Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid weren't foolish enough to just stand guard at the Purple Tung Insect Nation the entire time.

At night they would return to the Desolation Plains: either to attend training, or to hunt in the mountains and forests. At daybreak, they'd go to a mountain near the Purple Tung Insect Nation, find a shady spot to hide and sleep.

Day after day passed by.

Suddenly, after a chilly night with cold winds and rain, the blazing sunlight of early autumn came to an end.

The long, continuous drizzles grew colder by the day, the mountains were covered with Snakebark Maple and Yellow Leaf, the sky was high and clouds light—bleak late autumn.

Suddenly there came several days of howling gales again, and with the leaves falling, late autumn had arrived.

Time trickled on, yet still there was no sign of any movement from the Purple Tung Insect Nation.

Dragon Cypress's taut nerves slowly began to relax day by day.

From the north, unceasing cold wind, one rainfall after another.

Snow began to accumulate on the mountaintops.

The temperature turned cold, and winter had arrived.

No Insect from the north would choose to undergo evolution in the cold winter.

Now Dragon Cypress was completely at ease, though still not daring to be careless. As always, he waited patiently, until the snow began to fall...

Absolutely no Insect would undergo evolution during the ice-covered, snow-laden depths of winter; this was a law of nature, part of the Insect Clan's instinct. Lord-Level Life had not yet reached the stage where they could completely change their nature.

The Giant-Headed Ants feared the cold, the Ant Army's training was paused, and the colony withdrew deep into the Ant Nest to survive the winter.

The tense, battle-ready Insect Clan Warriors finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone now had another year to prepare.

Winter allowed for a forty-day mid-season rest period.

Mountain Persimmon chattered daily about its persimmons, and Dragon Cypress sent it back to Silver Cypress Mountain.

He sent Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple back to Kiwifruit Mountain, sent White Rice and Black Rice back to White Rice Mountain. For the past few months, their territories had been left empty, so it was a chance for them to go back and tend the place.

White Willow's territory had also been left empty, but since it wasn't good at managing it, Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid made a trip to help tidy things up. On the way, they also checked all the other Lands of Origin Force to make sure nothing was wrong.

...

The White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen were used to undergoing evolution in the autumn. However, there was still the possibility that they could go against their usual practice and choose to evolve in the spring or summer.

After a short round of rest and resupply, Dragon Cypress hastily summoned the scattered Insects back from all over and reconvened them at the Desolation Plains, assembling to await orders.

The weather warmed up a little, so Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid kept watch at the mountains near the Purple Tung Insect Nation during the day.

Time spun on—ice and snow melted—ushering in another new spring.

The ant colony emerged from the nest, resuming their battle formation drills.

Ghost Fan and the elite squad under its command also resumed routine training.

After long-term coordination, everyone had reached a perfect understanding: their movements synchronized, their formations shifting at will.

...

Early summer.

White Rice, Black Rice, Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, and Cypress all seized their opportunities, each in turn completing a slumber evolution.

The core battle force's age period evolution met expectations across the board.

Ink Orchid and Ghost Fan achieved the highest degree of evolution, reaching age period 4, Mountain Lord Level.

White Rice was next, an age period 3 Mountain Lord.

The rest of the participating warriors and Command Ants were all age period 2 Mountain Lords.

The Expeditionary Army had completed all preparations and was ready to engage at any time.

...

End of Summer.

The number of Mountain Lord Level Specialized Soldier Ants and Large Soldier Ants reached 1,350; the entire Fourth Legion was now complete.

The Soldier Ants were carnivorous.

Food had always been a major problem.

Dragon Cypress, together with Ink Orchid, stood watch every day from dawn, then roamed the forests at dusk to hunt, only returning to the Desolation Plains late into the night to train the Ant Army.

Every so often they had to dedicate a whole day to a long-range hunting expedition.

...

The red sun hung high.

The autumn wind blew with killing intent.

Twenty kilometers west of the Purple Tung Insect Nation, beneath a big pine on an unremarkable hilltop, on the Dominating Throne, Ink Orchid lay flat on its back, all six legs in the air, half-asleep and half-awake, when it suddenly jerked awake, flapping its wings and tumbling off the seat.

"Dragon Cypress!"

"Dragon Cypress!"

"Dragon Cypress!"

