Kindling Formation

Su Ming did not come over.

He used a small drone as a relay to contact the giant salamander and directed it to conduct patrols.

As the surveying progressed, the complete mine terrain was outlined on the 3D map. All the side tunnels were confirmed to be dead ends.

Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Simina and Yise went straight to the central area and found the control core of the Fire-Burning Array.

This is a vertical magic array platform. On the circular stone disc with a diameter of three meters, a five-pointed star is engraved. The patterns on it are entirely cast from a single piece of metal, and the surrounding area features decorative carvings in the style of the Cangxiao Dynasty.

Under the illumination of the diving lights, everything gleamed with an oily, eerie light.

At the pointed end of the pentagram, there is a round hole.

"A keyhole?" Experts in the back saw this through the drone's camera.

"Yise, try those keys," Simina hurriedly said.

According to legends and scattered records of the orcs, when the last emperor of the Cangxiao Dynasty was managing the volcano, he built a "fire array" and set up six keys to control it.

As for what kind of key it is, there's no need to think too much; it must be the "Six Sacred Keys of Cangxiao." Simina has already learned this during her numerous investigations.

She only refrained from including the relevant content in the popular story "The Torch" because she was worried that it might involve classified information and cause repercussions for the authorities in Water Chestnut Island.

****

Yise took out three keys in turn.

"Raven", "Toad", "Wolf Fang".

Simina handed over the "Holy Spring".

Each key has a unique pattern and shape, with its surface shimmering with its own Magic Power luster.

After comparing them, Simina felt that the "Raven" key was the most beautiful. Its black and silver color had a mysterious purple hue and it emitted stardust. In terms of special effects, it outshone the other three keys.

But when the two looked up at the control array plate, they were both stunned.

The array plate is decorated with patterns corresponding to the sacred key—but there are no ravens among them!

The only ones that match are the Holy Spring, the Toad, and the Wolf Fang.

Despite his doubts, Yise didn't delay. He inserted the three keys and activated them one by one. The light from the pure white holy spring, the pink toad, and the silver wolf fang lit up in succession, and fine lines emerged from around the keyholes, like vines being lit up.

The radiance flowed along the edge of the pentagram and converged at the center of the array.

The long-dormant alchemical components hummed, and tiny ripples spread across the nearby water.

Only the three corners are fully lit; the remaining two empty patterns are a lion's heart and a corn cob.

Yise placed his palm on the center of the array plate and released his mental energy to try to control the "Torchfire Array," but there was no response.

The three activated areas are only flickering slightly.

She tried repeatedly, and suddenly the array pattern turned red.

It appears to be a warning.

The light surrounding the three sacred keys contracted slightly, and rows of ancient characters were projected from the center of the array plate, floating in the water.

It is the ancient script of Cangxiao.

Simina examined it carefully.

"It's an error message; the three secondary keys don't have enough permissions!" she told everyone. "This area either needs a single master key to control it."

"Only with all four secondary keys can the magic circle be controlled."

"What is the master key?" Su Ming asked.

Simina read and explained at the same time.

"The Lionheart Key, a token of King Cangxiao."

"The missing 'corn' key in the secondary key represents a bountiful harvest," Simina said. "It's a token of the Grand Minister of Agriculture of the Cangxiao Dynasty."

"No need to think about it, both are in the hands of the Calamity Bell," Su Ming said.

Wolfyf had already told them that the Bell of Calamity previously possessed four of the "Six Sacred Keys".

With the "Holy Spring" captured by our side in the Battle of Yesia, and Wolf Lady defecting with the "Wolf Fang", the enemy still has two left.

Now it seems to be "Lionheart" and "Corn".

"Why isn't there a 'raven'?" Yise was very puzzled.

She tightened her grip on the keepsake her mother had left her. Simina touched the air with her hand, triggering more pre-set prompts from the magic circle.

She read them one by one, but ultimately shook her head.

"This document makes no mention of 'Raven,' and the control of the Fire-Supporting Array has nothing to do with it."

Not only was Yise confused, but the expert team behind the scenes was also confused.

"The 'Raven' is also one of the six sacred keys of the Cangxiao Dynasty, isn't it?" Chloe frowned deeply. "What a baffling design."

If there are five secondary keys, it would be ideal to have control if you possess four of them.

"The 'Raven' clearly doesn't belong to this control system," Simina said.

****

Zijin was in charge of identifying the magic array.

Dark gold metal strips are embedded deep into the rock, intersecting to form a complex network covering tens of thousands of square meters.

Although the area was flooded, the magic circle was still functioning normally. A faint white light flowed slowly along the patterns.

Her work is progressing smoothly. (The last line appears to be a website footer or similar, and doesn't translate directly.)

"The outer region we entered is responsible for suppressing the volcano and simultaneously drawing upon the earth's ley lines."

"The inner layers utilize this energy, and also serve as a form of pressure release."

Zijin used a camera to record a set of equally ancient array patterns, but the style was clearly different from that of the Cangxiao Dynasty.

The former is closer to a rough totem structure, making extensive use of animal shapes. The lines here, however, are much more regular, incorporating a large number of concentric circles and straight energy-conducting patterns.

"This is a magic array in the style of the Cloud Fang Dynasty."

Zijin told everyone.

The Cloud Fang Dynasty was a half-orc dynasty that succeeded the Cang Xiao Dynasty. It lasted from a thousand years ago until a little over a decade ago, when it was infiltrated and replaced by the Calamity Bell, and is now only existing in name.

"Let's call it the 'Cloud Fang Magic Array'," said Katharine. "And what is its function?"

"It's clearly a large-scale defensive array, connected to the city's defense system, capable of deploying a powerful defensive shield," Zijin said. "The cloud formation above the palace that embodies the Burning Cloud Technique is also related to this."

