A few days later, Lind, Nad, Lylarion, and the twenty elite Rockguards led by Astaire, under the guidance of the dwarven envoy Gimli Bronzebeard (a dwarf with an intricately braided beard, sharp eyes like an eagle, and bulging muscles), left the solemn atmosphere of Trukburg and embarked on the road to the Red Mountain Dwarven Royal Court.
Unlike the relatively leisurely trip to the Earl's territory, this journey was purposeful and much faster.
The caravan was streamlined, retaining only the heavy wagons carrying the key "chips" and the light carriages of Linde and others, pulled by more durable mountain pack animals.
The entire Rock Guard rode on horseback, their black magic composite armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. The silent marching column carried an invisible sense of oppression.
Along the way, the dwarf envoy Gimli became the most active presence.
He rode on a bharal covered in thick fur, alongside Lind's carriage, his rough and loud voice almost never stopping.
"Sir Linde! Look over there!"
Jim pointed with his thick, calloused, and scalded fingers to the distant outline of a massive mountain range that stretched across the sky like the spine of a dragon, shrouded in mist.
“That’s Red Mountain! The backbone of the continent of Tyre! Our true home! That white stuff up there isn’t snow, it’s ‘Broken Cloud Rock,’ so hard it can chip even the sharpest pickaxe!”
He spat and continued:
"It looks peaceful at the foot of the mountain? Ha! That's a lie! Those damned 'Scaled Claw Dragons' (a type of small but ferocious sub-dragon) like to build their nests in the low valleys and come out in groups to attack lone miners or caravans!"
Their scales are hard, their claws are poisonous, and they're quite a nuisance! But," Gimli patted the heavy warhammer hanging at his waist with satisfaction, "it's just a matter of putting in a little more effort against our dwarven heavy hammers and repeating crossbows!"
As the convoy entered the foothills of the Red Mountain and the terrain began to become rugged, Gimli pointed to some huge, plow-like marks on the ground, as well as the occasional deep craters:
"See that? That's what that bastard 'Rock Ridge Earthworm' dug up! That thing is thicker than a castle, burrowing around underground and shaking the whole mine tunnel! If you accidentally dig deep into the ore vein, it can collapse the entire mine tunnel! We've put a lot of effort into catching or driving away these big bugs, and we've specially made burrowing shock bombs and acid traps!"
When the dwarves' homeland was mentioned, Gimli's eyes shone with fervent enthusiasm:
"Don't be fooled by the bare rocks on the outside; inside! Inside is paradise! We've hollowed out the entire 'belly' of Red Mountain! No, not hollowed out, but meticulously crafted! Do you know about the 'Unquenchable Forge'? That flame was lit by our dwarven ancestors and has burned for tens of thousands of years! It has never gone out! Weapons and armor forged in it are family heirlooms!"
"The Royal Court is even more remarkable!" Gimli's voice rose eight octaves, filled with pride. "Deep beneath the main peak of Red Mountain! Using the entire massive vein of mithril and adamantite as our core, we carved out the Soul Forging Hall, the Ancestral Temple, the Rune Vault... Those pillars would take ten men to encircle! Those domes are high enough to hold a dragon! The walls are covered with the epics of our dwarven heroes! Walking inside, you can hear the heartbeat of the entire mountain range, and smell the purest scent of iron and fire! That is true power! That is true eternity!"
Gimli's eloquent narration unfolded like a richly colored painting before Lind and the others.
The image of an underground civilization, completely different from the human kingdom, full of power, resilience, danger and splendor, comes to life.
Lyra Ryan listened intently, the elegance of the elves contrasting sharply with the ruggedness of the dwarves, and her sketchbook was filled with these precious glimpses of exotic customs.
Linde listened with a smile, nodding occasionally.
He did indeed "travel" through the underground of Hongshan via the Magic Network node.
The magical network environment there is extremely unique, vast and chaotic.
The raging fire elemental currents (from the unquenchable furnace and geothermal energy), the heavy and stagnant earth elemental foundations (from the endless mountains and rocks), and the complex energy disturbances generated by the dwarves' countless rune arrays and intricate mechanical operations, were like countless surging and roaring underground rivers, each heading in a different direction, colliding and converging wildly in the underground space.
The vast differences in the frequencies of various elements and magical fluctuations caused them to interfere with each other, creating an extremely "noisy" magical field.
