HBWnovel Chapter 335: Unraveling the Clues, The Mystery of the Slate!
Chapter 335: Unraveling the Clues, The Mystery of the Slate!
In a flash of insight, all the clues connected in his mind.The prerequisite for the Collector to absorb a Trait was the death of the Stone Sunflower Person. This meant the very first Stone Sunflower Person he encountered had indeed perished after erupting that pillar of light.
Considering its half-dead state at the time, shattering the red crystal was likely just a catalyst; it wasn't the true cause of death.
Furthermore, the core slate it dropped upon death had evidently been recovered by the other Stone Sunflower People.
As for whether it was retrieved that night or taken away immediately after its death, with the current example right before his eyes, Cheng Ye leaned heavily toward the latter.
Perhaps the core slate had already been taken by a Stone Sunflower Person while he was driving away to escape. That would explain why he found absolutely nothing when he returned to search for it later.
Thinking up to this point, Cheng Ye immediately opened his Shadow Box, took out his research journal, and began to write.
'Based on the actions of the large Stone Sunflower Person just now... Well, for the time being, let's call this type of slate the Sunlight Slate.'
That large Stone Sunflower Person had made a beeline for the Sunlight Slate, showing zero interest in the Energy-Gathering Redstones scattered on the ground. This was enough to prove that, according to its biological logic, the Sunlight Slate held a much higher priority than the Energy-Gathering Redstones.
'After the Sunlight Slate was taken, it took a moment before a new Stone Sunflower Person stepped out to absorb all the red crystals on the ground. This rule of succession...'
'Could it be that the number of Stone Sunflower People underground is actually quite large, but the only ones possessing Sunlight Slates and capable of absorbing sunlight for energy are the ones currently standing at the cave entrances?'
This terrifying hypothesis instantly reminded him of the densely packed sensor network he had previously scouted underground, which resembled a starry sky.
In that fleeting glance, there were at least a thousand points of light underground, possibly even reaching several thousand.
If there truly was such a massive reserve of Stone Sunflower People underground, just waiting to fill the vacancies and absorb sunlight, then this Transcendent Mother Source must have destroyed a Gathering Place to accumulate such an absurd number of Infected Bodies.
Generally speaking, for a Malignant Infection Source that had infected thousands of people, all major shelter cities would assign dedicated personnel to maintain relevant information and track its movements to prevent it from paying a sudden visit to their cities.
For a moment, Cheng Ye did not know what to write. He simply picked up his Defense Terminal and started a search.
Relying on the information-sharing network of the Kindling Alliance, he might be able to find some relevant clues.
He set the search range to the time period when the Void Mist enveloped Shi Province until its dissipation, and then typed in a series of matching keywords: "disappearance after Void Mist," "attacked during Void Mist," "suddenly vanished Gathering Place," "suspected traces of Transcendent Mother Source"...
An ordinary Defense Terminal wouldn't have the clearance to search these keywords.
But an advanced Defense Terminal was different. Although the Happiness City version wasn't as smart as the Kindling Terminal, it granted far more clearance for Information Queries.
The internal database immediately began its search, and the progress bar on the screen ticked forward slowly.
Two minutes later, a "Search Failed" prompt unexpectedly popped up on the screen. The reason: the sample size was too large.
'So... there's just too much intelligence regarding attacks during the Void Mist?'
Cheng Ye clicked his tongue in surprise and had no choice but to shorten the query period, searching day by day.
When the intelligence from the first day the Void Mist descended upon Shi Province flashed onto the screen, he finally understood why the search had failed.
29,223 entries.
Even with numerous keywords restricting the parameters, the information entries reported from various regions still approached thirty thousand.
The top of the page provided three screening markers:
Red meant the allied shelter cities had completed information verification and confirmed the records were accurate. Yellow indicated the credibility of the news was questionable, but it could serve as a reference when combined with past reports.
Black represented miscellaneous information reported by individuals or groups. The reporters could be Scavengers, merchant caravans, or information brokers who made a living selling data. The authenticity of these sources could not currently be verified.
