Chapter 525: Mountain River Grand Array (Part One)
The expansion of the villa was successfully completed within the time frame specified by Old Master Wu. Under Old Master Wu's guidance, Yang Haoran toured every corner of the newly expanded property.
This villa expansion involved building a new villa behind the original one; however, this new villa was merely a facade. The true major construction was beneath it. Beneath the villa lay a subterranean space several times larger than the villa itself, meticulously divided into different zones according to Yang Haoran's specifications. There were research areas, dedicated medical facilities, a confinement zone for prisoners, and even some sections whose purpose Old Master Wu himself didn't know—all constructed precisely to Yang Haoran's demands. After careful inspection, Yang Haoran was "relatively satisfied" with the villa's expansion, and not "fully satisfied. " The reason was that certain details still fell short of his desired standards. Old Master Wu diligently noted down all these minor deficiencies and arranged for revisions. During this period of rectification, Yang Haoran once again made a trip to the Underworld, returning with three sets of custom-made skins. Upon his return with the skins, Yang Haoran did not immediately summon the three Guardian Spirits, choosing instead to wait for the subterranean space's modifications to be completed. Two more days passed, and the meticulous refinements of the subterranean space were finished. Yang Haoran's inspection concluded with great satisfaction, and thus, the entire project was brought to a successful close. Outside the villa, Yang Haoran eagerly took out the set of formation flags he had acquired from the Ma Family. He summoned everyone inside the villa to his side, not to show off, of course, but for another purpose entirely. Everyone present was puzzled by Yang Haoran's summons to the villa's exterior. "Brother Underworld Official, why have you called us out so early this morning? You're not going to treat us to breakfast, are you? " Bai Xue asked with a charming smile. Recently, Bai Xue had been on duty frequently, and Yang Haoran had barely seen her. She had only returned to the villa last night. Hearing Bai Xue's words, Xiao Kang also looked puzzled and was about to ask a question, but Xiujuan stopped him with a single glance. Xiao Kang opened his mouth, then ultimately swallowed the words he was about to speak. As Xiao Kang grew older, the little fellow became increasingly sensible; often, a single glance from Xiujuan was enough for him to understand her intent. He likewise understood the meaning of Xiujuan's recent glance: she was telling him not to ask too many questions about things he shouldn't. Yang Haoran smiled and replied, "Some time ago, I brought back something rather good, and I intend to put it to proper use. " "What good thing? Let me see! " Bai Xue asked, brimming with curiosity. Yang Haoran didn't answer. Instead, he snapped his fingers, and a wooden box, easily a meter long, appeared before him. The wooden box floated in mid-air, slowly opening under their curious gaze to reveal an array disk and several formation flags within. "So it's a complete set of formation flags! " Bai Xue's face lit up with interest, and the others present also had their eyes brighten. "I called you out here to show you where the formation flags are deployed. In the future, if this place ever becomes a battlefield, you need to know where the flags are and try to avoid damaging the areas they cover. " As he finished speaking, Yang Haoran took the array disk from the wooden box and activated it. As the array disk was activated, the eight formation flags within the wooden box suddenly shot into the air. Under Yang Haoran's control, they systematically plunged into the surrounding ground, centering themselves around the two villas. The formation flags pierced the earth, their banners fluttering in the wind. After a few rustling sounds, the flags burrowed into the ground and vanished. The eight formation flags encompassed both villas, including the subterranean space beneath them. Any area enclosed by the flags became a region enveloped by the formation. Yang Haoran had originally intended to use this set of formation flags only for the newly expanded section of the villa, but after careful consideration, he changed his mind. If only the new section were covered, their living quarters would not be protected by the formation. Therefore, after much deliberation, Yang Haoran decided to envelop both villas within the formation, ensuring protection for both. With the formation flags sunken into the ground, Yang Haoran once again activated the array disk. As the array disk was activated again, eight pillars of light erupted from where the formation flags had disappeared. These light pillars arced upwards, eventually intertwining above the two villas, forming a colossal light curtain that enveloped the entire area surrounded by the eight flags. As the light curtain descended, the world before Yang Haoran and the others instantly transformed. The two villas vanished, and then the light curtain itself disappeared, as if the villas had never existed at all. "Come, let's go inside and take a look. " Yang Haoran manipulated the array disk, leaving an invisible mark on each of them. With these marks, they wouldn't be rejected by the forbidden barrier. Following him into the interior of the barrier, the world they saw was entirely different from what they had imagined. They had expected to see familiar scenes upon entering, but instead, the world before them had transformed into one of mountains and rivers. Towering mountains reached into the clouds, a vast river stretched as far as the eye could see, birds chirped and flowers bloomed, and lush greenery abounded. The entire world appeared beautiful, quiet, and serene, like a legendary utopia—yet the two villas remained nowhere in sight. Their eyes lit up, captivated by the stunning beauty before them. At that moment, they all felt as though they were stepping into a painting. "It's so beautiful! This truly is an ideal place for cultivation! " Bai Xue exclaimed with an expression of pure enjoyment. Bai Xue was a demon, and such beautiful environments appealed to her most. However, Yang Haoran's next words brought her back to reality. "Haha, beautiful it is, but unfortunately, it's not real. " Yang Haoran chuckled. He held the array disk in one hand, picked up a small stone from the ground with the other, and with a gentle squeeze, the stone crumbled into powder. As he watched the stone dust sift through his fingers, the smile on Yang Haoran's face subtly stiffened. Noticing the change in Yang Haoran's expression, the others looked puzzled. Bai Xue, for her part, asked, "Brother Underworld Official, what's wrong? " Yang Haoran came back to himself, then laughed and said, "It's nothing. This illusion created by the formation is even more real than I imagined. " Just now, when he picked up and crushed a small stone, the sensation was indistinguishable from crushing a real one. As he spoke, Yang Haoran gently beckoned to a wild flower in the distance. The flower detached, flew towards him, and landed in his hand. He brought the wild flower to his nose and inhaled deeply; it was incredibly fragrant, exactly like a real one. With a slight flick of his wrist, the petals of the wild flower fluttered off, leaving only a bare stalk. These fallen petals, once they drifted to the ground, did not disappear but remained scattered, each distinct. Seeing this, Yang Haoran activated his Ghost Eye. To his surprise, the world before him did not revert to reality; the scene he observed through his Ghost Eye was still one of mountains and rivers, and the scent he inhaled still carried the unique fragrance of nature. Had he not known that everything before him was an illusion, Yang Haoran would have certainly believed himself truly immersed in the mountains and rivers, for even with his Ghost Eye activated, he could not pierce through it. Holding onto his inner shock, Yang Haoran poured more Spirit Power into his Ghost Eye. Under this influx, black smoke billowed from his eyes, and the world before him finally began to slowly shift. The towering mountains vanished, and the endlessly stretching river dissipated into thin air. What now lay before his eyes was the true reality: the two villas and the familiar vegetation surrounding them. Yang Haoran deactivated his Ghost Eye, a wide smile spreading across his face, and an unconcealed delight shining in his eyes. "This set of formation flags is even more potent than I imagined! " Yang Haoran couldn't help but exclaim. "This world before us really does look exactly like the real thing," Bai Xue said, her face full of astonishment. "This illusion is incredibly powerful; if someone were to stumble in here, they'd likely be trapped to their death and find it very hard to escape. " "It's not just a simple illusion; the illusion is only part of this set of formation flags' capabilities," Yang Haoran replied, then once more activated the array disk in his hand.
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