"Brother-in-law, do you have other magical methods? Why didn't you use them yesterday?" Confusion and disbelief crept onto Liu Ruomei's face.
"I went back to my Sect today and brought back some treasures…" Zhang Bin explained as they walked. He also summoned all of his pets to follow. Then, he led the entire group rapidly toward the Great Green Mountain.
They traveled for at least ninety-five kilometers before he finally stopped. He pulled out a hoe and began digging a hole, with his numerous pets pitching in to help. Liu Ruomei, however, watched in complete bewilderment, having no idea what Zhang Bin was doing.
Finally, when the hole was dug, Zhang Bin willed it with a thought, and an Array Plate flew out from his Space Ring, landing perfectly in the pit.
Liu Ruomei and all the pets jumped back in fright. The Array Plate was perfectly round, ten meters in diameter and one meter thick. It was exquisitely crafted and emitted an aura and killing intent so dense that it was beyond their wildest imagination.
"Brother-in-law, what is this treasure?" Liu Ruomei asked in amazement. Her instincts screamed that this was something extraordinary.
"Heh heh… This is an Array Plate, a unique treasure from Cultivation Sects," Zhang Bin said proudly. "It can cover a radius of one hundred kilometers. Within this range, we have our own territory, and it's impregnable. Even Golden Core Realm Great Perfection experts wouldn't dare to enter. If they did, they might not die, but they would definitely lose a layer of skin."
He had deliberately placed the Array Plate ninety-five kilometers from Sanchahe Village because he didn't want the Formation's range to include Qingshan County City. His goal was to cover only Sanchahe Village and the Great Green Mountain. This way, he could even mine Spirit Stones within the safety of the Great Array's perimeter. He and his family would be secure, finally giving them a safe home. With this, he wouldn't have to fear any number of Golden Core Realm enemies.
"An Array Plate? It's that magical?" Liu Ruomei's eyes lit up, her face filled with ecstasy. The pets were also overjoyed, and the Little Fox even started doing somersaults in delight.
"Heh heh… you'll see just how powerful it is in a moment." With a strange chuckle, Zhang Bin opened the Array Plate's Energy Cabin and placed all fifty Spirit Stones he had gathered today inside.
Activating the Array Plate naturally required a power source, which the Spirit Stones provided. On full power, it would consume two Spirit Stones a day. If a Golden Core Realm Expert intruded and triggered the Formation's attack systems, the cost would be even higher. Most Sects couldn't possibly afford such an expense, but for Zhang Bin, it was a trivial amount. After all, he could already mine fifty Spirit Stones in a single day.
He then performed the initial activation of the Array Plate. It began to glow with a mix of green and gold light, releasing a peculiar aura that seemed to fuse with Heaven and Earth themselves.
Zhang Bin opened a control panel on the Array Plate and began meticulously configuring its settings. Once he was done, he took out a number of remote controls. He gave one each to Liu Ruomei, Xiao Qian, Da Huang, Big Fatty, Second Fatty, Hong Ya, Xiao Jin, and Xiao Xuanzi. The remotes were small and exquisite, like jade pendants that could be worn as necklaces. Zhang Bin then taught them how to use the devices. Of course, they were keyed to their specific users; a remote would be useless in anyone else's hands, as its security was far too intelligent.
Once that was done, he buried the Array Plate under a layer of dirt and rocks, leaving only a small, hidden access tunnel for replacing the Spirit Stones.
Next, he led them to strategically place the eighteen Formation Flags in specific locations. The Formation Flags also required Spirit Stones for energy, but a single stone in each was sufficient. With this complete, the entire hundred-kilometer radius fell under the Array Plate's influence. Instantly, a faint white mist began to rise within the area covered by the Great Array, making the surroundings hazy and difficult to see clearly.
On the screen of Zhang Bin's remote control, a dense cluster of red dots appeared. These dots represented every animal in the area. Naturally, creatures of little intelligence and size, such as earthworms and ants, were not displayed. Zhang Bin and the others began to work quickly, tapping on the red dots to zoom in on clear images of the people within the Formation's range. One by one, they authenticated each friendly individual, granting them the Array Plate's approval. This meant they would neither be targeted by the Formation's attacks nor affected by it in any way. In fact, they would even gain its protection. This authentication could, of course, be revoked at any time, with the opposite consequences.
"Brother-in-law, this Array Plate is incredible. Is it really a treasure from your Sect?" Liu Ruomei asked, still in shock after they finished the authentications. She felt that this couldn't have been crafted by ancient Cultivators; it possessed intelligence and features that clearly belonged to advanced technology.
In truth, some major Sects on Earth did possess Array Plates, though they were nowhere near as intelligent or convenient as this one. Their power, however, was not to be underestimated. Xuanwu Star, on the other hand, was a planet where both cultivation and technology were extremely advanced. Therefore, the Array Plates forged by its Cultivators naturally incorporated technological features, making them vastly different from the ones on Earth.
"Of course it's a treasure from my Sect," Zhang Bin lied smoothly. "As for how it was made, I have no idea."
"Should we test the Formation's attack power?" Liu Ruomei suggested, eager to see it in action.
"A large wild boar just wandered in. Let's test it on that," Zhang Bin said with a smile, then pressed a specific button on his remote. The moment he pressed the button, the Formation's offensive systems fully activated, which would consume two Spirit Stones per day. If it were set to autonomously attack dangerous animals or people, the consumption would be even higher.
Instantly, the Array Plate determined the intruding wild boar posed a minor threat and initiated a very light attack. A strange force immediately enveloped the beast, increasing the gravity acting upon it tenfold. The boar slammed to the ground with a thud, blood pouring from its seven facial orifices. It let out a few pitiful squeals and then fell silent, its breathing stopped completely. This was the mildest possible attack; because the boar was not powerful, the force used was negligible. If a powerful Cultivator were to intrude, however, they would face a terrifying assault and could easily be killed instantly.
"Heavens, that's terrifying," Liu Ruomei whispered, her face pale with shock.
Even Zhang Bin was secretly astounded, and his expression turned solemn. He said seriously, "We should keep the Array Plate in defense mode. We shouldn't activate the offensive systems unless a powerful enemy intrudes."
In defense mode, intruders wouldn't be killed. The Formation would merely activate its illusionary capabilities to drive away powerful animals. As for creatures that posed no threat, it would simply ignore them. They wouldn't even realize they were inside a terrifying Great Array. This way, the villagers of Sanchahe Village wouldn't notice any changes, other than the fog in the area becoming a bit thicker. Outsiders who posed no threat would also be unaffected—they wouldn't be attacked, subjected to illusions, or driven away.