Dragon Cypress also brought a batch of Origin Force Food for Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, staying for a few days. With the help of the Dominating Throne, Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple successfully evolved into 9th Age Period Primary Warriors.

However, they couldn't bring them along to travel everywhere anymore.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid set out and arrived at Cold Orchid Mountain.

There had been heavy rain lately, and water had accumulated in the pit.

Dragon Cypress used Water System ability to drain the water.

Ink Orchid searched for Divine-Given Seed and gathered fruit.

Four days later.

Cold Orchid Mountain had been thoroughly searched, but nothing was found.

The accumulated water in the pit was also drained. Dragon Cypress directed the accompanying Worker Ants to dig four tunnels along the four walls.

Ink Orchid went inside to check, and after a round of perception, said disappointedly, "Dragon Cypress, there's no unusual Origin Force Fluctuation."

"Then that means all the treasures have already been dug out."

"That's not necessarily the case. From my observation, the more precious the Outworld Civilization Artifacts are, the weaker their Origin Force Fluctuations, making them much harder to sense."

"When there's time, I'll bring Worker Ants over and clear out all the silt in the treasury?"

"No slacking off! We can't miss even the slightest possibility!"

Ink Orchid was steadfast in attitude.

Dragon Cypress had thought the same, but it was too big a project. Still, he agreed, "Alright—"

Dragon Cypress said, "It's getting late. Let's rest for the night and hit the road early tomorrow."

...

The southwest region of Cloud Trace Continent had been explored. The autumn route of the roving merchant was pretty much fixed; the first stop: Scarletlight Mountain.

Mulberry's various fresh Life Seeds were ripening. Mulberries and Lychees had already matured, with their sweet fragrance notable from afar.

Mulberry was watching over the fruit trees.

Ink Orchid rushed over first.

"Mulberry. Long time no see."

"Ink Orchid—"

Mulberry's gaze fixed on the Metal Case in Ink Orchid's claws, and he said in surprise, "Didn't Dragon Cypress Ant King say Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple needed to learn to survive independently, and wouldn't come this year? How did they end up coming too?"

Ink Orchid was taken aback, "No, they're staying in the territory."

Mulberry: "Then their Metal Case..."

"Oh!" Ink Orchid realized and explained:

"We dug this up from that treasury deep in the quagmire at Cold Orchid Mountain. There were quite a few. We figured these things would be useful to everyone, so we decided to sell a few at an extremely low price."

Mulberry: "!!!"

Mulberry's antennae stood straight up: Such miraculous Outworld Civilization Artifacts, and you're willing to sell them?

Mulberry's heart raced, probing, "Extremely low price?"

Ink Orchid placed the Metal Case in front of Mulberry and said, "No cheating bugs! Lowest price, 10,000 Source Stones each. Mulberry, you've got 14,616 Source Stones deposited with me and Dragon Cypress. You can absolutely buy one and use it to store your Life Seeds."

Mulberry did the math and said happily, "I'll buy one!"

Mulberry: "I still have Source Stones left?"

Ink Orchid: "Yes. 14,616 Source Stones, minus the Metal Case's 10,000, leaves a balance of 4,616 Source Stones."

Mulberry: "Good!"

Mulberry: "Ink Orchid, will Divine-Given White Rice Fruit ripen this year? When I evolved to a 3rd Age Period High-Level Warrior, I was left with a serious chronic injury. I need Ant King Honey brewed from White Rice Fruit pulp to heal..."

Ink Orchid: "I know! No problem! I'll pack you a jar of White Rice Ant King Honey worth 2,616 Source Stones, plus two jars of high-quality Origin Force Food worth 1,000 Source Stones each to enhance your Comprehensive Physique. After eating and resting through the winter, and once you trade at the start of next summer, you'll be able to prepare for evolution to Age Period 4."

"Great!" Mulberry lifted his front claws and pointed lightly at the Metal Case: It's mine now?

Ink Orchid: "It's yours!"

Ink Orchid: "Mulberry, don't worry about Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, generous Dragon Cypress Ant King gave them one for free."

...

When Dragon Cypress, controlling the Dominating Throne, arrived, Ink Orchid had already successfully sold a Metal Case.

They lingered at Scarletlight Mountain for four days, harvesting fresh Life Seed fruit, gathering mangoes and various wild fruit.

Mulberry's Life Seed fruit continued to ripen. They left behind a group of Worker Ants and Blue Ants and headed to the next destination.

First to Jianlan Plain, searched for Divine-Given Seed, no results, gathered some wild fruit along the way.

Next was White Rice Mountain.