Cheng Ye first filtered for the red-marked information. There were 1,127 entries in total, which he began to peruse carefully one by one.
If he could find clues related to the underground Mother Source from these records, he could trace its origin directly. This would be far safer than risking a deep dive into the mine shafts to investigate.
However, after a thorough review, while there was no shortage of Gathering Places destroyed by Transcendent Mother Sources, the lingering traces did not match the Stone Sunflower People at all.
'Let's look at the red information from other dates...'
Cheng Ye patiently continued flipping through the reports, not in a rush to attack the other Stone Sunflower People and snatch their slates.
If his guess was correct—that the number of Sunlight Slates was limited while the Stone Sunflower People could be replaced at any time—killing a few of them wouldn't matter much. But if he took away too many slates and drew the relentless pursuit of the Transcendent Mother Source, he would be completely doomed.
At the very least, he needed to return to the city to bring some reinforcements. Even if it was just getting Liu Kun to come hold the fort, he would feel much more at ease.
Skipping the red information from the first day, he turned to review the contents from the second day.
The Sunlight Slate's charging was extremely stable. Having reached 26.5kW, it was already replenishing just over 3% of power per hour. By nighttime, the Recharge Value could directly recover to around 50%, allowing him to manifest it twice.
Risking his life to kill Stone Sunflower People for their slates was far less safe than relying on the Trait to manifest new ones.
Besides, he had enough Energy-Gathering Redstones on hand. Probing the Infection Source's boundaries of tolerance little by little was the most reliable approach.
The time ticked past ten-thirty in the morning.
His Recharge Value recovered to 25%. Cheng Ye immediately opened his Illustrated Handbook and tried once again to manifest the Sunlight Absorption Trait.
Just as stably as before, the second Sunlight Slate smoothly landed in his hands.
He attempted to piece the two slates together, but to his astonishment, the two slates that had initially merged suddenly separated and fell to the ground. It was just like when he had previously embedded a thumb-pad-sized red crystal, only to have a grain-sized one squeezed out. The red crystals attached to them scattered all over the ground.
'What? Do these slates actually have a strict hierarchy, existing in some sort of tiered chain of contempt?'
Filled with surprise, Cheng Ye tried piecing together two manifested large slates. This time, they smoothly fused into a square slate with a side length of over eight inches.
But when he pressed that small slate against it again, the newly fused large slate instantly snapped apart down the middle, reverting into two independent slates.
'Two large ones can connect, and one large plus one small can connect, but two large plus one small cannot?'
Growing increasingly curious, Cheng Ye carefully observed the differences between the various combinations and soon figured out the rules and distinctions.
For every manifested large slate, the spiral pattern was a single coiled loop, with the anchor point serving as the sole core of the pattern.
When two large slates were pieced together, their single patterns would begin to interweave from the anchor points. The originally independent spiral trajectories entangled with each other, nesting together to ultimately form a set of double-helix spiral patterns.
The original single coils transformed into an interlocking double helix. The density and complexity of the patterns doubled instantly, and the anchor points merged from two independent spots into a shared central axis for the double helix.
When sunlight shone upon it, the light would start glowing from the first axis and ultimately converge at the second axis. At this moment, the patterns would be completely fused, and the energy would form a perfect closed loop.
However, when a large and a small slate were pieced together, the small slate's single pattern would be grafted from its anchor point onto the large slate's single helix, much like adding a branch to a tree trunk.
The large slate's single helix pattern would extend and expand along the small slate's pattern, ultimately forming a more complex, elongated single helix.
This merely increased the length of the optical path's spiral without forming a dual-axis mode.
'I get it! The pattern fusion of the Sunlight Slate is a tiered upgrade in complexity. Base patterns of the same tier can fuse into higher-tier, more complex patterns (like a double helix). Lower-tier patterns (the small slate) can assist in upgrading a base pattern, enhancing its complexity.'
