Chapter 528 - 507 Your Gift Is Given for Free!

Ten Thousand Nations Continent.

Seven-Leaf, Natsumi, Melde, White Ivy, Grass Dragon, Lupine, and Silvergrass—a big group of spiders scattered and waiting at the Starship’s exit corridor.

"They’re back."

Seven-Leaf slowly stood up.

Finally back!

Grass Dragon leapt up and bounced forward, spiritual power sweeping about, just about to interrogate—and suddenly froze: Insect Clan Little Warrior!

The soul-strong Seven-Leaf also noticed at the same time, mind racing, and murmured in confusion: "That Shield Grasshopper Little Warrior from Huagi Mountain? Name’s Ivy? How did the Dragon Cypress Ant King trick the Huagi Mountain’s little warrior to come over?"

Melde, White Ivy, and the whole spider crowd lost their composure, all jumping up.

Huagi Mountain isn’t like other places.

The little warriors of Huagi Mountain are not like other little warriors.

So small, let out running wild—if something happened to it, that’d be hard to explain.

Seven-Leaf thumped the ground hard with its front legs, calling out: "Slow down! Slow down! Red Peach, Heliotrope, you two slow down!"

Red Peach slowed down.

"Seven-Leaf Lord! This is the Huagi Mountain Shield Grasshopper Little Warrior, Ivy!"

Heliotrope led Ivy out of the tunnel.

Red Peach led out Column Spotted.

Column Spotted, full of enthusiasm, introduced Ivy in turn, "Ivy, this is Lord Melde! My direct elder. This is Lord White Ivy. This is..."

So many big spiders~

Ivy circled curiously atop Heliotrope’s head, looking around.

Introductions and greetings finished.

Seven-Leaf was the first to ask: "Little Ivy, are you here in the Ten Thousand Nations Continent for fun?"

"My name is Ivy!"

Ivy: "When I left Huagi Mountain, it was agreed I’d come to broaden my horizons, but the Dragon Cypress Ant King actually wanted to trick me into helping it with trade."

Seven-Leaf: "..."

Seven-Leaf: "Did you get duped?"

Ivy: "I only pretended to be tricked. I figured learning some roving merchant trade skills and meeting some Flame Spider friends wouldn’t do me any harm."

Seven-Leaf: "..."

Seven-Leaf: "Where are your elders? Did Mountain Lord Yellow Stem agree to this?"

Ivy: "What Yellow Stem says doesn’t count. On Huagi Mountain, what the Quandong Divine Tree says goes. In the Purple Tung Insect Nation, the Banner Divine Tree calls the shots."

"..."

The spiders collectively fell silent.

"Interesting little warrior." Seven-Leaf untied the spider silk rope binding goods to its carapace, pulled out a petite spider silk bag and opened it, beginning to pick through the wares.

Presenting gifts again~ Melde felt a pang of irritation at this but also helpless, forced to untie its own spider silk rope and follow suit...

Ivy said unhurriedly: "Before leaving, the Quandong Divine Tree reminded me, there’s no lack of food on Huagi Mountain, no need to take gifts from the caravan."

"..."

Another wave of silent spiders.

Column Spotted, who had just received gifts from both Dragon Cypress and Ivy, couldn’t help but ask: "Why’s that?"

Ivy: "I’m not sure, either. But the Quandong Divine Tree is an ancient and wise Divine Tree. Even the Dragon Cypress Ant King seeks its advice and learns from it. If it says so, it’s got to be right—just follow its words."

Column Spotted: "Uh..."

Seven-Leaf and Melde reluctantly packed up their stuff again.

White Ivy rummaged through the goods and took out a golden metal can, opened it, and used a thread of spider silk to solemnly draw out a white metal circular ring inlaid with a milky gem.

"Ivy, look!"

White Ivy infused Origin Force into the ring.

Primordial Energy responded, forming a layer of pristine lily-of-the-valley patterns on White Ivy’s shell.

"!!!"

Ivy’s eyes went wide, "Rose Ring! Mountain Lord Ink Orchid has a similar treasure! Its one has bright red rose patterns!"

White Ivy: "Exactly!"

White Ivy skillfully looped a spider silk rope, fastened the Lily of the Valley Ring, and floated it in front of Ivy with a flourish: "Ivy, this is a little gift for our first meeting."

"That’s not a little gift..."

