C28 Plane Teleportation Array

Six days after the end of his newbie protection period, Wang Changqing had sold off most of the loot he'd gathered from his clash with the Wild Beasts.

This time around, he played it smart. Not a single Soul Crystal was sold; he believed they were the most vital resource.

Of course, during these six days, his increasingly formidable Mechanical Legion wasn't just sitting around; it continued to scour the wilderness.

However, the previous skirmish with the Wild Beasts had been so intense that advanced creatures of level 5 and above had nearly been wiped out within a 50-kilometer radius of the Dawn Territory.

Wang Changqing always approached the wilderness with a sense of awe, never daring to send his Mechanical Legion too far afield. They stuck to a 60-kilometer radius around the Dawn Territory for their sweeps.

This meant the haul wasn't particularly large, but Wang Changqing was a firm believer in being content with what one has.

And right now, he was overjoyed.

His Mechanical Legion was finally complete.

The ranks of his Mechanical Legion boasted 50 level-9s, 500 level-8s, 3,000 level-7s, 5,000 level-6s, and 10,000 level-5 Combat Robots, plus 260 level-7 Giant Iron Men. This formidable force could easily trounce a cohort of fellow Lords.

At that moment, 18 level-7 Fire Magic Cores had been set into the Two-Way Teleportation Array on the Rank Two Plane, with only the activation remaining.

After a final check to ensure everything was in order, Wang Changqing approached the teleportation array with a mix of anticipation and anxiety and pressed the activation button.

Energy roared from the Magic Cores embedded throughout the array, converging above to create a maelstrom of power that twisted and shook space, resonating with the ancient spatial laws. A teleportation gate, ten meters tall and six meters wide, slowly emerged from the void.

As the base of the Two-Way Teleportation Array glowed green, the colossal gate that had materialized from the void solidified completely. Now, stepping through that portal would transport one to an entirely new Plane.

Wang Changqing gestured, and an imperceptible Nano Reconnaissance Robot slipped through the Plane Teleportation Gate. A faint ripple disturbed the gate's calm, severing the signal between Wang Changqing and the robot.

The wait was excruciating. Time crawled by at a snail's pace, suffocatingly slow in Wang Changqing's perception.

He felt as if an eternity had passed, but a glance at his watch revealed it had been less than a minute.

After three minutes, the Plane Teleportation Array stirred once more. The Mechanical Warriors stood at the ready, their focus unwavering on the gate. Should anything emerge, the tens of thousands of warriors were primed to unleash a barrage of firepower.

In this tense standoff, Rafe's voice broke through, "Master, the Nano Reconnaissance Robot has returned safely. The other side of the Plane Teleportation Gate is a forest, with no threats detected within a three-kilometer radius."

Buoyed by the news, Wang Changqing punched the air in triumph and instructed Rafe to proceed with the next phase of the plan.

Swarm after swarm of Nano Reconnaissance Robots buzzed out of the machine room and into the Plane Teleportation Gate. As the robots began to trickle back with their findings, Rafe diligently compiled the incoming data.

Two hours later, Wang Changqing received Rafe's comprehensive intelligence report.

"Master, the area beyond the Plane Teleportation Array is a vast primeval forest spanning 275,115.45 square kilometers. We've identified four intelligent species and two sub-intelligent species. The intelligent ones are Elves, Frogmen, Snake People, and Bearmen, while the sub-intelligent species are Gnomes and Goblins. We are still tallying their exact numbers."

"The initial reconnaissance has uncovered 136 varieties of magical plants and 64 surface mineral veins, including gold, silver, brass, iron, and mithril."

"We've spotted eight creatures at Level 9, seventy-eight at Level 8, four hundred fifty-six at Level 7, seven thousand five hundred sixty-two at Level 6, and forty-five thousand eight hundred seventy-nine at Level 5. So far, no creatures at Level 10 or above have been detected."

"Suggestion: Conquer."

For Wang Changqing, the absence of Level-10 creatures was the best news. With a grand gesture, he directed a procession of mechanical warriors and engineering machinery into the Plane Teleportation Array, which began to operate at full capacity.

Wang Changqing wasn't about to commit all his forces to his inaugural campaign on the Alien Plane. The Dawn Territory was vulnerable and required a substantial garrison for defense.

His strategy involved deploying forty Level-9s, four hundred Level-8s, two thousand Level-7s, plus two hundred Level-7 Giant Iron Men, complemented by three hundred pieces of engineering machinery and two thousand Nano Reconnaissance Robots for the initial reconnaissance of the Rank Two Plane.

Indeed, it was reconnaissance, not conquest. Such a force was insufficient to subjugate a Rank Two Plane.

As the final Level-7 Giant Iron Man stepped into the Plane Teleportation Array, only Wang Changqing remained.

"My Lord!" Moo Qing called out, hurrying over with the other three maids. "Please, take care!"

"Thank you!" Wang Changqing replied with a slight smile, affectionately patting Moo Qing's cheek. He was about to turn away when Moo Qing embraced him tightly.

In the close embrace, Wang Changqing became acutely aware of Moo Qing's fiery figure. Soon, the other three maids joined in, enveloping him in a group hug. Beyond the physical contact stirring unusual thoughts, what Wang Changqing truly savored was the feeling of being cared for—a sentiment he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

Moo Qing, Moo Shi, Moo Hua, and Moo Shu were the names of Wang Changqing's four devoted maids.

Since his arrival on the Initial Continent, these four had attended to his every need. Wang Changqing, devoid of any lordly airs, treated them with genuine kindness.

Now, as he prepared to venture into the alien world, their reluctance to part was palpable.

"Hey, take it easy. I'm running out of breath! It's not a final farewell. The teleportation gate is always open. I can return whenever I wish..."

Eventually, after a prolonged and heartfelt goodbye, they parted. Wang Changqing strode confidently towards the Plane Teleportation Array. In the moment before crossing the threshold, he turned back to wave at Moo Qing and her fellow maids, Moo Niu and his administrative team waiting in the distance, and the citizens gathered outside the City Lord's Mansion, calling out, "I will return alive!"

The Plane Teleportation Gate resembled a mirror, a single step bridging the gap between two worlds.

Yet, what lay on the other side remained a mystery—what encounters awaited, what losses were to be suffered, what gains to be had. It was uncertain whether one would return to the Initial Continent laden with abundant resources, in a blaze of glory, or flee back with a battered and beaten force, a sorry sight indeed.