The time is the end of summer.

Dragon Cypress made a trip to Black Lotus Lake, brought Black Cory over to Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, then returned to Xianglan Mountain with Ink Orchid, packed up, and set out to begin this autumn's roving trade business.

The fixed, unchanging route: Scarletlight Mountain—Jianlan Plain—White Rice Mountain—Ghost Fan Mountain—Scarletlight Mountain

Trading complete.

Setting out from Scarletlight Mountain, heading due north, then searching around Cold Orchid Mountain, then further north, crossing the towering mountain range to arrive at Kiwifruit Mountain.

Sunset at twilight.

Ink Orchid detached from the Dominating Throne, arriving first at the Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple territory.

The two weren't in the cave, nor in their territory.

Flying low and swift, searching both up and down the mountain, but found no trace.

—Where did they run off to?

Ink Orchid soared high into the sky, circling, straining to release origin force fluctuations.

In the distance, the Dominating Throne slowly rolled into the Land of Origin Force.

Ink Orchid flew up to meet it, circling above Dragon Cypress's head.

"Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple aren't in their territory."

"Then they're definitely in the forest looking for Divine-Given Seeds."

"It's getting dark."

"Ink Orchid, don't worry. They're both intermediate warriors, they'll be fine."

Dragon Cypress tapped the door panel with his forelegs, signaling Ink Orchid to land.

"They really shouldn't be running around."

"Didn't you run all over as a kid too? You went much farther than them."

"That's different…"

Ink Orchid suddenly accelerated and flew off.

Dragon Cypress stirred his thoughts, and the Dominating Throne slowly lowered, unhurried, landing before Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple's home cave.

He'd calculated the time—the two Green-Red Kiwifruit Life Seeds, a mere twenty lonely fruits, were about to reach ripeness.

One of them was already giving off a faint fruity aroma.

Dragon Cypress grew puzzled as well.

This was Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple's Life Seed Plant's first yield—their first bounty of insect life, meager as it was, but of great significance nonetheless.

Moreover, everyone was eagerly waiting to confirm the strengthening effect of this "Green-Red Kiwifruit"—a wild variant.

At such a crucial moment, the two actually weren't guarding their Life Seeds at home.

No wonder Ink Orchid was anxious.

—Those two are clever; mostly likely, he thought, timing the fruit's ripening, they went out to search for a Divine-Given Seed.

Dragon Cypress mused silently, using his spiritual power to scan the home cave.

They'd gathered regular Green-Red Kiwifruit, stripped out the seeds, and spread them atop a stone slab.

There were also piles of unprocessed kiwifruits heaped in a corner of the cave, already rotting.

Two metal cans used for storing Origin Force Ant Honey, their lids separated and casually tossed aside on the ground.

Uneaten dead branches and leaves, wood chips, fresh fruit seeds and peels, and so on, all scattered messily everywhere, not cleaned up at all.

Filthy, chaotic, a mess.

The rotting, musty smell could be sniffed from afar.

—Those two little beetles are so lazy.

—Ink Orchid and Mulberry have spoiled them rotten.

Dragon Cypress looked on, feeling quite displeased, laid down a wooden plank, and waved his antennae to issue commands.

Inside the Stump Ant Nest, the attendant worker ants lined up and set off, entering the cave to clean up.

He also directed a medium-sized worker ant to climb up the cliff along the Green-Red Kiwifruit Life Seed's vines, picking the kiwifruit that was exuding that fruity aroma.

The fruit was just entering its ripening stage, still hard as a rock, needing a few more days to soften, but the breath of primordial energy was already very obvious.

It was quite similar to the Purple Kiwifruit!

Kiwifruit is a great vine wood, widely distributed, and comes in many varieties.

In terms of enhancement type, they fall into three main categories:

First, elemental system enhancement, mainly in thunder, wood, and earth.

Second, perception enhancement, targeting the tentacles, improving their sensitivity to scent, vibration, and origin force fluctuations.

Third, physique enhancement, primarily through the blood.

The strengthening effect of the Purple Kiwifruit falls in the third category—specifically, it enhances the blood's ability to carry origin force.