Ivy hesitated, then accepted it, hooking it on two antennae, tested infusing Origin Force, studied it happily for a moment, then said seriously:

"Now I understand why the Quandong Divine Tree told me not to accept the caravan’s gifts."

White Ivy: "Why’s that?"

Ivy: "By taking your gift today, I form a bond, and in the future, when we trade, I’ll have to repay it a hundredfold, a thousandfold."

Ivy: "But, Lord White Ivy, you might be miscalculating. The best Divine-Given Seeds from Huagi Mountain have already been used up by Yellow Stem, and the ones left for me..."

Ivy waggled her antennae, paused, and continued: "In the future, all of my territory’s Origin Force Food will be sold to the Dragon Cypress Ant King. Mountain Lord Ink Orchid loves these intriguing Outworld Civilization Artifacts—if you give it to them, you might get a great return. Give it to me, and it’s a wasted gift!"

White Ivy: "???"

This was prepared as a congratulatory gift for Ink Orchid’s Evolution Lord advancement anyway.

This little Grasshopper sure has a sharp tongue~ White Ivy was indignant, wanting to snatch the item back.

Column Spotted and Heliotrope—the two little spiders—were completely dumbfounded.

Seven-Leaf grinned and said: "Little Ivy, you’re overthinking it—Lord White Ivy is always gracious, loves giving gifts to clever little warriors, there’s no such scheme in mind."

Ivy shook her antennae and didn’t argue further.

White Ivy shifted gears and asked with curiosity: "Little Ivy, I heard your Shield Grasshopper Warriors are born with a type of vision ability, able to see souls and distinguish black from white, good from evil?"

Ivy: "Yes."

White Ivy pointed with a claw at Seven-Leaf, "Look at this old spider—black or white?"

Ivy: "All intelligent life is complex. The older, the more complex. Black or white, good or evil, can’t be simply judged. Our Shield Grasshopper Tribe Warriors only see—we don’t say, can’t say."

The very first top Great Tribe on the Cloud Trace Continent—their little ones really are different!

The spiders all clicked their tongues in amazement.

Ivy: "Don’t stare at me. Let’s get back to business. The Dragon Cypress Ant King’s waiting for a reply."

Red Peach said: "The Dragon Cypress Ant King and Mountain Lord Ink Orchid still need more of those Divine-Grade Fruits that give Elemental Talent. Aside from Wood element, there’s need for all the other types."

Heliotrope added: "The Dragon Cypress Ant King asked us to tell Aconite and Spider King Spurge for help, to ask around—they’re willing to pay a high price..."

Melde: "Have so many Source Stones, nowhere to spend them?"

Seven-Leaf: "Let’s talk down the mountain. Ivy, come meet the Aconite Spider King with me."

...

...

...

Evening.

The rumbling sound of stone slab wheelcarts racing by.

Red Peach pulled a cart full of Source Stones, Heliotrope carried Ivy, and they came running over.

Heliotrope: "Dragon Cypress Ant King, about the Divine-Grade Fruit—Spider King Spurge, Aconite, Wormwood, Heliotrope, and Purple Jade—the five Spider Kings were all asked."

Red Peach shook her antennae, "They do know there are two caravans with Divine-Grade Fruits that grant Elemental Talent, but none of them can actually get them."

Dragon Cypress knew deep down—it’s not that they can’t get them; in the simplest case, just use Soul-Setting Fruit or Kunlun Seed from Cloud Trace Continent to trade.

The old spiders want to use this as an excuse to lay groundwork for jacking up prices later.

Of course, the Spider Kings also need to ask around first before naming a price.

Divine-Grade Fruits that grant Elemental Talent really are rare—combined across Ten-thousand Tribes Continent and Ten Thousand Nations Continent, there might only be a dozen, maybe just a few.

Inside the Dulai Flame Spider Tribe, things are easier; with other Flame Spider Tribes, though, it’s more complicated and naturally pricier.

If things pass through a few hands, Spider Kings will each take a cut. If resold three or more times, the price will really skyrocket.

No need to rush—wait a year or two, or a few years, and news of those Divine-Grade Fruits will come along. Decide then.

Dragon Cypress politely said, "Red Peach, Heliotrope, Ivy, thank you all."

Red Peach: "No need to thank us, Dragon Cypress Ant King."

Heliotrope: "No trouble at all."

Ivy wiggled her antennae, activated Origin Force—lily-of-the-valley Primordial Energy patterns covered her whole body, "Mountain Lord Ink Orchid, look, what’s this!"