Chapter 81: Chapter 081 Black Lotus (Part Two)
Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid rested for a night on Ghost Fan Mountain and set off the next morning.
They delayed for three days at Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, carefully searching the area and also loosening the soil for the Divine-Given Southern Sour Jujube Seed, hunting a batch of animals to bury under the tree as fertilizer.
They headed straight for Black Lotus Lake.
The dragonfly possessed the fastest flying speed, the widest field of vision, and superb ability in both farsightedness and nearsightedness.
White Willow, who also liked to stop on high mountains, spotted the Dominating Throne from afar and rushed over.
"Ink Orchid!" it exclaimed. "Dragon Cypress Ant King! I’ve reached my eighth Age Period!"
White Willow came to an abrupt halt, then incredibly began to fly backward, leading the way in front of the Dominating Throne.
This made Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid stare in surprise. Can dragonflies fly backward?
"White Willow!" Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid greeted.
Dragon Cypress inquired, "Have you harvested your Lotus Life Seed?"
"I have! I’ve left two Lotus Seeds for you," White Willow replied.
Ink Orchid said, "Dragon Cypress and I have named the variant ’Black Lotus.’ White Willow, what do you think?"
"Great. Great. I like the name," White Willow chirped.
Ink Orchid added, "And the seeds of the Black Lotus will be called Black Lotus Seeds."
"I’ll go get them for you," White Willow offered.
No longer exhibiting the timidity and wariness it had at their last meeting, White Willow circled the Dominating Throne once, then accelerated, disappearing as a black speck into the distant mountains in the span of a few breaths.
Soon, it reappeared from the distant mountain range, racing back at high speed above the Dominating Throne. It tossed two Lotus Seeds to Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid, then flew backward in sync with the Throne.
Dragon Cypress twirled a seed, examining it with professional scrutiny. The grains were large, the seed coats thin, and the kernels big and fleshy; a single one could fetch a good price. He scanned it with his spiritual power and then fell silent.
The Origin Force signature within was strange, unfamiliar.
Having accompanied the Melde Caravan, Dragon Cypress had seen over a thousand types of Origin Force Food and possessed an astonishing memory, able to remember the energy signature of each type he encountered.
Origin Force Foods with similar enhancement effects also had similar energy signatures.
Yet, in his memory, there was no energy signature that resembled that of the Black Lotus Seed.
Dragon Cypress held the Lotus Seed between his claws. His mandible teeth exerted strength, and he nimbly peeled off the seed coat, chewed, and swallowed it, silently sensing its effects.
After the Origin Force was absorbed, it autonomously converged towards his brain, which then absorbed it.
Excited, Dragon Cypress’s tentacles straightened and trembled.
Ink Orchid, who had been mimicking Dragon Cypress’s examination with an air of understanding despite being clueless, sneakily watched his actions. Upon seeing Dragon Cypress’s reaction, he was the first to exclaim in surprise and excitement, "What a great find! Black Lotus is an exceptional plant species, worthy of widespread cultivation! We should consider selecting several more as Life Seeds."
Dragon Cypress thought, "???" An Origin Force Food I can’t recognize, yet he can?
"Really?" White Willow asked, full of anticipation. "Ink Orchid, what about the specific enhancement effects? Are they impressive?"
Ink Orchid responded with a question, "White Willow, when did you evolve to your eighth Age Period? Haven’t you eaten a Black Lotus Seed?"
White Willow replied, "I evolved before I finished the Origin Force Food you gave me last time. The Lotus Seeds weren’t ripe yet."
Black Lotus Seeds eaten after evolution would only show their enhancement effects in the subsequent Age Period.
Ink Orchid gently waved his tentacles and asked, "Dragon Cypress, have you figured it out?"
Dragon Cypress considered for a moment. "It’s confirmed to strengthen the brain," he eventually said. "And it’s confirmed not to be enhancing spiritual power. I can’t tell the specifics, having never encountered anything similar. However..." He paused, then continued, "Any Origin Force Food that concentrates its Primordial Energy into the brain upon digestion and absorption is bound to be valuable, no matter what specific type of enhancement effect it offers. The brain is the most vital part of any life form!"
"That’s wonderful!"
White Willow did a somersault in mid-air, followed by several horizontal rolls.
Dragon Cypress exclaimed, "!!!"
Ink Orchid exclaimed, "!!!"
Ants and mantises can only fly horizontally, at best making sharp turns, or diving headfirst, or climbing steeply.