'But between an already upgraded high-tier pattern and a high-tier pattern formed by fusing another set of base patterns, there is a complexity gap. The patterns cannot complete a secondary nesting, so the fusion naturally fails.'
Cheng Ye slapped his thigh in sudden, total realization.
Following this logic, as long as he found another similar small slate to form a two large, two small combination, he might be able to achieve an even higher-tier fusion.
'But here's the problem. I can control the specifications of the slates manifested by the Trait, but how do I control the specifications of the slates dropped by the Stone Sunflower People?'
Like getting his hands on a handy new toy, the more Cheng Ye studied it, the more he felt that the slate's pattern design and Runes were fundamentally cut from the same cloth.
He temporarily dubbed the manifested single-helix slate as a Standard Tier One Sunlight Slate, and the double-helix slate as a Standard Tier Two.
Cheng Ye first picked up two red crystals and embedded them into the two axes of the double helix. He then observed the weak points along the optical path and added red crystals into them one by one.
One spiral, paired with its axis, could fit exactly four red crystals. Two spirals could hold a total of eight.
After the assembly, the slate's patterns were scattered yet harmonious. Although it was just as irregular as the red crystal distribution on the Stone Sunflower People's faces, it exuded a unique sense of order.
He brought this Tier Two slate under the sunlight. Watching the optical path light up bit by bit, he pressed his Pendant against it with anticipation.
The System Panel immediately lit up:
[Detecting dissipating energy. Energy recovery in progress...]
[Current energy replenishment efficiency: Faint (Lv.1 Energy)]
[Estimated charging time: 20H]
As expected, the slate's charging output ushered in a terrifying qualitative leap.
It surged directly from the previous 26.5kW to 40kW, an efficiency that was almost catching up to standard fast-charging stations.
Cheng Ye was completely stunned for a moment. He stared blankly at the flashing prompts on the panel, lost in a daze.
Being able to maintain such a charging output in the Wilderness carried a significance that far surpassed relying on the Hydroelectric Station for power in Dabo Town.
Although equipping skills seemed to be the core function of the Collector, the value of manifesting Traits and extracting intelligence was in no way inferior to the former.
It was foreseeable that as his Rank continued to rise, the Collector would inevitably unlock even more functions.
However, if he was tied to the Hydroelectric Station by his Recharge Value and confined within the shelter city, the value of these functions could never be fully realized.
But the current Sunlight Slate had opened up an entirely new, independent path for him.
What it carried was not just immense economic value and developmental potential, but the very confidence to walk freely through the Wilderness.
Accumulating 25% of his Recharge Value every five hours was enough to perform another manifestation.
Then, if three or four standard Sunlight Slates were stacked together, what kind of output would erupt?
Cheng Ye couldn't help but gulp. He stood up in a daze, his face involuntarily showing a smile similar to that of the Stone Sunflower People.
Everything had come at just the right time.
The Void Mist had plunged Shi Province into a drought of merchant caravans, but at the same time, it brought unimaginable opportunities.
If the Void Mist hadn't transported that subterranean Transcendent Mother Source here, finding a Trait that could provide this new type of energy might have taken him a year, two years, or perhaps even longer.
'Stay calm. Let's continue tracing its origins first. The current Sunlight Slate is probably just an appetizer.'
As the charging output steadily increased, Cheng Ye's initial excitement and agitation faded away.
The initial discovery marked the opening of a new path and represented infinite possibilities.
But now, what he needed to do was march steadily forward on this path. While new discoveries would become the norm, he needed to be even more vigilant against taking a wrong step and plummeting into an abyssal chasm.
It wouldn't be too late to rejoice and celebrate only after his research had made phased progress.
He settled his mind once again and read through the intelligence word by word, attempting to unravel clues related to the Stone Sunflower People from the faint traces in the records.
This meticulous review lasted until three in the afternoon, only then did he finish going through all the red-marked information.
Regrettably, he ended up with nothing.
Let alone content directly related to the Stone Sunflower People, even records regarding plant-type Infection Sources were few and far between.
