Chapter 97: Chapter 097 Principle Ant
Spiritual power is derived from the soul; it is the source of spiritual power.
The Ghost Fan Tree enhances spiritual power, but it only enhances spiritual power.
The Six Paths Wood of Six Peaks Mountain enhances the soul. With a strong soul, spiritual power naturally increases.
The soul is the fundamental aspect that distinguishes Origin Force Life from ordinary animals and plants.
In the Ant Nest, the Worker Ants, Soldier Ants, Intelligent Worker Ants, and Gigantification Soldier Ants can only be considered ’Semi-Origin Force Life’ because they lack complete, independent souls.
A strong soul brings benefits such as enhanced spiritual power, improved elemental control, an extended lifespan, and easier evolution and growth.
「...」
Dragon Cypress asked, "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, is there a way to get Male Plant Seeds?"
Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord replied, "You are also an Ant King. You should understand that in the Ant Kingdom, the ant colony absolutely follows the Ant King’s commands. There definitely won’t be situations like on the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent, where a warrior from some Great Tribe might secretly take seeds to trade with a caravan for Origin Force Food."
Dragon Cypress said, "Could you give us one more seed then? One for me and one for Ink Orchid."
Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord replied, "I only received three seeds this year, and the other two have already been reserved by other insects."
Dragon Cypress pondered deeply for a long moment, then raised his head and asked, "Are there still Divine-Given Seeds of Six Paths Wood in Six Peaks Mountain?"
Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord answered, "Of course! And not just one. From what I know, there’s a wild Divine-Given Seed of Six Paths Wood, said to have existed for over two thousand years. It’s managed jointly by eight King-Level Ant Kings of the tribe. Its Blossom-Fruit Cycle is a long 36 years, and each cycle only yields 18 Divine-Grade Six Paths Fruits."
Dragon Cypress asked, "Does the Aconite Spider King have a trade share?"
Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord replied, "Yes, but only for four."
Dragon Cypress asked, "What about the price?"
"Very expensive!" Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord stated. "Dragon Cypress Ant King, before becoming a Lord, a common Six Paths Wood Life Seed would be enough for both you and Ink Orchid."
He wouldn’t even quote a price; it was certainly exorbitantly expensive. Possibly, in Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord’s view, it was the kind of expensive that Ink Orchid and I wouldn’t be able to afford even if we struggled for a lifetime.
Dragon Cypress didn’t ask further.
Ink Orchid placed the Six Paths Wood seed and two Black Emperor Peaches into her Spider Silk Bag.
Accepting the gift was almost tantamount to accepting the caravan’s trade request.
What followed was the discussion about shares and prices.
Seven-Leaf inquired, "Ink Orchid, what’s the production of your Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed?"
Ink Orchid answered truthfully, "There were seven offshoots from the first division, and twenty-one from the second—a threefold multiplication rate. Each offshoot produces eleven Orchid Seeds. The current output is 308 seeds, and the Blossom-Fruit Cycle is one year."
"The output isn’t low," Seven-Leaf commented, then asked, "You’re at the ninth age period?"
Ink Orchid replied, "Once we complete the trade with the caravan, I’ll be able to undergo Molting Evolution into a High-Level Warrior."
"Oh!" Seven-Leaf was secretly pleased and said, "Then let me congratulate you in advance. After evolving into a High-Level Warrior, the output and quality of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed will improve significantly."
Dragon Cypress said, "If all goes well, it should be 1,001 seeds. The quantity isn’t too much. Moreover, the Blossom-Fruit Cycle may extend to two years. After all, for herbaceous plants, only when Ink Orchid becomes a Mountain Lord can it possibly bring substantial profits to the caravan."
He continued, "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, we can start with this: for each batch of the Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds we produce, we’ll sell 100 seeds to you as samples. This will enrich your selection of Divine-Given Origin Force Food and increase your bargaining power in trades."
"In the future, once Ink Orchid is promoted to Mountain Lord and the yield of the Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds increases again, we can consider redistributing the shares among Melde, White Ivy, and yourself."
"Dragon Cypress Ant King, you seem to understand the Roving Merchant trade very well?" Seven-Leaf said, half-questioning and half-praising, then adopted an air of wealth and declared, "One hundred seeds are truly too few. Even as samples, they’re hardly enough for display. I need 300 seeds! What price is Melde offering? I can offer a bit more."
This was the benefit of bringing in a second caravan, introducing competition. Unfortunately, current production wasn’t enough to trade with two caravans simultaneously.
Dragon Cypress, calm and composed, said, "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, please don’t rush. Let’s talk about my Deep Blue God-Given Seed."
Seven-Leaf said, "Please, go on."
Dragon Cypress said, "The Deep Blue God-Given Seed is an Arbor, currently almost 10 meters tall."
