The Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seed initially produced three offshoots, with stolons spreading from the pond's bottom silty layer in three directions, positioning the offshoots in an equilateral triangle to protect the mother plant at the center.
The second splitting originated from these three offshoots, each producing five stolons—a multiplication rate of five—adding fifteen new offshoots that clustered around the central mother plant.
With the third splitting, the numbers surged. Building on the fifteen from the second split, each produced five more stolons, resulting in seventy-five new offshoots.
The new offshoots' stolons spread to their suitable locations and took root within one day. Two days later, the first leaf surfaced above the water. Subsequently, one leaf emerged per day, and in just four days, all five leaves had initially developed.
By the end of the third splitting of the Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed, dense, staggered leaves at various heights either floated on the water or swayed in the wind, like stars surrounding the moon, cradling the mother plant at the center.
...
The Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed began its third splitting two days after the Northern Gorgon and took three to four days longer to mature.
The Fruit-Scented Orchid had a tripling rate for splitting, sequentially producing seven, twenty-one, and sixty-three offshoots, totaling ninety-one. These were densely packed, also protecting the central mother plant.
For herbaceous Life Seed Plants, the principle is generally the same: the mother plant is the core. Its rootstock will lignify, so the mother plant must not be harmed. Offshoots are merely tools for the mother plant to absorb energy and nutrients. Damage or death to offshoots doesn't matter, as they can regrow.
...
After Ink Orchid advanced to a High-Level Warrior, its Divine-Given Seed broke through immediately. The Common Life Seeds were slower, gradually following and entering a higher Life Level.
The change in the Orchid Grass Life Seed involved increased height and a greater number of offshoots.
For arbors, the change was an increased growth rate.
As spring neared its end, the tenth layer of the dam was completed. The deepest part of the reservoir had its water level raised to 4.5 meters. The rooted area of the Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed maintained a water depth of about 1 to 2 meters. As planned by Dragon Cypress, the reservoir's water level would remain at this height for the time being.
The dam continued to be built upwards, in preparation for the potential future advancements of Ink Orchid to Evolution Mountain Lord Level, Lord-Level, and even King-Level, and the continuous growth of the Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed.
Only six more layers remained, so the work wasn't rushed.
Ink Orchid started to slack off, claiming to be tired after a bit of work. It would fly out, circle above its own Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seed, fly up the mountain, check on the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed, and then glance at the Common Life Seeds.
The Worker Ants all recognized Ink Orchid, knowing it was the Second King.
Seeing Ink Orchid slacking off, the Worker Ants keenly sensed that the project wasn't as urgent, and they too started to slack off, gathering in small groups to shirk work.
The trapezoidal dam narrowed upwards, but each layer took increasingly longer to complete—four or five days for one layer.
Suddenly one day, Ink Orchid, who had just flown out, rushed back.
"Dragon Cypress! Dragon Cypress! Northern Gorgon has developed a consciousness!"
"Oh! Let's go take a look!"
Dragon Cypress called over Round Cypress and Spiked Cypress, piloting the Dominating Throne to fly low, gently approaching the Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed.
There were very subtle Mental Power Fluctuations indicating tension, fear, and anger.
The newly developed consciousness was still very fragile.
As Dragon Cypress drew closer for a look, he quickly controlled the Dominating Throne to move away.
"The consciousness is still unstable. Ink Orchid, don't interact with it too much just yet."
"Does it need Source Stones for replenishment?"
"Of course. Bring over a hundred first."
"How to use them? I can't swim~"
"Aren't there Specialized Blue Soldiers?"
"Oh! Right!"
Dragon Cypress turned and gave the orders.
Spiked Cypress ran back to the Ant Nest, brought back 100 Source Stones, and also brought 20 Specialized Blue Soldiers.
Ink Orchid leaped from the Dominating Throne, circling above the Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed, communicating through mental power.
"Northern Gorgon."
"...Ink Orchid."
"Just now, that was Dragon Cypress, and he's my friend. He won't hurt you."
"???"
"Don't be afraid."
"I'm not afraid!"
"Dragon Cypress is sending Blue Soldiers to use Source Stones to replenish your Origin Force."
"???"
Northern Gorgon's consciousness had just emerged. It lacked Inherited Memory, recognized only Ink Orchid, and had no understanding of the world—a complete blank slate.
"Northern Gorgon. Don't be afraid."
"I'm not scared—"
"Don't be scared."
