Astral Sand Locust

Zerg warriors possess exceptional adaptability and learning abilities.

In a brief exchange of a dozen or so sentences, Beike can skillfully use mental energy to communicate.

"Sand locust, shepherd's bean, where did you come from? I explore far and wide every year, but I've never seen you before..."

"We come from the southern wilderness, far from here."

"Going south from here, there are mountains, and further south is the desert. Crossing the desert, over the mountains, and further south are mountains, hills, and arid wastelands. We live in the arid wastelands."

"It really is far! I've only made it as far as the southern desert. I'm all alone, so I don't dare to cross the desert rashly."

"Mudou and I made thorough preparations before daring to set foot in the desert."

"Actually, the desert isn't that big. If you were to travel by flying, you could set off at dusk and cross it the next morning."

"The Desert Locust Warriors are adept at flying, so it's easy for them. We infantry warriors can only run on the sand."

"Yes."

"Shell, were you born around here?"

"No. I was born near the sea. I discovered the divine seed of the Bloodwood Tree in the desert, and then migrated here to settle down."

"Shell, did you rapidly evolve into a mid-level warrior by eating the Divine Bloodwood Seeds produced by the Divine Bloodwood Tree?"

"certainly."

"The enhancement effect of the Desert Bloodwood Tree should be to increase blood vitality, which can indirectly improve the body's vitality and the self-healing ability of internal injuries."

"That's right. It matches the description of the inherited memories."

"..."

They all chimed in with their questions and answers.

At this point, both Sha Huai and Mu Dou fell silent.

Two seconds of silence,

Sha Huai said, "There is a limit to the use of a single type of Force food. Once a certain amount is exceeded, the enhancement effect will decrease, and continued use will continue to decrease until it approaches zero."

Shell replied, "Yes. I only have God-given Bloodwood Seeds and Cedar Seeds. When I evolved into a 4th-instar intermediate warrior, their enhancement effects began to diminish. I switched to absorbing natural primal force to grow and evolve, and I plan to use the remaining amount when I evolve into a 9th-instar and break through to become a high-level warrior."

This is a meticulously planned mist armor warrior.

But that's not what Shahuai and Mudou wanted to say...

Mu Dou eagerly asked, "Beike, what about the Divine Bloodwood Seeds you didn't finish?"

The seashell pointed with its claw and said, "I couldn't bear to throw it away, so after drying it, I hid it inside the trunk of that jade tree over there."

"Inside the tree trunk?"

Mu Dou asked, "Won't it spoil?"

The seashell replied, "No."

The sand locust bent its antennae and tapped Mu Dou's head, signaling him to be quiet.

"Shell, the Bean Seeds produced by the Bean Seedling are useful for your growth and evolution. We also have a Wild Rain Tree Crown Pillar, a Divine Gift Seed, which produces Divine Gift Rain Tree Seeds that are especially important for your growth and evolution."

"In addition, the Golden Beetle Seedling left by the elder Mudou has borne fruit this year, and we can share some of the divine golden beetles with you."

"!!!"

The seashell's eyes flashed green light continuously, and it was greatly shocked and overjoyed.

"A seed bestowed by the gods, the Rain Tree Flower Crown Pillar? Food powered by the water element, a gift from the gods?"

"That's right! Water-based!"

"Elders? Mu Dou, you have elders? The Golden Beetle Tree, a divine gift?"

"Yes……"

When the topic turned to the elder, White Thorn, Mu Dou became somewhat dejected, its antennae drooping as it remained silent.

Sha Huai raised its paw and pointed to the sun in the sky, saying tactfully, "Mu Dou's elder was named Bai Ci, a high-level Yellow-edged Infantry Warrior. He was too old, and his soul ascended to the sun, returning to the embrace of the true god of nature."

"what?"

"The soul ascends to heaven?"

Beike listened in a daze, but after seeing Mudou's reaction, she immediately understood what Shahuai was trying to say and grasped the general situation.

