Black Peach risked her life to pick some pine needles from the Huagi Divine Tree and some leaves from the Linnan Divine Tree, covering herself completely in green.
She moved into the King Nest, sprawled on the Dominating Throne to rest, ate some Ant King Honey, and began preparing to evolve to Evolution Mountain Lord Level.
Black Birch led the Soldier Ants to help guard her.
...
After some simple arrangements,
Dragon Cypress returned to the Linnan Divine Tree once more, humbly asking for guidance on how to train and improve his newly awakened abilities, as well as tips for combat application.
Cypress commanded the Blue Soldiers to erect an ice pillar one meter thick, two hundred meters away.
Hundredfold Strength!
Dragon Cypressâs power surged, more than tripling.
Primordial Energy gathered at his claw tip, an invisible sharp edge flickered in and out.
He locked his target with spiritual power, swung his claw forcefully.
Rend!
The Primordial Energy spun and vanished in a flash.
The ice pillar was cleaved in two by the sharp force, split into two pieces that still stood upright.
The residual force lingered,
leaving a narrow cut over ten meters long in the ground behind the ice pillar.
"Linnan Divine Tree, with these two pure Strength System abilities working together, the powerâs not bad, right?"
"Very good!"
Perhaps the Linnan Divine Tree truly believed the promise of those 10,000 Green Ants this time, because unusually, it gave high praise and solemnly reminded:
"Donât use Hundredfold Strength unless absolutely necessaryâuse it as little as possible, and never except in life-or-death battle. A threefold burst in strength brings tremendous strain to the body. Using it often, more or less, will leave behind negative effects. Some insects, who seem to eat plenty of Origin Force Food and stay in good physical and mental condition, have suddenly dropped dead with no warning during Molting Evolution. Investigating the reason, it may be due to risks from frequently using some abilities without realizing the hidden dangers."
Dragon Cypress: "Oh..."
Dragon Cypress: "Then Iâll try not to use this ability... but..."
Linnan Divine Tree: "If you want to further strengthen âHundredfold Strengthâ, there are two ways. First, eat more foods that enhance Comprehensive Physique, focusing on Origin Force Food that boosts muscle strength. Second, pay attention to regular exercise, train your overall physique. Remember, you cannot improve this ability through frequent use, nor simply by focusing on strength alone."
Dragon Cypress: "Got it."
Linnan Divine Tree: "As for combining abilities, you donât need to practice it. Just use Rend and Furious Rage often, master these direct combat abilities, and proficiency will come naturallyâthen the coordination between abilities wonât be a problem."
Dragon Cypress: "Understood."
Linnan Divine Tree: "What other abilities do you have? Let me see."
"Alright!"
Dragon Cypressâs tentacles swayed, Primordial Energy gathered, two water spheres ten centimeters in diameter formed and were flung out, transforming into ice cones mid-air, suddenly accelerating and shooting upward, carving an arc before falling into the distant river canal.
Dragon Cypress: "Primordial Energy Water-Making of the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Primordial Energy Creation."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Ant, this is an ability that touches upon the operating Laws of the worldâthe highest level Water System Ability, and among all abilities you now possess, by far the highest-level and most precious. Thereâs no contest."
"Practice this often, all the time, whenever you can. When you reach King-Level Evolution, you can make this your core ability, combine it with other Water System Abilities, and more easily condense all sorts of Water System Divine Patterns. Your advancement and growth after King-Level will also become much easier."
Dragon Cypress listened, his tentacles trembled slightly, delight in his heart.
Heâd always felt that Water Creation Ability wasnât simple.
And sure enough, it wasnât simple.
Dragon Cypress: "Thank you, Linnan Divine Tree, for your guidance. Iâll train like my life depends on it."
A clever ant who takes advice~
Linnan Divine Tree couldnât help but say more.
"Above King-Level, every stage of growth is exceptionally difficult. This is a barrier set deliberately by the Natural True Godâit is both a filter and a trial. It tests Insect Clan Warriorsâ wealth, willpower, intelligence, comprehension, and luck."
"Ant. You may be a bit dull, but your luck is truly unmatched by any other insect."
Dragon Cypress: "...Thank you for the compliment."
Dragon Cypress: "Linnan Divine Tree, I also have two Wood Element Abilities."
After speaking, he shook his tentacles and activated Water Creation Ability, making two small water spheres about four or five centimeters in diameter.
Controlling them, they hovered, quickly splittingâtwo became four, four to eight, eight to sixteen...
With powerful Soul Consciousness and control of spiritual power, the water spheres divided into countless tiny water drops, scattered. Then, carefully, he triggered Boiling Ability, water vapor evaporated and, meeting cold air, rapidly turned to mist.
He launched Tranquility Ability. Pure wood primordial energy burst forth, blending with the mist into a faint green cloud, drifting toward the Linnan Divine Tree.
Linnan Divine Tree: "No need to demonstrate the farming ability here. If you have questions, go to the Quandong Divine Treeâit knows."
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Dragon Cypress: "Linnan Divine Tree, what do you think of this ability?"
Linnan Divine Tree: "Not much."
