Chapter 441 - 421: Purple Tung Evolution

After Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid made a circuit around the continent and returned once more to the Purple Tung Insect Nation, the Jinhe Divine-Given Seed’s trunk had surpassed forty meters in height, having fully recovered from its weakness and awakened its soul consciousness.

"Jinhe Divine-Given Seed!" Ink Orchid called out warmly.

"Mmm—"

The Jinhe Divine-Given Seed had quite a cheerful personality, and proactively greeted, "Little Ink Orchid Mantis, Little Dragon Cypress Ant King."

Ink Orchid gently corrected, "Everyone calls me Mountain Lord Ink Orchid. You can just call me Ink Orchid."

Jinhe: "In my eyes, anyone under a hundred is a little insect."

The Linnan Divine Tree’s spiritual power came crowding in too, "Little Mantis, got any gains? Judging by how happy you look, you found another Divine-Given Seed?"

Ink Orchid: "Nope—"

Linnan Divine Tree: "Then what are you so happy about? Little Mantis, don’t slack off—time to resume your diligent training."

Ink Orchid: "Linnan Divine Tree, training’s on pause for two months. I want to rest up and prepare for evolving to Age Period Five, and make sure the Red Phellodendron Divine Seed is sent to Huagi Mountain for planting as soon as possible."

Alright then~

Linnan Divine Tree questioned, "Little Ant, what’s your plan?"

Little Ant answered, "Same as always. I’ll train in the morning, work in the woods in the afternoon."

Little Ant turned to Yellow Stem, who was always keeping watch under the tree, "Little Shield Grasshopper, what about you? Staying, or heading back to Huagi Mountain?"

Yellow Stem: "..."

I’m an old bug, pretty much ancient by now~

Yellow Stem: "Didn’t you pawn a Little Ant at Huagi Mountain? Let it manage the territory for you. I’ll just linger here for a while longer."

Dragon Cypress: "Fine by me—"

Dragon Cypress said seriously, "Yellow Stem, there’s one more small thing. Over here in the Purple Tung Insect Nation, Jinhe Divine-Given Seed, you need Source Stones whenever your fruits ripen, right?"

The Jinhe Divine-Given Seed immediately responded, "The Origin Force Concentration here is super high. When my fruits ripen, my Source Stone consumption is extremely low—on average, about a hundred thousand per fruit."

Linnan Divine Tree chimed in, "Banner and I have Glinting Gold as auxiliary, so we don’t need any Source Stones now."

Yellow Stem: "Source Stone usage here in Purple Tung Insect Nation is very low."

Dragon Cypress: "...That’s right."

Dragon Cypress explained, "There are still three million Source Stones left at the second Source Stone Mine. I’m thinking, why not move all of them over to the Purple Tung Insect Nation as backup? The Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed’s King-Level evolution will take around half a million—charge that to me—the remaining two and a half million can stay with Huagi Mountain. Next time the caravan brings Source Stones, I just won’t send 2.5 million to Huagi Mountain. That way, with this shuffle, we can save a lot of hauling time and effort."

Yellow Stem did some quick mental math, "That works."

Jinhe: "Just dig a pit under my tree and bury the Source Stones when they arrive."

Linnan Divine Tree: "Bury half a million each under me and Banner—better safe than sorry."

Jinhe: "Then I’ll take one and a half million under me."

Jinhe: "Little Grasshopper, how are Source Stone reserves at Huagi Mountain right now? Want to ship some more over?"

Yellow Stem: "..."

Yellow Stem: "Not much. Very little. Next to nothing..."

...

Just from this simple chatter, you could tell the Jinhe Divine-Given Seed was a chatty, lively, and rather amusing tree.

Dragon Cypress docked the Dominating Throne under the tree.

Ink Orchid stayed on the Throne, nurturing a Divine-Given Seed, chatting with Jinhe, and at the same time keeping watch over it.

Dragon Cypress himself returned to the Royal Palace to check up on the White Poplar Divine-Given Seed, hear reports from the Assistant Kings, and assign them their work for the year.

...

In the midst of all this busyness, time again turned to the summer of the year.