This wasn't exactly a surprise. Even if plant-type Infection Sources ascended to become Transcendent Mother Sources, they rarely moved.
They would firmly entrench themselves in a specific area, perhaps the Forbidden Lands, or maybe a Black Zone or Red Zone.
As long as that area was quarantined, the threat posed by a plant-type Transcendent Mother Source was arguably lower than that of an ordinary animal-type Infection Source.
Fortunately, however, his Recharge Value had accumulated enough for another 25%. Without hesitation, Cheng Ye chose to manifest the Sunlight Slate once more.
A standard slate appeared in his hands right on schedule. Its specifications and patterns were completely identical to the previous ones.
Unsurprisingly, when he tried to fuse it with the existing Tier Two slate, it still ended in failure.
Evidently, the Tier Two slate, formed by fusing two Tier One slates, had achieved structural stability. It could no longer accept a new Tier One slate into its fold, as doing so would only destroy the current equilibrium.
And this result thoroughly validated his earlier judgment.
Next, as long as he manifested another standard Tier One slate and tested whether piecing together two sets of 1+1 fusions was stable, he would thoroughly figure out the fusion rules of the Sunlight Slates.
It was just that the Sunlight Absorption Trait uses had run out, and his Recharge Value had reset to zero once again.
If he wanted to test it, he would have to wait until tomorrow.
At six in the evening, the Stone Sunflower People "clocked out" on time and returned to the mine shafts. Cheng Ye timed it right and flew over to Mine Shaft No. 2 to check.
There were no new Stone Sunflower People filling the vacancy at the entrance, directly verifying the importance of the Sunlight Slate.
It was highly likely a direct derivative of the subterranean Infection Source. The conditions to generate it had to be extremely harsh; otherwise, a massive swarm of Stone Sunflower People would have poured out from underground long ago to occupy the entire Gathering Place and absorb sunlight at full capacity.
Just like yesterday's arrangement, the night remained dedicated to being a Scavenger.
By the time the group dragged their handcarts back to the shelter, visible changes had already taken place:
The ground was no longer the muddy dirt floor of the past. Instead, it was neatly paved with solid cement bricks they had dug up. The gaps between the bricks had been meticulously filled in, making the surface so flat that the seams were almost invisible, thoroughly sealing off any potential infection routes from underground.
The wooden planks enclosing the shelter had undergone a complete overhaul. Loose and damaged planks had all been replaced, and they were arranged far more neatly and densely.
What was even more reassuring was a ring of stainless steel crossbeams installed around the perimeter of the planks. This firmly secured the shelter's entire framework, allowing it to stand tall and steady even if hit by storms or accidental impacts.
A drainage channel had also been cleverly dug into the ground, winding its way along the edges of the shelter.
Thanks to the naturally elevated terrain here, even during a downpour, the accumulated water would flow down the drainage channel into the lower-lying areas below, fundamentally preventing issues like backflow or ground moisture.
The most delightful addition was a simple yet practical canopy newly erected inside the shelter.
Supported by sturdy steel pipes and covered with thick waterproof tarpaulin, one side rested against the wall while the other leaned against the Armored Vehicle. After stepping out of the Armored Vehicle, they could walk straight under the canopy.
Beneath the canopy sat three wooden tables and a pile of wooden stools. The high-value supplies brought back from scavenging were also neatly stacked here.
"It might rain tomorrow," Liu Bi said, raising a hand to wipe the mud and dust from his face as he pointed at the vast swath of dark clouds quietly brewing on the horizon.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the cloud layer didn't look thick. It resembled a gray cloth soaked soft by water vapor, yet it flatly blanketed the entire sky, its edges blurring into the horizon of the Wilderness.
But it was precisely this faintness that made it hard to tell whether the impending rain would be a gentle, pattering drizzle or a torrential downpour.
"Rain?"
Cheng Ye nodded gently. If it really rained, he might be able to take the opportunity to figure out the changes in the Stone Sunflower People's rhythms.
The night passed wordlessly.