Ink Orchid leapt up, jumped back onto the Throne, beat its wings and shouted, "Stop sleeping! Wake up! War's started!"

Dragon Cypress startled awake, confused for half a second, but then his entire ant self snapped into crystal-clear awareness, sharply focusing his perception.

Ink Orchid folded its wings, waited two seconds, then said with certainty, "It's the Origin Force fluctuation from slumber evolution! I know it well—there's no mistake!"

Ink Orchid's perceptions had never been wrong before!

Dragon Cypress didn't hesitate further, controlling the Dominating Throne to take flight, skimming low over the forest, moving slowly and stealthily.

He raised a Hydrology Shield to envelop the Throne, masking any Origin Force fluctuations from flying.

No mistakes could be made at this crucial moment.

Cautiously he approached the edge of the Land of Origin Force, docked the Throne, then slipped in on foot, arriving at the prearranged mountain where the army was gathered.

Up close, Dragon Cypress could now clearly sense, at the center of the Land of Origin Force, regular pulses of Origin Force fluctuations.

And there were two: rising and falling together, in alternating waves, calmly absorbing Natural Primordial Force.

No mistake!

It can't be wrong!

It was the White Poplar Ant King and the Red Phellodendron Ant Queen undergoing synchronous slumber evolution.

Soul-Setting Ability deployed, sweeping the surroundings.

Confirming no other Insect nearby.

"Ink Orchid, carry out the plan! You stay here and go into hiding, wait for my signal."

"Alright!"

"Whatever happens, do not act rashly. If you spot any other Insect Clan Warriors or a patrolling termite squad, carefully avoid them. Do not show yourself."

"Got it!"

"Good. Just wait here."

After giving repeated instructions, Dragon Cypress returned to the Dominating Throne, took off quietly, distanced himself from the Land of Origin Force, and flew straight back to the Desolation Plains.

...

It was mid-afternoon.

One after another, everyone woke up, gathering around a large iron pot, chatting and eating. When they saw Dragon Cypress return during the day, they all jumped up at once.

The Dominating Throne drew near; seeing that Ink Orchid was absent from the seat, they instantly knew—the time for battle had arrived.

Dragon Cypress gathered his spiritual power, "It's started!"

Dragon Cypress: "Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, Cypress, arrange for the Ant Army to eat, fill up, and line up on standby."

"Yes!"

Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, and Cypress answered crisply, and returned to the nest to organize the troops.

Dragon Cypress relaxed his spiritual awareness and said to the group, "No rush, eat your fill before we set out."

—We're full!

—Stop eating now!

—Let's head out quickly!

—My thunder is all charged up, I'm ready to strike down ten thousand of them!

—Snakebark Maple, quiet down!

Mountain Lord Level Insect Clan Warriors who'd consumed Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed could eat once and be full for ten days to half a month.

Dragon Cypress didn't stand on ceremony either: loaded up Ghost Fan, Mountain Persimmon, Spruce, and White Rice, and set off at speed.

Purple Tung Insect Nation—rendezvous with Ink Orchid.

Spruce had also eaten Soul-Setting Fruit and possessed the Soul-Setting Ability. Together with Ink Orchid, they took turns casting their ability, sensing the area within four kilometers, always on alert.

Dragon Cypress immediately returned to the Desolation Plains.

On the second run, he transported Mulberry, Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, and Black Rice to the Purple Tung Insect Nation, regrouping with the team to lie in wait.

Returning along the planned path of advance, each time he reached a supply point, he landed to release pheromones, leaving trail markers.

Then headed back to the Desolation Plains once more.

The Dominating Throne now carried Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, Cypress, and White Willow.

Dragon Cypress perched on the top of the throne's back, waved his tentacles, and issued orders.

The 4th Soldier Ant Legion departed first, running along the pheromone-scented path.

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Blue Soldier Legions departed one after another.

The great army stretched out gradually, snaking over five or six kilometers of mountains and valleys.

Dragon Cypress commanded the Dominating Throne to accelerate, flying at the very front of the formation, giving the order: accelerate!

The ranks surged forward, running at full speed.

Every three kilometers was set as a resupply point; passing ants would swallow an Origin Stone, dip their tentacles, and take a bite of Ant Honey.

Replenishing Origin Force, they continued to run.

