The Dragon Cypress rested well.
Ink Orchid continued to lead the way, flying high up in the sky and directly descending to a location on the mountainside between two towering peaks.
"Dragon Cypress, that's my home over there!"
A natural cave located on a steep cliff.
"Dragon Cypress, look, that's my Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed. Do you want to visit my cave first or see my Divine-Given Seed?"
"The Divine-Given Seed..."
A large clump of Orchid Grass on the slope beneath the sheer cliff.
Strengthened by the nurturing of the Insect Clan's Life Pouch, the Divine-Given Seed had grown gigantic, with the Orchid Grass standing over a meter tall, its leaves long and thick, and a rich green color.
Ordinary Orchid Grass prefers the shade.
The Life Level of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed had increased, demanding much more sunlight. Ink Orchid realized this and used the same method Dragon Cypress had used to kill the arbors in his Territory: girdling and peeling the bark away, cutting off the phloem to kill the trees that blocked the light.
She also used rocks and thorny branches to construct a large circular barricade.
Dragon Cypress followed Ink Orchid, gliding to land outside the barricade and crawling closer.
Vaguely, he felt a strange Mental Power Fluctuation tinged with anger and panic.
"The Divine-Given Seed will develop its own consciousness and wisdom."
"Its territorial consciousness is particularly strong, and its temperament isn't very good..."
Ink Orchid explained, stopping by the edge of the barricade.
"Dragon Cypress, look, the tallest one in the center is the main body of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed. The rhizomes spread underground, and all around it are divisions; the divisions are responsible for flowering and fruiting. Currently, there are seven, with each condensing 11 Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds, resulting in a fixed annual yield of 77 Orchid Seeds."
"However, I have a feeling that when I evolve into an intermediate warrior, the number of divisions will increase, and the annual harvest will, too."
"You're right! You're so smart, Ink Orchid," Dragon Cypress, filled with admiration, complimented her, saying, "I understand this matter. The herbaceous Divine-Given Seeds indeed grow through division, and the number changes as the warrior evolves, following a regular pattern."
Dragon Cypress elaborated, "When you become an intermediate warrior, the existing seven divisions of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed's rhizomes will each divide again. Each division might produce two new rhizomes, thus adding 14 new divisions, or it might produce three, making 21 in total."
"What's more impressive is when five or seven new rhizomes are produced. As you advance to intermediate warrior, High-Level Warrior, Mountain Lord, or Lord, the number of divisions will increase by fivefold or sevenfold, making its scale and output comparable to Arbor-type Divine-Given Seeds. However, such herbaceous Divine-Given Seeds are rare, with only a few ever recorded historically."
"Fivefold? Sevenfold?"
Ink Orchid listened with surprise and hope. "If it's fivefold, when I evolve into an intermediate warrior, does that mean I'll add 35 new divisions? Then, every year I would harvest..."
Ink Orchid hesitated, struggling with the calculation.
Dragon Cypress said, "The fruit yield from the divisions always remains constant. If it's a fivefold division rate, once you become an intermediate warrior, you'll be able to harvest 462 Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds each year. If it's at a sevenfold rate, then 616 Fruit-Scented Orchid Seeds."
"Wow!" Ink Orchid exclaimed.
"Dragon Cypress, did you just calculate that outright? That's amazing!"
Ink Orchid immediately followed up with a question, "Dragon Cypress, do you know the exact rate of division for the Fruit-Scented Orchid?"
"I don't know. There's no related information in the Inherited Memory. Among my knowledge and experiences, there are no similar records for reference."
Dragon Cypress said, "Even among Orchid Grass, different species have different division patterns."
Dragon Cypress quickly added, "Ink Orchid, your Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed is very valuable. Its enhancement effect is the kind all Insect Clan members need."
"Really?" Ink Orchid was pleased but questioned, "Why?"
Dragon Cypress explained, "For all Insect Clan members, Evolution during the younger Age Periods is relatively easy. One simply sleeps and wakes up a little weak from energy depletion. However, Evolution during the Great Ranks is extremely difficult and dangerous. For example, when a Primary Warrior evolves into an intermediate warrior during the ninth Age Period, they will sleep for a long time without eating. It's very possible that due to insufficient Physical Strength, they could unknowingly die of hunger in their sleep."