The insect is dead.

But the divinely bestowed seed is not completely dead yet; it is still bearing fruit and will produce more this year.

"I see……"

The seashell ran along the branches of the divinely bestowed seed of the desert bloodwood tree, landed, and waved its tentacles in greeting:

"Mudou, Shahuai, come on, I'll take you to try the divinely bestowed bloodwood seeds."

...

Neatly planted rows of magnolia, bottle tree, kauri, white eucalyptus, and desert bloodwood.

Clearly, this is a forest farm where shells are cultivated and managed, with the largest number of magnolias and bottle trees, interspersed with other types of trees.

With the shell leading the way, the three insects arrived at a large, withered tree that was over twenty meters tall and had a trunk diameter of five or six meters.

The magnolia tree, one of the most resourceful plants in the semi-arid wasteland, has an exceptionally thick trunk that can store water during the rainy season and provide emergency shelter during the dry season.

The tree in front of me grew exceptionally tall, then it was hollowed out by seashells to make a storage warehouse, and then it died.

...

It is a carefully designed section of tunnel that slopes upwards to prevent rainwater and moisture from flowing back in.

Passing through the wooden tunnel, you enter a hemispherical space with a diameter of about four meters.

On the ground, food containing two different primal energies was piled up together.

One type is the divinely bestowed bloodwood seed.

Another type is the fruit of the kauri species.

Two kinds of Force food filled the entire tree hole space, piling up to a thickness of more than one meter.

It is not produced in the same year, but accumulated over many years.

"Sand locust, bean, you can eat whatever you like."

The shells greeted us warmly.

"OK."

"it is good."

The sand locust and the mu dou were initially stunned and speechless, but then they could not contain their joy and began to wave their antennae and jump around in celebration.

After the cheers,

The two insects then realized a small problem.

Mudou has just evolved to the 2nd age.

The interval between evolutions for intermediate-level warriors is more than six months.

The interval between the evolutions of the sand acacia tree is long enough, but the life seed for the intermediate warrior stage has not yet been determined, the life sac is empty, and it cannot evolve.

"..."

"Sand locust, you can eat some first, calculate the dosage, and just don't evolve to the second age stage."

"good!"

"Mu Dou, you can eat some too, just a little, it's fine."

"OK!"

"Shell, how many years ago was the Force food underneath harvested?"

"Three years ago? I cleaned it up once three years ago. Unfortunately, the original energy was lost and it became ineffective."

"What a pity!"

"What a waste!"

"Don't waste it! Let's eat the bottom layer first!"

"Sand locust, you eat more! I'll take some, you eat."

"Okay! Mu Dou, you eat too. Come back here in six months to evolve into your third-instar form."

"Alright! Shahuai, you need to find the divinely bestowed seed quickly."

"..."

"Sand locust, herb bean, you can eat as much as you want. In six months, the fruits of the Kauri Fate Seed and the Desert Bloodwood Tree God-given Seed will ripen and be harvested again, and there will be more than you can eat."

"Okay. Eat up."

"We're all friends. We won't stand on ceremony with you."

"Shell, when our divinely gifted scarab beetles are ripe and harvested, we'll give you a larger share."

"You can also eat the beans produced by my Bean Seedling."

"Great! Great! Excellent! I feel that if I don't hurry up and evolve, I'll get old. Once I enter old age, the risk of evolutionary failure increases dramatically."

"Shell, are you 10 years old?"

"I think you were in your teens? That was so long ago, I can't remember clearly."

"..."

The three insects chatted and worked at the same time.

Shells help to scoop it out.

Mu Dou helped peel the shells.

The locust tree lay inside the cave, eating as much as it wanted.

After eating two cedar seeds, Shell took out a bloodwood seed from three years ago.

After peeling off the black outer shell, the kernel inside is dark brown and covered with blood-like veins.

