Chapter 624 - 396: Found It
The two entered the stone forest in the morning and stayed until evening, eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty.
Wei Ziang, initially bewildered, could now use the magnetometer with ease.
Occasionally, it would emit a faint sound when sweeping across the ground.
Xiaomi told him that the stone forest was disorienting, indicating a disrupted magnetic field that would confuse judgment.
The cause of such disruption was likely a metal mine below.
Furthermore, the scarcity of vegetation closer to the ground reinforced this notion.
Not only that, Xiaomi took out several books concerning various mineral introductions.
The characters were slightly different from this world’s script, but with guesses, occasional questions to Xiaomi, Wei Ziang quickly understood them.
By evening, they remembered to have Ling’er send a message outside to reassure the anxious people there.
Knowing Xiaomi couldn’t enter the space, Wei Ziang also stayed outside with her, rather than re-enter.
The two had ventured deep into the forest, near the bandits’ old dwellings, but chose to set up tents instead.
A windproof, waterproof, oversized tent was set up, a solar-powered bulb was hung, and meals were cooked with solar cell batteries sunlit throughout the day.
This whole sequence left Wei Ziang perpetually astonished.
Especially when the electric stove cooked a hotpot rapidly without any flames — it was practically like magic!
Most fascinating was Xiaomi explaining their use of solar energy for cooking and illumination.
"Isn’t this the stuff from books that says only immortals possess such skills?"
"Alright, brother, eat quickly; I didn’t expect it to be so cold in the stone forest at night."
Xiaomi handed Wei Ziang a set of chopsticks and bowls.
"Forget the other matters. My past world developed thousands of years beyond this era — no gods or monsters, just incredible human skills."
"Try these potato slices; there are endless ways to eat potatoes — you’ll never tire of them."
Wei Ziang sighed lightly, "I wish I could see the place Xiaomi used to live."
Xiaomi shrugged — she couldn’t do much about that.
Fortunately, Wei Ziang only muttered the wish lightly, quickly shifting focus to the enticing hotpot before him.
The hotpot base was prepared by Ling’er in space, with pre-made side dishes, ready for immediate use.
The potatoes were for Wei Ziang to taste; otherwise, there were meat rolls, crab claw, shrimp, five-spice pork, and various other meats.
There were also mushrooms, lettuce, crown daisies, and various vegetables.
Besides that, there were fruit juices and drinks, desserts, and Xiaomi even took out two bottles of chilled beer — nothing was lacking compared to the hotpot experiences of her past life.
Many things Wei Ziang had never tried or even seen before.
For the first time since arriving, Xiaomi enjoyed these foods, greatly pleased.
Wei Ziang soon relaxed, occasionally clinking cups with Xiaomi, drinking heartily.
After eating, everything was stored away, with Ling’er helping tidy up. Xiaomi had taken out a bathtub and clean clothes, set behind the tent for them to wash off.
Having spent all day traversing the stone forest, followed by sweating from the hotpot, they needed to wash before sleeping.
Even for sleep, sharing a single tent, though large, meant together in one space.
Wei Ziang felt a bit anxious, but Xiaomi fell asleep instantly, making him find it amusing.
The next morning, after breakfast prepared by Ling’er, Xiaomi gathered everything, and they set out again in the forest.
Thus, for three days, they adapted from discomfort to familiarity.
"Beep beep,"
The piercing sound from the magnetometer caught Xiaomi’s attention — "Found it! Right here!"
She quickly stowed the magnetometer and produced several pickaxes.
"Brother, let’s dig. The magnetometer sounding here means we’re closest to the metal below!"
As it was a basic magnetometer, its sensitivity was lacking, explaining the lengthy search.
They scanned nearly every place they passed until they finally found an activity site.
The detection confirmed Xiaomi’s guess — their efforts were not in vain.
Wei Ziang glanced around, noticing dried blood nearby.
"Xiaomi, this seems just behind where we were trapped before."
"Hah? This close?"
Wei Ziang nodded, and they began digging with pickaxes.
The ground was dry and hard, requiring full force to dig through. They shattered three pickaxes before finally reaching a pit over a meter deep.
A loud sound echoed, unlike any before.
Wei Ziang hurriedly set down the pickaxe, joined by Xiaomi’s gaze.
"Did we hit something?"
They quickly overturned the soil, revealing hard, dark-brown rock beneath!
Xiaomi took out a magnet, releasing it to see it quickly adhere to the rock with a crisp clang.
Their eyes lit up, both exclaiming, "It’s iron ore!"
Meeting eyes, they shared mutual elation.
But after their joy, they soon regained composure.
"Brother, General Song won’t be able to decide this alone."
Iron ore, a strategic resource in any era!
The stone forest was massive, twice the size of Lishi City, its magnetic field disrupted throughout — the ore content was likely staggering.
Wei Ziang nodded: "Let’s refill the pit and then tell General Song. Beyond that, it’s out of our hands."
Xiaomi agreed, and they climbed out, refilling the pit and restoring it with Spiritual Power to its original form.
Without doubt, Lishi City would need to expand outward.
This neither of them had to articulate; it was clear.
During these prosperous years, the Xuyu Dynasty enjoyed rich harvests and resources; expanding cities wouldn’t pose a significant challenge.
Having restored the site, both changed back to their initial attire — intentionally unwashed, still dusty.
Any traceable items were stored away in space, ensuring perfection before setting out with the map, leaving the stone forest behind.