Ink Orchid returned to the Throne.
"Dragon Cypress, it's ready."
"All right."
Dragon Cypress waved his tentacles, issuing orders.
The Blue Soldiers' mandible teeth were also sharp, elongated hook shapes, incapable of scraping Source Stones.
Therefore, on the back of each Specialized Blue Soldier rode a Large Worker Ant.
Twenty Blue Soldiers carrying Large Worker Ants set out, approaching the Northern Gorgon mother plant and spreading out to form a circle.
The Large Worker Ants held Source Stones and began scraping them down into powder with their mandible teeth.
Pure, dense Origin Force spread out and filled the air.
The Northern Gorgon stilled, the panic and anger in its emotions gradually disappearing as it desperately absorbed the Origin Force.
...
It took half a day for the consciousness of the Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed to become stable. It wasn't foolish and became less hostile towards the Blue Soldiers and Worker Ants. However, it still instinctively and fiercely rejected Dragon Cypress, this 'powerful' Origin Force Life.
Guess the Southern Gorgon will behave similarly once it gains consciousness.
Azure is the cutest.
Dragon Cypress continued leading the ant colony in finishing the reservoir dam.
One day, Ink Orchid, who had just flown out, turned and flew back again.
"Dragon Cypress! Dragon Cypress!"
"The Fruit-Scented Orchid has a Flower Sword! That's great! It can bloom and bear fruit this year!"
Ink Orchid, like a jubilant magpie, returned after a few days, exclaiming, "The Northern Gorgon has flower buds now!"
Dragon Cypress ran to the pond in South Mountain to check on the Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed, and indeed, its offshoots had also produced buds.
One offshoot, one flower.
...
Spring ended with plenty of rain. In fits and starts, intermittently, by early summer, the dam was finally completed.
At the dam's west end, a one-meter-wide gap was left as a regular drainage outlet, keeping the reservoir water level constant at 4.5 meters. At the dam's east end, a three-meter-wide opening, five meters high, was left for emergency floodwater release during heavy rains.
The Blossom-Fruit Cycle of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed might need to be extended to two years due to its evolution to a High-Level Life Level.
The flower buds of the Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seed surfaced above the water and blossomed.
One flower, one fruit, five Gorgon Fruit Seeds—equivalent to one leaf sustaining one Gorgon Fruit Seed.
The yield of Ink Orchid's Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed reached 465 seeds, and its Blossom-Fruit Cycle would surely extend beyond a year, with estimates predicting two years.
The yield of Dragon Cypress's Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed was only a mere 90 Gorgon Fruit Seeds, with a Blossom-Fruit Cycle likely around one year.
Dragon Cypress planned to evolve to High-Level Ant King the coming spring after trading with the Roving Merchant. Therefore, similar to Ink Orchid's Northern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed, there was still time for his Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed to complete its offshoot growth, then bloom and bear fruit.
The reservoir housing the Southern Gorgon needed to be excavated soon.
This early summer and autumn, they would still avoid long journeys to trade with Roving Merchants, postponing such trips until winter.
Dragon Cypress carried Ink Orchid, Round Cypress, and Spiked Cypress on the Dominating Throne, beginning to survey the terrain and explain his plans.
"This valley bottom is too narrow, and the slopes on both sides are somewhat steep.
"Dig away the steep northern slope that faces the mountain range directly, shaping it into a vertical cliff. Keep the excavated humus for backfill, while clay and mountain rocks will be used to construct the dam.
"This place is too far from the Ant Nest, so we'll need to open a temporary split nest on site.
"The southern slope where the Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed has rooted is also rather steep, but there's no need for extensive excavation, just a little tidying.
"There are no streams heading this way. We need to divert a water channel from the streams and pools on the west side of the mountain to bring water here.
"The valley entrance is constricted, requiring appropriate excavation to widen it to 20 meters, and the dam height must be 10 meters..."
The place where the Southern Gorgon Divine-Given Seed was rooted, however, wasn't very suitable for constructing a reservoir.
But Xianglan Mountain is only about four to five kilometers long, and no natural site suitable for building a third reservoir could be found on either South Mountain or North Mountain.
This reservoir would primarily involve digging on both sides to expand the area.
More Worker Ants were needed.
Dragon Cypress calculated, preparing to gradually increase the number of Specialized Soldier Ants to 500 and the number of Large and Medium-Sized Worker Ants to 1,000 over the next year.