"The higher the level of Evolution, the longer the sleep during Great Rank breakthroughs, and the more perilous it becomes. That's why all Insect Clan Warriors need Origin Force Food with Physique Enhancement effects. Any commodity in high demand naturally fetches a high price, and the rarer it is, the higher the price."
"I understand," Ink Orchid said.
Dragon Cypress spoke in great detail, and Ink Orchid was very smart. Not only did she understand what was being said, but she also discovered new questions.
"Dragon Cypress, then what about the strengthening effects of the worthless Life Seeds? What are they?"
Dragon Cypress pointed at the dense forest in the distance, where another six Common Life Seed Orchid Grasses belonging to Ink Orchid were planted.
"Ink Orchid, let me be frank; please don't get angry or upset. Stone Orchid Seeds are not valuable, and you shouldn't eat too many of them. Being too fat will somewhat affect your movements. However, it's not a big problem. In the future, you can consider buying some Origin Force Food that provides Comprehensive Physique Enhancement..."
When it came to Evolution and growth, Dragon Cypress also knew a lot.
Ink Orchid, lacking guidance from the elder members of the Tribe and having limited knowledge from Inherited Memory, had already encountered a few minor issues.
Dragon Cypress patiently explained it to her all over again.
After visiting the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed, Ink Orchid then led Dragon Cypress on a tour of the various-colored Orchid Grasses she had sown in the nearby forest, eventually entering the cave she resided in for a visit.
It was an ordinary cave of a moderate size, where Ink Orchid had dug four holes in the stone wall to store Seeds.
Darkness fell, and they rested for the night.
「The next day at dawn.」
Ink Orchid led Dragon Cypress on a flight over the mountain range, arriving at the southern side of the mountains.
This side also had a high Origin Force Concentration and faced southeast, benefiting from more abundant sunlight in the morning, with the mountain range acting as a boundary. The temperature to the south was noticeably warmer than to the north.
After obtaining the Dominating Throne, Dragon Cypress had considered the possibility of digging up the three Life Seed Cypress trees he had already planted and transporting them south using the Dominating Throne.
This place was an excellent choice!
"Dragon Cypress, the mountain is vast. You live on the south side, and I'll live on the north side. It won't be crowded at all, right?"
Ink Orchid once again extended her invitation, albeit more subtly.
"Yes..."
"I will move over tomorrow!"
Such a great place definitely warranted a move.
Dragon Cypress quickly agreed to move, then said, "Ink Orchid, let's walk around and see. I can't understand why the Origin Force Concentration would be so high in this place."
"Sure, sure."
Ink Orchid said, "Dragon Cypress, where do you want to look? Let's hurry up. Let's move today."
Dragon Cypress pointed toward a mountain peak in the direction of the Divine Force Barrier and said, "Over there!"
To the southwest of the mountain range, in the direction of the Divine Force Barrier, stood a towering mountain with a thin Origin Force Concentration, reaching almost to an Origin Force vacuum. To the northeast of the mountain range, there was also a towering peak, where the Origin Force Concentration was even lower, and further away, the Origin Force was equally depleted.
Ink Orchid's dwelling was situated on a small mountain located between two majestic peaks. Centered on this small mountain, there was an approximately four-to-five-kilometer stretch of mountain range where the Origin Force Concentration was exceptionally high, dispersing in all directions.
Dragon Cypress asked Ink Orchid whether she had searched to the south along the Divine Force Barrier, but she had not found a second similar towering mountain range, nor a second mountain with such an extremely high Origin Force Concentration. Ink Orchid had also searched inland to the northeast along the mountain range, finding the Origin Force gradually diminishing to Zero, making movement difficult for Origin Force Creatures.
The Cloud Trace Continent was still in what the Dulai Flame Spider Tribe defined as the 'Silent Period'.
He couldn't understand why such a 'Fengshui Treasure Land' could exist. Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it. Now that he had found an ideal Territory for survival and development—neither too big nor too small, just large enough to accommodate both himself and Ink Orchid—that was enough.
「In the afternoon.」
Urged by Ink Orchid, Dragon Cypress returned to his own Territory to start the moving process.