Natural God's Gift

A trade caravan wasn't something they could just decide to form. Even if they established one themselves, the Earth Kingdom wouldn't recognize it. They needed to register with the Kingdom to be considered an official trade caravan, which came with many benefits.

Kingdom trade caravans, during the exploration of trade routes, could purchase primal force food needed for transactions from the Earth Kingdom at a 5% discount. Although it might not seem like much, it only saved five primal stones for every hundred primal stones of capital.

But for trade caravans like the Purple Cloud Caravan, or those of Lord Plantain and Lord Wind Letter, which involved tens or hundreds of thousands of primal stones in transactions, the savings could be substantial.

The profit margin for ordinary primal force food was only around 20%. The Kingdom's 5% concession increased their profit margin to 26%, almost approaching the profit margin for divinely bestowed primal force food.

As for the profit margin for divinely bestowed primal force food, it reached about 37%. If they had 100,000 primal stones worth of divinely bestowed primal force food, a single transaction could increase it to nearly 140,000 primal stones, earning them over 30,000 primal stones in one trip.

This was no small amount. For most Mountain Lord-level insectoid warriors without divinely bestowed seeds, it was already a year's worth of output.

In addition to enjoying discounted prices, the Kingdom also provided each insect in these trade caravans formed by high-level Flame Spider warriors with a subsidy of 500 primal stones per year.

If Yun Shi was included, they could receive a subsidy of 2,500 primal stones per year.

Since several insects were registering as a trade caravan, they discussed it and voted to make Si Ye the caravan leader, as it was impossible for Dang Gui or the others to become the leader.

Between Si Ye and Bai Zhi, Si Ye clearly had better luck. Moreover, compared to Si Ye, the name 'Bai Zhi Caravan' sounded strange – 'white and stopping,' almost like 'giving for free,' which wasn't very auspicious.

They originally planned to contribute 1,000 primal stones each as the trade caravan's starting capital. However, after calculating the primal force food required for evolution at each age, they realized that evolving one age at the high-level warrior stage required at least five to six thousand primal stones, and sometimes even fifty to sixty thousand primal stones wouldn't be enough. Pooling together 5,000 primal stones worth of primal force food might not even be enough for Hong Cha alone.

Therefore, they each contributed an additional 1,000 primal stones as the trade caravan's operating capital to purchase primal force food that enhanced strength, life force, earth-based abilities, wood-based abilities, and water-based abilities.

Original Flame Spiders had wood-based talent potential, Black Cicadas had water and wood talent potential, and Bees had wind and earth talent potential. Even if they couldn't sell these types of primal force food, they could consume them themselves, minimizing the risk of operating at a loss.

During this time, Si Ye also contacted Yun Shi. Yun Shi, the Little Whale, was also very interested in forming a trade caravan. Lord Dragon Beard didn't care about such a small amount of primal stones, but if Little Whale had companions to play with, that would be nice.

After everything was prepared, they didn't wait until after October to leave. More than half of the year had already passed, it was too late, and there were no Kingdom subsidies or rewards left.

After October, their life seeds would begin to mature one after another, and in November, various trade caravans would return one after another.

Everyone would exchange goods they had, and there would be no time to spare then.

In mid-June, Si Ye and Dang Gui stood on the Horizon Reef. It used the Sea God Horn to summon Yun Shi, the Little Whale.

While waiting, they also carefully instructed Ai Hao, the Little Bee Queen who was staying behind, on various matters to pay attention to.

"Ai Hao, between July and October, pay attention to whether the Kingdom will experience a major typhoon. If there is a typhoon, remember to ask Lord Green Maple to protect the life seeds, and never let everyone's life seeds be damaged."

"Okay, okay, I know."

Dang Gui also instructed: "Over at Calabash Beach, the shellfish pond also needs to be taken care of frequently. Some of the old shellfish I've been raising for six or seven years are about to produce primal force pearls. You need to keep a close eye on them."

Ai Hao replied: "I'm now also nurturing an Ai Xiang Little Assistant Queen. When the time comes, I'll send the Ai Cao Assistant Queen to manage the shellfish pond for you."

Hearing Ai Hao's clear, organized, and explicit responses, everyone felt a little more at ease.

At the same time, this made Si Ye understand somewhat why the insectoids of the Fang Clan Continent were unwilling to go out to trade.

Their Flame Spider Kingdom had this custom of traveling merchants. Each time they went out as traveling merchants, they had to repeatedly urge the insects staying behind to take good care of their life seeds, let alone those insects without this custom of traveling merchants.

Compared to venturing out as traveling merchants, of course it was more comfortable to take care of their life seeds at home.

After a while, Yun Shi, the Little Whale, arrived, spouting long streams of water along the way, its giant tail swaying in the churning waves. That giant tail was like a huge sail, propelling it forward through the waves.

Its movements were elegant and powerful, creating towering waves with each leap, and it quickly reached Si Ye and the others.

Seeing Yun Shi, everyone greeted it happily: "Yun Shi, you've gotten bigger again?"

"Mm," Yun Shi replied dully. In recent years, its body had grown rapidly. Now, its body length from head to tail had reached 18 meters, and it was no longer appropriate to call it a Little Whale.

If Lord Dragon Beard hadn't mastered three King-level wild divinely bestowed seeds and was still able to exchange them for ordinary primal force food with the Flame Spider Kingdom in large quantities, it wouldn't be able to support it anymore.