"Crack—Sizzle—"

The sand locust held it with both hands, and cautiously tried to bite off a small piece.

Sweet and delicious.

Once inside the stomach, it condenses into a tangible form of primal energy, slowly unfolding and merging into the bloodstream, where it is digested and absorbed.

The blood seemed to be given life, circulating and flowing through the body, transmitting and affecting the body, bringing indescribable wonderful sensations.

Even more primal force, which couldn't be digested and absorbed in time, escaped through the gaps in the carapace nodules, lingering around the body and forming a faint layer of dark red mist that wouldn't dissipate.

Gradually, the sand locust breathed it in through its stomata and inhaled it into its body.

The evolutionary level of the Desert Bloodwood Tree's God-given Seed is too high.

A divinely bestowed bloodwood seed that had been stored for three years, with more than half of its original energy lost, took a great deal of effort and a long time to digest, even just a small piece.

Fortunately, it is a systemic life-sustaining energy source with zero side effects and will not harm the body.

"How's the sand locust tree?"

"Unfathomable! It's probably not at the Mountain Lord level, but rather the Lord level!"

"Lord-level? Are you sure?"

"No, you can't. Mu Dou, you can eat some too, try it yourself."

"Mu Dou, here you go!"

The shell, who was watching from the side, immediately handed a bloodwood seed from its claws to Mu Dou.

"..."

Mu Dou took it and took a small bite.

The sand locust tree took a bite and quietly absorbed it.

...

A single fresh, intact God-given Bloodwood Seed contains primal energy equivalent to 10 Primal Stones.

The God-given Bloodwood Seed, stored for three years, has lost most of its original energy, but the remaining energy is still equivalent to more than 3 Originium Stones.

this means,

A level 1 intermediate warrior can evolve into a level 2 warrior by consuming 100 fully-formed Divine Bloodwood Seeds.

If you're consuming bloodwood seeds that have been aged for three years, about 300 seeds would be enough.

This is a super-high-level divinely bestowed food with an incredibly powerful enhancement effect. It takes a lot of effort for both the sand locust and the herb bean to eat just one.

Mudou has only recently evolved into a 2-year-old intermediate warrior, and has only scratched the surface.

I only dare to eat two or three locust trees at a time, and then eat some fir seeds as well.

The enhancement effect of the cedar seeds produced by the Kauri species is to optimize and modify the shell structure, increase hardness, and reduce weight.

Most importantly, the shell's weight reduction can effectively enhance flight capabilities.

The cedar seeds produced by the Kauri species are also excellent Force food.

The sand locust tree calculates its original energy content, keeps track of the numbers, and consumes it with caution.

...

"Shell, Bean, I'm full."

"So you're not going to eat it then?"

"It's dark, it's late at night, but I can still eat."

"So, what's next?"

"Shell, is this the forest farm you manage?"

"I suppose so. In order to cultivate specific plants and increase the quantity of those plants, the probability of those plants giving birth to divinely bestowed seeds is correspondingly greater."

"You wish to receive a seed from a jade tree or a bottle tree."

"Yes! It's my awakened water-type talent."

"Shell, would you like to show me and Mudou around your forest?"

"OK."

Led by the shell, the three insects emerged from the tree hole and strolled and chatted in the forest.

"Shell, do you have a rainy season here?"

"Rainy season? I think so."

"The kind of rainy season where it rains for a long, continuous period?"

I guess so.

"How long will it rain?"

"Ten days? The longest I've ever seen is half a month of intermittent rain."

"Forehead……"

The sand locust and the wild bean looked at each other.

Sure enough!

The flora and fauna of this semi-arid plain are quite different from those of the arid wasteland to the south.

Shahuai and Mudou had long suspected that it was due to climate differences.

Just as I thought!

Sha Huai asked, "Bei Ke, does it rain here, except during the rainy season?"

"It's mostly dry, with occasional rain."

The shell replied, pointing in a direction with its paw, "There's a river valley over there, mostly dry and parched. But when it rains heavily, there's a period of time when water flows."