Ink Orchid, holding a Metal Case and having detached from the Dominating Throne, flew there first.

In Black Rice's territory, the four Rice Trees' Life Seed fruit was about to ripen, but there was no bug watching over them.

Ink Orchid headed straight for the Divine-Given White Rice Seed.

As expected.

Under the tree, Red Fox was lying flat.

Black Rice was quietly crouched beside him.

White Rice also stood not far away.

Nobody moved at all.

The atmosphere felt off.

"Red Fox?"

"White Rice! Black Rice! Long time no see!"

Ink Orchid landed to greet them, and as he approached, he keenly sensed the sadness drifting in the air, and slowly lowered his paw clutching the Metal Case.

"Ink Orchid."

"Long time no see."

White Rice and Black Rice greeted him.

Red Fox, lying down, flicked his tail, making no other movement. His breath was weak, his state worrying.

From the first meeting, Red Fox rarely spoke or moved.

It wasn't that Red Fox disliked talking or moving; it was just that he was old, with both his spiritual power and body feeble, and every slight movement consumed what little life he had left.

After all these years, Red Fox…

Ink Orchid's mood fell as well, unsure how to begin to speak.

Black Rice asked, "Ink Orchid, what you're holding—is that…an Outworld Civilization Artifact?"

"…Yes."

Ink Orchid had come eager and excited, ready to promote the item.

On the way here, his pitch and payment plan were already devised.

10,000 Source Stones for a Metal Case for White Rice.

White Rice needed resources for growth and evolution, definitely reluctant to hand over so many Source Stones at once for something not exactly necessary. He could allow him to pay 2,000 first, then 1,000 per year, interest-free, paid off in eight years.

But seeing the situation now…

"We found this while digging up Starship Wreckage with Dragon Cypress…"

Ink Orchid picked up the Metal Case, continuously infused Origin Force to open it, revealing three Gorgon Fruit Seeds inside; then kept infusing Origin Force to close it, demonstrated once, and passed it to Black Rice, saying:

"Borrow it and play with it for a few days."

"Thank you—" Black Rice was downcast, not in high spirits. He took it and quietly tried it out.

White Rice came closer, watched curiously, then turned and stared at the Rose Halo hanging around Ink Orchid's neck.

"Ink Orchid, this is…"

"That's also an Outworld Civilization Artifact, but it doesn't have any practical use."

Ink Orchid took off the Circular Ring, demonstrated it, and handed it to White Rice, saying, "Borrow it and play with it for a few days too."

Red Fox strained to lift his head, glanced at it, then his head dropped heavily to the ground again. Even this small action looked exhausting, and he was breathing heavily, puffing and panting.

"Red Fox…"

Ink Orchid wanted to speak but stopped, growing more sorrowful.

...

The triennial Divine-Given White Rice Fruit harvest.

No one seemed truly happy.

An old friend of ten years, who had planted the Divine-Given White Rice Seed and raised White Rice and Black Rice, the two Insect Clan warriors—Red Fox—might not make it through this winter.

The Metal Case had its practical value, it could preserve Life Seeds better.

But it wasn't a necessity.

Seed preservation was simple enough—so far, no bug was known to have lost or damaged their own Life Seeds.

Trying to sell Metal Cases to White Rice and Black Rice, who were already not well-off, felt a little too exploitative.

Under Red Fox's clouded gaze, neither Dragon Cypress nor Ink Orchid could bring themselves to mention it.

The trade was completed.

They set course straight for Ghost Fan Mountain.

Ghost Fan was about to evolve into a 9th Age Period High-Level Warrior and was planning to seek promotion to Mountain Lord Level Wooden Darkling Beetle Warrior.

Ghost Fan was at a crucial point in evolution, needing lots of high-quality Origin Force Food, and needed to stockpile some Source Stones just in case.

At this point, trying to sell Metal Cases to Ghost Fan or Woodberry would only be cheating them.

Instead, the items were just lent to Ghost Fan and Woodberry to play with for a while.

As usual, business was conducted as normal.

After finishing up, they'd return to Scarletlight Mountain to take back the Worker Ants and Blue Ants who had been collecting fresh fruit, and pick up a load of tropical fruits along the way.

At last, they'd pick up Mulberry, and head together to Southern Sour Jujube Mountain, using Fire Element Ability to burn the forests, clearing new land with fire.

Next year, a group of Worker Ants could come to level the ground, dig channels, ponds, and build Marsh Gas Pools, opening up an orchard.

The following spring, they would transplant seedlings of Southern Sour Jujube, Blood Oranges, Black Cory Grape, Silver Cypress, Dragon Cypress, and so on, building a real orchard.

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