All beings of Origin Force—Primary-Level, Mid-Level, and High-Level—are within one realm, while Mountain Lord, Lord, and King-Level constitute another major realm.

Origin Force Food produced in a High-Level warrior's territory offers little help to the growth and evolution of Lord-Level beings.

Origin Force Food produced in a Mountain Lord-Level warrior's territory is useful for the evolution and growth of Lord-Level beings.

Dragon Cypress more or less guessed what the White Poplar Ant King was doing, but didn't rush to ask.

Wuye continued, "We also have a wild Lord-Level Divine-Given Purple Tung Seed here, which has been seized by the White Poplar Ant King. It has grown for thousands of years, the tree stands over two hundred meters tall, and blooms and bears fruit every year. There's always more Divine-Given Origin Force Food than we can eat."

Dragon Cypress: "!!!"

Ink Orchid: "!!!"

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid desperately searched their inherited memory, quickly finding detailed information on "Purple Tung." Its enhancement effect is also "Comprehensive Endurance," but it's completely different from the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed.

The Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed increases the upper limit of stored energy in the body. After eating a full meal, one can go a long time without food. To be more precise, it should be called "Hunger Resistance."

The Divine-Given Purple Tung Seed's enhancement should be called "Fatigue Resistance"—the body won't tire even during extended periods of high-intensity activity.

The Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed and the Divine-Given Purple Tung Seed make the perfect pair.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were tempted once again.

Wuye continued, "Every autumn, during the Purple Tung Seed fruiting season, the White Poplar Ant King gathers us under the tree, and we each take turns going up to praise the Natural God, the White Poplar Ant King, and the Red Phellodendron Ant Queen. If the White Poplar Ant King is pleased with your words of praise, you're rewarded with Divine-Given Purple Tung Fruit and other kinds of Origin Force Food."

Ink Orchid couldn't help but ask, "Praise? How do you praise?"

Wuye: "You just say shameless things about how powerful, brave, generous, wise, and heroic the White Poplar Ant King is."

Ink Orchid: "Uh—"

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple are both well-suited for living here~ Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid were left speechless again.

Dragon Cypress said, "The White Poplar Ant King's method seems shameless, but it's actually a clever move that kills two birds with one stone. With this simple act, it selects insects with weak characters, gives them resources to continue evolving, and lowers the risk of rebellion. At the same time, it internally divides you, breeding hostility and suspicion, making you easier to control."

Wuye: "Yes—"

Ink Orchid: "Wuye, you are a 1 Age-Period High-Level warrior."

Wuye replied, "I can die, but will never submit."

Ink Orchid asked, "How many insects have surrendered?"

Wuye replied, "None!"

Wuye added, "We sent a portion of our warriors pretending to surrender, feigning praise for the White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen. These warriors gained resources, advanced to Mountain Lord-Level warriors, and then… Our plan is… just as the White Poplar Ant King once shamelessly launched a sneak attack and killed the Red Pine Mountain Master, we too await an opportunity!"

Dragon Cypress asked in doubt, "Red Pine Mountain Master?"

Wuye explained, "A long, long time ago, this place was called 'Purple Tung Insect Nation.' Many Insect Clan Warriors lived here around the 'Divine-Given Purple Tung Seed.' Though we all descended from different races, everyone was kind and friendly, getting along in harmony."

"Back then, the most formidable Insect Clan Warrior was 'Red Pine Mountain Master,' a 9 Age-Period Mountain Lord-Level Mud Bee Warrior, the leader of the Purple Tung Insect Nation. Every year, when the Divine-Given Purple Tung fruit ripened, it would organize the harvest and fairly distribute the fruit to each warrior."

"While the Red Pine Mountain Master slept, evolving into a Lord, the despicable White Poplar Ant King suddenly launched an attack, leading its ant colony into the cave and killing it."

"The White Poplar Ant King slew all the insects, leaving only two Barley Bug Warriors. Later, it kept breeding Barley Bug Warriors, enslaving and exploiting them."

Barley Bugs are a rare Natural God System race with no combat ability. They possess Life System Talent, and all their awakened abilities are for healing injuries.

Ink Orchid, quick-witted, said, "You intend to use the same method—strike and kill the White Poplar Ant King when it sleeps and evolves!"

Wuye: "Exactly!"

Wuye said bitterly, "But we're really not good at fighting. We need more Mountain Lord-Level warriors and can only endure for now."

Wuye hopefully asked, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, could you find some skilled warriors to help us? If we succeed, we'll all share the Divine-Given Purple Tung Seed together."

Dragon Cypress: "Sorry, I'm afraid I'll need to disappoint you."

