Seven-Leaf led Natsumi, standing guard behind the hill, at the exit of the Starship Passage.

It was mid-morning.

On Areca's carapace, secured with spider silk rope, was a small spider silk bag, as Areca trotted over.

"Areca!"

Natsumi called out, her voice bright with joy, and asked, "Did you harvest the Divine-Given Southern Gorgon Seeds?"

"Yes." Areca replied, greeting, "Seven-Leaf Lord."

Seven-Leaf inquired, "Did Ink Orchid successfully evolve to the Mountain Lord Level?"

Areca answered, "Successfully reached Mountain Lord Level. The Divine-Given Cuihua Hanlan Seeds bloomed this spring. The Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds and the Divine-Given Northern Gorgon Seeds may have to wait until next year to bloom."

"Oh! Give my regards to Mountain Lord Ink Orchid, along with my warmest congratulations."

While saying this, Seven-Leaf untied the spider silk rope binding the goods on the carapace, took off a petite spider silk bag, and handed it to Areca.

At the same time, Seven-Leaf took away the spider silk bag from Areca's carapace.

Opening it, inside were exactly 100 Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seeds, round and plump, a size larger than those from the High-Level stage.

Seven-Leaf held one up, examined it, and looked quite satisfied, commenting, "Excellent quality! Much better than expected."

Seven-Leaf asked again, "I get an eighty percent share, right? So you should be selling me 1,872 seeds?"

Areca: "The Dragon Cypress Ant King kept some for me, Red Moonseed, and the Command Ant Black Leaf to eat. So, this batch is exactly 2,000 sold, and your share is 1,600. The quantity is too much for one large spider silk bag, and I can't carry it all. Natsumi will come by later to pick up the rest and bring it back on her way."

Areca: "The Dragon Cypress Ant King said, the unit price is 30 Source Stones each."

Seven-Leaf rolled a Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seed between his claws, looked over them carefully, thought for a moment, and cheerfully agreed, "That's a very reasonable offer."

Seven-Leaf: "So the total is 48,000 Source Stones."

Areca: "Yes."

Areca asked, "Seven-Leaf Lord, did you bring anything good over this year?"

Seven-Leaf: "You need Divine-Given Origin Force Food with comprehensive strengthening for Water System Elemental Abilities, right?"

Areca: "Of course!"

Seven-Leaf: "How about Wind and Gold Systems? Do you need those, too?"

Areca: "We need them! Earth, Wood, Fire, and Thunder Systems too! The more the better! For attacking the Termite Kingdom, we need more of these Elemental System Divine-Given Origin Force Foods to enhance combat power."

Seven-Leaf: "Alright! Understood. I'll do my best to find as many as I can for you. Here's a Divine-Given Binmu Seed, take a look…"

...

Seven-Leaf introduced, one by one, the Divine-Given Origin Force Food he brought this year to Areca.

Areca examined each carefully, asking about the price for each.

Natsumi watched from the side, then asked at the right moment, "Areca, did the Dragon Cypress Ant King evolve to Mountain Lord at Age 2 last winter?"

Areca: "Yes."

Natsumi asked, "Then did the Divine-Given Red Cypress Seed successfully germinate?"

Areca: "It was sown at the very beginning of spring, and the Dragon Cypress Ant King arranged the best possible conditions for its growth. The tree is currently a little over two meters tall; it's expected to reach past ten meters this year. The Dragon Cypress Ant King plans to let it begin fruiting in small quantities at twenty meters height, to clarify the blossom-fruit pattern, the blossom-fruit cycle, and the quality of the Divine-Given Red Cypress Seeds, so that Seven-Leaf Lord and Mountain Lord Melde can be at ease."

Natsumi: "Oh!"

Natsumi was pleasantly surprised, but said insincerely, "Actually, we're not in a rush, there's no need for it to fruit so soon."

Seven-Leaf echoed with feigned concern, "Exactly, you can cultivate the tree a couple more years…"

Areca straightforwardly agreed, "Alright. I'll pass your advice to the Dragon Cypress Ant King—let the Divine-Given Red Cypress Seed fruit a couple years later then."

Natsumi: "…Mm."

Seven-Leaf: "…Right."

Areca: "And there is one more tremendous piece of good news, which I think I can tell you."

Seven-Leaf: "What good news?"

Areca: "But then, I worry—will the Dragon Cypress Ant King blame me for it?"

Seven-Leaf: "..."

Seven-Leaf deftly pulled out a spider silk bag, opened it, counted out 10 Divine-Given Sophora Seeds, and tossed them into Areca's spider silk bag.

Areca, unlike Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple who loved to chat, simply said, "Last spring, the Dragon Cypress Ant King and Ink Orchid found another Divine-Given Black Cory Grape Seed in the Cold Orchid Mountain forest. After evolving to Age 2 Mountain Lord, the Dragon Cypress Ant King chose this to be cultivated as a Life Seed."

Areca: "There was also a Divine-Given Bean Seed, which Ink Orchid included and began cultivating in her Life Pouch after evolving to Age 1 Mountain Lord."

"Another Divine-Given Seed? And it's a Great Vine Wood, too!"

Natsumi had long since become numb to such revelations.

