Huang Qian pressed a golden, metallic, egg-shaped Tree Heart atop his head, held it carefully with both claws, and stepped out of the cave, cautiously climbing the steep mountain path towards the summit.

"Huagi Divine Tree." Spruce whispered a reminder with a lowered wave of Mental Power.

This wild Divine-Given Seed, exceeding even the King-Level, was suspected to possess combat capabilities.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid stood motionless beneath the Dominating Throne, paying silent attention, not daring to breathe loudly.

Huang Qian reached the mountaintop and stopped.

From inside the golden egg-shaped Tree Heart came a Mental Power remarkably similar in tone to Southern Gorgon, "You are the Dragon Cypress Ant King?"

"Dragon Cypress pays respect to the Huagi Divine Tree."

"Your eyes are filled with confusion."

"Yes—"

"Is this the Dominating Throne? An artifact from an outworld Creator Civilization."

"Yes—"

"We can make a little trade."

"Please go on—"

"Let me take a look at the Dominating Throne. In exchange, I will answer one of your questions."

"Agreed—"

"Ask first."

"Why have you not left?"

"Only a clever insect would ask such a question."

Huagi praised, then paused, a trace of melancholy in its tone, and slowly spoke:

"Long ago, a Shield Column, the Shield Grasshopper Tribe's King-Level, at its 9th Age Period, left here. Before departing, it made an agreement with me: I would remain in the Origin Force Star Realm to shelter its tribe's survival and development; Shield Column would go out to see the outworld. If the outworld proved to be a vast and free world, once it gained the power to return, it would come back for me."

Dragon Cypress: "That must have been a long time ago, right…"

Dragon Cypress: "So, how many years have you been waiting?"

Huagi: "That is your second question."

Huagi: "These foolish insects have long since muddled up the Huagi Mountain chronology. Even I do not know how many years have passed."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

The egg-shaped Tree Heart burst with a faint golden halo, detaching from Huang Qian and floating up by itself, landing on the throne's cushion.

The Dominating Throne sensed it, automatically releasing Origin Force and enveloping it.

"Interesting!"

"It even has a function to assist in absorbing Origin Force for evolution."

"But it doesn't seem to distinguish between mine and others'?"

"A truly powerful Outworld Civilization Artifact would always designate a sole host; no other Origin Force Life could use it…"

Huagi praised, muttered, faintly sensing.

Suddenly, the Dominating Throne erupted with violent Origin Force Fluctuations, colossal Origin Force shrouding the egg-shaped Tree Heart, forming a giant Light Cocoon over a meter in length.

Below the throne, Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, Huang Qian, and Spruce all jumped up in fright at the sudden change.

The Huagi Divine Tree's Mental Power was transmitted:

"Marvelous!"

"Every time I awaken, I consume a reserve of energy. If I am awakened too many times, I will have no choice but to root down and be reborn, a cost you must understand."

"Dragon Cypress Ant King, stop instigating Huang Qian to disturb my slumber."

The Dominating Throne rapidly drew in Natural Primordial Force, creating a vacuum within dozens of meters. At the same time, stored Origin Force surged like flooding rivers into the golden Light Cocoon.

The dramatic event lasted about ten minutes; the golden light began to recede.

"The Huagi Divine Tree has slipped back into slumber. Don't startle it…" Huang Qian waved his claw in signal.

Spruce beckoned, leading Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid away. They rushed down the mountain, taking a vantage point atop a massive rock on the ridge to observe.

Soon,

Huang Qian cradled the golden egg-shaped Tree Heart, carefully descending the path, returning to the cave.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid flexed their wings, soared to the summit, and landed at the Dominating Throne to inspect.

Thank goodness.

No damage done.

The Huagi Divine Tree had simply borrowed the auxiliary function of the Dominating Throne to absorb Origin Force, and slipped back into slumber.

Huang Qian soon returned, running up the mountain. "I have inquired with the Huagi Divine Tree about information on the Flame Spider Tribe…"

Huang Qian recounted in one breath the Flame Spider Tribe's sudden disappearance during the Origin Force Silent Period, delighted beyond measure, and said:

"The Huagi Divine Tree has agreed to our plan. We may awaken the Quandong Divine Tree! Let's get prepared quickly."

...

Dragon Cypress, Ink Orchid, Huang Qian, and Spruce discussed and settled on the most time-saving plan.

Huang Qian once again descended to the bottom layer of the treasury, arriving before a golden metal plate carved with a snow cedar tree, infused Origin Force, and activated it.

Following the passage forward, he entered the cave.

The ground was covered with Source Stones.

A black jade pedestal carved into the shape of a pine cone.

Atop sat a golden, egg-shaped Tree Heart.

The Quandong Divine Tree!

Slightly larger than the Tree Heart of the Huagi Divine Tree.

Huang Qian stood at the cave entrance, quietly waiting.

