A small flame spider warrior named Xuemai handed a brown pine nut to Bambu.

"Hello, I'm Xuemai."

Xuemai was twice the size of Bambu, appearing somewhat timid and shy as she carefully conveyed the message.

"Hello, thank you," Bambu replied politely upon receiving the gift.

Zhonglou continued, "Fire Oil Pine is native to the cold north. The former Mountain Lord of Gold Bamboo Peak intended to cultivate it into a Life Seed and plant it at the summit of Flower Cypress Peak. I've checked before; the conditions at the summit of Flower Cypress Peak, whether it's temperature, humidity, sunlight, or soil quality, are all suitable for Fire Oil Pine growth."

"However, the growth rate of Fire Oil Pine is very slow, just like Red Strongwood, so, Mountain Lord Bambu, I suggest you collect the seeds first. After becoming a senior warrior and considering the development of your own territory, you can decide whether to cultivate this Fire Oil Pine seed into a Life Seed."

Bambu asked, "How slow is it?"

Luoshi helped answer, "It takes at least 5 years to grow to a height equal to mine."

Bambu carefully measured, realizing that Luoshi's height didn't exceed 100. That meant it would take 5 years to grow to a height of 100, which was indeed slow enough to cool his enthusiasm.

For the cockroach tribe, senior warriors only had a lifespan of around 40 to 50 years, and their youthful vigor lasted for only a brief period of over 20 years. In the early stages, they needed to choose plants with fast growth rates as Life Seeds.

Upon advancing to the Mountain Lord level, their lifespan would significantly increase, allowing them to consider planting those slow-growing, highly rewarding precious tree species.

Bambu said, "After I become a senior warrior, the Fire Oil Pine seed will be the most cherished Life Seed choice. Thank you."

Seeing that Bambu clearly knew how to choose Life Seeds, Zhonglou stopped speaking further and asked, "Mountain Lord Bambu, is your bamboo worth 2 original stones? Are you purchasing rare Force fruit or taking original stones directly?"

Original stones were small pieces of jade formed over thousands of years in environments rich in Force, containing condensed pure Force, and were used as the main currency in various parts of the continent.

Bambu, having dealt with a large number of original stones during his time as a human and being familiar with their various uses, didn't find this surprising. After a moment of thought, he said, "I need two original stones."

"No problem, Xuemai, take two original stones and give them to Mountain Lord Bambu," Zhonglou readily responded.

Xuemai climbed onto Zhonglou's abdomen and retrieved two irregularly cut milky-white stones from a silk bag, handing them to Bambu timidly.

"Mountain Lord Bambu, please check the weight," Xuemai said nervously.

Natural original stones were irregular in shape and not uniformly cut, so their weight was measured according to a standard weight.

Bambu didn't have weighing tools and wasn't sure how much each original stone should weigh. He simply put them away in a snakeskin pouch and said, "I trust your integrity. Thank you!"

Xuemai happily said, "Thank you for your trust."

Zhonglou solemnly said, "The foundation of commercial transactions is mutual trust, Mountain Lord Bambu. This is a good start, and I believe we will have a pleasant cooperation in the future."

Bambu agreed, "I think so too."

"The journey is long, we should continue on our way," Zhonglou instructed the spiders beside him, "Luoshi, Xuemai, let's go!"

Bambu tried to persuade them, "Night is falling. You should stay at Flower Cypress Peak tonight and leave in the morning."

Stolen story; please report.

Zhonglou smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, Mountain Lord Bambu, but we, the Illusionary Flame Spider tribe, prefer to rest during the day and travel at night."

Bambu nodded, "I won't insist then. Mountain Lord Zhonglou, will you come back to Flower Cypress Peak for trade in three years?"

Zhonglou turned to look at the God-given seed and said, "Mountain Lord Bambu, you underestimate the allure of the God-given seed. If you're willing, we can come for trade next year."

Bambu asked, "Next year?"

Zhonglou explained, "The quality of the God-given seed varies, and different species also have differences in yield. I know that the seeds produced in the first year by the God-given seed will definitely not be enough for your own consumption. If you're willing, leaving one seed will suffice, and we need to understand more detailed information."

Luoshi added, "Understanding its characteristics and yield is not only for pricing but also to find customers willing to pay a high price to purchase."

Truly professional, as expected from a race that has been trading for generations.