"oh--"

"Many flood poplars and eucalyptus trees have grown along both banks of the river."

"They are shallow-rooted plants that depend on river water."

"Yes. Yes."

The seashell nodded in agreement, then changed the subject, asking curiously, "Mudou, Shahuai, is the climate where you live different from here?"

"Completely different!"

"Completely different!"

"We only have one monsoon season a year, lasting 30 to 60 days, which is accompanied by heavy rainfall."

"Then comes a dry season that lasts 10 to 11 months."

"..."

Shahuai and Mudou took turns explaining to Beike the climate and environment of the Green Tree Mountains, as well as the unique flora and fauna that existed there but not here.

The three of them felt like they had known each other for ages and had endless topics to discuss.

Shell has been cultivating the land along the river for nearly ten years, planting trees on both banks. The forest is four or five kilometers long and two or three kilometers wide.

The three insects strolled around the forest, looking at each tree one by one, chatting as they walked, until late at night.

Return to the hollowed-out trunk of the jade tree.

The sand locust tree ate five three-year-old bloodwood seeds and fifty three-year-old cedar seeds, and it wasn't until midnight that it had completely digested and absorbed them.

They rested and spent the night inside the tree hollow.

...

I got up early the next morning and continued eating.

Sha Huai ate while trying to make conversation.

"Shell, the inherited memories indicate that warriors of your Mist Warrior clan can awaken a talent ability called 'Mist Gathering'?"

"yes."

"It can gather mist from all directions and condense it into droplets?"

"That's right. During droughts, I use this method to extract water from the air and water my plants."

"oh--"

"sharp!"

It condenses into water from the air.

In arid regions, there is no more powerful capability than this.

The sand locust and the bean tree made no attempt to hide their envy.

"Just a natural talent..."

Overjoyed, the shell immediately crawled out of the tree hole, lay on the tree trunk, and its primal energy surged slightly, activating its innate ability.

Both the sand locust and the mu dou quickly raised their antennae, concentrating intently on sensing.

It was early morning, and the fog was at its thickest.

An invisible force drew the mist within a radius of forty to fifty meters, causing it to slowly drift and converge on the seashell from all directions, both above and below ground.

Finally, droplets of transparent water condensed on the hemispherical tubercles of the elytra, flowing into the vertical grooves of the carapace, turning into trickles that flowed down the grooves toward the head, and eventually condensed into a water sphere between the mandibles.

The primal energy within the shell continued to fluctuate, its power constantly activated, mist continuously gathered, and the water sphere between its mandibles swelled larger and larger.

When the water sphere reached half a meter in diameter, the shell could no longer hold on, and suddenly waved its tentacles, sending the water sphere shooting out with a thud, landing under a bottle tree next door.

The water balloon exploded and splashed.

"Whoosh—hiss—"

The seashell's spiracles were fully open, and it was breathing heavily.

"Normally, if you are just collecting water to water plants, a water droplet with a diameter of 20 to 30 centimeters is enough."

"understand."

"clear."

"That's incredibly powerful!"

"If we had that capability..."

"It's no use. We don't have time to manage ordinary plants in our territory."

"Besides, the air is dry where we are, and there's not much fog. That trick of the seashell won't work."

Have you also cultivated specific plants?

"Of course there are. But they basically can't grow..."

Shahuai and Mudou started talking to Beike again, telling him about their "Oasis Project" in the Green Tree Mountains.

The sand locust tree mixed bloodwood seeds and cedar seeds, two kinds of primal energy foods, and it took some time to fully enhance its power.

—What to do next?

After the three insects discussed it...

Mu Dou and Hai Bei wandered around, surveying the terrain and searching for raw stone veins.

The sand locust acted alone, flying rapidly and zigzagging as it swept southward in search of the divinely bestowed seeds.

Everyone will meet back at the shell's territory in the evening.