205: Chapter 205 Stone-built Fortress, the Key to Success is in Sight

At the very center of the space stood a square array platform built from dark cyan megaliths.

The platform was approximately a hundred zhang square.

The platform surface was nearly ten zhang higher than the surrounding seabed—the base was composed of layers upon layers of dark cyan megaliths.

There was no mortar between each layer of megaliths—the contact surfaces of the megaliths were carved with interlocking patterns, with the grooves at the bottom of the upper megaliths locking into the raised patterns on top of the lower ones.

The precision of the interlocking was extremely high—the gaps were less than half a rice grain wide.

The surface of the platform was covered in Sealing Pattern lines.

The lines extended outward from the very center of the array platform—each circle outward, the lines became one layer denser.

The innermost circle of lines was approximately three chi square—the lines were thick and sparse, with each line being as wide as a little finger.

The second circle outward—the lines were half as thin, but the quantity had nearly doubled.

Further outward—the third circle of lines was even thinner and denser.

By the outermost circle—the lines were so thin that the naked eye could barely distinguish a single line.

The spacing between the lines was less than half a rice grain—thousands of extremely thin lines densely covered the entire platform surface.

At the very center of the array platform was a depression.

The shape of the depression was a perfect circle—approximately three chi in diameter.

The edge of the depression was carved with three circles of Sealing Pattern sub-lines in different colors.

The outermost circle—deep blue.

Cold light shone out from the lines—the color of the cold light was exactly the same as that deep blue cold light on the altar stone surface.

The light pulsed on and off: bright for about thirty breaths, dark for about ten breaths.

When it was bright, the entire circle of deep blue lines dyed the seawater around the array platform a very faint blue.

The middle circle—dark red.

The color of the lines was identical to the ink color marked by the red circle on the remnant map.

The dark red light was nearly half as weak as the deep blue—when bright, it could only illuminate a range of less than one chi from the edge of the depression.

When dark, the dark red completely retracted into the lines—the lines turned into extremely thin dark threads.

The innermost circle—a very faint silver-gray.

The brightness was less than thirty percent of the outer circle.

When the silver-gray lines flickered, they were almost drowned out by the outer deep blue light—Leng Feng had to squint to see the precise trajectory of the silver-gray lines.

The colors of the three circles of sub-lines flickered alternately.

Deep blue bright → Dark red bright → Silver-gray bright—the three colors took turns flickering on and off.

The rhythm of the flickering was about forty breaths for one complete cycle.

It was completely synchronized with the main fluctuation on the Receiving Formation.

Leng Feng took the rubbing copy of the remnant map out of the waterproof bag—comparing the trajectory of the lines at the edge of the array platform.

The red circle marked on the remnant map was the Lock Core node—corresponding to the dark red sub-lines in the middle circle of the array platform.

The altar corresponded to the deep blue sub-lines in the outer circle.

The middle Connection Node corresponded to the silver-gray sub-lines in the innermost circle.

After all three circles were activated—the central depression would open.

That was the opening to the main hub.

The abyssal vein—was right beneath the opening.

Leng Feng put the rubbing copy back into the waterproof bag.

Then he moved forward about one zhang—his body pressed against the rock wall on the outside of the passage entrance.

The surface of the rock wall grew a layer of extremely thin seaweed—the seaweed crumbled into powder when Leng Feng's fingers touched it.

He poked half his head out from the edge of the rock wall—looking down.

The periphery of the array platform.

Leng Feng counted about fifty Haiyuan Clan elites—unlike the peripheral patrol soldiers, more than half were wearing deep black carapace armor.

The carapace grew directly from their bodies, with dark cyan runes carved on the edges.

The runes emitted a very faint fluorescence in the seawater.

These elites stood around the array platform—evenly spaced, with about five zhang between each two.

Their standing positions were fixed—each elite stood motionless at their own spot.

Directly in front of the array platform—a priest wearing dark golden carapace armor.

The color of the carapace was a layer deeper than the deep black armor—the dark gold emitted a very heavy luster under the reflection of the deep blue cold light.

In his hand, he gripped a bone scepter—the scepter was nearly twice as long as an ordinary bone spear.

The top of the scepter was embedded with a fist-sized dark blue crystal—the crystal was emitting deep blue spiritual light outward.