The darkness of night, wrapped in a damp chill, washed over the shelter. The wind howling through the stone crevices did not cease for a long time.
Early the next morning, as expected, the black clouds hung extremely low in the sky. There was no thunder, only sporadic light rain pouring down without warning.
The raindrops were as fine as hairs, weaving into a hazy net of moisture that enveloped the entire Wilderness.
Cheng Ye slowly opened his eyes, shook his head, and first looked at the slate on the dashboard.
Sure enough, the brightness was pitifully weak. After pressing his Pendant against it, the output had plummeted to 4.5kW—a mere tenth of its peak daylight power.
Without donning a raincoat, he pushed the door open and walked straight out, letting the raindrops fall upon him.
Counting the days, he hadn't taken a shower in four days. With all the scavenging he'd been busy with the past two evenings, his body felt uncomfortably sticky. Now, the icy raindrops falling on him actually made him feel quite refreshed.
Looking out from the shelter, the distant dirt slopes and withered grass had lost their distinct outlines, leaving only blurry silhouettes looming vaguely through the mist.
The air was thick with the raw scent of mud and wet grass, so heavy and stifling that it made it hard to breathe.
It was terrifyingly quiet between heaven and earth. Only the faint, pattering sound of raindrops striking the nearby wooden planks accented the growing desolation of the Wilderness. Even the outline of the nearby canyon seemed ready to melt into the mist, leaving behind nothing but a profound sense of loneliness, as if everything in the world had ceased to exist.
He turned around and noticed five repaired iron buckets placed by the shelter wall. The rainwater collected in each bucket was already over halfway full. It seemed the rain had started late into the night.
He didn't have to wait long under the canopy before the figures of Liu Bi and the other two appeared through the hazy curtain of rain, dragging their handcart.
The three were chatting and laughing, showing not the slightest hint of exhaustion from working all night. Instead, it was as if the rain had washed away all their fatigue.
Cheng Ye quickly walked over to lend a hand. He took over the handcart from Niu Fu and hauled the materials on it to the entrance.
"There's water in the buckets. Rainwater is generally clean, so you can go take a shower,"
Liu Bi said as he unzipped his raincoat. His hair was still dripping wet, evidently having already washed up with the rainwater last night. No wonder he looked so energized.
"Alright!" Cheng Ye picked up two iron buckets and returned under the canopy.
There were no outsiders in the Wilderness, so he swiftly stripped off his clothes. Imitating the way he used to do it in his old apartment building, he lifted a bucket and poured the water over his head.
A piercing, icy sensation instantly spread throughout his body. The water washed over his sticky skin, feeling so comfortable that he couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction.
The water that fell to the ground trickled down the drainage channel, slowly flowing toward the barren land outside the shelter.
He squeezed out some shampoo and scrubbed thoroughly until the sticky feeling on his body completely vanished, then picked up the second bucket to rinse off all the suds until he was squeaky clean.
After drying his body with a towel and changing into clean clothes, he felt a pure, refreshing cleanliness from head to toe, leaving him much more invigorated.
Conditions in the Wilderness were undeniably harsh, but finding joy amidst the hardship made these days feel increasingly fulfilling.
After finishing breakfast, Cheng Ye glanced again at the slate's charging efficiency. It had barely climbed back up to 8.2kW.
This made him even more certain that sunlight might simply play the role of a catalyst in the Sunlight Slate's energy reaction.
Otherwise, with such dim daylight, an ordinary solar device would struggle just to operate normally, let alone output such a considerable amount of energy.
Riding his Flying Wings back to Mine Shaft No. 1, he patiently waited for eight o'clock to arrive.
Once again at 7:55, Cheng Ye placed Little Flame at the entrance of Mine Shaft No. 2 to keep watch. However, as eight o'clock approached, Mine Shaft No. 2 remained completely still.
Conversely, the Stone Sunflower People at the other mine shafts kept perfectly to the schedule. Even in the rain, they took their positions at the cave entrances right on time.
'Huh, this is...'