Seven-Leaf praised, "A fast-growing tropical Arbor! Now that it’s reaching maturity, the yield must be substantial, right? I’ve also heard... Superior Grade?"
Dragon Cypress answered, "Yes."
He continued, "The current yield is quite average. Last year, it flowered and produced 280 fruits."
Seven-Leaf said, "I heard they are berries, about the size of apricots? Each has a heart-shaped Fruit Core the size of an apricot kernel."
Dragon Cypress replied, "Yes."
The fruits aren’t that large! A Great Tall Tree, 10 meters tall, and yet the yield is a bit meager.
Seven-Leaf asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, are you suggesting..."
Dragon Cypress said, "For each harvest of Azure Fruits, I will also offer a one-tenth share for sale to you."
Seven-Leaf couldn’t quite hide his dissatisfaction. "Dragon Cypress Ant King, isn’t the amount you’re offering too little? It’s not even enough for samples."
Dragon Cypress countered, "Isn’t this the unspoken rule among you Flame Spider Roving Merchants? First come, first served. Until Ink Orchid and I are promoted to Mountain Lord, we can only provide you with enough for samples. However..."
Seven-Leaf prompted, "However?"
Dragon Cypress revealed, "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, I have a piece of great news to share with you. Around the lake where the Deep Blue God-Given Seed took root, I planted some rice, lotuses, and Gorgon Fruit. Last autumn, blessed by the Natural God, another Divine-Given Seed of Gorgon Fruit manifested. It matured this spring and was promptly sown."
Seven-Leaf was momentarily stunned. His mind reeled for a moment, unable to process. After pondering for a good while, he asked in disbelief, "The third Divine-Given Seed?"
Dragon Cypress confirmed, "Yes."
Seven-Leaf fell silent, searched through his Inherited Memory, organized his thoughts, and after a while, asked, "Gorgon Fruit blooms in early summer, doesn’t it?"
Dragon Cypress responded, "A Divine-Given Seed might bloom a bit earlier, but since this one was only planted this spring, it should be early summer nonetheless."
Seven-Leaf inquired, "What about the offshoots?"
Dragon Cypress answered, "There were only three offshoots from the first division, fifteen from the second..."
Seven-Leaf calculated for a moment and exclaimed happily, "A fivefold multiplication rate for division? A boundless future! Congratulations, congratulations!"
Dragon Cypress swayed his Tentacles and sighed, "Unfortunately, the base number of offshoots is too few, only three."
Seven-Leaf said, "The Natural God is fair. Every life in nature has its shining aspects and its imperfections. Nothing is entirely perfect, nor is anything entirely worthless."
Dragon Cypress agreed, "Indeed. The meaning of life lies in striving to compensate for one’s own imperfections, through self-awareness and self-improvement."
He continued, "As for the Fruit-Scented Orchid and the Deep Blue God-Given Seed, we have been trading them with Melde and White Ivy Mountain Lord for several years, so we can’t easily relinquish their shares. However, Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, you are the first Flame Spider Roving Merchant to learn of the Divine-Given Seed of Gorgon Fruit. You can take half the share. As for the other half, Ink Orchid and I need to keep some for ourselves, and the rest will go to Melde and White Ivy as samples."
"All three Divine-Given Seeds will be repriced and their shares reassigned after Ink Orchid and I are promoted to Mountain Lord."
That’s more like it! The trade for three Divine-Given Seeds settled just like that!
Seven-Leaf praised generously, "Dragon Cypress, you are an Ant King who adheres to principles—a reflection of wisdom. There are many smart insects, but wise ones are one in ten thousand. You will become a king on the Cloud Trace Continent."
"You flatter me too much, Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord..." Dragon Cypress said. "About that Six Paths Wood seed... could you give me another?"
Seven-Leaf replied, "Not this year, truly. I genuinely only received three. Next year?"
"Next year is fine too!" Dragon Cypress said. Curious and envious, he asked, "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, is that metal cylinder an Outworld Civilization Artifact?"
Seven-Leaf, proud yet cautious, replied, "Yes."
Dragon Cypress asked excitedly, "It seems to contain quite a few precious seeds?"
Seven-Leaf replied, "There are no particularly precious ones left."
Dragon Cypress said joyfully, "That’s wonderful! If they were too valuable, I’d feel awkward asking... But since they aren’t valuable, how about giving me a few more?"
Seven-Leaf was speechless.
He then explained, "Though not exceptionally valuable, they are very rare. I collected them for some old friends of mine..."
Dragon Cypress, seemingly intrigued all of a sudden, asked, "Very rare? What sorts have you got? Let me have a look!"
Ink Orchid chimed in opportunely, "Rare seeds? Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, please broaden our horizons."
Seven-Leaf hesitated.