Chapter 899: Chapter 655: The Second Flight Mode

"Old Spider! You again!"

"Old Spider? Who taught you that this time?"

"Taught? Do I need to be taught? The Mantis, the Ants, that other Spider, and the other insects, don’t they all call you Old Spider?"

"..."

The Snow Velvet Spider King turned and looked around, then sighed softly: "Maybe I really am getting a bit old."

"..."

The insects following behind the Snow Velvet Spider King were collectively awkward. They wanted to refute that, but had no idea how to say it.

Dragon Cypress had called him Old Spider behind his back before.

The other insects were still especially respectful toward the Snow Velvet Spider King.

That bastard Bicolor Mulberry was stirring things up on purpose.

"Bicolor Mulberry—"

Ink Orchid dragged out the syllables, full of warning, and asked, "When will the fruits ripen?"

Bicolor Mulberry suddenly switched personalities and answered obediently, "Reporting to Second King, it’ll probably take another five days."

Ink Orchid hurriedly called out, "Snow Velvet Spider King, we still have to wait five days. Let’s go sit under the White Poplar Divine Seed tree and eat while we wait."

"Mantis! How is it all you ever know is eating?"

Bicolor Mulberry was annoyed, then shifted tone magnanimously: "Forget it. You all go eat. Spider stays, I have something to discuss with you."

Mantis: "..."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "What is it?"

Bicolor Mulberry asked, "Big Spider, I hear you’re buying Divine-Grade Fruit?"

Snow Velvet Spider King: "...Yes."

Bicolor Mulberry: "What’s the price?"

The Snow Velvet Spider King replied truthfully, "Divine-Grade Fruit that grants Elemental Abilities, going by Northern Hemisphere prices, when we Flame Spider Roving Merchants sell them, at most they go for 3 million Source Stones per fruit. Buy-in price is roughly 2 to 2.5 million Source Stones per fruit."

"At the moment there are no Divine-Grade Fruit that grant Water System Defense Ability, and Fire Defense Ability is extremely rare in itself, so the two fruits you produced, Bicolor Mulberry, are rare stock from the start, and will very likely fetch a high price."

"Got it!"

Bicolor Mulberry: "Two fruits, sold to the Spider, the price would be between 4 and 5 million Source Stones."

Snow Velvet Spider King: "More or less. As for the exact price, that depends on how good the Ability granted is."

Dragon Cypress immediately knew what this guy Bicolor Mulberry wanted to say. He turned, waved his claw, and ordered:

"Black Sophora, go to the Treasury and haul over 5 million Source Stones. Black Persimmon, take some Worker Ants and dig fifty big pits under the tree, bury the Source Stones in piles of a hundred thousand each. Bicolor Mulberry, spread your roots over there yourself, take them as you need."

"...All right."

"...Understood, Great King."

Black Sophora and Black Persimmon were a bit dazed.

Bicolor Mulberry was pleasantly surprised and praised loudly, "Boss Dragon Cypress, what a grand gesture! No wonder Boss Dragon Cypress is rolling in wealth!"

"Cut the crap!"

Dragon Cypress flicked his tentacles and called out, "Snow Velvet Spider King, Ink Orchid, let’s continue the banquet."

Bicolor Mulberry: "Enjoy your meal, Boss Dragon Cypress~"

...

Five days later,

The Dominating Throne carried Ink Orchid, drifting up to the treetop. Hydra Power activated, invisible tendrils swayed, and Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid each picked one fruit.

They lightly gnawed away the outer Fruit Pulp that only had ordinary Divine-Given enhancement, revealing the off-white and brownish-red spherical Fruit Cores inside. Seven or eight centimeters in diameter, the wooden shell wasn’t thick. Even sealed in Ant King Jelly, they could probably only be preserved for one to two years, and shouldn’t be kept longer than two.

Brand new Divine Grade!

After a simple rinse, they first passed one to the Snow Velvet Spider King to inspect, then it circulated among the other insects for everyone to broaden their horizons, and finally returned to the claws of Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid.

Dragon Cypress took the Divine-Grade White Mulberry Fruit.

Ink Orchid took the Divine-Grade Red Mulberry Fruit.

They entered the Ant Nest and each chose a cave to use.

Late at night,

Ink Orchid was the first to wake from deep sleep, with Dragon Cypress right behind.

Under the White Poplar Divine Seed tree, the insects led by the Snow Velvet Spider King had already been waiting for a day.

"How is it?"

"Fire Defense Ability!"

"Water System Defense Ability!"

"Then..."

"I’ll go first!"

Ink Orchid flicked aside in a flash, moving away from the shade of the White Poplar Divine Seed tree. Fire System Primordial Energy surged within, and on his Carapace, countless hemispherical crimson bulges swelled up densely.

Defenses shaped like tumorous protuberances formed from condensed flames, the ultra-high temperature held inward without flaring out.

"Let me try!"

Snakebark Maple rushed out eagerly. Before Ink Orchid even agreed, his tentacles twitched and a blue-violet Lightning lash snapped out, whipping Ink Orchid’s Carapace.

With a splash-like crack, the hemispherical crimson bulges burst high-temperature flames, forcibly bouncing the Thunder Whip away.

"Lightning-type Abilities don’t work. Try some material-type attacks~!"

Ink Orchid volunteered his own test conditions. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Earth System Abilities? I’ll do it!"

White Rice stepped forward and swung his claw. The soil in front of him turned into hundreds of sharp earthen spikes, shooting toward Ink Orchid.

Another series of loud, crackling blasts.

The high-temperature flames erupting from the hemispherical crimson bulges bounced the earthen spikes away while melting them into viscous lava that splashed to the ground.

"Nice! Nice! That’s a very powerful Fire Defense Ability!"

The Snow Velvet Spider King gave his evaluation, extremely satisfied, then turned slightly to look at Dragon Cypress.

Dragon Cypress said nothing, only moved a little farther from the White Poplar Divine Seed tree. Water Creation Ability and his newly comprehended Ability activated at the same time, and a layer of hemispherical water beads adhered to the Carapace on his body surface.

White Rice flicked his tentacles, and over a hundred sharp earthen spikes shot toward Dragon Cypress.

Pop~ pop~ pop~

The hemispherical water beads burst, and the earthen spikes were all bounced away.

"My turn!"

Ink Orchid raised a claw and pointed; a silver flash sliced through.

The hemispherical water beads covering Dragon Cypress’ body burst completely in an instant. Dragon Cypress jolted and leapt up, tentacles standing straight, glaring coldly at Ink Orchid.

"Oh—"

"I forgot. That’s an ordinary Ability! You can’t test its power with a Divine Mark Ability."

"It’s fine! Again!"

Ink Orchid lifted his claw.

"Stop!"

Dragon Cypress cut him off and said, "No need to test. Second King, you go rest."

The Snow Velvet Spider King commented, "The Water System Defense Ability granted by the Divine-Grade White Mulberry Fruit is clearly inferior to the Fire one, but since there isn’t a second type of Divine-Grade Fruit on the continent that grants Water System Defense Ability, it can still sell for a good price."

Ink Orchid: "In that case, why don’t we use Southern Hemisphere prices to calculate..."

Dragon Cypress pressed his claw down on him and said, "Snow Velvet Spider King, don’t mind Ink Orchid. All our trades are calculated at Northern Hemisphere prices. For this Divine-Grade Dual-Colored Mulberry Fruit, 2.5 million Source Stones per fruit—what do you think?"