Behind Zhang Meng followed an old man dressed in gray robes, with hair and beard as white as snow.

The old man held a compass in his hand. His gaze was somewhat gloomy, and when he looked at Su Ming, there was a hint of scrutiny and a barely perceptible sense of rejection.

"This is Old Han, Formation Master Han, an old comrade who's been with me for ten years," Zhang Meng introduced casually. "He's also a formidable hand at the eighth layer of Qi Refining."

Su Ming gave a slight nod. "Greetings, Senior Han."

Formation Master Han snorted through his nostrils and said with a lukewarm tone, "The younger generation is to be feared. I've heard Fellow Daoist Su created a 'Spiderweb' in Bing-7? This old man would like to ask for some advice. What is so remarkable about this formation that it could make that uncouth brute Zhao Tiji sing your praises to the skies?"

Within the Consciousness Sea, Lin Yu's voice sounded lazily, tinged with a bit of schadenfreude. "Disciple, this old man is unhappy. He feels you're stealing his rice bowl. Don't waste words with him now. Just use technical superiority to crush him. This is the so-called 'Dimensional Reduction Strike'."

Su Ming understood in his heart, but his expression remained respectful. "Remarkable is hardly the word. It was merely adapting to local conditions. Captain Zhang, Senior Han, perhaps we should first take a look at the situation in the defense zone."

Without waiting for their response, he directly strode towards the core of the defense zone.

Zhang Meng and Formation Master Han exchanged a glance and followed.

Su Ming didn't walk fast, but each step was extremely methodical. Deep within his eyes, a faint azure-blue light flickered as his "observation micro state" vision fully activated.

In the eyes of ordinary people, this was a sturdy camp. But in Su Ming's eyes, lines of flowing spiritual energy were everywhere. It's just that these lines...

"Tsk tsk tsk, this wiring is simply a tangled mess," Lin Yu launched into outburst mode. "Look at that Spirit Gathering node. It's clearly a water-attributed spiritual material, yet it's forcibly connected to a fire-attributed earth vein branch. Isn't that like using gasoline to put out a fire? And that warning array, its range overlaps by at least thirty percent, a pure waste of computational power. Did this old man set this up by rote memorization from a textbook?"

While listening to his master's "scathing commentary," Su Ming rapidly constructed an optimization model in his mind.

A quarter of an hour later, Su Ming stopped before a seemingly ordinary mound of earth.

"What is it? Has Fellow Daoist Su noticed something?" Formation Master Han asked with his hands behind his back, his tone carrying a hint of testing. "This 'Earth Fiend Pile' was personally selected by this old man. It suppresses a Yin Vein branch below, as steady as Mount Tai."

Su Ming didn't directly refute. Instead, he extended a finger, condensing a ball of pure water-attributed spiritual energy at its tip.

"Senior Han's positioning is precise, that is beyond doubt," Su Ming first offered a sweet date, then immediately shifted his tone. "It's just that the flow of spiritual energy underground seems to have undergone some changes recently. Please observe, Senior."

He flicked his finger lightly. That ball of water spiritual energy transformed into a thin thread, drilling into the formation line interface beneath the mound.

In the next instant, the originally calm formation node suddenly flickered. Immediately after, a turbid stream of spiritual energy gushed out from the interface, like a clogged sewer suddenly clearing, emitting muffled "puff puff" sounds.

Formation Master Han's old face instantly flushed red.

"This..."

"Poor connection between the spiritual energies of two formation cores leads to reflux congestion. It's not noticeable normally, but once operating under high load, this spot becomes a potential explosion point," Su Ming stated calmly, as if stating a simple fact. "Additionally, the warning array in the northeast corner overlaps with the main formation's range. Not only does it waste spirit stones, it also generates interference noise. If we encounter a beast adept at concealment, this kind of noise becomes their best cover."

As he spoke, Su Ming casually cast several spiritual incantations, using water spiritual energy to sketch a schematic of the spiritual energy congestion in the air. It was so intuitive that even an outsider like Zhang Meng could understand.

Formation Master Han's original arrogance rapidly dissipated before these precise lines of spiritual energy. He was an expert, so he naturally recognized the value of Su Ming's "probing the pulse and locating the point" technique.

"I have learned something," Formation Master Han took a deep breath, and the posture of his cupped hands finally became a bit more proper. "Then, according to Fellow Daoist Su's opinion, how should it be modified?"

"No major modifications needed," Su Ming turned to look at Zhang Meng, finally getting to the main point. "A full 'Spiderweb' installation, re-organizing the nodes, turning a dead formation into a living net."

Zhang Meng was impatient and immediately asked, "Just say it straight. How much Military Merit?"

Su Ming raised one finger, then added another.

"One thousand one hundred points."

Zhang Meng's dark face instantly twitched, his beard trembling three times. "How much? One thousand one? Brother Su, that's even harsher than robbery! I inquired about Bing-7. The material cost was only four to five hundred, right?"

"Captain Zhang, that's not how the accounting works."

Su Ming smiled slightly and began deploying the "commercial rhetoric" Lin Yu had taught him.

"The terrain of the Bing-6 Defense Zone is open, thirty percent larger than Bing-7. Naturally, the material cost increases, requiring approximately four hundred and fifty points," Su Ming counted on his fingers as he explained. "But that's just the dead materials. What's truly valuable is this 'Spiderweb' system."

He pointed at the ground beneath his feet. "Ordinary formations are dead. If they break, they need repair. But my 'Spiderweb' includes three free emergency repairs within the following three months. That is to say, for the next three months, as long as the formation isn't completely destroyed, even if something goes wrong in the middle of the night, I will come when called."

"This is the so-called—bundled quality assurance service," Lin Yu supplied a term within the Consciousness Sea.

Su Ming paused briefly, then continued, "Moreover, I've reserved a one-hundred-point risk fund in the quote. If there is material loss during the formation setup, or unexpected situations arise, Captain Zhang won't need to pay another single point. If the project finishes smoothly without using it, this one hundred points will be refunded."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng's words about haggling immediately got stuck in his throat.

On this battlefield where one's life hangs by a thread, who dares to promise "come when called"? Who dares to say "refund the difference"?

This was taking the risk upon oneself, giving the client peace of mind!

Zhang Meng stroked the steel-needle-like stubble on his chin, his eyes flickering. Although he was stingy, he feared death more. Eleven hundred was expensive, but if it could truly be as Su Ming said...

He turned to Formation Master Han. "Old Han, do you think it's worth it?"

Formation Master Han had by now completely put away his condescension. He pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the spiritual energy diagram Su Ming had just sketched, and finally sighed. "If it can truly achieve the warning and delay effects like in Bing-7, especially filling the blind spots in our existing warning system... it's worth it. This craftsmanship is worth this price."

Even his own Formation Master said so. Zhang Meng no longer hesitated.

"Fine! One thousand one it is!"

Zhang Meng waved his hand grandly and made the decision decisively. "But Brother Su, let's be blunt upfront. If the effect isn't as good as you say, or if it collapses before the next beast tide, I'll have to have a serious talk with you about this Military Merit! Don't blame your big brother for not showing any mercy then!"

Su Ming's expression turned solemn. He cupped his hands and said, "That is only right. Take payment, solve disasters. If I cannot deliver, Su Ming will not accept a single point."

"Straightforward!" Zhang Meng laughed heartily and directly took out his identity token, ready to transfer the Military Merit.

"Wait, it's not too late to give it after completion and acceptance," Su Ming stopped him. Then, he took out a bundle of specially-made Formation Flags from his storage pouch, his gaze instantly becoming focused. "Now, let's get to work."