Cheng Ye stood up in surprise. Upon seeing the expressions on the faces of those Stone Sunflower People, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
In sunny weather, every Stone Sunflower Person wore a smile.
But on a rainy day, their mouths were twisted and their brows furrowed, their faces filled with reluctance and displeasure.
They looked exactly like corporate drones forced to commute to work in the rain, their resentment practically overflowing.
Moreover, when they faced the sun hidden behind the dark clouds, the golden light on their faces was equally dim.
Cheng Ye tracked the time. According to his experience from the past two days, nine o'clock should have been the moment the Sunlight Slate outputted at full capacity. However, at nine o'clock on a rainy day, the Sunlight Slate—which could peak at 40kW—was now only putting out a pathetic 18kW, not even half its maximum.
He stared at the charging prompt for a long while, his own expression slumping down, cut from the exact same cloth as the aggrieved looks of the Stone Sunflower People.
Having experienced the exhilaration of high-speed charging, returning to this sluggish pace would make anyone feel stifled.
Not to mention the old saying goes, "Autumn rain lingers on." Even if the autumn season in Shi Province had less rainfall compared to other provinces, there was no guarantee they wouldn't face three to five, or even six to seven consecutive days of dreary rain.
Fortunately, today's tasks were still heavy. After a few glances, Cheng Ye pushed the aggravating charging situation to the back of his mind. He pulled out the unread information from yesterday and patiently continued sorting and pondering the traces that might hide clues.
Heaven rewards the diligent. At four in the afternoon, a yellow piece of information finally allowed him to catch a scent of a clue.
[Hot Sun Valley Gathering Place No. 2 Disappearance Incident]
[Origin of Intelligence]: Liang Province. [Status]: Unverifiable. [Intelligence Provider]: Rhys Belfour (Information Broker; provided 241 effective pieces of information, among which 192 pieces
were verified accurate; Credibility Rating: B+).
[Information Content]: The Hot Sun Valley Gathering Place is located in the southwest of Liang Province, with a permanent population of around 2,700 people. They rely on the hot springs within the valley to irrigate drought-resistant crops for a living. The unique aspect of this valley is that it is a closed depression rich in deep geothermal heat. The underground rock layers are densely fractured, and the soil is perennially enriched with trace amounts of an unknown heat-sensitive mineral.
Through visits and verifications with relevant witnesses, it was confirmed that the Void Mist enveloped the area around 2:00 PM on July 25, New Era Year 35. A sudden anomaly struck the valley, lasted for two hours, and then dissipated.
After the Void Mist dissipated, the entire Gathering Place's population disappeared. Houses, crops, and tools showed no signs of damage.
'Hot Sun Valley?'
At first glance, this piece of intelligence was no different from other reports of vanishing Gathering Places, lacking even a shred of clues related to the Stone Sunflower People.
But Cheng Ye's gaze was locked tightly onto the words "unknown heat-sensitive mineral".
He immediately returned to the homepage and pulled up the topographical data for Hot Sun Valley.
As the images popped up, Cheng Ye jolted, standing up with eyes full of disbelief.
He cast his gaze outside the cave, and what his eyes saw continuously overlapped with what was presented in the pictures.
This Hot Sun Valley had over an eighty percent similarity to the Red River Valley he was currently in!
This eighty percent similarity even included the crimson-tinted hues of the cliff walls.
The only difference was that the scale of Hot Sun Valley was much larger.
The cliff walls exceeded three hundred meters in height, and the Valley Path was twice as wide as that of the Red River Valley.
This Valley Path, winding for fifty-five kilometers, had no shortage of fractured gaps along the way, perfectly accommodating four Gathering Places with a total population approaching ten thousand.
There were shallow mineral veins hidden within the valley. The two middle Gathering Places mainly relied on mining and selling, supplementing their income with farming.
Hot Sun Valley Gathering Place No. 2 was situated at the westernmost edge of the Valley Path, deviating from the main mining area, and primarily survived by planting drought-resistant crops.