Even with Linde's powerful mental strength, it was difficult for him to maintain a highly focused "deconstruction" state for an extended period in that area as he did elsewhere. The information flow was too chaotic, and forcibly analyzing it was extremely energy-consuming and inefficient.
During that brief exploration, he was more like experiencing the ferocity of an energy storm at its edge, without venturing into its core.
Red Mountain is indeed not far from the Earl's territory.
Led by Gimli, who knew the way well, the caravan avoided many treacherous and difficult areas, and moved swiftly along the trade routes opened and maintained by the dwarves.
At this pace, it should take more than ten days to reach the entrance to the Dwarf Royal Court, located deep within the Red Mountains.
So, whenever he set up camp to rest or closed his eyes to relax in the carriage each day, Linde would once again immerse his consciousness in the vast sea of magic networks.
This time, he was no longer confined to Red Mountain, but like a meticulous surveyor, he began to systematically "roam" every node, large and small, on the continent of Til that he could perceive.
His mental energy acted like an invisible probe, meticulously scanning and recording the characteristics of each node: energy attributes (fire, water, wind, earth, nature, arcane, necromancy, etc.), energy intensity, fluctuation frequency, stability, the strength and method of connection with other nodes, and the influence of the surrounding environment (mountains, rivers, forests, cities, special ley lines, etc.)...
Gradually, some previously overlooked or obscure patterns began to emerge clearly with the aid of his powerful "deconstruction aura":
1. The correlation between energy attributes and geography: Large fire element nodes often coincide with active volcanic belts or geothermal anomaly zones;
Water element nodes are densely distributed in large lakes, deep-sea trenches, and the confluence of certain underground rivers;
Wind element nodes are often found on the summits of continuous, towering mountain ranges or in perennial hurricane belts;
Earth element nodes are buried deep beneath the foundations of ancient mountains or vast plains;
Natural nodes are often associated with primeval forests, giant ancient trees, or oases of life;
Arcane nodes are relatively rare, mostly found in ancient ruins, magic-rich mineral veins, or certain naturally formed spatial weaknesses.
2. Node strength and the "tributaries" of the Magic Network: Not all nodes are directly connected to the "main trunk" of the Magic Network.
There are countless energy "tributaries" of varying strength on the mainland, like the branches of a tree.
Large nodes are often the confluence of multiple important tributaries (such as the eye of the storm, the Bokou Ruins, and the core of Hongshan), where energy surges and swells.
Small nodes, on the other hand, may simply be the end of a minor tributary or a "transfer station" between nodes, where energy flow is relatively smooth.
3. Frequency Resonance and Interference: Linde discovered that when two nodes have similar energy properties and fluctuation frequencies, they will generate a natural "resonance", making energy flow smoother and even forming a hidden energy channel.
Conversely, when nodes with conflicting attributes or significantly different frequencies approach each other, they will cause strong interference, leading to energy disorder, dissipation, or even triggering local magic storms (such as the chaotic environment inside Red Mountain, which is the result of multiple high-energy nodes with huge differences in attributes and frequencies forcibly converging).
4. "Live nodes" and "dead nodes": Most nodes are "live nodes" that are relatively stable or change periodically.
However, there are also some "dead nodes" with dormant energy and on the verge of structural collapse. They are like "scars" on the magic net, not only useless themselves, but also capable of absorbing and distorting the surrounding energy flow, forming dangerous magic voids or distorted areas.
Deep in the frozen wasteland near the northern edge of Blackrock Territory, Linde sensed a sizable "dead node" that exuded an unsettling aura of decay.
5. The impact of intelligent creations: powerful magic circles, mega-cities (especially royal capitals, which gather the mental power of countless living beings), and certain special racial settlements (such as the Emerald Forest of the elves and the Eye of the Storm of the sirens) can significantly influence or even reshape the magic network nodes in their respective locations.
They are like artificially weaving new and more complex "runes" on nature's magic web, changing the flow and nature of energy.
The discovery of these patterns gave Linde an unprecedented, comprehensive understanding of the energy pathways of the continent of Til.
This is not only an academic achievement, but also a huge strategic advantage.
He seemed to possess an invisible, intricate map marked with energy nodes and flow paths.
In the future, whether it's mobilizing forces, deploying defenses, searching for resources, or... conducting long-range "stretching exercises," it will possess unparalleled precision and efficiency.
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