After shaking off Stanley's pursuit team, everyone pressed on without delay.
Following a brief rest, they restarted their motorcycles and slowly searched their way up the gentle slopes at the foot of the mountain.
With Chelsea leading the way, the source of the Petrification Beam was most likely hidden deep within these mountains.
The mountain path was not particularly steep. Light filtered through the forest in layers, while interwoven branches and leaves blocked the sky, keeping their surroundings dim and hazy.
Everyone stayed close together.
After a long search, the view ahead suddenly brightened.
At the edge of the dense forest, countless tiny points of light spread out before them, glittering in the gloom. Packed together like fragments of stars and jade scattered across the ground, they made for a stunning sight.
Senku, who was scouting at the front, stopped dead.
He instinctively looked up, his gaze sweeping straight across the open valley. For the first time, shock appeared on his face.
His voice came softly, tinged with disbelief.
"This..."
Everyone stopped and followed Senku's gaze. The next instant, the entire group fell silent.
They stood frozen, too shocked to utter a word.
The floor of the open valley was covered in densely packed petrification instruments, all sharing the same design. Devices of various sizes lay piled atop one another in absurd numbers, gathered into what was practically a small, intricate mountain of stone.
Countless cold glimmers flickered faintly among the trees. Unknown technology that had lain dormant for millennia was laid bare before them.
Standing at the back of the group, Li Xiang stared at the scene that overturned everything she knew, and her heart gave a hard thump.
She instinctively murmured in astonishment, "No way... there are actually this many?"
No one had imagined that countless devices were