The White Mulberry Life Seed tested by Areca finally yielded results: it actually enhanced the hardness of the Insect Clan Warrior's double jaws, claw tips, carapace spikes, tumorous protuberances, and other parts.

A purely close-combat oriented enhancement effect.

White Mulberry is a small arbor; it's not top-level, but it's definitely a premium Life Seed choice, worth large-scale promotion and cultivation.

Ink Orchid evolved once in Scarletlight Mountain, became an 8th age high-level Flower Mantis Warrior, and decisively chose a White Mulberry as its Life Seed.

It couldn't bear to leave and insisted on staying behind to help Areca look after the Little Flame Spiders.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple wanted to stay and play, too.

In the end,

Dragon Cypress carried Black Cory northward.

Ghost Fan Mountain,

This year's total harvest of Divine-Given Ghost Fans was 2,000; Ghost Fan kept 200 for personal use, and Dragon Cypress bought 1,800 at a price of 25 Source Stones each.

Dragon Cypress already had a plan: at the 1st age Evolution Mountain Lord Level, the primary goal was to strengthen power and increase Dominating Throne transport capacity; secondary, to enhance spiritual power and further boost the Dominating Throne's flying speed.

Of the collected Ghost Fans, Dragon Cypress ate 1,000 himself, left 500 for Ink Orchid, and gave 100 each to Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, and White Willow.

The other Insect Capitals on Cloud Trace Continent are badly in need.

The next batch yield of Ghost Fan Divine-Given Seed should reach over 3,000; the blossom-fruit cycle is not long, just four years—we can schedule accordingly then.

Continuing north,

Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, checked the growth of Southern Sour Jujube Divine-Given Seed, inspected Silver Cypress's work.

Black Lotus Lake, many Azure Trees planted by Black Cory had already bloomed and borne fruit, the matured ones long since dropped into the lake as fish feed. Black Cory urgently organized Blue Soldiers and Worker Ants to pick the fruit.

Dragon Cypress planned to develop new 'Azure Fruit flavor' and 'Golden Light Fruit flavor' Origin Force Honey, stayed two more days, and only left after all the Azure Fruits were harvested and refined.

…

…

…

Xianglan Mountain.

Ant Nest Royal Family.

Four snow-white ant pupae of varying lengths.

After five months, the first two Specialized Blue Soldier larvae and two Specialized Soldier Ant larvae finally spun cocoons and underwent Feather Transformation.

The Blue Soldiers' bodies appeared a bit short and stout; the two Specialized Blue Soldier cocoons were about 1.6 meters long, thick and sturdy.

The Soldier Ants' bodies were slender with pronounced double jaws; the two Specialized Soldier Ant cocoons were about 1.8 meters long, thin and long.

Dragon Cypress remained in the Royal Family and calmly waited for ten days; the two Mountain Lord Level Specialized Blue Soldiers emerged first.

He arranged for them to feed and rest for a day.

After carapace hardening, their body length was just over two meters, double jaws half a meter long, making up a quarter of their body length—not as long as the Soldier Ants, but more developed than Worker Ants.

The build was slightly chubby, abdomen ringed with four circles of blue stripes.

Dragon Cypress ordered the Worker Ants to bring Source Stones to test strength.

Using an oversized Silk Bag, loaded it first with 1,000, personally demonstrating, holding it with both claws, raised it overhead.

Issued command: lift it up.

One Specialized Blue Soldier stepped forward, picked up the Source Stones with both claws, lifted them easily.

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacle lightly, ordering Worker Ants to add another 1,000 Source Stones to the oversized Silk Bag.

Issued command to the Specialized Blue Soldier: lift it up.

The Specialized Blue Soldier complied, once again completing the task without effort.

Dragon Cypress had the Worker Ants continue adding another 1,000 Source Stones to the oversized Silk Bag.

The Specialized Blue Soldier could still lift it with ease.

He kept increasing the load, until the bag held 5,000 Source Stones.

Both Specialized Blue Soldiers stepped up to try lifting it, showing no sign of strain.

The oversized Silk Bag couldn't fit any more Source Stones, nor was further testing needed.

The Specialized Blue Soldiers inherited Dragon Cypress's Water Elemental Talent, as well as his highly superior overall physique; they also possessed great strength.

Their carapace toughness was just as impressive.

The Mountain Lord Level Specialized Blue Soldiers also possessed considerable close combat ability.

——Keep up!

Dragon Cypress led the two Specialized Blue Soldiers out of the Ant Nest to Shanxi Reservoir.

Issued commands:

——Watch closely.

——Learn.

Dragon Cypress activated Water Control Ability; the calm surface before him bulged, and slowly, a gigantic water sphere, four meters in diameter, rose from the surface, detached, and hovered in midair at low altitude.

This was the current limit of Dragon Cypress's Water Control Ability.

The water sphere slowly descended and merged back into the lake.

Dragon Cypress tapped his tentacle lightly, singled out one Specialized Blue Soldier, and issued commands:

——Give it a try.

——Use force.

The Specialized Blue Soldier approached, experimented at the water's edge, generating energetic ripples; a sphere of water surfaced and then sank again.

