Ink Orchid always managed to bring surprise without warning, but this time, the surprise was so big it bordered on shocking.

Under the Quandong Divine Tree, Ink Orchid practiced again three more times.

The first time, while running, its figure suddenly accelerated.

This was a simple, commonplace wind system acceleration ability it had comprehended itself at Evolution Age Period 4.

The second time, while running, its figure sped up, fast as lightning.

This was stacked with the mobility-assist ability granted by "Zhifeng Grass Fruit."

The third time, it first used the Flower Mantis Tribe's talent ability, its carapace changing color, blending into the darkness, utterly silent, instantly shifting forty or fifty meters.

Combining all three abilities together resulted in "Youlian Step."

All the insects, savoring the demonstration, praised in unison: Ink Orchid is simply too clever!

"Quandong Divine Tree, what do you think?" Ink Orchid raised its front legs high, beaming with pride.

Dragon Cypress asked calmly, "Quandong Divine Tree, what's your opinion?"

The Quandong Divine Tree fell silent, for a long, long moment, then slowly said: "The ability granted by Zhifeng Grass Fruit is impressive!"

…

…

…

Everyone went on diligently honing their abilities.

Recently, Ghost Fan accelerated its use of Origin Force Food and, following Ink Orchid, entered the Knowledge Hall to slumber and evolve.

Ghost Fan had evolved to Mountain Lord Level seven years before Ink Orchid, so its Age Period Evolution interval was longer; it woke up in just five days.

The usual custom,

White Willow went out to hunt.

Dragon Cypress simmered soup lakeside, directed Worker Ants to cut and prepare a feast, eating and celebrating together.

After Ghost Fan ate some Ant Honey to regain energy, it stood up and strode quickly to the shallow beach where the mountain stream flowed into the lake, probing the water with its tentacles and stirring the gravel.

The insects all followed to watch.

——Ghost Fan Mountain Lord?

——What are you doing?

——Are you searching for metal gravel?

——Have you awakened a new ability?

——Is this considered a new ability?

...

Ghost Fan: "..."

Ghost Fan lifted its head, withdrew its tentacles, curved them in front of its eyes, raised its forelegs to gesture, showing black bits of gravel stuck to its tentacles.

Ghost Fan: "I'm collecting metal."

Yellow Stem asked again, "Ghost Fan Mountain Lord, awakened a new ability?"

Ghost Fan: "Yes!"

With that, it manipulated the few metal gravel bits it'd gathered into a compact black orb.

Origin Force Energy pulsed around Ghost Fan, the black orb slowly stretched into a slender metal filament.

Ghost Fan explained, "This is the most common metal solidification ability."

Ink Orchid, seeing this, was stunned for a moment, then leapt up cheering, "That's great! Ghost Fan, now we can make metal cans ourselves!"

White Rice chimed in, "Ghost Fan uses metal ability to make the outer shell; Areca spins silk to weave the interlayer, and I use earth-stone ability to make the inner wall. If we work together, we can make metal cans for sealing Origin Force Ant Honey!"

Hearing this discussion, Dragon Cypress hurried over.

Ink Orchid immediately pulled Dragon Cypress over, saying, "Ghost Fan has awakened 'metal solidification.' We in the Cloud Trace Continent can make our own metal cans now!"

"Excellent!"

Dragon Cypress cheered, then, after a pause, said excitedly, "This is wonderful!"

Dragon Cypress: "Ghost Fan, White Rice, you two can work together to produce them!"

White Rice: "That's what I was thinking too. Make more, for our own use."

Dragon Cypress: "Right! Yellow Stem and I can pony up the Source Stones for purchase!"

Dragon Cypress: "We need stackable, square cans, make them big: 65cm long, 50cm wide, 55cm high, with an inner mouth diameter of 4cm; saves Ant King Jelly."

Yellow Stem and Spruce instantly understood.

The sizes Dragon Cypress reported exactly matched the box racks used to cold store Origin Force Food in Huagi Mountain Treasury.

In the future, Huagi Mountain would be stockpiling tens of millions, hundreds of millions, or even billions of Source Stones worth of high-quality Origin Force Ant Honey.

By making the cans extra-large and rectangular for neat stacking, the treasury's space could be used to the maximum.

Yellow Stem got excited at once, volunteering, "We at Huagi Mountain are willing to buy these cans with Source Stones. White Rice, Ghost Fan, can you make a few trial ones first…"

While speaking, Yellow Stem turned to Dragon Cypress, saying, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, we'll trouble you with this. Organize everyone to manufacture, and once the items are done, tell me how many Source Stones it costs. I'll buy!"

"That's my idea too…"

Dragon Cypress looked at the metal wire Ghost Fan was twining around its claw tip, then turned to view the muddy water at the lakeside shallows, saying, "The hardest part is gathering the metal gravel."

White Rice had already earned quite a few Source Stones helping Dragon Cypress; now totally enthusiastic about making money from work, braced and full of spirit, it too stuck its tentacles into the water, activated earth system abilities, and churned the silt, muddying a wide stretch.

White Rice: "Ghost Fan, like this?"

"…Let me try."

Ghost Fan reached tentacles into the water, sweeping them back and forth, then lifted them out, black gravel and a few specks of gold sand clinging to them.

Ghost Fan: "Metal is heavier than water and mud; it sinks first, to the bottom. So it's not just about random stirring…"

Ghost Fan pondered a couple seconds, then suggested, "White Rice, you churn up the silt and spread it out, then slowly shift it to the side in the water; the metal gravel will settle first and collect in a particular area."

"Okay!"

White Rice quickly agreed, again plunging its tentacles into the water, earth abilities agitating the mud, shifting it slowly toward deeper water before dumping it away.

Ghost Fan shuffled over, stretched in its tentacles, searched the bottom, and scooped out lots of black gravel and a few more pieces of gold sand.

Ghost Fan: "Inherited memory tells me the black is called iron sand. The gold is gold sand—gold, a very stable shiny metal, perfect for decorating cans with inlaid patterns."

Yellow Stem compared the iron sand and gold sand Ghost Fan had collected, and asked, "Gold must be hard to gather, right?"

Ghost Fan: "Yes. At Ghost Fan Mountain, I'd often wash river channels for metal gravel but rarely found gold sand. Huagi Mountain's channels contain a bit more gold sand."

Yellow Stem: "You and White Rice could pan together in Huagi Mountain's rivers, right?"

"Seems… it's not that simple…"

Dragon Cypress swept the shallows with spiritual power, shook its tentacles, and said, "No, the concentration is too low. Let's skip the fancy stuff."

Ghost Fan: "..."

Dragon Cypress: "We'll discuss the metal cans later. Let's feast! Time to enjoy good food."

...

High summer was about to pass.

What if White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen slumber and evolve this autumn?

Rest for a day during daylight.

At twilight, Dragon Cypress began transferring everyone to the Desolation Plains.

The Giant Cypress Organization mobilized its Specialized Blue Soldier Legion to coordinate with Ghost Fan's team for live-combat simulation drills.

Dragon Cypress acted alone, making a final careful inspection of the mountains between the Desolation Plains and Purple Tung Insect Nation, plotting the marching route, digging tunnels along the way, and sending the supply Source Stones ahead to resupply points.

With summer's end approaching, and busy day and night, Origin Force Food stored in Huagi Mountain Treasury was delivered to various Origin Force Points.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid hunkered down on a hilltop twenty kilometers from the Purple Tung Insect Nation, anxiously waiting.

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