Under Dragon Cypress's control, the Ant Army advanced swiftly in perfect order.

The ground march covered over 400 kilometers, reaching their destination late at night.

The Ant Army filled the entire mountain, forming ranks for rest and recovery of Origin Force.

Dragon Cypress simulated the Purple Tung Insect Nation's terrain with an Ice Disc, and gathered Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, Cypress, Ghost Fan, Spruce, White Rice, and the rest of the backbone for a council of war.

"White Willow, fly higher, recon from above first, and confirm if our map has any errors."

"Alright—"

White Willow soared straight up, vanishing into the darkness in the blink of an eye.

Soon it returned.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, there's nothing wrong with the map overall, only a lot of small detail errors…"

Dragon Cypress gestured with his tentacles, outlining the path of advance, and asked, "White Willow, point out which of these issues might affect our march or the battle."

White Willow thought for a bit, staring at the ice disc map, then raised a claw. "The west slope of this mountain range is steep—not suitable for marching."

"Good!"

"That's a problem, but not a real hindrance."

Dragon Cypress manipulated the ice disc's depiction of mountain slopes, using his tentacles to slightly correct the route.

White Willow then pointed to the center of the ice disc and said, "I found that every Origin Force Plant is surrounded by a stone wall around five meters high, but your map doesn't mark this…"

Dragon Cypress asked, "Walls?"

White Willow: "Yes. Under each Life Seed Plant there's a big encircling wall—pretty wide—and there are termite soldiers guarding the top of the walls."

Dragon Cypress: "Oh!"

Dragon Cypress: "What's the approximate diameter?"

White Willow: "..."

White Willow: "They're not all the same—it depends on the size of the Life Seed Plant."

Dragon Cypress: "So the wall is close up against the Life Seed Plant? Or just fairly close?"

White Willow: "Yes."

Dragon Cypress: "Tall walls hinder ventilation and hinder Life Seed Plant growth. Looks like White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen really did take precautions. They must have built them just before entering slumber evolution. With Earth System abilities, it'll be easy to remove the walls after they finish evolving…"

While analyzing, Dragon Cypress added walls to the Life Seed Plants on the ice disc. "Anything else, White Willow?"

White Willow: "No more terrain issues, but..."

Dragon Cypress: "What about troop distribution?"

White Willow: "Of the 10 Assistant Kings, I've seen 6, but they're too far away to tell if they're Lord-Level or Mountain Lord."

Dragon Cypress: "What about Soldier Ants and Worker Ants? How many Soldier Ants are hidden inside and outside the wall around each Life Seed Plant?"

White Willow: "Inside the wall, can't see clearly due to the branches blocking the view."

White Willow: "Outside the walls... around the Royal Palace there are about a thousand Soldier Ants standing guard. There are two large gardens planted with Life Seed Plants, and I could vaguely make out patrols moving, so I estimate about a thousand Soldier Ants guarding each. There are also a lot of Workers, five per team, patrolling in shifts—quite a lot of them."

White Willow: "As for satellite nests, I didn't see any termite activity—probably because it's nighttime and they're all sleeping."

This was very detailed!

Dragon Cypress praised, "White Willow, you did great. The situation is pretty much as we predicted. But we can't let our guard down—go out again, and focus on checking all the satellite nests."

Dragon Cypress: "My suspicion is that all Soldier Ants usually stationed at the satellite nests have been pulled back to the Royal Palace to guard the Ant King and Ant Queen during evolution."

White Willow: "Highly likely! I think there are surely lots more Soldier Ants hidden inside the Royal Palace."

Ink Orchid raised a claw, "Should I sneak up close and check Split-Nest 1 and 2?"

"No! Be careful not to alert them."

Dragon Cypress shook his tentacles in denial, tapping the ice disc map with his front foot, "White Willow, keep scouting from altitude, circle around twice more, and see if there's anything else that could affect our march or the battle plans."

"Alright!"

White Willow soared straight up again.

Dragon Cypress summoned Ghost Fan, Spruce, Ink Orchid, Spiked Cypress, Giant Cypress, and Cypress to explain the movement route and battle plans to them again.

Almost done briefing when—

White Willow returned once more.

No major issues with the terrain map.

No change in Soldier Ant deployments.

Still no activity spotted at satellite nests.

Dragon Cypress: scout again!

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