Bai Cheng's silver eyes shimmered with nebulae: "So, to oppose the Observer Council, we not only need to complete the Second Judgment but also... reforge the golden bell?"

"It's not exactly reforging," Aurora shook his head. "The fragments of the golden bell still possess power. We only need to gather the three main core fragments."

"The oath core of the clapper, the resonance core of the bell body, and the core of inheritance of the bell tower's base."

"Bring them back to the original site of the Shandora bell tower, and the Bell Spirit will awaken on its own."

His staff pointed to three spots of light on the map:

"The oath core. Located in the Thunder Pool Abyss on Thunder God Island at the former site of Jaya, it is guarded by the lightning restriction left by Rego."

"The resonance core. Scattered within the Mirror Maze of the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors, it is being used by the Observer Council as an experimental interference shield."

"The core of inheritance. It is in the Shandora Underground Sacred Vault, but it requires the bloodline of Rego and the Shandora High Priest to open it together."

Garel took off his eyepatch, revealing his intact right eye, in which faint lightning flickered within the pupil.

"I am the last direct descendant of Rego," he said. "The key to the core of inheritance is with me."

Bai Cheng exchanged looks with her companions.

Zi Yuan gripped her hilt: "In other words, we have to split into three groups?"

"One group goes to Thunder God Island to get the oath core, another breaks into the Mirror Maze for the resonance core, and the last stays in Shandora to open the Sacred Vault?"

"Time is running out." Leng Ningxue pulled up a holographic clock. "According to the analysis of the Observer Council's action patterns provided by High Priest Aurora, they will initiate the Faith Interference Experiment within 72 hours."

"At that time, Shandora's sun core will be subjected to a data attack, and the entire Golden Land's faith network may collapse."

Qingniao cracked her knuckles: "Then let's do it! My hands were just starting to itch for a fight anyway!"

Lu Duo and Yu Nian also nodded in agreement.

Bai Cheng pondered for a moment before looking up at Aurora and Garel.

"We accept this mission."

"But in exchange, Shandora must provide full assistance."

"Provide intelligence, equipment, and protect the Emerald Sea from any sneak attacks by the Observer Council while we collect the fragments."

Aurora smiled, "I swear it in the name of the Sun."

Garel struck his chest with a fist, "A covenant made by the blood of Rego."

Bai Cheng turned, the Sword of Conviction manifesting in her hand as the six Star Lord marks lit up in sequence.

"Now, for the groups."

"Group one, led by me, will head to the former site of Jaya on Thunder God Island to retrieve the oath core."

"Group two—Zi Yuan, Qingniao, and Leng Ningxue—will be responsible for breaking into the Mirror Maze of the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors to find the resonance core."

"Group three—Yu Nian and Lu Duo—will stay in Shandora to assist Excellency Garel in opening the Sacred Vault and maintaining the stability of the sun core."

"The dawn will serve as mobile support and a communication hub, temporarily managed by Senior Elune."

She looked around at everyone, the galaxy shimmering in her silver eyes.

"In three days, regardless of whether we have gathered all the fragments, we must return to the Shandora bell tower to regroup."

"This is not just about reforging the golden bell."

"This is for the Sky Island civilization, to sound the... which has been silent for a thousand years..."

"Overture of the Counterattack."

The bells of Shandora echoed long into the twilight.

On the distant Thunder God Island, thunderstorms began to converge abnormally.

And within the countless mirrors of the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors, the figures of the three departing teams were reflected.

The silver heart of the Observer Council's pulse quickened quietly.

Experiment No. ST-774321, Phase Two.

Sky Island Epic: golden bell Arc, officially begins.

On the deck of the dawn, the three groups assembled.

The team heading to Thunder God Island was led by Bai Cheng herself.

Besides her, Zi Yuan had also volunteered to go along.

Her Tide-Breaking Blade Intent could cut through energy turbulence in lightning environments. Garel also joined the team as a guide; his right eye, flickering with lightning, could sense the bloodline restrictions deep within the Thunder Pool.

"Thunder God Island is located in the Eternal Thunderstorm Belt southeast of Shandora."

Garel unfurled an ancient parchment sea chart, upon which twisted navigation routes were outlined in gold thread.

"The normal route takes seven days, but we have a shortcut: the Cloud-Gap Corridor."

He pointed to a broken dashed line on the sea chart.

"What is that?" Zi Yuan asked.

"An emergency passage built by the Sky Federation during ancient times."

Aurora stepped out of the temple, holding a fist-sized crystal ball with thunderclouds swirling inside.

"It uses the energy vortices of the thunderstorms themselves to open a brief, stable passage within the clouds."

"But it requires precise calculation of the transit time, otherwise..."

He looked at Bai Cheng.

"Otherwise, you will be sucked into the core of the thunderstorm, leaving nothing behind."

Garel took over, his voice calm. "My grandfather traveled it three times and succeeded twice. The last time... he never returned."

Bai Cheng took the crystal ball and felt the violent lightning energy inside. "Success rate?"

"In my experience, seventy percent." Garel narrowed his single eye. "With your Judgment authority to stabilize the space, it can be raised to ninety percent."

"Enough." Bai Cheng embedded the crystal ball into the dawn's newly installed navigator. The device hummed to life, projecting a complex navigation calculation map.

Meanwhile, the second group was making final preparations.

The entrance to the Nest of a Thousand Mirrors was located in the Data Mist region northwest of Shandora.

It was a domain composed of silver mist; once entered, one would be randomly teleported to different levels of the Mirror Maze.

Leng Ningxue had already input all the maze data provided by Shandora into her tactical eyepiece.

"The maze has ninety-nine floors in total, and each floor's structure changes over time." She pulled up a holographic model. "According to historical records, the resonance core is located in the Mirror Temple on the seventy-third floor."

"But it's possible the Observer Council has moved it."

Qingniao checked her lightning bracers: "I don't care where it is, we'll just blast our way through."

"No." Zi Yuan had ultimately been assigned to the second group.

She pressed down on Qingniao's shoulder. "The maze structure is fragile; excessive destruction will cause a spatial collapse. We need to be stealthy."

She looked at Leng Ningxue: "Can your ice crystal calculations predict the changes in the maze?"

"Theoretically, yes." Data streams flashed through Leng Ningxue's icy eyes.

"But I need to collect environmental parameters in real-time. I suggest advancing in three stages:"

"Speed through the first thirty floors, explore cautiously from floors thirty to seventy, and for the final twenty-three floors... we may encounter Council guards."

The third group was relatively stable.

Yu Nian and Lu Duo followed Garel to the entrance of the Shandora Underground Sacred Vault.

It was an ancient hall located directly beneath the sun core.

In the center of the hall floated a three-meter-high golden crystal, with countless tiny runes sealed inside.

"This is the shell of the core of inheritance." Garel pressed his palm against the crystal's surface, lightning spreading from his palm.

"To open it, we need the simultaneous injection of the lightning mark from Rego's bloodline and the Sun Holy Word from the Shandora High Priest."

Aurora tapped his ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) staff lightly on the ground, and sun patterns lit up on the four walls of the hall.

"The entire process must last for three days and three nights without interruption."

He looked at the two girls. "What you need to do is maintain the energy balance of the hall during this time and resist any possible interference."

"Including energy fluctuations that the sun core might produce, as well as... long-range attacks the Council might launch."