Linnan Divine Tree objectively commented, "Abilities for farming are extremely rare. The value of this one lies in its rarity."
Linnan Divine Tree, impatient: "Ant, hurry it up, what else have you got?"
Dragon Cypress: "A Flying Leaf Ability, similar to Ink Orchidâs."
Linnan Divine Tree: "Congratulations, your Green Soldiers now have combat abilities."
Dragon Cypress: "..."
Dragon Cypress: "Linnan Divine Tree, which abilities should I focus on training to boost my fighting power the most?"
Linnan Divine Tree: "Water Creation."
Dragon Cypress: "And?"
Linnan Divine Tree: "Just Water Creation. This abilityâanytime, anywhere, with any free time you have, use it."
Dragon Cypress: "...Understood."
Linnan Divine Tree: "You donât understand. Your vision is short, your comprehension poorâno matter what I say, itâs useless. Just do as I tell you. Keep at it for a year or two, three or five; when the time comes, the insight will come to you naturally."
Dragon Cypress: "Although I donât understand, I get what you mean."
Linnan Divine Tree: "If you plan to develop in the Molan Continent sea area, putting Water System Abilities first is the way to go. The foundation for all Water System Abilities is always Water Control."
Dragon Cypress: "That one I actually understand!"
Linnan Divine Tree: "When practicing Water Creation Ability, you can also randomly shift it into some objectâs shape nearby, then control it and hurl it away."
"Ohââ"
Dragon Cypress immediately used Water Creation Ability, condensed two water spheres at the tips of his tentacles, looked around, and shaped them into Soldier Ants.
With a wave of his tentacles, the two water-formed Soldier Ants shot skyward, landed with a splat, and burst apart.
Linnan Divine Tree: "Thatâs right, just like that. Practice Freezing and Boiling Abilities occasionally; for now, donât waste time and primordial energy on them."
"Understood."
Dragon Cypress asked, "Linnan Divine Tree, what about Strength System and Wood Element Abilities?"
Linnan Divine Tree: "Focus on one thing at a time. Master Water System, then look at Wood or Strength. You have Green Soldiers who donât rely on food for Wood abilities, so Wood gets a bit higher priority."
Dragon Cypress: "I kind of understand."
Linnan Divine Tree, impatient: "Just train yourself as Iâve taught, got it?"
...
...
...
Black Peach could have broken through to Evolution Mountain Lord Level two years ago.
Considering that with Soul Bond, an Assistant King may have a chance to inherit the Ant Kingâs abilities during Evolution Mountain Lord Level,
Dragon Cypress arranged for Black Peach to wait for two years, letting himself evolve to Evolution Lord first, then she would evolve.
...
After sleeping for five days,
Black Peach woke up smoothly, shed her old carapace, and donned a new one.
She became a first-age Mountain Lord-Level Assistant King inheriting Wood Element Talent.
Dragon Cypress immediately noticed and went up to check.
Unfortunately,
The shed carapace was green, but the new one was pure black like a Giant-Headed Antâs, with five green rings on the abdomen.
The Huagi Divine Treeâs judgment was accurateâBlack Peachâs Forest Symbiont didnât awaken a true âsymbiosisâ like Dragon Cypress had.
Five green rings on her abdomen meant five Wood capabilities, likely the same five Dragon Cypress now mastered.
After making sure she ate and drank her fill,
Dragon Cypress led her to a small forest planted with Thousand Mountains Wild Peas, bean-grass vines, and Alfalfa grass.
"Black Peach, youâve newly comprehended three abilities?"
"Yes, Great King, theyâre your Bean Vine Entanglement, Flying Leaf, and Tranquility abilities."
"Give it a try."
"Alrightââ"
The grass and vines under the woods grew rapidly, winding toward Dragon Cypress.
Dragon Cypress swung his tentacles and smacked Black Peach, "What are you doing?"
"Great King, I made a mistake~"
Black Peach quickly redirected the bean vines, entangling two nearby Green Soldiers watching the show and binding them to the ground.
"Not bad. Thatâs about thirty percent the strength I had at Mountain Lord Level."
Dragon Cypress commented, "Now try the Flying Leaf Ability."
Black Peach: "Ohââ"
Immediately, a mass of grass leaves in the woods stood up and launched in a volley into the air.
"Pretty good."
Dragon Cypress pondered for a bit, then said, "No need to test further. Go back to the nest and restâtomorrow morning Iâll take you to Huagi Mountain and ask the Quandong Divine Tree for a few more leaves."
Dragon Cypress: "From now on, youâll be stationed at Molan Mountain, mainly using Flourish and Tranquility to help the Divine-Given Seeds grow there."
Dragon Cypress added, "Make sure to focus on Senior Orchid Mantis and Junior Orchid. Senior Orchid Mantis has twelve Divine-Grade Fruits hanging, burden is heavy. Junior Orchid was born weak, so give her extra care."
"Understood, Great King."
Black Peach agreed crisply.
At last, sheâd get to manage a Land of Origin Force independently, just like Black Cory and Black Leaf.
The key point: she wouldnât have to stay glued to the Ant King anymore.
Following the Ant King meant getting beaten up ten times a day.