The Jinhe Divine-Given Seed’s trunk soon broke the hundred-meter mark. Its Divine-Given Exuviae was consumed, and growth slowed.

As the cicadas sang, the wheel of time spun on.

With the help of the Dominating Throne, Ink Orchid finally finished nurturing and evolving the Red Phellodendron Divine Seed.

The Dominating Throne carried Yellow Stem and Ink Orchid together to Huagi Mountain.

Sowing it into the earth.

Dragon Cypress lingered a few days to observe. Once he was sure all was well, he took Black Birch and a retinue of Worker Ants and headed straight for the second Source Stone Mine.

...

The second Source Stone Mine,

Originally, a total of 12.43 million Source Stones were dug up.

Two Soul-Setting Fruits purchased from Huagi Mountain cost 9 million.

Daily operations—so many Divine-Given Seeds’ fruit ripening, evolution, nurturing, small scattered expenses—came to another 400,000 plus.

Leaving three million Source Stones.

Black Birch remained behind to direct the Worker Ants bagging up stones.

Dragon Cypress shuttled between the mine and the Purple Tung Insect Nation, working nights—made a round trip in just two days.

Each trip hauled 50,000 Source Stones.

Thanks to a summer’s growth, the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed’s vitality was at full strength, with Origin Force Energy practically spilling out whenever you got near.

The delivered Source Stones were dumped right under the tree and spread out evenly.

Soon,

Half a million Source Stones were made ready.

Dragon Cypress stayed beneath the tree, patiently waiting.

The Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed’s soul seemed aware, and its absorption of Natural Primordial Force sped up.

It’s starting!

Dragon Cypress shook his tentacles with all his might.

The two or three hundred large and mid-sized Worker Ants resting in the Royal Palace received the Ant King’s call and tore out of the nest, dashing for the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed.

"Spruce! Ants, rest."

The Linnan Divine-Given Seed called out and stopped them, "That little Purple Tung tree’s about to evolve to King-Level—let’s watch the fun first."

Finally breaking through?!

Spruce, Silver Cypress, Black Leaf, and Black Birch, who had been training under the trees, all rushed to the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed.

"Great King!"

"Great King?"

"Black Leaf, go to the orchard and round up another two hundred large and medium Worker Ants."

"Got it, Great King."

"Black Birch, keep watch here. I’m heading to Huagi Mountain."

"...Understood, Great King."

"Silver Cypress, Spruce, you two keep back. Don’t crowd the front, don’t interfere with the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed."

Dragon Cypress instructed, and piloted the Dominating Throne straight up into the sky.

...

Huagi Mountain.

In just over twenty days, the Red Phellodendron Divine Seed had grown a little over five meters tall, already on its way to being a small tree.

Ink Orchid kept vigil under the tree.

By noon.

Yellow Stem was on the far side of the mountains, basking under the Quandong Divine Tree’s shade.

He sensed the Origin Force Fluctuation of the Dominating Throne.

Ink Orchid and Yellow Stem shot up the ridge together.

"Dragon Cypress."

"Dragon Cypress Ant King."

The Quandong Divine Tree asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, what brings you rushing here—did something major happen? Don’t tell me, the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed is about to evolve?"

"That’s right. The Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed has already started to evolve."

Dragon Cypress spoke and waved his claw by way of invitation.

"Wow!"

"Fantastic!"

Ink Orchid cheered, leaping onto the Throne, "Quandong Divine Tree, I’ll go back to the Purple Tung Insect Nation for a few days to witness the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed level up—to get experience in Life Evolution."

The highest Life Level in the Origin Force Star Realm is King-Level.

Evolving to King-Level is the greatest goal of all Origin Force Lives.

This kind of excitement can’t be missed.

Yellow Stem hesitated, edging toward the Dominating Throne.

"Yellow Stem, could you help Ink Orchid keep an eye on the Red Phellodendron Divine-Given Seed?"

Yellow Stem: "Uh... it’s already a five-to-six-meter-tall tree, right? Not many wild beasts around Huagi Mountain can hurt it now, can they?"

Dragon Cypress: "But what if? Ink Orchid can’t afford any loss at all. The Red Phellodendron Divine Seed is pawned at Huagi Mountain—it’s on you to keep it safe."

