A Specialized Worker Ant emerged, carrying a Bamboo Tube used for humidifying the Hatchery.
Under Dragon Cypress's guidance, Ink Orchid held the pot with both claws and poured the hot water into the Bamboo Tube.
"Ink Orchid, try it!" Dragon Cypress called out, reminding, "Be careful, it's hot."
"WOW! WOW! WOW! Hot water! Amazing! Dragon Cypress, you know so much!" Ink Orchid leaned in, licked it tentatively, and then burst into a series of cheers and exclamations.
"Dragon Cypress, what else? What other functions are there?"
"Another function is to turn water into ice cubes. The method is similar, but you need to make water first, then press this button with a snowflake pattern," Dragon Cypress guided.
Ink Orchid poured out the hot water, sealed the lid, refilled it with Origin Force to make water, pressed the button, and continued infusing Origin Force.
She then opened it again.
Inside the pot was a solid block of ice. She turned the pot upside down, and a round ice cube, about one centimeter thick, fell out.
"When making water, the blue halo at the mouth of the pot indicates the amount of water being made. A full circle of the halo means a full pot, a half circle means half a pot, and so on..." Dragon Cypress explained in detail, paused, and then asked, "Ink Orchid, where did you find this Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot? Did you discover some Starship Wreckage?"
"No..." Ink Orchid, marveling at the pot with the ice cube, recounted, "This time I didn't follow the Divine Force Barrier straight south but zigzagged instead. Then I found a big river. Curious about where it came from, I flew upstream along the riverbank. I noticed something shimmering in the flattened grass on the riverbank, went to check it out, and dug it up."
Dragon Cypress fell silent. That was most likely a single piece scattered when a Starship fell from the Outworld to the ground. After thousands of years, it should have been buried deep underground. Perhaps because the empty pot was light, it had, remarkably, not sunk into the earth. Ink Orchid must have been blessed by the Natural God; she always seems to find good things.
"Dragon Cypress, you try the hot water too." Ink Orchid happily finished the hot water in the Bamboo Tube and, holding the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot, poured a Bamboo Tube full for Dragon Cypress.
Dragon Cypress took a sip and said leisurely, "This pot has other brilliant uses. Ink Orchid, think a bit."
Ink Orchid said, "In the cold winter, we drink hot water. In the hot summer, we drink ice water."
"That..." Dragon Cypress trailed off. "Those are basic uses that even a Tentacle could think of; they don't count as brilliant. Use your brain."
Ink Orchid replied, "I have thought about it, but I can't figure it out. Just tell me, Dragon Cypress."
"Alright then," Dragon Cypress organized his thoughts and said, "There are quite a few Ice-Fire Water-Making Pots. Back then, several warehouses full of backpacks were found, numbering over 10,000, each equipped with one of these pots."
"Some clever insects quickly figured out how to use the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot and rapidly spread the knowledge, leading powerful and wealthy Insect Kings and Lords to scramble to buy them. They were passed down from generation to generation, and to this day, the vast majority are still controlled by Insect Kings and Lords."
"As time went on, this item became increasingly valuable. Normally, owners became reluctant to use them carelessly, fearing damage from frequent use. They would only take them out to use when entertaining important guests."
"If it's a hot summer day, they would chop up various tasty fruits and put them in, add a bit of honey, then freeze it. The resulting ice cube is not only refreshing but also sweet and delicious."
"Melde once made one for me to taste; I will never forget that flavor."
"If it's spring, autumn, or the cold winter season, then they make hot water and add a few tea leaves or dried flowers that retained their fragrance. It tastes wonderful too."
Dragon Cypress continued, "Once insects become wealthy, they start caring about the taste of food and maintaining appearances."
Ink Orchid digested this information for a while and then asked, "Dragon Cypress, does that mean we are considered wealthy insects?"
Dragon Cypress explained, "Being wealthy means having Origin Force Food to eat every day. It means having so much Origin Force Food that you can't finish it all, so you trade the surplus for Source Stones to fill up your Treasury."
"Oh..." Ink Orchid said, "Then are we very poor now?"
Dragon Cypress swayed his Tentacles, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Ink Orchid asked, "How much would the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot be worth in Source Stones?"
