North of the hill at the entrance of the Starship Wreckage, on the middle to lower slopes of a two to three-hundred-meter-high peak.

Dragon Cypress stood before a cliff, gazing at the tiny entrance to an Ant Nest. He then looked at a nearby nanmu tree, now smothered by vines—a tree he had killed years ago. A flood of emotions washed over him.

"Back when I first set foot on Cloud Trace Continent, I established my first Ant Nest here and lived alone for a year. At that time, I was just a Primary-Level Ant King, only about four centimeters long…"

"Great King, you're impressive!" Spiked Cypress, still smarting from the blows, quickly offered a compliment.

SMACK! SMACK!

Dragon Cypress flicked his Tentacles, delivering two more lashes to Spiked Cypress's forehead.

Impressive? I merely scraped by, living in constant fear for a year, that's all.

Wouldn't it be better to just listen to the story quietly?

Suddenly, Dragon Cypress lost interest in continuing. He pointed with a Tentacle and said, "Let's establish a branch nest right here. The entrance will directly face the Starship Wreckage's exit, high above—an excellent position for battle. For future hunts northward, this branch nest will serve as our central staging point. Giant Cypress, you will lead some Soldier Ants and Blue Ants to garrison this location. Spiked Cypress, you will lead other Soldier Ants to radiate outwards, hunt for food, and then bring it back here for centralized processing."

Giant Cypress said, "Understood, Great King."

Spiked Cypress instinctively wanted to ask a question, but after a moment of careful thought, he echoed, "...Understood."

Seeing Giant Cypress's somewhat worried expression, Dragon Cypress explained, "Giant Cypress, you and Spiked Cypress are about to evolve to High Level. The Kingdom's Soldier Ants have also reached a considerable number, so there's no need to be overly fearful. From the Ten Thousand Nations Continent, those strong enough to overpower us can't cross over. Those who *can* slip through the crevices of the Starship are High-Level at best, and they wouldn't necessarily be able to defeat us."

Understood!

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress bobbed their Tentacles in understanding.

Dragon Cypress scanned the area with his spiritual power and discovered a nest of ordinary Patterned Fierce Ants nearby. His mind raced for a moment before he added, "If you encounter Patterned Fierce Ants... it's best to avoid conflict. Observe their reaction first. If they initiate an attack, you may retaliate. If they don't attack, do *not* provoke them. Inform me immediately, and I will handle the situation."

Dragon Cypress pointed to the nearby nest of ordinary Patterned Fierce Ants. "Those are Patterned Fierce Ants," he said. "Make sure you can identify them clearly."

Spiked Cypress asked, "Great King, is it because the neighboring Lychee Ant King is from the Patterned Fierce Ant Tribe? Could it send its own kin, its younger generation, over to our territory?"

Dragon Cypress affirmed, "Exactly—"

He paused, then continued, "Over the past ten-plus years, I've traded with Melde and the Seven-Leaf Caravan annually. The other caravans aren't blind; surely they've noticed? The Lychee Ant King isn't blind either; surely it has paid attention? Yet, our Xianglan Mountain has remained safe all this time. Why is that?"

Dragon Cypress began his analysis. "The first possibility is that Spider King Spurge or the Aconite Spider King might have given the Lychee Ant King a heads-up. If they had, they would surely have informed me, but Melde and Seven-Leaf have never mentioned anything of the sort. So, we can basically rule that out.

"The second possibility is that the Lychee Ant King is a Patterned Fierce Ant with a less aggressive disposition. This, however, contradicts the inherent nature of the Fierce Ant Tribe.

"The third possibility is that the Lychee Ant King sees me and Ink Orchid as weak and beneath its notice. This is the most likely scenario... If so, we have no reason to deliberately provoke a Lord-Level Ant King. That would be suicide."

"Oh—"

"Got it—"

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress bobbed their Tentacles, feeling uneasy.

Dragon Cypress twitched his Tentacles and issued a series of commands. "Blue Ants, rest where you are! Worker Ants, excavate the Ant Nest! Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress, lead the Soldier Ants north to hunt! You must return before sunset!"

The vast Ant Army began to move.

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress led 400 Specialized Soldier Ants and 400 Large Soldier Ants. The hunting party was organized meticulously: five Specialized Soldier Ants and five Large Soldier Ants formed a group. Five such groups formed a team. Sixteen of these teams then lined up in a row, sweeping across the landscape.

