching a height of nearly 2.5 meters. Both Dragon Cypress and Spiked Cypress were just over 2 meters tall. Giant Cypress was growing fast and would soon reach 2 meters as well.

Dragon Cypress then directed a few medium Worker Ants up the trees to trim the flower buds as needed. He estimated that Dragon Cypress, Round Cypress, and Spiked Cypress would each retain 50 flowers to produce 50 cones, yielding approximately 250 to 300 Cypress Seeds. Giant Cypress would have correspondingly fewer, retaining 40 flowers to produce 40 cones, yielding about 200 to 240 Cypress Seeds.

These four Cypress Life Seed plants were in a period of rapid growth. Thinning out flowers and cones would reduce their burden, ensuring the plants grew well and quickly reached three, four, or even five meters in height to become large trees. There were also two other Cypress Life Seed plants, Cypress and Dried Fragrant Cypress, which could be considered for their first cone-bearing next year and the year after, respectively.

At the foot of the mountain, the Azure Divine-Given Seed showed much slower growth in spring. Its sixth broadleaf finally unfolded during the peak blooming season. Standing around 3 meters tall, the diameter of its first leaf at the lowest level was nearly 1 meter. Azure strived to stretch its roots further down, causing its trunk to sink slightly, maintaining a distance of about 20 centimeters between the first leaf and the pond’s surface.

The frogs that had hibernated for the winter emerged from their burrows and scurried to the grassy areas near the river gully to feed. Dragon Cypress drained the pond and led all the Specialized Worker Ants downhill. Ink Orchid also came to help. In just half a day, they removed the embankment separating the small and large ponds, connecting them into a single body of water. They then blocked the drainage ditch, dug open the upstream gully, and began to store water.

"Dragon Cypress, where are the frogs?" Azure sounded very sad. The hibernating frogs had woken up and all run away without looking back.

"They’re over there in the grass, hunting." Dragon Cypress was somewhat speechless but reassured it, "Azure, don’t worry. I built a shallow slope at the edge of the pond. Once the frogs have eaten their fill and recovered from the weakness of hibernation, they’ll definitely come back to lay eggs."

Dragon Cypress pondered for a moment and then said, "Azure, in a couple of days, I’ll go trade with the Caravan. I’ll ask them for some rice seeds and Lotus Seeds to sow around the pond. Later, I’ll bring some Duckweed from other places. With plants in the pond, various herbivorous insects will be attracted, and the frogs will naturally return."

"Great!" Upon hearing this, Azure’s sadness vanished. "Thank you, Dragon Cypress."

"It’s nothing..." Dragon Cypress couldn’t help but ask, "Azure, can you feel when you’re going to bloom?"

It was deep into spring, yet the Azure Divine-Given Seed showed no sign of even a flower spike. A height of three meters wasn’t small at all.

Azure replied, "I don’t know..."

Although Ink Orchid couldn’t communicate with Azure directly, it could sense through Mental Power Fluctuation that Dragon Cypress was conversing with Azure. Seeing Dragon Cypress’s tentacles droop, Ink Orchid immediately understood.

"Dragon Cypress, don’t be impatient," Ink Orchid conveyed. "It’s very possible that Azure blooms in the summer."

"Hmm—" Dragon Cypress’s tentacles bobbed in acknowledgment. He then waved them vigorously, signaling the Worker Ants to gather, end their shift, and return up the mountain.

The two water pools on the mountain had been excavated but still needed reinforcement with Stone borders. Two kilometers west of the Territory, a small mountain peak had collapsed for unknown reasons, sending large and small stones rolling down the slope. Round Cypress led a group of Mid-Level and Primary-Level Specialized Worker Ants there to select suitable small stones and smooth them. They planned to gather the stones on the mountain first; later, Dragon Cypress would use the Dominating Throne to transport them to the Territory.

The various spring tasks in the Territory were nearly completed. The timing was also about right. After resting for two days, Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid would pack up and set off.

「At twilight.」

A hundred-meter-long Caravan snaked its way down the steep, winding mountain road, entering the forest nestled between the mountains.

"Stop!"

A massive spiritual power fluctuation erupted, and the leading Spider King Spurge halted. The Dulai Flame Spiders advanced in an orderly fashion from behind.

"Spider King Spurge! Spider King Spurge!" A Mountain Lord Level Flame Spider broke from the formation, darting left and right as it hurried forward.

"Spider King Spurge, the sun has just set! Let’s push on a bit longer."

"Set up camp and rest." Spider King Spurge’s voice carried a hint of displeasure. "White Ivy Mountain Lord, return to your position!"

"Spider King Spurge, it’s still early before true nightfall! Let’s just go a little further," White Ivy Mountain Lord pleaded.

"White Ivy!" Spider King Spurge’s tone grew stern.

He was well aware of White Ivy’s little scheme; it was anxious to reach the Caravan assembly point on the Ten Thousand Nations Continent. A business deal involving Divine-Given Seeds from the Cloud Trace Continent awaited there. White Ivy and Melde came from the same community. Only two years younger than Melde, they were close kin, practically siblings who had grown up together. How could the difference between them be so vast? Melde was shrewd and composed, speaking and acting without haste, meticulously accounting for every transaction. It had earned the trust of many powerful clans and Insect Kings and currently held the fixed trading rights for as many as 12 Divine-Given Seeds. White Ivy, in contrast, had a flighty, carefree personality and never seemed to handle anything well. Ten years ago, lacking the resources to advance to Mountain Lord, it had relied entirely on Melde’s help. It also liked to tinker with all sorts of strange new things. Five years ago, it was on the brink of bankruptcy and only stabilized thanks to Melde’s assistance once more. Clearly, it hadn’t learned any lessons from its past failures.

"Spider King Spurge..." White Ivy pleaded again.

Spider King Spurge sighed and explained, "We have already entered the territory of the Youlian Kingdom. We will set out at Dawn tomorrow and arrive at Youlian Mountain on time. According to our agreement, the Caravan must stay there for three days to trade with the various Bee Kings and Ant Kings who pledge allegiance to Bee King Lotus. Whether we arrive early or late, we must stay for three days."

"White Ivy, this isn’t your first time in the Youlian Kingdom; you should be well aware of its riches. Rest early, replenish your spirit, and try to win over a few Ant Kings or Bee Kings. Establish stable trading relationships and expand your own Insect Vein connections."

"Oh—" White Ivy Mountain Lord muttered, "We’ve only just reached the territory of the Youlian Kingdom? This is so slow..." It grumbled as it returned to the formation.

Hearing this, Spider King Spurge was so annoyed it stomped its feet. The Caravan has come this far, and it’s not even aware? What in the world is it so muddled about?