After Insect Clan Warriors eat origin force food, it is circulated by the blood, conveying primordial energy throughout the body; also, when Insect Clan Warriors breathe through their spiracles and absorb origin force from nature, it is also integrated into the blood and flows throughout the body.

The effect of the Purple Kiwifruit brings several benefits, the most important being: one, it raises the efficiency and digestion rate of origin force food; two, during the Insect Clan's slumber evolution, they need to absorb large amounts of origin force from nature—strengthening the blood's capacity for transporting origin force shortens this required period, thus reducing slumber time and increasing the chance of successful evolution.

The Purple Kiwifruit is the most representative variety of the kiwifruit family.

"The strengthening effect of the Green-Red Kiwifruit is also in the blood…"

"Feels like…not a dud…"

Dragon Cypress turned the kiwifruit over and over in his hand, examining it before biting off a chunk.

Hiss~

Sour!

Dragon Cypress opened his jaws wide, shuddering all over from the sourness, but forced himself to swallow the mouthful of pulp.

Threads of primordial energy fused into his blood, coursed along with it, and then faded away inside.

Dragon Cypress made a definite judgment: the strengthening effect of the Green-Red Kiwifruit was indeed in the blood, specifically, enhancing blood vitality.

"Dragon Cypress—"

Having searched around the forest in vain, Ink Orchid flew back, spotting the half kiwifruit held in Dragon Cypress's claws.

"Is the fruit ripe?"

"It's ripe. Delicious."

"What's the strengthening effect?"

"Try it yourself."

Dragon Cypress kindly offered it to Ink Orchid's mouth.

Ink Orchid swallowed a mouthful, chewed, then bent over and spat it out, bursting into a furious fit, spreading her wings and pummeling Dragon Cypress's head.

"Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple are missing!"

"Who's in the mood to joke with you~"

"Go find them!"

"Go find them!"

"Go find them…"

Ink Orchid is a bug with no sense of humor and can't take a joke.

If it were Grass Dragon, he'd definitely choke it down, praise it for being delicious, then pick an even sourer one to trick Lupine into eating.

Lupine would happily eat it, shout that it was wonderful, then pick one to trick Melde, after which Lupine would get a good beating from Melde…

"Stop!" Dragon Cypress shouted loudly, seriously saying, "I nearly died from the sour too…All right, it's almost dark, let's circle the nearby hills."

"Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple are really ungrateful, their home cave reeks, and they don't even clean up."

Ink Orchid swept with her spiritual power and noticed too, complaining, "Two lazy bugs…"

Just as they spoke, she suddenly looked up.

Blue Catalpa fluttered his wings, gliding down from the ridge, and had barely landed before he called out eagerly.

"Dragon Cypress Ant King!"

"Ink Orchid!"

Ink Orchid pointed at the cave and demanded, "How long has it been since you two cleaned up in there? Where's Snakebark Maple?"

"Uh—"

"We've just been really busy."

"Snakebark Maple's busy too."

Blue Catalpa landed atop the Stump Ant Nest, waving his antennae energetically. "Snakebark Maple and I discovered a Divine-Given Seed! We've been guarding it the whole time."

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid, who had been gearing up to give them a thorough scolding, both leaped up at once.

"A Divine-Given Seed?"

"Yes!"

"What kind of Divine-Given Seed? From what plant? Is the seed not mature yet?"

"Green-Red Kiwifruit. About ten days ago, wild fruit ripened on the mountain—while we were gathering and searching, we discovered it. It was a late find, didn't develop well, but we did lots of rescue, and have been guarding it since…"

"Where?" Dragon Cypress leapt onto the throne.

"That way." Blue Catalpa lifted his foreleg, pointing the direction.

"Hurry! Let's go look!" Ink Orchid beat her wings and shot ahead, taking the lead.

Dragon Cypress piloted the Dominating Throne into the air, following Blue Catalpa's guidance, and soon reached the spot.

A slope blanketed with rampant Green-Red Kiwifruit.

A large Green-Red Kiwifruit vine, covering forty or fifty meters, with all its fruit already picked, leaving only a single misshapen fruit on a side branch.

Snakebark Maple stood guard by the fruit, holding a spider silk bag.

"That's it!"

"It's absolutely a Divine-Given Seed."

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were all too familiar; one sweep with spiritual power was all it took to recognize it.

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