Ant Lord in the Star Realm-Chapter 685 - 585 Alliance of Offense and Defense

...

After completing the spring roving merchant trade, Dragon Cypress carried Ink Orchid and began this year's search for Divine-Given Seeds on Cloud Trace Continent.

They wandered into the Purple Tung Insect Nation.

Ink Orchid dove straight into the forest to search.

Dragon Cypress, however, headed directly for the Huagi Divine Tree.

"Huagi Divine Tree!"

"Linnan Divine Tree!"

"Night Fragrance, Purple Tung, Jinhe."

"Spruce..."

Dragon Cypress greeted them in turn, and the Dominating Throne docked beneath the trees.

Linnan Divine Tree asked, "Ant, what's the matter?"

From the looks of it, it was clearly something important.

Dragon Cypress didn't answer directly, hesitated for two seconds, and said, "Over in the Southern Hemisphere, the Shanglu Flame Spider Kingdom has proactively proposed to send away the Rainbow Island King Ant Goldna, letting me take command, and intends to support me in joining the Wave Tree Bay Kingdom Alliance, encouraging me to deal with the Stone Hunt Blue Ants of Blue Island. Mainly, that Snow Velvet Spider King has its eyes on the future potential of me and Ink Orchid."

Linnan Divine Tree made no effort to be polite and commented, "The ant's potential is average, but the mantis's potential is indeed quite good."

Huagi Divine Tree: "That Snow Velvet Spider King values the warfare potential of your Dragon Cypress ant lineage."

Linnan Divine Tree sneered, "What warfare potential do ants have? That pitiful rate at which the Dominating Throne produces ant eggs—can't even train 10,000 Specialized Green Ants in time. When the opposing armies number in the tens of millions, what use is it?"

Night Fragrance agreed, "From my observations, even if the ant evolved into a seventh-age-period Insect King, each batch the Dominating Throne produces is only 18 ant eggs, and the cycle lasts up to four days. This isn't even on the same scale as normal female Ant Kings or Bee Queens, and compared to the Queen of Termite who lays up to a thousand eggs per day... it's not even comparable."

Huagi Divine Tree: "That's the creation of the Natural God, bestowing the Ant Clan, Bee Clan, and Termite Tribe with racial abilities—the essence of it is a biological life ability, unique to females."

Huagi Divine Tree: "Did you forget? Roving Flame Spider Caravans from the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent can bring Divine-Grade Fruits with bestowals of Life Talent."

Huagi Divine Tree: "Though when the Dominating Throne was crafted, each batch's egg output was fixed and cannot be increased, but the rate of production should be able to improve, likely related to Life Force."

Huagi Divine Tree: "If we spend a hundred or two hundred years preparing and manage to raise an army of two to three hundred thousand Specialized Blue Soldiers, they'll certainly play a critically important role on the battlefield."

"..."

Silence.

Is two or three hundred thousand a lot?

Not really, is it?

Dragon Cypress: "Huagi Divine Tree, the main reason I've come is to report this matter. The original plan to migrate to Bayonet Continent will be adjusted slightly. Since the Flame Spider Roving Merchants made the initiative, we can consider seizing Rainbow Island, gaining an identity background which Bayonet Continent will recognize."

Huagi Divine Tree: "That's certainly no problem. Right now, there are only many benefits to occupying Rainbow Island and no downsides."

Huagi Divine Tree asked: "And what about the Thousand Reef Islands?"

Dragon Cypress: "The Snow Velvet Spider King also proposed that after joining the Wave Tree Bay Kingdom Alliance, a territory will be divided out from Wave Tree Bay and given to me. But I think there's absolutely no need. First, the Divine-Given Seeds produced by the territories we currently control are already enough to sustain the normal growth and evolution of Ink Orchid and myself—our thirst for land isn't quite that strong; second, Wave Tree Bay is a place of unrest, with the complicated internal powers and interest conflicts of the Wave Tree Bay United Kingdom Alliance, as well as the fierce wars with Blue Island every thirty years—it's not a good place to settle down."

Dragon Cypress: "So, I think the Thousand Reef Islands are better. We can exchange a piece of land from Wave Tree Bay for one held by the Forest Beard Bee Kingdom, and swap for the Thousand Reef Islands. All five large coastal islands currently controlled by the Forest Beard Bee Kingdom can be acquired."

The original plan was to pay some Divine-Given Origin Force Food, or even Divine-Grade Fruit, to exchange for the distant sea territories of the Thousand Reef Islands.

If it can be done this way, by exchanging land, that would of course be best.

Huagi Divine Tree thought for a moment and said, "A very rational consideration, a wise decision. I don't have any better suggestions for this—what matters is that Snow Velvet Spider King, who will have to facilitate and mediate."

Huagi Divine Tree: "A small suggestion..."

Huagi Divine Tree: "The Flame Spider Roving Merchants can't directly get involved in the war. I guess that Snow Velvet Spider King will again seek help from the Saint Butterfly Tribe. Dragon Cypress Ant King, if you want to establish yourself and grow in the Southern Hemisphere, your best option is to foster good relations with the Saint Butterfly Tribe, forming an offensive-defense alliance."

"You and the Saint Butterfly Tribe are also the easiest to form an alliance with. First, in the last big war, after the disastrous defeat in the siege for the Ocean God's Scepter, the Saint Butterfly Tribe urgently needs powerful allies like you and Ink Orchid; second, the Saint Butterfly Tribe comes from Zhibai Continent and isn't native to Bayonet Continent. And you and Ink Orchid, even if you wash your identities clean, you're still island insects far removed from Bayonet Continent, so you have common ground in your backgrounds; third, your interests align closely and aren't in major conflict. Putting aside hypocritical coverings, the main goal of the Saint Butterfly Tribe is to seize the Ocean God's Scepter. Your aim should be the wild Divine-Given Seeds on the islands."

Dragon Cypress: "...For justice."

Dragon Cypress's eyes sparkled. He tapped his tentacle and said, "Understood! Many thanks for your guidance, Huagi Divine Tree!"

"Great King!"

"Dragon Cypress Ant King!"

Spiked Cypress, Ivy, Pueraria, and Wuye all came running over together.

Spiked Cypress sprinted ahead and was the first to reach Dragon Cypress.

"Great King, good news! Round Cypress and their group have finally selected a particularly strong Silver Cypress, Seedling 1005, in the south, at Nursery No. 14!"

Dragon Cypress: "Particularly strong?"

Spiked Cypress: "It still retains the broad-leaf trait, but the trunk and branches are as thick and robust as those of a native Silver Cypress Tree."