"Oh, I see!" Bambu nodded, sincerely asking for advice, "Mountain Lord Zhonglou, you've traveled far and wide. Could you please tell me how the potential for development of this God-given seed of mine is?"

Without hesitation, Zhonglou said, "It will continuously produce new shoots, forming a grassland, and eventually growing into a vast prairie. Each plant will flower and seed, showing great prospects. However, there is a limit to the number of shoots, and the specific scale it can grow to depends on the growth time and your own strength."

After Zhonglou finished speaking, he emphasized, "But most importantly, it depends on your strength! When the God-given seed is sown, it will produce tree spirits. The growth of these tree spirits takes time and is also constrained by your strength. This issue will be reflected during the long period of time when you advance from a senior warrior to a Mountain Lord."

Zhonglou's answer was not far from Bambu's speculation.

Bambu then asked, "Are there any special considerations in managing the God-given seed?"

After some thought, Zhonglou said, "Maintain soil fertility, water appropriately. The Force abundance on Flower Cypress Peak is sufficient, so there's nothing else special to note for now."

Bambu said, "Understood, thank you!"

"I should get going now," Zhonglou said.

Bambu thought for a moment and said, "I know the route from Flower Cypress Peak to Iron Knife Peak quite well. Let me accompany you for a while."

Zhonglou thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your hospitality."

...

Bambu flew low, guiding the way.

The warm send-off had its reasons; Bambu wanted to learn more about the planet through Zhonglou. Additionally, he was very curious about how the Illusionary Flame Spider tribe's spiders could switch between plant and seed forms for their Life Seeds.

Seeing is believing.

Bambu speculated that when the caravan stopped to rest during the day, they would definitely take out the Life Seeds, and he would be able to witness it then.

Bambu followed along, guiding the way

in low flight.

Meanwhile, Zhonglou explained the customs and peculiarities of various regions on the continent.

"The original stones mainly come from two major sources, the largest being the Northern Wasteland, followed by the Eastern Continent of Ten Thousand Nations. There are also scattered small mines in other places. Most of the original stones circulated between insect kingdoms are from the Northern Wasteland."

"The cold north is not suitable for insect survival. It is completely occupied by beast tribes such as the Colorful Tigers, Snow Leopards, Black Bears, Polar Bears, Grassland Wolves, and Tundra Wolves. They are in constant conflict and even war with insect races throughout the year."

"Our caravans never get involved in war affairs and remain strictly neutral. Through trade with beast tribes, we exchange Force food produced by insect races for original stones controlled by beast tribes. These original stones then flow into insect kingdoms through various channels."

"To the north of the Fire Roach Kingdom is the Gigantic Roach Kingdom, to the north of that is the Knife Mantis Kingdom, further north is the Blue Mantis Kingdom, and beyond that is the Wolf Scorpion Kingdom, which is ruled by the Grassland Wolf tribe."

"Our Illusionary Flame Spider tribe's caravans trade with the Grassland Wolf tribe all year round..."

Upon hearing "Grassland Wolf," Xuemai's little spider suddenly became excited and shouted, "Little Wolf! Little Wolf! Friend!"

Bambu was puzzled.

Zhonglou explained, "Last summer, when we traded with the Grassland Wolves, Xuemai made friends with a newly born Grassland Wolf warrior."

Xuemai said, "Little Wolf is a friend."

Bambu cautioned, "Beasts are very dangerous, fierce, and greedy. They don't produce anything and live by plundering."

Zhonglou added, "Beast tribes are indeed dangerous and naturally hostile to insect races. However, many beast tribes in the Northern Wasteland have acquired a lot of knowledge and formed certain rules and orders. They are not as dangerous as legends say."

"They generally won't raid caravans." Zhonglou continued, "But we mustn't ignore the ferocity of beasts. Our Illusionary Flame Spider tribe's caravans from all over gather on the border every summer and enter the Grassland Wolf territory for trade."

Zhonglou then asked, "Mountain Lord Bambu, you were born in the Iron Knife Mountains. Have you heard of Mayu?"

Bambu's mind stirred: Mayu had traveled the continent with the Illusionary Flame Spider tribe's caravan, could it be that it was with this caravan led by Zhonglou? The relationship between the two seemed to have soured; whenever Mayu mentioned the caravan, he always showed strong feelings of disgust.

Bambu answered, "I've heard of it."