Dragon Cypress: "The continent where we live is called Cloud Trace Continent. It is currently in an Origin Force dormant period, with Origin Force Vacuum Lands everywhere. There are only a handful, very small Origin Force Points, and only a few Insect Clan Warriors—everyone is just at the High-Level stage."

Ink Orchid added, "The Purple Tung Insect Nation is the largest Origin Force Land we've found—it surpasses the combined size of all other Origin Force Lands we've discovered so far."

Wuye only half understood, but grasped that Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid couldn't find powerful warriors to come help.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Wuye, what Age-Period Lords are the White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen currently at?"

Wuye answered in frustration, "We don't know—"

Such a critical detail still unclear, and you expect to rebel?

Dragon Cypress asked again, "Roughly when did they evolve to Lord-Level?"

Wuye: "It's been over a hundred years, I believe."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Dragon Cypress: "So after it reached Lord-Level, it started allowing Barley Bug Warriors to evolve into Mountain Lord-Level, correct?"

Wuye: "Yes. It needed higher-quality Origin Force Food."

Dragon Cypress asked, "Currently, how many Mountain Lord-Level Barley Bug Warriors do you have? And when did each of them reach Mountain Lord-Level?"

Wuye: "There are 14 in total. The oldest one advanced to Mountain Lord-Level about 100 years ago. Next, 4 more did so 80 years ago, 2 more 70 years ago…"

Wuye roughly recounted the story, sighing, "Quite a few unlucky warriors failed their evolution and passed away."

Dragon Cypress asked again, "How many Assistant Kings has the White Poplar Ant King cultivated? At what Evolution Levels?"

Wuye: "A total of 10 Assistant Kings. One named 'White Thousand' is the White Poplar Ant King's favorite—he's evolved to Lord-Level. The other 9 are Mountain Lord-Level."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

With a Lord-Level Assistant King for protection, how could you possibly rebel? The pitiful combat power of Barley Bug Warriors makes resistance impossible.

Dragon Cypress asked, "Which termite subspecies exactly is the White Poplar Ant King? What Talent Abilities has it awakened?"

Wuye: "Back in the Purple Tung Insect Nation era, it used other Insect Clan Warriors' Divine-Given Seeds to strengthen itself—those warriors were all slain by it. Now, we can't tell for sure what species it is anymore, though it definitely awakened Earth Talent. It used Earth System abilities to build the grand Royal Palace."

Dragon Cypress tapped his tentacle, at last asking, "Wuye, doesn't the White Poplar Ant King usually restrict your movements?"

Wuye: "Nope."

Perhaps that White Poplar Ant King is arrogant and convinced that these Barley Bug Warriors have such weak combat ability that strict control is unnecessary.

Or perhaps the White Poplar Ant King has planted traitors among the Barley Bug Warriors, knowing their every move, simply watching them plot with enthusiasm. Then, when it's time to sleep and evolve to King-Level, it will preemptively slaughter all the Mountain Lord-Level Barley Bug Warriors.

Ink Orchid silently gazed at Dragon Cypress.

Dragon Cypress fell into a long silence, then after a while said slowly, "Wuye, do not tell anyone—including your own kin—about the existence of me and Ink Orchid. Otherwise, you'll have no hope at all, and you'll die as well."

Wuye was puzzled, saying nothing.

Dragon Cypress explained, "I'm certain the White Poplar Ant King has planted traitors among you. It knows your plans perfectly well. You simply have no chance to resist."

Wuye: "..."

Wuye didn't argue. She had always shared the same suspicion.

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid and I are variables—surprises the White Poplar Ant King did not anticipate."

Dragon Cypress: "In the Termite Kingdom, the Ant King and Ant Queen evolve in tandem. The White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen are most likely Lord-Level at Age-Period 4 to 6. Evolving to Lord-Level creates obvious Origin Force Fluctuations. Watch for their next Age-Period evolution."

Dragon Cypress: "Be smart. Observe secretly. Record the Life Seed plant species and approximate tree heights for both the White Poplar Ant King and Red Phellodendron Ant Queen. Also record the Life Seed plant species and tree heights for all your Mountain Lord-Level Barley Bug Warriors."

"Evolving to Lord-Level requires massive resources and takes ample time. Don't be hasty, don't directly question insects lest you arouse suspicion. Just be mindful on ordinary days, and keep quiet statistics."

Dragon Cypress emphasized again, "Do not reveal the existence of me and Ink Orchid to any other insect, or you will never get a chance to turn things around."

Years of roving merchant trade and ruling the Ant Kingdom had given Dragon Cypress an aura that naturally inspired trust and loyalty among insects.

Wuye nodded her tentacle vigorously, saying, "I understand!"

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid and I will leave for now, to avoid exposing ourselves. We'll return in a few years."

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