Yellow Stem: "Alright... but..."

Quandong Divine Tree: "Go on, you two. If needed, I can unleash a God-Level Shining Gold aura to drive away birds and beasts. It’s an extra ability used to protect fruit during ripening—works very well, can’t go wrong."

"Thank you, Quandong Divine Tree!"

Yellow Stem hopped onto the Dominating Throne with a kick of his hind leg.

Alright then—

Let’s go!

The two places aren’t far apart—they arrived quickly.

The Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed was devouring Origin Force madly, creating a vacuum four or five hundred meters wide, and the intense Origin Force Fluctuation spread through the entire Land of Origin Force.

Round Cypress, Black Leaf, and Black Birch directed five hundred Worker Ants, each carrying a Source Stone, forming a wide ring.

The Barley Bug Warriors were drawn by the commotion and gathered under the tree.

"Round Cypress?"

Dragon Cypress queried.

Ink Orchid urged, "Hurry and use the Source Stones!"

Round Cypress explained, "Banner Divine Tree says use the stones when the Origin Force vacuum’s range passes five hundred meters."

Black Birch: "Banner Divine Tree says here in the central region of the Purple Tung Insect Nation, keep the Origin Force vacuum under a five hundred-meter radius."

Black Leaf: "Save Source Stones. Save whenever you can."

Black Birch: "Otherwise, half a million might not be enough."

There’s advice like that?

Say so earlier—if it’s not enough, bring more next time~

With Banner Divine Tree’s arrangement, Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid didn’t retort. They hopped off the Throne to watch with the rest.

The sun set in the west.

Darkness fell.

Deep in the night, the Purple Tung Divine-Given Seed’s absorption of Origin Force suddenly accelerated, and the vacuum rapidly expanded.

"Source Stones."

"Hurry, use the Source Stones!"

"Time to use the stones."

The mental power of Banner Divine Tree, Linnan Divine Tree, and Jinhe Divine-Given Seed all echoed at once.

Linnan Divine Tree couldn’t help cursing, "Stupid ants! Move faster!"

Dragon Cypress waved his claw.

Round Cypress wiggled its tentacles to pass the order; five hundred Worker Ants all scratched at the Source Stones, scattering powder everywhere.

In a ring around the tree, five hundred stones released Origin Force at once, instantly containing the expanding vacuum.

Dragon Cypress watched and commanded that another five hundred Worker Ants bring Source Stones and wait nearby.

Unexpectedly, this wildly intense absorption lasted for just a while—a thousand Source Stones were consumed—and then it calmed down.

The night remained peaceful.

At dawn, as sunlight broke, another burst came, quick and fleeting, passing in a flash.

Then again at noon—a sudden flare-up...

At twilight, another outburst...

Dragon Cypress keenly noticed the outbursts were coming more and more frequently.

Day by day, time passed.

Five days in, a major, long-lasting eruption began—lasting nearly half a day, consuming a whole hundred thousand Source Stones in one go.

Another five days later, another half-day surge, consuming another hundred thousand.

Another five days, a third major burst—again, lasting half a day.

The fifty thousand Source Stones prepared in advance were almost used up.

Dragon Cypress, worried about running short, was about to discuss sending Yellow Stem to Huagi Mountain for emergency resupply, when Banner Divine Tree casually remarked:

"Evolution successful. The next few days are its soul-resting metamorphosis period. You all should stay away—don’t disturb it. Ten days if short, half a month if long. If it wakes up smoothly, it’ll spawn spiritual power and be able to talk to you all."

The Jinhe Divine-Given Seed was quick to add, "If it doesn’t wake up smoothly, that’s a failed evolution—soul dissipates, tree decays, a thousand years’ growth wasted in one swoop."

No doubt about it—those three trees from Huagi Mountain knew the process of a Wild God-Given Seed breaking through to King-Level very well.

The most important part of the evolution was about to begin.

Linnan Divine Tree and Jinhe Divine-Given Seed withdrew their mental power quietly.

Dragon Cypress waved his claw.

All the insects withdrew gingerly, in an orderly retreat.