It is normal practice to draw energy from the earth's veins to defend the capital.

Zijin swam to a half-finished, newly drawn array pattern. This area was clearly distinct from the area where the "Cloud Fang Array" was located. The edges of the rocks were covered with fresh chisel marks, and alchemical materials that had not yet been laid were scattered on the ground. Some rune structures were even only roughly outlined.

It is clearly a newly constructed building, covering an area of over 5,000 square meters.

"It seems that the Bell of Calamity has been organizing the orcs to work underground for some time now, and this is what they've been building," Su Ming said.

Nearby were piles of Magic Power crystals, animal bone powder, and energy-conducting metals, all scattered and broken by the water.

The Zijin raised its small bony claws.

"I found it on a dead bell-ringer."

She unfurled the scroll, which clearly contained blueprints for a magic array.

"This magic array, currently under construction, has been named the 'Ringing Bell Magic Array' by the Bell of Calamity."

"The type is a large-scale attack magic array."

Su Ming sighed, "Anyway, they're coming for us."

Volcanoes possess immense power, capable of propelling hundreds of millions of tons of material tens of kilometers into the air.

No matter how much of it the Bell of Calamity can utilize, or what it intends to do with it, it absolutely cannot let the enemy succeed! "Are these magic arrays easy to destroy?" Su Ming asked.

Zijin extended her bone claws, grabbed a piece of energy-conducting ceramic shard, and tightened her grip slightly.

The pottery shards then cracked in the middle, turning into fine powder that tumbled and spread in the water.

"The material itself has no defensive capabilities and can be easily destroyed."

"Then blow them all up!" Su Ming ordered. "Bell Array and Cloud Fang Array, together."

"No problem!"

****

Su Ming lowered two hundred kilograms of explosives down the steel cable.

With four small torpedoes remaining, the "Baby Fish" robot completed its ammunition resupply.

"The AI performed quite well this time," Su Ming praised the support team.

The annihilated enemy was a needle, and further identification revealed that it was one of the "key members" of the Calamity Bell.

The "giant fish" was swiftly defeated upon first encounter, the cost being merely a few small torpedoes. "As long as you dodge normally, you can handle it," the expert said. "The real problem is any fancy maneuvers."

"And whatever you do, don't go for the rules system," Harvest said.

Small drones dispersed, each carrying a package of waterproof explosives, and were positioned accordingly.

Zijin used the magic array diagram to mark the energy convergence nodes, the main Magic Power transmission line, and the resonance array.

Damage to one area is enough to render a large area of array patterns in the surrounding area useless.

Su Ming calculated that over two hundred kilograms of explosives would be enough to completely destroy the mission.

But this result made him worried instead.

"Zijin, completely destroy the 'Cloud Fang Formation,' but show some mercy to the unfinished 'Bell Ringing Formation.'"

Su Ming made a request.

"Just make sure the damage is to the point where it can be repaired in about fifty days."

The little dragon was holding a professional diving board and operating it non-stop.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled. Su Ming began to explain.

"The Bell of Calamity will never expect us to attack in about twenty days."

"This will allow them to continue investing manpower and resources here."

Completely destroying the "Bell Ringing Formation" would only force the enemy to abandon their plans.

Leaving behind a salvageable, unfinished product can actually hold off the enemy and allow them to consume its resources.

"Great, I like this plan!" Zijin said happily, "It will prevent them from causing any more trouble and adding unnecessary complications."

Katharine strongly agreed, stating that in tactical games, controllability is far better than the unknown.

But she sighed softly.

"Luckily, this despicable person is on our side."

****

Demolishing a house is something Zijin is very good at, but how to do it in a semi-destructive way is beyond Miss Belladonna's capabilities.

She placed a half-kilogram explosive charge and detonated it at a distance as a test. Boom!

The explosive charge lit up, the surrounding water suddenly contracted, white bubbles rose up, and were then pushed back down by the pressure of the deep water, flattening into a pancake shape.

The impact spread horizontally along the surface of the underwater rock layer, tearing apart large sections of the magic array. Tiny bubbles spewed from the debris, drifting upwards with a blue-white Magic Power glow.

The entire magic circle looked as if someone had taken a bite out of it from the middle.

The drone returned, took photos, and sent them back to the support team for analysis of the damage.

Newman was also urgently summoned online.

"You've developed a bad habit," the engineering master muttered, "Every time you take something apart, you think of me."

"Last time, Lorenzo said he was very satisfied with your service," Chloe said.

Lorenzo, the deceased former emperor of the Star Empire.

"You should be the one who's satisfied!" Newman retorted, dissatisfied.

He led the technicians on both sides to revise the explosion model by comparing the data on the explosion point, rock hardness, and water pressure.

Finally, the opinions were summarized. "Limit the explosive charge to one kilogram, and then reduce the number of explosive placement points by 40%, that should be about right."

"Understood," Zijin replied.

She controlled the tablet, pushed out a new demolition plan, and the drone, trailing a long, thin wake, cheerfully began its deployment.

Newman finished his task, ended the call, and twisted his neck.

It makes a clicking sound.

Just as he was about to return to his post, a voice message popped up with a "ding-dong".

"So it was you who blew up my family's imperial tomb!" Shariko said sinisterly.

Newman felt a chill run down his spine.

"Your Majesty, I was forced!" he hurriedly explained.

"You did it, you must compensate me," Sharico said.

Judging from the other person's tone, it seemed that their true intentions were not what they seemed, so Newman quickly went along with it.

"Your Majesty, how do you require compensation?" Shariko asked.

After this war is over, design a palace for me.

"It needs to be comfortable for the winged race."

Newman understood immediately.

"For Queen Chloe?"

"Otherwise what?"

"Yes, no problem!" Newman agreed.