Fortunately, Si Ye and the others were also growing rapidly. Now, their extended legs had reached two meters in size, and Yun Shi could see them. It didn't need to use its mental will to scan to find them like before.

Yun Shi said: "Si Ye, are we going to the Star Sand Islands now?"

Si Ye: "Yes, it's been several years since we've been there. We're going to see Hong Cha and check out the other islands to see if there are any insectoid warriors we haven't seen before."

Si Ye asked in return: "Yun Shi, what have you been doing these past few years? Have you found any new divinely bestowed seeds or insectoid warriors?"

Yun Shi emitted a mental will: "These past few years, Mom has been wandering near the Starship, looking for extraterrestrial civilization creations that have fallen into the sea. She doesn't allow me to run around, so I can only play in our own territory."

Everyone: "..."

Extraterrestrial civilization creations held no attraction for Flame Spider traveling merchants, but they were very attractive to other insectoid warriors. The treasures on the Starship during each cycle could create several top-level Insect Kings or top-level Kingdoms.

Some extraterrestrial civilization creations were even more valuable than divinely bestowed seeds. They didn't know what to say about this.

Si Ye and Bai Zhi climbed onto Yun Shi's back with the primal force food. It hung the Sea God Horn on its side for easy access. The Sea God Horn, which could originally be used as a nest for Si Ye, could now only be hung on its body as a decoration, making them sigh at the passage of time.

Si Ye commanded Yun Shi spiritedly: "Si Ye Caravan, depart!"

"Depart! Depart!" Dang Gui took the lead and flew into the sky.

Immediately afterward, Yun Shi's giant tail stirred up the waves, and it began to gallop freely in the ocean.

Bai Zhi used to play by the sea and often traveled between the islands near the Flame Spider Kingdom, but riding a whale away from the coastline and drifting in the vast sea was a first for it.

Seeing the azure sea and the deep blue sky merge into one, it was momentarily confused, not knowing whether it was in the sky or in the sea.

Bai Zhi, wearing a water lily leaf on its head for sun protection, leaned closer to the center of Yun Shi's back: "Si Ye, this sea is boundless and has the same color as the sky. It looks quite beautiful, but there's no foothold, which makes spiders a little scared."

Si Ye, also wearing a water lily leaf on its head for sun protection, said in a deep voice: "Everyone feels this way the first time they see the sea. I was also a little scared when I first entered the sea, but don't worry too much, Yun Shi is in the water."

It raised its front leg and pointed to the sky: "Dang Gui is also flying in the sky, there's an insect marking our location, so it feels a little better. If you really feel uncomfortable, just lie on Yun Shi's back and close your eyes to rest for a while."

"Okay!" Bai Zhi lay on Yun Shi's back and closed its eyes to rest, but the waves were constantly crashing around it, and seawater splashed on it from time to time, making it even more worried, fearing that it would be washed into the sea.

It felt like it was better to keep its eyes open, at least Si Ye was by its side, and they could chat.

After enduring for a while, it opened its eyes again to chat with Si Ye: "How long will it take to reach the Star Sand Islands?"

Si Ye: "Yun Shi used to take about a day to run a trip. It should be faster now, after all, Yun Shi has grown up."

Bai Zhi muttered: "That feels pretty close, why haven't any Flame Spider traveling merchants gone there before?"

"Close?" Si Ye thought for a moment: "It's not very close, is it?"

"Yun Shi has to swim for a day and a night. Other spiders don't have sea-crossing tools, so it's even more difficult to get there. Moreover, we're only going to the edge of the Star Sand Islands now, and it's not close to the center of the Star Sand Islands either.

Moreover, the Fang Clan Continent is full of business opportunities, so they don't need to engage in cross-sea trade. If we weren't bored and heading this way, I guess the Kingdom would have to wait until the territory of the Myriad Clan Continent was divided up and most insectoid warriors had formed tribes or Kingdoms before they would start developing the Star Sand Islands!"

"That's true." The Myriad Clan Continent was vast, and these few hundred Flame Spiders scattered on it were like a handful of rice grains scattered in the sea. They couldn't even handle the business there, so why would they rush over here?

The two spiders chatted, and Yun Shi would occasionally respond. When Dang Gui was tired of flying, it would also come down to chat, so time passed quickly.

Until the sun set and the sky was full of stars, Bai Zhi looked at Si Ye with confusion: "Didn't you say it would only take a day to reach the Star Sand Islands? Why haven't I even seen an island yet?"

Si Ye said calmly: "A day and a night is also a day."

It said to Yun Shi: "Yun Shi, you've also been swimming for a day, let's find an island to rest for the night."

"No need," Yun Shi swung its tail and rushed forward: "The Star Sand Islands are very close now, I'll take you directly to an island on the Star Sand Islands to rest."

"That's fine too!"

The group traveled by starlight, arriving at the northernmost island of the Star Sand Islands in the middle of the night.

Upon arriving at the Star Sand Islands, they didn't immediately go to find Hong Cha. Going to find the other party in the middle of the night would probably be mistaken for insects attacking their territory.

As night fell, Yun Shi sank into the sea to rest, while Si Ye and Bai Zhi caught fish in the dark and, after eating their fill, each found a place to sleep.