White Willow’s cool flying tricks left Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid stunned.
It was something they could only envy.Such were the innate advantages of its species, unlearnable by other insects.
After tumbling through the air for a few circles, White Willow suddenly hovered, flying backward in sync with the Throne, and asked expectantly, "Ink Orchid, Dragon Cypress Ant King, can I cultivate a few more Black Lotus Life Seeds to trade with you in the future?"
Dragon Cypress answered, "...Of course."
He then asked, "When Ink Orchid and I came over in the summer, I noticed that your Black Lotus Life Seed seemed to have only bloomed one flower?"
"Yes," White Willow confirmed.
Dragon Cypress asked, "How many Lotus Seeds are in one pod?"
"Fourteen," replied White Willow.
Dragon Cypress advised, "When choosing a Life Seed, you must consider not only the enhancement effect but also its quality and yield. Don’t rush. Observe the yield of the Black Lotus Life Seed next year before deciding. I brought you thirty seeds of the Great Jade Butterfly Lotus, a quite decent variety; you can plant some by the lake. If you like them, you can consider cultivating one as your Life Seed. One is enough, no more."
Ink Orchid continued, "I also have twenty Gorgon Fruit Seeds for you to sow by the lake, but there’s no need to cultivate them into Life Seeds."
Ink Orchid added, "Also, I’ll give you a very precious Spotted Star Pear Seed! This is one of the top-level plants on the continent, the best choice for a Life Seed."
"Thank you—" White Willow started, then suddenly became somewhat shy and embarrassed, looking ill at ease.
It was always accepting gifts from Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid, yet it had nothing decent to offer in return.But the things Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid gave were too good to refuse...
Ink Orchid asked, "White Willow, did you collect ordinary Black Lotus Seeds?"
"Yes! A lot!" White Willow exclaimed. "I collected them all in a large Spider Silk Bag."
Ink Orchid asked, "Could you give some to Dragon Cypress and me? We’ve dug a pond and could plant some."
Hearing this, White Willow cheerfully said, "I’ll give them all to you!"
White Willow turned around, flying ahead to lead the way.
The Dominating Throne landed by the lakeside.
White Willow brought the ordinary Black Lotus Seeds to Ink Orchid.
Dragon Cypress counted out Origin Force Food worth five hundred Source Stones and gave it to White Willow. He admonished it not to be greedy but to eat with restraint, a little each day, spreading it out evenly.
He promised to return early next summer and swiftly took his leave.
It was late autumn, and the night air had grown somewhat cold.
Dragon Cypress traveled by moonlight, hurrying back to Xianglan Mountain.
The Dominating Throne slowed as it approached the pond at the foot of the mountain, gently nearing the Azure Divine-Given Seed.
"Azure!" Dragon Cypress called out.
"Dragon Cypress. Ink Orchid," Azure responded, somewhat complainingly. "You were gone for a very, very long time again."
Dragon Cypress said, "Yes. We encountered the Divine-Given Gorgon Fruit Seed, which was in the process of being born in Jianlan Plain, and it delayed us for nearly two months."
Dragon Cypress watched Azure’s reaction attentively.
Azure didn’t show any obvious surprise or excitement. It was not interested in Divine-Given Seeds.
Azure said, "The frogs have all hibernated."
Dragon Cypress asked, "Aren’t there still fish and shrimp in the pond?"
"Yes," Azure replied. "They are living well. Their numbers are increasing."
Dragon Cypress continued, "In a few years, when you’ve grown taller, I’ll build up the reservoir. Then there will be even more fish, and they’ll be bigger."
Dragon Cypress turned, opened the Spider Silk Bag, and said, "Azure, look! I found a rare lotus variant that we’ve named ’Black Lotus.’ These are its Black Lotus Seeds. I also brought back many Gorgon Fruit Seeds. Next year, we’ll plant them all in the shallow areas of the pond."
Hearing this, Azure became happy. "Thank you, Dragon Cypress!"
"You’re welcome."
Dragon Cypress asked, "Winter is almost here, Azure; is there still time to irrigate with Swamp Water for fertilization?"
Azure, also unsure, said, "It should still be in time..."
"Great! I’ll arrange it right away!" Dragon Cypress declared.
He then turned to Ink Orchid and said, "Ink Orchid, let’s hurry back to the mountain, fetch some Swamp Water, and use it as a foliar feed. We’ll aim for more flowers and fruit next year."