The Mountain Lord Level Specialized Blue Soldier was clever: after failing the first try, it immediately adjusted, and on the second try, a water sphere about 2.5 meters in diameter slowly rose and hovered.

——Well done!

Dragon Cypress praised it, waving his tentacle, signaling the other Specialized Blue Soldier to try too.

Pushing Water Control Ability to the limit, it could also control a water sphere about 2.5 meters in diameter.

In terms of Water Control Ability, the Specialized Blue Soldiers inherited around 25% of the original strength.

Testing continued.

Dragon Cypress issued commands to the two Specialized Blue Soldiers:

——Watch closely.

——Learn.

Then, with a wave of his tentacle, thirty water spheres, each ten centimeters in diameter, jumped from the surface, floated overhead in a neat line, then transformed into sharp cones.

Activated Freezing Ability, turning them instantly into ice cones.

Launched Water Control Ability again; the ice cones shot out toward the distance and crashed down on the far shore of the reservoir.

Dragon Cypress waved his tentacle, indicating one Specialized Blue Soldier should come forward, and issued commands:

——Try it.

——Use force.

The Specialized Blue Soldier tried repeatedly.

It could only simultaneously control eight water spheres, condense them into eight ice cones, and reach only the middle of the reservoir at best.

Dragon Cypress hadn't gone all out when demonstrating.

In terms of Freezing Ability, the Specialized Blue Soldiers also inherited about 25% of the power.

Using the same method, he then tested Hydrology Shield and Boiling Water, two abilities whose uses had not yet been developed.

Results were similar.

The commotion here drew the attention of the Soldier Ants stationed at Shanxi Reservoir; Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress hurried over, watching from a distance.

When they saw Dragon Cypress finish testing,

Spiked Cypress immediately waved his tentacles, issued command: come here.

A Specialized Blue Soldier looked at Dragon Cypress, then Spiked Cypress, back and forth, then wandered on over slowly.

Spiked Cypress gave a command.

The Specialized Blue Soldier controlled three water spheres, floated them up, shaped them into ice cones, and fired at a Round Cypress Tree over ten meters tall on the shore.

Three bangs exploded.

The cypress tree snapped in half at the waist.

"Wow!"

"Great King, so mighty!"

"Great King is too strong!"

Seeing Dragon Cypress storming toward him, Spiked Cypress quickly shouted out flatteries.

Giant Cypress, seeing Spiked Cypress about to get pummeled, quickly changed the subject and asked, "Great King, are we about to attack the White Poplar Kingdom?"

Spiked Cypress abruptly dashed away.

Dragon Cypress stopped and said, "Still a long way to go…"

Giant Cypress was the smartest among all the Command Ants.

Dragon Cypress patiently explained, "You, Spiked Cypress, and Cypress, if you're joining the battle, you'll all need to evolve to Mountain Lord Level, and it's best to reach the 2nd age and improve your abilities across the board."

"Oh——"

Giant Cypress, naturally timid, raised a claw and pointed at the Specialized Blue Soldiers, worriedly asking, "Great King, are you going to mass-cultivate Specialized Blue Soldiers?"

Dragon Cypress: "Of course. We don't have the food to raise too many Specialized Soldier Ants."

Giant Cypress: "Can they beat the Lord-Level Termite Soldiers?"

Dragon Cypress: "Termite carapace is fragile. In close combat, Specialized Soldier Ants can match them. That's the innate advantage of carnivorous bugs over herbivorous ones."

Dragon Cypress: "However, the most dangerous part of Lord-Level Termite Soldiers should be their Earth System Abilities. If they hold strategic locations like reservoirs, rivers, or canals, Water System Abilities and Earth System Abilities clash head to head, and three Specialized Blue Soldiers can match one Termite Soldier."

Dragon Cypress: "So, when attacking the Termite Kingdom, Specialized Blue Soldiers will be the main force with Ant Soldiers of all sizes cooperating."

Giant Cypress: "...Understood."

Giant Cypress: "Great King, there will certainly be heavy casualties, won't there?"

Dragon Cypress: "This is war."

Giant Cypress: "Great King, these ice cones aren't strong enough. Last time I saw you use the exploding ice balls—those were really powerful."

——Yes, when used at close range, I nearly blew myself up.

Dragon Cypress: "And then?"

Giant Cypress: "Great King, I've thought of a tactic."

Giant Cypress: "Groups of five Blue Soldiers working together. Have two Specialized Blue Soldiers in the rear fabricate ice balls and throw them forward. Arrange three more Specialized Blue Soldiers to push forward under Soldier Ant protection; one is responsible for relay control of the ice ball's flight and reinforcing it, while the other two ignite Boiling Water Ability at close range and detonate the ball at low altitude."

Giant Cypress: "As I've observed and calculated, if you get the height right when detonating above the ground, it won't blow up our own troops."

Dragon Cypress ran a quick deduction in his mind, then said, "Sounds good! We'll try it later."

Dragon Cypress: "Giant Cypress, go catch Spiked Cypress for me."

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