Because it was mainly agricultural, the residents' range of activity was wide. When the Void Mist enveloped the area, there were plenty of witnesses, more than enough to confirm the mist had indeed covered the place.
The reason this intelligence was marked as "Unverifiable" was also very simple: by the time investigators from the shelter city arrived, the Gathering Place had already been looted empty.
Although the remaining houses were intact, all valuable supplies—including the crops—had been thoroughly divided and consumed by the people from the three neighboring Gathering Places. The scene was an utter mess, making it impossible to reconstruct the true situation at the time of the incident.
Even if the Void Mist had originally left behind some key traces, they had likely long been carried off or completely destroyed by the valley's inhabitants.
However, as Cheng Ye stared at the intelligence on the screen, he was now sixty percent certain that there absolutely had to be some deep connection between Hot Sun Valley and the Red River Valley.
He returned to the main interface and typed "Hot Sun Valley unknown heat-sensitive mineral" to search again.
Perhaps because this type of mineral held a certain research value, someone had once conducted a detailed analysis of it. Four related entries quickly popped up on the screen.
Cheng Ye clicked on the first entry. The page displayed gray powdery substances placed on a tray, as well as gray stones formed into chunks the size of a baby's fist. Faint spiral patterns could be seen on the edges of the stones.
Below the entry was a brief introduction:
This type of mineral can be absorbed by crop root systems, causing the roots to develop more than three times as much as crops in ordinary areas. At the same time, it can enhance a plant's sunlight conversion efficiency, allowing crops to not only grow much faster than their external counterparts but also exhibit extreme drought resistance.
However, due to the extremely scarce reserves of this mineral, large-scale mining cannot be established. Thus, no further value assessments will be made for the time being.
If there is a need to purchase this substance for research, please contact the [Golden Tree Wind Shelter City] via the Kindling Alliance network for a face-to-face meeting.
Phew.
Cheng Ye couldn't help but let out a long breath. His gaze subconsciously swept toward the slate on the ground that was still absorbing sunlight.
His original sixty percent certainty instantly became a hundred percent solid conviction.
Similar terrain couldn't fully prove a connection, but a substance with traits resembling the slate had actually appeared hundreds of miles away in Liang Province's Hot Sun Valley.
At this point, the connection between the two was undeniably confirmed.
The enveloping coverage of the Void Mist had awakened the slumbering Transcendent Mother Source underground. As it broke through the soil, it infected and swept up the entirety of Hot Sun Valley Gathering Place No. 2's population, crossing hundreds of miles to end up inside the mine shafts of the Red River Valley.
'Being able to awaken the Transcendent Mother Source means there must be something it needs inside the mine shaft. And there's a very high probability that this something is the extremely valuable red crystal.'
'Since a substance similar to the Sunlight Slate could be mined in Hot Sun Valley, it means this kind of material is inherently a derivative of the Transcendent Mother Source. It's just that the minerals found in Hot Sun Valley could only be used as fertilizer, while the slates dropped by the Stone Sunflower People can absorb sunlight and convert it into energy. No wonder I couldn't find any relevant information earlier.'
'Following this line of thought, since the slate is a derivative of the Transcendent Mother Source, the slates it generates now are far stronger than the minerals of Hot Sun Valley. Is this because the Transcendent Mother Source's abilities improved after awakening, or was it influenced by the red crystals in the Red River Valley?'
With his deductions reaching this point, Cheng Ye suppressed his urge to continue branching out his thoughts.
Opening the Illustrated Handbook, he stared at the 200% Trait degree of the Flame Energy Conversion. Suddenly, an incredibly strong premonition arose within him.
Perhaps, just one intelligence extraction would be enough to answer all his current questions.
And at this moment, after a whole day of recovery, his Recharge Value had reached 18%.
By tomorrow morning at the latest, he would be able to completely tear away the mysterious veil of the subterranean Transcendent Mother Source and see its true operating mechanisms clearly.
'If this Transcendent Mother Source is like the Burning Chive, capable of endlessly producing Sunlight Slates...'
'Then its value... would be truly immeasurable!'