After finishing the spring trade with the Flame Spider Roving Merchant, Dragon Cypress brought Ink Orchid with him and, following their planned route, searched through every Land of Origin Force under the rule of the Xianglan Mountain Ant Kingdom.
Unfortunately, good fortune doesn't come every year.
No gains were made.
Ink Orchid returned to Xianglan Mountain, guarding its Snow Orchid Divine-Given Seed.
Dragon Cypress, meanwhile, continued to travel tirelessly between four locations: the Desolation Plains, Huagi Mountain, Hulan Mountain, and the second Source Stone Mine.
He continued to transport Source Stones to Huagi Mountain.
Black Cory kept reclaiming land at Hulan Mountain, and every time Dragon Cypress passed by, he would take a look and offer a few pointers.
...
The years flew by, and it was early winter once again.