By evening, they marched back in formation, laden with their prey. Their haul included frogs, toads, snakes, pythons, rabbits, and rats, as well as the mangled remains of larger animals like wild boars and elk.

Dragon Cypress twitched his Tentacles, directing the Worker Ants to come forward, cut up the food, and hand it over to the Blue Ants for Refinement.

"Great King, this mountainous area is so rich in food!"

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress were jubilant. This single expedition had easily secured enough food to last the entire Kingdom for ten days. This also meant their future work would be relatively easy.

Dragon Cypress calmly instructed, "A hunt might only take a day or two, but the animals we kill require a year, sometimes two, to mature. If a region's ecological balance is disrupted, it can take several years to recover. When you hunt, it's best not to exterminate everything. Leave some behind, so they can reproduce and thrive."

Giant Cypress replied, "Understood!"

Spiked Cypress chimed in, "Great King, I understand!"

Dragon Cypress waved his Tentacles and said, "There are many nanmu trees on this mountain, all of them Red-Hair Mountain Nanmu. Let's name it 'Rednan Mountain.'"

Dragon Cypress lifted a foreleg and pointed to the Ant Nest currently under excavation. "This," he declared, "will be called the 'Rednan Mountain Ant Nest.' It will be the Kingdom's most important branch nest."

Dragon Cypress instructed, "Eat and rest. Tomorrow morning, you two will continue to lead the Ant Army northward to hunt. Pay close attention to the terrain, familiarize yourselves with the environment, and meticulously plan your marching routes."

"Okay!"

"Understood!"

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress replied.

They rested in the woodland overnight.

「The next day,」

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress led the Specialized Soldier Ants, continuing their hunt northward.

Meanwhile, Dragon Cypress remained at Rednan Mountain, directing the Worker Ants and Soldier Ants to excavate tunnels deeper into the mountainside.

The construction of such an outpost nest, constantly vulnerable to enemy attack, followed specific principles. A primary tunnel snaked its way into the mountain's interior. About four to five meters from the Ant Nest's entrance, three main passages branched off: one to the left, another to the right, and a third leading downwards.

Normally, the garrisoned Soldier Ants would remain inside the Ant Nest, distributed across these four sections. Should an invasion occur, the attacking ants, unfamiliar with the nest's internal layout and the defenders' deployment, would certainly not dare to split their forces. Without precise orders from a Command Ant, they would most likely charge forward instinctively or rush into the first intersecting tunnel they encountered. Regardless of which of the initial one or two main tunnels they chose, they would be intercepted and surrounded by Soldier Ants emerging from the other tunnels.

This was a specialized nest construction strategy unique to the Ant Clan, documented in the legacy of the Natural God. That was the basic concept. The internal structure, however, was far more intricate, with additional tunnels connecting the four main sections. The construction was always adapted flexibly to the specific geological conditions and terrain. Any Ant Clan that attacked without knowing the nest's layout would inevitably suffer a disadvantage if they rashly entered.

After five full days of work, the Rednan Mountain Ant Nest was essentially complete.

While the nest was being built, Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress led the Specialized Soldier Ants on sweeping hunts. They gathered enough food to fill the abdomens of one hundred Specialized Blue Ants, securing a two-month supply for the Kingdom.

Dragon Cypress returned to Xianglan Mountain. He then used the Dominating Throne to make round trips, transporting the Specialized Blue Ants back.

Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress then led the Ant Army back to Xianglan Mountain.

「They rested and adjusted for a day.」

Dragon Cypress summoned Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress. Once more, they set off, this time marching towards the mountain range to the south.

About forty to fifty kilometers south, they located a suitable peak. Dragon Cypress named it 'Red Banyan Mountain' and ordered the establishment of a branch nest there, to be called the 'Red Banyan Mountain Ant Nest.' This would serve as the Ant Kingdom's staging point for long-distance hunts into the southern regions.

During summer, the Ant Army would be stationed at the Rednan Mountain Ant Nest to conduct sweeping hunts to the north. During autumn, the Ant Army would be stationed at the Red Banyan Mountain Ant Nest to conduct sweeping hunts to the south.

Dragon Cypress estimated that as long as the number of High-Level Specialized Ants remained below five thousand, they would no longer face the problem of food shortages.

If the Ant Kingdom was to continue its development, it would need to expand into even more distant territories and establish permanent garrisons.

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