To the east of the Dominating Throne, the path was all arid mountains, barren as far as the eye could see, and then rose sharply into desolate black rocky hills.

Ahead lay sheer cliffs, and the deep blue ocean.

This was the southeastern coast.

On the map of Huagi Mountain, this stretch of sea formed a sharp-angled triangle extending north, cutting deep into the continent—half in Cloud Trace Continent and half in Dragon Bamboo Continent.

On the Cloud Trace side, all along the coastline northward were desolate mountains.

The Source Stone Mines were scattered in the mountains behind these hills, the specific range uncertain.

According to the Night Fragrance God-Given Seed, during the Origin Force Era, Insect Clan Warriors searched and mined here, relying solely on Flame Spider Roving Merchants to transport fresh water and food as they crossed over a thousand kilometers of jagged rocky wilderness to deliver supplies.

Field investigation showed the situation was even tougher than imagined.

Dragon Cypress controlled the Dominating Throne, hovered high above, gazed down at the calm sea below, sniffed the salty foul sea breeze, and felt in high spirits.

"Ink Orchid, I've figured it out." Dragon Cypress was exhilarated.

"Aaa—"

According to custom, Ink Orchid should have asked, 'Figured what out?'

Ink Orchid did not cooperate, instead gazing gloomily at the undulating mountains.

Dragon Cypress: "Moisture from the ocean rises with hot air and is then carried away by high-altitude currents toward the northeast. The water vapor all goes northeast, so the southeast region lacks clouds and rain, is dry and short of water."

Ink Orchid: "Oh—"

Ink Orchid: "But how are we supposed to search? Do we dig open each mountain peak one by one?"

The Source Stone Mines here were distributed randomly, buried underground and nearly impossible to sense.

Dragon Cypress: "That's the only way."

Dragon Cypress: "Seek the Land of Origin Force!"

Ink Orchid: "And once we find it?"

Dragon Cypress: "Send worker ants and soldier ants to dig."

Dragon Cypress: "Ink Orchid, don't you get it? Compared to Flame Spider hauling supplies, we have it much easier."

Dragon Cypress: "The Flame Spider can only travel on foot on the ground amidst dangerous roads. The Dominating Throne can fly in the air, straight to the point."

Ink Orchid considered for a moment and agreed, "Right. Though we can't carry much per trip, and the flying is pretty slow."

Dragon Cypress: "…"

Dragon Cypress: "We also have Blue Ants, and refined food."

Ink Orchid: "Exactly."

Ink Orchid shook the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot, saying, "Plus we have the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot, so we don't need to drag fresh water over thousands of kilometers."

The purchase of the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot truly paid off.

The Dominating Throne stopped by the cliff, rested for a night, and set off again to the east at dawn.

A half day of flight later, a dazzling multicolored halo appeared on the distant skyline.

After another half day's flying, they reached the Divine Force Barrier on the eastern edge of Cloud Trace Continent. There was no trace of Origin Force, showing that the neighboring Dragon Bamboo Continent was also in a Silent Period.

All around them stretched endless seas.

The Dominating Throne hovered above the sea. Dragon Cypress leapt down, stood on the water, and probed below with spiritual power.

The Divine Force Barrier extended straight down to the sea floor.

The Dominating Throne turned and cruised close to the barrier, heading south.

After another day of flight, they arrived at the intersection of two Divine Force Barriers that divided the northern and southern hemispheres as well as east and west hemispheres.

Origin Force was leaking through!

"The continent in the southern hemisphere is in the Origin Force Era!"

"That's not so strange."

"Could there be another starship spanning and connecting both continents?"

"Can a starship really float on the sea?"

"Right—"

The just-excited Ink Orchid's antennae drooped again, and she asked, "Dragon Cypress, where to next?"

Dragon Cypress: "Let's go further north."

The ocean's climate was extreme, with sea monsters lurking below.

Dragon Cypress dared not park the Dominating Throne on the water overnight for rest. Instead, he turned northwest, landed on solid ground, and followed the coastline northward.

Four more days of flying and the sea finally ended; ahead stretched green plains and oases.

They turned west, then hugged the Divine Force Barrier north, arriving at the site Huang Qian had mentioned—where, once, a starship connected Cloud Trace and Dragon Bamboo Continents. The starship wreckage, reclaimed by the Natural God, remained vanished with the Origin Force Silent Period ongoing.

After a round of exploration, by now it was late autumn. Dragon Cypress had basically gotten the lay of the southeastern region.

The Dominating Throne swung south, heading straight for the southeastern coast again, plunged back into the tropics, zig-zagged, and continued investigating.

A fortnight blurred past.

At dusk, Ink Orchid, bored and fiddling with the Rose Halo, suddenly looked up, sprang to her feet, antennae trembling, and pointed a claw far off.

"Dragon Cypress! Over there! Origin Force fluctuation! We finally found it!"

"Good!"

With a thought, Dragon Cypress steered the Dominating Throne in that direction and sped up.

By midnight, they entered a Land of Origin Force.

Aerial scouting found no sign of Origin Force plants.

Dragon Cypress landed the Dominating Throne atop a mountain, swept low searching around, but it was all bare, barren hills—no grass, not a single tree.

Perennial heat and drought had turned this into a dead place devoid of life.

The area, though, was sizable—oval-shaped, six or seven kilometers along the long axis, four or five on the short. The Origin Force concentration wasn't low, either. Including the lower-concentration buffer zone where Origin Force had diffused, the total area exceeded 35 square kilometers.

They rested through half the night. At dawn, they searched the area thoroughly again.

No sign of any cave.

"This area must never have been prospected before," Dragon Cypress said, satisfied.

Ink Orchid asked, "Dragon Cypress, should we try searching now? Or keep looking for more Lands of Origin Force?"

Dragon Cypress: "Let's keep heading south and look for more Lands of Origin Force."

Dragon Cypress: "Next time, we'll bring Black Cory, plus a batch of worker ants and blue ants. Black Cory leads, and we'll drill into every mountain—top to bottom—with a thorough survey."

Ink Orchid's eyes lit up and she said, "Then let's call this place 'Source Stone Mountain'? If we give it a name, we're bound to have some luck!"

Dragon Cypress: "…"

Dragon Cypress: "How about naming it 'Source Stone Mine No. 1' instead?"

Dragon Cypress explained, "Even if this Land of Origin Force turns up nothing, we can still use it as a relay base for replenishing Origin Force to the Dominating Throne. We can take this place as a starting point, explore outward from here, and we're bound to find something."

"Makes sense!" Ink Orchid nodded her antennae energetically. "Then how about calling it 'First Source Stone Mine'? When we find a second Land of Origin Force, we'll call it 'Second Source Stone Mine'; the third, 'Third Source Stone Mine'; and so on."

Dragon Cypress: "…"

Dragon Cypress: "Fine. Have it your way."

Dragon Cypress shook his antennae. "Make two ice cubes to cool off, rest for a bit, then let's hit the road."

After a short break, the Dominating Throne took off again, zig-zagging south to search.

Five days later, still nothing found.

Late autumn—the edge of winter.

Dragon Cypress and Ink Orchid decided to temporarily put it aside and flew straight back to Xianglan Mountain.

After packing up, they arrived at White Lotus Lake, finding the Night Fragrance God-Given Seed stable as ever.

Then they headed north, entered Silver Cypress Mountain, and completed this year's roving merchant trades.

Finally, they reached Huagi Mountain, traded with Huang Qian and Spruce, reported their findings about the southeastern coastline of Cloud Trace Continent, discussed matters, then set off for the Purple Tung Insect Nation.

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