The frequency of the spiritual light was completely synchronized with the flickering of the outer circle sub-lines—when the outer circle was bright, the crystal's spiritual light was also bright; when the outer circle was dark, the crystal's spiritual light was also dark.

The High Priest stood about ten zhang directly in front of the array platform.

The bottom of the scepter was inserted into the seabed sediment—the sediment was shaken by the spiritual light, sending out a circle of extremely fine ripples.

Every about forty breaths—when the crystal at the top of the scepter was at its brightest—the High Priest lifted the scepter up by half an inch and then plunged it back into the sediment.

The instant it plunged down—the brightness of the deep blue sub-lines on the outer circle of the array platform jumped up a small notch.

He was using the scepter to guide the spiritual energy from the altar direction to converge onto the array platform.

Each time it converged—the outer circle sub-lines became one layer brighter.

Leng Feng shifted his gaze from the High Priest back to the array platform.

The brightness contrast of the three circles of sub-lines was clear at a glance—the outer deep blue was the brightest, the middle dark red was only nearly half of the outer circle, and the inner silver-gray was the dimmest.

The lid direction had accumulated the longest—the progress of filling the outer circle was the fastest.

The Lock Core direction was at least several beats slower—the brightness of the middle circle could not keep up with the outer circle.

And the Connection Node direction had almost no progress—the flickering of the silver-gray lines was almost completely covered by the light of the outer and middle circles.

This was the reason the Haiyuan Clan was most anxious.

All three circles must be filled simultaneously to open the central opening—the lid was almost full, the Lock Core still had a long way to go, and the Connection Node had barely moved.

They were desperately speeding up the Lock Core direction—Leng Feng looked toward the left side of the array platform.

About twenty zhang to the left of the array platform—three guards wearing deep black armor were connecting a dark red spiritual energy transmission line extending from the Lock Core direction into the middle circle sub-lines of the array platform.

The transmission line was a semi-transparent pipe about the thickness of an arm—dark red spiritual light flowed inside the pipe.

The flow rate of the spiritual light was unstable—sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

The guards were constantly adjusting the angle of the pipe at the interface—each time they adjusted it, the flow rate of the spiritual light inside the pipe would speed up for a moment.

But after the adjustment, it would quickly slow down again.

The spiritual energy transmission line for the lid direction was deep blue—nearly twice as thick as the pipe for the Lock Core direction, and the spiritual light flow rate was stable and fast.

The pipe for the Connection Node direction was silver-gray—it was the thinnest, and the spiritual light flow rate was less than thirty percent of that of the lid direction.

Leng Feng observed at the passage entrance for about an incense stick's time.

He copied down the structure of the array platform, the trajectory of the lines, the position and actions of the High Priest, the distribution of the guards, and the thickness and position of the three spiritual energy transmission lines—all of it.

The spiritual patterns of the rubbing Jade Slip were pressed brighter than usual under the pressure of two thousand zhang underwater—each time he made a copy, the temperature on the surface of the Jade Slip jumped up a small notch.

After the copying was finished, he pressed the Jade Slip into the innermost layer of the waterproof bag at his waist—the side against his body.

Then he began to retreat.

His movements were extremely slow—before each step, he first probed the stone slab at the bottom of the passage with his toes.

He could not make a sound—the passage entrance was less than three li from the array platform.

Fifty elites plus one High Priest—once discovered, there would be no possibility of survival.

He retreated back to the gap.

Ma Yuan was still guarding outside the gap—facing outward, scanning the seabed, with his shield wedged in front of him.

Tian Qi was still holding the traction array stake—the transmission Array Pattern at the top of the array stake was still lit.

Leng Feng crawled out of the gap—Deng Yue followed behind.

Their armor plates were covered with a layer of grayish-white sediment from the passage—it was the powder of the Sealing Pattern ink that had been dried for two thousand years.

Leng Feng checked the rubbing Jade Slip once more—confirming that the Jade Slip was in the innermost layer of the waterproof bag.

Then he looked back at the mountain range direction.

Directly above the array platform—the spiritual light penetrating the mountain body was diffusing in the seawater.

The outer circle was deep blue—it was one layer brighter than an incense stick's time ago.

The lid—was almost full.

Leng Feng's finger touched the emergency talisman at his waist.

Then he turned around—and began to ascend along the original path of the undercurrent.