After some time,

The faint golden glow on the Tree Heart's surface faded, and the surrounding Origin Force gathered into the Tree Heart, creating an instant vacuum throughout the cave.

A heavy, long sigh.

"Has Origin Force revived yet?"

"...No."

"How much time has passed?"

"...Unknown."

"How are Huagi and Linnan?"

"...Safe and sound."

"..."

A lengthy silence.

The Quandong Divine Tree asked:

"What is your name?"

"Huang Qian."

"You are somewhat old."

"Fifty-three years old."

Huang Qian could not remember his real age, but, remembering being scolded by the Huagi Divine Tree for that, he simply made up a number.

Quandong: "Your soul fluctuation tells me you are lying."

Huang Qian: "..."

Huang Qian said, a little discouraged, "I've forgotten how old I am."

Quandong: "You are an honest little Shield Grasshopper Warrior~"

Quandong: "Since Origin Force has not yet revived, what are you waking me up for…"

Huang Qian: "Quandong Divine Tree, here is the situation: Now, throughout the Cloud Trace Continent, there are Origin Force Vacuums everywhere, but for some unknown reason, in certain places—such as our Huagi Mountain—Origin Force still exists. There is an Ant King named Dragon Cypress who has obtained an artifact called the 'Dominating Throne' from an outworld civilization…"

...

By the lakeside at the foot of the mountain.

Ink Orchid hunted two elk in the forest, while Dragon Cypress caught fish in the lake.

Round Cypress directed worker ants to carve out an extra-large stone pot on the spot.

This trip, they hadn't brought the Blue Soldiers, so Dragon Cypress personally used the Boiling Ability to heat water.

The ant colony cheered and jumped around the pot; Ink Orchid kept tossing them food.

Long Shield Grasshoppers eat grass, but occasionally, the Long Shield Grasshopper Warriors need meat for nutrition.

It was Spruce's first time seeing this way of eating, and he feasted with delight. The cooked meat dipped in Ant Honey was exceptionally delicious.

At sunset,

Amidst the lively feast, Huang Qian glided down from the mountain, spiraling as he landed.

"How did it go?" Dragon Cypress asked.

"I have awakened the Quandong Divine Tree, and gained its consent!" Huang Qian beamed with joy.

"So where is the Quandong Divine Tree?" Ink Orchid inquired.

Huang Qian replied, "It remains resting quietly in the treasury. We need to quickly make all the preparations."

Dragon Cypress: "All right!"

Ink Orchid warmly invited, "Shield Grasshoppers are omnivores, you eat meat occasionally, right? Huang Qian, come try our Xianglan Mountain's unique eating style."

The insects feasted and celebrated until late into the night.

The next morning, everyone split up and got to work.

Huang Qian entered the deep cave of the treasury, used the Spider Silk Bag to transport Source Stones to the mid-level cave storing Origin Force Food in cold storage.

There, Ink Orchid took over, carrying the load upward to the Knowledge Hall.

Spruce headed downward, packing up Quandong Divine Tree's Exuviae, one bag at a time, and delivering them directly to the Knowledge Hall.

Meanwhile,

Dragon Cypress and Round Cypress led the ant colony in digging a pit.

A 60-meter diameter pit, dug 4 meters deep.

In the center of the big pit, a smaller pit 30 meters across, dug another 3 meters down.

At the center of that, a 15-meter or so pit, dug a further 3 meters deeper.

Tier by tier, down 10 meters—the deep pit was quickly finished.

Dragon Cypress then drove the Dominating Throne, transporting Source Stones from the Knowledge Hall down the mountain.

Round Cypress directed the worker ants to carry the Quandong Divine Tree's Exuviae.

In the finished pit, a layer of Source Stone, a layer of Divine Tree Exuviae, and a layer of soil were added in turn.

Dragon Cypress used Water Control to soak each layer.

Layer by layer, they built upward.

After about ten days of effort, five million Source Stones and all Exuviae of the Divine Tree were backfilled into the pit.

After flattening the site, they piled up a circular mound sixty meters across and four or five meters above the surrounding ground.

All preparations complete.

Huang Qian, in utmost solemnity, chose a sunny morning, went to the lowest cave of the treasury, and fetched the Quandong Divine Tree.

With a ceremonial gravity, sacred and grand,

Huang Qian pressed the golden Tree Heart to his forehead, cradled it with both claws, carefully exited the cave, descended the mountain path to the flat land below, climbed to the top of the mound, and buried it in the earth.

He then fetched a giant bagful of ice from the mountaintop and covered the spot.

Under the sunlight, the ice melted, threads of snow water seeped into the soil, and suddenly, a terrifying suction exploded underground, furiously absorbing Natural Primordial Force, rapidly spreading to create a zone of Origin Force Vacuum with a radius of forty or fifty meters.

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