Seven-Leaf fell silent for two seconds, then asked gravely, "Areca, is it really that easy for Divine-Given Seeds to appear on Cloud Trace Continent?"

Areca thought earnestly, then said, "I feel that it's much easier than what is described in the Inherited Memory."

Areca finished, then changed topics, "But it's not so easy, either. Only Dragon Cypress Ant King and Ink Orchid have a lot of Divine-Given Seeds. They can wield the Dominating Throne, and search the various Lands of Origin Force. Ink Orchid possesses extremely acute Origin Force perception; anywhere she travels, if a Divine-Given Seed exists, she'll always find it."

Areca: "Most of the Divine-Given Seeds at Xianglan Mountain were discovered by Ink Orchid in the primeval forest. The Dragon Cypress Ant King mobilized the entire ant colony and developed orchards over more than a hundred square kilometers, but up to now, hasn't been able to cultivate a single Divine-Given Seed. The other insects fare even worse. The other Insect Clan Warriors only survived thanks to their luck in obtaining a Divine-Given Seed."

"Oh——"

Seven-Leaf listened, slightly bewildered, then mulled it over and realized what Areca meant, but didn't dwell on it, instead continuing,

"In the future, when the Black Cory Divine-Given Seed bears fruit, are you going to process it into 'Black Cory Bee King Honey' again?"

Areca: "Of course, any Divine-Given Origin Force Food suitable for making Bee King Honey will be processed this way. Dragon Cypress Ant King's plan is for White Ivy Mountain Lord and Grass Dragon to get thirty percent each, Seven-Leaf Lord and Mountain Lord Melde to get ten percent each, with Dragon Cypress Ant King keeping twenty percent for himself…"

Seven-Leaf made no attempt to hide his displeasure, "Once again, White Ivy and Grass Dragon get the lion's share! This division is completely unfriendly. Natsumi, remind the Dragon Cypress Ant King later—suggest that the fruit pulp of the Divine-Given Black Cory Grape be made into Bee King Honey, but the Black Cory seeds be sold to me and Melde."

Areca replied indifferently, "Such a suggestion probably won't be accepted."

Areca: "By collaborating with White Ivy Mountain Lord and Grass Dragon in the Origin Force Honey trade, the Dragon Cypress Ant King makes about 150,000 Source Stones in annual profit."

Seven-Leaf: "Origin Force Honey is always limited by various factors; it can never become a big business."

Areca: "That's why it's even more important to allocate more Divine-Given Origin Force Food to White Ivy Mountain Lord and Grass Dragon, to help them get acquainted with more Lord-Level and King-Level Insect Clan Warriors and sell more Origin Force Honey at 5,000 Source Stones per jar—the profit is much higher."

Seven-Leaf: "..."

...

While Dragon Cypress bulk-purchased Origin Force Food from the Seven-Leaf Caravan, he also sold some ordinary Mountain Lord Level Origin Force Food produced in his own and the Ghost Fan Territory.

Natsumi, heavily loaded, arrived at the Starship Wreckage Cloud Trace Continent end and returned likewise laden, needing to make two trips to complete the transaction.

This year, Melde would also be coming across to the Ten Thousand Nations Continent.

Likewise, the transaction volume between Dragon Cypress and Melde was not small.

...

Estimating the Zeqi Caravan's arrival time, Areca set out early in the morning.

By noon,

Grass Dragon hauled a stone slab wheelcart, rumbling as it hurried over.

Dragon Cypress swept with his spiritual power and discovered two Little Flame Spiders riding on the cart; one was Areca and the other…

With a leg-span a little over a meter, it was likely a mid-level Diaphus Flame Spider Warrior of 7 or 8 Age Periods.

"Dragon Cypress!" Grass Dragon called, surprised and delighted, "Just heard that you found another Black Cory Divine-Given Seed?"

"…Yes."

Dragon Cypress lifted a claw, pointing to the Little Flame Spider that had come along, "And this is…?"

Grass Dragon: "This is Silvergrass, a direct junior of the Wormwood Spider King."

Grass Dragon: "I told you before, I'd been looking to team up with a Flame Spider Warrior to help ferry Origin Force Food to your side, and then transport processed Origin Force Honey back to the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent, with Lupine in charge of sales over there."

Grass Dragon: "Found the partner! It's Silvergrass. The Wormwood Spider King can get Bee King Jelly, supplying three jars stably each year, and some years up to four or even five."

Bee King Jelly is the core of the Origin Force Honey trade.

Dragon Cypress: "Got it!"

Grass Dragon waved his front legs.

Silvergrass stepped forward, gazing timidly at the swarming Worker Ants inside the cave across the gap, "Greetings, Dragon Cypress Ant King!"

"Mm. Hello."

Dragon Cypress replied, thought for a moment, then wiggled his tentacles to give an order.

The Worker Ants behind him opened the spider silk bag containing Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seeds, counted out 20 of them, packed them into a petite spider silk bag, and handed it over.

Dragon Cypress: "Silvergrass, as a small gift for our first meeting. Please give my regards to the Wormwood Spider King, thank it for the trust it has in both Grass Dragon and me, and I also hope our partnership will last until our evolution reaches completion."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.