Dragon Cypress replied, "The outer coating is gone, so the price will drop. Rarity dictates value. Although the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pots are miraculous and practical, they are numerous and not rare, so they don't sell for a high price."
He estimated, "It's probably worth about seven or eight thousand Source Stones."
"Seven or eight thousand Source Stones? My Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed produces Orchid Seeds worth only 1,540 Source Stones a year?" Ink Orchid exclaimed, "That's still a lot! If we sold it and exchanged it for Origin Force Food..."
"If we sold it for Origin Force Food, the time I need to advance from a Mid-Level Warrior to a High-Rank Warrior would be significantly reduced. Dragon Cypress, you could also quickly advance to a Mid-Level Ant King."
"After I become a High-Level Warrior, the yield and quality of the Divine-Given Fruit-Scented Orchid Seed will increase if it is split further. Moreover, by continuously gestating and sowing Life Seeds, the income from Common Life Seed Plants will also increase. My territory's yield would greatly increase every year."
"The same goes for you, Dragon Cypress. After you advance to a Mid-Level Ant King, you could breed more and stronger Worker Ants and Soldier Ants. By quickly gestating and sowing the Deep Blue God-Given Seed, the output of your territory would skyrocket."
"The benefits are numerous!"
Dragon Cypress was baffled. This was completely out of character for Ink Orchid.
Dragon Cypress listened, incredulous, and asked skeptically, "Ink Orchid, are you planning to sell the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot?"
Ink Orchid replied, "I'm not planning to..."
She suggested, "Dragon Cypress, stop digging the water pool for now. Let's go together into the depths of the continent; we're sure to find another one! If we do, we'll sell it and split the spoils!"
"Er—" Dragon Cypress was left speechless. You really are a cunning little sprite, he thought. I almost believed you'd suddenly become enlightened, changed your ways, and grown smarter. All this talk, just to coax me into treasure hunting with you!
Dragon Cypress seriously considered her suggestion for a moment. It wasn't a bad idea.
Firstly, although the Specialized Worker Ants are large, they are merely Semi-Origin Force Life Forms, equivalent to the Primary-Level Ant King tier. They are weak, cannot endure the cold, and become lethargic on cold, rainy days. If the temperature drops further in a few days, they might simply stop working altogether. It would be better to be a good king and let them return to the Ant Nest for a break.
Secondly, all Origin Force Creatures depend on an Origin Force environment to survive. Without Origin Force, they become exhausted and weak, which could even be fatal. Here on Cloud Trace Continent, the deeper regions are an Origin Force vacuum and have likely never been searched. The Dominating Throne, capable of storing vast amounts of Origin Force and assisting in its replenishment, could perfectly solve this problem. Relying on the Dominating Throne, he and Ink Orchid were capable of exploring the depths of Cloud Trace Continent.
Seeing Dragon Cypress was moved, Ink Orchid continued to reason with him:
"Dragon Cypress, you are already three years old; in another two years, you will start aging. You need to hurry up and evolve into a Mid-Level Ant King."
"Also, didn't you say that once we evolve into High-Level Warriors, we wouldn't have to fear attacks from the Ant Kingdom of the neighboring Ten Thousand Nations Continent? We need to hurry and become High-Level Warriors."
"And, Dragon Cypress, you also said that although there is Origin Force near the Divine Force Barrier, its abundance is insufficient; it's unlikely to give birth to a Divine-Given Seed. It has to be a place with rich Origin Force, like the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent and Ten Thousand Nations Continent, that has a slim chance. We dare not go to the Ten Thousand Nations Continent. Thus, we can only search here on Cloud Trace Continent, not just for Outworld Civilization Artifacts but also for other territories rich in Origin Force, similar to the mountain range territory..."
Usually, it was Dragon Cypress who did the talking, and Ink Orchid who listened.
It turned out Ink Orchid could be incredibly verbose when she got going, much more so than him.
"Ink Orchid, you're right. The Marsh Gas Pool and the water pool aren't urgent for now," Dragon Cypress quickly agreed with Ink Orchid's suggestion, adding, "However, before we set out, we must make thorough preparations to ensure our territory is completely secure."